🖨️ In-Depth Review: Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer for Home Use
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 stands out as a strong contender in the crowded market of budget-friendly all-in-one inkjet printers, specifically targeting the needs of home users and small, low-volume home offices. Blending the essential functions of printing, copying, scanning, and faxing with modern wireless connectivity and convenient features like an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), this compact machine aims to be the versatile workhorse for everyday tasks.
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| In-Depth Review: Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer for Home Use |
This extensive review delves into the key aspects of the PIXMA TR4720, evaluating its design, feature set, performance, and perhaps most importantly, its print quality and running costs.
📐 Design and Setup: Compact and User-Friendly
The PIXMA TR4720 boasts a compact footprint (approximately 17.2” W x 11.7” D x 7.5” H when closed) and a relatively light weight of around 12.7 lbs, making it easy to fit onto a desk or shelf in a home environment. Its design is straightforward, prioritizing function over flash.
Control Panel: It features a simple 2-line monochrome LCD display and a set of dedicated buttons, including a numeric keypad for faxing. While basic, this interface is sufficient for walk-up tasks like making quick copies or sending faxes, though most users will likely prefer managing complex jobs via the Canon PRINT app.
Paper Handling: The printer utilizes a front-loading paper tray with a standard capacity of 100 sheets of plain paper. A common criticism, however, is the design involving separate flip-out trays for input and output, which some users find slightly clunky and space-consuming when fully extended.
Setup: Canon generally receives high praise for the ease of setting up their printers. The initial connection and configuration, particularly the wireless setup, are often described as quick and seamless, typically guided via the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app.
✨ All-in-One Features and Connectivity
The TR4720 is a true 4-in-1 device, offering:
Print
Copy
Scan
Fax
Key Productivity Features:
Automatic Document Feeder (ADF): A standout feature at this price point is the 20-sheet ADF. This significantly boosts productivity for multi-page scanning, copying, or faxing (up to Legal size 8.5" x 14").
Auto Duplex Printing: The printer includes an automatic 2-sided (duplex) printing engine for letter-sized documents, a handy feature for saving paper and reducing clutter.
Fax Functionality: A built-in fax modem (33.6 kbps) is a valuable inclusion for home offices that still require traditional fax communication.
Connectivity:
The TR4720 is built for a modern, wireless workflow:
Wireless: Supports Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) and Wireless Direct Connection (Access Point Mode).
Mobile Printing: It is fully compatible with popular mobile printing protocols like Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, and the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app, allowing for easy printing and scanning from smartphones and tablets.
Smart Home Integration: The printer also supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Wired: A standard Hi-Speed USB port is available for a direct connection to a PC.
📈 Performance: Speed vs. Quality
The PIXMA TR4720 is an inkjet printer designed for light-to-moderate use, and its performance metrics reflect this.
Print Speed:
The print speed is generally considered sluggish for document printing, especially compared to more premium models:
ISO Mono Print Speed (ipm): Approximately 8.8 ipm
ISO Color Print Speed (ipm): Approximately 4.4 ipm
Photo Print Speed (4” x 6”): Approximately 65 seconds
Reviewers note that for typical document tasks, the print speed is adequate but far from fast. It is certainly not suited for users with high-volume or urgent printing demands.
Print Quality:
Print quality is arguably the TR4720’s greatest strength, especially concerning photos.
Maximum Print Resolution: Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi.
Text Quality: Documents are produced with clear, legible text, using a pigment-based black ink cartridge that results in crisp, sharp text that rivals laser quality for everyday use, although some deep scrutiny may reveal a slight grayish tone to the black.
Photo Quality: This is where the TR4720 truly shines. Utilizing a dye-based tri-color ink cartridge, the printer delivers stunning, vibrant photo prints with excellent color accuracy and fine detail, surpassing many other printers in its class. It supports borderless printing up to 8.5" x 11".
Scanning and Copying:
The flatbed scanner offers an optical resolution of up to 1200 dpi, which is excellent for detailed scans.
The ADF is limited to single-sided scanning (simplex) but handles documents up to Legal size, making multi-page document processing much easier.
💲 Operating Cost: The Critical Consideration
The most significant drawback of the Canon PIXMA TR4720 is its high operating cost.
Ink System: The printer uses a traditional two-cartridge hybrid ink system—one Pigment Black cartridge (PG-275) and one Tri-Color cartridge (CL-276). The tri-color cartridge contains cyan, magenta, and yellow inks in a single unit, which means if one color runs out, the entire cartridge must be replaced, leading to potential waste.
Cost Per Page (CPP): Various tests show that the TR4720 consumes ink at a faster rate than many competitors, resulting in a high CPP. For users who print frequently, particularly a mix of black-and-white and color documents, this can quickly negate the low upfront purchase price.
Mitigation: Canon offers XL-sized ink cartridges (PG-275XL/CL-276XL), which are more economical than the standard-sized versions. The printer is also compatible with Canon’s PIXMA Print Plan ink subscription service, which could offer better value for users with consistent printing volumes. Low-volume users can mitigate high costs by utilizing draft modes for everyday documents.
🎯 Verdict: Who Should Buy the Canon PIXMA TR4720?
| Category | Canon PIXMA TR4720 Assessment |
| Best For | Low-volume home use, students, and small home offices. |
| Pros | Superb photo print quality; Compact design; Full 4-in-1 functionality (Print/Copy/Scan/Fax); Auto Document Feeder (ADF); Auto Duplex Printing; Easy wireless setup; Affordable purchase price. |
| Cons | Slow print speed for documents; High long-term running costs (expensive ink); Two-cartridge system (tri-color); Basic control panel. |
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 Wireless All-in-One Printer is an excellent entry-level machine for users who prioritize photo quality and a robust feature set (especially the ADF and fax capability) over sheer printing speed and low operating cost.
If your printing is infrequent—only a few documents a week, coupled with occasional, high-quality photo prints—the low initial price and exceptional output quality make it a compelling choice. However, if you are a high-volume user who prints hundreds of pages monthly, the high cost of ink will make a bulk-tank (MegaTank) or a multi-cartridge printer a more cost-effective long-term investment.
Ultimately, the TR4720 delivers exceptional results for its price category, making it a reliable and versatile tool for the modern, connected home or micro-office, provided you are aware of and manage its operating expenses.