Canon MF5550 Toner
imageCLASS MF5550 Toner Cartridges

Canon MF5550 Printer Review

The Canon MF5550 is a multifunction monochrome laser printer designed for the home or small office user. Its fast speeds and excellent text quality are impressive, but it lacks a built-in network port.

The design of the imageClass MF5550 is a little larger than many multifunction devices, but its footprint remains fairly compact. The unit measures 20 inches by 19.1 inches by 18.1 inches (HWD), so its height is the largest measurement. It should fit on a desktop if necessary, and its 30 pound weight makes it fairly easy to move around.

The MF5550 includes Presto! PageManager software for managing tasks and documents. The software generally works well, but not all features work as expected. While many multifunction printers give users the option to "print" to its fax function, this is not supported. Instead, users must go through the Presto! software in a somewhat roundabout fashion to accomplish this task.

The Canon MF5550 supports printing, scanning, faxing, and copying. Faxing and copying can both be done standalone, without the need for a computer. The 50-page automatic document feeder makes scanning multiple pages very fast and easy. Faxing at Super G3 transmission speeds is supported.

The Canon MF5550 toner cartridges incorporate Canon's single-cartridge system. The toner and drum are both included in each imageClass MF5550 toner cartridge. Each Canon MF5550 toner cartridge has a capacity of 2,500 pages. The printer also has a TonerSave mode, which allows users to get more out of each Canon MF5550 toner cartridge. The toners have a low cost per page.

Print speed is fast for the price, at around 19 pages per minute. Copies and faxes print at the same speed. Text quality is very dark and sharp, with readable text at small font sizes. Graphics quality is a little lackluster, but good enough for most small offices.

Overall, the Canon MF5550 is an excellent choice for the personal or small office user who needs a solid printer and good multifunction features. Lack of networking makes it a poor choice for a multi-user environment.