HP Deskjet 2540
Can this low-cost printer deliver a high-quality performance?
This inkjet all-in-one printer has a better feature range than you might expect. Models selling at this price are usually restricted to USB connectivity, but Deskjet 2540 also has Wi-Fi networking and supports Wireless Direct Printing. It’s even AirPrint-compatible.
But there are compromises. It only has two ink tanks; a black, and a tricolour cartridge with cyan, magenta and yellow inks. On-printer controls are basic, the screen is a 2x4cm LCD and there are no facilities for printing from removable media, such as SD cards or USB sticks. Paper handling is basic too, with no auto duplex or borderless printing.
Output quality could best be described as ‘good enough’. It can’t match the best printers in HP’s Officejet or Photosmart ranges, but for the price you wouldn’t expect it to, and it certainly doesn’t disgrace itself. Text printing is vivid and stands out well, but lacks the precision of the best-in-class inkjets. Photos on quality photo paper were well realised, with colours accurately reproduced (if a little subdued) and sharp details. Plain paper image prints weren’t as good, showing signs of banding and speckling. It isn’t built for speed either, taking three-and-a-half minutes to print our 20-page text-only test document.
For all our criticisms, it's wise to remember exactly who this printer is aimed at. It isn’t for photography enthusiasts, office printing or highneeds users. It’s for those who only need to print occasionally, and it’s great for the price. Ian Osborne