HP PHOTOSMART PRO B9180

HP’s Photosmart Pro B9180 marks the company’s entry into full-color pigment-ink printing in a 13-inch-wide form. At the heart of the system is the new eight-color HP Vivera pigment inkset (using individual 27ml cartridges). Optimized for both black-and-white and color printing, the system includes two black inks (Matte Black and Photo Black) and the HP Light Gray Black ink. The Light Gray Black ink is designed to produce smooth and neutral black-and-white images, and by having a Photo and Matte Black on-board at the same time, the B9180 lets you print high-quality, water-resistant images on both gloss and matte papers without having to swap cartridges. If longevity is a concern, the inks have been independently tested on a range of papers to last over 200 years before noticeably fading.
    Another standout feature is the printer’s paper feed system: its main tray is able to hold up to 200 sheets, from 3.5 x 5- to 13 x 19 inches. A manual-feed specialty media tray can handle single sheets up to 1.5mm thick (about the thickness of a penny).
    The printer’s closed-loop automatic calibration system uses a built-in densitometer to optimize color accuracy, and connectivity options include USB 2.0 and Ethernet (rare for a sub-$1,000 printer). The Photosmart Pro B9180 also ships with the HP Photosmart Pro Print plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, which synchronizes Photoshop CS/CS2 with the printer driver.

Retail price: $699
Further information: www.hp.com