HP – ENVY 6055e Wireless Inkjet Printer with 6 months of Instant Ink Included with HP+ – White

PROs:
– Compact, low-profile all-in-one with minimalist design tucks away unassumingly in a corner of your desk/home office–ideal for students/family light-duty printing
– Simple, fast, almost idiot-proof setup–PC-based app (HP Smart) provided full-screen, animated graphical guides for loading paper, installing ink cartridges, aligning print heads–everything was up and running inside of 5 minutes
– Despite being a budget inkjet with no fancy full-color display, the printer still manages to offer informative and “family-friendly” status updates via various LED indicators across the front (purple–network setup, orange–maintenance/printer open, green–power up cycle, white–ready to print) and printer tones/jingles to indicate things like power-up/down, print job finished, successful setup, etc.
– Despite its low profile, HP managed to squeeze duplex printing capability into the ENVY 6055e so you don’t EVER have to futz with figuring out which side and which end goes up to get perfectly-aligned, high-quality printing on both sides of the page
– Text quality is especially good; lettering is crisp and well-defined even on mid-tier quality settings
– Includes 6 months of free HP+ ink service–great for people who like to do all their printing in full-color at high quality; automatically orders/delivers replacement black and tri-color ink cartridges based on usage–after 6 months, costs vary between $0.99 per month (15 pages/mo. with 45 pages of rollover) up to $50 per month (1500 pages/mo. w/4500 pages of rollover)–$4.99 monthly for 100 pages is supposedly the sweet spot for most typical small family use providing hassle-free ink replacement that never requires a trip to the store
– HP Smart app allows printing from smartphone regardless of location; there’s even an option to delay the output until the printer senses your phone is within Bluetooth range if you want to keep your printing jobs away from prying eyes
– Thoughtful usability design for ink cartridge maintenance; color-coded ink cartridge slot lids (light-purple and black) help ensure you don’t accidentally load the black cartridge into the color cartridge slot
– Finally, a budget flatbed scanner that provides decent optical resolution without needing software interpolation: 1200×1200 dpi hardware optical resolution natively matches printing resolution as well (although color resolution can go all the way up to 4800×1200 depending on the source file’s resolution and paper loaded in the tray)
– Copy quality from the scanner glass was surprisingly good–copied output of an inkjet photo page was virtually indistinguishable from the original
– HP Smart app provides a large, easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate tiles and menu pages for accessing and adjusting functions like scanning, photo printing, creating arts & crafts templates/pages, creating “Shortcuts” to automate repetitive tasks (like scanning receipts and uploading them to Dropbox), and settings adjustments for resolution, color, paper type, etc.–it’s a nice, “family friendly” interface that is easy and relatively intuitive to use, much more so than Windows own settings pages
– Although there is a USB port on the back if you want to go with a wired solution, this printer can be set up and remain in operation without EVER connecting any wires to a PC…definitely a plus if you plan on placing this printer in a central location away from a host computer
– Swing-out paper collector at the end of the paper output tray was a neat design touch–allows the guide to tuck away when not in use to keep the printer’s footprint down to a minimum
– The printer automatically detects when you raise the scanner cover to load an original onto the scanning glass–this illuminates the copy buttons on the touch-panel display as well as a HUGE digital copy counter; repeatedly pressing one of the copy buttons advances the counter to the number of copies you want to make
CONs:
– Like most inkjets, this printer struggled to produce large, smooth patches of black–ink banding was clearly evident even in smaller fields of solid black backgrounds (the printer did fare a bit better with multicolored backgrounds, however)
– Like most inkjets, plain paper output was only adequate with stippling pretty visible within the images–it’s fine for draft copies, a quick photo on the fridge, or something that’s otherwise likely to be disposable, but if you want to keep the output for the long haul and really see the colors pop, you’ll need to invest in some higher quality photo paper
– Despite the claimed near laser-jet printing speeds of 10 ppm B&W and 7 ppm color, the average printing speed that most people will probably use (the printer’s default or a middling “set-it-and-forget-it” print quality) was actually pretty sluggish–in our testing, mid-tier print quality for a single page of mixed text and multiple images took about 27 seconds
– Power management is a bit of a mixed bag. There is a setting that can be adjusted for reduced power consumption (sleep) after so many minutes, but if you use the printer in wireless mode, you cannot access the auto-power off function. This keeps the printer’s main LED (above the paper output tray) illuminated at all times. During the day this isn’t a big deal, but in a dimly lit room, the white status LED and the blue wireless icon on the touch panel display can get a little bright. If you keep this printer in the same room where you sleep, the LED might even be intrusive during the night
– The two copy buttons on the touch panel, one for color and one for black & white, are identical, save for the fact that the color button slowly changes color, while the black & white button remains lit in a single color. However, the color copy button changes colors relatively slowly, and the black & white color button looked more yellowish than white; there also are some times where the color button’s LED is the same color as the black & white LED, even if just for a few moments. It’s not a big deal, but it could create a little confusion over which control does what, especially for those who are less technically adept or simply don’t take much time to commit the button layout to memory
– Servicing the printer/changing ink cartridges was a trickier proposition than it probably needed to be. There is a single slide hinge/support in the upper right that keeps the cover locked open while you service the components inside, but opening and closing it seemed to take quite a bit of force. There is no catch-lock or locking button to engage or disengage the hinge lock at the back; the printer simply snaps open or closed by manhandling the cover. The action is not very smooth and I was afraid at first I might actually be damaging the unit due to the force required to get it open. And because the printer is so light, it was pretty easy to slide the unit around while I was wrestling with the cover in the first place. Once you get used to the force required to open and close the lid, it’s not so bad; but a smoother mechanism would be more reassuring.
Bottom line:
For a budget all-in-one, the Envy 6055e actually has a lot of nice features and user-friendly design touches that make it pretty well-suited for a typical student’s or small family’s light-duty printing needs. The connectivity options, physical design, and user interface feel well at home within a modern connected household, and it is doubtful many users will experience difficulties navigating and utilizing the many functions and capabilities the Envy provides. The inclusion of a 6-month trial of the HP+ automatic ink cartridge reordering program may be attractive to some people depending on how much ink they typically consume, but I imagine it will be of some value/comfort especially to those who routinely print LOTS of full-color pages while running their ink tanks down to a nub, but also detest having to go shopping for more ink (or remembering to do so in the first place). Text print quality is very nice while normal quality graphics and image reproduction are adequate, but nothing much to write home about until you step up into specialty papers and high-resolution DPI settings. So long as you’re not expecting archival or showpiece-quality photo reproduction, the Envy 6055e is a solid multi-function inkjet printer for the price.

I was curious to how the new Envy 6055e printer would work. The 6 months of Instant Ink was an immediate draw for me as I do have a lot of printing needs for my home office and for my kids homeschool work. That means we go through so much paper since I don’t want them looking at a screen for too long, so I would need to print their assignments and readings. The 6055e seemed like a great choice and again, the 6 months of Instant Ink was a big contributing factor for me to choose this item.
Once I removed the printer out of the box, I was struck at the overall size of it. It does seem like a scanner/printer from the late 90’s/early 2000’s. The area that this would cover is rather large compared to all the other 2-in-1 printers out there. Setting up was rather confusing as the 6055e is wireless and does not connect to your home WiFi. Instead, it has it’s own WiFi built in and you connect your device(s) through the HP Smart App. I am familiar with this app as I already have a small HP Photo printer. When powered up and following the initial steps, the printer prints out 3 pages for the Start Guide. I was a little dismayed that you would need to print 3 pages for something that I felt should have already been included in the box. Oh well, so I printed this up and it tells you how to set up with 3 methods: Mobile device, Computer, or Printer’s Control Panel with WPS. Setting this part up should not have been hard, but for some reason my iPhone was having issues with connection with the printer. I finally was able to get the app working and then a fourth page was printed up, and that had the Printer Information Repirt which included the Printer PIN # in order for me to complete the set up process. This was getting ridiculous, but after this, everything else was smooth sailing.
Using the app is a great addition as our home has become a tech hub.You can check on the status of your printer via the app, and check on various tabs to help enhance your printing experience. Instant Ink is available, as well as easy helps (Fax, Print Photos, Print Documents, Camera Scan and Printer Scan). If you run into issues with your printer, there is a Get Support feature as well. Collecting all of these features into a single app has been very helpful in de-cluttering your Home Screen.
When looking at the 6055e, you are met with this rather sleek looking device. Underneath the lid, right above the paper tray, the printer emits a glowing light similar to a Ceylon from Battlestar Galactica or the front light of KITT of Knight Rider, but changes color every second. This was a nice touch but rather annoying if you have this in your room and it’s time for bed. There is a small control panel to the lower right of the device that includes 6 icons: Information, Cancel, Resume, Copy, Power, and WiFi. Behind the printer is another power button and a WiFi select button.
Printing was a joy. You are able to print double-sided and almost to the edge of the page. I test printed a Peanuts cartoon and it left about 1cm edge on all sides. This would be rather useful if I wanted to print up pictures. The printing process was speedy and not too slow.
Despite my issues on initial set up, this printer is a joy to use. I just wished it was not so large. I am looking forward to utilizing Instant Ink in a few months.

I have had my Envy for under an hour and i’m already looking through my phone for which pictures I can print. Luckily before I got my printer I got some photo paper in case I loved this printer.
Right off the bat i’ll tell you it is amazing to have a printer where I do not need to get on a computer to set it up. This set up was beautiful and simple as can be. It was pretty because the printer is basically walking you through the health of it’s setup through these glowing pink, purple, blue, and finally white glowing lights. It is so futuristic looking that I was enamored with the lights and sat there just in silence.
It is probably the thinnest printer I have ever owned that will help all of the family and it comes with a scanner. The scanner lid is a bit flimsy and scares me since we have some high trafficked technology here that can be handled with tough love but we’ll survive.
All you have to do is download the application, and at the click of a button the printer sets itself up, let me repeat… “the printer sets itself up”! So once you’ve plugged the printer in, it walks you through what it needs you to do and the printer does the rest for you.
We are living in amaizing times when I don’t need to download a driver off the internet, open my desktop and set up the printer.
HP I am in total awe, and I have wondered where printers like this were for years so thanks for making this such an easy and sleek piece of technology to compliment my office.
I almost want to take everything back out of the printer and restart the setup so that I can watch the magical light show it does for you when you set it up.
Definitely going to be helpful for me and my family as we maneuver through work from home and distance learning this coming year! Oh and one final thought, take a look at the test page with all those vibrant colors. I have had printers that promote bright and vibrancy but never hold up. This was a part of the set up printer test and it is very clean, bright and crisp!

This is a feature rich, compact, fast printer. Print quality is awesome, sharp lines, vivid colors, especially on the special photo paper.
Printer supports a wide variety of connections – HP ePrint, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, BLE, Internet Printing Protocol, TCP/9100. Whatever you printing source is – this device got you covered. If you are working from home and your VPN software causes you troubles – you can always use Printer’s internal WiFi “Direct Print” to connect and print without disconnecting from your work VPN.
Setup is super easy, just power printer on and then use HP ePrint app on your phone, follow directions. Printer will print out a special calibration sheet that it will ask you to scan in order to adjust the printing heads perfectly. That’s it! All home computers will recognize the printer automatically.
Note that there is no hardwired ethernet port so WiFi connection is mandatory.
This printer supports HP instant ink which is an interesting subscription based ink delivery model (this is totally optional, you don’t have to sign up for it if you don’t feel it would be beneficial). You just print what you need (and keep loading paper 🙂 HP will automatically send you ink cartridges, you will always have a fresh set standing by. You pay for amount of pages you print monthly, starting from $2.99 per month (or about $36 annually) for 50 pages per month with up to a 100 pages rollover! No commitments – you can cancel any time. For me this is a perfect option as I don’t have to remember to buy cartridges anymore.
There are, of course, more advanced settings available – just use your web browser and navigate to printer’s IP address – you will be greeted with a nice web interface and a lot more advanced options such as SNMP, different Wireless settings, etc.
I would definitely recommend it for a small/home office if color print is desirable and you don’t need anything bigger than letter.
Note on scanner – it’s just a flatbed, there is no autofeed for the scanner.