Canon PIXMA MG7550/MG7520

£130, $170

A small printer that’s big on versatility, combining A4 output with a wealth of standalone functions

The MG7550 (MG7520 in the US) is Canon’s range-topping PIXMA A4 printer. Along with ‘all-in-one’ functions based on a built-in scanner, SecureDigital and MemoryStick memory slots and an 8.8cm touchscreen, it’s also well-connected. USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and even NFC (Near Field Communication) are all on hand, along with wide-ranging cloud and mobile app facilities.

It uses a pigment-based black ink for document printing, and five dye-based inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, black and grey) for photo printing. The grey ink extends the colour range and improves black-andwhite photo printing. The cartridges are available in 7ml or 11ml (XL) options. The latter is more cost-effective, at around £1 ($1.64) per millilitre.

Performance

This is the fastest inkjet printer on test, generating highestquality borderless A4 prints in two minutes six seconds, and regular-quality 6x4-inch prints in just 20 seconds. Colour print quality is very pleasing, with a flattering warmth for skin tones. There can be an unwanted magenta colour cast in blackand-white printing; you can avoid this by switching to the ‘greyscale’ printing option, but output then slows to nearly six minutes for an A4 print.