The search for a powerful, yet easy to use photo printer is one that I have been on for some time. When researching the best photo printers of 2019, the HP ENVY Photo 7155 kept resurfacing. I finally decided to give it a whirl and see how it stacks up to the competition.
HP ENVY Photo 7155
The Good
- Simple to Use
- Integrated Print Head
- Photo Paper Tray
The Bad
- Slow
- No ADF
- Low Page Yield
Background Info
What is a HP ENVY Photo Printer?
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Who is This HP ENVY Photo 7155 Review for?
This review is for home users who need a cost-effective way to print their photos at home. If you are a professional, or if you don’t print photos, then this printer isn’t what you’re looking for. If you print mostly photos, and you need something cheap and good, then keep reading.
What You Need to Look For When Buying a Photo Printer
When you are purchasing a photo printer, the features you need all revolve around photo printing. You should look for print quality, ink costs, what type of photo paper it’s compatible with, and mobile printing capabilities. Keep those things in mind; here’s the tech specs.
HP ENVY Photo 7155 Review
The ease of use, quality of ink, connectivity, and level of required maintenance are all vital factors when determining which of the best photo printers of 2019 is right for the job. It is also important to look at the needs of the purchaser or business before ultimately making a decision. Home users, small businesses, and large scale firms all have different needs that no one machine can fulfill immaculately.
In this HP ENVY Photo 7155 review, I will discuss the pros and cons based on the above 3 possible demographics for this printer. Spoiler alert, if you are a home office user looking for some high-quality prints, you will definitely want to read on. Business owners are sure to love the image quality on offer but may need to consider a few key points if a large volume of prints in what they require.
The Good
Simple to Use
The HP ENVY Photo 7155 is an incredibly simple to use machine that can have you up and running almost immediately after it is unboxed. One thing I’m not a fan of is looking at instruction manuals. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll be happy to hear that starting the printer is as simple as plugging it into the wall and powering the device on. Once it is receiving juice, the only thing left is to connect it to the computer or network of your choice and insert the ink and paper.
Connectivity
Speaking of connectivity, the HP ENVY Photo 7155 was quickly seen by my pc without any additional hassle on my end. It was incredibly simple to hook up to the WiFi and then I was off to the races. There is also smart Bluetooth connectivity for those looking to keep bandwidth usage to a bare minimum.
Additionally, I tested out the ability to print with mobile devices. Although advertised to work with iPhones through AirPrint, my android phone was very easy to set up and use. This was more of a test on my end just for this HP ENVY Photo 7155 review, but it is great to know how well it works for users with busy lifestyles who prefer to type documents or design artwork on their phones.
Instant Ink and Amazon Dash Eligible
HP instant ink is a service that allows users to print images with stellar quality for less than 5 cents. By signing up, I was sent additional ink as soon as my printer reached a certain threshold. I choose the 50% mark, but there are 4 options available depending on the required workload. The printer is also Amazon Dash eligible, which is a similar service from the Amazon. It offered the same timely delivery so either option works great for those without the time to run to the store.
Integrated Print Heads
However, what truly makes this machine one of the best photo printers of 2019 is the use of integrated print heads. If there’s one thing I dislike more than instruction manuals, it is the need to try and fix broken devices and replace parts in the middle of a jam-packed workday. Thankfully, the integrated print heads meant I never had to dilly dally with a replacement in the middle of a stressful week. The print heads are simply built right into the ink cartridges, so in my experience, one would never break before the ink ran out. With each new cartridge, my print heads were just as fresh. This an excellent feature for anyone who would rather focus on the intended task at hand.
The Bad
Low Yield Cartridges
One of the main reasons my ink would always be used up before the print heads went rogue is because of the admittedly low yields each cartridge would provide. The standard black ink would only yield around 200 pages and the standard tri-color were good for about 165 pages. I highly recommend going with the XL variants if the printer is to be used for moderate workloads. The XL black is good for 600 pages, whereas the XL tri-color stays true for roughly 415.
Two-Cartridge System
The dual-cartridge ink system may sound fancy, but unfortunately, it can waste a high volume of ink over longer periods of use. When coupled with the low yields mentioned above, this can be quite the downfall for both start-up and larger scale businesses alike. When starting a business, one of the aspects I overlooked most was the cost of overhead. It can be crucial to not overspend on resources such as printer ink in the developing stages. For large scale businesses with thousands of employees, overuse of ink can cut majorly into profits faster than most would think.
No Auto-Document Feeder
The convenience of automation is a huge lifesaver for many businesses. I was a bit surprised that the 7155 didn’t automatically feed my documents through. This is a rather common feature of many similar devices. There is an emphasis on picture quality here though, so it may be a conscious decision to allow photographers and artists to manually control their creations better. While not a huge deal for small scale operations, I could see this becoming rather tedious for offices with a high volume of employees all needing to congregate around the printer to make sure everything flows smoothly.
Slow Print Speed
When comparing the best photo printers of 2019, the speed of each device is one of the first factors I looked at. Unfortunately, the ENVY 7155 just didn’t move as fast as I would like. The printer topped off at around 14 pages per minute for black and white documents. Again, this isn’t much of an issue for home offices or small business owners, but might be a huge deciding factor for large firms. Deadlines are important to hit and some businesses can’t afford to wait for slow technology. When compared to the 20 plus pages per minute of some similar devices, it is evident how that could seriously impact efficiency over a year’s time.
The Bottom Line
The HP ENVY Photo 7155 is an overall great printer all things considered. The high picture quality, ease of use, myriad of connectivity options, and the abundance of ways to get the required cartridges are all great reasons to consider this all-in-one photo printer. The mid-range price point is certainly worth it for all the pros I mentioned above.
HP ENVY Photo 7155 Review Result: 4.2/5 Stars
When looking at the pros and cons of my HP ENVY Photo 7155 review, it is clear that business owners that have a large volume of employees that all need to print documents as quickly as possible might want to consider other options. However, home office users have a lot to be excited about if they choose to pick this up. Especially any user who demands stunning picture quality and won’t need to print very often. Plus, the low maintenance is always a win in my book. When looking for the best photo printers of 2019, the HP ENVY Photo 7155 is worth a serious look.
Looking for Something More?
The HP ENVY Photo 7855 is the better model of the ENVY Photo series. It has an auto-document feeder, a fax function, and a larger photo paper tray. It’s all-around a better printer, and my personal favorite photo printer of 2019.
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Your reviews are valuable- thanks for you honesty! I know I’m getting the hp envy 7155 for myself!
But help! Me parents- in their 90s) asked me to get them a printer. The conditions are- max $100, All in one, adf,
Reliable, wifi, not for the tech savvy, won’t do instant ink. And hp is there preference since its all they ever had. Can you help please?
Hi Deb. At that price your options are limited, but check out the HP OfficeJet 5255 It’s similar to yours, and as easy to use as any printers these days.
I always spent my half an hour to read this webpage’s articles or reviews everyday along with
a mug of coffee.