TCPglobal - news, views and issues on total cost of printing

Issue #0506/2 - Exceptionally well-specified high-end inkjet MFP from Canon offers more functionality than almost any other device — but at a price.

Canon has launched what it describes as its ‘first high-end ink jet multifunctional product’. At £299 it certainly is ‘high end’ and, in terms of functionality, it is very advanced. However, when models from other manufacturers are available at less than half the price, the question has to be asked, “Does this really fit into a market space”?

Without a doubt, the Canon PIXMA MP760 helps to take ink jet MFP versatility to new levels.

Canon PIXMA MP760

Not only is it a photo-capable device (4-ink); with card slots (total 14 formats inc. Micro Drive) offering direct printing and scan-to-storage functionality; PictBridge interface; 2.5inch colour LCD preview screen (a first for Canon); but it also has an impressively wide range of other characteristics and features that make it one of the most versatile SOHO ink jet All-in-One machines on the market.

For instance, it:

• is duplex-ready out of the box
• has paper input paths from both front and back (i.e. it has a paper tray like Hewlett-Packard’s front loading paper tray and it also has a traditional gravity feed at the rear of the machine, both of which can be loaded at the same time)
• comes with an adapter tray for printing directly onto suitable CD and DVD surfaces
• has an integrated film/slide scan adapter built into the lid that even allows photo prints to be made direct from film without a PC. It can handle up to six negatives/positives or 4 mounted slide at one time
• USB 2.0 interface for fast printing and uploading of scan data

These features compare very well against competitors – even Hewlett-Packard does not have the rear paper feed to allow two media types to be installed at the same time (except on certain high-end models where an additional front loading paper tray is available).

Canon has clearly looked around at the devices introduced by other manufacturers and picked some of the best features to include. These include the integrated film adapter unit, mentioned above, that has been available on Epson machines for some time, and also the idea of printing a thumbnail proof sheet of photographs for marking-up of required photos (available on Hewlett-Packard machines for some years). Strictly speaking, proof sheet printing is not entirely necessary on a device with a preview screen, but no doubt it is useful in certain circumstances.

However, other manufacturers are also making advances, such as Epson, with Firewire interfaces on photo inkjet printers and AiO machines in addition to USB interfaces.

Targeted primarily at home users, this device will definitely be equally at home in small offices (as long as fax functionality is not required). Its capabilities are impressive.

For instance, it has a multitude of useful copy features: setting for up to 99 copies; 25% to 400% copy zoom; 2-in-1 copy; fit to page copy; borderless copy; fade correction copy (auto re-saturation); restoration copy (dust/scratches); grain correction / moiré pattern reduction scanning; 9-position density adjustment; and mirror copy.

In addition, the PIXMA MP760 is an on-ramp for small-scale Electronic Document Management with the ability to scan to PDF or to document archiving software.

Epson Stylus RX620

Furthermore, for the photographer, it is capable of identifying and cropping up to 10 photos in a single scan pass, straightening and saving each as individually indexed files (referred to as Fast Multi-photo mode).

As far as the ink system is concerned, it utilises the same configuration as the PIXMA iP4000 printer – being a five-ink system where pigment black ink is used for text and line art while a dye-based black ink is used for photographic output. Because the pigment ink is more expensive and offers a lower yield, this does push the Cost Per Page up. However, it is generally accepted that pigment ink is better for text applications than dye inks so, reversing the comment, this printer reduces CPP on photographs by not using the expensive pigment ink.

In terms of print speed, Canon does have the fastest photo speeds on the market and the claimed speed of 36 seconds for a borderless 6×4 (10×15) print (albeit not at full glossy print quality) is typically impressive of Canon. At full print quality, print speed of a little over one minute would be expected.

Quoted print speed for mono text is 25ppm in draft mode and 17ppm for colour documents (draft mode) – well up to current industry levels.

Lexmark P6250

In photo printing tests conducted by CharisCo Printer Labs, the Canon print head proved not only to offer the fasted print speeds in the group but also to achieve that speed at the lowest cost.

Two areas of concern exist around the PIXMA MP760:

• Firstly, the purchase cost (~£299 / ~€431) – although Canon has taken an approach supported by many users, where higher purchase price is offset by lower consumables costs, the purchase price of the MP760 is more than double that of the Lexmark and Hewlett-Packard offerings and more than one-third higher than the Brother and Epson (and the Brother machine includes fax functionality)
• Secondly, the MP760 uses a design feature that is familiar on a number of Canon printers and All-in-Ones, where a mechanised flap at the front folds down automatically when a print or copy is sent. Although Canon presents this is a feature to prevent paper jams, it would seem to be an unnecessary expense in the manufacturing process and vulnerable to failure

Note that for this level of machine, the mixed mono/colour CPP over three years shown in the accompanying table is calculated on the basis of 250 pages per month using maximum capacity inks and takes into account any standard, or starter, cartridges shipped with the printer and includes the purchase price.

Hewlett-Packard
PSC 2355

The accompanying table shows that, although Canon’s mono printing Cost Per Page is a little on the high side (at 2.88 pence against 2.45 of the Hewlett-Packard) the colour CPP is well positioned as the lowest in the group.

Unfortunately for the Canon, the overall CPP works out much more expensive than the others, entirely because of its high purchase price. If the purchase price were adjusted to put it in line with the Epson, at £170, the overall long-term CPP would be competitive at 5.92 pence.

~End~

This entry was posted on Friday, February 25th, 2005 at 12:01 am and is filed under Hardware, New Products, Pricing, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.