Why did I need a new printer?
When the predecessor printer, my Canon Pixma IP4200 died due to my carelessness, I was faced with a dilemma. The prior printer used ink extensively and expensively, so I bought the ink cartridges in volume and had easily $100 worth of ink tanks in inventory.

Why did I buy this printer?
It was clear that I would have to buy a printer that used the same 5 ink tanks as the IP 4200: A pigment-based black and dye-based black, magenta, yellow and cyan. The tanks cost around $14 each, with some quantity discount and discount bundles available. I knew that the IP 4200 had been replaced by a better model. The IP 4200 was available new from Circuit City for $59 pre-tax but was not available locally. ABT Electronics.com had the newer model for under $95 pre tax, better than anyone else locally. They would ship for free and I would get it the following day.

So, I checked out the newer model, the IP 4300. PC Magazine had rated it an “Editors Choice”, having a modest improvement in speed and quality from the predecessor IP 4200. I value both speed and print quality. Frankly, I thought the IP 4200 used much too much ink as well and I thought that perhaps Canon had improved that a bit.

Canon uses chips in it’s cartridges to monitor ink remaining. Because of this, there are no generic cartridges available. I basically buy them in multiple quantities to maximize discounts and also to use coupons that Office Depot has for larger order.

So, I figured better quality and faster was worth the extra $35. Plus, I needed to get the printer quickly.

How was set-up?
The Canons are plug and play. Putting in the print head and cartridges was easy. Canon does not provide a USB2 cable but I had the one from the last printer so that was not a problem. Installation was easy using an included CD.

My computer recognized it right away. This was truly plug and play.

How has it worked?
It seems faster for both black and white and color applications and my wife has noticed it, too. The speed difference seems faster that the modest difference listed in the specs. Documents look great, too. Particularly with letters and labels, the print quality is improved. Double-sided printing is faster as well. The size and the noise is similar to what I had before, which is to say that I do not notice it.

Quality is important, as I use my printer to support my music business. I need to project a professional image with my letters, business cards and labels. During certain times of the year, I do a lot of direct mail and preparation of promotional material, so speed is an important consideration. This printer has been an improvement from the IP 4200 and a VAST improvement from the earlier model, an HP 895 CSE ink jet.

Now, I have not printed photos because of the tremendous usage of ink by the predecessor model. In Chicago, both Walgreens and CVS have promotions where you can get 4 x 6 photos printed from jpg files for 15 cents each. At that price, I’d rather download the photos to either of them instead of printing it myself.

Ink usage seems to be modest so far through some fairly extensive print jobs.

This unit can be connected using a PictBridge connection to a compatible camera for photo printing. I have not used that.

With some fairly minor reconfiguration, this unit can also be used to print directly on CDs. I am not going to use ithat feature because I am happy with my labels for demo CDs.

More information can be found here:
http://pixma.allhyper.com/index.php/84/2006/10/05/canon-pixma-ip4300-cd-printing-instructions.html

I can strongly recommend this unit, although I will dock it a star because I don’t like proprietary print cartridges and the resulting expense.

specs
Printer speed
4" x 6" borderless photo:approx. 36 seconds
Black: Up to 30 ppm (as fast as 2.0 seconds per page)
Color: Up to 24 ppm (as fast as 2.5 seconds per page)

Number of Nozzles
Nozzle Text: Black: 512
Color: 1,024 x 2 colors (C, M), 512 x 2 colors (C, M), 512 x 2 colors (Y, BK)
Total: 3,584
Black: 600 x 600 dpi
Color: 9600 x 2400 dpi

OS Compatibility Windows® XP/2000/Me/98 and Mac OS® X v.10.2.8 to 10.4.x

Standard Interface USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and Direct Print Port (cable not included)

Buffer/Ram 42KB

Paper Sizes Credit Card (2.13" x 3.39"), 4" x 6," 4" x 8," 5" x 7," 8" x 10," Letter, Legal, U.S. #10 Envelopes

Noise Level (Approx.) 34 dB(A) in the best quality mode

Physical Dimensions 17.5"(W) x 6.3"(H) x 12.0"(D)

Weight14.3 lbs

Power Source 120V AC, 60Hz

Warranty Toll-free technical phone support plus 1-year limited warranty

Thanks for reading. God bless!

Please check out these related reviews:
ABT Electronics online store
Acer 20” Flat Screen Monitor
Lite On SOHW-1673SU DVD±RW Dual Layer Burner
Canon Pixma IP4200 Photo Printer
Simpletech 250GB USB2 External Hard Drive
D-Link DUB-H7 7-port USB2 hub
D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G DI-624 Wireless Router
Maxtor 5000 Personal Storage 160GB External Hard Drive



Recommended: Yes