Canon iP1600 Ink
PIXMA iP1600 Ink Cartridges

The Canon iP1600 is a simple and basic inkjet printer. It is compact and light, which makes it portable, and it doesn't require much space. This unit was an attempt by the manufacturer to cut costs, but they may have cut more quality than necessary. When on the market, the Pixma iP1600 was around $100. Since being discontinued, it can be found for around $50. It certainly is a bargain but doesn't have many features. It prints at 19 pages per minute in black and 16 pages per minute in color.

The Canon iP1600 is easy to move, weighing only 6 pounds and measuring 17.1x9.8x6.5. It is compatible with Windows and Mac and prints on standard size paper, legal, credit card, 4x6, 5x7 and envelopes. It prints 4"x6" photos in just over a minute. The resolution is high, especially for the cost, at 4800x1200dpi (dots per inch) in color and 600x600dpi in black.

The patented nozzle technology found in most Canon inkjet printers uses over 1400 nozzles to eject hundreds of droplets onto the page. There are only two Canon iP1600 ink cartridges in this unit, one black and the other color. The color cartridge has three colors- magenta, cyan and yellow. Most printer ink is dye based, but the black has a special pigment base to reduce smudging. Unfortunately, Pixma iP1600 ink has low capacity, which means higher costs for the consumer.

The Canon iP1600 ink can be purchased for approximately $20-$25. If a user needs to replace printer ink more than twice, it would actually cost more than the printer itself. The most obvious issue with this unit is the lack of an output tray. This means the used would need desk space to catch the printed page, or the consumer would have to pick it up off the floor. Installation is relatively simple; however, print head alignment is manual. Also the Pixma iP1600 inkjet printer lacks a direct connection for printing directly from a digital camera or a memory card, which is slightly outdated.

This device is good for light personal use, but quality is low on this one. The low capacity of Canon iP1600 ink is almost reason enough to stray from this unit. Experts have trouble reviewing it due to the lack of features. Consumers are satisfied but far from impressed with the results. All in all, it is a basic inkjet printer that serves its purpose but doesn't offer much beyond that.