HP Smart Tank 7600 Series Printers | 2021

Designers: HP Experience Design Group, HP Inc., San Diego, California, USA
Manufacturer: HP Inc., Palo Alto, California, USA

The HP Smart Tank 7600 Series are the world’s first refillable ink-tank line of printers featuring illuminated ink tanks and a new, innovative 3-inch touch user interface that is seamlessly integrated into the housing and magically appears and disappears when needed.

Further supporting the UI, the animated front-facing RGB LED lighting beacons instantly communicate to the user the different operating states of the printer such as startup, WiFi connection, and printing, and are visible from anywhere in the room.

The new design language for the Smart Tank 7600 family combines a restrained crisp edge and soft corner aesthetic to visually split its overall volume and lighten the appearance of its size. The ink tanks have been rearranged to integrate into the housing on both sides of the paper printing area for a balanced aesthetic and better visibility for users.

The two-sided ink tanks also feature unique and helpful internal illumination to enhance ink level visibility for the user and unique, internal low-ink tank lights, unseen before on a printer. Focused on the high-volume printing needs of individuals and small businesses, the 7600 series printers debut the new user interaction touch panel making the printers easier and more natural to use.

The targeted design principles for the UI included learnability, contextual information presentation, minimalism, and to be easy-to-understand and use. These principles provide meaningful usability benefits and real value to the user experience.

An Eco-friendly approach adhered to during the design and development has helped to assure that more than 25 percent of recycled plastic is used in manufacturing while keeping the highly contemporary sharp-edge design that matches perfectly in today’s modern working environment.