HP's versatile DeskJet 6540 inkjet printer is equally adept at printing standard documents and photos, as long as you don't mind a little cartridge swapping for optimal results.

Per-page printing costs are relatively modest, another plus for an inkjet printer. The 6540 uses a tri-color ink cartridge and a separate black ink cartridge to produce rich blacks, which is particularly important for text and line art. For optimal results when printing color or black-and-white photos, you can swap the black cartridge with a photo color cartridge or a photo gray cartridge.

Photo-quality prints can't approach that of a dedicated photo printer, but you do save money and desktop space by using one printer instead of two. The 6540 supports resolutions of up to 1,200X1,200 dpi for black printing and up to 4,800X1,200 dpi for color.

Set-up is easy and takes only a matter of minutes, with the installer automatically handling most of the process for you. A USB port on the back of the printer connects to the computer, and another USB port is present on the front of the unit for printing directly from a laptop without first disconnecting the 6540 from your desktop computer. You supply the USB cable in either case.

The 6540 accepts a variety of paper sizes and stocks, including letter, legal, index cards, envelopes, transparencies, labels, iron-on transfers, and photo paper. The 150-sheet paper tray is a bit small, particularly for home office or small business use, but if you find yourself frequently stopping to reload paper, you can add a 250-sheet paper tray for $79.99. The output tray holds up to 50 sheets of plain paper.

Available accessories include an automatic duplexer ($99.99 with its own paper tray; $79.99 without) and network and wireless connectivity options. The package includes a tri-color ink cartridge, black ink cartridge, set-up poster, power supply, power cord, and CD-ROM with drivers, printer software, and HP Photo Printing software (Windows only).

The Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 6540 earns points for being speedy. You won't waste time twiddling your thumbs waiting for your job to finish, the way you would with some inkjet printers.

Pro: A pleasing combination of fast print times and above-average output.
Con: Limited paper capacity. Included HP Photo Printing software is for Windows only. Network and wireless connectivity are expensive options.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Hewlett-Packard
3000 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185
650-857-1501
http://www.hp.com

Warranty
1 year hardware, backed by HP Customer Care, service and support; 1 year technical phone support with toll-free number