The Hero 5.1 is a great entry point into the series. A combined printer and scanner that’s good for home use, with stylish contemporary looks and a compact footprint. From launch we were reassured by an easy set-up and installation process. There are just two cartridges - one colour and one black. That makes set-up easy, but it does mean you have to replace an entire cartridge if one colour runs out.
The quality of results is pretty consistent in printing, scanning and copying. It handles photographic imagery well, with strong blacks and no evidence of the banding that you sometimes find in other printers. It can even print on both sides of the paper. There’s some payback for this though. Printing’s a little slower than we’ve come to expect from modern inkjets.
While quality is important, one of the Hero 5.1’s main claims to greatness is the economical way it uses ink. An issue for many modern inkjets, Kodak’s Hero series are inexpensive to run - with low total replacement cost when you use Kodak 30 series cartridges. The cost per page is low too, thanks in part to Smart Sensor technology that cuts down wastage.
Of course, this is an all-in-one, not just a printer. The built-in 1200 dpi scanner turns out detailed results that maintain colour fidelity. As for copying, we were able to scan and print a test document in just under twenty seconds.
The Hero 5.1 does all the basics well so it’s a pleasure to report some features that set it apart from other all-in-ones. Wi-Fi printing means fewer cables cluttering up your study. The Heros are not the first printer range to do this, but there are lots of Wi-Fi enabled features.
With Google Cloud Printing, it goes a step further. You can print from anywhere that you have an Internet connection. That’s not all. With Kodak’s free Pic Flick app, you also print from your iOS device, Android phone or Blackberry. You can even email documents to your printer.
Modern printers need more than simple USB connectivity and the Hero 5.1 has all the ports you need to print pictures anytime. The front USB port is PictBridge compatible, enabling you to plug in your camera and just start printing without a computer. There’s a slot for memory cards too. It works with SD, SDHC, MMC and Memory Stick Pro formats. You will need an adaptor to plug in miniSD and microSD cards though.
At just under a hundred quid, the Kodak Hero 5.1 is an all-in-one printer, copier and scanner that’s a little pricier than similarly specified machines. With low running costs and excellent quality results though, it’s the perfect choice as a family printer.
Karl Hodge
Comments
Ray said: The colour cartridge is used when only printing in black and white I never use colour but it has run out before the black cartride I have printed about 50-100 pages at the most and it wants both cartridges to be replaced It is very expensive to run and I do not recommend it
David Whiles59 said: bought kodak printer because they boasted of cheapest ink correct took 1st printer back to argos not working they changed without quibble 2nd printer lasted 3 months now not working am going to contact kodak for advice yes it is cheap but cheap is not always the best would like to add argos are very helpful not their fault Would not recommend kodak printers as they probably use cheap parts to undercut opposition