Review of the Canon Pixma MP530

RRP £249 www.canon.co.uk One of the latest multifunction devices from Canon is the Pixma MP530, a small offi ce printer/scanner/ copier/fax unit that offers ‘photo lab quality’. On the print side the MP530 offers 1pl dropsizes with optimised 9600x2400 dpi resolution using individual RGB ink tanks and a black dye as well as a black pigment ink tank for document printing. The scanner offers 1200x2400ppi fl atbed scanning up to A4. Both these components can be accessed through the PC, or work together to allow colour copying. As well as the fl atbed platen, there’s a document feeder, useful for copying multiple pages, or photos. This is a speedy unit, with print times of around a minute, less for 6x4in. It’s not specially noisy either, which is a boon. Photo prints are punchy, with reasonable colour, though skin tones are slightly red. Primary colours are generally good, but the printer loses some of the darker colours, while anything too bold loses saturation. Highlights detail is well maintained and blacks are rich, occasionally too rich, with some shadow detail getting lost. The unit is less successful as a scanner. Colours from the mid range to light are well recorded, but the unit loses shadow detail. This loss is accelerated the darker the tones go, with much shadow detail and colour lost totally. This is also refl ected in direct copying, with little shadow detail retained and an overall dark print being produced.