The Inkjet Printing Blog : Kodak

Straight Talk on the Cost of Printing: The BBB’s NAD Weighs In

Angela_LoSasso — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:48:00 GMT

Back in April, I wrote about The Truth about Print and Proper's Cost of Ink Claims and how I think Kodak misleads the public about the true cost of printing. To recap, I feel their claims just don't add up. And I'm not the only one who's reached that conclusion. In recent head-to-head reviews of comparable models, professional reviewers have found that in tests of varying printouts (comparing black and white document prints and color photo prints, for example) the cost per page is very close and in some cases HP prints can actually be more affordable than Kodak. Check out the objective reviews and tests by respected media such as The Boston Globe and Hardware Geeks.

To bring you up to date: HP filed a complaint with The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. On August 31, the NAD issued a press release stating that it had referred advertising by Eastman Kodak to the Federal Trade Commission for further review. Earlier today, the NAD released another statement to clarify certain facts about the inquiry into Eastman Kodak's advertising claims: Although the company asserted its claims are substantiated, Kodak refused to participate in the review process or provide evidence in support of its advertising.

To be perfectly honest, I'm grateful to see that the NAD set the record straight (you can see their release here). I'm proud to work for a company that welcomes healthy competition with open arms, but which also respects and upholds truthful and accurate advertising.

As the market leader for more than 25 years, HP embraces industry standard testing methodologies. When HP conducted apples-to-apples testing and comparison of specific HP models vs. comparable Kodak models and used realistic home inkjet print volumes provided by Lyra Research, we came up with very different results than Kodak's misleading claims. In fact, when you compare the print volumes of typical home customers, the savings could actually be as little as $1 a month. ^*

What's a buck worth to you? From the many conversations I've had with customers, they overwhelmingly agree that the superior print quality, reliability, performance and peace of mind you get when you buy HP is worth much more than a dollar. Want to learn more about the printing costs of HP printers? Go here.

As always, I invite your questions, comments and suggestions.

Angela LoSasso manages HP's Creative Wiki and HP's Small Business Wiki. You'll also find her on Twitter.

* Comparing HP and Kodak products priced at $199 and $299. Calculated using page yields provided by HP and Kodak based on ISO 24711 test methodology, 4x6 photo yields provided by HP and Kodak including the cost of HP Advanced and Kodak Ultra Studio Gloss media and cartridge prices from HP and Kodak web sites. Annual document volume assumptions provided by Lyra Research, Inc.: "Types of Documents Printed on Home Ink Jet Printers: 2006 U.S. Ink Jet and Laser Home User Survey," published 1/26/2007.

HP Officejet Pro Challenge

Stacie Savage — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:40:00 GMT

Q&A with Bret Bottger of HP and Mark Evans of BID Blinds

After weeks of blogging about his experience with an HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One, Mark Evans of BID Blinds emerged with the most votes among the five small business owners who participated in the HP Officejet Pro Challenge and won the grand prize package worth more than $2,100. Beyond the obvious advantage of receiving professional color documents while saving up to 50 percent on printing costs and energy use compared to laser¹, Mark says he learned a lot about how to use his new printer to help run his business. In this wrap-up interview with HP, Mark shares some additional perspective on printing in a small-business environment.

Mark is the owner of BID Blinds, which provides eco-friendly and affordable custom window treatments to residential and commercial clients in the greater Nashville, Tenn. area. Mark retired his Lexmark X125 All-in-One printer for the HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One, and hasn’t looked back since.

Mark Evans, owner of BID Blinds and his new HP Officejet Pro All-in-One

Bret Bottger of HP, who has been chatting with Mark and other participants throughout the Challenge, touched base with Mark to get his comments. Here’s what Mark had to say about his experience:

Bret: After testing the HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One for four weeks, what did you particularly like or dislike about it?

Mark: Wow, that is a dangerous question to ask if you don’t know the answer! I think the general thing that stuck out to me was the ease with which I could perform all of the tasks that HP put us through. Of course, I had the occasional – okay, more than occasional - brain cramp that complicated things because I overlooked the obvious. I also like the energy saving “sleep” mode it goes into when it has been idle for a short while. That same mode was probably the “worst” thing, too. Sometimes I get in a time crunch trying to get out the door. I hit “Print” and have to wait a sec for the machine to stir from hibernation. Again, my issue, not the machine’s.

Bret: What features did you find most useful during your four-week “test drive”? Were there any features that you found hard to use?

Mark: Let’s tackle the second part first. NO!!! Emphatic enough? There really was nothing that was difficult. For the Challenge, sometimes I was pressed for time meeting your deadlines because I am still running a business. But, man, this 8500 really came through. Had it been a bear to learn or had it required reading a 600 page manual, I would’ve put it back in the box.

Now for the Part A of your query, the feature I utilized the most was, without question, the two-sided option, both printing and scanning. Not only was it a time saver, it reduces usage and waste and saves the dollars and time it would take to produce a high quality product that is suitable for giving to my clientele!

Bret: What did you think of the quality of materials printed when using Original HP Papers, such as the HP Bright White Inkjet Paper, HP Photo Paper and glossy HP Brochure/Flyer Paper?

Mark: Okay, you got me here. I’ve only used the Photo paper once – four prints. Did I tell you I was running a business? But all of the paper products have been excellent. They have made the final presentation products “POP!” And the way they hold the ink in trying circumstances is “magnifico.” They don’t smudge up or run when wet. The brochure paper is amazing. I am still trying to find the ideal template for my biz. But the brochures I’ve produced are as good as they come.

Bret: Overall, how well did the new Officejet Pro fit the needs of your business compared to your previous printer?

Mark: This is a loaded question. Your HP bias is showing. Let me put it this way. If I hadn’t gone through this experience and learned how many more things I could do and DO WELL with this All-in-One, it would have been a tie. But this 8500 allows me to do things I never would have done with my previous all-in-one. And it does them with such ease and in such high quality.

“WOW’” is the impression the Challenge left me with.

Bret: Would you recommend this printer to other small business owners? If so, why?

Mark: Without a doubt. This machine will make you proud of what you are able to produce. Sure, there are some items that I do in the hundreds, and even thousands, that I will outsource. But for those things that take a personalized touch or those that require differentiation or contrasting ideas, the end product from this small business machine will be hard to beat (and you don’t have to wait for the Print shop to call and say that it is ready).

Finally, even the routine functions, are handled seamlessly by a touch screen input panel. It walks you through your options and maximizes the result. What more could you ask for from the machine? Espresso? Latte?

Bret: Now you have the choice. Would you ever go back to your old printer?

Mark: Somebody would have to pay me a LOT of money as an inducement to use the old machine. Even then, I’d keep my 8500 wired in and sneak back to use it at every opportunity!

Bret: Congratulations on your win, Mark! I hope that you continue to enjoy the HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One. Be sure to follow the new HP Officejet Pro Challenge: Laser Edition when it launches in a few weeks to hear what a fresh group of small business owners are saying about the Officejet Pro. Click here to check it out.

Opinions expressed here and in any corresponding comments are the personal opinions of the original authors, not of HP and may not have been reviewed in advance by HP.

¹Majority of color laser AiOs <$600, June 2008; for details, www.hp.com/go/officejet. OJ Pro ISO yield with highest-capacity cartridges based on continuous printing; see www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies. Energy use based on HP testing using the ENERGY STAR® program's TEC test method criteria.

New HP Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer Delivers Lowest Cost Per Page vs. In-class Inkjet

Stacie Savage — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:44:00 GMT

By Bret Bottger, HP Small and Medium Business Inkjet Marketing

We recently launched the new HP Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer for professional color documents, laser-quality black text, and eye-catching photo-quality prints – ideal for marketing collateral. This printer is built specifically for the needs of small business and quickly produces documents, brochures and presentations without the need to go to an outside copy shop. This Officejet printer is network ready, and delivers fast speeds of up to 33 pages per minute black / 32 ppm color for every-day prints² or ISO laser-equivalent speeds of 8 ppm black / 7 ppm color³. And you don’t have to wait long to get your prints because the first page out speed⁴ is as fast as 20 seconds black and 21 seconds color.

This versatile printer produces output up to 13 inches by 19 inches / A3+ standard paper size, with the lowest cost per page vs. in-class inkjet competitors.⁵ Everything you print, both color and black have stunning quality. And because Ethernet networking is built-in, you can share the printer with up to 5 users right out of the box.

Affordable Versatility

The Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer supports borderless printing for large and small documents, with custom media sizes as small 3 x 5 inches (useful for note cards). It can also print custom-size large documents, like spreadsheets as big as 13 inches by 44 inches on non-standard paper.

The printer uses four Officejet 920 ink cartridges – one for each color, so you can save money by replacing only the cartridge which runs out. Optional high capacity Officejet 920XL cartridges are available⁶ which deliver more printed pages with fewer cartridge replacements -- you can print up to 1,200 pages before replacing the black cartridge and up to 700 pages before replacing a color cartridge.⁷

With the Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer, you’ll get business-grade documents with impressive laser-quality black text and bold color graphics. There are many options for paper, including standard office paper, glossy photo media or double-sided brochure paper. When you use plain papers with the ColorLok logo, you will have fast-drying, vivid documents – perfect for high-volume printing. And the printer produces archive-quality documents which retain black text and color quality for decades.⁸

I’ll be sharing more about this new printer in an upcoming blog entry. Next time, I’ll discuss how the Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer is helping an English school in China, talk about its reduced environmental impact and introduce HP software, web assets and device management tools which can help your small business.

If you’d like to learn more about the new Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer, check out these links: Demo video Data sheet Solution and Feature Guide.

[1] Compared to B-size inkjet printers and AiOs <$299 from major vendors as of Q408. Excludes HP Officejet Pro products. Average based on ISO/IEC 24711 or HP testing methodology and continuous printing. Actual yield varies considerably based on content of printed pages and other factors. For details see www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies.

2 After first page. For details, see www.hp.com/go/inkjetprinter.

3 Based on ppm measured using ISO/IEC 24734. Standard applies to inkjet and laser products and excludes first set of test documents. For details, see www.hp.com/go/inkjetprinter

4 For details, see www.hp.com/go/inkjetprinter.

5 Compared to B-size inkjet printers and AiOs <$299 from major vendors as of Q408. Excludes HP Officejet Pro products. Average based on ISO/IEC 24711 or HP testing methodology and continuous printing. Actual yield varies considerably based on content of printed pages and other factors. For details see www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies.

6 Not included. Must purchase separately.

7 Average based on ISO/IEC 24711 or HP testing methodology and continuous printing. Actual yield varies considerably based on content of printed pages and other factors. Some ink from included cartridge is used to start up the printer. For details, see www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies

8 Based on paper industry predictions for acid-free papers and Original HP inks; colorant stability data at room temperature based on similar systems tested as per ISO 11798 and ISO 1 8909.

More Truth About Print and Prosper Cost of Ink Claims

Angela_LoSasso — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:26:00 GMT

In the 2 weeks since I shared my initial thoughts on the Truth About Kodak's Print and Prosper Cost of Ink Claims, I've received a few comments and questions here in the HP Inkjet Printing Blog, over on Twitter, and in other conversations (the old-fashioned kind that can't be hyperlinked). I've been happy to explain why I think HP Printers and Original HP Supplies deliver unrivaled value and quality. But that's just my 2 cents.

See what HP has to say about:

Printing Costs of HP Printers -- Get the uncolored truth about ink.
Printer Ink Costs and HP Value -- Find what you really save (about a dollar a month) and what HP delivers that Kodak doesn't.
Eco-Friendly Printing -- HP printers can not only deliver 72.9 million brilliant colors, they also can deliver something beautiful: energy savings.
Quality Printers & HP Printing Innovation -- Printers may have a similar price tag, but rarely do they sport similar features. Learn more about the innovative standard features on HP printers that you won't find on Kodak's.

As always, if you have a question or comment, I invite you to send it my way.

Angela LoSasso manages HP's Creative Wiki and HP's Small Business Wiki. You'll also find her on Twitter.

The Truth about Print and Prosper Cost of Ink Claims

Angela_LoSasso — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:08:00 GMT

(Update: In the time since this post was first published, HP delivered its official response about the Printing Costs of HP Printers.)

I've been watching the Kodak Print and Prosper ad campaign unfold during the past few days. In one commercial, it stated that "The world's most expensive liquid isn't found in the Middle East" -- a playful jab at the rising cost of oil, but an unfair swipe thrown at competitors regarding the cost of ink. I couldn't help but set the record straight from my perspective.

We've been down this road before, and it's very misleading.
Don't take it from me, see what PC Magazine, PC World, Engadget, and others had to say about this cost of ink hype (it earned a "Worst of 2007" label from PC Mag).
Do the math.
Milk is more expensive per gallon than crude oil. So is bottled water. I personally understand that I pay for quality when I buy a cartridge that delivers up to 72.9 million possible color combinations and can deliver photo prints that last for more than 100 years.
Times are tough. We can help.
No gimmicks here. We understand that for many customers cost per page is a serious purchase consideration. Our take is you should score some serious savings without sacrificing our legendary print-at-home quality. That's why last year HP introduced XL cartridges, Ink Combo Packs and Photo Value Packs. (You can go here to learn more about easy ways to save money and continue to get lab-quality prints at home. ) In addition, we've made it simple for you to access literally hundreds of free printing projects you can customize and print at home - whether you need a greeting card and calendar or a professionally designed flyer or a full-blown marketing kit for your small business, you'll find it at the HP Creative Studio.

For 25 years, HP's been proud to deliver leading innovation, unparalleled customer support, and to be the top-ranked printing brand in the industry according to customers and media alike. We'll keep working hard every day to bring you the quality, value, and reliability you expect from us -- today, tomorrow, and for a long time to come.

Got a question or comment? I invite you to send it my way.

Angela LoSasso manages HP's Creative Wiki and HP's Small Business Wiki. You'll also find her on Twitter.