PRINTING. The HP Envy Pro 6452 prints using inkjet technology, which sprays liquid ink onto the paper from a moving head. Its text printing is Good, though not as good as most inkjets. Text printing was reasonably fast, 9.1 pages per minute, costing 13.4 cents per page. Its color graphics printing is Very Good for reports, newsletters and web pages, at 1.8 pages per minute, costing 45.4 cents per page. It prints Very Good photos on glossy paper that most people would be happy with. Unlike most color printers, it can't print borderless photos. It has auto-duplex printing to print both on sides of the page, loss of quality. The multi-color ink cartridge must be replaced when a single color runs out. The capacity of the main paper tray is 80 sheets, a typical size.
SCANNING and COPYING. Scanning performance was Very Good, fine for general-purpose scanning. It can scan or copy an area up to 11.7 x 8.5 inches (letter size). Copying performance was Good, but had a few noticeable flaws. It has an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for easily scanning/copying a stack of pages.
CONTROLS and DISPLAY. The printer has no display screen.
CONNECTIVITY and NETWORKING. You can connect directly to a PC with a USB cable, or to your network router wirelessly with WiFi. There's a WiFi Auto-connect feature that makes it easy to link to your wireless router. Apple AirPrint is built in, to print wirelessly from Apple devices via your local network. You can also install HP's app on your smart phone or tablet, as another option for printing over your WiFi network. You can also print an email remotely by forwarding it directly to this printer.
COST OF OWNERSHIP AND INK. When this section was last updated, the printer's purchase price was about $120, cheap for an all-in-one inkjet printer. Printing uses up ink. Over time, as you print, the costs add up. This printer uses 2 cartridges. The HP ink cartridges used in testing were the 67 BK and 67 Color. At the time, their prices were $16 and $17 respectively. We estimate the ink cartridges to last an extremely short time — 4 months — following a typical printing schedule. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate the total equivalent cost to be $309, typical for an inkjet. The estimated yearly cost is $94, also typical for this printer type. So the 3-, 4- and 5-year estimates are $403, $498 and $592 respectively.
NOTE. The power switch is inconveniently located on rear panel, though like most printers, it goes into a low-power 'sleep' mode a few minutes after use.
PRINTER FIRMWARE. Firmware is software that exists inside the printer. All models are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing. The firmware version of the HP Envy Pro 6452 was VASPLSPP1N001.2014B.00.
SOFTWARE. The collection of software accompanying the printer may include: the printer driver, printer applications, electronic user manual, (and for all-in-ones:) scanning, faxing, and OCR apps. These get installed on your personal computer. All models are evaluated with a Windows 10 PC using the latest version of printer driver and printer support apps available at the time of testing.
ABOUT THE INK CARTRIDGES, SOFTWARE AND FIRMWARE. Our test results are valid only for the HP-brand ink cartridges, and the software and firmware versions indicated. If your printer's software or firmware differ from the ones shown you either have an older or a newer version of these. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the printer's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware updates are downloadable directly to your printer via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable). You can check your printer's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by either (1) running the HP printer-update app installed on the PC, or (2) accessing the "Settings" section of the printer menu and navigating to the firmware update option. Consult the user manual or HP's website for further guidance. Try searching online.
