reviewer‘s guide
hp photosmart 230
fall 2002
not intended for customer
use
impressive photo quality
Table of contents
Welcome
Introducing the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer ......................................................................................... 3
Public relations contacts .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Evaluation unit return information ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Key features of the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer ......................................................................... 5
Evaluating the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer ................................................................................... 6
Ease of use .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Evaluating the printer in stand-alone mode (without a computer) ...............................................................................10
Evaluating the printer using a computer ..................................................................................................................................11
Impressive photo quality .................................................................................................................................................................14
Technical specifications ................................................................................................................................................................19
HP customer support .....................................................................................................................................................................20
Appendix
Appendix A. Software release notes ..........................................................................................................................................21
HP, the HP logo, and Photosmart are property of Hewlett- Packard Company. Microsoft and Windows are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer Inc. CompactFlash is a trademark of the CompactFlash Association (CFA). Memory Stick is a
registered trademark of Sony Corporation. MultiMediaCard is a trademark of Infineon Technologies AG of
Germany, and is licensed to the MMCA (MultiMediaCard Association). SmartMedia is a trademark of the
SSFDC Forum. All other brands and their products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 2
Welcome
Welcome to the reviewer‘s guide for the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer—HP‘s
compact photo printer with a colour LCD that lets you preview and print borderless 10 x 15-cm
photos directly from a digital camera memory card.
The Photosmart 230 was designed to provide digital camera owners with a quick, easy way to
print photos from a digital camera memory card, with or without using a computer. The printer
delivers impressive photo quality for realistic prints from CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory
Stick, Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard memory cards.
This guide was developed to help explain the key features and benefits of the HP Photosmart 230
camera accessory printer, as well as how to operate your test unit and evaluate its performance. If
you have questions that are not answered, either in the Reviewer‘s Guide or the documentation
included with your printer, we encourage you to call or send your questions via e-mail to one of
the public relations contacts listed on the following page.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 3
Public relations contacts
For general questions about the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer, or for technical
assistance, market information, background information on inkjet printing technologies, fact
checking, and analyst references, please contact one of the following:
CONTACT #1
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Company: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fax: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONTACT #2
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Company: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fax: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluation unit return information
After you have completed your evaluation, please re-pack your HP Photosmart 230 camera
accessory printer in the original packing material and return it to:
Company: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
City, State: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Country: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Postal Code: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Attention: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 4
Key features of the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory
printer
view & edit impressive direct
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer offers an easy way to preview and print 10 x
15-cm photos directly from a digital camera via a memory card. With its colour LCD and
convenient, compact size, digital camera owners can easily view and print brilliant colour
photos—at home or anywhere they want to share pictures. Specifically designed for ease of use,
the HP Photosmart 230 provides:
Easy photo previews
See your photos before you print using the colour LCD
Realistic photo quality
Borderless 10 x 15-cm photos on HP premium plus photo papers
Up to 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi colour printing on premium photo papers using 1200 x
1200 input dpi (when printing from a computer)
Long lasting photos using HP‘s specially developed inks and premium photo papers
Direct photo printing
Print photos directly from a digital camera memory card with or without using a computer;
digital camera memory card readers for CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Secure
Digital and MultiMediaCard memory cards
Easily produce 10 x 15-cm snapshots, wallet-sized prints, and index prints
Create digital photo prints with or without borders
Produce an index page that shows all of the photos on a digital camera memory card
Convenient features
Preview photos on the colour LCD display, then use the control panel buttons to select photo
size(s) and number of copies
One-button save feature for ease of use
Innovative design and small, compact size allow you to print photos almost anywhere (power
source required)
Choose, edit and print photos with included HP Photo & Imaging software (the printer must
be connected to a computer to use editing software)
Easily select the photos you want to print from the digital print order format (DPOF) feature
on digital cameras
Supports DPOF files and most TIFF and JPEG file formats, including EXIF.
Effortless setup
Simple printer set up with USB connection for compatible PC and Macintosh computers
(Windows XP, Me, 2000 Professional or 98; Macintosh OS 9 or OS 10.1 or greater)
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 5
Evaluating the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer
Ease of use
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer prints photos directly from a digital camera
memory card—no computer is required. A colour LCD display and intuitive printer control panel
let you view photos before you print, select the photo size and number of copies, or print a
photo index page that displays small, thumbnail versions of all the images on a digital camera
memory card.
Your evaluation unit includes everything you need to set up the printer and print photos from a
digital camera memory card in stand-alone mode (without a computer). Please review the
following information on printer setup, media, and memory cards, before you proceed with your
evaluation.
Printer setup
Please refer to the Setup Guide included with your printer for instructions on setting up the
printer, loading paper, and installing the HP 57 (C6657A) tri-colour print cartridge.
Note: The printer pulls the paper straight through the paper path, out the back, and then
through the front as it prints. The back of the printer should be placed at least 10 inches away
from any obstruction.
Media
For best results, HP recommends using HP Premium Plus Photo Paper. You can use other paper
types, but HP cannot guarantee the results. The following paper types and sizes are supported:
HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, Glossy, HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, 4 x 6.5-in. (10 x 16.5
cm) with 0.5 in. (1.25 cm) perforated tab for borderless photo printing
HP Photo Paper, Glossy, 4 x 6.5-in. (10 x 16.5 cm) with 0.5 in. (1.25 cm) perforated tab
Other brands of photo paper, 4 x 6-in. (10 x 15 cm) for printing photos with a border
Plain index cards, 4 x 6-in. (10 x 15 cm)
Hagaki cards (10 x 148 mm)
Automatic calibration
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer uses one print cartridge—the HP 57 (C6657A).
The printer automatically prints a calibration page each time a new print cartridge is installed to
ensure the best possible print quality. You can print the calibration page on HP Premium Plus
Photo Paper or you can use an index card to save money. Be sure to load an index card in the
paper tray, prior to inserting a new print cartridge.
Note: If a new print cartridge is installed, the calibration page prints when the printer is powered
on.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 6
Control panel and LCD display
You can use the LCD display and control panel buttons on the Photosmart 230 to view and print
photos on a digital camera memory card, print a photo index page, and select printing options:
Copies—Use this button to select the number of copies you want to print.
LCD—Use to view the photos on a digital camera memory card and read information about the
status of the printer. In addition to displaying the photos on a memory card, the LCD displays
printer status, printer settings, and setup information. You can use the LCD to select a single
photo or a range of photos to print, the number of copies, and the photo size (10 x 15-cm, wallet
or thumbnail).
Size—Use this button to select the photo size.
Printer light—This light illuminates from the print button. When this light is green, the printer is
on. When this light is blinking green, the printer is busy. When this light is red, the printer needs
attention.
Print—Use this button to print selected photos from a memory card.
Save—Use this button to save photos from a memory card to your computer or to print camera–
selected photos.
Cancel—Use this button to cancel a setting, to stop printing or saving, to answer no to LCD
questions, or to exit a menu.
Left, Right, Up, Down—Use these arrows to navigate through menu options. Use the Left and
Right arrows to scroll through the photos on a memory card. Use the Up and Down arrows to
scroll through selected photos.
Menu—Use this button to access the menu options.
OK—Use this button to select photos, to answer yes to LCD questions, or to select menu options.
Zoom—Use this button to change the magnification of the selected photo or crop the photo.
Power—Use this button to turn the printer on or off.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 7
Memory cards
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reads five different types of digital camera
memory cards: CompactFlash Type I or II, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital and
SmartMedia (see Caution, below).
Convenient card slots make it easy to print photos directly from a memory card without being
connected to a computer. The printer has four memory card slots:
CompactFlash memory card slot
Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard memory card slot
SmartMedia memory card slot
Memory Stick memory card slot
To access the card slots, simply open the paper tray door on the front of the printer. Please refer
to the Basics Guide included with the printer, for specific instructions on inserting each type of
card.
Caution:
You may use any of the five types of memory cards listed above with the HP Photosmart 230
camera accessory printer. Use of other types of memory cards with the HP Photosmart 230
may damage the memory card or the printer. The IBM Microdrive™ and other Microdrive
memory cards are not supported.
Digital camera memory cards can be inserted at any time, but must not be removed while the
card is being read or written to (the memory card light is blinking). This may damage the
printer, the memory card, or the information on the card.
Only one memory card slot can be used at one time.
File formats
The memory cards support JPEG file formats as well as JPEG variants, EXIF, and some TIFF file
formats:
JPEG is a widely used file standard that supports compression of images. The amount of
compression is selectable, although image quality degrades as compression increases.
EXIF is a file standard used in virtually all digital cameras. It is a variation of JPEG that uses a
different header at the beginning of the file.
TIFF, another widely used file standard, allows for minimal compression, but ensures the
highest image quality.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 8
Index page
An index page provides a miniature, thumbnail representation and a corresponding number for
each of the images stored on your digital camera memory card. Depending on the number of
photos on the memory card, the index ‗page‘ may actually be several pages long.
Note: The printer assigns a number to each photo on the memory card. Due to differing
numbering methods and how some digital cameras handle re-numbering of photos when photos
are deleted, the photo numbers assigned by the printer may not match those shown on your
camera‘s LCD. If you print an index page prior to printing your photos, you can use the printer‘s
photo numbers to easily select the correct photos for printing.
DPOF files
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer automatically recognizes DPOF (digital print
1
order format) files stored on your digital camera memory card. To print from a DPOF file, simply
insert the memory card in the printer and press the Print button on the control panel.
Note: Since the DPOF file created by your digital camera specifies which photos and the number
of photos to print, you will not be able to select the photo size, range, or number of copies when
printing from a DPOF file. If the DPOF file specifies ―standard‖ for the photo size, the photo will
print at 10 x 15 cm; if it specifies ―index‖ for the photo size, the photo will print at 1.5 x 2 cm size.
1
Most digital camera manufacturers currently support DPOF including: HP Photosmart 318, 712, 815, C500,
315, 618, 612 and 912
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 9
Evaluating the printer in stand-alone mode
Set up the HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer using the Setup Guide. Use the control
panel buttons and colour LCD display to print from a digital camera memory card.
Print a photo from a digital camera memory card:
1. Insert a digital camera memory card in the appropriate card slot following the steps in the
Basics Guide for your specific type of card.
2. Wait for the first photo stored on the memory card to appear on the LCD, then press the Left
or Right arrow until the photo you want to print appears in the LCD.
3. Press the Copies or Size buttons to adjust the print settings.
4. Press the Print button.
To print more than one photo at a time, press the OK button to select each photo. Press the
Print button when you have selected all the photos you want to print. For more details on
selecting printer settings, please refer to the Photo Printing Guide, included with your evaluation
unit.
Print an index page:
1. Insert a digital camera memory card in the appropriate card slot following the steps in the
Basics
Guide for your specific type of card.
2. Wait for the first photo stored on the memory card to display on the LCD, then press the
Menu button on the printer‘s control panel.
3. Press the Down arrow until Print Index Page appears highlighted on the LCD, then press
the OK button.
For information on printing and saving photos from a digital camera memory card, see the HP
Photosmart Printer Help.
Consider the following:
Is the printer easy to set up and use?
What special features does it offer?
Are the control panel buttons and colour LCD display helpful?
Finally, evaluate the user documentation included with the printer for helpfulness.
Note: After you insert a memory card, the memory card light below the memory card slots
blinks, and the memory card icon appears in the LCD display. The printer reads the memory card
to determine the number of photos on the card. This process can take several seconds to a few
minutes, depending on the number of photos on the card. The LCD displays the total number of
photos on the memory card and then displays the first image on the card. Press the Left or Right
arrow buttons to view the photos on the card. Each time you press an arrow button, a new photo
appears on the LCD.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 10
Evaluating the printer using a computer
When connected to a computer, the HP Photosmart 230 offers additional capabilities for working
with photos. You can print from a software application installed on your computer, or use the
printer software to print images downloaded from a Web site or photos that someone has e-
mailed to you. Convenient software features let you crop, resize and rotate photos, and adjust
the colour, exposure and sharpness of images.
Printer setup
Follow the steps in the Setup Guide to set up the HP Photosmart 230 and install the printer
software. Make sure the printer is connected to your computer and the software is installed,
before you proceed with your evaluation.
Printing from a software application
To print from a software application installed on your computer, open your software application‘s
print setup dialog box and select the HP Photosmart 230 series printer. From the application‘s
print setup dialog box, click Properties to display the HP Photosmart printer Properties dialog
box. Select the properties that are appropriate for your printing project, e.g., print quality setting,
paper type and size, page orientation, and the number of copies to print. To adjust custom
settings such as colour, click on the Advanced tab in the HP Photosmart printer Properties
dialog box.
Using the HP Photo & Imaging software
You can use the HP Photo & Imaging software to view and print photos, unload images from a
digital camera memory card to your computer, edit and save images, and create and print photo
album pages and other creative photo projects.
HP Director
The HP Director provides access to all of the functions in the HP Photo & Imaging software. To
launch the Director, double-click the shortcut icon on your desktop (Windows or Macintosh).
From the Director, you can select the HP imaging device you want to use with the software and
quickly launch the various software settings and screens:
View & Print—launches the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery
Unload Images—select to save images or files to your computer from an HP digital camera
or device with a memory card reader
Help—opens an electronic HP Photo & Imaging software help guide
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 11
HP Photo & Imaging Gallery
The HP Photo & Imaging Gallery provides
access to image viewing and other photo
functions such as managing and storing
images, image capture and unload, image
editing, and photo sharing destinations.
Select View & Print from the Director to
launch the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery.
Quick Print—To print an image, select the
image(s) you want to print and click on the
Quick Print icon. The printer Properties
dialog box opens. Click OK and your
photo(s) will print at 10 x 15-cm in best
mode. The appropriate print settings are
automatically selected.
E-mail and Share-to-Web—Options
in the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery let
you share images with friends and
family by e-mailing your photos or
uploading them to Web sites. The E-
mail button launches screens that let
you select photo size and e-mail
configurations. The Share-to-Web
button launches the HP Share-to-Web
Wizard. Simply follow the steps to
upload photos to HP Share-to-Web
enabled Web sites.
Image editor
Options in the HP Photo & Imaging software let
you crop images and make image adjustments,
e.g., rotate an image, adjust image colour,
sharpness or exposure.
To launch the HP Image Editor, double-click on
an image in the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery.
To crop an image, click on the Crop icon and
use the crop handles to move the border of the
photo and select the part of the image you
want to save. To make image adjustments, click
on the appropriate icon listed on the right side
of the HP Image Editor screen. Photo editing
features make it easy to rotate or resize images,
adjust colour, brightness or sharpness and
remove ―red eye‖ or add a title to your image(s).
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 12
HP Photo Printing Software
The HP Photo Printing Software contains page
layouts and templates for creating photo album
pages. An auto-layout option lets you create
album page layouts based on the images that
you select. The auto-layout option optimizes
pages for the best use of space.
To launch the HP Photo Printing Software from
the HP Photo & Imaging Gallery, select the
photo(s) you want to print and click on the
Photo Printing icon (see the HP Photo &
Imaging Gallery screen). The selected images
are sent to the HP Photo Printing Software.
To print an image, click on the Prints icon on
the HP Photo Printing Software screen. Select a layout from the templates shown on the Prints
screen and click OK. A preview of the selected layout appears on the HP Photo Printing Software
screen. Click on the Print icon. The print Properties dialog box appears. Click OK and your
photo(s) will print (the appropriate print settings are automatically selected).
To create photo album pages using the auto-layout option, open the HP Photo Printing Software
screen and click on the Album icon. Select the photo size and page size from the Design to
Page Size and Photo Size on Album Page options on the Album Pages screen, and click OK. A
preview of the album page appears on the HP Photo Printing Software screen. To print the page,
click on the Print icon. The print Properties dialog box appears. Click OK and the page will print
(the appropriate print settings are automatically selected).
For more details on HP Photo & Imaging software, including creative printing and HP Memories
Disc Creator software, please refer to the electronic Printer Help guide, included with your
evaluation unit.
Impressive photo quality
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 13
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer delivers brilliant photo-quality and efficient
print speeds (less than three minutes per page for a 10 x 15-cm colour photo). The printer
incorporates HP‘s industry leading inkjet printing technologies—including HP Photoret III
precision technology and HP digital photography enhancement features—to create realistic
photo images.
HP Photoret III precision technology – PC mode only
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer uses HP Photoret III
precision technology, an advanced colour printing technology that produces
brilliant photo quality and quick performance for professional looking results.
HP Photoret III precision technology uses vibrant colour inks, small ink drops,
and precise drop placement to enable HP PhotoREt III printers to create an
extensive number of colours per printed dot. By layering multiple colour drops
within a single dot, HP PhotoREt III printers require a smaller amount of data
than printers needing to process higher dpi, so printing is faster.
Traditional inkjet printers print up to eight different colours per dot: cyan,
magenta, yellow, blue (C+M), red (M+Y), green (C+Y), black and ―white‖ (no
ink). Additional colour shades are created through halftoning, a process that
places coloured dots in patterns that when viewed from a distance, appear to
blend and create a new colour.
HP Photoret III precision technology allows the Photosmart 230 camera
accessory printer to print up to 17 levels of colour intensity or shades per
primary colour, per dot. These colour shades can be strategically layered to
create literally thousands of colours without halftoning. Colour layering
technology also controls the amount of ink for each primary colour applied to
each print position, which enables HP PhotoREt III printers to produce a broad
range of colours, including light tones, and smooth gradations between tones. HP precision
technology layers
Benefits of HP Photoret III precision technology: multiple color drops
within a single dot for
Small ink drops are precisely layered for rich, photo-quality results brilliant photo quality.
Multiple shades of colour for realistic, natural looking photos
Efficient colour printing that doesn‘t sacrifice speed for print quality
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 14
HP digital photography options — Computer mode only
The HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer offers a variety of digital photo enhancement
features to improve the quality of your digital photographs. HP digital photography options
intelligently analyze source images and apply appropriate image enhancements, as needed.
Settings in the printer software allow you to select digital photography options, or adjust images
according to your own preferences.
Contrast Enhancement—Contrast Enhancement
automatically brightens colours and sharpens details in
images captured under poor lighting conditions. Unlike other
image enhancements that apply changes to images
indiscriminately, Contrast Enhancement intelligently analyzes
image characteristics and applies only the specific
modifications necessary to improve an image. Check Auto
Without With Contrast
to allow the printer to automatically increase contrast to
Contrast Enhancement
improve images, or use the adjustable slider to adjust
Enhancement
contrast according to your preferences.
Digital Flash—HP‘s breakthrough digital photo enhancement feature intelligently analyzes
source images and applies appropriate algorithms to enhance image detail in dark, shadow areas.
Check Auto to allow the printer to automatically balance lightness and darkness to heighten
image detail, or use the adjustable slider to lighten dark images according to your preferences.
SmartFocus—SmartFocus features a unique set of proprietary software algorithms that
automatically enhance image quality and clarity without increasing file sizes or slowing print
speeds. SmartFocus enhances details in low-resolution images printed from the Internet, CD-
ROM and multimedia applications by automatically synthesizing a higher-resolution image.
Select On to get optimal image quality, automatically.
Without SmartFocus With SmartFocus
Sharpness—HP‘s exclusive software algorithms intelligently analyze source files and select
appropriate filters to sharpen image details. Check Auto to allow the printer to automatically
sharpen and enhance image quality, or use the adjustable slider to adjust image detail according
to your preferences.
Smoothing—Software algorithms intelligently analyze source files and select appropriate filters
to smooth image elements. Check Auto to allow the printer to automatically improve images, or
use the adjustable slider to adjust image detail according to your preferences.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 15
HP digital photo enhancement features are located in the HP Digital Photography Options dialog
box (Windows only). To access the digital photo options, click on the Quality tab, from the printer
Properties dialog box.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 16
Evaluating photo quality
Please review the following guidelines, prior to conducting image quality evaluation.
Use the appropriate media for the printer
Special media vary widely between manufacturers. When testing on photo media, use the
manufacturer‘s recommended media. Note that some media may not be recommended for all of
a manufacturer‘s printers. We recommend using HP Premium Plus Photo Paper with the HP
Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer.
Image samples
Photo quality image samples should provide proper tone reproduction, highlight and shadow
detail, colour balance, and sharpness. Images that include skin tones and memory colours—
colours that viewers have a mental memory of, such as sky, fruit or grass—are effective at
allowing viewers to differentiate samples. Test images should be free of scratches, correctly
exposed and well balanced.
Checking for defects
Printing problems can occasionally result from a bad sheet of media, clogged print nozzles, or
interrupting or jarring the printer during printing. Inspect all print samples for defects that are not
attributable to normal operation of the printer, and reprint samples, if necessary. If the printer
requires installation of new supplies and/or calibration, these steps should be performed prior to
conducting image quality evaluations.
Viewing conditions
Lighting—Lighting plays a significant role in critical viewing of printed materials. All print
samples should be viewed under the same lighting to ensure consistent results. Avoid windows in
the viewing area, as natural light changes dramatically with variations in weather and the time of
day. Image quality is typically optimised for a mix of fluorescent and incandescent lighting.
Surroundings—Surroundings can have a significant effect on quality perception. Background
lighting levels can change contrast, and coloured areas can cause those viewing the sample to
adapt to that colour. Medium or light gray is usually the best choice for the surrounding viewing
area. A large piece of gray art board or gray mat material works well. We recommend using an
easel for viewing print samples. This ensures a constant angle to control gloss and keep viewing
distance fairly constant.
Constant environment—Temperature and humidity should be kept constant when possible, for
each printer tested. These factors affect many ink-media interactions and can have an impact on
final image quality.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 17
Recruiting participants
Print quality evaluations are often conducted with untrained participants, or observers. This
method works particularly well with consumer-based product testing. You may find it useful to
recruit a ―pool‖ of observers from which to draw on. Here are a few points to keep in mind when
selecting participants.
Ask multiple individuals to evaluate and grade the print samples. Using a larger number of
observers increases the accuracy of test results; a smaller number may yield uncertainty in
results.
Observers should be representative of typical users of photo printers. Graphic artists,
photographers and others in related occupations are likely to have experience with image
quality beyond that of the typical consumer. Such individuals‘ judgments may not be
representative of the average observer.
Qualities to look for during evaluation
Print several images from your digital camera memory card. Select ones that feature ―memory‖
colours such as skin tones, blue sky, or green grass, as well as images that include dark and light
detail areas. Assemble the test samples in an area with a good light source. As you view the
samples, evaluate the output for the following characteristics:
Images should be clear and sharp.
Check for ―banding‖—there should be no bands or white lines across images.
Look for graininess or visibility of dots.
Images should look natural and realistic.
Solid colour fills should be uniform in tone.
―Memory‖ colours and skin tones should look natural.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 18
Technical specifications
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer
Resolution Up to 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi colour printing on premium photo
papers
using 1200 x 1200 input dpi when printing from a computer
2
Print speed Prints 10 x 15-cm colour photos in less than three minutes
Media HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, 10 x 16.5 cm (1.25 cm perforated tab)
HP Photo Paper, 10 x 16.5 cm (1.25 cm tab)
Plain index cards, 10 x 15 cm
Hagaki cards, 10 x 148 mm
Other brands of photo paper, 10 x 15 cm
Ink HP No. 57 (C6657A) tri-colour print cartridge, 17 ml
Features Direct photo printing, colour LCD display, memory card readers,
automatic print cartridge calibration, automatic paper-size detection, 20-
sheet 10 x 15-cm photo paper tray, HP Photoret III precision technology,
HP digital photography options
Connectivity CompactFlash, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital and
SmartMedia digital camera memory cards
DPOF files, JPEG and TIFF
USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection for compatible PCs and Macintosh
computers (Windows XP, Me, 2000 Professional or 98; Macintosh OS 9 or
OS 10.1.2 or greater)
Dimensions With paper tray closed:
225 mm wide x 125 mm high x 110 mm deep;
With paper tray extended:
225 mm wide x 125 mm high x 202 mm deep
Weight: 1.3 kg
Exact speed will vary depending upon document type, print mode and system configuration.
2
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 19
HP customer support
HP customer support provides easy-to-use service and support solutions that keep customers up
and running and enable them to do more with their HP products.
HP customer support capabilities include setup and installation, troubleshooting tools, warranty
upgrades, repair and exchange services, phone and Web support, software updates, self-
maintenance services, and helpful tips on how to use HP products in exciting new ways.
HP e-support
HP e-support offers online support as long as you own your HP printer. Get instant access to
support information, helpful printing tips, and the latest updates for your printer software
(driver)—24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost to you.
HP support websites
If you have access to the Internet, you can obtain a wide variety of information about your
printer. Visit HP‘s Website for the latest printer software and support information at: www.hp.com
HP support e-mail
One-to-one e-mail gives direct answers to your questions from an HP service technician. E-mail
support is a great way to ask technical questions or obtain an answer that is tailored to your
specific need. Responses are normally provided within 48 hours, excluding holidays.
HP support by phone (during warranty)
HP provides free telephone support during the product‘s phone support period (customers are
not charged for HP technicians‘ time; however, standard phone company charges do apply.) Free
phone support, for a period of one year, is available in the following regions: North America,
Canada, Asia Pacific, including Japan, Europe and Latin America.
HP support by phone (after warranty)
After the free phone support period, you can receive help from HP for a fee. Prices are subject to
change without notice. HP e-support is always available at no cost.
HP customer support repair/exchange
HP printers are well known for their quality. But if an HP printer is ever in need of repair while
under warranty, we‘ll gladly diagnose the problem and coordinate the repair process.
HP customer support warranty options
For coverage that‘s even more convenient, HP offers a wide range of flexible warranty options
that enhance and extend service coverage for most HP printers.
HP Photosmart 230 camera accessory printer reviewer‘s guide 20
Appendix A: HP photo printing software release notes
For the most current information and support on HP Photosmart products, go to:
http://www.hp.com/photosmart.
CONTENTS
1.0 Installation notes
2.0 Known problems/troubleshooting
3.0 Windows2000, Windows XP notes
1.0 INSTALLATION NOTES
1.1 Installation information
This release of the HP Photo Printing Software runs on Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 2000,
Windows Me, and Windows XP. It is not supported under Windows 3.x or NT.
The HP Photo Printing Software requires 180 MB of free disk space on the disk drive you are
installing to. In addition, you must have at least 30MB free disk space on the root drive.
1.2 Uninstalling the software
To uninstall the software do the following:
1. Select Start Menu | Settings | Control Panel
2. Open Add/Remove Programs (double-click on it)
3. Select HP Photo Printing Software
4. Select Add/Remove...
The uninstall requires version 4.71 or later of operating system component Shlwapi.dll. The
uninstall checks for this component and will not proceed without it. The easiest way to install
Shlwapi.dll on your system is to install Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 (or later), which is a free
download from http://www.microsoft.com under All Products tab | Downloads.
To uninstall on Windows 98, Windows2000, and Windows XP you must have administrator
privileges.
2.0 KNOWN PROBLEMS/TROUBLESHOOTING
2.1 What to do if the software stops functioning
It is possible to cause the HP Photo Printing Software to stop functioning when uninstalling other
third-party software packages. The third-party uninstaller removing DLL files required by the hp
software causes this.
This condition may have occurred if you receive an error message similar to the following:
"The HPI_COMN.DLL file is linked to missing export file MFC42.DLL"
To restore the functionality of the HP Photo Printing Software, uninstall and then reinstall the HP
Photo Printing Software. The install process will re-copy the required files to your hard disk.
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2.2 Fonts
Using non-TrueType fonts may lead to inconsistencies between the Print Preview and the actual
printer output.
HP Photo Printing Software does not support font sizes greater than 230 points.
2.3 Saving albums to CD-RW drives
Album files may not save directly to some re-write-able CDROM (CD-RW) drives. To avoid
conflicts, save the album to the hard disk and then copy the album file to the CD-RW.
2.4 Opening albums with read-only attributes
The HP Photo Printing Software will not open an album with read-only attributes. To open a
read-only album, make a copy of the album file, change the write-able attributes of the copy, and
open the copy with the HP Photo Printing Software.
2.5 Installing or removing a printer
Installing or removing a printer while the HP Photo Printing Software is running may affect the
behavior of the software. Always close the software before installing or removing any new
device.
2.6 Print Preview without printer driver installed
The Print Preview window may not accurately display the captions if your system does not have
printer driver software installed. To improve upon this situation, install your manufacturer's
printer driver software or choose one of the available printer drivers from the Windows driver
listings under Start, Settings, and Printers.
2.7 Display of compressed TIFF images
Some compressed tiff files created in applications other than HP Photo Printing Software may not
display properly. To counter this conflict, save the image as a different image file type (such as
JPG, BMP, etc.) in the software in which it was created. Then open the new file in the HP Photo
Printing Software.
2.8 Regional settings
Text may be corrupted when the locale setting under Regional Settings Properties (Regional
Options in Windows 2000) does not match the locale of the installed version of HP Photo
Printing Software. For instance, if the Japanese version of HP Photo Printing Software is installed
on a Japanese machine, but the locale is set to English (United States), some text that should be
in Kanji will be corrupted and unreadable. Set the locale to Japan to resolve the conflict.
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2.9 America Online and other Internet service providers
America Online and other Internet Service Providers do not support restarting Windows while
connected to the Internet. If the HP Web Update Software prompts you to restart Windows,
make sure your Internet connection and all applications are closed before restarting Windows.
2.10 Upgrading Windows
The recommendation is to reinstall your HP Photo Printing Software when upgrading to newer
supported versions of Windows, for example when upgrading from Windows 98 to Microsoft
Windows Me.
3.0 Windows 2000 and Windows XP notes
3.1 Installation issues
Administrative privileges are required to install or uninstall the HP Photo Printing Software in
Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
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