- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an outstanding all-in-one printer that's designed to be used in small or home offices. It has a flatbed scanner that can accommodate large manuals or books and an ADF with automatic single-pass duplex scanning. While the cost of the toner cartridges may be expensive, they have very high yields. This means they won't often need replacing, which helps keep costs down. Also, despite being a laser model designed for office use, the quality of printed photos is a huge step up from the lower-end model, the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw. It's supported by a wide variety of connectivity options, making it easy to connect to.
Our Verdict
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is very good for family use. It has a flatbed scanner capable of scanning large, bulky items like books or manuals, or fragile items like old photos. Also, it has an ADF with automatic single-pass duplex scanning. Despite being a laser printer, photo quality is actually passable and has excellent color accuracy. That said, it isn't recommended for casual photos, as the cost of printing in color rises significantly the more you do it and the cost of the cartridges isn't cheap.
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High-yielding cartridges.
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Excellent color accuracy.
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Outstanding connectivity options.
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Display screen limits placement of printer.
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Unremarkable photo quality.
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Expensive color cartridges.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an outstanding printer for small and home offices. While the cost of the individual cartridges is rather expensive, they have an extremely high yield and won't need replacing often. However, costs will rise quickly the more you print in color. It has a flatbed scanner and an ADF with automatic single-pass duplex scanning.
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High-yielding cartridges.
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Outstanding build and design quality.
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Outstanding connectivity options.
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Automatic document feeder with single-pass duplex scanning.
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Display screen limits placement of printer.
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Slow black-only printing speed.
The Canon MF743Cdw is an excellent printer for students. Its black cartridge has a very high yield and won't often need replacing. While the first page of a print job takes a bit longer to complete, subsequent pages come out much faster and it can even print color documents faster than black-only ones, but the cost of printing in color rises quickly the more you do it. That said, it's very large and bulky, which may be an issue in a dorm.
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Excellent color accuracy.
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Excellent black cost-per-print.
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Outstanding connectivity options.
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Display screen limits placement of printer.
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Expensive color cartridges.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an excellent choice for printing in black and white. Its black cartridge has a very high yield and won't often need replacing. While the first page of a print job takes a bit longer, subsequent pages come out much faster. That said, this is a rather large and bulky printer that takes up a lot of shelf space.
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High-yielding cartridges.
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Outstanding build and design quality.
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Excellent black cost-per-print.
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Automatic document feeder with single-pass duplex scanning.
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Display screen limits placement of printer.
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Slow black-only printing speed.
The Canon MF743Cdw is reasonable for casual photos. Despite being a laser printer, the quality of printed photos is actually passable. It has excellent color accuracy but isn't recommended for casual photos as it can't print glossy and photo sizes. The color cartridges aren't cheap, so the more you print, the more quickly costs rise.
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Excellent color accuracy.
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Outstanding build and design quality.
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Good value for photo printing.
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Unremarkable photo quality.
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Can't print on photo-sized paper.
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Expensive color cartridges.
- 7.7 Family
- 9.3 Small/Home Office
- 8.3 Student
- 8.7 Black & White
- 6.2 Photo
- Updated Apr 07, 2022: The 'Duplex Scanning' test now includes a more detailed result explaining the duplex scanning process. The text also reflects the scanning process in greater detail.
- Updated Feb 09, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Oct 08, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 21, 2020: Early access published.
Test Results
The Canon MF743Cdw has outstanding build quality. It's made entirely of solid and sturdy-feeling plastic. The input tray has sliders to accommodate different paper sizes. The hinges for the scanner lid raise to accommodate thicker items like books or manuals. Also, the scanner lid automatically stays open. It also has a very user-friendly design, with easy access to the toner cartridges and paper jams. The power cable can be unplugged and replaced if it gets damaged. Unfortunately, the display screen sticks out on the right side, which means you can't have the printer pressed against a wall from this angle. That said, this is a minor issue.
The Canon MF743Cdw is large and bulky. It weighs more than the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and isn't an ideal choice if space is limited. The display screen sticks out on the right-hand side, preventing you from pressing the printer flush against a wall on this side.
The Canon MF743Cdw's display screen is remarkable. It's a very large touchscreen with physical buttons on either side for different features. The screen has good sensitivity and responds fast to touch commands, and there's easy access to the printer's status reports. Unfortunately, it may be hard to see in a bright room because there's a lot of glare. If you'd like a laser print-only model with more admin features, check out the Xerox VersaLink C500/DN.
The Canon MF743Cdw has an exceptional cartridge system. Each cartridge has an integrated drum unit, so you won't have to buy one separately when you replace the toner. The page yield for both black and color printing is very high. Also, the printer is available with higher-yielding cartridges but won't accept third-party toner.
The Canon MF743Cdw has excellent scanning features. It has an automatic document feeder that can automatically duplex scan in a single pass, so it powers quickly through multi-page, double-sided documents. However, the ADF doesn't scan as quickly as the one on the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw; it scans the first few sheets very quickly but tends to slow down and wait between each subsequent page in a stack. There's also a flatbed for scanning thick or fragile items, such as large books or old photos. While the scan resolution isn't as high as others on the market, it should still be high enough for office use or casual photo scanning.
Note: We could only get the scanning software, the Scanner MF Utility App, to work via USB and not over a wireless connection. If you've also been unable to scan wirelessly with the native software, let us know in the discussions.
While the Canon MF743Cdw's paper tray can be manually adjusted to accommodate most paper formats, there aren't any presets in the settings for photo paper, since printing photos isn't recommended with a laser model.
- Getting Started guide
- Power cable
- Phone cable
- Main paper tray cover for legal paper size
- Canon 055 toner and drum kit unit
- 1x 055 Black
- 1x 055 Cyan
- 1x 055 Magenta
- 1x 055Yellow
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw's cost-per-print is excellent. This printer is ideally suited for printing in black and white since the overall costs remain low as volume increases. The cost of printing in color can rise quickly the more you print, and the cost of replacing the three color toner cartridges is expensive. That said, the cartridges have high yields and won't often need replacing, which keeps costs down. If you want a lower cost-per-print, check out the HP PageWide Pro 577dw.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw has great printing speed. It prints color documents much faster than it does black documents, and it prints color photos very quickly. The first page of a print job does take a bit longer than the subsequent pages, but not by much. If you need something that prints faster and with a much larger input tray capacity, check out the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M554dn.
The Canon MF743Cdw has passable photo printing quality, especially for a laser printer. The colors have good detailing, but appear muted. The test was done with 8.5" x 11" glossy paper, as the printer doesn't accept 5" x 7" pages. Also, Canon doesn't recommend printing on glossy paper with this model.
The Canon MF743Cdw's color accuracy is impressive. It's high enough for those who are printing photos casually or want to add a splash of color to a document but won't be good enough for those in graphic design or print media.
The Canon MF743Cdw has outstanding connectivity options. You can connect to the printer over Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. Also, there's NFC capability and external storage support for printing off USB flash drives. Unfortunately, you can't connect via Bluetooth.
The Canon MF743Cdw is compatible with the outstanding Canon PRINT Business app. It prints almost all file formats and allows you to print and scan directly from your app. That said, the scan resolution from the app is reduced to 300 DPI from 600.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is only available in North America at the consumer level. In Europe, you may find the Canon i-SENSYS MF734Cdw instead, which looks almost identical. However, we haven't tested it and don't know how it performs. You can see our unit's label here.
Compared To Other Printers
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an outstanding all-in-one laser printer. It's the step-up model of the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and offers much better color accuracy and photo quality. Like all printers in the imageCLASS line, the Canon MF743Cdw makes for an exceptional choice for small or home offices. For other options, see our recommendations for the best photo printers, the best laser printers, and the best all-in-one printers.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a better printer than the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw. The Canon's cartridge system has a much higher page yield and a lower cost-per-print. That said, the HP's scanner resolution is much higher and it's much faster at printing black-only documents.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a better printer and the step-up model of the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw. The 743Cdw's cartridge system has a high page yield. The MF644Cdw offers a similar design and performance but is generally available at a cheaper price.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a better printer than the Brother MFC-L3770CDW Laser. The Canon has a much higher page yield and has external storage support. That said, the Brother's scan resolution is much higher and its black cartridge is much cheaper.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e and the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw are both office printers, but the HP is an inkjet model and the Canon is a laser model. The HP has a much lower cost-per-print since its cartridge prices are cheaper. Also, its flatbed scanner's resolution is double that of the Canon's, which is ideal if you scan more than just text documents. On the other hand, the Canon is a better option if you mostly intend on printing a lot since it has a significantly higher page yield. Also, its ADF scanner doesn't produce tilted scans like the 9025e does.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw and the Xerox VersaLink C500/DN are both laser printers designed for small offices. The Canon is a better option if you need a scanner since it has both a flatbed and an automatic document feeder. Also, you can print wirelessly with the Canon without needing to buy an adapter like with the Xerox. Its printed colors look much more accurate, which might be important for your business if you print brochures or flyers. On the other hand, while the Xerox printer's cartridges are more expensive, it yields significantly more pages keeping its cost-per-print lower. Also, it prints much faster, and its paper tray holds a lot more paper, which is great if you need to print large documents often.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw and the Brother HL-L3270CDW Laser are both color laser printers, but the Canon has scanning features and is a better printer overall. The Canon has better page yields and a lower black page cost-per-print, and it produces much better-looking photos with significantly more accurate colors. It has a flatbed scanner, a duplex-scanning automatic document feeder, it can fax, and it can print directly from USB flash drives. On the other hand, the Brother has a better color document and photo cost-per-print, and it prints black text documents faster.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a better printer than the Canon imageCLASS MF445dw. The MF743Cdw can print in color and its black cartridges are available at a lower price. That said, the MF445dw offers a higher page yield and a lower cost-per-print.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an all-in-one color laser printer better for small or home offices; the Epson EcoTank ET-4760 is an all-in-one color inkjet printer with a supertank system that's better for families and photo printing. The Canon prints color documents significantly faster and produces much more accurate colors, its ADF supports automatic single-pass duplex scanning, and it can print directly from USB flash drives. On the other hand, the Epson has significantly better page yields and cost-per-print, a faster black text documents speed, and much better photo printing quality.
The Brother MFC-J995DW and the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw are both all-in-one color printers. However, the Canon is a laser model better suited for small or home offices, with a slightly higher color page yield, a significantly faster overall printing speed, and much better color accuracy. Also, its ADF supports automatic single-pass duplex scanning. The Brother is an inkjet model that's better for families and casual photos, with a much higher black page yield, a significantly better overall cost-per-print, and much better produced photos. Its flatbed scanner also has a higher scan resolution.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is better than the HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw for most uses. The Canon has a scanner, a better display screen, and better photo printing quality. It also has a lower cost-per-print and a better mobile app. The HP has slightly better color accuracy and prints faster, especially for black-only text documents.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a better printer than the Brother MFC-L2750DW. The Canon can print in color, has a higher black page yield, and has external storage support. That said, the Brother printer's cost-per-print for black-only is more affordable, and it can print black-only documents faster.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw and the HP Neverstop Laser MFP 1202w are both laser printers, but the Canon has color while the HP doesn't. Also, the Canon has an automatic document feeder, so you can scan long documents without having to place each sheet on the flatbed manually like you do on the HP. Documents print much faster on the Canon, and it can print double-sided sheets automatically. On the other hand, the HP has a much higher black page yield, making it a better choice if you need to print a lot of monochrome pages.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw performs much better than the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M555dn for most uses. Both are designed for small or home offices, but the Canon is an all-in-one printer that offers more features, like an excellent flatbed scanner and a remarkable mobile app. It also has a lot more connectivity options, including wireless ones. On the other hand, the HP yields twice as many pages as the Canon, has a bigger input tray capacity, and prints much faster, whether in black or color.
The HP PageWide Pro 557dw and the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw are both fantastic office printers. The HP uses a combination of inkjet and laser technologies, while the Canon is a laser printer. The HP yields more pages at a much lower cost-per-print, and it prints black documents nearly twice as fast. Also, its flatbed resolution is double that of the Canon's, and it can scan slightly larger sheets. On the other hand, if color accuracy is important to you, the Canon prints much more accurate-looking colors.
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an all-in-one color laser printer that's much better for small or home offices, while the Brother MFC-J805DW is an all-in-one color inkjet printer that's better for casual photos, families, and students. The Canon has a higher color page yield, prints significantly faster, and has superior color accuracy. Additionally, it has an Ethernet port, and its ADF supports automatic single-pass duplex scanning. On the other hand, the Brother has a better black page yield and a significantly better cost-per-print, superior photo printing quality, and can print on glossy photo paper formats.