HP Smart Tank 5101 Printer Review

Residing in New York Metropolis means comfort is essential.

As a busy New Yorker who lives on my telephone, I don’t print each day, however after I do, I want a printer that makes the method as seamless as doable. From printing last-minute live performance tickets to annoying tax paperwork and all my journey papers (I have to journey with hardcopies, what can I say?), I want a dependable printer that’s straightforward to make use of.

Enter the HP Sensible Tank 5101, an all-in-one printer promising to satisfy my sporadic but essential printing wants.

In the case of printers, completely different folks have completely different wants. Whether or not you’re a pupil printing essays, a mother or father printing worksheets, or have to print photographs, the widespread denominator right here is comfort.

And let’s face it; nothing screams printing inconvenience fairly like operating out of ink in the course of an vital print job. Offering a novel resolution to that downside is what makes the HP Sensible Tank 5101 stand out. It comes with two years of ink included within the field so that you don’t have to fret about operating out of ink for some time.

HP Sensible Tank 5101 first impressions

The HP Sensible Tank 5101 makes a strong first impression with its modern design and compact measurement. At simply over 11 kilos and dimensions of 17.1 x 14.2 x 6.2 inches, it matches simply on a desk or a shelf with out taking over a lot area, and the off-white and grey coloration scheme is unobtrusive, mixing nicely with most trendy house decor.

At first look, the standout function is its tank-based ink system, clearly seen by way of 4 translucent home windows on the entrance panel on the left, which present the degrees for black, cyan, magenta, and yellow ink. Having this visible affirmation is a pleasant contact.

Extra key options embrace a flatbed scanner, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and a user-friendly setup course of guided by the HP app.

With the HP app you possibly can print, scan, and duplicate from wherever. The 100-sheet enter tray and handbook duplex printing functionality add to its versatility.

The refillable ink tank

In contrast to conventional cartridge-based printers, this printer makes use of authentic HP ink bottles, which promise a mess-free and simple refill expertise.

Merely fill the tanks with ink from bottles when wanted, and also you’re performed. The printer comes with sufficient ink to final two years, relying in your utilization, which is a serious plus for anybody uninterested in operating out of ink on the most inconvenient instances.

Apprehensive about forsaking a multitude? Don’t be; these resealable bottles include a spill-free design, making certain you gained’t find yourself with ink-stained palms or a messy workspace.

Our evaluate

So, the HP Sensible Tank 5101 seems to be nice, however how does it work IRL?

Establishing this printer is easy, because of the HP app. Nevertheless, should you choose a USB connection as a substitute of Wi-Fi, you possibly can consult with the web consumer information to help in arrange.

As soon as the Sensible Tank 5101 is related, which, for the document, was straightforward by way of a wi-fi connection, the printer performs nicely in numerous situations.

Printing textual content paperwork is a breeze, with the printer churning out pages at a good velocity of 12 pages per minute (ppm) for black and white and 5 ppm for coloration. The standard of textual content prints is spectacular, with darkish, crisp textual content that is still readable even at smaller font sizes.

Colour printing is the place the Sensible Tank 5101 shines. Whereas it doesn’t fairly match the output of high-end photograph printers, that’s OK as a result of that’s not the first focus of its perform. Nevertheless, it produces vibrant, sharp photos on plain paper, making it a superb choice for on a regular basis at-home coloration printing.

Should you’re searching for gallery-quality photograph prints, you would possibly discover faint traces in shiny photographs. To print high-quality photos, we advocate the HP Envy Encourage All-in-One Printer.

Scanning with the Sensible Tank 5101 is environment friendly however restricted by its flatbed design. Scanning single pages or photographs is straightforward and yields good-quality outcomes, however the lack of an automated doc feeder means scanning multi-page paperwork will be time-consuming. Nevertheless, with the HP app’s digital camera scan function, you possibly can scan multi-page paperwork immediately out of your cell system.

There are a number of cons to contemplate. The button interface will be complicated, particularly when troubleshooting points. Paper jams, whereas uncommon, will be difficult to clear, requiring endurance and dexterity.

Though I feel this can be a widespread trait of any at-home printer, I don’t contemplate this a novel problem for anybody model, particularly a model with the standard fame of HP.

The ultimate verdict

The HP Sensible Tank 5101 is a wonderful selection for house customers who print continuously. Its low operating price and high-quality output make it a standout within the budget-friendly printer market.

Should you prioritize low-cost, high-volume printing, the HP Sensible Tank 5101 is certainly price contemplating.

How we examined

To check the HP Sensible Tank 5101, we put it by way of a collection of real-world printing duties. We printed paperwork starting from single-page textual content information to multi-page stories, each in coloration and black and white. We additionally examined photograph printing on plain and shiny paper, paying shut consideration to print high quality and coloration accuracy.

To evaluate velocity and high quality, we evaluated scanning capabilities utilizing numerous paperwork, together with textual content pages and photographs. We additionally examined the printer’s connectivity by way of the HP app, together with Wi-Fi, USB, and cell printing.

All through testing, we monitored ink utilization to validate HP’s claims in regards to the ink bottles’ longevity and value effectivity. The printer was utilized in completely different situations, from mild, on a regular basis printing to extra intensive duties, to make sure a complete analysis of its efficiency and reliability.

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