HP OfficeJet 6310 All-in-One

Features
The HP OfficeJet 6310 can be used as a stand-alone printer via USB or a networked printer via Ethernet, and it works with both Macs and PCs. Installing the printer is a straightforward, if time-consuming, task (HP printers tend to take a long time to set up because they install a huge amount of software). This model lacks a duplexer, so double-sided printing is a manual operation.

Like most office All-in-Ones, the OfficeJet 6310 includes a fax function. The faxes are scanned on the flatbed scanner or via the ADF. The included hard-copy user guide walks you through all the setup variations, depending on what type of line you have, what components (answering machine, for example), and how you want to handle incoming calls and faxes. The fax options are limited for an office-oriented device; while you can fax multipage documents using the ADF, you don't have the option of setting up a delayed fax or doing a fax blast on the fly. You can, using HP's Solution Center, program individual or group speed-dial numbers, but if you want to do a one-off blast, you can't just key in multiple numbers on the printer; you'll have to set up a speed dial group.

When receiving faxes, you have the option of holding incoming faxes in memory and printing them later, but you can't password-protect this task, thereby negating any security you might gain from holding the faxes. If you subscribe to caller ID, you can add phone numbers to a junk-fax list stored in the OfficeJet 6310. Incoming faxes from those numbers won't be printed. Finally, you can forward faxes coming into your machine to another fax machine, convenient if you're away from your office for a while. The Brother MFC-440CN offers better fax options, including delayed fax and broadcast fax.

When making copies, you can make up to 100 copies at once, reduce/enlarge the originals, adjust print quality, select paper size and type, and enhance the copy by indicating the type of original (text, photo, mixed). Unlike the aforementioned Canon models and the Brother MFC-440cn, this model doesn't have advanced options, such as 4-on-1 or 2-on-1 copies, poster copies, or image restore. The scan function has a few more options. When initiating a scan from the printer, you can scan to a number of programs, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Paint; scan to email; or scan and view the document in a number of HP programs, such as Photosmart Share or Document Viewer. You can also save the scan as a file, but it always defaults to JPEG format. If you initiate the scan from HP's Solution Center, you have more options, such as changing settings, such as resolution; scanning to a number of different formats (TIFF, PDF, bitmap); and turning on optical character recognition, which will scan your original as an editable document.

When printing photos directly from a media card, you can opt to print one or multiple copies of all your photos. Alternately, you can key in the number of just a single photo, though you'll have to print a photo index first to figure out the photo number, as the OfficeJet 6310 doesn't have a preview LCD. If you're printing a photo index anyway, the other option is to bubble in the photos you want printed, choose your layout (4 x 6 or multiple photos on a single page--up to six), and scan the index sheet. One drawback to HP's implementation of the index sheet (as opposed to Canon's) is that you can't print multiple copies of a photo via the index sheet. Using the photo print menu, you can designate the type and size of your paper, add a date stamp, and print multiple photos (up to 9) on a single page.

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