Canon is a well-known brand in the world of photography and printing. They have a large catalog of printers to meet the needs of general consumers and businesses, with their PIXMA and imageCLASS lines being the most popular. They make both inkjet and laser printers, color and monochrome, and have a large selection of budget options. With their experience in photography, their printers are usually the go-to option for casual and professional photo printing.
Updates
- 11/02/2023 Canon PIXMA TR7820/TS7720 reviewed
- 09/29/2023 Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw reviewed
- 09/27/2023 Canon PIXMA G4270 reviewed
- 09/15/2023 Canon PIXMA G3270 reviewed
- 08/03/2023 Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw/MF654Cdw reviewed
Best Canon Printers
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Best Canon Printer
Family7.9Small/Home Office8.8Student8.2Black & White8.6Photo4.9The best Canon printer we've tested is the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw. This color laser all-in-one produces exceptionally sharp documents and prints quickly at up to 23 black or 36 color pages per minute. Its wide connectivity options make it easy to access, and its scanner produces amazing scans and processes multi-page and double-sided documents quickly through its automatic feeder. If you don't need duplex scanning, know there's a cheaper variant, the Canon imageCLASS MF751Cdw. Except for the lack of duplex scanning, it has the same features and print quality as the MF753Cdw, so you aren't compromising much.
This printer yields a large number of prints from a single set of toner. The toner cartridges are expensive because they contain the drum unit, but since you won't have to replace them often, the overall cost of ownership is low. Plus, having the drum built-in makes maintenance much more convenient. Like most laser models, this printer isn't ideal for photo printing, as it produces low-res, dull, and grainy pictures. Getting an inkjet model like the models we recommend below is best for photos.
Another option is the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw, one of the best Canon all-in-one printers we've tested. It's slightly cheaper and costs less to maintain due to its higher page yield. However, it only prints up to 22 pages per minute, and that's only via a wired USB or Ethernet connection, which is inconvenient if you don't have a place near your computer or router to place the printer.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Canon Printer
Family8.1Small/Home Office8.0Student8.4Black & White7.8Photo7.9If you don't need all the bells and whistles of a high-end model like the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw, you can save some money with the Canon PIXMA G7020, one of the best Canon PIXMA printers we've tested. It's a great option to keep your maintenance costs low because it uses a refillable ink tank that yields many prints, around 5400 black and 4700 color. Plus, the ink bottles are cheap, so you won't have to worry about high maintenance costs if you print a lot. It has the usual Wi-Fi and USB connectivity plus an Ethernet port.
This model produces high-quality black and color documents. Printed pictures look colorful and detailed; color accuracy isn't the best, though it isn't bad enough to make photos look unnatural or bad. Unfortunately, it isn't the fastest, as it can only print up to eight black or three color pages per minute. Its ADF-equipped scanner is also slow and doesn't support duplex scanning. The printer does require a little more maintenance than laser models, as the printheads can clog after extended use, and refilling the tanks can be messy if you aren't careful.
The Canon PIXMA G4270 is another upper mid-range model worth considering. It produces nicer documents and yields significantly more color prints. However, it has a narrower color range, so printed pictures tend to look more dull, and unlike the G7020, there's no Ethernet port.
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Best Mid-Range Canon Printer
Family7.7Small/Home Office7.2Student7.9Black & White7.1Photo8.0Our best mid-range pick is the Canon PIXMA TR8620a. It's an all-in-one color inkjet printer with plenty of features to meet every family member's needs. It feels decently well-built and has wide connectivity options, including wireless printing via Wi-Fi, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria Print Service, making it easily accessible to everyone in the household. The flatbed scanner's lid can extend slightly to accommodate thicker books and documents, and there's an automatic document feeder to make scanning long documents easier. It also has an optical character recognition feature that lets you scan documents into a text file, meaning you can edit the text.
As for its printing performance, it can print excellent-looking photos with plenty of fine details and vibrant colors. Its black page yield isn't that great, so you'll have to replace the black ink cartridge fairly often, but its color page yield is good as it can print over 300 color pages before the ink runs low. The ink cartridges are inexpensive, so the printer doesn't cost much to maintain. Its printing speed is okay; it churns out about 12 black and white or four color pages per minute and can perform automatic double-sided printing. Overall, it's a versatile all-in-one and one of the best Canon printers for home use we've tested.
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Best Budget Canon Printer
Family7.6Small/Home Office6.2Student7.3Black & White6.7Photo7.7If you have a tight budget, we recommend the Canon PIXMA MG3620. It's a basic all-in-one inkjet printer with a flatbed scanner, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and a two-cartridge system. However, it still produces good-quality documents and photos, so if you're only looking for a printer for the occasional one-off project, this printer can get the job done without costing you too much. The scanner also produces high-quality scans; it just doesn't have an automatic feeder or fax functionality.
The main downside of this printer is its page yield. Its black and tri-color cartridges yield only around 200 black and color prints, meaning you'll have to replace them often. Maintenance cost isn't a problem because the ink cartridges are cheap; it's more inconvenient because it requires a lot of maintenance, meaning you may need to interrupt print jobs to change the cartridges. Also, since it uses a tri-color cartridge, you have to replace the entire cartridge if only a single color runs out, which is wasteful. Again, it's a good option if you only print once in a blue moon, but if you print often, it's better to get a printer with better page yields, like the Canon PIXMA G7020.
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Best Photo Printer
Family6.9Small/Home Office5.6Student6.6Black & White5.3Photo8.9The best Canon photo printer we've tested is the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300. This professional-grade model produces incredibly detailed, vibrant, and color-accurate pictures. It supports borderless printing and wide format paper up to 13" x 19", making it a great option for making posters. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, and thanks to its support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, you can easily print from your Apple and Android devices without installing any drivers or a third-party app.
The cartridge system is different from what you might expect. It uses nine cartridges, including specific photo cartridges that work only on glossy photo paper, meaning you won't have to worry about depleting the photo ink when printing documents. The problem is that the cartridges are only good for about 400 color prints and are expensive. Another downside is its slow printing speed; printing a single 4" x 6" photo takes over two minutes. Last but not least, this is a print-only model, so you'll need a separate scanner to digitize photos.
Compared To Other Brands
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Good photo printing quality.
Most of Canon's printers have good photo printing quality, even the budget options. -
Higher color page yield.
While most printers from other brands yield more black pages than color pages, Canon's printers tend to have a higher color page yield. -
Many affordable options.
Canon has a wide range of budget-friendly models.
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Inkjet printers have low black page yield.
Most of Canon's home inkjet printers have a lower black page yield than other brands.
Canon vs Brother
Brother and Canon are both major printer manufacturers that offer a wide variety of printers. Canon is generally better for photo printing quality, and they also have a wider range of professional and portable photo printers. Canon generally makes better color laser printers, but Brother usually makes better monochrome ones. You can see our recommendations for the best Brother printers here.
Canon vs Epson
Canon and Epson are very similar overall. The main difference is that Canon still makes laser printers, whereas Epson largely focuses on inkjets. Canon printers are usually better for photo printing but don't yield as many pages as Epson's EcoTank printers. You can see our recommendations for the best Epson printers here.
Canon vs HP
Both HP and Canon make a wide range of printers. Canon focuses more on photo printing, while HP focuses more on general-purpose office and personal printers. Canon laser models usually perform better and cost less. However, those with a large print load might want to consider HP, as it makes laser models with a refillable toner tank, similar to supertank inkjet printers. See our recommendations for the best HP printers here.
Compared to other brands, Canon is arguably the best for photo printing. Their inkjet printers tend to have a better color page yield, making them more cost-effective for printing photos. Also, their photo printing quality is usually better, as even the most basic budget option can print good-looking photos. Compared to Brother or Epson, Canon has more options in the budget range. However, if you mainly print in black, it's better to go with one of their laser models, as their inkjet printers tend to have a lower black page yield than other brands.
Lineup
Canon's printer lineup is large and diverse, ranging from consumer-level all-in-ones to large enterprise-grade printers. This list isn't exhaustive and only contains printers available to general consumers.
- PIXMA: Consumer-level printers for personal and home use, also includes photo printers.
- PIXMA G-Series: Refillable ink tank (MegaTank) printers.
- PIXMA PRO: Professional inkjet printers.
- SELPHY/IVY: Compact photo printers.
- MAXIFY: High-yield inkjet printers for small offices.
- imageCLASS: Laser printers for home or small offices.
Recent Updates
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Nov 22, 2023: Verified that all picks are valid and available. Minor text changes to add the Canon PIXMA G4270 as an alternative to the Canon PIXMA G7020.
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Aug 25, 2023: Small text changes to add the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw as an alternative to the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw. Added the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 as the 'Best Photo Printer'.
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May 24, 2023: Replaced the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw with the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw/MF751Cdw because the MF743Cdw is discontinued and hard to find.
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Feb 27, 2023: Minor text changes to provide more information regarding the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw's variants.
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Nov 29, 2022: Replaced the Canon PIXMA TS6420a with the Canon PIXMA MG3620 because the MG3620 performs better and is cheaper.
Conclusion
Canon is one of the top companies when it comes to printers. They're also one of the best, if not the best, for photo printing; this isn't surprising, given their long history in photography. They have a large selection of printers at all price points, so you can easily find what you need.