Check out our full Canon Pixma iP8720 review.
Canon introduced several new printer models last week at CES. While most are general upgrades from previous models, there are two affordable wide-format printers for home and small office users who need to output documents onto larger paper. In addition, there’s also a new laser printer in Canon’s ImageClass series.
The Pixma iP8720 is a 13 x 19-inch wide-format printer that uses six ink tanks for a max resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi. The iP8720 is for the home user who wants to print large photos or photo-based craft projects, and at $300, it’s more affordable than the models in Canon’s Pixma Pro series – not to mention more compact and lighter. For the office environment, there’s the Pixma iX6820. This wide-format printer uses five ink tanks instead, since the thinking here is that this user prints text and graphics, not purely photos (a high-yield black cartridge is an option). The iX6820 sells for $200.
In the Pixma multifunction series, there’s the MX532 ($150) and MX472 ($100). Both have office-friendly features like automatic document feeders and fax, in addition to color ink printing for graphics and photos. Canon told us that both models are the same as their predecessors, the MX522 and MX452, in terms of performance and features. The difference being support for the Pixma Printing Solutions platform in the MX532, which lets you print from cloud solutions and social media sites such as Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Picasa, Evernote, Photobucket, and Canon’s own ImageGateway service. The MX472 has enhanced wireless connectivity, but no PPS here.
To the contrary, the Selphy CP910’s name does not reference the popular photo trend, but the name of Canon’s series of portable compact photo printers. These printers utilize cartridges that contain a finite amount of both ink and paper. What’s new with the CP910 is wireless support for cameras and smartphones via Wi-Fi. Smartphone users can use the Easy-PhotoPrint app for iOS and Android to print photos, but there’s also the old-school solution of plugging in a USB cable or inserting an SD card. You can also add creative touches to the photos before printing, editing them on the small LCD.
Finally, there’s the ImageClass LBP6030w. Nothing special here, but if you’re looking for an affordable black-and-white laser printer for your office or as a secondary printer at home, it costs $159. It prints up to 19 pages per minute and has a capacity to hold 150 sheets. There’s Wi-Fi for wirelessly connecting to a network, but no support for some of the convenient Wi-Fi features found in the Pixma printers.
