HP DeskJet 2742e Printer Review

The HP 2742e has poor build quality. The port for the power cable is positioned in the middle of the printer's back instead of in the corner, causing the cord to stick out. You can access paper jams and print heads through the compartment above the output tray, but larger hands may have difficulty as the space is rather tight. The printer lacks a front paper tray and only has a rear feeder in the back, which can only hold 60 pages. Also, you can't raise the scanner lid's hinges to fit thicker items, and you can't access the ink cartridges unless the printer is on. On the upside, the plastic body feels solid, and the power cable is removable, so you can easily replace it if needed.

The HP 2742e's display screen is bad. It's a small LCD screen with icons to display WiFi connection, number of copies, and ink levels for each cartridge. While you can't tilt or swivel the screen, you can still easily read it when standing in front of it or looking at it from the sides, but the text isn't as clear if you're sitting. There are also seven physical buttons, which you can use to resume or cancel a job, begin copying jobs, and see the printer information.

The HP DeskJet 2742e has a terrible cartridge system. It only uses two cartridges: one black and one tri-color, and they both have very low yields, so you'll have to replace them frequently. Fortunately, there are high-yield cartridges available.

Note: During setup you can enable HP+, meaning that your printer will only accept HP cartridges for the duration of its use. The printer accepts third-party remanufactured cartridges, but using them may void the warranty.

The HP DeskJet 2742e has poor scanning features. Its lack of an automatic document feeder makes it cumbersome to scan multi-page documents since you need to use the flatbed. There also aren't any extendable hinges on the flatbed cover, meaning you can't properly scan thicker items like books. On the bright side, you can save scanned documents as searchable PDF files, making it easy to look for specific passages in scanned text documents.

Update 01/05/2022: We initially listed the maximum weight as 75 g/m², but this is incorrect. While it's the maximum for plain copy paper, the user manual advertises the heaviest weight for other types of paper as 300 g/m².

• Power cord
• HP 67 Black ink starter cartridge
• HP 67 Tri-Color ink starter cartridge
• Reference and Set Up Guide

The HP DeskJet 2742e has a poor cost-per-print. Although the cartridges are relatively affordable, you'll need to replace them frequently the more you print. However, you can subscribe to HP's Instant Ink service, which will automatically send you a replacement cartridge when you run out.

Even if you only print in black, most inkjet printers continue using the color cartridges for servicing tasks, so you'll likely still need to replace them eventually.

The HP DeskJet 2742 has a bad printing speed. Though the first page comes out relatively quickly, subsequent pages take much longer regardless if you're printing black or color documents. It also takes well over a minute to print a photo.

The HP DeskJet 2742e has poor photo printing quality. The colors aren't well-defined, and photos have a bit of graininess to them. There's also banding in gray areas. Also, we encountered a problem during testing where 4" x 6" photos were printing on an angle, even when we had adjusted the slider on the rear input tray to fit the photo size. If you want a printer with nicer photo quality that can print borderless, check out the HP ENVY Inspire 7255e.

We base these results on the actual physical photo, not the scanned image provided for reference above, which may not represent the printer's photo print quality.

The HP DeskJet 2742e's color accuracy is poor. It can't properly reproduce most colors, so even casual users will notice that most photos aren't rendered accurately on paper.

The HP DeskJet 2742e supports a Bluetooth connection during setup only, so you can't use it to print.

The HP 2742e works with the superb HP Smart App. You can use it to print photos and documents, scan with the flatbed or your camera, and even send mobile faxes. Also, you can perform maintenance tasks like aligning and cleaning the printheads, and you can also update the printer's firmware or manage your HP Instant Ink subscription. However, keep in mind that printing certain file formats is only possible on iOS.

Note: During setup, you have the option to subscribe to HP+ Printing which allows you to access cloud-based connectivity, six months of HP's Instant Ink subscription service, and an extended warranty. However, once enabled, you're unable to use third-party cartridges.