Printing The HP Officejet Pro 6230 prints using inkjet technology, which sprays liquid ink onto the paper from a moving head. It prints text very well, nearly as good as a laser printer. Text printing speed is typical, about 11.1 pages per minute, costing 4.6 cents per page. It prints color graphics with some obvious defects, but OK for casual use, at 3.3 pages per minute, costing 18.9 cents per page. It prints Very Good photos on glossy paper that most people would be happy with. It has auto-duplex printing to print both on sides of the page, with no loss of quality. If any color ink runs out, it stops printing—it can't be set to just use the remaining black ink. If the black ink runs out, it stops printing—it can't be set to just use the remaining color ink. The capacity of the main paper tray is 225 sheets, a generous size.
Scanning and Copying This is a single-function printer. It lacks a built-in scanner/copier.
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 either wirelessly with WiFi or with an Ethernet cable. Apple AirPrint is built in, to print wirelessly from Apple devices via your local network. You can also install an app on your smartphone 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 $165, typical for a regular cartridge inkjet printer. Printing uses up ink and the costs add up over time. This printer uses 4 cartridges. The HP ink cartridges used in testing were the 934XL BK, 935XL C, 935XL M and 935XL Y. At the time, their prices were $34.50 for black and $22.50 (each) for the other three. We estimate the ink cartridges to last a reasonable amount of time—19.5 months—following a typical printing schedule of 204 text and 72 color graphics pages per year. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate the total equivalent cost to be $288, low for an inkjet. The estimated yearly cost is $62, which is generally typical—and also for this printer type, typical. The theoretical total cost after 5 years is $473.
Note This printer was noisier than most while printing, so you might want to locate it away from sleeping areas.
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 Officejet Pro 6230 was AGP1FN1423AR.
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. The software version was 14.40.0.3069.
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.
