The HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 is an all-in-one inkjet printer designed for small or home office use. It has a flatbed scanner with a high resolution, great for digitizing items with small details. Also, it has an automatic document feeder that can scan double-sided sheets, so you won't need to manually flip over each page. Unfortunately, its printing speed is disappointing for an office printer. Since it doesn't yield many pages before its cartridges run out, you'll spend a lot of money on ink replacement, especially if you print a lot.
Our Verdict
The HP 6978 is good for family use. While its page yield is low, especially for black prints, it might be fine if you're only printing a few sheets every week. It prints excellent-looking photos with decent color accuracy, which is more than good enough for casual photo prints at home. If ever you need to digitize a picture or a page from a book, it has a flatbed scanner with high resolution and color depth.
- Excellent photo printing quality.
- Has a flatbed scanner and an ADF.
- Low cost-per-print for photos.
- Low color document cost-per-print.
- Only decent color accuracy.
- Low black and color page yields.
- Disappointing printing speed.
The HP 6978 is mediocre for small or home offices. It has low page yields, especially for black prints, and it's slow at printing for an office printer. The first page takes an especially long time if you've left your printer inactive for more than an hour. On the plus side, it had a lot of helpful office features, like automatic duplex scanning, faxing, and a built-in OCR.
- Has a flatbed scanner and an ADF.
- ADF supports duplex scanning.
- Low black and color page yields.
- Disappointing printing speed.
The HP 6978 is okay for students. It has a flatbed scanner, an ADF that supports duplex scanning, and a few wireless connection options to choose from. That said, it doesn't support printing via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, it has a low page yield, so you'll be spending a lot on cartridge replacements.
- Excellent photo printing quality.
- Has a flatbed scanner and an ADF.
- Low black and color page yields.
- Disappointing printing speed.
The HP 6978 is inadequate for black and white printing. Since it doesn't yield many pages before its black cartridge runs out, it has a high running cost since you need to buy replacements often. Also, it prints slowly for an office printer. On the bright side, there are high-yield cartridges available separately that will last you longer.
- ADF supports duplex scanning.
- Low black page yield.
- Disappointing printing speed.
- First page takes a long time to print.
The HP 6978 is decent for casual photo printing. It prints photos that are detailed and vibrant, though gradients are very grainy. It reproduces colors decently well, but it struggles mostly with blues. That said, it's fine for casual photo prints. It can print on most photo sizes, but it can't print 2" x 3" photos.
- Excellent photo printing quality.
- Low cost-per-print for photos.
- Only decent color accuracy.
- Can't print 2" x 3" photos.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Feb 03, 2023: We've uploaded a new photo in the Small Details box, as the previous photo was cropped differently than other reviews. This change doesn't affect the score.
- Updated Sep 21, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 01, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Apr 06, 2022: The 'Duplex Scanning' test now includes a more detailed result explaining the duplex scanning process. The text also reflects the scanning process in greater detail.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The HP OfficeJet 6978 is available in black only. There are no variants, though another model in this series, the HP OfficeJet Pro 6970, looks nearly identical. You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 is a mediocre home office printer. It has some useful business-oriented features, like a flatbed scanner, an automatic document feeder with support for duplex scanning, and a built-in OCR. That said, its printing speed is much slower than other office printers on the market. Also, its page yield isn't very high compared to other models in this price range, which increases the running costs since you'll be buying replacement cartridges often.
See our recommendations for the best small business printers, the best home printers, and the best all-in-one printers.
The Brother MFC-J4335DW performs better overall than the HP OfficeJet Pro 6978. The Brother can print lots more pages than the HP before its cartridges run out, resulting in much lower running costs. Also, the Brother prints and scans much faster, and its flatbed lid's hinges can extend to scan thicker items. On the other hand, the HP can automatically scan double-sided sheets and print directly off a USB flash drive.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e is slightly better than the HP OfficeJet Pro 6978. The 8025e produces higher-quality documents and yields slightly more pages at a lower cost-per-print. It also produces significantly more detailed photos. On the other hand, the 6978's ADF scanner can automatically scan double-sided sheets, and it can print directly from a USB flash drive.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 and the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 are inkjet printers designed for home offices, but the Epson performs better overall. The Epson can print more pages before its cartridges run out, saving you more money in the long term. Also, it prints much faster, even if you're just printing out one page. On the other hand, the HP's ADF can automatically scan double-sided sheets, and it also produces slightly higher-quality documents and scans.
The Canon PIXMA TR8520 and the HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 are designed for small or home office printers, but the Canon is better overall. The Canon has a higher page yield and a lower cost-per-print. If you intend on printing photos as well, it has better color accuracy and a wider color gamut. On the other hand, the HP has an ADF that scans double-sided sheets automatically in two passes. Also, its paper input tray can hold more sheets, so you won't have to worry about the paper as often.
Test Results
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