With any multifunction device, the challenge is how to cram in all of the features and allow them to be used properly. And that’s without making the resulting model feel like a glorified Swiss Army Knife, rather than a printer/scanner/copier. Or, in the case of the Canon Pixma MX535, fax machine to boot. See also: what’s the best multifunction printer? There were times with the MX535 when its many features threatened to overpower it, such are the number of trays and other features. However, Canon’s tried-and-trusted design manages to keep everything on just about the right side, and the hefty yet relatively elegant casing makes a power statement for a modest £90 price. The output tray protrudes above the main 100-sheet paper feeder in a slightly awkward layout that isn’t improved by the flimsy nature of the output tray itself. This is partly due to the need to reserve the top half of the MFD for the powerful scanning/copying/faxing facilities. The latter scanning ability is lent exceptional functionality through the capable 30-sheet ADF, while scanning output itself is strong, colourful, and accurate. Scan times were good, too, with lower-resolution A4 scans dropping out in a mere 8 seconds, and 300 dpi in just under 12. Even glorious 600 dpi completed within 29 seconds. The scanner lid itself is both robust and highly adjustable, making the MX535 a more multifunctional multifunction device than the typical sub-£100 fodder. Take a look at our 2014 chart: what’s the best printer? Once you’ve got past the trays, the Canon also works fairly well as a printer. The control panel is an old-fashioned buttons-and-LCD affair, with no nod towards touch-sensitive or graphic interfaces. But if the layout isn’t the most pleasurable to use, it is at least logical. Connectivity is well handled. The 802.11b/g/n interface makes for useful wireless printing, and you can optionally add Bluetooth facilities too. Google Cloud and Apple AirPrint are supported, and you can tap into Android and iOS mobile devices. Indeed, the handy Access Point Mode lets this model connect seamlessly to smartphones and tablets without the Canon even needing to be hooked into a network.
At first glance, the MX535 seemed a little slow. After all, its draft mode finished a 10-page bundle at a rate of just 9.7 pages per minute. However, the standard mode has significantly improved print quality, yet still achieved a time of 8.6 ppm. When it comes to colour graphics, the 2.8 ppm standard mode time remains practical, and not too far off the 3.8ppm of the draft mode. Canon’s print quality is generally amongst the best and, particularly in standard mode, the MX535’s output offers superb clarity of text (even if not in the same class as typical lasers), and ravishing colour carved out with sharp and clean lines. Not so impressive were the duplex facilities. These dropped the text speed from 9.7 to 4.7 ppm in draft mode, and from 8.6 to a mere 2.6 ppm in standard. These massive cuts in speed mean that users may rarely resort to duplex when they could use the much faster single-sheet version instead. The print costs are fairly standard, though, and 2.7p and 4.8p for mono and colour respectively (with high-capacity refills) are very solid figures that almost match those of the HP Photosmart 7520.
