There's no single 'best' Canon printer for business. The right one depends entirely on what you're printing—and how you calculate the real cost.
Over the past 6 years of tracking every invoice in our procurement system, I've audited roughly $180,000 in cumulative spending on printing—hardware, ink, paper, repairs, and the time wasted fiddling with settings. If I hear one more person say “just buy the cheapest Canon,” I might snap.
Here's the reality. The cheapest printer often leads to the most expensive outcome. But the most expensive printer? Also not always the right call. It depends on your printing volume, quality needs, and how often you actually need color.
Let me walk you through three common scenarios I've seen—and what I'd recommend based on actual TCO, not sticker price.
Scenario 1: The 'I just need it to work' office (High volume, mostly black & white)
You're ordering standard documents, internal reports, and shipping labels. Color print is rare. Volume? You're going through at least 5 reams of paper a month.
Why this scenario is different: The biggest hidden cost here isn't the printer—it's the ink. I know a small real estate firm that bought a Canon Pixma TS series for $79. Spent $180 on ink in the first 6 months. That's $30/month on ink for a $79 printer.
What I'd recommend: A Canon imageCLASS model. Specifically, the imageCLASS MF264dw or similar monochrome laser. The upfront cost is higher—around $200–$250. But the toner cartridge lasts 3,000+ pages. Compare that to the Pixma's tiny ink cartridges (maybe 200–300 pages).
I did the math for that real estate firm: the imageCLASS would have saved them about $120/year in consumables alone. Over 3 years, that's a $360 savings—more than covering the price difference.
TCO tip: If you're printing >1,500 pages/month, laser usually beats inkjet on total cost. Period. — From my procurement spreadsheet tracking 8 vendors over 3 years.
Scenario 2: The 'color matters' creative team (Lower volume, brand-critical color)
You're a small design agency, a marketing department, or someone like me who occasionally needs to proof a brochure. Color accuracy and paper handling matter more than raw page count.
Why this scenario is different: This is where Canon's PIXMA Pro series (or the newer G-series with refillable tanks) can shine. The misconception is that inkjet always costs more. That's a legacy belief left over from the 2000s when ink cartridges were tiny and printers consumed them like candy.
What I'd recommend: If your color printing is less than 200 pages/month, the Canon PIXMA G3220 (or similar MegaTank model) is worth a look. The upfront cost is higher—$250–$300—but each refill bottle yields 6,000 color pages.
I was skeptical at first. Back in 2020, I recommended a colleague stick with a laser color printer for their small agency. They ended up spending $400 on toner in 18 months. When I compared it against the G-series TCO for their volume (about 150 color pages/month), the MegaTank would have cost them $80–$100/year in ink. Net savings? Roughly $230 over two years.
One caveat: The G-series isn't a professional photo printer. If you need Pantone-matching accuracy for proofs, you might need the Pro series. But for internal documents, client presentations, and quick proofs? Solid.
Scenario 3: The 'I need a photo printer for events' (Occasional, high-quality photos)
Maybe you're printing event photos, real estate brochures with images, or small-format materials for a trade show. This is the niche where the Canon SELPHY CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer comes in.
Why this scenario is different: The SELPHY uses dye-sublimation, not inkjet. The per-print cost is higher than a standard inkjet, but you don't deal with smudging or fading. And it's wireless—connect your phone or laptop directly. No cables, no network setup.
I went back and forth between the SELPHY and a compact inkjet for our event materials last year for about three weeks. The SELPHY was $99, the inkjet was $69. On paper, the inkjet made sense. But my gut said the dye-sub prints would hold up better in a live demo environment where people are touching them. I was right.
What I'd recommend: If you're printing less than 100 photos per month, and quality and convenience outweigh the per-print cost, get the SELPHY. It's also fantastic if you need a mobile printing solution and don't want to deal with Wi-Fi configuration—just tap a phone to it.
But here's the catch: Don't use the SELPHY for business documents. The per-print cost is about $0.40–$0.60 per sheet. For standard text? That's 10x more than a laser printer.
How to determine which scenario applies to you
If you're still unsure, answer three simple questions:
- What percentage of your monthly printing is color?
If <10%, lean toward the monochrome laser (Scenario 1). If >50%, talk to me about the MegaTank (Scenario 2). - What's your monthly page volume?
Under 500 pages? Inkjet is fine. Over 1,000? Go laser or MegaTank. - Do you need photo-quality prints for customers?
If yes, the SELPHY or a Pro-series printer may be worth the premium. If not, skip it.
I keep a simple spreadsheet: Total Cost per Page = (print cost + maintenance + shipping of supplies) / total pages printed. After 6 years of tracking, I can tell you that the average Canon inkjet user I've audited spends about $0.15–$0.20 per page, while a well-chosen laser or MegaTank user hits $0.03–$0.06 per page. The difference is real.
And if you're wondering about setup: how to connect computer to canon printer usually boils down to one of two steps: either via USB (plug and play) or Wi-Fi (use the Canon PRINT app). It's simpler than most people expect—especially with newer models that support WPS push-button setup.
Final thought: Looking back, I should have invested in a multi-year contract with a reliable contractor for our bulk printing needs. At the time, the flexibility of buying per-order seemed safer. It wasn't. If you print more than 10 reams a month, consider a volume plan or a managed print service. Your budget—and your sanity—will thank you.
— A procurement manager who's tracked every single ink cartridge order since 2019.