RETURN OF THE PHOTO ALBUM (Canon Pixma iP4600)

Member Name: LIZS383

Product:	Canon Pixma iP4600
Date:	15/06/09 (168 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: EXCELLENT PICTURES

Disadvantages: SIZE AND SHAPE

The first noticeable thing about this printer is the size! It is big especially considering it is not a laserjet printer. A big black plastic box is not something everyone will want in the vicinity of their computer expecially if it is in a frequently used room.
However for a home printer it's worth looking at as the benefits and quality far out weighs the appearance.
The new ink set-up is different to printers I have used in the past having not only a black and colour cartridge but separate cartridges for each colour. I much prefer this as invariably using a standard colour printer only one colour would run out and I would find myself replacing the entire colour cartridge to ensure decent printouts. This makes colour printing much more reliable and you can get the full value out of each cartridge. The printer monitor is fairly reliable at telling you which colours are running out, however does give you an excessive amount of warning. I found I could print about another 20 sheets to a good standard after the alert had flashed.
The cartridges are reasonably priced when compared with other brands even when you are buying all the colours and are available in multi packs or as singles.
It also seems to be useful for printing varied types of paper such as card and acetate. Obviously with a Canon printer, the expectation is that the photos will be good. This did not disappoint. All the photos I have printed so far have been of a professionally printed standard. The printer deals well with black and white, greyscale and full spectrum include neon colouring. Software that comes with it configures well with all the cameras and camcorders I have tried it with (3 cameras, 2 camcorders (NIKON, CANON X2, OLYMPUS, JVC). I was also able to use it with a movie clip recorded on a mobile phone. The Photoprint is a really simple program that allows you to apply your photos to all types of documents that then are automatically aligned and printed perfectly! Pict Bridge means I can just link the camera to the printer without having to load and copy photos on to the computer and just get the prints - the photo album is back
The quality of printing is excellent and once you know how to change to the settings you want it is really quick to get the printing done. I do tend to use it more for pictures than anything else and this is what the Pixma 4600 has been designed for. The resolution is high and the settings allow your to print to a high standard. The separate inks facilitate maintaining this easily and quickly. I wish they could make it in a transportable version!

Summary: WOW!

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