HP Deskjet 1055 Ink Cartridges

HP 1055 Printer Review

The HP Deskjet 1055 is an all-in-one printer that can support diverse personal printing needs with its print, scan and copy capabilities. Print speeds of up to 16 pages per minute for monochrome documents and 12 pages per minute for color graphics are a tad slow, but by no means the slowest in its class of basic and affordable inkjet printers. Nothing in particular stands out with this device, considering its average speeds, moderately-priced Deskjet 1055 printer ink and simple package of features, which may cause buyers to seek out higher-end models of comparable multipurpose units.

The 1055 is a super lightweight machine of only 7 pounds with a size of 16x16x8 inches that makes it suitable to share a desktop with a user's computer. The control panel is located on the front left side of the device and includes buttons for monochrome and color copying, an LED that will indicate when there's a paper jam or if users need to replace paper, and an additional LED that flashes when HP 1055 ink is low. Users are provided with a single USB port as the only connection option, supporting computers that use either Mac or Windows operating systems.

The device has minimal media handling that is limited to a 60-sheet input tray, for light-duty use. While printers that incorporate a scan feature usually include an automatic document feeder for quick scanning, the 1055 lacks this feature. The single input tray can handle a maximum paper size of 8.5x14 inches and media types like iron-on transfers, labels, photo paper and plain paper, however. The unit uses thermal inkjet technology that can print a maximum resolution of 4800x1200 dpi when using color printer ink and 600 dpi using black Deskjet 1055 ink.

Users only have to worry about replacing two supplies: one tricolor and one black HP 1055 ink cartridge. Yields of only 330 pages for the tricolor replacement and 480 pages for the black HP 1055 ink cartridge limit the unit to low-volume printing, but they are fairly affordable.

The 1055 offers the very definition of basic multifunction printing, providing only the bare essentials like USB connectivity and a small paper handling capacity, omitting features like an automatic document feeder and a more user-friendly front panel. While this printer is economical, buyers should have no trouble finding a more versatile model without spending too much more money.