KliniKomputer

The Canon PIXMA IP4600 printer costs less than 122 USD, which can seem a little strange considering this is a high-end printer. This is just like any of the multifunctional printers except that it lacks a scanning function. You can expect to see all of the standard functions as seen in conventional Canon printers.

Exterior design

Just like all Canon printers, the Canon PIXMA IP4600 printer has a lovely piano black finish with a highly glossy surface. While this certainly lends the exterior a classy appeal, it is not practical when you have fingerprints on the surface. Compared to the earlier versions of Canon printers the 4600 model is smaller. This also entails that the cassette for the paper sticks out from the front portion of the printer. When the front covering is down, the output portion of the tray obscures this. However, the appearance is not very sleek when the printer is closed. The alternative paper source is via the rear tray when the top cover is folded. With two kinds of control buttons, namely for paper feeding and resuming as well as power and one USB socket located at the rear, this is a compact design. There is also a PictBridge socket that facilitates direct connection to your camera. The Canon PIXMA IP4600 printer uses the Canon CLI-221 cartridges. These have two blacks, where one is strongly pigmented and the other is a dye based one.

The Canon PIXMA IP 3600 printer is a color inkjet printer available within the 54 and 90 USD price range. This is a photo printer that can print upto legal paper sizes of 8.5 x 11 inches. There is no wireless connectivity provided and if you hate using cables then this printer can be a bit of a disappointment. One of the advantages of this printer is that you can easily print from the tray paper without having to lift the top portion of the hatch. If you are looking for regular text prints, these Canon printers do a great job. You can also get superior photo print quality with the Canon PIXMA IP 3600 printer. The speed of printing is not all that great and so it is best suited for home usage and non-commercial printing purposes. For photos of 8x10 sizes, you will get plenty of mileage before having to replace the Canon PGI-220 cartridges. Thus, another advantage is that the compatible Canon PGI-220 cartridges provide a good deal of ink shelf life.

Cartridges used

Both the Canon PIXMA IP 3600 printer and the Canon PIXMA IP4600 printer use theCanon PGI-220 cartridges and the Canon CLI-221 cartridges interchangeably. These cartridges are compatible with the Canon printers and you might notice that the newer versions of these cartridges have shrunk in size, almost by half. With new chips in these cartridges, this can be an issue for some consumers. One drawback is that you may find yourself checking in on the ink inside the cartridges occasionally. The Canon PGI-220 cartridges as well as the Canon CLI-221 cartridges do not come along with reset chips. As a bid to prevent providers of third-party cartridges, there is a system of encryption with 128 bits on the monitor chip. However, you can still get compatible cartridges that are as good if not better than the original cartridges and cheaper too.