HP DeskJet 2755e Review

The HP DeskJet 2755e is a great option for those seeking good value and performance. While we were generally pleased with the performance of the HP DeskJet 2755e, it falls short of some of the better-performing models we tested, but not by much. It cannot duplicate perfect photos the way a few other models can, nor can it compete in terms of printing speed, mostly due to no automatic duplex printing ability. It also has a somewhat high operating cost based on manufacturer-recommended inks.

However — what it does, it does well. You won't find this level of performance in any other printer at this price point.

Performance Comparison

Text Quality

In our first text quality test, where we measured black-and-white print quality, our team found the HP DeskJet 2755e prints consistently great quality black-and-white text. Also worth mentioning, we've never experienced a botched print job during our testing.

For our second sub-metric, we tested prints with various fonts, text sizes, and gray scales. This model produced mostly sharp and crisp black-and-white quality prints with good text resolution. Unfortunately, grays appeared slightly fainter than prints from other printers. The smallest fonts we printed lost a little bit of clarity, making this a fairly average performer concerning text resolution.

Operating Cost

Although the HP DeskJet 2755e itself doesn't cost nearly as much as the other printers in our test group, it did not earn great marks in our operating cost evaluation based on manufacturer-recommended inks. When it came down to black-and-white printing costs, its price per page was one of the highest in our test group and earned a low score for the sub-metric.

Color printing costs weren't much better, and it again earned a low score for a fairly high price per page.

Although the HP DeskJet isn't the best in terms of operation cost — this is due to the manufacturer's ink prices, which are currently quite high. Luckily, this printer can use just about any other type of ink.

The HP DeskJet ink prices per 500 pages.

If you find yourself doing a lot of printing, we recommend pairing this printer with a different manufacturer's ink.

Compatible ink cartridges from other brands or HP's instant ink program may offer some significant savings over in-store purchases of ink cartridges.

Ease of Use

We tested each home printer in the product lineup for ease of use. We broke the test metric into four sub-metrics most impactful to a potential buyer: Setup and unboxing, WiFi setup, customer service, and interface.

The HP DeskJet 2755e is easy to set up right from the moment you unpackage it. After physically pulling it out of the packaging, you simply download an app, create an HP account, follow prompts to load paper into the printer, and do a test print. Nothing out of the ordinary is required to get started.

We also evaluated the WiFi setup as part of our ease of use sub-metric, and the HP DeskJet 2755e earned one of the highest scores we've awarded in the sub-metric for incredibly easy-to-follow instructions. The app walks you through simple and straightforward steps, making it one of the easiest devices to connect via WiFi.

This printer also scored amongst the top models for Customer Service, our third sub-metric of the ease of use testing. Support via the app and the website are both straightforward, and the live support chat provided helpful responses.

The interface, due to its frequent use and importance, was the last and most heavily weighted sub-metric we tested, and the HP DeskJet 2755e proved to be fairly average. The interface relies heavily on symbols on a small, dimly lit LED screen. The symbols represent the status of various things like WiFi signal strength, ink level, and error codes. Buttons on the interface also use symbols, and while both the buttons and interface are fairly straightforward, the manual is helpful for initially becoming familiar with the symbols.

Graphics/Photos

In our first photo and graphic test, which measured photo quality, the HP DeskJet 2755e produced average-quality photo prints compared to our test group. The colors are accurate, and the clarity is about average. It's safe to say the resultant photo accurately represents the original file, but it wouldn't be the printer to choose for printing and framing perfect photos. You will get good consistency while printing various images with this ultra-affordable model.

If your goal is to print crisp business graphics at home, this model won't leave you disappointed. The HP produced clear graphics and crisp legible text in our second sub-metric, business graphics. The colors were accurate and distinct. Its performance was on par with much more expensive models.

In our resolution sub-metric of our photos and graphics tests, the HP DeskJet 2755e underperformed and proved average at best. A lack of crystal clear clarity and visible pixelation in the large sections of color were the primary reasons for its so-so performance.

For our final sub-metric, we evaluated color quality, and the HP finished in the top half of our test group. It proved it could produce accurate color, especially concerning blue skies, where many other printers struggle to represent cooler blues and instead produce brighter teal colors or over-saturation. Additionally, this model never exhibited prints with discolorations, striping, or ink bleeds.

Printing Speed

Our fourth and final set of tests measured the printing speed of each model. The HP DeskJet 2755e proved to be a capable model with one fairly significant drawback, the lack of an automatic duplex printing ability.

The first sub-metric of the printing speed tests measured the speed of a mixed text and photo duplex print. However, with a manual requirement to reload a page to print on the reverse side, this model did not score very well. While not the fastest, it did print crisp text, accurate colors, and clear and legible graphics.

Our second sub-metric in our speed tests measured the speed at which each printer could print a high-resolution photo. This HP scored very well for the speed; however, it initially produced a lower-quality print. After printing a color alignment page, our team opted to retest the printer. On the second round of printing, it produced a better quality print and took the same amount of time to print as our first test. While the HP DeskJet 2755e can produce high-quality photo prints quickly, it cannot do so as quickly as the top models we tested.

We also measured both the duplex and simplex printing speeds of a 10-page text document for our final two sub-metrics. With no automatic duplex printing, it's no surprise that the HP DeskJet did not score very well, and our team could only print a maximum of four pages per minute manually feeding the sheets of paper.

When it came to simplex printing speed, this model proved to be on the slower end of models tested and did not earn a great score for a printing speed of only four pages per minute. So if blazing-fast speeds are a critical feature you desire in your next printer, you may need to look elsewhere.

Should You Buy the HP DeskJet 2755e?

If you are looking for an easy-to-use printer on a tight budget and can do without automatic duplex printing, then the HP DeskJet 2755e is a great choice. You will get great printing quality, consistency, and performance that is only bested by significantly more expensive models.

What Other Printers Should You Consider?