Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw Printer Review

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.