Review: Canon Pixma iP100

Canon’s latest printer in the portable printing segment, Pixma iP100 is slated as a worthy competitor to Polaroid’s PoGo although the size and features of the former being much bigger.

A review conducted by TR finds the print quality at par or even better than most portable printers in the market. A monochrome print test yielded laser-like prints except for jagged edges. Colour prints were particularly exceptional for this line of printers. Photo quality was at par with Canon’s normal sized photo printers.

Printing speeds were good but way off the claimed rates by Canon. A five page test yielded a printing speed of 6.67ppm while the text and graphics test yielded 3.53ppm. These speeds are excellent for a portable printer and there aren’t any other printers that can replicate these speeds in this segment.

Printing costs for iP100 are terrible. The printer costs a whopping £200 while the black cartridge is at £12 and the colour at £16. Assuming that cartridges yield 200 pages from each cartridge, each black print costs 7.08p and a colour print at 13.48p.

The pinching effect on the pockets could go well against the printer. Overall, it’s a great printer for someone looking for a good portable printer and a bad choice for those looking for cheaper options.

Here’s the verdict - Despite its high running costs, and to some extent the high purchase price if you include the lithium ion battery, this is an excellent portable printer. To those that need to print away from the mains, perhaps in a car or even on-site, in the middle of a field, the Canon PIXMA iP100 produces prints close to the quality of its desktop siblings, at very respectable speeds and with a minimum of fuss. It can even be hitched up as a Bluetooth printer with an optional USB adapter.