🖨️ Canon PIXMA TR7020a All-in-One Wireless Color Inkjet Printer Review: A Feature-Rich Home Office Companion
The Canon PIXMA TR7020a presents itself as a compact, feature-packed All-in-One (AIO) printer designed to meet the diverse needs of a modern home office or family setting. Combining printing, scanning, and copying capabilities with robust wireless connectivity and smart features like voice activation, this inkjet printer aims for convenience and functionality without taking up too much space. But does it deliver a seamless user experience and quality output? Let’s delve into a comprehensive review of the Canon PIXMA TR7020a.
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| Canon PIXMA TR7020a All-in-One Wireless Color Inkjet Printer Review: A Feature-Rich Home Office Companion |
Key Features at a Glance
The TR7020a stands out in the crowded entry-level AIO market by offering a suite of features typically found in more premium models:
All-in-One Functionality: Print, Scan, and Copy.
Wireless Connectivity: Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, supporting mobile printing via the Canon PRINT App, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria.
Duplex Printing: Automatic two-sided printing to save paper.
Auto Document Feeder (ADF): A 35-sheet compact ADF for multi-page scanning and copying.
Dual Paper Feeding: Features both a rear paper tray (100 sheets) and a front paper cassette (100 sheets), allowing simultaneous loading of plain and photo paper.
Voice-Activated Printing: Compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Display: A clear 1.44-inch OLED display for easy navigation.
Ink System: A 2-cartridge hybrid ink system (one pigment black, one tri-color).
Setting Up for Success: Ease of Use
One of the most praised aspects of the PIXMA TR7020a is its remarkably easy setup. Many users report a near-effortless unboxing and installation process, often completed in under ten minutes using a smartphone.
Wireless Setup: The printer's wireless connectivity is generally stable, supporting dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) for a reliable connection. Scanning a QR code takes the user to an online tutorial that simplifies the entire process, including cartridge insertion and alignment.
Control Panel: The 1.44-inch OLED display, while small, provides a clear and intuitive interface for basic tasks like copying and checking ink levels. For more complex settings and mobile operations, the Canon PRINT App takes over, offering comprehensive control from a smartphone or tablet.
However, some user feedback points to a less intuitive settings menu compared to older Canon models, and a few critical reviews mention occasional Wi-Fi connection hiccups—a common complaint with many home printers.
Performance: Print Quality and Speed
The TR7020a employs Canon's FINE (Full-lithography inkjet Nozzle Engineering) hybrid ink system which utilizes two cartridges: one for pigment black (for sharp text) and one for dye-based color (cyan, magenta, and yellow).
Document Quality and Speed
Text and Color Documents: The printer excels at producing crisp, dark, and highly legible text documents, even at small font sizes. Color documents, such as charts and presentations, also look very appealing with solid fills.
Print Speed: The speed is decent for a printer in this class, rated at approximately 13 images per minute (ipm) for mono and 6.8 ipm for color documents. This makes it adequate for low-to-moderate volume daily use, such as homework, casual office documents, and everyday paperwork.
Auto Duplexing: The built-in automatic two-sided printing is a fantastic productivity feature, helping to save paper effortlessly.
Photo Printing
Here, the use of only four inks (one black, one tri-color) becomes a noticeable limitation.
Verdict: While acceptable for casual snapshots and children's projects, photo print quality is described by some reviewers as lackluster when compared to Canon's higher-end, five- or six-ink PIXMA models. The reliance on composite black (mixing the three colors) instead of a dedicated photo black ink can result in a lack of vibrancy and contrast, especially in darker tones. For users whose primary need is high-quality photography prints, this model may fall slightly short.
Productivity and Versatility
As an All-in-One, the TR7020a is designed to handle more than just printing.
Auto Document Feeder (ADF): The 35-sheet ADF is a major highlight, significantly boosting productivity for anyone who needs to scan or copy multi-page documents (like contracts or reports) without having to manually feed each page. A key note is that the ADF does not support automatic two-sided (duplex) scanning or copying, meaning you must manually flip the stack for a two-sided original.
Dual Paper Feeds: The flexibility of having a 100-sheet front cassette for plain paper and a separate 100-sheet rear tray for specialty media (like photo paper, cardstock, or envelopes) is excellent for maintaining a ready-to-use home office setup.
Voice Control: The Works with Alexa compatibility allows users to initiate prints of templates, coloring pages, and lists using simple voice commands, adding a layer of modern convenience.
Cost and Running Costs
The PIXMA TR7020a is an affordable printer upfront, but users should be mindful of the running costs. Since it uses a two-cartridge system (Black and Tri-Color), if one color runs out, the entire tri-color cartridge must be replaced.
Running Costs: While not exorbitant, the per-page cost for ink places this printer firmly in the low-volume use category (e.g., 100 to 300 pages per month). Heavy users or those with very high print volumes should consider Canon's MegaTank series or printers with separate, individual ink cartridges to optimize cost efficiency.
Final Verdict
The Canon PIXMA TR7020a All-in-One Wireless Color Inkjet Printer is a highly competent and well-appointed AIO printer for the average home or small home office.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
| Excellent Value & Features: Auto Duplex, 35-sheet ADF, Dual Paper Feeds. | Subpar Photo Quality: Limited by the 4-ink (2-cartridge) system. |
| Effortless Setup: Praised for its fast and easy initial installation. | Higher Running Costs: Can be expensive for high-volume printing. |
| Sharp Document Quality: Produces crisp text and appealing color graphics. | Small Display: The 1.44-inch OLED is functional but small. |
| Mobile & Smart Connectivity: AirPrint, Canon App, and Alexa support. | ADF is not auto-duplexing. |
If your needs center around document printing, scanning multi-page documents, occasional color printing, and a compact, easy-to-use wireless solution, the PIXMA TR7020a is a strong contender that offers exceptional feature density for its price point. However, if professional-grade photo output is your priority, you may want to look at a PIXMA model with a 5 or 6-ink system.