This is a terrific printer and there are some additional components/aspects that are helpful to know about, too! I have decided to add some information to my review to cover things that would have helped me in choosing a printer. First, I will cover the machine itself, then the Instant Ink service, followed by the HP Printing App.
The Printer
(Scanner/Fax/Copier)
This unit takes the standard OfficeJet design and adds some wonderful features that I didn't realize how much I would appreciate. HP has streamlined their printer setup to a point of incredible efficiency now! Getting this OfficeJet Pro 6978 Wireless printer up and running was the easiest hardware experience I have ever had! I had not quite understood that the printer itself becomes a network, which is pretty awesome when our daughter's college friends are visiting and want to print something. We can just give them access to the printer's network and they can print from their phones/tablets/laptops/whatever! It is very slick and convenient!
While this looks very similar to every other OfficeJet we have owned, the duplex feeder, which scans or copies double sided documents is a great improvement over our previous models. The document feeder itself is heavier than the one on our last OfficeJet, but it lends to a general overall feeling that this machine is more solid, too. The ability to print or scan directly FROM or TO a flash drive is awesome! Our kids often have to save school assignments they are working on to a flash drive, and being able to just plug it in and print or scan new images to it is very helpful. The USB port is right above the power light on the lower front left of the printer, so it is easy to access for printing documents directly from the USB drive...or saving scanned items directly to it!
The scan and copy features seem faster than our last machine, but still won't be winning any scanning derbies. The touchscreen menus offer many new features that our last one didn't (printing passport photos, a special setting for copying ID cards, Help videos you can watch right there on the touchscreen and even some pre-made forms you can print!). The user interface feels closer to using a first edition smart phone with the swiping to see options within certain menus, which is a nice change, too. I find the screen to need a bit of an aggressive touch and it is a little clunky feeling compared to tablets and smartphones now (which is why I said a first edition)...but it is user friendly and a nice way to select things instead of trying to figure out which menu you need and how to get back.
The paper tray actually holds a little less than our last OfficeJet (this one has a 225 sheet capacity and ours held 250). We aren't 'power printers' so this really is inconsequential to us, but might matter to someone else. One thing I really don't like about this printer is the same issue I have never liked about the OfficeJet series in general...the extension tray that holds our printed documents feels very flimsy! In the case of this printer, it especially feels like a stark contrast because the rest of the machine is so solid! We have never broken one of these, but admittedly, it is a fear of mine that we one day will....
Instant Ink
We have always liked our HP OfficeJet printers, but without fail, they have all met their untimely fates in the same way. They typically last us several years and then, in an act of complete irony....as soon as we buy a huge mega supply of replacement ink cartridges, they keel over on us. Seriously...EVERY TIME! It was this repeat experience that actually fueled our interest in this OfficeJet Pro 6978 Wireless All-in-One Printer! With its Instant Ink capability, we are not likely to be left with a Fort Knox-worthy supply of ink for a defunct printer!
Instant Ink is a program that HP offers whereby your printer notifies HP when your cartridges need replenishing and they automatically send you replacement ink. They have 3 different monthly plans, based on use. As of today, the tiered prices are $3/mo for 50 pages, $5 for 100 and $10/mo for 300 pages. The prices are the same whether you are printing all black and white or full color images.
We researched Instant Ink extensively, and we initially had a few reservations about the program. First, it is based upon pages QUEUED for printing...(that is the data that HP collects) and we have had many issues in the past with pages that queue, but fail to print for one reason or another. Second, we had read that when Instant Ink first rolled out, HP made it hard for you to go back to choosing normal store bought cartridges (although you are not supposed to be locked into Instant Ink). Last, we were concerned about accumulating overage charges, if we underestimated our printer use each month.
After reading extensively and calling HP to confirm the minutia and alleviate my initials concerns, we were happy to learn that:
- HP notifies you about your printer use and where it falls into your plan before you go over so you can adjust if need be
- The plans can be adjusted up to a higher level at any time during a billing month. (They can be adjusted to a lower level at the beginning of a billing period)
- HP says you can cancel or change your plans at any time and revert to store bought cartridges if you prefer. (The thing that finally helped us trust this claim was reading more recent reviews from Instant Ink customers...the very old reviews had made us nervous, but the newer ones made it sound as though you were not a prisoner to Instant Ink. If our experience proves otherwise, I will definitely update!!)
- They have a recycling program and include prepaid postage mailers for you to return your used cartridges! Love this environmental stewardship and convenience!
We decided that Instant Ink sounded like a program that we were interested in, so we were excited to receive this printer and get it set up.
HP All-in-One Remote App
I actually begrudgingly went looking for the AiO HP App to put on my phone when I wanted to print straight from my iPhone one day. I say 'begrudgingly' because I guessed it would be a careless afterthought kind of app that HP decided to add to placate those users who want to feel like they have some portability/flexibility. Well, boy was I ever wrong! This app is AWESOME!! First, it took less than 2 minutes for me to download the app, connect it to our OfficeJet and print exactly what I needed! I was immediately impressed. The app is simple, easy to use, and exactly what every gadget oriented person or family would want! I can print pictures from my phone or even from my Cloud in just a matter of seconds! I can take a picture of a document and save it as .pdf or print it as my heart desires! We are in the middle of trying to adopt a medically fragile child and I have been able to quickly complete a form they sent me, snap a picture of it (it auto-detects borders, but lets you adjust them as you need to), name it and then send it via email..without having to be home or do a thing!! Or, if you prefer, you can print it...or send it to Dropbox, Evernote, GoogleDrive...etc. WOW!! Love this and it works so smoothly!!
Via the AiO App you can also change your printer settings...so if you are lounging in the Cook Islands, sipping an adult beverage and suddenly realize you need to send a signed document permitting your neighbor to pick up your dog from the boarding facility before you get home, and you want your 3 page legal document concerning the pickup arrangements to be single sided...you can change the default setting of duplex to single sided printing and get the completed form to print in your home office for your sweet neighbor to grab on their way to the facility when the time is right.
Which also brings me to the accessibility aspects of this printer that we absolutely love! It is the easiest printer we have ever had in terms of convenience of use and access. We can print to it from anywhere!! I was at the hospital with our daughter...Ok, so it wasn't the Cook Islands...But, it was 2 hours away and I was able to send a form to our home printer for my husband to complete and email back to the hospital! It has made our lives so much easier!
Some of the features that our family has been enjoying the most are:
-Being able to print directly from a USB drive
-(conversely) Being able to scan directly to a USB drive
-The touchscreen is much more intuitive and has a nice interface!
-The default of 2 sided printing is saving us paper! Environmentally friendly and we love it! Sometimes I have forgotten to change that setting though (like when I need to fax something and separate pages would be more convenient), but it is a feature I absolutely love!
-Duplexing document feeder for double sided copying/scanning has been phenomenal, too!!
-The App!!!
-Printing pics from our phones
This is the most convenient OfficeJet printer we have yet to own. Straight out of the box it practically set itself up and has been an incredible help for our family! I am so excited to not have to worry about ink running out! We have children with medical issues and the convenience of having ink delivered to our door is phenomenal! Anything that makes our lives easier is a blessing we appreciate and this one has gone beyond our expectations!
I have owned HP printers forever. Our old HP all in one was still going after 12 years but the scanner bed had gotten dirty and I also decided it was time to upgrade because I needed double sided printing and also the ability to print wirelessly from my iPhone and iPad. A nearby Office Depot was closing its doors and having a big blow out sale to get rid of all its inventory so I decided to go look at printers thinking I could get a screaming deal. I talked to one of the sales associates about my needs and she said this was a very popular model that offered all the features I want and then some. They had it marked down from $180 to about $153 on sale. Before I bought it I do what I always do and checked Amazon and was shocked to find that the exact same printer in the exact same package was only $99 with Prime! I bid farewell to Office Depot (no wonder they're closing) and went right home and ordered it!
I have to say, so far I REALLY LOVE this printer! First of all, it was the easiest printer to set up EVER!! I mean, I truly couldn't believe it! I'm a gadget tech nerd (built my own PC) and was prepared to have to spend an hour getting it all unpacked, turned on, calibrated, set up on my network and also connected to my devices for wireless printing. That's what I'm used to. Set up of this printer BLEW MY MIND with how simple it was! Literally, you take it out of the box and remove all foam and plastic etc., plug it into the wall, press power, insert the ink (SO simple) and follow the instructions on screen to align the cartridges. Once it was aligned the touch screen informed me to go to hp.com/setup to download the drivers I would need. My computer/network automatically detected the printer and knew just what drivers I needed. Download and setup was a breeze! You can use the provided disk instead but I didn't even remove it from the sleeve. The one thing I would say about HP and their software is that they tend to over do it. My recommendation is to select the option that enables you to choose which additional programs you want installed instead of letting HP do it for you. I always get way more than I bargain for and end up uninstalling a lot of the "bloatware" programs that I don't use that just take up HD space like HP photo etc. I use photoshop. There is an option for just the basic drivers that you can select. Your printer will work just fine with those and you won't get blogged down with unwanted software. Either way works great though. I tried both. The driver setup took 5 minutes. Then I got on my iPhone and downloaded the HP ePrint app which IMMEDIATELY recognized and connected to my printer all on its own! You can use it to print from your photos, the web, email and the cloud. AWESOME!!! That was it! In about 12 minutes from the box I was completely set up, connect and printing!
Here are some other things I love about this printer:
- Fastest setup of any printer ever (yes I know I already mentioned this but it deserves repeating). No having to manually enter IP addresses or anything like that!
- Design is very sleek and modern. I love the all black with little color screen! It's pretty sexy as printers go!
- Small/slim profile. For everything this printer does and how well/quickly it does it, it really is quite small! WAY smaller than my old HP all in one!
- Touch screen is really high quality! I often get frustrated with touch screens at check out stands and elsewhere because they're not very sensitive to your finger or pressing down in one spot causing a neighboring button to be selected. That is NOT the case with this touch screen. I find that it's very sensitive and accurate and also the display is crisp and beautiful!
- AUTOMATIC DOUBLE SIDED PRINTING AND SCANNING. HALLELUJAH!
- Printing is very fast and the print quality is excellent, even and especially with photos!
- I LOVE that this printer only needs one cable (unless you want to use the fax feature as well) and works so well wirelessly!
- Printing from the app on my mobile devices is my new favorite thing
- Unlike my old printer, this guy is whisper quiet when it's printing. It's a little thing, but I live with an autistic 4 year old and a husband who sounds like he's calling in air support for a military strike when he talks on the phone so...sometimes the little things make a big difference!
- Scan quality is really fabulous!
Honestly, I rarely give 5 star reviews to things, but this printer really does deserve it, from price point to set up to functionality and features. I HIGHLY recommend this printer for all your in home office needs! And no, I didn't get it for free or at a discount. I paid full price for it and I would do it again! I hope this helps someone else who is looking for an office upgrade!
UPDATE 1/21/17 - After a couple weeks I started having issues with this printer going offline spontaneously and the only way I could seem to get it back online to was by restarting my computer. Around that time we also bought a Roku 4 and started having trouble with streaming. The signal was dropping all the time. I finally realized that it was because of our router, which, while a great work horse for many years, was getting seriously old in "tech years" and needed to be replaced. I bought a dual band Asus router and ever since I installed it we have not only had flawless streaming but the printer now stays "online" all the time! If you're having this issue with it going offline, I would look at your network setup before you blame the printer itself.
My old HP Photosmart C6180 finally stopped working, and I upgraded to this OfficeJet. So far, so good. I can print and scan just like before, and it only took a few minutes to get everything up and running. The double sided printing is quite fun to watch, as it prints a page and then sucks it back in to print the other side. Scanning worked fine. I have yet to test the feeder or print-to-edge. Print/scan speed seems about the same as my old Photosmart. [Update: 3/29 - the scan speed is *way* faster than my old Photosmart.]
I *never* install the default HP driver bundle, because my experience has been they load it with gigabytes and gigabytes of bloatware that I don't ever need and really don't want, and which gets in my face with annoying popups and reminders trying to change my buying habits. This go around, all I did was manually configure the WiFi on the printer, and I updated the MAC address on my router reserved-IP address list from the old PhotoSmart to this device, and my PC printed and scanned seamlessly. It even detected the new model (I run Windows 10) and I did not need to install any new drivers, and certainly nothing that came on the CD with the printer.
Unbelievably difficult to install for wireless use. I am not new to setting up peripheral equipment by any means but this printer refuses to install properly without playing peek-a-boo, now you see it on the network - now you don't. After 5 nights of beating my head against the wall, living on the HP support website and "community forums" I'm running up the white flag, I'm done, it's going back...
7/4/17....UPDATE....Ok, so I changed my evaluation to 3 stars. I gave the HP site one last investigation and found a firmware link that I had not seen before. So I established a hard connection with a USB line and downloaded and installed the firmware update that is dated, like only 3 weeks ago. Apparently the lamentations of the many reached the ears of HP support and they fixed the screwed up software so now...TADA...the printer stays online wirelessly - amazing! So, since I generally have always liked HP products in the past this printer gets a reprieve from the shipping box. We'll see now how it holds up to everyday use..stay tuned, it may get 4 stars yet!
1/8/19 - I can't believe that it's been this long since I started this review but this unit has earned the extra star. It has been heavily used by my high school student and myself and other than having to keep up with ink I have no real complaints. Once in a while it may be offline due to the Wifi router but a simple power cycle fixes that. Great printer, I just wish that the color inks were available in a large size like the black.
After 8 months the printer is still functioning perfectly. I subscribed to the lowest level of "Instant Ink" and am still using the first set of replacement cartridges (the cartridges that come with the machine contain only a minimal amount of ink).
I see many reviewers complaining about how fast the printer goes through ink and how much it costs. I have owned Epson, Canon, and HP ink jet printers and find this to be true of all of them. Changing brands won't find you cheaper ink. My solution--two printers. My default printer is a $99 Brother black and white laser that I use for all my everyday printing and prints several thousand pages from one $50 toner cartridge. I don't even turn the HP on unless I need to scan, fax, or print in color. It does those functions well, but the laser is a lot cheaper to operate and a lot faster.
- Main functions of this HP color inkjet photo printer: copy, scan, fax, wireless printing, two-sided duplex printing and scanning, color touchscreen, automatic document feeder, Instant Ink ready so you'll never run out of ink, and more
- Easily print when and where you need to from your smartphone, tablet, or notebook PC. Get convenient mobile printing options and mobile setup. Connect the way you want to with Ethernet and wireless networking
- Built for business. Produce fast professional-quality color for 50% less than lasers, save paper, and handle more tasks without slowing down
- HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 is ideal for the home office or small workgroups that need professional-quality, affordable color with powerful productivity and fast functionality
- Choose an ink replenishment service - Save up to 50% with HP Instant Ink or Save 10% on all reorders with Amazon Dash Replenishment. With Dash Replenishment, your printer detects when you are low and places a smart reorder. No subscription fees.
- Includes all features of HP OfficeJet Pro 6960 plus scan to email and other network functions for easy task management; duplexing document feeder for two-sided copying and scanning to complete tasks quickly
- Paper sizes supported: A4, Letter, 5x7 in, 4x6 in, Legal, 4R, L, Panoramic/10x30 cm, 10x15 cm, 10x15 cm plus tab, 13x18 cm, 4x8.5 in, 13x18 cm
- One-year limited hardware warranty; 24-hour, 7 days a week Web support
Supercharge the office with affordable color and fast two-sided performance. Save paper with automatic two-sided printing, and handle more tasks without slowing down. Manage your budget with professional-quality color at up to 50% less cost per page than lasers with the HP OfficeJet 6978 wireless printer.
Easily print from a variety of smartphones and tablets. Connect a smartphone or tablet directly to the printer and easily print without a network. Print wirelessly, and share this all-in-one with other wireless-enabled devices. Set the pace for success with rapid print, scan, and copy speeds. Save paper and conserve resources—consume up to 50% less paper with automatic two-sided printing. Make scanning effortless and accurate. Never turn a page again when you need to scan two-sided documents.
I use this AIO printer with my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015; Processor: 4 GHz Intel Core i7; Memory: 32 GB 1867 MHz DDR3). This is a wonderful product and works exactly as I need it. It was so easy to set up the wireless. I like that I can use the HP Instant Ink Program, which is the one of the reasons I purchased this printer. I am a mother to a Kindergartener & a Girl Scouts Troop leader. I am constantly printing out educational worksheets & activity sheets. I have used multiple qualities & thickness of papers.
Here are some examples:
65lb cardstock (Recollections brand bought from Michaels Arts & Crafts store)
20lb HP Multipurpose
Princess Birthday invitations using Old Fashion Aged Classic Vintage Antique Design bought from Amazon.
I also am a huge DIY fan. Here are some of my favorite paper media:
Online Label's Standard White Matte - 8.5" x 11" Full Sheet Label No Back Slit - Sticker Paper
Cricut Printable Vinyl for Die-Cuts
The Cricut paper prints out crisper, brighter images than Online Label brand. I use these papers to make my own stickers for my planner, to use as party favor labels, food & drink bottle labels, hybrid scrapbooking, everyday fun stickers, etc.
I also have created iron-on transfers for t-shirts, fabric bags, etc. using Avery T-shirt Transfers for Inkjet Printers for use with White or Light Colored Fabric or Avery Dark T-Shirt Transfers.
I have always received multiple compliments on my creations & they think I have a super fancy, expensive printer. When I tell them I have an HP ALL-IN-ONE they are completely surprised. I had an old AIO HP Officejet 6310 Printer that lasted me 11 years. It finally died with moderate to heavy use. Since I had a great experience with this type of printer, I chose to stay with the HP brand. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT and for less than $100 on Amazon with free PRIME shipping. WHAT A GREAT DEAL!!!
The OfficeJet Pro 6978 unit has been great and it's working a lot better than the broken, cheaper Deskjet 3050A printer it replaced. I've never purchased a printer that cost more than $50 so this is a huge upgrade compared to the past printers I've owned. It's hard to get upset about a printer that stops working (feeding issues) when it was less than $50 and owned for 3 - 4 years. It was time to upgrade rather than harping on a cheap-o and blaming the brand etc. As with anything electronics, there are a lot more better features when upgrading. Color touch screen vs a mono without touch screen.
# Pros
- Prints very fast and quality is your standard inkjet printer.
- Touch screen is responsive. Not laggy like most.
- Duplex printing. Save on paper.
- Scanner is quicker than the past model.
- Instant Ink is cool.
- Devices were able to find the printer without any issues.
- Quality product for $99. Not sure about the review saying it's flimsy.
- Sliding paper tray stores more and keeps dust/debris out.
- Well packaged, easy to unbox.
- Extremely easy setup.
# Cons
- None so far.
I noticed a bunch of reviews that criticized the instant ink program. This made me a bit skeptical on what I was signing up for so I decided to check out the website first. You can opt out at anytime so not sure what all the fuss is about. The cheapest plan they have is $2.99 (50 prints w/ rollover) so for about $36 for a year. Replacement cartridges are about $75 so the plan should save money. Already received a replacement at no cost. They sent every color and the black cartridge is xl compared to the skinnier one that came with it.
My HP OJP6968 arrived today as scheduled. Had it unboxed, up and running, FAX setup, logged in to WiFi in about 30 minutes total. Prints fine from IPad, Windows Computer, MacBook Pro. No problems at all. Print quality is pretty good. Like the double-sided printing. Haven't scanned anything yet. Signed up for the 3 month InstantInk free trial. I picked the 100 pages per month @ $5/month. I'll decide in 90 days if I like the program and then either keep it or quit it. Right now, $60 a year for 1200 pages seems like it will be less than I used to spend on ink with my now defunct HP C7200 per year for a bit less than that in pages. In any event, no ink cost for 90 days. :)
I will update this if there are problems and also when the 90 days are up.
I got this because it was a fully loaded printer...because as long as you're spending the money, why not get almost everything a printer has to offer, overall, I like it, but their "300 page" print claim on a cartridge is BS by a long shot. It seems we can print 15-20 pages and this thing is low on ink already. No wonder they want you to sign up for HP Instant Ink...it's crazy. We don't even print a lot of stuff on the pages...just normal documents...you know like a 8x10 with usual paragraphs on them, nothing color heavy or anything. That being said, this printer is INK HUNGRY. We have used it to print pictures and they've turned out nice. Overall, I've owned it for almost a year and haven't had any problems with it, I like the ability to print from my phone and through wifi etc. Easy to operate and setup...setup took like 5 minutes. So if you do decide to get this printer, be ready to have cartridges on hand at all times...you will need them.
I have always owned HP printers and they have served me well, except for my last printer (HP Photosmart Premium All-in-One Printer - C309g) which was complete trash! After several years of frustration, I finally decided to look for a new printer. My must haves included duplex scanning with auto-feed, the ability to print in black when the color reservoirs are empty (I found this was a common complaint with Epson printers), and a printer that doesn’t devour ink. Honestly, I did not want another HP after my previous experience; however, the fact the Epson XP-830 won’t print in black if the color is empty was too much to overcome. After researching many different brands but decided I would give HP one more try.
The HP 6978 has been exactly what I needed. It easily installed on my PC running Windows 7. I mainly wanted the duplex scanning option for receipts and tax documents, which it performs well. It performs well as a printer and thank goodness, HP greatly improved its software and ability to select different scanning/printing options with ease. However, I find the interface is white and washed out for my tastes, but I care more about function and quality. I have not used the printer for photos and I cannot comment on the ink usage. I’ve been tempted to try the HP Instant Ink program which charges a monthly rate depending on the number of pages printed per month. When ink levels are low, HP automatically sends new ink cartridges through the mail and will recycle the old cartridges. My printing fluctuates greatly and I may go months without printing a single page, so I will need to calculate what is the better value (Current Cheapest Plan: $36 per year/50 pages per month).
Overall, I am pleased with this purchase and to some degree, HP has redeemed themselves from the terrible HP Photosmart Premium. I still find it ridiculous you can buy a new printer for the price of replacing all the ink cartridges but this is the business model of home printing.
I will update this review when I have time to evaluate the ink prices and usage.