Canon Pixma MP460

Canon's Pixma MP460 is the 2006 version of the Pixma MP450, but we didn't find many changes to the photo-centric all-in-one printer--even the $130 price is the same (please refer to the MP450 review for additional details). The body of the MP460 is slightly larger than that of its predecessor: it's about four inches taller and deeper, and it weighs about two pounds more. Also, the shiny black exterior has been replaced by a shiny light gray. It still has the same A4 size flatbed scanner, basic paper handling (one input and one output tray), media card slots, a PictBridge port, and an IrDA port for wireless printing. The control panel remains unchanged, with the same 1.9-inch LCD. The MP460 supports both Windows and Mac platforms via USB. The MP460 also boasts a new dual color gamut technology that wasn't included on the MP450. It automatically optimizes copy quality according to the type of original: text, photo, or mixed. Like the MP450, the MP460 is a great budget all-in-one for photo hobbyists. If you already have the MP450, you don't need to update your printer. But if you're buying a new printer, the MP460 prints photos slightly faster than the earlier model.

In terms of performance, Canon's estimated print speeds are the same for both models, with a slight improvement in printing borderless 4x6 photos (Canon estimates 55 seconds for the MP450 and 52 seconds for the MP460). This was more or less borne out in our Labs-based tests. The MP460 posted text print speeds of 5.8ppm and photo print speeds of 1.36ppm for a 4x6 photo. The MP450 scored a 6.78ppm and a 0.58ppm, respectively (the MP450 photo test speed is for an 8x10 print). The Pixma MP460's scan speeds are on a par with those of the MP450: 5.68ppm for black-and-white and 5.6ppm for color. The MP450 scored 5.19ppm and 4.88ppm, respectively.

Print quality is on a par between the two models, as well. Like the MP450, the MP460 handled text beautifully for an inkjet printer. When viewing the results under a loupe, we noticed minor imperfections and jagged edges--problems that are inescapable for an inkjet printer. But to the naked eye, the characters were clean, well formed, and legible down to very small point sizes. The color graphic prints revealed clean, sharp edges; excellent color handling (with only some minor banding in color gradients); smooth curves; and well-rendered photo elements. The photo prints showed sharp detail, great color, and realistic flesh tones. We liked the scans from the MP450 better, though. The MP460's color scans were overly dark and a bit muddy, though they had excellent detail. The same criticism applies to the black-and-white scan: compression on the dark ends resulted in lost details in the shadows.

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