HP Photosmart A618

Like most of HP’s printing products, this device is sleek and dark, and oozes quality. It’s a truly portable printer – small and light, with a decent carrying handle – and looks a bit like a portable stereo.

The range of options for printing photos is enormous. You can choose what size pictures you want to print – 18 x 13cm (7 x 5in) prints as well as the more usual 15 x 10cm (6 x 4 in). There are plenty of connection options too: SecureDigital, xD, Memory Stick and CompactFlash memory cards; a USB connection for your printer; PictBridge for your camera; even wireless Bluetooth for printing all those pics you’ve got languishing on your mobile phone.

Using the device as a standalone printer is simplified with the ubiquitous built-in screen. You can rotate, frame or add a colour effect to your pictures, and there’s an automatic improvement setting.

Crucially, the picture quality is very good. You could get similar results from HP’s desktop printers, but the size and portability are what this is all about, and the results are great. Prints should cost about 21p each, which won’t beat what you can get on the high street or online, but isn’t too bad for instant prints, while the £99 price tag keeps the printer affordable.

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