The level of competition for the most efficient and inexpensive All-in-One inkjet printer displays very little indication of getting slower, with Canon issuing the newest in the PIXMA multifunction series for about 40. Low-cost, though, does not always suggest the best value therefore the true question is: will the PIXMA MP270 provide everything it offers? Well it's definitely a small and elegant product in relaxing shades of cream and black, which has a straightforward drop-down output tray at the front along with a fold-back input tray at the back. Measuring just 450 x 335 x 155mm and weighing a comparatively light-weight 5.6kg, this could be a perfect All-in-One for possibly a college student or home worker with moderate printing needs who doesn't want a printer that uses up a good deal of room.
Three options are doable (scan, print and copy) and you've a choice whether to make use of the supplied software or the quick function controls on the right of the top, which don't contain an organising Liquid crystal display screen. The MP270 offers built-in Auto Photo Fix II technology, however, which in turn takes care of red-eye elimination and multi-zone exposure correction without the need of a computer. PC connection is, as you'd probably assume, via USB 2. lead (absolutely no chance of WiFi around this price) and there's additionally a separate PictBridge enabled USB port at the front for connecting cameras or memory sticks.
When it comes to quantity, the input tray holds up to 100 sheets of A4 and that is totally respectable for a low-yield device similar to this. With print resolutions upto 4800 x 1200dpi, we were generally pleased with the caliber of the results: black text even in draft format is plainly legible and the 'best' version stands out boldly and unbroken, while colour prints kept the authentic colours of the originals with some softening apparent exclusively in A4 copies. We did spot, nevertheless, that larger copies tended to acquire a yellowish tinge.
Canon, in contrast to a number of its competitors, has has usually been a bit more sensible in terms of stated print rates of speed and its claimed 8.4ipm with regard to black text printing was extremely accurate when it came to draft quality (falling to 2ppm in 'best' mode). On average it required 43 seconds to produce a 10 x 15cm colour print of standard quality and 1 minute 35 seconds at the highest, whereas standard copies popped out in 37 seconds.
A4 photographs just had to have 2 minutes to emerge in standard form and only two times that at the top setting, with comparatively speedy copies notching up 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Thus despite the fact that printing was usually pretty noisy, the rates of speed were encouragingly better than expected.
Canon has additionally loaded in a bunch of good software in the form of MP Navigator EX (for scanning possibilities that will incorporate OCR and saving as PDF), Easy-PhotoPrint EX (that will let you make albums, calendars and stickers) and also the valuable Easy-WebPrint EX which will cut particular parts on a Web page for printing, therefore minimizing waste. Whatever you gain here, however, you will lose in terms of ink use as you merely get two cartridges to take care of all of your print needs and even the high-yield designs are rated to manage just 401 black text or 349 colour pages.
While you might find yourself getting through the Canon PIXMA MP270 ink cartridges comparatively rapidly, both the standard of the prints and also the rate of operation were outstanding and, for the price tag, the PIXMA MP270 would be an excellent preference for a low-yield All-in-One.
Canon PIXMA MP270 ink cartridges are available here.
