The ink jet–based HP Photosmart 385 GoGo Photo Printer ($199.99 direct) is a later, greater version of the HP Photosmart 375 Compact Photo Printer, which HP introduced last year. It offers all the same features that we liked in the 375: easy portability, with the same 4.5- by 8.7- by 4.6-inch (HWD) size and 2.6-pound weight; the ability to print from PictBridge cameras or memory cards; a 2.5-inch LCD to preview photos; and a kiosk-style menu to let you crop, edit, print multiple photos per page, and more. We just wish the resulting photo print wasn't slightly adhesive or gummy to the touch.

As with the 375, an 8-ounce, rechargeable battery pack option ($79.99 direct) lets you print up to 75 photos on a single charge when there's no power outlet handy. You can add a Bluetooth adapter for $49.99. There are one or two small additions to the 385 as well, most notably a newfound ability to print not just on 4- by 6-inch photo paper but also on 4- by 8-inch photo cards and 4- by 12-inch panoramic paper, with borderless printing for all three sizes.

More important, the 385 offers better-looking output than the 375, earning a higher photo-quality score. Its rating at the high end of very good means that most of the photos are true photo quality, with few or no flaws. Unlike the 375, the only issue worth mentioning was minor aliasing, with bicycle spokes in one photo looking a little like ragged hand-drawn lines rather than solid metal. This problem will show up in only a small percentage of photos, however. Even better, it's not as pronounced as with the 375, so even in those few photos where the problem shows up, you have to look closely to see it.

One problem the 385 shares with the 375 is that the output isn't water- or smudge-proof. This is not the case with almost every other dedicated 4- by 6-inch photo printer, including the ink jet–based Epson PictureMate and Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition. The 385's photos come out tacky enough that when we picked one up after printing, we left a clearly visible thumbprint, without help from the folks at CSI. Even after several days of drying time, sweaty hands can smudge the image, and a drop of water will leave a water stain. That means you have to be more careful with photos from the 385 than with photos printed with most of the competition.

Print speed is on the slow side, but within the typical range for 4- by 6-inch dedicated printers, and a little slower than for the 375. We timed it at 1 minute 46 seconds to 1:55 for printing from a computer, 1:53 to 2:18 for printing from a Canon PowerShot S60 camera, and 1:49 to 2:11 for printing from a CompactFlash memory card. That's somewhat faster than the Epson PictureMate, but slower than the Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition.

One final touch in the 385's favor is that HP claims a cost per print as low as 24 cents each, based on a $47.99 (direct) price for packages with enough ink and paper for 200 photos. The 50-sheet packs, at $19.99, work out to 40 cents per photo, so it obviously pays to buy the larger, economy size.

With the much improved image quality for the Photosmart 385, our one reservation about the printer is the ease of ruining a print with a drop of water or a sweaty hand. But, to borrow from NASA's vocabulary, in all other ways, the Photosmart 385 GoGo earns a clear and definitive "Go."

Compare the dedicated photo printers mentioned above side by side .

Quality ratings: Text: N/A Graphics: N/A Photos:

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Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.