Canon MX340 Ink
PIXMA MX340 Ink Cartridges

Canon MX340 Printer Review

With a unique and modern design, the Canon PIXMA MX340 is an ideal all-in-one inkjet printer for the home. Weighing less than 20 pounds and combining a scanner, copier, fax machine and printer in one compact frame, the MX340 is as versatile as it is efficient. Black-and-white documents can be produced at a rate of about 9 pages per minute while full color prints take about 20 seconds each to be completed. A 4x6 inch picture can be generated in only 43 seconds at a quality comparable with photo labs. Faxes can be sent and received at Super G3 speeds, and copies and scans take about 25 seconds to process, which should be fairly adequate for most home users.

Wireless capabilities are built in, though users have the option of connecting it directly to a single computer via USB. A PictBridge port and Bluetooth support are available for connecting cameras and other devices, for easily getting photos onto the device without a PC. Documents and pictures can be printed directly from handheld devices such as tablets and smart phones that support the PictBridge standard. Easy WebPrint EX is a software feature that makes printing directly from a web browser a hassle-free task.

Using the Canon FINE nozzle system, high-grade Canon MX340 printer ink and Dual Color Gamut Processing Technology, vivid colors can be delivered with a resolution of 4800x1200 dpi. Black-and-white documents max out at 600x600 dpi, which will be sufficient for average users. The 1,472 nozzles eject 2 picoliter droplets of PIXMA MX340 ink on the paper in layers, for more accuracy and sharpness than those that eject larger droplets.

Reviews show that the speed and quality provided by the device is a solid selling point, but some find the black Canon MX340 ink to be slightly overpriced, limiting the volume that should be printed with this unit. However, third party vendors do offer compatible versions of the PIXMA MX340 ink cartridges that will cost considerably less than the OEM versions. Replacement printer ink is readily available and comes in two different sizes, which is an appealing feature. Low volume Canon MX340 ink cartridges yield less than 250 pages while the high-volume options yield 350-400 pages.

Versatility, reliability and affordability are all important characteristics of a personal inkjet printer. The MX340 certainly provides all three, and using compatible supplies will extend its affordability into the future as well. The MX340 offers a number of features and functions, built-in software and photo printing capabilities that make this unit ideal for a home office.