The Canon Color imageClass MF741Cdw is a mid-range all-in-one (print, scan, copy, fax) color laser printer designed primarily for small to medium offices and workgroups that require low to medium print and copy volumes. Like the somewhat more powerful Editors’ Choice Lexmark MC2535adwe, the MF741Cdw is relatively fast and prints amazing looking text, graphics and photos. Its running costs are competitive with similarly priced color laser AIOs, but not as low as several alternative inkjet lasers, such as the Epson Work Force Pro WF-C5790 Network Color Multifunction Printer.
Overall, though, there’s a lot to like about this mid-range color laser all-in-one, including Canon’s exceptionally detailed, bright and accurate color image, making the MF741Cdw a good choice for environments that require hundreds to thousands of high-quality prints and copies per month. In addition, the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw’s high-definition touchscreen provides an intuitive user interface. Compared to inkjet printers, this Canon laser printer is faster, cheaper and uses a toner cartridge that lasts longer.
As such, it is a good small business printer and one of the best all-in-one home printers. Double-sided printing and the ability to print multiple pages on one sheet reduce paper consumption, and by combining new fusing technologies with low melting point toner, Canon minimizes power consumption, which reduces energy consumption.
Canon ImageClass MF743Cdw review: Design
The MF743Cdw weighs a hefty 64 pounds and requires two people to move it; at 18.8 x 18.8 x 18.4 inches, it is large and requires space above it to fully lift the scanner lid. The document feeder is located at the top of the unit and is accessed by lifting the flap that also serves as the document feeder’s input tray. There is also 50-sheet multipurpose bypass tray, which is accessed by lowering the front panel.
The paper exit tray, a cavity in the front of the enclosure, can hold 75 sheets; the MF743Cdw’s recommended monthly print volume is up to 4,000 sheets. A large 5-inch color touch panel on the control panel, which allows users to move icons around like a smartphone screen, facilitates offline operation. The touch panel allows users to create on-screen buttons for key functions such as scan and copy presets, passport and ID copying, and print templates.
Next to the large color touch screen is an icon that indicates where you are establishing an NFC connection with your mobile device. Wi-Fi is also supported. The front panel has a direct USB print port that supports printing of JPEG, TIFF and PDF files. Ethernet and fax ports are on the rear panel.
Canon ImageClass MF743Cdw review: Features
Canon Color imageCLASS MF743Cdw, built for small and medium businesses, offers great features, high image quality and minimal maintenance. Double-sided printing and the ability to print multiple pages on one sheet reduce paper consumption, and by combining new fusing technologies with low melting point toner, Canon minimizes power consumption, which reduces energy consumption. The all-in-one supports scanning and copying at 600 x 600 dpi for detailed scans and clear copies, and scanned files can be converted to various file formats, including high-compression PDF and searchable PDF.
The copy speed is also excellent, with copy speeds of 28 ppm for Letter-sized documents and 22.9 ppm for Legal-sized documents. The 5-inch color touchscreen with smartphone-like usability provides an intuitive user experience and can be configured by the device administrator to simplify many everyday tasks. Various mobile printing solutions are made possible by the Canon Print Business app, and the device is also compatible with Apple AirPrint technology on select iOS devices.
Canon ImageClass MF743Cdw review: Print and Scan Quality
The MF743Cdw prints text that looks very sharp and dark. Letterforms in text documents printed from an Android phone looked relatively sharp. Graphics printed in grayscale had a lot of detail and soft midtones, although they looked too bright overall. In contrast, the same images on the editors’ HP M277dw looked too dark. Canon’s color graphics looked bold and saturated, although they were a bit bright overall. Colors looked well saturated and natural, and textures and midtones looked even.
However, when printed from a Windows 10 PC, the text field on the black background of the test PDF printed in gray, not black, and a different shade from the surrounding background. This did not occur when printing in grayscale or printing in color from an Android device.
Canon ImageClass MF743Cdw review: Scanner
The Canon MF743Cdw offers excellent scanning capabilities. It has an automatic document feeder that can automatically scan both sides of a document in a single pass, allowing it to quickly process multi-page, double-sided documents. However, the ADF does not scan as fast as the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw. It can scan the first few pages very quickly, but tends to slow down and wait between each successive page in the stack. There are also flatbeds for scanning thicker or fragile items such as large books or old photos.
Although the scan resolution is not as high as other models on the market, it should be high enough for office use or general photo scanning. While many printers come with a built-in scanner, not all are created equal. Some office printers are fully equipped with a flatbed scanner, automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided scanning, and a fax function. Family printers tend to be more limited, but they usually have a flatbed scanner and/or a sheet fed scanner.
Canon ImageClass MF743Cdw review: Price and Availability
The MF743Cdw costs about $599 on Canon’s official website (actual prices may vary due to different dealers). Among many multifunctional laser printers, this is not a high price. However, manufacturers lower the prices of their printers, encourage customers to buy them, and then offer expensive original toner cartridges. Therefore, many customers need to pay more for printing. Canon printers use universal black, cyan, magenta, yellow toner cartridges that are easy to install.
These are Canon 055 (C/M/Y: 2100 pages each, Black: 2300 pages) with standard yield toner and Canon 055H (C/M/Y: 5900 pages each, Black: 7600 pages) with high yield toner. Because Canon toners are built-in cartridges, this helps reduce your overall cost of printing consumables. Cartridge prices may vary depending on markets and retailers. Although genuine toner is expensive, it delivers high quality prints.
Final Words
The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an excellent printer for small and home offices. The cost of the individual cartridges is quite high, but they are very resource intensive and do not need to be replaced often. However, the more you print in color, the faster the cost increases. It has a flatbed scanner and an ADF with automatic one-pass duplex scanning.
