Canon PIXMA MG5450 – Print Speeds

Canon rates the PIXMA MG5450 at 15ppm in black and 10ppm in colour. Our five-page text document printed with a measured speed of 10.3ppm, which isn’t too far off, though the fast draft mode proved slower than normal mode at 7.7ppm and the 20 page document gave 9.8ppm, when again it’s more usual to see a speed increase with a longer document.

The main problem with the performance is the amount of pre-processing the machine does. As well as random cleaning cycles, which are common with many inkjets, it does a lot of pre-processing.

This averages over 30s ( and was over a minute more than once) which, on a short print job, can double the print time. It’s something Canon should really look into – it may not show in ISO speed results, but it’s really irritating when you’re waiting for prints.

Canon PIXMA MG5450 – Print Quality and Running Costs

Prints are, as usual with Canon inkjets, very good, with clean, black text and bright, solid colours. Copies lose some of that brightness, but photos are vivid and natural in equal proportions where they have to be.

The five ink cartridges, including both pigment and dye-based blacks, are available in standard and high yield versions. Using high yield consumables, the page costs work out at 3.1p for black pages and 8.1p for colour. The black cost is about average for an inkjet in this class, but the colour cost is a couple of pence per page lower, giving the machine good running costs, overall.

Verdict

The Canon PIXMA MG5450 is a worthwhile all-in-one, with quality print and plenty of useful extras, though it’s not without a problem. Inkjet housekeeping slows many print jobs while it prepares itself. This may not be a problem for you, but even piezo-electric devices, more prone to having to prime their ink systems regularly, are usually more efficient.