The HP Photosmart Pro B9180 (around $510 US street price) is a thermal inkjet printer capable of handling paper up to 13 by 19 inches at 4800 optimized dpi. The B9180 uses eight cartridges that hold a hefty 28cc (each) of pigment ink. Three black cartridges and five color cartridges combine to produce water-resistant prints that have been tested for 200+ years of longevity. HP's densitometric closed loop color calibration system produced consistent color over the 3-month period that I tested the unit. Combined with the convenience of never having to swap cartridges regardless of the paper stock I used, the HP B9180 proved to be a reliable, affordable, pro-caliber printer.

In this report, you'll learn the ins and outs of this unit and how to avoid its occasional quirks. I'll even share with you some tips I've learned through regular use. I find the HP B9180 comparable to the Epson R2400, even though the HP costs less. The bulk of my experience with the HP unit has been printing via a Mac using the Mac driver supplied by HP with Apple Aperture and Adobe Photoshop CS2. HP also produces a Windows driver for the B9180, but I haven't used it enough to comment about it.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Outstanding color and B&W output
  • Densitometric closed loop color calibration system for consistent output
  • Excellent paper stocks for fine art printing
  • Impressive 200+ year archival rating with HP inks and paper
  • Easy to use Photoshop Pro Printer plug-in
  • No cartridge swapping for different paper stocks
  • Rugged construction that feels durable with user-replaceable print heads
  • Convenient ink level LCD indicator on outside of unit
  • Large capacity 28cc ink cartridges for long life
  • Always ready to print thanks to auto printhead monitoring system
  • Both USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity built right in
  • Very competitive price: as low as $510 US

Cons

  • No roll paper adapter
  • Temperamental manual paper feed when using the Specialty Media Tray
  • Paper and ink hard to find at standard retail outlets; often must order online
  • Certain types of paper jams force you to restart the printer and wait a long time to resume work

Printer Set Up

Give yourself an hour or so to set up the B9180. After unpacking the main unit, you have to install printheads (4 of them--each handles 2 inks) and eight ink cartridges. There's lots of packaging (everything is individually wrapped), and you have to make sure you put the right thing in the right place. Don't try to do this in a hurry. I recommend playing some of your favorite music during this process.

Once everything is set up, load the paper and let the B9180 run through a self-printing calibration process. It's a good time to grab a bite to eat or take a coffee break. (We all know a watched printer never calibrates.)

Once you return, loading the printer software is a snap. You can use the included CD or go to the Support and Drivers page on the HP site and download the software. One of the features included is the HP Photosmart Pro print plug-in for Adobe Photoshop. The plug-in is accessed through Photoshop's Automate menu (File > Automate), and it really simplifies setting up print jobs. I recommend that you try it when making your first few prints with the B9180.

The HP Photosmart Pro print plug-in for Adobe Photoshop simplifies print setup with the HP B9180.

To help you get off on the right foot, here are a couple of HP support documents for setting up print jobs:

Pages: 1, 2, 3

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