HP Envy Photo 6230 Review

The HP Envy Photo 6230 is marketed as a wireless all-in-one printer, giving you the best of everything. It can print, scan and copy competently. Plus, you can easily sign up to HP’s Instant Ink service, so you won’t need to worry about it running out of ink.

But all printers advertise themselves like this, being the perfect solution to all your printing needs – and as low as £50-100 is some cases. So can you actually get a great printer for this price, or does the Envy 6230 have some flaws that we should know about too? Well, let’s look at it in closer detail.

HP Envy Photo 6230 Review

The HP Envy Photo 6230 is a competent machine with a good print quality. With the right photo paper, it’s capable of borderless printing, and it’s very reasonably priced too. You can easily set it up with your wi-fi, and it’s compatible with HP 303 ink cartridges.

Overall, the printer is above average when compared to similar models. But, this isn’t all you need to know about this printer, and there are some flaws too. Let’s look at it in a little closer detail to run through both sides of the story.

HP Envy Photo 6230

HP Envy Photo 6230 All-in-One Wi-Fi Photo Printer with 4 Months of Instant Ink Included, Black

Ink Costs: Above average | Sheet capacity: 125 sheets | Wifi Printing: Yes | Scanner: Yes | DPI: 1200 | Pages per minute: 22

So, this printer usually retails at around the £100 mark, which puts it at the high end of a budget device. If you can find it for significantly less than this, then you might be able to get yourself a bargain.

One of the main things to know about the HP Envy Photo 6230 is that it actually prints to a pretty high quality. Though it’s not the highest resolution printer, the text definition is good. It works well both with HP ePrint printing, but also other technologies like Airprint too.

It works best when using the monochrome function and a plain black ink cartridge, though it can print in colour as well. It will be a lot slower when printing out in colour, so you won’t want to do this on a regular basis.

The touch screen is pretty functional, and it doesn’t take a lot of working out the know how to properly use the printer. Let’s run through the main key points about it.

Pros

It’s a pretty cheap all-in-one printer capable of producing some high quality prints.
The printer has good wi-fi connectivity, making it easy to connect to with your phone or tablet
It is actually capable of two-sided printing, meaning you don’t need to do this manually. Duplex printing is always something to look out for if you’re trying to minimize paper usage.

Cons

In general, the ink costs can be quite expensive. This is usually the case with most inkjet printers of this sort of price range.
The support that HP offer with this printer is not great, although serious problems are pretty unlikely.
The setup of this printer isn’t smooth, as the instructions are pretty much non existent.

So, as I mentioned, the 6230 is meant to give you the best of everything. It’s one of the cheapest all in one printers that you can find on the market right now, and there’s a lot of competition. It’s best aspect is that it prints out photo’s to a high level.

And to be fair to this printer, it does do that well. Whilst it’s a 1200x1200dpi printer when printing with black ink, it has the ability to print 4800×1200 with colour images. This is what gives it the ability to print photos with colour and vibrancy.

As well as being a good price and pretty competent at printing, it’s also simple to sign up to the HP Instant Ink detail. This can help you to lower your overall printing costs, which can be high with HP printers anyways. Whilst you don’t have to sign up to this deal, if you’re printing 100+ pages per month regularly, then it’s a no brainer.

Another good thing that this printer has to offer is it’s connectivity – it’s very simple to connect to this printer via Wifi, and it works with Airprint if you have an Apple device. So, this printer does all of the basics well, is an all-in-one and has wifi connectivity. But what about the negative aspects?

What’s bad about the Envy Photo 6230?

Although the Instant Ink deal is good, it isn’t going to be the best option for casual, occasional printers. And typically, HP printers like this can have quite high ink costs, especially if you intend to take advantage of its photo printing ability. So beware of high printing costs before you buy.

Another thing to mention about this printer is that the instructions are just.. well, awful. Sure, for many people it’s quite straightforward for you to set a printer up and use it. However if you’re intending to purchase this printer for a parent who might not be so tech savvy, then might need your help installing it.

And finally, it’s also worth mentioning that HP support isn’t particularly good either. This isn’t much different to the other printers brands in the market to be honest, and you could have trouble with any of them.

So, the support isn’t great and the setup instructions are not straightforward, also be aware of the possible printing costs too.

Most Common Questions about the 6230

Can this HP Envy printer print photos?

Yes, this photo is probably the cheapest around that has the ability to print photos. You’ll want the right glossy paper to get a good result.

Which is better, HP Officejet or HP Envy?

This one is quite simple. if you’re a casual printer looking for something to use at home, then opt for the HP Envy. If you print at high volumes or need something for the office, then look at the HP Officejet range instead.

Do you need special ink to print photos?

No, you can just use the general ink that comes with HP printers (with this model it’s the 303 ink).

Which is the best HP Envy printer?

I wouldn’t say that this is the best HP Envy printer out there. A better model to look at would be the HP Envy 5030, which performs better than this printer.

Can this printer print A3 pages?

No, this printer cannot printer A3 pages. If you want the ability to do this, then you’re best of opting for an A3 printer.

Overall Verdict

The HP Envy 6230 has the potential to be a great printer. It does all of the basics extremely well, and for those looking for a cheap all-in-one printer, it’s not a bad choice. However in my opinion, the ink costs and a lack of support let it down a little, so it’s an above average printer with a few flaws.

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About Jon

Hey, I'm Jon. I'm an engineer by trade, so it makes sense that I'm obsessed with anything technology related! On the weekends, you can find me playing around with my computers or fixing something around the house. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to get in touch.

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