The HP Envy 6052e 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. It's on the slow side for text, 9.4 pages per minute, costing 13.7 cents per page. Its color graphics printing is Very Good for reports, newsletters and web pages, at 1.8 pages per minute, costing 44.2 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, with no 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 100 sheets, a typical size. Scanning performance was Good, but had a few noticeable flaws. It can scan or copy an area up to 11.7 x 8.5 inches (letter size). Copying was only Fair in performance, not as good as most all-in-ones. The printer has no display screen. 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 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 $100, typical for an all-in-one cartridge inkjet printer. Printing uses up ink and the costs add up over time. 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 a very short time—4 months—following a typical printing schedule of 264 text and 96 color graphics pages per year. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate the total equivalent cost to be $318, typical for an inkjet. The estimated yearly cost is $109, which is generally high—but for this printer type, typical. The theoretical total cost after 5 years is $646.
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.
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 10.0.17134.1.
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.