Canon PIXMA iX6850 Printer Review

The Canon PIXMA iX6850 has proven to be one of the more popular printers to be released in the last few years. It’s one of the cheapest A3 printers on the market, which is just one of the reasons why it’s proven to be a hit with the public (check this guide to see other A3 printers).

An inkjet printer like this is probably the best choice for most people, as they tend to be cheaper than laser printers. You can easily use this printer for your documents, photos and pretty much anything else you need to print as well.

So, what is it about the iX6850 that makes it so popular? well, we’re going to take a closer look at this printer to try and see why it’s so highly regarded.

Canon PIXMA iX6850 Printer Review

Overall, the PIXMA iX6850 is one of the best A3 printers that you can find on the market within its price range. Typically, A3 printers are pretty expensive, but this one provides excellent value for money. As well as this, it is one of the more attractive printers on the market too.

Print quality is usually one of the most important factors in your decision to purchase a printer. The iX6850 manages to print text very well, but it’s also good for printing out photos too – very important for an A3 printer.

With a low price tag, some people will associate this printer with more budget models. But, there’s much more to this printer than just its price. Let’s take a quick look at its features and see where its weaknesses and strengths lie.

Overview

The PIXMA iX6850 was released all the way back in 2014, but it’s still proving to be fairly popular for those looking for an A3 photo printer.

The Pixma series in general has actually proven to be very popular with the public, as it’s generally the preferred choice by those who are looking for to create nice photo prints.

Though you do tend to pay a small premium for this when it comes to printing costs, this is pretty much the same for any printer that uses ink cartridges. I’ll get onto that a bit more in a minute, as although it’s not got astronomical printing costs, they’re still relatively high.

Pros

In terms of value, this is one of the best printers you’ll be able to find that has A3 printing capabilities. The majority of options out there are more than £200+, so it’s good to find one that’s more reasonably priced.
You can connect to this printer via wifi or directly from ethernet, and it’s compatible with different printing methods like Airprint and Google Cloud printing.
This printer manages to print out in a good quality, especially for vibrant colours like photos.

Cons

The fact that this printer doesn’t have duplex printing is a massive let down. Having to manually flip your paper isn’t what anyone wants to do, especially if you’re looking to print in a larger size.
The printer doesn’t have any kind of LED screen you can use to change its settings. This makes it less interactive, and it would be better with a screen to control this.
You can’t print via a USB or memory card to this printer, which is a little annoying if you want to do so.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, the Pixma iX6850 is definitely one of the better options out there. It has a strong wifi connection, and you can connect to the device via a cable too if you want to.

The best way to print with this Pixma printer is by downloading the Canon app, which will give you the ability to print easily. You can also print very easily via Airprint or Google Cloud print too if you prefer, but the app is pretty friendly and easy to use, so it’s recommended that you give that a try first.

Printing Costs

One area where the Pixma could be a little better is the costs of printing. Like many lower priced printers, the brands generally make up their money in the printing costs whilst you own their product, not in the initial purchase price.

Whilst the PIXMA iX6850 is not one of the most expensive options out there in terms of costs, it isn’t the cheapest either. It’s about mid-range in terms of printing costs, and it will be lower in printing costs than most HP and Epson printers on the market.

So, it is about average in terms of printing costs over the time that you’ll own the printer.

Design

The iX6850 is a well designed printer, and it works best with photo paper if you want to produce high quality prints. However, you don’t have to use it for photo printing, and it works just as well for documents as it does for your snaps.

The printer itself looks really good, and it will easily fit into your home office and your desk area. In fact, this is probably one of the better looking printers out there. Many larger printers are designed for offices, so it’s good to have one which would fit into a home pretty well.

This printing is very quiet, which is exactly what we want from a printer. The drawback of this is that it does make the printer pretty slow. If you have the need to print in high capacity, this might not be the best choice for you.

Conclusion

Overall, the PIXMA iX6850 is a pretty great option for anyone looking for a budget A3 printer. Though the price is probably the main thing that attracts someone to this model, it’s also a pretty solid option in terms if both build quality and wi fi connectivity too.

However, it is slightly let down by its lack of ability to duplex print, and an LED screen would make navigation much easier. But it is still a well designed inkjet model, and it is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for an office printer.

Avatar of Jon
About Jon

Hey, I'm Jon. I'm an engineer by trade, so it makes sense that I'm obsessed with anything technology related! On the weekends, you can find me playing around with my computers or fixing something around the house. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to get in touch.

Leave a Comment

Previous

Canon Pixma TS3350 Printer Review

Epson Expression Photo XP-8600 Printer Review

Next