It's no secret that home photo printing is on the up. Most of us own a digital camera, so why should we bother with high-street processing when printing snaps in the front room is quicker and simpler?

The only shortcoming would be cost per print, but with compact photo-printers such as the HP Photosmart A618 churning out 6x4s at a rate of 18p each, the gap has closed dramatically. What's more, the A618 can print the bigger 7x5in format, making it a versatile choice.

Since its recent and significant price drop, the A618 represents good value for money, so where have compromises been made? Our biggest concern lies with image quality.

While the HP Vivera ink and dedicated photo paper tag team works to produce good detail and colour reproduction, the finished article didn't impress us as much as others, namely the Canon Pixma mini260.

Printing speed is also slow in comparison, scraping 110 seconds for a 6x4” print and 130 seconds for a 7x5” print.

However on the feature tip, the A618 is second to none. It has memory card slots that support most formats, a port for USB keys and PictBridge, plus integrated Bluetooth for wireless printing.

Then there's a 6cm adjustable screen, carry handle, space for an optional battery pack and a 'PhotoFix' feature for enhancing the richness of an image without a computer, albeit only slightly. For a reasonable £100 this is an impressive set of features.

The tri-colour print cartridge is easily replaced and costs £15 or £25 with 120 sheets of 6x4in paper. A pack of 25-sheet 7x5in paper costs £6 from the HP website.

Although the A618 is slower than its competitors and doesn't match up in terms of quality, its range of features and ability to print at 7x5in sizes still makes it a good, if not essential, buy.

Also consider:
Canon Pixma IP6700D
A competent printer; lacks the usability of the HP product, but great value for an auto-duplex device

Epson Stylus Photo R360
A good choice for those who want to use an LCD control panel. It’s more cost effective than the HP Photosmart D7360, but with fewer features and lower performance

Canon Pixma mini260 photo printer
The Canon Pixma mini260 prints good-quality photos, has a user-friendly design and comes in at a decent price

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