Review: HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 4625

HP's Deskjet Ink Advantage 4625 e-All-in-One printer lets users copy, scan and fax documents, in addition to printing. It also supports wireless printing, letting users easily print documents from their mobile devices.

With an 80-sheet input tray and 20-sheet output tray, the Advantage 4625 is well suited to small businesses and home offices. The printer comes at a recommended retail price of R1 499, putting it well within reach of most users.

While somewhat bulky, the Advantage 4625's executive design, with smooth surfaces and rounded edges, is pleasing on the eye. USB and power inputs are conveniently stowed at the back, with the control panel placed at the front for easy access.

The printer is a sizable machine, weighing in at a hefty 6.27kg. It will take up most of the surface area of a small desk, but with the machine's extensive functionality, users won't need another device for their document needs.

The Advantage 4625 is fairly simple to set up and comes with drivers that are easy to install. The printer will also remember a WiFi connection once it has been set up with the password, after which it will automatically connect to this network when it is available.

Instead of the touch-screen control panel found on many printers today, HP has opted for good old-fashioned buttons. I found navigation between the various menus simple, making it easy to access all the functions the Advantage 4625 offers.

Scanning documents is also simple and the printer can save these as PDF files.

The printer accepts four easy-to-replace cartridges (black, cyan, magenta and yellow), so users can exchange one colour at a time.

The Advantage 4625 delivered great printing quality with solid blacks and no smudging. The ink also dries quickly, so it is well suited to small or medium print runs.

While the printer also prints in colour, and HP says it can print up to 4 800 x 1 200 dpi on select HP photo paper, I have used printers that perform better in the photo department.

While colours were handled fairly well, they were not as vivid as expected. The printer also printed photos with banding at times. However, when printing less saturated colours, the Advantage 4625 performed well. It is definitely well suited to printing pamphlets.

The printer supports A4, A5, B5 and envelope formats, so while it can't be used for large posters, it should meet most business needs.

It would have been nice to couple the machine's functionality with greater printing capacity, however.

I liked that I could save scanned copies as PDF files. I also found these printed out clearly when I reprinted them.

The HP Advantage 4625 is an efficient machine that comes at an affordable price. Added features, like wireless printing, make it well suited to busy offices with a 'bring your own device' culture. It is also great for home use.