Canon MP499 Ink
PIXMA MP499 Ink Cartridges

Canon MP499 Printer Review

The Canon PIXMA MP499 is a multipurpose inkjet device that presents buyers with an affordable option for personal photo printing, scanning and copying needs. Print speeds of up to 9 pages per minute for monochrome documents, 5 pages per minute for color graphics and approximately 41 seconds for 4x6-inch images are satisfactory enough for light-duty use. This unit has a modest range of features , such as flexible connection options and ample control provided with the printer driver, but buyers may be turned off by its pricey replacement PIXMA MP499 printer ink.

One of the MP499's best features is its built-in wireless printing and scanning, which will allow users to connect directly to networks and print from their mobile phones without an ethernet cable or computer. While it would have been a nice touch to include memory slots or a PictBridge port for printing images directly, this device's driver includes an array of photo-centric features like adjusting color brightness and removing red eye that make it useful for occasional photo printing. Users will also need to rely on the driver for access to basic control features, menus and settings since its design lacks an LCD screen. Instead, the printer's simplistic front panel includes only a handful of buttons and an LED that will flash to notify when Canon MP499 ink is running low.

Using the ChromaLife100 print system and PIXMA MP499 ink, this unit has a high-quality color and monochrome output, printing text with a resolution of 600x600 dpi and photos with a resolution of 4800x1200 dpi. The device can accept an array of media types, including matte photo paper and fine art paper, with support for a maximum capacity of 100 pages in its rear input tray to handle low-volume printing.

With low yields of only 220 pages for its standard black printer ink and 244 pages for the tricolor Canon MP499 ink cartridge, supplies may become more expensive than the printer itself. For a productivity boost users can opt for high-capacity replacements that last up to 401 pages for the black supply and 340 pages for the color Canon MP499 ink cartridge.

For a low-volume personal printer that can supply users with a satisfactory output and convenient wireless printing from their phones, the MP499 is a good pick. However, those that want a device with more photo printing features or lower running costs should look elsewhere for a multipurpose inkjet printer.