If you’re on the hunt for a reliable, all-in-one printer that fits comfortably within your household budget, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 (also known as the TR4722) deserves your attention. Whether you’re printing homework assignments, scanning important documents, or preserving cherished memories through photo prints, this affordable inkjet printer aims to offer essential functionality without breaking the bank.
Overview: Compact, Economical, and Feature-Rich for Home Use
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 is a low-cost, compact inkjet printer designed primarily for light-duty home use. It’s part of Canon’s PIXMA line, which is known for producing printers that emphasize print quality and ease of use. It supports USB and Wi-Fi connectivity, including Canon’s mobile printing app, and includes a basic automatic document feeder (ADF) for convenience.
The TR4720/TR4722 utilizes a simple two-cartridge ink system—one black (PG-275) and one tri-color (CL-276). This minimalistic approach makes cartridge replacement straightforward, although it can be costly over time due to the limited ink capacity.
Designed for Home and Family Use
For typical household needs, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 is a practical solution. It handles basic printing, scanning, and copying tasks well. The print quality, particularly for color images and photographs, is impressive for its price range. Users will find deep blacks, vibrant colors, and surprisingly accurate reproductions in their prints.
The printer includes a flatbed scanner with a hinged lid, allowing you to scan bulkier items like books or thicker documents. The automatic document feeder (ADF) simplifies scanning multiple pages, although it’s worth noting that the printer does not support duplex scanning (scanning both sides of a page automatically).
One downside is that the Canon TR4720 does not support printing directly from USB drives or SD cards. However, wireless connectivity and compatibility with the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria for Android offer plenty of convenient mobile printing options.
Office Performance: Not Ideal for High-Volume Use
While Canon markets the PIXMA TR4720 as an all-in-one printer for both home and small office settings, it falls short when it comes to business-level performance. If your printing needs are high volume or time-sensitive, you may want to explore more robust models.
Here’s why:
- Slow Print Speeds: The TR4720 prints at a relatively slow pace—particularly for black and white documents. It also takes a noticeable amount of time to warm up before printing the first page.
- Low Page Yield: The standard ink cartridges offer low yield, meaning you’ll have to replace them more frequently—driving up long-term costs.
- No Duplex Scanning: While the ADF is helpful, the lack of automatic duplex scanning limits efficiency for double-sided documents.
- Maintenance Challenges: Clearing paper jams can be frustrating, as the internal paper path is not easily accessible for quick fixes.
For occasional home office tasks, the TR4720 is sufficient. But for consistent or professional use, investing in a higher-tier model with better speed and efficiency is advisable.
Is It Good for Students?
If you’re a student or buying a printer for someone in school, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 might seem like a budget-friendly option. However, it has several limitations for academic use:
- High Cost Per Page: Frequent printing of assignments, reports, or study materials can quickly eat through ink, especially the color cartridge.
- Slower First Page Out Time: When you’re in a hurry, the delay in printing the first page can be a nuisance.
- No Duplex Printing or Scanning: This lack can be a deal-breaker for students needing to print or scan double-sided notes or reports regularly.
On the plus side, the printer does support Wi-Fi Direct, allowing easy wireless printing from laptops, tablets, and smartphones—a useful feature for today’s tech-savvy students.
Black and White Printing: A Weak Spot
When it comes to monochrome printing, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 struggles. Its black ink yield is notably low, and print speed remains slow compared to many competitors in the same price range.
Key issues include:
- High cost per black-and-white page
- Sluggish performance
- User interface difficulties (especially with the basic dot-matrix display)
- Challenging jam removal process
This printer isn’t the best choice for users who primarily print text-heavy documents. If your focus is on black and white print jobs like essays, invoices, or business documents, consider a monochrome laser printer for better performance and cost-efficiency.
Photo Printing: Surprisingly Good Results
Despite its budget-friendly positioning, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 offers surprisingly good photo printing quality. Canon is known for its strength in photo output, and this model continues that tradition.
Pros:
- Vivid, vibrant color reproduction
- High detail in printed images
- Great for casual photo printing and scrapbooking
Cons:
- Slightly blurry finish compared to higher-end models
- Extremely low page yield makes frequent photo printing expensive
If you print photos only occasionally and want good quality on glossy paper, the TR4720 can serve you well. Just keep in mind that each print comes at a relatively high cost due to ink consumption.
Connectivity and Software Compatibility
The TR4720 includes a range of connectivity options, making it versatile and easy to integrate into your home network:
- Wi-Fi for wireless printing
- USB connection for direct-to-PC printing
- Canon PRINT app support
- Apple AirPrint and Mopria compatibility for seamless mobile printing
These features enable users to print directly from smartphones or tablets, scan to mobile devices, and even manage settings remotely.
Final Verdict: Who Should Buy the Canon PIXMA TR4720?
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 is best suited for:
- Families who need a general-purpose home printer for light use
- Casual photo printers looking for vivid image reproduction
- Home users who want basic scanning and wireless connectivity
However, this printer may not meet expectations for:
- Students with frequent printing needs
- Home offices requiring high output or speed
- Users focused on black-and-white document printing
Conclusion
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 offers solid value for users with light-duty needs. It stands out for its photo printing quality, simple operation, and mobile-friendly features. While it does have several limitations—like high ink costs and slow performance—its budget-friendly price and good print quality make it a decent choice for families and casual home users.
If you’re searching for a budget printer for occasional use, especially with photo printing in mind, the Canon PIXMA TR4720 is a contender worth considering.