It was time to replace my old HP CopyJet. I was more than a little concerned with getting an all-in-one type machine. Because if one part breaks down, than you have nothing. After reading numerous articles about the all-in-one machines and the hazards of the breakdowns, I could not find any body writing about their machine breaking down. I bought the HP G85 for its copy and fax capabilities because I already have a high quality printer and it is cheaper on ink cartridges.

Installation was very simple. HP includes a very large Quick Setup Poster. The poster includes instructions from getting the system out of the box to configuring your software, very nice HP.

I opted for using the USB connection. The unit does not come with a USB cable and has to be purchased separately. The price of the cable depends on the length but are not expensive (probably under $20.00 for around 12 feet.) I did have a problem with the USB installation.

IMPORTANT! The HP G85 would not install properly until I removed my USB printer.

Therefore, to install the system using USB, disconnect any USB devices and if you have a printer configured for USB than completely uninstall it first.

If you connect your HP OfficeJet to a PC, you can work from the front panel or from the HP OfficeJet G Series software on your Windows desktop. The software offers more features and ease of use. When using the automatic document feeder (ADF) the Director software will automatically appear. The Director program helps you use the FAX, SCAN, COPY, and SCAN to E-Mail features.

Some of the features of Director are,
- Open status window
- View list of faxes recently sent and received
- Open default folder for scanned images
- Access the phone book if you use Outlook or Outlook express
- Launch your browser and access HP site
- Create buttons for frequently used scan, copy, or fax settings
- Scan directly into e-mail
- Copy in black and white or color
- Scan image or text
- View or change various settings, including speed dial and print
- Access onscreen assistance
- Fax in black and white or color.

Your Windows system tray (lower-right corner of the Windows taskbar) will contain an icon, which is the status or current state of the HP OfficeJet. One of the default settings instructs the PC to display the status window automatically if there is an issue that needs to be addressed, such as being out of paper.

Depending on the current state of your HP OfficeJet, a different icon appears in the Windows system tray. Right-clicking an icon displays a shortcut menu that lets you display the status window or close the Director software.

You can use the following types of paper,
- HP Premium Inkjet Paper
- HP Premium Photo Paper
- HP Premium Plus Photo Paper
- HP Premium or Premium Rapid-Dry Inkjet Transparency Film
- HP Iron-On T-Shirt Transfers
- HP Greeting Car, Glossy Greeting Card, or Textured Greeting Card Paper
- HP Restickable Inkjet Stickers
- Legal-size Paper
- Labels (only works with printing)
- Postcards (only works with printing)
- Continuous (banner) Paper (only works with printing)
- Envelopes (only works with printing)

Most print settings are automatically handled by the program you are printing from or by HP’s ColorSmart technology. You only need to change the settings manually when you change print quality, print on specific types of paper or film, or use special features, such as two-sided printing.

You can scan just about anything, such as photos, magazine articles, text documents, and 3D objects.

Copy features,
- Produce high-quality color and black-and-white copies using a variety of paper types and sizes, including iron-on transfers.
- Enlarge or reduce the size of the copies you make from 25% to 400% of the copy’s original size.
- Make the copy lighter or darker, adjust the color intensity, and specify the quality of the copies you make.
- Use special digital copying features, make wallet-size photos, make high quality copies of photos using special photo paper, or use transparency film.

Fax features,
- Send and receive paper faxes, and send PC faxes.
- Fax documents from the ADF or from the glass.
- Send and receive color faxes. If you send a color fax and the OfficeJet determines that the recipient has a black-and-white fax unit, the OfficeJet will interrupt the send process and resend the fax in black and white.

When receiving a Fax, the OfficeJet will print the fax immediately and not store the fax. This could be a problem for users who receive a lot of faxes or want to preview a fax before printing.

The ink cartridges are expensive if bought locally or from HP. However, you can find the cartridges a little cheaper on the Internet. The cartridges do seem to have a long print life and are very easy to change. I have not had a paper jam yet, even while using the ADF.


Recommended: Yes