Canon PIXMA iP4850 Review June 27, 2011 11:03 by Matt Bird
| Canon PIXMA iP4850 Printers which aren't all-in-ones are often referred to as single-function, but this doesn't quite apply to this machine, as it has several different uses. The big, black, high-gloss black box can print on plain paper, from its 150-sheet cassette which slides in from the bottom of the front panel, or from the lift up and latch tray at the back, again a 150-sheet feed. Canon recommends you reserve the rear tray for photo paper, though, which makes sense as you're likely to be printing photos less often, so you can leave the tray closed and dust-free most of the time. There's a third way of printing on the PIXMA iP4850, though, which is directly onto a coated CD or DVD. A carrier is supplied and you load the disc in from the front, using Canon's handy little disc applet to design and print on it. USB is the only data connection on this printer – there's no wireless – but it does have a front-panel Pictbridge socket, so you can cable in a camera and print directly from it. The five ink cartridges – there are both black and photo black inks – clip in easily and give the printer generally good running costs. Canon claims print speeds of 11ppm black and 9.3ppm colour, though we saw a maximum of 8.5ppm under test. Still not bad for an inexpensive inkjet, but it does slow dramatically when you print duplex, creeping in at just under three sides per minute. As is usual with Canon machines, print quality on both plain and photos papers is well above average, with bright colours for graphics and natural hues in photos. This machine is very good value and offers a lot of flexibility, compared with other sub-£70 printers. | Typical price (inc VAT): £67 Print type: Thermal inkjet Number of cartridges: 2 x black, 3 x colour Claimed print speeds (normal mode): 11ppm black, 9.3ppm colour Paper handling: 150-sheet cassette and 150-sheet tray Auto duplex print: Yes Print resolution: Up to 9,600 x 2,400dpi Scanner: None Connection type: USB, PictBridge Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X
