Canon MX870 Ink
PIXMA MX870 Ink Cartridges

Canon MX870 Printer Review

The Canon PIXMA MX870 has an affordable retail price and low running costs due to inexpensive supplies. This inkjet printer can create monochrome text projects at a rate of 9 pages per minute and color documents at a rate of 6 pages per minute, though expert tests have indicated a sporadic lag in speeds that could slow projects down. Despite these shortcomings, its affordable price, an all-in-one design and easy-to-use features make it a fitting recommendation for personal use.

It comes with a built-in 2.5 inch LCD and a control panel that provide a number of straightforward options for managing projects, including one-touch copying, scanning and faxing and a status monitor for PIXMA MX870 printer ink. The panel also has a touch dial to allow users to scroll through and navigate printer menus easily. Media handling is pretty flexible and includes a 150-sheet rear input tray and 150-sheet cassette that are both adjustable to fit an assortment of media, even 4x6 inch photo paper.

The ability to setup the Wi-Fi connection in a matter of minutes will allow users to print wirelessly with little effort, and its built-in memory card support makes it easier to get photos directly from cameras. Unfortunately, color graphics output was reviewed to show some issues with clarity and detail. With a maximum resolution of 600x600 dpi using black Canon MX870 printer ink and 9600x2400 dpi for color images, the crisp quality of standard text and family photos help make up for the lackluster graphics.

The unit operates with 5 individual Canon MX870 ink cartridges of cyan, magenta, yellow, black and pigment black. Each color and the black PIXMA MX870 ink can yield approximately 430 pages. The pigment black Canon MX870 ink cartridge has a capacity of 350 pages.

While graphics output is disappointing and speeds may lag from time to time, good management features and consistent text and photo quality make it a worthwhile investment. With the added bonus of wireless use for the all-in-one features, this inkjet printer is a good fit for home users who also want to scan, copy, and fax.