The Canon PIXMA TR8620a is an inkjet all-in-one printer perfect for home or small office use. It offers a wide array of useful features, including an automatic document feeder (ADF) and a duplexer for two-sided printing.
Unlike most printers at this price point, the PIXMA TR8620a uses five ink cartridges with two types of black: one for documents (pigment-based) and the other for glossy photo prints (dye-based). The rest of the inks are the standard cyan, magenta, and yellow.
In addition to the duplexer for two-sided printing, the TR8620a gets some really good smart home integration with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It connects to your home eco-system via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, with the option to print from external devices such as SD, miniSD, and microSD cards when using adapters. With Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, and Canon’s PRINT app, you can also print from mobile devices.
Design and Build Quality
The TR8620a has. Big 4.3-inch color touchscreen on its control panel, which is bigger than what you get on most printers, and it aligns upward up to 90 degrees. As such, you don’t have any physical buttons for operation, save for the power button; however, the touchscreen is responsive enough, and the menus are easy to navigate.
Its compact dimensions (approximately 17.3 x 13.8 x 7.5 inches) ensure it doesn’t take up too much desk space, which is especially important in-home offices. The matte black finish gives it a professional look, while the intuitive control panel adds a modern touch to the overall appearance.
The printer has a paper capacity of 100 sheets in its rear tray and 20 sheets on the Auto Document Feeder at the top, as well as a 100-sheet front paper cassette. It supports various paper sizes, including letter, legal, and 4” x 6” photo paper, making it versatile for both document and photo printing.
Features
The Canon PIXMA TR8620a checks a lot of boxes for a home printer; while it may not be the most powerful inkjet all-in-one, its performance is above average across the board, making it one of the best photo printers in the sub-$200 category. Among its hallmark features are:
- All-in-One Functionality: The PIXMA TR8620a combines printing, scanning, copying, and faxing, making it suitable for both personal and professional use.
- Wireless Connectivity: With built-in Wi-Fi, the TR8620a allows for easy wireless printing from smartphones, tablets, and computers. It also supports Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print, enhancing its accessibility.
- Mobile Printing: The Canon PRINT app enables users to print directly from their mobile devices, providing convenience for those on the go.
- Automatic Document Feeder (ADF): The 20-sheet ADF simplifies scanning and copying multi-page documents, a feature that is particularly useful for small office tasks.
- Duplex Printing: The automatic duplex printing feature saves paper and enhances productivity by allowing users to print on both sides of the page without manual intervention.
- Borderless Printing: This feature is perfect for photographers or anyone who wants to print high-quality images without borders.
- SD Card Slot: An integrated SD card slot allows users to print photos directly from their memory cards without needing a computer.
Print Quality
Since most users typically print photos in color, this metric gets a lot of attention when reviewing an all-in-one inkjet printer. Color accuracy is great on this printer; you don’t need to worry about your photos looking too different from the digital originals, as colors look vibrant and natural for the most part.
For text-based documents, the print quality is impressive, with decent contrast between light and dark elements. It can produce borderless prints up to 4” x 6” in approximately 36 seconds, making it efficient for photo enthusiasts.
Print Speed
The Pixma TR8620a has two adjustable paper trays: the front input tray holds 100 plain sheets, and the rear input tray holds either 100 plain sheets, 20 sheets of 4 x 6 photo papers, or ten sheets of 5 x 7 photo paper. It delivers decent print speeds, rated at around 12 pages per minute (ppm) for black and white documents, 4 ppm for color, and 60 seconds for color photos. While these speeds may not be the fastest in the market, they are adequate for most home and small office environments.
Scanning and Copying
Scanning capabilities are equally commendable, with an optical resolution of 1200 dpi. The scanner handles both documents and photos well, producing clear and accurate scans. Copying is straightforward, with options for resizing and adjusting settings via the control panel. The ADF adds to the convenience of copying multi-page documents.
Software and Usability
The Canon PIXMA TR8620a comes with a robust suite of software that enhances its usability. The Canon PRINT app is particularly noteworthy, providing a seamless interface for mobile printing and scanning. The printer also supports various third-party applications, which adds to its versatility.
Setting up the printer is straightforward, thanks to the clear instructions provided in the setup guide. The touchscreen interface is intuitive, allowing users to navigate settings and perform tasks with ease.
Cost of Running
One of the critical factors to consider when evaluating a printer is its cost of ownership, including ink and paper costs. The Pixma TR8620a uses five individual ink cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and a photo black), which can be replaced as needed. While the cost per page is reasonable, users should consider purchasing high-yield cartridges to reduce long-term ink expenses.
Additionally, Canon offers a subscription service called “Canon Ink Subscription,” which can be beneficial for regular users by ensuring that they never run out of ink.
Canon PIXMA TR8620a Review: Verdict
With an automatic document feeder and a duplexer, the Canon PIXMA TR8620a delivers terrific office features for a very reasonable price. It doesn’t compete with the HP OfficeJet 3830 in printing speed and quality, but it still makes copies quickly and prints on plain paper at better-than-average speed. Additionally, it doesn’t disappoint in image quality.
However, for office duties, the Canon PIXMA TR8620a may not be the best choice at high volume; ink costs are above average for comparable models. For example, the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 prints much clearer photos, colors look more accurate, and you can print more photos with it, thanks to the higher color page yield. But the Pixma is a better choice for office use since it prints faster, and you can get more black ink pages out of it.
Overall, if you prioritize print quality and functionality over speed and cost-per-page, the Canon PIXMA TR8620a is a great choice. Whether you’re printing documents for work or photos for personal projects, this printer is equipped to handle a variety of tasks efficiently and effectively.
Recommended Configuration
Canon PIXMA TR8620a - All-in-One Printer Home Office|Copier|Scanner|Fax|Auto Document Feeder | Photo, Document | Airprint (R), Android, Black, Works with Alexa
The Review
Canon PIXMA TR8620a
The Canon PIXMA TR8620a is an excellent choice for individuals and small businesses looking for a reliable all-in-one printer that delivers high-quality prints, versatile functionality, and ease of use.
PROS
- Low cost-per print
- Crisp black-and-white documents
- Nice looking photo prints
- High-yield cartridges are available
CONS
- Printing is a bit slow
Review Breakdown
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ARS SCORE
