HP PhotoSmart B8550 - Printer - color - ink-jet - A3 Plus - 1200 dpi x 1200 dpi - up to 32 ppm (mono) / up to 31 ppm (color) - capacity: 145 sheets - USB

Average Buy for Everyone
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Is this product current?
 
 
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Reviews and opinions are mixed or people are just OK with this product.
209 User Reviews
 
3.45 out of 5
5 Expert Reviews
 
4.25 out of 5
 
Good Value?
 
This product is selling at a price higher than its capabilities.
 
What are the key features?
 
While this is a budget product it contains certain features that are typically found on higher end products.
Color • Ink-jet • 31 ppm color
Based on the facts above, Retrevo rates it:
 
Average Buy for Everyone
 
 
 
 
 
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Yes! This printer is selling below its average price and its price has held steady in the past 14 days, making right now a good time to buy.

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$799.92
 
 
 
 
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Most Favorable User Reviews
 
Excellent IF you use a continuous ink supply system by Miss Judy on amazon.com Jun 16, 2011
This printer is great for printing 11x17 pages in full colour. However, the ink cartridges are way too smal for what it can do. I purchased a continuous ink supply system for it about 2 years ago (I think) from inkproducts.com and it has been a dream ...
 
For Price... Excellent Value by AnOldTechIllustrator on shopping.hp.com Dec 3, 2010
I bought this printer because it could print larger than 8.5 wide paper. I've been doing a lot of work with old Sanborn Insurance Maps. (Early 1900 blueprint type drawings of cities for insurance companys to decide rates to charge.) The work involved ...
 
I would buy it again by Don on bhphotovideo.com Apr 10, 2010
Only had it about a week but have printed several 8x10's and they are great. Printed several more 11x14's on light presentation matt paper and they are super, can't wait to try real photo paper, it's on the way. Had a hard time finding anyone at HP that ...
 
Blew Me Away! Fire your Photo Lab! by JR on tigerdirect.com Oct 8, 2009
I am BLOWN AWAY by the print quality in a 13 x 19 photo printer that costs about $200. Big prints are GORGEOUS. I often use JASC Paint Shop Pro Version 7.0 to make multiphoto collages on a single sheet of 13x19 photo paper and the results are always top-notch. Buy the 564XL ink cartridges.
 
NO DOUBT WITH THIS PRODUCT. by JERU on newegg.com Aug 2, 2010
I LOVE HP :)
 
 
 
 
Most Critical User Reviews
 
Don't waste your time or money by S. Benedict "reader" on amazon.com May 26, 2012
Run! Don't do it! Get something else! I bought this printer a year or so ago to be able to occasionally print large format photos. I am not a professional photographer; I am a painter, and wanted to be able to print photos for studies once in a while. ...
 
JUNK! by tree1973 on shopping.hp.com Dec 22, 2010
I have had this printer in use for just under one year and it is dead. The printhead failure somehow and HP service said since it is out of warrenty there is no way of fixing it. I had my HP 970Cse printer for over 14 years no problems ever. I wanted ...
 
Photosmart B8550 is not for the professional: by win2020 on cnet.com Dec 19, 2010
I have had some good HP printers. Hewlett Packard was top of the line. It is my opinion that the new HP is now leaching off the good reputation of Hewlett Packard. As the equipment in my office and studio need replacing; I will be replacing the equipment ...
 
Brakes easily by Mar on bhphotovideo.com Jul 22, 2010
I hate this printer. I have had it less than a year and already had to replace it twice, and hp I had to jump threw loops with hp for them to even replace it. I bought the extended warranty and every time I talk to them they make me re-fax in my receipt ...
 
Poor product design by mahvas on epinions.com Aug 22, 2009
Summary: I bought this HP printer recently. It is designed to print photos on 13x17 size paper. One would naturally assume the ink consumption for large-size printing jobs would be significant and therefore the ink cartridges correspondingly would be big.But
 
 
 
 
User Reviews from the Web
amazon.com
 
3.4 out of 5
from 115 reviews
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer
At 23 inches wide, it is overall smaller than my Canon Pro9000 since the Pro9000 also has a top-feed paper tray whereas the B8550 input and output trays both are in front of the printer...Taking into account the mid-range price of this printer and the fact that it is one of the most inexpensive 13x19 photo printers, I would rate the print quality quite good...The one aspect of the printer that I consider to be a mechanical design flaw is in the way the output tray and paper extender lock into place when raised up to a 45-degree angle...
hp.com
 
3.6 out of 5
from 57 reviews
HP® - HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer customer reviews - product reviews - read...
It is an ink hog, it is slow, loud and the software is really bad...I have owned the B8550 for just over one year.The only thing good I could say about this printer is the high quality of prints...I highly recommend this printer to anyone who is looking for excellent printed photos and consistent color quality...
cnet.com
 
1.6 out of 5
from 7 reviews
HP Photosmart B8550 - Compare prices reviews user opinions - Shopper.com
Photo prints are also good, though that's not my main use for this printer...The B8550 looks good and quite impressive...In short; it would not print a saleable picture I have had some good HP printers...
epinions.com
 
1.0 out of 5
from 1 reviews
Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550 InkJet Printer Reviews. Buying Guides & Consumer...
Even as it drinks ink out of small cartridges, the print quality is not bad...If you are concerned about keep paying for ink cartridges, stay away from this printer...One would naturally assume the ink consumption for large-size printing jobs would be significant and therefore the ink cartridges correspondingly would be big.But...
newegg.com
 
3.0 out of 5
from 4 reviews
Newegg.com - HP Photosmart B8550 CB981A Up to 32 ppm Black Print Speed 1200 x 1200...
I would like to inform you that HP does not recommend non-HP media...I would request you to use HP recommended papers...Resolution of 1200x1200 is good for text (higher than others) but lower than competing printers for photos...
bhphotovideo.com
 
4.3 out of 5
from 22 reviews
HP / Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer CB981A#B1H
Accurate Colors Easy Setup Easy To Use Great Contrast Great Overall Quality Reliable Sharp Tones & Colors Slow Print Time I HAVE PRINTED A FEW PICTURES SO FAR, AND THEY ARE JUST LIKE PROFESSIONAL PHOTO LAB...Accurate Colors Easy To Use Great Contrast Great Overall Quality Moderate priced ink Sharp Tones & Colors Software big i do some photo manipulations as well as just basic photo printing...i've owned other HP's and although the quality is usually pretty good, they aren't always the most economical...
tigerdirect.com
 
3.3 out of 5
from 3 reviews
HP Photosmart Pro B8550 Color Inkjet Printer - 1200 x 1200 dpi 32 ppm USB PictBridge...
After years of owning other brands of printers and being fed up with clogged print heads, I decided to try this one...THANK YOU !!! In less than 10 minutes on the phone with this company I had a replacement printer bound for shipping and a pre-paid shipping label for sending back the old one...I often use JASC Paint Shop Pro Version 7.0 to make multiphoto collages on a single sheet of 13x19 photo paper and the results are always top-notch...
photographyblog.com
 
 
 
HP Photosmart B8550 Review | PhotographyBLOG
I just purchased the hp photosmart B8550 and am very pleased with its performance...In conclusion, I can not say I am totally satisfied...
dpreview.com
 
 
 
New HP B8550 13: Printers & Printing Forum: Digital Photography Review
The R2400/R2880 will probably beat the B8550 complex transsitions wise...Nonetheless, overall the HP iq is stunning...Price wise, the B8550 competes directly with the Canon IX4000, but the B8550 wins hands down due to the fact that is has a dedicated photo black (which the IX4000 lacks...Did I mention that the B8550 uses (C/M/W/K) HP Vivera dye based inks that, colors wise, last for 100 years...
fredmiranda.com
 
 
 
HP B8550 - FM Forums
They were supposed to pick up the old one today and the new one was supposed to arrive today...If my review is one of the ones you read, be ready to purchase spare ink, and I'd recommend buying the XL cartridges...That wouldn't be too bad, but I still assert that they should have done what they originally promised (2nd business day replacement...
layersmagazine.com
 
 
 
HP Photosmart B8550 Printer « « Layers Magazine Layers Magazine
The first thing I noticed about this HP printer was its overall sleek design, making it appear as if it had been designed by Apple rather than in a former Soviet Bloc tank factory...Looks aside, the HP Photosmart B8550 offers features such as dual paper trays and a built-in card reader with a 2.4 LCD that’s designed to allow printing without a computer (though I don’t see a pro using that feature...The B8550 uses a dye-based, five-ink printing system to produce archive-quality images with an expected 100-year lifetime, which is a lot longer than the life span of any client...I had some doubts about how prints would stack up against printers offering more inks, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good the B8550 prints appeared...
photo.net
 
 
 
HP Photosmart B8550 - Can't find any paper for art prints - Photo.net Digital Darkroom...
I might have done a very stupid thing, in buying the HP Photosmart B8550...Now I'm beginning to understand that this choice of equipment was bad...The B8550 is a dye based printer...I am sorry but I do not have any solution to your problem...
blissfullydomestic.com
 
 
 
Review & Giveaway: HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer | | Blissfully DomesticBlissfully...
This printer has many cool features, but one of the best is the variety of sizes you can print...I may not be one, but I know that there are a lot of scrapbookers out there...We are giving one of these bad boys away to one of you...
ephotozine.com
 
 
 
HP B8550
I just received this printer today...Check out ePHOTOzine's inspirational photo month calendar! Each day click on a window to unveil new photography tips, treats and techniques...I don't think I've ever been sent a USB cable with a printer...
hawkee.com
 
 
 
HP Photosmart B8550 Color Inkjet Photo Printer - Compare Prices & Reviews
BUY IT YOU WILL LOVE THE QUALITY AND YOU CAN PRINT ALL DAY LONG AND NEVER RUN OUT OF INK.YOU WILL HAVE TO LOOK HARD AND OFTEN FOR A GOOD USED ONE.I BAUGHT 3 OF THEM...If you calibrate your monitor and use the printer profile, the print match to the monitor is quite good, usually requiring minimal tweaking...I have owned this printer for about 1 yr and I cannot recommend it in any way...
 
 
 
 
Expert Reviews from the Web
pcadvisor.co.uk
 
8.0 out of 10
Aug 11, 2009
HP Photosmart B8550 review - PC Advisor
Colours came out vivid and vibrant, greys looked properly grey rather than shades of green or red...With its focus on a different type of customer, the HP Photosmart B8550 ships with some hardware features the other printers deem too frivolous to include...At this price and with these features, the HP Photosmart B8550 is aimed squarely at everyday consumers – holiday snappers and poster makers – rather than at enthusiastic creatives...
pcmag.com
 
4.5 out of 5
Sep 23, 2008
HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer Review & Rating | PCMag.com
High-quality photos and graphics at sizes up to 13 by 19 inches...Second tray for up to 5-by-7 paper....Not designed for printing on fine art paper....Now HP is back with the still less expensive HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer ($299.99 direct)another impressive model, and another Editors' Choice...The B8550 is aimed at a different kind of user than the B9180 and B8850 are...The B8550 is much more of a high-end consumer printer...Colors were eye-catching...
trustedreviews.com
Nov 28, 2008
HP Photosmart B8550 A3+ Inkjet review - Printer - Trusted Reviews
HP has just revamped its models and come up with a strikingly designed printer in the Photosmart B8550...Decked in ice white and pale grey, the printer has a deep inset moulded into its front panel with a shallower cut-out folding round its left-hand side...HP has had a good look at Canon's head and cartridge design with the five ink cartridges in this printer...
shutterbug.com
Jun 1, 2009
HP’s Photosmart B8550; A 13x19” Desktop Option | Shutterbug
The B8550 is compact for a 13x19” printer, measuring about 23” wide and 15” deep, so it should fit on most desks...Connection to your computer is via USB 2.0...The B8550 uses four dye inks—photo black, cyan, magenta, and yellow for photo printing, and has a larger pigment black for text documents...
100share.com
HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer - Comment and Review
Need one printer for everything from photo enlargements to 12 x 12" scrapbook pages to documents...The HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer makes it easy to produce lab-quality photos as large as 13 x 19-inches at home...We were able to print photos that came out great with this while a chain photo lab could not print them with good definition...I am impressed at how good a job it does for a much lower cost...
cnet.com
HP Photosmart B8550 - Inkjet Printers - CNET Reviews
Choosing the right inkjet printer is a daunting task with several brands and printing technologies to choose from, each one suited for different needs. Inkjets
photographyblog.com
HP Photosmart B8550 Review - PhotographyBLOG
HP Photosmart B8550 Review. Review Date: January 12th 2009 Author: Jon Canfield. Leave a comment about this Review. Introduction
photo.net
HP Photosmart B8550 Printer - photo.net - Photography ...
Product Details. Need one printer for everything from photo enlargements to 12 x 12" scrapbook pages to documents? Check out the HP Photosmart B8550.
 
 
 
 

Accessories for HP Photosmart B8550 (See All 23 Accessories »)

 
From $7.01
 
HP 564 Photo Black Ink Cartridge (HP CB317WN) for PhotoSmart C6300, D5460,
 
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From $10.48
 
Remanufactured HP 564 XL Black Ink Cartridge--New Chip
 
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From $49.00
 
3 combo packs of Genuine/Authentic/Real/Actual/Original HP brand high capacity
 
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From $1.90
 
Remanufactured HP 564 (CB319) Magenta Printer Ink Cartridge for HP PhotoSmart
 
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