It printed text at a rate of 6.31pages per minute and color graphics at a rate of 2.92ppm. It produced 4x6 photos at a rate of 0.33ppm. For a $400 printer, those numbers are slow. The $150 HP Officejet Pro K5400 made faster work of all prints, as did the $400 Canon Pixma MP960 multifunction.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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4x6 photo | |
Color graphics | |
Black text |
The Pro K850's print quality impressed us more than its speed. The text prints--both black and color--impressed us. The black text showed a rich black color and crisp letters. The color text was beautifully blended. Close inspection showed some minor wicking, even on HP's high-quality inkjet paper, so we'll call this "near laser" quality. The color graphics showed smooth gradients, sharp detail, and pleasing saturation, but the color looked a bit faded. The 4x6 color photo fared the worst, though it still wasn't bad at all. Details were sharp, but we noticed graininess in color blocks and the colors had a somber cast. We would've liked to see more brightness. Overall, the print quality and speed were good enough for offices that want to print small quantities of their own marketing materials (a small real estate or insurance office, for example), but offices that have high volume print needs should stick with lasers, while those that need high-end graphics should look at pro-level graphics printers.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Photo | |
Color graphics | |
Black text |
Service and support
HP backs the K850 with a standard one-year warranty, though you can upgrade that to two or three years. Toll-free phone support is available 24-7, or you can chat live online with tech support, also 24-7. HP's site has drivers, software downloads, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides, as well.
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Where to buy
HP OfficeJet Pro K850:
$350.00 - $457.60
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$457.60 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$350.00 | Yes |
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