A few years ago, I received a Canon Pixma MX310 All-in-One Printer as a graduation present. I’ve used it for a few years now, and would like to share my take on the quality and features of the product and provide some kind of final verdict.

Faxing, printing, scanning and copying are features offered by the MX 310. I am familiar with all of the printer’s components except for the Fax feature. I will talk about each feature individually and then discuss a few other printer considerations.

Printing with the MX310 is a snap. The software and manual are comprehensive and simple to get through and I was able to successfully connect the printer and print off a test document within minutes of opening the printer. Printing is reasonably fast and doesn’t seem as prone to jams as other printers on the market. The ink usage is fairly high, unfortunately, and the cartridges cannot be refilled, but replacement ink is modestly priced and can be found online for as little as $22 at a reputable dealer. For the tech geeks, it prints up to 600×600 dpi in monochrome at 22 pages/minute and 4800×1200 dpi in color at 17 pages/minute.

Copying is also easy. The document feeder holds up to 30 pages and the automatic feeder (ADF) works well. As would be expected from the quality Canon brand-name, the copies and very crisp and clear. The copying of photos to high-quality photo paper results in photos that are almost impossible to pick out from professionally-developed stills.

Scanning produces similar high-quality results. My only issue with the printer, it seems, is when it comes to using the scanner feature. I always have trouble shifting the printer into scanning mode. Often, I have to press the ’scan’ button several times before the machine moseys into scan mode. After the scanning is complete, the quality, however, is great.

I don’t have any experience with the fax component. Online reviews seem to be mixed. People like the 20-number storage capacity, but don’t like how few options it has. I would really suggest you try elsewhere for information about the fax’s specific capabilities.

The largest complaint I have with the printer is its awkwardly large size. It’s massive. It takes up half of my desk! If the printer is already on my desk, I can’t fit my laptop. I’ve used a variety of printers, so I can also say that the printer is relatively loud. Also, when the printer indicates it is low on ink, there are actually 30-40 pages left (from my experience). It’s not very eco-friendly, and I hope it wasn’t intentional on Canon’s part.

Pros: Produces high-quality products, functions quickly and without jams.

Cons: Uses a lot of ink, difficult to find space for. Can’t use ink refills for printers.

Final verdict: 3/5. Even though the quality and productivity are excellent, the cost to replace the ink and the large physical size is damning. It is a quality printer, but when I buy my next printer model myself, I will be looking for a smaller, quieter and more ink-efficient model.

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