Canon BJC-4550

Even on standard paper, photo reproduction is good, but using the optional Photo cartridge makes a real difference. I printed sample photos from a Kodak DC-25 digital camera, a PhotoCD sample from Corel's Stock Library and a professional photo scanned at 300dpi on an HP ScanJet 4c. All gave good results, with the BJC-4550 easily outclassing the DC-25. The PhotoCD file was highly impressive, and the scanned photo had to be inspected extremely closely to distinguish it from an actual photo.

Many modern printers have a somewhat flimsy feel, and the BJC-4550 is no exception. A number of parts, including the paper-out guides, are made of a thin, flexible plastic. The BJC-4550 is no worse than most printers on the market at this price range, and it offers exceptional features at the price.

The BJC-4550 also has to be the most versatile colour printer on the market at anywhere near the price. Photo output using the optional cartridge and high-resolution paper is seriously impressive, and the A3 capability is unheard of at the price.

As the BJC-4550 isn't particularly fast, A3 is likely to be used relatively rarely. If you need A3 a lot, you should buy a faster machine (like the Epson Stylus Pro XL). But for general-purpose usage, the BJC-4550 is a good choice.

Author: Phil Evans