HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3635 Review

An all-in-one printer was delivered to the doorstep of YugaTech. While it is unusual to see printer reviews in the website, we don’t see why we can’t do a quick assessment. We have the HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3635.

Design and Construction

The printer from Hewlett-Packard is made out of matte polycarbonate splurged with white paint and blue tones. The scanning bed can be found where it’s usually placed, on top of the printer. Beside it is the status display that conveniently shows the ink levels and some quick information.

There are also 9 buttons for the operation of the printer – Cancel, Resume, Wireless, Information, Wi-Fi Direct, HP ePrint, Copy Color, Copy Black, and Power. Each button has unique actions which are stated in the manual. The paper feed tray is accessed by sliding it out and can be neatly tucked when not in use. Same goes to the paper tray in front of the printer.

The front also gives access to the cartridge holder when opened and there’s a nifty label behind it that indicates which specific HP ink is compatible. The DC-in and USB port is located at the back of the printer.

Features

The device is a multi-purpose home and office printer. It can print, scan, copy, and basically has everything you need in dealing with paperwork. It also has Wi-Fi so you can wirelessly print your documents.

Let’s run through the three main purpose of the printer:

Print

The main purpose of this device is to print. When we unboxed the printer, we immediately tested its wireless feature. We tried printing a single page PDF document from a Nexus 7 (2013). Thanks to the built-in support on Android (KitKat 4.4 and above), HP’s wireless printing feature worked flawlessly. There’s also a few options to tinker with like double-sided printing, print quality and more.

Traditional PC printing takes more setup than Wi-Fi direct. Upon finishing the setup and installation, you’ll have some software suite to get the most of the printer. A broader printing option is now available for better printing of a particular document or even a photo. You can go borderless, set the type of paper to use, or even choose presets.

Scan

With the installed application on your PC, you’ll be able to scan documents and save them into PDF or JPEG. You can manually crop the scanned file or let the software do the cuts. While quality of the scan is commendable for everyday use, the scanner takes some time to finish.

Copy

If you are in need of photocopy or “xerox” as popularly termed on the streets, it’s only one click away with this. It has buttons for direct copy, one for color and another for grayscale. Simply place any desired document and it will simultaneously print while scanning. Keep in mind that it can take up to A4 size only.

Print Quality and Speed

Like most inkjet printers in the market, the DeskJet 3635 will be enough for everyday printing, may it be for office or school use. Output quality and speed depends on the setting of your print job.

If done with “draft” printing on a good paper, quality is average with noticeable print dots on image while text looks a bit jagged. Choosing “best” option removes the roughness on text and improves image quality. Although, printing time takes longer. We wouldn’t recommend the printer for photos, but it can still do a decent job in inking colors.

Conclusion

The HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3635 retails for Php 4,499USD 77INR 6,499EUR 73CNY 558 with a black and a tri-color cartridge included. Like most HP Ink Advantage printers, the printer is costlier than the competition but the original cartridges cost are cheaper. In the long run, it will be a great investment.

What we liked about it:

• Beautiful design
• Wi-Fi direct feature
• Status display

What we didn’t:

• Limited paper feed
• Noisy operation