Canon Pixma MX927 More Than Just ‘All-in-One’

Tested by: Mark Escueta
Photos by: Mark Escueta & Jolina Magdangal-Escueta,
Photos of Aurora Borealis by: Daryl Penderson

 

Today I was introduced to the Canon Pixma MX927, an all-in-one printer which means it can do more than just print. Specifically, this one can print, fax, scan AND copy – among other things. Yes, this the same Canoncompany that makes some of the best cameras in the world which is my first major reason why you should consider this printer if you’re into photography, like me. I do have to admit, I was initially a bit taken aback by the size (and weight) of this thing but upon further scrutiny and exploration of features, everything was well justified. I tested this printer with my Macbook Pro and several types and sizes of paper.

Being a fan and user of the Canon SELPHY product line of photo printers, I was hoping this printer would churn out equally great photos. I wasn’t disappointed. In order to test the capabilities of both the scanner and printer in one go, I decided to scan AND print a professionally shot photograph of the Alaskan Aurora Borealis (photo by Daryl Penderson) with lots of color changes and gradients. There was some visible banding when I scanned at 600dpi resolution so I decided to re-scan at 1200dpi. I then printed the file on A4 sized glossy photo paper at the highest resolution and I was very impressed at both the speed and the quality of the printout. It took less than 3 minutes to print the photo and there was hardly any noticeable difference between the original photograph and the one I just printed. I also tried printing on 4×6 size photo paper at lower quality settings and still the prints looked just as good as those coming from your friendly neighborhood photo lab. High quality 4×6 prints done in 2 minutes or less.

The printer has 2 separate paper trays. The lower tray holds up to 250 sheets of A4 to letter-sized paper, and the smaller upper tray is designed to hold up to 20 sheets of 4×6 inch paper which. Very convenient. You also have the capability to print full color labels directly onto compatible CD, DVD or Blue Ray discs. Perfect if you like to archive your files to discs or maybe give some personalized digital photo/video albums to friends and family. People who like to scan books will be pleased to know that the top cover can actually be lifted to accommodate books which are extra thick. A nice additional feature is a 35-sheet ADF (Auto Duplex Feeder) built in to the scanner cover for effortless scanning and copying BOTH sides of multiple documents, without having to open scanner to flip each page. This printer also lets you work without your computer. There is a standard USB port located on the front lower left side of the printer that lets you to print directly from your flash drive. When scanning or using the fax, you can choose to save the files directly to your flash drive and straight into your pocket. Good stuff.

The 3-inch colored LCD on the front-top portion lets you view your photos or other files before printing. The same LCD screen is used to view the different functions and menus of the printer. The control panel layout is pretty neat and simple to understand. Buttons on the top left and rightmost sides are dedicated to the major functions and are clearly marked. There is a 12-button keypad next to the LCD screen which appears to be blank when the printer is off, but it illuminates with simple graphic icons depending on which printer function you are in. For example, when you are in fax mode, they become your telephone keypad. Non-intimidating controls and efficient use of space.

The Canon printer utility software also deserves a special mention. The printer practically installed itself and there were a lot of nice software features that complemented the hardware. It was nice to know that aside from the usual head cleaning utility that you would find in most reputable printer software, you also have the power to clean your back rollers and paper guides using the same utilities. To top it all off, the Canon Pixma MX927 is WiFi enabled giving you that added flexibility on our increasingly wireless world. Sharing the printer with everyone in your home or office is pretty simple, as long as you’re on the same network as the printer. iOS users can make good use of AirPrint functionality and you can also print directly from WiFi enabled cameras through PictBridge.

Loads of quality specs and value for money in this friendly printer, not to mention you save a lot of desk space with one device instead of four. Check it out at your favorite Canon store or dealer.

Fluffy

Tech Editor, gear head , photographer, videographer, editor and all around lover of technology.

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