Business inkjet gets better

Canon Maxify MB5470

The MB5470 is an optimization update to 2015’s agship, the MB5370. For example, the MB5470’s ISO print speeds of 24ipm for mono and 15.5ipm for color aren’t huge jumps compared to the MB5370’s 23ipm and 15ipm. In fact, the speed gains are achieved more through rening its predecessor’s already excellent print engine, with tweaks like a wider printhead and further shortening of paper pickup time.

Likewise, the MB5470 is still a 4-in-1 device, with print, scan, copy, and fax functions, with support for wired and wireless LAN. Other niceties like two highcapacity paper cassettes (for up to 500 sheets); a 50-sheet, true duplexing ADF with twin sensors for 2-sided scanning in a single pass; high density pigment ink set for water and highlighter-resistant prints; a USB-A port for connect to USB ash devices; and support for mobile and cloud printing are all still available on the MB5470.

But Canon did nd avenues to improve the user experience. The touchscreen LCD is now bigger (3.5-inch vs. 3-inch), scan and copy speeds are slightly faster, and it’s now possible to scan both sides of an ID card and have them printed on a single page in their original size.

Support for SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) on top of regular TCP/IP is also new. This enables multidevice management and monitoring via popular eet management tools, such as Canon’s own imageWARE Enterprise Management Console and PrintFleet. Additionally, the Scan to Email function supports Canon’s own cloud service, and adds another layer of security by enabling compatibility with enterprise mail servers.

Output quality from the MB5470 is expectedly very similar to what I’ve observed with the MB5370. Text remains sharp even at 6 points for most of my test fonts; and while print dots are still visible on graphics on plain paper, overall quality is good enough for most business documents. And while photo quality isn’t spectacular, it’s no worse than most lab prints and much better than what a typical laser printer can muster.

If you want the very best from Canon, this is it. But if the new additions don’t appeal to you, you can consider the older MB5370 if you nd one on the cheap.

CONCLUSION A convenient 4-in-1 color inkjet printer with a useful 2-sided, single-pass scanner.

The printer is equipped with two high-capacity paper cassettes for up to 500 sheets.