HP Officejet Pro 8720 Ink Cartridges

HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 Review

The HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 was released during a period when inkjet printers were rapidly evolving from simple home devices into serious business tools. Rather than trying to compete with budget home printers, HP designed the 8720 for small offices, growing businesses, and professionals who needed speed, quality, and functionality without investing in a large laser printer.

Years after its release, the OfficeJet Pro 8720 continues to have a loyal following. Many units are still operating in offices and home workspaces today, which says a lot about the printer's overall durability. While newer models have introduced additional smart features and subscription services, the 8720 remains one of the more balanced all-in-one printers HP has produced.

What makes the OfficeJet Pro 8720 stand out is that it was designed to be a productivity machine. Everything about it, from its paper handling to its print speed, feels focused on getting work done efficiently.

Design and Build Quality

The OfficeJet Pro 8720 immediately feels more substantial than a typical home printer. It has a professional appearance with clean lines, a modern colour scheme, and a layout that prioritises functionality over aesthetics.

Although it isn't a small printer, the size is justified by the features packed inside. The automatic document feeder, large paper tray, and generous output capacity all contribute to its larger footprint.

Build quality is surprisingly solid. The paper trays operate smoothly, hinges feel sturdy, and the overall construction gives confidence that the printer was built to handle regular use rather than occasional printing sessions.

The large 4.3-inch colour touchscreen remains one of the highlights. Even by today's standards, it feels responsive and easy to navigate. Most tasks can be completed directly from the printer without needing to access software on a computer.

Setup and Connectivity

Getting the OfficeJet Pro 8720 up and running is relatively straightforward. HP's installation process is well organised, and users can connect via USB, Ethernet, or wireless networking.

Wireless performance is generally reliable. Once connected to a network, the printer maintains a stable connection and works well across multiple devices. Mobile printing support makes it easy to send jobs from smartphones and tablets, which is particularly useful in office environments where employees frequently switch between devices.

For businesses, Ethernet connectivity is a valuable inclusion, providing a dependable wired connection for shared network printing.

Print Quality

Print quality is where the OfficeJet Pro 8720 earns much of its reputation.

Black-and-white documents are exceptionally sharp. Text appears crisp even at smaller font sizes, making reports, invoices, proposals, and contracts look professional. For many office users, the quality is comparable to what they would expect from an entry-level monochrome laser printer.

Colour printing is equally impressive. Business graphics, charts, and presentations benefit from rich colours and smooth gradients. Marketing materials such as brochures and flyers look polished enough to distribute to clients without hesitation.

Photo printing is respectable but not the primary focus of this printer. Images display good colour accuracy and detail, but photographers looking for exhibition-quality output will naturally want a dedicated photo printer.

For general office use, however, the print quality is excellent and remains one of the printer's strongest attributes.

Performance and Speed

One of the most noticeable things about the OfficeJet Pro 8720 is how quickly it gets through print jobs.

Unlike many consumer-focused inkjet printers that feel sluggish when faced with larger documents, the 8720 was built to keep pace with business workloads. Multi-page reports, spreadsheets, and presentations are produced at speeds that help maintain productivity rather than interrupt it.

First-page-out times are fast, and the printer rarely feels like it's struggling under normal office demands. For small businesses handling dozens of documents each day, this responsiveness makes a genuine difference.

The automatic duplex printing feature also works efficiently, helping reduce paper usage without significantly slowing down output.

Scanning and Copying

The OfficeJet Pro 8720 is much more than a printer. Its scanning and copying functions are equally important parts of the overall package.

The scanner produces clear and accurate document scans that are more than adequate for business use. Contracts, forms, receipts, and records are captured with excellent clarity.

One feature that improves workflow considerably is the automatic document feeder. Instead of manually feeding individual pages, users can load multiple sheets at once and allow the printer to process them automatically.

For offices that regularly digitise paperwork or handle multi-page copying tasks, this feature saves a significant amount of time over the course of a week.

The scanner performs best as a document scanner. While it can certainly handle photographs and colour documents, its strengths lie in productivity rather than specialised image archiving.

Paper Handling and Capacity

The paper handling system is clearly designed with office environments in mind.

The standard 250-sheet input tray provides enough capacity for most small businesses, while the optional second tray allows users to expand paper storage even further.

The output tray is also generous compared to many competing printers, reducing the need for constant monitoring during larger print runs.

For businesses printing daily reports, invoices, and customer documents, these seemingly small conveniences quickly become important.

Running Costs

Running costs are reasonable for a cartridge-based business inkjet printer, although they are naturally higher than modern refillable ink tank systems.

The OfficeJet Pro 8720 uses four separate ink cartridges, allowing users to replace individual colours as needed. This helps minimise waste and can reduce overall operating expenses compared to printers that use combined colour cartridges.

Users who print moderate volumes typically find costs manageable, especially when using high-capacity cartridges. Heavy users printing hundreds of pages every week may eventually notice ink expenses adding up, but this is common among cartridge-based printers in this category.

Long-Term Reliability

Perhaps the strongest compliment that can be given to the OfficeJet Pro 8720 is that many owners have continued using it for years beyond its original purchase date.

The printer generally handles regular workloads well and feels engineered for business use. Paper jams are relatively uncommon when quality paper is used, and the feeding mechanism remains dependable even after extended periods of ownership.

Like any inkjet printer, occasional maintenance is required. Print head cleaning cycles and cartridge replacements are part of normal ownership, but these tasks are straightforward and rarely disruptive.

When used consistently, the 8720 develops a reputation as a reliable office workhorse rather than a printer that constantly demands attention.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent text quality for business documents.
• Fast printing performance for an inkjet printer.
• Professional-looking colour output.
• Large, responsive touchscreen display.
• Reliable wireless and network connectivity.
• Strong scanning and copying capabilities.
• Automatic duplex printing included as standard.
• Automatic document feeder improves productivity.
• Expandable paper capacity with optional second tray.
• Built to handle regular office workloads.

Cons

• Larger than many home office printers.
• Ink costs can become significant for heavy users.
• Not intended for professional photo printing.
• Scanner is designed primarily for documents rather than image preservation.
• Can feel oversized for users with very light printing needs.
• Print head maintenance cycles consume small amounts of ink.

Final Verdict

The HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 represents a period when HP was producing some of its strongest office-focused inkjet printers. It delivers an excellent balance of speed, print quality, functionality, and reliability that continues to make it relevant even years after its release.

Its biggest strength is consistency. It prints quickly, produces professional-looking documents, handles scanning and copying efficiently, and generally stays out of the way while work gets done.

While newer printers may offer lower running costs or additional cloud-based features, the OfficeJet Pro 8720 remains an outstanding choice for users who value productivity and dependability above marketing gimmicks.

For small businesses, home offices, remote workers, and professionals who need a capable all-in-one printer that can comfortably manage daily workloads, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 remains one of the better office inkjet printers HP has ever produced.

Specifications

Printer Type	All-in-One Business Inkjet
Functions	Print, Scan, Copy, Fax
Print Technology	HP Thermal Inkjet
Print Speed (Black)	Up to 24 ppm (ISO)
Print Speed (Colour)	Up to 20 ppm (ISO)
Print Resolution	Up to 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi
Scanner Resolution	Up to 1200 dpi optical
Automatic Document Feeder	50 Sheets
Input Capacity	250 Sheets Standard
Optional Input Capacity	Additional 250-Sheet Tray Available
Output Capacity	150 Sheets
Duplex Printing	Automatic
Display	4.3-Inch Colour Touchscreen
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi Direct
Mobile Printing	Apple AirPrint, HP ePrint, Mobile Printing Support
Ink System	4 Individual Ink Cartridges
Recommended Monthly Volume	250–2,000 Pages
Monthly Duty Cycle	Up to 30,000 Pages
Memory	256 MB
Weight	Approximately 15 kg