Canon MX300 Ink
PIXMA MX300 Ink Cartridges

Canon MX300 Printer Review

The Canon MX300 inkjet unit was designed for small businesses' multi-purpose use. Due to its sluggish output rate, it is not good for high volume. The MX300 can print and copy up to 22 pages per minute using black Pixma MX300 ink, and 17 pages per minute in color. It can produce a crisp and long lasting 4"x6" color photo in less than 50 seconds. Even though the output speed is not ideal, the quality balances it out. Also, the lack of networking capabilities makes it difficult for more than one person to use it at the same time.

This unit offers a scanner, color photo printer, copier and fax machine. It is rather bulky, weighing over 15 pounds. The Canon MX300 lacks an automatic document feeder and a slot for memory cards. However, it does have a USB port for direct connection to cameras and camcorders. It also has built in Auto Image Fix that enhances and improves prints and Dual Gamut Technology that optimizes the quality of copies based on the original.

There are only two tanks for the Canon MX300 ink cartridges. One has black printer ink and the other is tri-color consisting of cyan, magenta and yellow. Canon supplies medium capacity Pixma MX300 ink, but low and high capacity cartridges are also available. The prints that are produced by the printer ink have a resolution of 600x600dpi in black and 4800x1200dpi in color. The MX300 is relatively inexpensive, costing around $100. However, the ink can get costly to replace. The black Canon MX300 ink ranges from $16-$30 and the color ranges from $20-35, depending on capacity.

Testing shows that the Canon Pixma MX300 is slower than most all-in-one inkjet units in the same price range but has much high quality prints. Many small businesses and home users on a budget find the MX300 to be a perfect match. However, some experts are disappointed with the speed, network capabilities and low capacity.