The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is a budget all-in-one color inkjet printer. It uses a two-cartridge system with a black and tri-color cartridge. It has a high-resolution scanner with lid hinges that extend to accommodate thicker items, but it lacks an automatic feeder and fax functionality. It connects via Wi-Fi or USB, supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, and is compatible with Canon's PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY mobile companion app. It comes in black or white, and there's also a Walmart-exclusive version, the Canon PIXMA TS3522.
Our Verdict
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is mediocre for family use. It has decent connectivity options and prints very good-quality photos with reasonable color accuracy. However, it doesn't yield many black or color pages, meaning you'll have to replace the ink cartridges fairly often, resulting in high maintenance costs. Also, while its scanner has a high scan resolution and color depth, the quality of scanned images is mediocre.
- Produces detailed photos.
- Connects via Wi-Fi or USB.
- Produces good quality color documents.
- Prints reasonably accurate colors.
- Can't print from external storage.
- High cost-per-print.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Black-and-white documents look grainy.
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is bad for office use. It has a low black and color page yield, and its printing speed is slow. The build quality is disappointing, the cartridges and paper jams are difficult to reach, and it doesn't have an automatic document feeder or an Ethernet port.
- Connects via Wi-Fi or USB.
- High-yield cartridges available.
- Produces good quality color documents.
- No automatic document feeder or duplex scanning.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Black-and-white documents look grainy.
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is inadequate for student use. While it warms up reasonably quickly to print out the first page, its overall printing speed is slow, so it isn't the best for printing out a long essay. The ink cartridges run out pretty quickly, which means you'll have to replace them often, resulting in more maintenance and higher cost of ownership. The scanner lid's hinges can extend for thicker items like textbooks, and while the quality of the scan isn't great, it's good enough for text documents.
- Connects via Wi-Fi or USB.
- Produces good quality color documents.
- Can't print from external storage.
- High cost-per-print.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Black-and-white documents look grainy.
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is bad for black and white printing. It has a plastic build that feels flimsy, prints slowly, and can't automatically duplex print. Also, its black page yield is awful, with the cost-per-print being one of the highest of any printer we've tested.
- Connects via Wi-Fi or USB.
- High-yield cartridges available.
- High cost-per-print.
- No automatic document feeder or duplex scanning.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Black-and-white documents look grainy.
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is decent for casual photo printing. It produces very good-quality photos, with natural color tones and reasonably accurate colors. However, there's a bit of color in the grayscale and a small amount of grain that's more pronounced in certain scenes. Also, the printer doesn't accept glossy photo paper larger than 5" x 7", so you can't print large-format photos. The cost-per-print for photo printing is decent, although it'll still add up quickly if you print a lot.
- Produces detailed photos.
- Prints reasonably accurate colors.
- High cost-per-print.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Can't print on glossy paper larger than 5" x 7".
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
- Very low page yields.
- Slow printing speed.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Jun 30, 2023: We've updated the review to improve clarity and readability. We've also added more information in the Small Details section.
- Updated Apr 12, 2023: Added link to the Epson WorkForce WF-2950 in the Build Quality section of the review to provide an alternative that feels better-built.
- Updated Feb 06, 2023: Added mention of the Epson Expression Home XP-4200 as a better alternative in the Printing Speed section.
- Updated Nov 10, 2022: Added mention of the Epson Expression Home XP-5200 in the Black and White Documents box as a better alternative.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Canon PIXMA TS3520 in white, but it also comes in black. There's only one variant, the Canon PIXMA TS3522, which is identical but comes in a black-and-white design and is a Walmart-exclusive model.
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is a mediocre printer overall. Its page yield is very low, and its print quality is noticeably worse than many other printers in its class. It also has a flimsy build and requires a fair amount of maintenance.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best home printers, the best all-in-one printers, and the best inkjet printers.
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 and the Canon PIXMA TR4520 are both all-in-one color inkjet printers, but the TR4520 is better. The TR4520 has a better cost-per-print for black text documents and can automatically print double-sided. It also has an automatic document feeder and prints better quality photos.
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 and the Canon PIXMA TS5320 are all-in-one color inkjet printers, but the TS5320 is better overall. The TS5320 has higher page yields and a much lower cost-per-print for black text documents, and it prints faster. Also, it has a better display and can automatically print double-sided and via Bluetooth.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is better than the Canon PIXMA TS3520 for most uses. The Epson has a sturdier build and a better display, and its ink cartridges yield more prints, making it more cost-effective in the long run. The Epson also produces higher-quality documents and photos. That said, the Epson requires more maintenance as its printheads clog very quickly.
The Canon PIXMA MG3620 is much better than the Canon PIXMA TS3520 for most uses. The MG3620 produces better-quality documents and photos, prints faster, produces higher-quality scans and supports more paper sizes.
Test Results
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