Customer Reviews
A go everywhere printer! 
2004-08-16
This is hands down the best compact 4x6 printer on the market. I have been using a Canon S750 for most of my digital printing, and it works great, but the ease of the HP 245 and quality of prints is awesome. Just pop in your memory card and start printing, with a small screen to view your pictures and loads of features, your pictures always look great! Plus the zoom feature is just fantastic. I also bought a travel case for it so I can take it with me on trips, and the hp 11.5 mil. premium plus glossy photo paper with the tab so you don't have to touch the photo is the best paper out there period. An all around great printer!
A portable gem 
2004-06-12
It is as big as a 2 slice toaster and weighs less than 3 pounds. It prints great pictures with very little setup. I never connected it to my computer as it has enough optional adjustments in it. My first one had a defect, the LCD read "print cartridge door is open" every time I used it, even though the door was not open. Second one is trouble free so far.
Great detail and convenience. I love it! 2004-06-08
I bought this printer to use with a Nikon Coolpix 4300 digital camera in a medical work envioronment. We print pictures of before and after surgical procedures and we keep a copy in the record and send one home with the client. The details are fantastic and always leave quite an impression! The printer takes up very little space and is very easy to use. We don't even have it connected to a computer. We leave it chairside in the procedure room, though it's easy to pick up and move if we need to. I have not had any problems with paper jamming, and I love being able to put 1,2 or 4 pictures on one sheet of paper. I've tried to keep track of how often we will be replacing the ink cartridge and have found that I can get about 100 prints out of a cartridge (which are about $35 apiece) and we use the matte HP paper. Very well worth the money and prints beautiful pictures in a short amount of time.
Much cheaper (and better) at your local drug store 
2004-05-25
Follow-up to my earlier review (not on Amazon yet): at my local Rite Aid drug store chain, I can give them my flash memory card and it's only 21 cents per print for the whole card. If I select pictures at the photo counter, it's only 29 cents per print. At other drug stores (Walgreens, Duane Reade) it's only slightly cheaper, and they often offer rebates. All these stores offer quality guarantee, plus they use real professional paper.
So basically if you get the PhotoSmart 245 (or the cheaper 145 model withou the color LCD preview) you are paying a huge premium for convenience -- and if my experience is any guide, you won't actually get any conveninece because the printer jams too easily. Plus there's the question how long the print will last before fading.
For my hard-earned money (I'm probably far less paid than most of you guys who shop on Amazon.com) I'll stick with my local drug stores.
Of course, I'm talking from an urban-centric point of view. If you live in rural areas where getting to a digital-ready photo shop is not easy, this may make sense. Just beware of the printer jam and possible fading problems. Amen.
Jams easily, way too expensive per print 
2004-05-25
Pros: 4x6 near-pro-quality prints, LCD preview, compact form factor
Cons: slow!!!, prints can fade quickly, paper feed jams frequently, high cost per print (~65 cents not including cost of printer!), questionable manufacture quality
Recommendation: wait for the new 25-cents-per-print Epson PictureMate printer, with better quality (according to PC Magazine) and much lower operating costs.
Pretty good printer ruined by print stickiness problem 
2006-09-19
I have had this for about a year - great looking results, especially if corrected and printed from a good software package. The stickiness problem seems insurmountable. I have tried several different papers and drying times up to 3 weeks, but they will always stick to photo album transparent material (have tried several brands). I wish HP would sought this problem out - also occurs with prints from other HP printer models. Finally bought a Cannon Selphy dye-sub printer which does not have this problem.
Quantity not quality 2005-05-04
At the time of purchase I was considering a few cameras. I not only considered the individual cost but also the price of paper and ink. At the time I thought that I had made the right choice by selecting the most cost efficient item. The printer is very easy to use and prints quickly. For quick prints where quality is not that important this printer is great. If you want quality pictures this printer does not even come close to its counterparts. My friend bought the Kodak printer the same day. Her printer is slower and runs out of ink faster but the prints are phenomenal. My prints come out more quickly but the quality is just not there even when set to all of the best options. I wish now that I had gone another route. The printer has just one color cartridge for all colors, however if you print a lot of one color (example pictures at the ocean) then other prints look oddly greenish or redish without the cartridge suggesting a change. I also have a problem with stickiness, I have tried both the premium HP paper as well as other brands and it comes out sticky. The pictures stick to my frames and scrapbook covers even after several hours of drying time. For quick pictures to pin on a bulletin board or give to kids this is great, but for memorable lasting photos this isin't the best bet.
Disappointed in NY 2005-04-26
At first I loved this printer, it is simple to use and can be used alone or through your pc. Unfortunately the photos never dry. At first I thought it was because I either framed them or put them in an album before they had a chance to dry. I then printed some and let them sit out to dry for weeks and the photos never dried. Any photos that I have framed eventually stick to the glass, particularily the darker spots of the photo. I even got a new printer from HP and still encountered the same problem...has anyone else had this problem? (Yes I am using the correct HP paper and ink)
A great little workhorse! 2004-09-17
This is a dandy little workhourse that will generate countless 4 x 6 photographs from your digital camera with no hassle or fuss. The HP 245 is a small, tight little package that you can easily pack away and take along on trips.
The HP 245 really helps make the "digital darkroom" a reality, even during trips. I take mine on my boat together with a small laptop computer, and can generate high-quality 4 x 6 photos right on the spot, after taking shots with various digital cameras. The HP 245 has a built-in CF card reader and also reads various other popular media and you can easily print directly from the CF card or other media even without the laptop too. The color LCD allows you to simply insert the CF card (or other medium) and simply select what picture you want to print--without the computer. This also means that you don't need to bring a card reader along if you have your HP 245 since it functions as a digital media reader.
My HP 245 installed effortlessly on my IBM Thinkpad notebook computer (IBM TP 600E) running Windows XP, and is now my main printer for 4 x 6 photos and of course is the only printer I take along on trips. It is great fun to go on trips, take photos, and then give friends nicely framed photos the next day, or later the same day. Frankly, I never realized how much fun it was to have a printer along on trips. Most printers nowadays are big and bulky. This one is not.
The quality of the prints from the HP245 is excellent -- it uses the Type 57 tri-color cartridge which is the same cartridge that several bigger printers use. The photos are crisp, bright, and professional. This printer produces very decent 4 x 6 prints that look great framed on one's living room table, wall, or whatnot.
I also have the HP145 which is exactly the same except that it lacks the color LCD which allows you to view the pictures without a computer, although it will print out a little index of thumbnails for you to select from. When I needed a second printer I went with the 245 because the cost had come down. Either is excellent.
This printer is awesome! 2004-09-15
I gave this printer to my Brother for Christmas 2 years ago. While I was visiting him last week in Montana, we printed out the pictures I took. they turned out better then regular film. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I plan to buy myself one.
