This is a pretty big unit for an A4 printer with no provision for A3 paper, however it does provide a number of options at its really useful value level of £599 (round $800). Printing, scanning, copying and faxing are the 4 fundamental features of a Four-in-1 multifunction system, however Canon has included some refined extras within the form of a 5-inch tilting shade touchscreen, a dual-sided doc scanner, a 50-sheet multi-purpose tray and a deep 250-page paper tray.

A set of 4 toner cartridges is included and Canon has elevated their yield, so you may anticipate to churn out a claimed 6,300 black and white pages, or 5,000 shade paperwork earlier than working out of toner.

The thought is to maintain your workers members working rapidly, and that’s achieved by the spectacular 27 ppm print charge, however additional boons to productiveness embrace dual-sided scanning, duplex printing and the power to create shortcut buttons on the touchscreen. Utilizing the digital interface, you may edit the buttons that seem and add one to set off a command that you just use typically, corresponding to printing a specific commonly-needed doc.

Design and construct

The Canon i-Sensys MF735Cx can stand on a desk on this fundamental configuration we’re reviewing, however it has an enormous footprint for an A4 mannequin, and for those who add the non-obligatory 550-page paper tray, it’s going to definitely need its personal low desk. With all of its flaps folded away, it seems to be like a neat and regarded design.

It’s quite a bit smaller than A3 MFD’s just like the high-end Xerox VersaLink C7020, however the type issue is analogous. Other than the dual-sided doc scanner on prime, you carry to disclose the scanner mattress in the identical means, and paperwork are delivered into the center of the machine. The principle paper tray is a drawer on the backside, whereas a flap on the entrance reveals the 50-sheet multi-purpose tray.

Behind the entrance flap is a second drop-down flap which reveals the drawers of toner, which had been pre-installed in our case. One other flap on the rear of the machine offers you entry within the occasion of a paper jam.

Connectivity contains an Ethernet port, modem ports for faxing, and each Sort-A and Sort-B USB ports. There’s one other USB three.zero port on the entrance, however no provision for an SD card, as you may discover on Canon’s client inkjet fashions. 

Options

There’s not a lot this absolutely featured four-in-one MFD can’t do, when you rule out printing on A3 paper in fact. Envelopes, shiny photograph paper and all types of paper inventory appear to suit someplace, and sensors in every tray efficiently establish the place you loaded your newest doc or sheet.

This machine can print at a powerful prime pace of 27 ppm, and it will possibly print on either side of the web page, whereas scanning can also be dual-sided. It is a extra unique characteristic and it really works effectively right here, saving a number of time when you’ve got a pile of double-sided pages to duplicate.

You’ll be able to ship scans to a USB stick, e mail, or the cloud, and you may even arrange a shortcut on the touchscreen with a purpose to will let you do that at any time with simply a few button presses. Images could be scanned at an enhanced decision of 9,600 x 9,600 dpi, which beats most laser MFDs.

If steady printing is vital to what you are promoting, then the MF735Cx will impress with its 250-sheet capability (expandable to 800 with an additional drawer) and 50-sheet multifunction tray, whereas the toner cartridges can print 6,500 mono pages, or 5,000 in shade earlier than needing substitute.

Setup and operation

Setup is pretty easy and mustn’t require IT assist as long as you arrange your profile efficiently and comply with prompts from the touchscreen interface.

The show is sharp and colourful, however frustratingly insensitive relating to typing. You might be regularly requested to kind in ID and PIN particulars, however it’s important to be very gradual and exact, and, above all, affected person when doing this, or your finger-press gained’t be registered.

For extra superb tuning and desire setting you may kind the machine’s IP handle into your browser and use your pc and Canon’s digital interface, which is barely extra user-friendly.

The companion app for moveable units, known as Canon Print Enterprise, affords the slickest person interface, and it’s, in fact, a free obtain. In case you’re utilizing Android, you may merely contact your smartphone or pill on the printer’s NFC sensor to sync units and print paperwork. iPhone customers are additionally catered for, however with no NFC, it is advisable to name up the printer’s QR code on the touchscreen, with the intention to scan it and thereby sync the 2 units.

Efficiency

Like so many laser printers, the MF735Cx can prove remarkably devoted black and white pages, and at a exceptional pace. Nonetheless, at as much as 27 ppm, this is without doubt one of the quickest we’ve come throughout, and it’s onerous to seek out fault with its crisp copies.

Shade paperwork seem simply as rapidly and look no much less constant, though relating to images, the colours are likely to look blocky and fewer vibrant. Even on shiny photograph paper, images are likely to look flat. It’s truly significantly better at scanning images as a result of in Enhanced mode, the seize decision is so excessive.

We particularly preferred the best way this system can scan and duplicate either side of a doc, which might save a number of time you probably have a stack of two-sided pages to repeat. After which there’s the customizable touchscreen, which allowed us so as to add buttons that might full pre-programmed duties, like scanning to e mail, by hitting that customized command.

Our solely actual downside with Canon’s MF735Cx is its unintuitive person interface coupled with an unresponsive touchscreen. This meant that a few of the time saved by fast-printing and dual-sided scanning was misplaced by mistyping PINs and passwords utilizing the sluggish on-screen keypad.

Ultimate verdict

This speedy multifunction laser printer is effectively suited to busy small and medium-sized  places of work as a consequence of its excessive capability for ink and paper, and its immediate warm-up and print speeds.

Tips like dual-sided scanning and the power so as to add shortcut instructions to its touchscreen are additionally options that translate immediately into time saved on the printer. The touchscreen and interface go away room for enchancment, however they’re not sufficient of a niggle to cease us recommending the Canon i-Sensys MF735Cx to any SMB.