- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw is an outstanding printer for small or home offices. It's very well-designed, easy-to-use, and has lots of features that can help make managing your business easier. The cartridges have a very high yield, so you don't have to change them too often, and there are higher-yield ones that can last even longer, too. The cost-per-print is very low, especially in black and white, and it prints pretty quickly. Like most laser printers, it isn't meant for photo printing, as pictures lack detail and there's quite a bit of banding throughout. The cost of buying toner can also set you back quite a bit, especially if you run out of all three colors and need to replace them all at the same time. That said, if you're ready for your company to invest in a printer that presents more upfront costs but has better long-term value, then this is an excellent option.
Our Verdict
The Canon MF644Cdw is mediocre as a family printer. It could be a solid option if the kids are in school and need to print a lot of reports or documents in color, but it's not recommended if you're looking for a photo printer. It's also very bulky, so finding space for it in your home will likely be a challenge.
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Very well-built and easy-to-use.
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Excellent yield and low cost-per-print.
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Great connectivity options, especially for small businesses.
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Screen has a lot of glare in bright rooms.
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Buying new toner will set you back quite a bit.
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Terrible photo printing quality.
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Can't print on glossy photo paper.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw is an excellent printer for home or small office use. It prints quickly, supports duplex scanning, and has lots of connectivity options, including fax with handheld support. Most importantly, it can print lots of copies before the toner needs to be changed, and there are higher-yield options available too. It might be a bit of an investment, but it should pay off in the long run.
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Very well-built and easy-to-use.
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Excellent yield and low cost-per-print.
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Great connectivity options, especially for small businesses.
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Fast printing speed for black and color documents.
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Screen has a lot of glare in bright rooms.
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Buying new toner will set you back quite a bit.
The Canon color imageCLASS MF644Cdw is a very good printer for students. It's very big, so it'll be tough to find a spot to set it up, especially if you're in a dorm. However, depending on how much you print, it could end up costing you less than using the printers at the library. It also has the added benefit of being able to print in color, which can help your reports stand out. It doesn't support Bluetooth, so if you have colleagues over who need to print something, they'll need to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
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Very well-built and easy-to-use.
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Excellent yield and low cost-per-print.
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Great connectivity options, especially for small businesses.
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Fast printing speed for black and color documents.
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Screen has a lot of glare in bright rooms.
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Buying new toner will set you back quite a bit.
The Canon MF644Cdw is an impressive black and white printer. While it supports color printing for when it's needed, it still shines as a monochrome printer. Its black page yield is very high and the cost-per-print is low. Documents in black and white print quickly too, although the first page is a bit slower.
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Very well-built and easy-to-use.
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Excellent yield and low cost-per-print.
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Fast printing speed for black and color documents.
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Screen has a lot of glare in bright rooms.
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Buying new toner will set you back quite a bit.
Like most laser printers, the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw isn't intended for photo printing. Its color accuracy is decent; however, printed photos lack detail and there's a lot of banding throughout. Also, it can't print on glossy photo paper.
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Very well-built and easy-to-use.
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Excellent yield and low cost-per-print.
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Screen has a lot of glare in bright rooms.
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Buying new toner will set you back quite a bit.
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Terrible photo printing quality.
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Can't print on glossy photo paper.
- 6.4 Family
- 8.9 Small/Home Office
- 7.8 Student
- 8.4 Black & White
- 4.6 Casual Photo
- Updated Jun 08, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
Test Results
The Canon MF644Cdw is an outstandingly well-designed color laser printer. It's bulky but feels solid and sturdy. The input tray has sliders to accommodate different paper formats and it's easy to reach any paper jams through the rear. The toner is also very easy to access to thanks to the sliding cartridge drawer. The scanner lid stays open on its own, and the hinges extend a bit vertically to help you scan thicker documents on the flatbed, like books. The power cable can even be unplugged and replaced by a standard computer cord if damaged. The screen sticks out beyond the edge of the printer body on the right side, so this side can't be placed flush against a wall. Even then, though, it's a very minor issue.
The Canon MF644Cdw is a bulky printer. It's not as heavy as the Brother MFC-L3770, but it's just as big. Students will likely have trouble finding a spot for this printer in a dorm room. Even in a home office, you'll need to clear out quite a bit of space on your desk, though it might fit on top of a horizontal filing cabinet.
The Canon Color imageCLASS MF644Cdw has an incredible display. It has a very large touch-sensitive screen that's easy-to-use. The touch response is quick and the sensitivity is good. The icons are clear and the text is easy to read, but the screen has poor viewing angles and gets a lot of glare in a bright room, even at max brightness. This makes it hard to see if you're not looking at it straight-on. That said, the visibility issues are minor compared to how simple and efficient it is to use.
- User manual
- Installation CD
- Phone cable
- Power cord
- Canon 054 toner and drum units
- 1x 054 K standard Black
- 1x 054 C starter Cyan
- 1x 054 M starter Magenta
- 1x 054 Y starter Yellow
The Canon MF644Cdw has an outstanding color cartridge system. Each cartridge has an integrated drum, so you won't need to worry about replacement units since they get swapped out every time you buy new toner. The black and color yield are both excellent, so even though the cartridges are a bit pricey, they should last quite a while. You can also get the Canon 054 H cartridges if you prefer something with an even higher yield. This printer will also accept third-party toner, but this could void the warranty.
The Canon Color imageCLASS MF644Cdw has great scanning features. It has an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) that can do single-pass duplex scanning, which can be a lifesaver come tax time. Although the scan resolution is on the low side compared to what other high-end laser printers offer, it shouldn't be a problem for office use.
Note that we could only get the Scanner MF Utility App to work via USB. If you've also been unable to scan wirelessly with the printer's native software, let us know in the discussions below.
The Canon MF644Cdw's cost-per-print is great. If you print a lot in black and white, this printer is a good choice since the black cartridge isn't too expensive. However, the color cartridges will set you back quite a bit more, especially if you have to replace them all at once. This means printing in color does get significantly more expensive as your print volume increases, but it should still be manageable for businesses.
The Canon color imageCLASS MF644Cdw has a great printing speed. Surprisingly, it prints color documents faster than it does in black and white, but not by very much. The first page out does take a while, but it's not too bad.
The Canon MF644Cdw's color accuracy is decent. It'll be a problem for anyone who depends on very accurate colors, like graphic designers. However, it shouldn't be an issue if you've just got a pop of color in a business proposal or quarterly report.
If you need a printer with better color accuracy, check out the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw.
The Canon MF644Cdw has terrible photo printing quality. Some areas in the photo prints are missing detail since they're too dark. There's also a lot of banding present. Note that the test was done with 8.5" x 11" glossy paper although Canon doesn't recommend printing on glossy paper with this model. If you want Canon that can print much better-looking photos, consider the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw.
These results are based on the actual physical photo, not the scanned image provided for reference above, which may not be representative of the printer's photo print quality.
While the Canon color imageCLASS MF644Cdw will print most popular paper formats, it doesn't support tabloid or photo size printing.
The Canon MF644Cdw has great connectivity options, especially for small businesses. While you won't be able to pair your mobile devices via Bluetooth or WiFi Direct, it supports AirPrint and Mopria for easy printing from both Apple and Android devices. You can also set it up wirelessly with your router via Wi-Fi, or directly wired thanks to its Ethernet connection. It even has an additional phone line so you can set up a handset to use with the fax as well.
The Canon color imageCLASS MF644Cdw has exceptional compatibility with the Canon PRINT Business app. It will print most file formats, including webpages, which is helpful if you need to quickly make a copy of an important document on the web. The app also lets you scan directly to your phone, but is limited to 300 DPI.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There is a variant of the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw called the MF642Cdw which doesn't support duplex scanning or fax. While we haven't tested this variant, we'd expect it to otherwise perform similarly, for the most part.
Compared To Other Printers
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw is an excellent printer for small and home offices. Compared to another laser printer such as the Brother MFC-L3770CDw, the Canon performs very similarly; however, its scanner's resolution is limited to 600 DPI, and it has a slightly higher cost-per-print. For other options, you can also check out our recommendations for the best all-in-one printers, the best office printers, and the best printers for small businesses.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw are both color laser printers meant for small offices and they have similar overall performance. The HP has a higher black and color page yield, it prints faster, and its cost-per-print is slightly lower. The HP also has a higher scanning resolution and better color accuracy, but the Canon has a better mobile companion app that's capable of printing Microsoft Office files.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a better printer and the step-up model of the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw. The 743Cdw can print much better-looking photos and its cartridge system has a high page yield. That said, the MF644Cdw offers a similar design and performance but is generally available at a cheaper price.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and the Brother MFC-L3770CDW Laser have near-identical overall performance. The Canon yields more black pages while the Brother yields more color pages. The Brother has a slightly better cost-per-print and it prints black and color documents faster. On the other hand, the Canon has support for external drives, and unlike the Brother, its toner cartridge also contains the drum unit, which means that you won't have to manually replace it.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw is an all-in-one color laser unit, while the HP Color LaserJet Pro M225dw is a printer-only color laser unit. The HP is better-suited for people who print mainly in black and don't need scanning capabilities, as it has a slightly better black page yield and marginally faster overall printing speed. It also supports printing via Wi-Fi Direct. On the other hand, the Canon has a flatbed scanner and an ADF with duplex scanning, and it also has a better color document cost-per-print.
The Brother HL-L3270CDW is a color laser printer-only unit that's a good choice if you don't need a scanner. It has a better color page yield and a superior overall cost-per-print, better overall printing speed, and more accurate produced colors and photo details. On the other hand, the Canon's flatbed and double-sided ADF scanning system makes it better for small or home office tasks, and it has a higher black page yield and faxing capabilities.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw is much better than the Canon imageCLASS MF445dw, mainly due to its ability to print in color. Both printers offer the same scanning features, they're similarly designed, and they also have largely the same connectivity options. However, the MF445dw is a better choice for black printing only, as its toner cartridge can yield more black pages and it prints faster.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and the Brother HL-L2390DW are very different printers. The Canon is a color printer while the Brother is a monochrome printer. The Canon's scanner has a sheetfed scanner that can perform duplex scanning, it has better connectivity options, and it yields more black pages. However, the Brother prints black only documents faster and its cost-per-print is lower since it only has one cartridge to replace. That said, the Brother's drum unit is a separate piece, which needs to be replaced eventually and isn't factored into the cost of the toner cartridge.
For the most part, the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw is better than the Lexmark CX331adwe. The Canon supports duplex scanning, it has much better color accuracy, and the companion app allows you to print Microsoft Office files. On the other hand, the Lexmark has a higher page yield, so it's slightly more cost-effective to print over time, and it has a USB port in front.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M553dn are very different. The Canon is an all-in-one solution that includes a full-feature scanner, many more connectivity options, and a much better display screen. On the other hand, the HP has a significantly higher page yield for both black and color pages, it prints faster, and its cost-per-print is a lot lower.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw performs better than the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M554dn for most uses, though the M554dn is a better option for photo printing. The Canon has a much better display screen and comes with a great sheetfed scanner. It also has great connectivity options, including wireless ones, and it’s compatible with a remarkable mobile app. On the other hand, the HP has better photo printing quality, though it’s still disappointing. It prints much faster, and its cartridges system yields a lot more pages. However, as the toner cartridges of the Canon are much cheaper, they both end up with a comparable cost-per-print.
The Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw performs better than the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M555dn for most uses, though the M555dn is a better option for black & white and photo printing. The Canon has a great sheetfed scanner and a lot more connectivity options. It’s also compatible with a remarkable mobile app. On the other hand, the HP is one of the fastest printers we’ve tested and its cartridges system yields a lot more pages. It has better photo printing quality, though it’s still disappointing.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 and the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw are two different types of printers. The HP is an inkjet printer with much better photo printing quality, a much lower cost-per-print, and a higher scan resolution. However, the Canon is a laser printer with a much higher page yield, a faster printing speed, and a better mobile app.