review —Bill Gates once said: “The great thing about a laptop is that no matter how much stuff you put in it, it doesn’t get bigger or heavier.” Computers and smartphones keep shrinking in size, but for printers It’s not that big. In many cases, email and text are great for transferring documents, but sometimes printouts are required. At that time, HPRT’s MT800Q comes to the rescue, without having to search, lugging bulky machines, or risk your data.
what is it?
The HPTR MT800Q is a small portable printer with a built-in battery that uses thermal transfer technology to print text and images onto paper via USB or Bluetooth.
Hardware Specifications:
- Dimensions: 310.4 x 63.5 x 40.6 mm (22 x 2.5 x 1.6 in)
- Weight: 766 g (1.69 lb)
- Ribbon capacity: about 45 pages, single-sided
- Ribbon ambient use: -5 to 35°C (23 to 95°F), 20 to 85% relative humidity
- Ribbon Environmental Storage -5 to 45°C (23 to 113°F), 20 to 85% RH
What’s in the box?
- HPRT MT800Q Thermal Printer
- printer suitcase
- Two Ribbon Modules
- USB cable
- Quick Start Guide
Design and Features
Back in my “road warrior” days, printing reports was a necessary but often daunting task. “Borrowing” a printer to make hard copies is often a hassle. Many offices are inaccessible, separate from the manufacturing facility where I work, and the printers are password locked.
Carrying a printer makes life easier. I’m proud to make dozens of hours of flying time productive, complete months of travel and expense reports, and have them printed and ready to submit as soon as I walk in the door, and print reports for clients to sign me at the door The front of the machine just repaired. I carry a few portable printers, including a Kodak Diconix 150, Pentax PocketJet, and a few others that work well. I haven’t traveled anywhere recently, but it’s really handy to have a printer available.
Lately, I’ve been dealing with government issues. It is much easier to have an electronic copy on a laptop or mobile phone and print the individual pages requested than to print 300+ pages and risk exposing sensitive information.
Some might argue that files can be transferred to a memory stick, emailed, or made available through other mediums, but there are inherent risks. Is the computer you inserted your memory stick free of viruses and malware? No, I’m not paranoid. I once cleaned over 80 different malware infections from a memory stick of a colleague who used the memory stick to transfer files to a client’s computer once (yes, it was reformatted, but still fun and interesting Shock). Another time I had a client ask me for a .DOC file with a work report, which I emailed before leaving. I later learned that he had made changes to try and cut hours to reduce bills. I was proven right because I was able to make a hard copy that I printed with the signature of his supervisor.
Yes, having a portable printer is a good thing.
The HPRT MT800Q comes in a secure box.
Opening the box, I was pleased to find that the HPRT includes a hard carrying case for the printer.
The box neatly holds the HPRT MT800Q, cables and spare ink cartridges.
The HPRT MT800Q thermal printer is very slim.
A USB-A to USB-C cable is included.
The USB-C port is located on the side of the printer. A full charge takes about four hours. The manual states that the battery life should be around 70 pages. I will be using the HPRT MT800Q on my laptop. My connection of choice is USB. After loading the driver, the printer installs quickly.
Press a single button on the top of the printer for three seconds to turn it on or off. LEDs indicate status.
Small buttons on each end unlock the lid.
If there is a problem with the HPRT MT800Q printer, there is a reset button inside. I don’t need to use it, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
HPRT printers use thermal fusion technology. The ribbon has a layer of black material attached to a strip of backing material. As the paper passes through, the heated printhead strips off a tiny bit of black material that is deposited on the paper as tiny parts of text or images.
Replacing the ribbon involves opening the cover, ejecting the old ink cartridge, and inserting the new ink cartridge.
The manual recommends turning one of the drive rollers when installing the cartridge to remove any slack in the film.
Gears mesh with the print cartridge rollers to transfer the film from the pay-off reel to the take-up reel.
I printed three test pages, one on the paper that came with the printer (50 included). Printing side down takes about 20 seconds per page.
The HPRT MT800Q does a good job of printing text. It’s a monochrome printer, so I didn’t expect the photos to work wonders. This is the first test print, so you can judge for yourself.
The second print is on standard paper. The quality is slightly lighter but acceptable.
My third photo was using glossy photo paper. The output is very good. Not as sharp as a laser printer I’d say, but for those on the go, it’s great!
For comparison, all three pages are put together here, plain paper on the left, HPRT in the center, and photo paper on the right.
I had a little trouble setting up the MT800Q to bluetooth, but no big deal. My computer will connect to the printer but report that the driver is not installed. After a few tries, uninstalling the driver, reconnecting the bluetooth, and reinstalling the driver did the trick.
The output of the HPRT MT800Q doesn’t come cheap. I don’t recommend on-site printing of novel or scary legal documents. HPRT recommendation glossy paper for sale on amazon $11.99 for 50 sheets. With taxes, the price per page will be just over 25 cents. In a pinch, standard paper can be used, but you will see a difference in print quality. A pair of thermal transfer ink cartridges is currently $21.24 on Amazon. The manual states that they should be enough for 45 pages or about 24 cents per page. Using HPTS paper and ink cartridges, the cost per page is about $0.50.
There is one caveat to using thermal printers – as the cartridge film moves over the printhead, the used material is wound up onto the take-up roller. “Waste” material contains the negatives of all prints. Be careful when disposing of used ink cartridges to keep your printing history private.
what do I like
- Efficient setup
- Cartridges are easy to replace
- Good output on HPTS or photo paper
- Bluetooth printing
what would i change
- May add additional wireless capabilities (Wi-Fi, AirPrint, etc.)
final thoughts
The HPRT MT800Q thermal printer is perfect for anyone who needs portable printing. It’s lightweight, has a cute case, and supports USB and Bluetooth. The cost is definitely higher than a regular home printer, but I recommend it matches the cost, which saves the frustration of having to find a printer, inconvenience customers, or drive to Staples.
price: The MT800Q printer is $289.99, 50 sheets of HPRT paper are $11.99, and two ink cartridges are $23.74.
where to buy (this: printer: Amazon Paper: AmazonCartridges: Amazon
resource: The sample for this review was provided by HPRT.
