The HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is one of HP’s current wide format printer models. Wide format printers typically print 11”X17” or larger and are great for anyone who wants to print larger documents from their home or office.
A few years ago, I started self-publishing some comic books in my spare time. A wide format printer is essential for scanning and printing illustration boards. The model HP had on the market was fine, but the Epson WF-7620 was way better. HP needed to step their game up.
And they did. Big time.
The HP Officejet Pro 7740 is a fantastic wide-format printer, with many features and specs that make it a great office printer as well. I can honestly say the first day this printer arrived in our store is the most printer envy I’ve ever felt. Here’s why I feel this way.
The Pros
The HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is part of the upper class of HP’s OfficeJet series of inkjet printers. As such, it is fast, printing up to 22 pages per minute of black and 18 pages per minute of color. It has double-sided printing and scanning, and two 250-sheet paper trays. You can store a full ream of paper, or, you could do what I do, and keep 11X17” (ledger) paper in one, and 8.5X11” (letter) paper in the other.
The biggest pro to me with the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is the ink cartridges. This printer takes the same great 952 series that the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 takes. They are super high-efficiency cartridges, and they contribute to this printer having the lowest lifetime cost of ownership of any wide format printer that I’ve seen.
Other than that, it includes all the little features you’ve come to expect from HP: a full-color touch screen, borderless photos, 1200 dpi print resolution, and wireless and air print features. All of this, plus the ability to print and scan up to 13X19”.
The Cons
There are none.
Just kidding, there are always Cons. They are the best part of my reviews. I think.
First, some have complained about the quality of prints. My comment on this criticism is that you need to be aware of your paper type. If you are trying to print family photos on recycled office paper, you are going to have a bad time. Buy photo paper.
Speaking of that, photo paper at this size can be expensive. Come to think of it, any specialty paper in 11X17” can be expensive. But, if you want to get the best photos from your wide format printer, you need to be willing to spend the extra.
Also, like all HP printers, if you replace the cartridges with generic off-brand cartridges, the printer will not function. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
ONLY BUY NAME BRAND CARTRIDGES!
Yeah, they are expensive. I know, it sucks. Do you know what also sucks? Leaving a 1-star review on Amazon because you broke your printer with generic cartridges that JOE TOLD YOU NOT TO USE SO JUST DON’T DO IT!
Sorry. I didn’t mean to shout. But generic cartridges will void your warranty and stop your HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 from functioning.
Those are the complaints I’ve heard. Everything else is what the kids call, Gucci.
The Verdict
The HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is one of the best wide format printers I’ve seen, and a great multi-purpose all-in-one office printer as well. For a home office or creative user, this printer offers quick changing from ledger size photo printing to regular office use. If you are looking for a wide format printer, look no further than this.
Click here to purchase the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 on Amazon.
Great review!
We need to reduce prints of music books to 93% and sometimes expand to over 100%. Does this printer have that capability?
Thanks! and keep up the good work!
Thanks for your review! One con you did not mention is that the ADF is only 8.5 inches wide; if you want to scan 11 x 17, you have to use the flatbed scanner.
Thanks, Wes. That’s correct, I overlooked it because that’s the case for most wide format printers. Believe me, it’s an annoyance I’ve dealt with for years as an illustrator.
Thanks for this Review. Is it okay to use ink refill tools on the original HP 952 cartridges?
I’ve bought and used HP printers for over 30 years. I’ve had a new HP Office Jet Pro 7740 Wide Format printer for a little over a week and I think it’s the last HP printer I will buy. HP has taken a big step back with its hardware, software and support. e.g. The touch screen on the front of the printer is so small I had to buy a “pencil” to press the characters; No improvements on the ink or cartridges; the printer software and drivers had to be installed by HP support because the down load software doesn’t work; HP support had to install the printer on each device because the process is so complicated; HP support is so bad it took 6 calls before the software was properly installed. I’m sure it’s not PC to mention but I needed a translator to understand most of the support techs (although I will say that’s not a unique problem). I am terribly disappointed.
Hi Joe, thanks for this. I’m also a comics artist so I’m especially interested in your viewpoint on this and other wide-format printers. What do you think of the scanning quality on this HP 7740? Can it scan 1200 ppi? And how is the scanning software? Is it user friendly? Usually I like to handle lighting/contrast/threshold in Photoshop, so I want scanning software that gives me that option, has a preview function, and won’t cause headaches. Thanks.
Hi Kate. For comics, you’re almost always better off with a dedicated scanner. If you can’t afford one, I’d look at the Epson wide format printers. The printers themselves are worse, but the scanners are much better. Check out the Epson WF7720.