The HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 printer satisfies the printing needs of the most demanding home users. It boasts automatic duplex printing and high-speed output to eliminate breaks in productivity waiting for a slow, inefficient printer. It’s my choice as the best printer for home offices.
This printer uses inkjet technology but rivals high priced laser printers. I purchased this printer for my home based on my experience with HP printers. I didn’t want to invest hundreds more for a laser, so I checked out all my options in my price range. The result was the awesome HP 8720.
The HP 8720 is the best all in one printer 2019, capable of faxing, scanning, copying, and printing. And printing it does. Specs rate this printer at 30,000 pages per month. For a home user, this is heavy printing, but the spec provides insight into its efficiency and durability.
I will detail the features of this great addition to HP’s line of quality home and office printers. I’m starting with its Instant Ink option, which I think is the most important because regardless of other features, without sufficient ink, high pressure printing jobs and productivity take a huge hit.
Instant Ink isn’t a printer feature, but an ink replenishment plan offered on select HP printers. For my needs, it fits perfect into my schedule because when the printer detects low ink in any of the cartridges, new ink gets ordered automatically and delivered without missing a beat.
I don’t have to worry about running out of ink; ever. Ink gets delivered based on my settings, and every month I get the first 15 pages free. The pricing for Instant Ink is about $10.00 per month at $.03 per page, for 300 pages per month with free shipping, and unused pages roll over to the next month. It’s an easy decision for me because I need my printer working when I need it.
Click here to read our full review of HP Instant Ink
Here’s my HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 review. Let’s start with the features.
Features
- Fast printing
- Duplex printing
- Duplex scanning
- Exit tray redesigned
- Faxing
- Mobile printing
- Ultra-efficient Ink
- User-friendly Interface
If you want to skip the rest of the review, click here to see the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720.
Pros
Fast Printing
Productivity includes the ability to print documents quickly and get them handled. Fast printing is an essential feature of a great printer. My HP 8720 kicks out 22 pages per minute (PPM) in black, and 20 PPM in color. For perspective, I remember when a printer of mine rated at 8 PPM black per minute was fast!
Consider the time savings at 22 PPM. Many times, I need to print an eBook which average around 20-30 pages each (about 8,000 words), and this printer handles it quickly, in under two minutes. Just a few years ago, an 8,000-word eBook averaged five minutes or more with an older laser printer.
I should mention the paper capacity in the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 review is standard with 250 sheets, and an additional tray is available, bringing the total to 500 sheets. Full ream capacity is becoming more popular with all printers, especially for those with home offices, and accepts up to legal (8.5 x 14) size paper.
Even Faster Duplex Printing
The HP 8720 duplex printing function is refined and trouble-free. The early versions of duplexing in copiers and printers performed average. Paper jams occurred and frustrated users. Fortunately, HP redesigned the paper transport system in their printers, and we have a trouble-free duplexer in the 8720.
The duplex operation starts by bringing in one sheet of paper, printing it, then flipping the sheet over internally and printing the second page. All the work gets done internally and produces clean, error-free printed pages in about the same time as one page!
Duplex Scanning
As a heavy home user, I often need to scan documents and save them in the Cloud or on my computer. The system I follow doesn’t allow for file drawers full of paper. Instead, I keep necessary printed documents in locked file drawers, and others get scanned and saved off-site.
Duplex scanning is another thoughtful feature provided for us by HP. After using this feature, I discovered how easy my office tasks became, and I didn’t have to keep originals anymore. I scan them, store them, and unless it’s critical I save the original, it gets shredded.
No Paper on the Floor
How many times have you wished someone could do something about pages ending up on the floor? They never designed the exit trays of other printers to handle more than a few sheets at a time, so they flew right out and onto the floor, causing a confusing mess.
HP decided enough is enough and redesigned the machine to deliver finished pages toward to the printer, instead of outwardly. Now, when pages are ready, they’re stacked and pristine.
Digital Faxing
For a home user, faxing the old-fashioned way with a soon-to-be obsolete fax machine is costly and time consuming. Faxing is still in high-demand for hand-signed documents such as contracts and legal documents. However, technology allows us to use digital signatures or images of real signatures for these same documents.
That said, the need for a clunky, loud, inefficient dinosaur fax machine is quickly fading. Enter the new age of faxing and save money and time with the HP 8720. I use the fax option and it’s as simple as scanning my documents and selecting fax on the UI.
For sending a fax, your machine needs a phone line (I use VoIP, or voice over IP). I receive faxes directly to my computer in either TIFF or PDF format. I use PDF for everything because PDFs are easier to work with.
The printer comes pre-configured for a standard RJ11 analog phone line, so using a VoIP service is not an issue. VoIP is much faster than analog, so faxing is quicker and isn’t prone to frequent communication errors.
Mobile Printing
As a home user, I don’t have a pressing need to print from my smartphone, but I have used it occasionally. But, for those who have the need, here’s how it works:
1. Enable near-field communication (NFC) on your smartphone
2. Set up NFC on the printer (it’s ready to go by default)
3. Print docs and photos directly from your smartphone
4. Enjoy effortless printing
Ultra-efficient Ink
This printer uses HP952 and HP952XL cartridges and HP956 for about 30% more capacity. The cost per page of black printing is around $0.02, which exceptional because HP63 cartridges produced only around 190 pages, bringing the price per page to approximately $0.08!
I’ve already saved money by enrolling in Instant Ink, bringing the cost per page ever lower. Also, remember to use only HP ink. The cartridges and printer have chips in them and disable ink flow if it finds a non-HP cartridge installed. The 8720 has dynamic security enabled, preventing non-HP (aka, fake) cartridges from damaging the printer.
Years ago, before I knew better, I tried using one of the off-brand cartridges and surprised by the poor quality and sloppiness of the print. My advice is use only HP cartridges for the best quality print and avoid ruining your printer!
User-friendly Interface
Aside from the obvious quality of the HP8720 and the best all in one printer 2019, is the easy-to-use interface. HP’s interfaces always seemed hard to use because, while the information was easy to find, I had to press the arrow keys until I reached my selection.
The new interface on the 8720 is all touch, and I can scroll down for sub-menus with the selections easy to find. It may seem trivial, but when you need to make a change or a selection, it’s really no different from using your mobile phone. Nice. Just one more reason the HP 8720 is the best printer for home offices.
Connectivity
The 8720 connects via HP ePrint for wireless printing aside from NFC and accepts connections from Apple’s AirPrint. It’s also Mopria™ certified and allows Wireless Direct Printing. In addition, the 8720 has a built-in wireless card for WiFi 802.11b/g/n. Included is one USB 2.0 port, one host USB, one Ethernet port and two RJ-11 phone line jacks.
The HP 8720 All-In-One Printer includes many features and each one works. However, nothing is perfect, and my reviews include the good, and the bad.
Cons
Ink Usage
Earlier I mentioned the PPM, or price per page of around $.002. By itself, that’s a great price, and it’s the best ink you can buy. However, if you’re a heavy user, the price adds up fast. If you print an average of 2,000 pages per month, your ink cost shoots up to around $40.00.
When the time comes to replace the cartridges, I suggest buying only one at a time. Total cost to replace all the cartridges is around $100, with the standard, non-XL versions. Expect to pay more if you choose the XL high-capacity versions.
I think the Instant Ink option looks more appealing because you’ll receive the best ink available, and for less money, keeping the PPM at a reasonable amount.
Takes Up all the Space
The HP 8720 is a large desktop printer. My suggestion is place it on its own table or desk. Its footprint is 19.7 x 17.7 x 13.4 inches and weighs 33 lbs. Add another 3 inches to its length with the exit tray extended. As you can see, it’s large, so you must make accommodations for it.
HP Customer Service
I would like to say HP’s customer service is improving. In my opinion, they are making strides to repair their poor customer service reputation.
I’ve called them many times over the years before their website library improved. On the phone, it’s a chance I take talking to a person I can’t understand, or if the connection drops out. After I explain my question, the answers I get rarely satisfy my question.
I find myself on the phone longer than expected, and only with a partial answer. My advice is phone them as a last resort. Use their ample information on their website for answers. You’ll find a plethora of help and specific answers there.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 Review Rating – 5/5 Stars
My HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 review is complete, and it’s my hope the information helps answer questions you may have. This printer has all the features a home office or home user needs, including Instant Ink. I think Instant Ink is a great option, and it softens the financial hit when it’s time to replace the ink at the most inconvenient time.
From a feature perspective, duplex printing and scanning is a feature I don’t use every day, but when I need it, I’m glad it’s there. So far, this printer is trouble-free and performs better than expected. That said, I recommend the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 for home users, and gladly award it five out of five stars!
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