Canon PIXMA MP510 Ink Cartridges

Canon MP510 Printer Review

The Canon PIXMA MP510 is designed primarily to meet the photo printing needs of users working from home, but it also includes scanning and copying functionality to handle more versatile projects. The unit is fairly quick overall, printing 4x6-inch photos in as fast as 47 seconds, monochrome text at speeds of 25 pages per minute and graphics at up to 17 pages per minute. Combining elements like its quick speeds, helpful control features, quality PIXMA MP510 printer ink system and multipurpose capabilities, this printer is an inexpensive and versatile device to have around the house.

This inkjet device sits at 17x14x6 inches in size, including a control panel under the front lid for basic elements such as an LCD screen for previewing photos, a number of buttons for copy and scan tasks, and a settings button. The front panel also incorporates memory card slots for direct photo printing from compatible cards like Memory Stick Duo, SD Card and MicroDrive. One drawback is the exclusion of a PictBridge-enabled USB port for additional photo printing connectivity.

The unit is further lacking in its all-in-one features, omitting an automatic document feeder for quick scanning or a duplex unit for the option of double-sided printing on paper. The unit does include a 150-sheet capacity cassette tray and a 110-sheet capacity bypass tray for the convenience of switching back and forth from different media paths, however.

The MP510's best feature is the quality of its photos, which print with a lab-quality output and sharp resolution of 4800x1200 dpi using color Canon MP510 ink. Text output didn't perform as well against expert tests, with issues in character density and a spotty resolution of only 600x600 dpi using black PIXMA MP510 ink.

The device trades in a pigment black printer ink to revert back to the more standard 4-color print system that includes a black, yellow, cyan and magenta Canon MP510 ink cartridge. Each color supply can yield around 280 pages and the black Canon MP510 ink cartridge has a capacity of 650 pages, making it best suited for light-duty use.

Those looking for a home printer that excels and is designed for photo printing will benefit from the MP510. However, if buyers are looking to purchase a multifunction device that is more well rounded in its scanning and copying features can find better inkjet units in its class.