Canon PIXMA MX420 review

The MX420 is one of three new models added to Canon’s huge range of inkjet PIXMA multifunction peripherals (MFPs). It’s a highly-specified device aimed at the home office, so it can print, scan, copy and fax, and comes with a 30-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) for multi-page jobs. It can connect to a home network via a wired Ethernet port or by 802.11 b/g/n wireless, or you can hook up a single PC using the USB port. Alternatively, direct printing is possible via the PictBridge USB port and memory card slots.

While that’s an impressive set of features, there are a few notable omissions compared to some competitors and other models in the PIXMA range. There’s only a single media tray, so you’ll need to unload a stack of plain paper to print photos on glossy paper, and there’s no automatic duplexer for double-sided printing, although the driver does make manual duplexing easy.

The MX420 has less of the high-gloss plastic used for Canon’s home-orientated MFPs, and it does without their touch-sensitive controls, too. Unfortunately, while the 6.2cm screen is clear and the menus fairly intuitive, we’re not keen on Canon’s combined scrollwheel and four-way rocker switch – having simply one or the other would be easier. Fortunately both the print and scanner drivers are straightforward, offering quick settings by default, but allowing advanced users to access more detailed settings when wanted.

The MX420 is an office-focused device, and its printer must make do with a lower resolution, fewer colours and larger ink droplets than some other devices in the PIXMA range. Even so, its photo quality was far better than rivals such as the Brother DCP-J715W. Its plain paper results were also good, but the printer wasn’t particularly quick on any job.