Canon PIXMA IP 2600 Photo Printer

If you are a budget user, the Pixma IP2600 is an ideal inkjet photo printer. It replaces Pixma IP 1800 as a straightforward and entry-level printer with limited features.

 The IP 2600, as expected in a baseline product, doesn’t have a memory card slot and a PictBridge port. Still, it makes up with its fairly good print speed, crisp prints and sleek design.

Besides, the photos themselves are too easy to alter, crop and repair using an Easy-photo print EX software bundle. Overall, you observe that it’s a cost-effective printer for amateur-level photo printing and text documents.

Features and Design

When you look at its design, you obviously observe that Canon has put in a lot of hard work. Its sleek exterior is 10×17.4×5.6 inches and has a slightly mirrored and glossy black finish that appears sleek on desk – until the dust settles, literally. More like the display on iPhone, its shiny body retains the fingerprints.

Besides its smudges, the IP2600 hardly takes a lot of desk space and it blends nicely with the rest of dark peripherals. When not in use, the paper trays and the output trays both fold into the unit, forming a tight box that could be easily mistaken for stereo boom box. This output tray gently folds from the printer face with a flimsy rectangular arm extending to the loose coral paper. The fact that the arm fails to have a cap at its end is counter-productive as the sheets easily flow away. Though annoying, it isn’t a deal brake.

With only paper feed buttons and power on the printer’s top; the control panel is extremely minimalist. In addition, its power button doubles itself as an alarm lamp which flashes an orange color as soon as there is an error. Besides, its USB port and power cord are placed on its back.

If you desire to purchase this product, you require a USB cord to connect the printer with the computer. However, as frustratingly common with the printers, it is hardly incorporated in the box. In addition, there aren’t any provisions for external bridge connectivity appropriate for this price. Hence, consumers who look to eliminate middlemen and plug the USB key, digital camera or memory card directly to the IP 2600 need to look into more fully featured and comparable price set like the Epson Stylus Photo R260 or HP DeskJet D4260.

While taking speed tests, the Canon Pixma IP 2600 performs admirably. It churns out 5.68 pages of black and white text, just behind the HP DeskJet 4260 at 6.03 pagers per minute.

As the three printers all fall within the same sub- $ 100 price range, hence the slight deficit is acceptable and expected when compared with other inkjet printers.