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Entered CNET Catalog: 10/20/2001
SKU: 725184329807
Manufacturer: HP
Manufacturer description
Hewlett-Packard's DeskJet 1220C Professional Series inkjet printer is the latest, most advanced printer in HP's line-up of wide-format printers. The HP DeskJet 1220C has all the features that businesses require of a wide-format printer, including product enhancements such as speed, print quality and HP's enhanced smart software features. The printer allows you to print a wide range of sizes, from postcards to posters, and variety of media, catering to practically all your business needs. The HP DeskJet 1220C is the fastest printer in the wide-format inkjet category. It prints at up to 11 pages per minute in black and 9.5 in color. The printer delivers printouts at such high speeds without compromising print quality, using PhotoREt III Enhanced Color Layering Technology, HP's latest benchmark in print quality. In addition, the printer has an alternative mode of 2400 x 1200 dpi printing on photo media. You can also easily network your printer with an optional HP JetDirect external print server, allowing everyone in your office to have access to fast, high-quality color printouts. The HP DeskJet 1220C supports the Macintosh and Windows platform right out of the box.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/05/2000
Sleek and Fast
The smoothly rounded curves and smoky, purple-gray plastic on the $499 DeskJet 1220C may remind you of a boom box, but unlike a radio, it operates almost noiselessly. The DeskJet is easy to set up and use, and HP packs it with useful features, such as a duplexer for double-sided printing and a Stop Print command that immediately cancels a print job. If you want to use thicker paper, the HP includes an alternate, straight paper path that can accommodate paper weights up to 67 pounds.
The 1220C's print speed is sure to please, too. When printing text, the HP churns out 3.9 pages per minute, making it more than 2.5 times as fast as the Epson Stylus Photo 1200, another large-format printer.
Unfortunately, text isn't this printer's forte. The HP's text output on plain paper was rated only fair by CNET Labs' printer jury and good (but not excellent) on coated ink jet paper. As a photo printer, however, the HP's quality improved, especially in the case of graphics on plain paper, which earned a rating of excellent. Surprisingly, the rating dropped to good again for the graphics on coated paper, due to rough color gradients and loss of detail.
Try Photo Paper
When you print photos, pay extra for HP's Glossy Premium Plus photo paper (90 cents per sheet). You will be rewarded with the best photos you can get without a professional lab. At its highest resolution (2,400 by 1,200 dots per inch), the HP's pinpoint color accuracy, fully saturated colors, and detailed shading made the output the best we've seen from any photo-quality ink jet. But sticking to plain paper will still yield high quality and will cost you only about 3.8 cents per black-and-white page and 19 cents for color.
The HP's broad skill set, speed, and precision make it a useful addition to any office that wants to make a statement in print. Photographers, small-business professionals, and home users will all appreciate the advantage of the 1220C's ability to print excellent photos on any size of media in its range.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
6/10
Pulled mine from the company dumpster and gave it TLC.
Pros: After brushing off the coffee grounds from the company dumpster, replacing the ink cartrages, and showing it a little tlc, this baby works great. I tested all of it's features, and have more than 80 hrs on it with no problems! I like my free printer!
Cons: Cottn' pickn' coffee grounds show up once in a while. The gum stuck to the bottom really holds it in place on my desk quite well. I think it could be Hubba Bubba Bubble gum, office smells of old coffee and gum. Software could be improved, kinda weak
Overall Happy Customer! :)
User Rating: 
10/10
great perfect printer
Pros: i love how you can adjust the trays length. easy to load large cartriges. envlope modes.
Cons: none that i have found
User Rating: 
2/10
Total JUNK . A DISASTER
Pros: When it works, print quality is pretty good
Cons: Constant mechanical malfunctions. Signigicant driver problems, HP "tech support" has been 1000% unhelpful.
Today, for example, I have a number of very time sensitive business proposals and work efforts to produce. Once again, the printer is NOT FUNCTIONING!
Today's problem: The "replace ink" light is blinking and the printer will not function. I have replaced the ink cartridges several times over the past days (tossed out 2 black and 1 color -- and they were not empty, so another waste...) Today, ink cartridges are full.
THIS PRODUCT IS A DISASTER!
So, about two months ago I tried -- again -- to be a reasonable, rational customer who can find solutions to problems. Therefore, I went to Hoover's a found the number of HP corporate customer relations. (NOT the 800 number that routes the call to India.) I spoke with an obviously young man who represented that he was in the executive offices. He gave me the total run-around, even as he confirmed that (a) HP did not have updated drivers for the product but I was welcome to buy (BUY!) updated drivers from a 3rd party and (b) there was no other support or assistance or responsibility on the part of HP for the product. (Buyer Beware!)
Yes, I am a very dissatisfied customer.
User Rating: 
5/10
HP Deskjet 1220c printer
Pros: Quiet, compact, good price
Cons: Low ink-cartridge yield, Yellow runs out fast , bad Tech support
HOWEVER, the ink-cartridge yield* is actually VERY LOW, the Yellow ink bands across print, Yellow runs out faster than other colors, and "Tech Support is an Illusion".
No replies to my email inquiries for help.
Online-Customer Service not possible without downloading a special program, for which their instructions and diagram are inadequate, and shows icons to click that do not exist onscreen.
Phone-Tech was useless: asked me the same questions over and over again, then just repeated what sounded like a scripted response which was of no use to my problem, wasted half-hour of my time, with no resolution.
*Learned cartridge-yield attested by manufacturer is actually based on only 1-paragraph of text OR a 4x6 size color print. >Printing larger than 4x6 gets you very few prints for the money spent on ink.
** Figure on getting only about 35% of manufacturer advertised cartridge yield for anything larger than above stated sizes.
Would I buy an HP product again? No.
Paper-feed problems; can only put in 1 sheet of photo paper at a time. If you put in even one more, the printer will take up both together and end up printing your photo as half-on-1 sheet & half-on-the other.
So one must print out pictures one-at-a-time, which means for each print you must again select all settings... etc. Very time consuming.
Nowhere in manual does it tell you how to place smaller photo paper for postcard or greeting card size printing. Even after much trial + error, I still haven't figured it out. (and I'm usually pretty good at that)
Borders on Photos always Uneven! Top border always narrower than bottom border -which is wider than side borders.
NO Borderless prints.
NO Business Card printing.
User Rating: 5/10
Paper feed problems.
Pros: Regular paper (80gsm) feeds OK
Cons: Doesn't want to feed thicker paper.
In my opinion the Deskjet 1220C prints reasonably well. However, I've had mine for about 18 months, not used it much but if refuses to feed anything thicker than ordinary paper. It's the first and last HP printer I will ever buy!
User Rating: 
1/10
Total Lemon
Pros: Large paper capability, almost
Cons: Jams, shuts down, won't print, etc...
DO NOT BUY THIS PRINTER!!!
User Rating: 2/10
Full of Bugs, A real disappointment
Pros: I found none
Cons: Paper handling a nightmare
User Rating: 
7/10
Great While It Lasted
Pros: Great for flyers & posters Great for photos Great for large maps Liked the icons inside the printer to find out 'what's wrong' Quiet
Cons: Difficult to turn on Bulky size
User Rating: 7/10
great for general home/school use
Pros: the large paper print is the greatest benefit of this printer. We have used it for many school projects, even though the kids are just 6 and 8.
Cons: if speed is what you're looking for, this isn't your printer. it's not incredibly slow, but if you want the "best" setting, it takes time for perfection.
User Rating: 
3/10
Not for heavy paper
Pros: Ability to print on large-format paper was the deciding factor to buy. Great for 12x12 scrapbooking
Cons: Worked great for about a year but is now unable to handle any thick paper, including photo paper. There appears to be a problem with feeding the paper. Heavier paper does not go through.
User Rating: 2/10
This Printer Sucks. Constant Paper Jam
Pros: Large Format
Cons: Photo Quality Paper Jams every time. Even HP paper
User Rating: 3/10
Photo quality paper feed problems
Pros: Photo quality is great when it decides to pull in the photo quality paper. 4 x 6 photo paper still works ok but that's all. Regular 8.5 x 11 paper works ok for basic non-photo printing.
Cons: This printer would accept photo quality paper (11 x 8.5) for about 1 year then simply refused after that. It thinks the paper has been pulled in and starts squirting ink, which ends up all over the rollers and printer internals. You end up with photos c
User Rating: 3/10
Manual feed heavy paper problems
Pros: Great for general printing and 24 lb paper in auto tray. Love it for manuscripts. Photos on brochure paper great.
Cons: The back manual feed grabs paper either too soon or not at all (using HP's instructions). So great HP photo papers lose 95% of time.
User Rating: 10/10
Great printer for anything we print
Pros: We've had the 1220C for over 3 years for our office use. Using it for black and white word documents and for printing color photographes or brochures and absolutely love it. Photographes come out EXTREMELY well, whether its a small 6x4, or a large 11x17
Cons: The only con I can think of, which other users have experienced, is the machines occasional tendancy to not feed thicker paper, which we use high gloss 61 lb paper to print photographes or brochures on. It has to feed the paper through the bottom, and ar
User Rating: 7/10
the worst printer I have had
Pros: prints A3
Cons: Constant paper jams and inability to handle heavy duty paper e.g. light card and photo paper. Have just bought a new Epson - cheaper and more efficient
User Rating: 6/10
Still working after all these years
Pros: Wide format, reasonable quality printing. I've printed several hundred Kodak Premium 59# and Epson photo glossy paper prints with ~ 1% paper feed problems and thousands of plain paper pages with no feed problems at all. You do need to clean the rubber r
Cons: Doesn't handle heaviest quality photo paper, rollers need cleaning occasionally, power on switch needs pushing more than once sometimes.
User Rating: 
9/10
works like a champ
Pros: no technical issues & sets up quick & easy - prints photos beautifully - text is crisp - great vaule
Cons:
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent printer for graphic business
Pros: Try that on high gloss photo paper, the quality is outstanding. 13 X 19 printing is fast and simple.
Cons: Doesn't handle card stock well.
User Rating: 10/10
THE colour inkjet to own
Pros: This is the best inkjet HP make, which is why it is still shipping after 5 years at the top. Reliable, robust, excellent quality, affordable consumables. This is an all-round winner!
Cons: Still suffers the normal HP issues if you cancel a job in the queue. You need to power down PC and Printer to gether. :(
User Rating: 2/10
6 out of 7 trashed
Pros: Zero
Cons: I bought 7 of these and 6 are already out of commission. Very poor value. All of them have different issues. Needless to say, my clients aren't happy. I'm giving Dell's printers a try.
User Rating: 2/10
Hope you can use a sodering iron
Pros: 13 x 19 is nice, but I can't print on matte paper because it's too thick. Print quality is decent. I've pumped alot of pages through. You need to keep the paper near full because you get feed problems when it runs low.
Cons: The power supply went out in my printer this week (June 2004). It's over 3 years old. I replaced the R13 resistor with a 1/4 watt 15K ohm resistor because the glue dripped on it and burned it out. It works again now.
User Rating: 
8/10
Can't Print if it Can't Feed Paper
Pros: Nice prints
Cons: HOrrible paper handling problems. NEVER know if you'll get a decent print. One drop of moisture on surface of print destroys it. Support virtually non-existent.
User Rating: 5/10
works for a yr or 2
Pros: large format,
Cons: this printer worked great for the first yr and a half now any type of paper except normal coppy paper has to be manually pushed through. emailed hp and they told me that i should be using hp photo paper not any other type, i was using hp photo paper. chan
User Rating: 
4/10
Decent but problematic
Pros: I was always relatively happy with the 1220C, at the time I bought it, I figured I couldn?t go wrong with HP.
Cons: It is slow for printing a bunch of 11x17 drawings, and crunches up envelopes pretty bad. I too got hit with the power supply issue and the printer simply stopped powering up. I read the great info on this review thread about the R13 resistor. I took the
User Rating: 1/10
<250 pages 18mths power supply duff
Pros: They got me to by it
Cons: worst piece of HP kit I have ever owned (and there have been a lot) 2 big pen plotters - 2 laptops - 9 different printers but after this power supply went down with as little use as this 1220C has had they will not see my cash again - especially as they t
User Rating: 1/10
worst paper feed-no professional
Pros: print quality good
Cons: power supply problems, paper feed problems on all except plain paper.
User Rating: 7/10
Good large format choice
Pros: Still working great after 1000s of prints and over 3 years. Never had to service it. Great photo quality, fast black and white printing. I love my 1220C.
Cons: Margins/paper feed sometimes skewed.
User Rating: 2/10
Not worth the investment
Pros: Great, large format photos when it works
Cons: I made it longer than most and the power supply lasted me almost 2 years. I have been told that it can be fixed for $100, I don't think this is worth it since it will likely quit again. Same heavy paper feed problems, which is frustrating for a photo pr
User Rating: 2/10
Turns out to be misfeed
Pros: Great at first, I loved it, It did EVERYTHING I needed it to do then after 2 years.....Another one Bites the DUST
Cons: Paper, HP Paper mind you will not feed anymore through the machine at all. HP Support told me ($25.00 a call) that I am using the wrong weight of paper, but it is their paper and the same stuff I have used for 2 years. I am not wanting to spend another
User Rating: 10/10
Better than laser for design!!!
Pros: Great 13x19 Printing. Great Quality prints Fast and quiet
Cons: MUST download drivers from hp for OSX. OSX has no P/S support Text is rougher than laser, but this is much cheaper and more reliable for me.
User Rating: 5/10
Look on the back, not made in USA
Pros:
Cons:
User Rating: 6/10
Great printer, besides the power supply
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User Rating: 3/10
In two words "It SUCKS!"
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