Frequently Asked Questions

How is HP Photosmart Essential different from other imaging programs on the market?
HP Photosmart Essential is a free application that is only 4MB at download. It downloads in less than a minute with broadband and 10 minutes or less with a 56K modem connection. We have minimized the number of steps it takes to get great photo prints, making it easy for anyone, experienced or not, to enhance, print, and share images.

How can HP Photosmart Essential help me conserve paper and ink?
There are a number of ways you'll save paper and ink:

• In the Create tab, you can choose from a variety of photo templates that help you use every inch of your photo paper. Pack as many pictures as possible onto one page!
• You select printer settings and paper sizes on the same screen so there's nothing to forget!
• "Auto Fix Images" ensures that your image is on the page just right before printing.
• Instant Preview of print jobs lets you see the image before you waste the paper to print it.
• Includes HP Photosmart Share, an easy way to share your photos with others. Your friends and family can select and print high quality photos from the images you sent them with no special software required!

The software also helps you select the right paper and resolution. Check out these 10 quick tips for photo prints for more ways to get picture-perfect prints the first time.

Will I need a new printer to create top-quality digital photo prints?
Actually, you don't need a new photo printer at all to create beautiful prints—although the latest photo printers do offer a lot of great extras for photographers. If you're thinking about one, learn more about what to look for in a photo printer. Otherwise, rest assured that even a low-cost inkjet can turn out fabulous prints.

If I use HP Photosmart Share (part of the HP Photosmart Essential package) to send photos via e-mail, do my friends also need HP software to view what I send them?
Your friends and family will not need any special software to view the photos. And they won't have to deal with a hard-to-download attachment or time-consuming sign-up process. Instead, recipients will simply receive an e-mail that directs them to a secure website where they can view your photos instantly. Read more about HP Photosmart Share.

If I delete an image from HP Photosmart Essential, will it be permanently removed from my hard drive?
Deleting an image from HP Photosmart Essential does put the image in your recycling bin. A pop-up window will appear with this warning, which will also give you the option to cancel.

Will my images be safe? How can I be sure that I don't mess something up when I try to improve or fix them?
The images are not stored in HP Photosmart Essential; they actually exist on your PC's hard drive. For this reason, whatever changes you make in HP Photosmart Essential should not affect the images that already exist on your computer. And the application automatically makes a digital negative of any image you modify so you can always go back to it.

What is a "plug-in?"
Just a fancy name for something you can add to what you already have. In this case, a plug-in could be low-cost online CD/DVD archiving or other free or low-cost plug-ins to enhance HP Photosmart Essential.