Canon Ip100 Printer: In-Depth Review and User Opinions

The Canon PIXMA iP100 is a compact portable inkjet photo printer designed for high quality photo printing on the go. Weighing just under 3 pounds, it's small and lightweight enough to easily fit in a backpack or bag for mobile printing needs.

Some key features of the PIXMA iP100 include:

• Print resolution up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi
• Uses individual CLI-8 ink cartridges
• Built-in wireless & USB connectivity
• Compatible with PictBridge cameras
• Prints 4” x 6” photos in about 36 seconds
• Droplet size of 2pl for detailed prints
• Maximum print size of 8.5” x 11”

With its portable design and wireless connectivity, the PIXMA iP100 is ideal for photographers who want lab-quality photo printing anywhere without being tethered. It’s also a good choice for students to print photos, documents and more from a laptop, tablet or smartphone while on the go. The iP100 delivers impressive print quality packed in a compact, lightweight mobile printer.

Design

The Canon Ip100 portable printer has a compact and lightweight design optimized for travel and portability. Weighing just 2.2 pounds and measuring 4.7 x 2.0 x 6.7 inches, it can easily fit into a backpack, purse or briefcase. The printer is small enough to sit unobtrusively on a desk, yet durable enough to toss into a carry-on bag.

Despite its diminutive size, the build quality feels sturdy thanks to the glossy black plastic casing. The printer has a clamshell design, so the paper tray folds neatly into the body of the printer when not in use. This further reduces the size for storage and transport. Overall, the streamlined design means you can print from anywhere, whether you're in the office, at home, or on the go.

Setup

Setting up the Canon Pixma Ip100 is simple and straightforward. It comes packaged in a compact box with the printer, power cord, setup guide, and sample ink cartridges.

To get started, remove the printer and accessories from the box. The Ip100 has a cute, sleek design that makes it easy to lift out. There's protective tape and materials, so peel those off gently.

Installing the ink is a cinch - the cartridges slide neatly into place under the lid. The printer holds one black and one color cartridge at a time. Gently press down on the cartridges until they click.

For connectivity, the Ip100 has wireless capabilities to link with wifi networks. It also includes a USB port on the back if you prefer a wired connection. Connect the power cord, turn the printer on, and follow the on-screen prompts to connect it to your wifi.

Once connected, you're ready to start printing! The setup is minimal and it should only take about 10 minutes from unboxing to printing your first page. The Ip100 makes the initial installation smooth and fast.

Print Quality

The Canon Pixma iP100 produces excellent print quality for both text documents and photos. It has a maximum color resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi, which allows it to render fine detail very accurately.

Text prints come out crisp and clear. At the highest print quality settings, text looks nearly as sharp as a laser printer. Graphics and images also print very well. The printer can reproduce a wide color gamut, so photos look vibrant when printed directly from the iP100.

While the printer only uses two ink cartridges (black and color), the color cartridge uses a five-ink system to produce excellent color accuracy. The separate inks are cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and photo magenta, which allows for expanded brightness and depth in the colors. This results in photo prints that look stunning with smooth gradients and vivid hues.

The iP100 particularly excels at glossy photo paper printing. When using Canon's photo paper, it rivals basic photo printers in print quality while also handling standard office documents. For general use, the print quality is better than average for an inkjet printer while providing beautiful photos as well.

Print Speed

The Canon PIXMA iP110 offers decent print speeds for a portable inkjet printer. It can print black text documents at up to 9.2 pages per minute (ppm) and color graphics at up to 5.0 ppm. While not the fastest printer, these speeds are reasonable for its compact size.

The first page out time is approximately 55 seconds for a black text document and 70 seconds for a color graphics page. So you'll need to wait under a minute for that initial page to start printing. Subsequent pages will print faster since the print head doesn't need to cycle up again. But the iP100 is still best suited for printing occasional documents rather than high volumes.

For a portable inkjet, the print speeds are fairly typical. Don't expect blazing fast performance, but the iP100 can handle basic home and office printing needs. Just keep in mind that larger desktop printers will offer faster speeds, so the iP100 trades some speed for portability.

Connectivity

The Canon Ip100 offers decent connectivity options for a compact portable printer. It has standard USB 2.0 connectivity to connect to computers via cable.

For wireless printing, the Ip100 is compatible with Canon's optional Bluetooth adapter for printing from mobile devices. However, it does not have built-in WiFi connectivity.

The lack of wireless connectivity can be limiting if you need to print from multiple devices or locations. You'll have to connect via USB cable or use the optional Bluetooth adapter.

The Ip100 does offer some mobile printing capabilities. With the Canon Print Inkjet app, you can print photos and documents directly from your smartphone or tablet. The app allows you to preview, edit, and print files on the Ip100. Just connect your mobile device via USB or Bluetooth.

Overall the connectivity options are fairly basic. The lack of built-in wireless connectivity is a tradeoff for the compact size. But the mobile printing app and Bluetooth adapter can provide wireless printing if needed. The connectivity gets the job done for a portable inkjet but lags behind bulkier models with more robust wireless options.

Ink

The Canon PIXMA iP100 uses individual ink cartridges for each color - black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. This allows you to replace only the color that runs out rather than having to replace a multi-color cartridge.

The printer uses Canon's FINE (Full Ink Nozzle) print head technology for crisp, sharp text and vivid color graphics. Print resolution goes up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi.

The standard cartridges that come with the printer are PG-40 (black), CL-41 (color) which have yields of about 190 pages for black and 185 pages for color. High capacity XL versions are also available (PG-40XL, CL-41XL) which can print around 400 pages in black and 300 pages in color.

Original Canon ink cartridges tend to be on the pricier side but are reliable and optimized for the printer. Compatible and remanufactured alternatives from third parties can help lower ink costs while still providing good quality, though mileage may vary. When shopping for ink, be sure to get the correct Canon iP100 cartridge models.

Overall, the ink costs are quite reasonable for an inkjet printer and the fact that you only have to replace individual colors makes it more economical. Just be aware that the cartridges are on the smaller side, so yields per cartridge are lower compared to printers with large-volume cartridges.

Software

The Canon PIXMA iP100 comes with a range of software to enhance your printing experience. It includes printer drivers for Windows and Mac to allow you to print from your computer.

The drivers have basic settings to adjust print quality, paper type, page layout, 2-sided printing etc. It also comes with Canon's My Printer software which provides additional utility functions like nozzle checks, print head cleaning and maintenance.

For printing on the go, Canon offers the Canon Print Inkjet/SELPHY app for iOS and Android devices. This allows you to print photos, documents and web pages directly from your phone or tablet. The app makes it easy to crop images, apply filters and adjust settings before printing.

Overall the software suite offers a seamless printing experience across desktop and mobile. The drivers have a standard interface and the mobile app adds convenience for printing from your smartphone or tablet.

Pros

Portability

The Canon Ip100 is highly portable thanks to its compact size and lightweight body. It weighs just 2.2 lbs, allowing you to easily transport it in a bag or backpack. The printer has dimensions of 7.2 x 12 x 2.2 inches - small enough to fit in tight spaces. This makes the Ip100 a great choice for printing on the go, whether in the office, at home, or while traveling.

Print Quality

Despite its small size, the Ip100 produces excellent print quality. It has a maximum resolution of 4800 x 1200 color dpi, resulting in sharp text and vivid color in photos and graphics. The printer uses individual ink tanks, which helps provide greater precision in dot placement for detailed prints. Many users mention the print quality exceeding their expectations for such a compact portable printer.

Cost

For a portable photo printer, the Ip100 offers strong value. Standard capacity ink tanks keep cost per page low. The printer itself is affordably priced, making it budget friendly for home users. When you factor in the convenience of portable wireless printing, the Ip100 delivers good capabilities without breaking the bank. It's a cost effective option for printing from your laptop, tablet or smartphone while on the go.

Cons

The Canon Pixma Ip100 has a few drawbacks to consider:

• Small ink tanks: The printer uses ink cartridges that contain less ink than standard inkjet cartridge sizes. This means you may need to replace the ink more frequently. Each black cartridge contains around 180 pages worth of ink, while the color cartridges contain roughly 150 pages' worth. This could increase long-term printing costs.

• No auto-duplexing: The Ip100 lacks an automatic duplexing feature to print on both sides of the paper. If you need double-sided prints, you'll have to manually reinsert the pages to print the second side. This makes duplex printing more time-consuming and inconvenient than printers with built-in auto-duplexing.

Overall the small ink tanks and lack of auto-duplexing may be disadvantages for certain users, but the Ip100 still provides reliable performance for basic portable printing needs. These cons are reasonable trade-offs considering the compact size and affordable price point of the printer.