The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is an inkjet print-only unit designed for professional photo printing. Unlike most general-purpose inkjet office printers, it uses a total of ten ink cartridges, including a Chroma Optimizer, which coats and seals photos to improve longevity and shine. It connects via USB, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet, supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, and is compatible with Canon's PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY mobile app.
Our Verdict
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is okay for home use, especially if you want to print a lot of photos. It has wide connectivity options, making it easy for every household member to access. It produces amazingly sharp documents as well as detailed and colorful photos; however, it's rather slow, so it isn't ideal for high-volume printing. It doesn't yield many black prints, meaning you'll have to replace the black cartridge often. While its color page yield is better, color ink cartridges are expensive, so it can get very expensive to maintain if you print a lot. It also lacks a scanner and doesn't support automatic duplex printing.
- Produces detailed and colorful photos.
- Offers great built-in maintenance programs.
- Very low cost-per-print for black-only printing.
- Wide connectivity options.
- Feature-rich mobile app.
Produces high-quality documents.
- Extremely slow print speed.
- No scanner.
- Low black page yields.
- Color printing is expensive.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is bad for small office use. It doesn't have a scanner, and it can't perform automatic duplex printing, so you'll have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided. Also, it takes over a minute to produce the first page of a document, and subsequent pages aren't much faster.
- Offers great built-in maintenance programs.
- Very low cost-per-print for black-only printing.
- Wide connectivity options.
- Feature-rich mobile app.
Produces high-quality documents.
- Extremely slow print speed.
- No scanner.
- Low black page yields.
- Color printing is expensive.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is a professional photo printer that's not really a good fit for this use case. Since it's an inkjet, leaving it unused for long periods can lead to clogged printheads. While the printer includes maintenance routines to address clogs, its limited ink capacity can make stubborn blockages more tedious to clear. In more severe cases, you at least have the option to replace the printheads to restore functionality. Page yields are only average, so you need to monitor ink levels closely. Its slow printing speeds make even occasional quick prints feel time-consuming.
- Offers great built-in maintenance programs.
- Wide connectivity options.
- Extremely slow print speed.
- No scanner.
- Low black page yields.
Can clog if it's left unused.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is an exceptional photo printer. It produces outstanding, high-quality photos with very clear details and accurate colors. Also, it supports wide-format paper up to 13" x 19". Unfortunately, while its ink cartridges yield a good number of color prints, they're expensive, so it can be very costly to maintain over time if you print a lot. Lastly, it prints very slowly, taking well over two minutes to print a 4" x 6" photo.
- Produces detailed and colorful photos.
- Excellent color accuracy.
- Offers great built-in maintenance programs.
- Very low cost-per-print for black-only printing.
- Extremely slow print speed.
- Color printing is expensive.
The Canon PRO-300 uses a 10-cartridge system tailored for photo printing and offers only average page yields. Based on our testing, you can expect to print a few hundred pages before replacing the cartridges.
- Low black page yields.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is a professional photo printer that's extremely slow. It takes more than a minute to print a single page.
- Extremely slow print speed.
Even if it's not designed for this use case, the Canon Pro-300 prints impeccable documents. They're very detailed, and even the finest elements are extremely sharp.
Produces high-quality documents.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is a print-only model and doesn't include a scanner.
- No scanner.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Jan 08, 2026:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jan 05, 2026: We've updated the review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a number of test boxes including Risk of Clogging and Ease of Unclogging. We also updated the Usage and Performance boxes at the top of the review to better integrate the new aspects covered. See the changelog.
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Updated Apr 08, 2025:
Added mention of the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S as an alternative with a lower cost per print in the Cost-Per-Print section.
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Updated Oct 28, 2024:
Minor text changes to mention the Canon PIXMA PRO-200 as an alternative with a wider color gamut in the Color Gamut section.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 printer in black. There are no other variants.
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is a professional photo printer. It features built-in capabilities that are not found in lower-end, casual photo printers, such as automatic skew detection, which prevents photos and documents from printing at an angle. Additionally, Canon advertises a "Nozzle Recovery System," which enables the printer to continue printing even if a printhead becomes clogged. It also comes with a proprietary "Chroma Optimizer" cartridge, designed to enhance the shine and longevity of the print. However, it prints very slowly and lacks a scanner.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best photo printers, the best 11x17" printers, and the best Canon printers.
The Canon PIXMA PRO-200S and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 are both wide format inkjet printers. However, the PRO-200S uses dye ink, while the PRO-300 uses pigment ink. The PRO-200S is better for photo printing, as dye ink works better on a wide range of photo paper and provides superior vibrancy and color saturation. It also dries faster and gets absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on top, avoiding 'bronzing' where colors take on a metallic look when viewed at a certain angle. The imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is better for fine art and archival prints. It can be a good option for photo printing, too, if longevity is more important, as pigment ink is more resistant to fading and water damage.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 are both excellent photo printers. The Canon prints higher-quality documents and photos with better color accuracy and finer details. However, the Epson is more versatile because it has a scanner, and its ink tank yields more prints, resulting in a significantly lower cost per print.
The Canon PIXMA PRO-200 and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 are outstanding professional photo printers. Both printers can accommodate a wide range of paper sizes, and they both feature robust cartridge systems with dedicated photo ink cartridges, which deliver exceptional color accuracy and wide color gamuts. The main differences come down to the type of ink they use. The PRO-200 uses dye ink, which performs better on glossy paper; this makes it ideal for photo printing. By contrast, the PRO-300 uses pigment ink, which performs better on non-glossy paper, which makes it better for art prints.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is a newer version of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300. The PRO-310 is a slight upgrade over its predecessor, adopting a new ink set and wider paper support up to 70 inches (1,800 mm) in length. Its Lucia PRO II ink is more resistant to scratches and produces deeper blacks than the PRO-300's PFI-300 ink. The PRO-310 also has a reformulated Chroma Optimizer to further suppress bronzing.
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