Canon i-Sensys LBP6300dn review

Canon’s i-Sensys LBP6300dn is fairly big for a mono laser printer, but it looks smart and feels like it’s built to last. The all-in-one consumable snaps reassuringly into place, although the main paper cassette feels a little more flimsy. Where many printers have a simple, single-page multipurpose feed, the front of the LBP6300dn folds down to create a 50-sheet tray.

There are USB and Ethernet ports, but no Wi-Fi. Installation is a little fussy, throwing up several notices and requiring a reboot. Canon’s driver can be similarly frustrating. It’s generally easy to use, but changing between envelope and paper types generates information windows that only serve to get in the way. One of these advises how to load envelopes in the tray, which itself is clearly stamped with the correct orientation. While it’s a small irritation, the end results are crumple-free.

Fortunately there’s little else to criticise. While this printer is typically noisy given its relatively high speed, its cooling fans stop moments after each job finishes. It’s quick to start printing, with the first page emerging after just eight seconds, even when the printer has been sleeping. It was consistently rapid across our other tests; producing some of the fastest photo prints we’ve recorded and duplex-printing 10 sides on five sheets of paper in 46 seconds.

Text quality was as good as we’d expected, but we were less impressed with the LBP6300dn’s photos, which looked as though they’d been processed to improve sharpness and contrast, with the effect of making them seem artificial. Greyscale business graphics were very good, however, despite the printer’s comparatively low 600x600dpi print resolution.

This printer can be upgraded with a 500-sheet paper cassette for a reasonable £92. Its running costs are very low, too. After the 2,100-page starter consumable is replaced, each print will cost around 1.5p as long as you stick to the 6,400-page high-yield cartridge. This makes total ownership costs cheap: buying this printer and keeping it in consumables for 21,000 pages would cost just £431 (not including paper). It’s a Best Buy.