Canon PIXMA MP760 All-In-One Printer Review Review by Ron Risman - March 2005 1. Introduction 2. First Impression 3. Printer Features & Tests 4. Scanner Features & Tests 5. Copier Features & Test 6. Software 7. Conclusion 8. Specifications 9. Find Lowest Price 1. Introduction 2. First Impression 3. Printer Features & Tests 4. Scanner Features & Tests 5. Copier Features & Tests 6. Software 7. Conclusion 8. Specifications 9. Find Lowest Price

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Five Separate Ink Cartridges
The printer uses Canon's five-color ContrastPLUS ink system, which incorporates a dye-based photo grade black ink tank for photo printing.   This helps to provide better contrast and sharpness, especially visible on photo paper.   By using five separate ink tanks, the MP760 allows the user to replace only the empty cartridge, helping to reduce waste.   The MP760 also uses Canon's FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) high-performance print head which can achieve actual 1200 dpi nozzle pitch.   The FINE print head virtually guarantees a grain-free print, and performs VERY well which you will see when you get to the test images.

Two Picoliter Droplet Size
With an ink droplet size of only two Picolieters, the MP760 excels at photo printing.  A Picoliter is the measurement of an ink droplet.  The smaller the droplet, the better the printer is at producing fine gradients and smooth skin tones.  Two Picoliter's is one of the lowest numbers of any inkjet printer.

Photo Printing Tests


When we test photo printers, we look at speed, color accuracy, features, and ease-of-use.   To test the Canon PIXMA MP760 we printed images taken with a 6-megapixel Digital SLR (Canon EOS 10D), then compared them to the original on our colorvision corrected monitor.  We also scanned them back into the computer in order to compare the printed image on-screen with the original and to compare it side by side with similar prints from other photo printers.  Canon provided a pack of Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss 8.5" x 11" paper, and a sample pack of five 4" x 6" Photo Paper Plus Glossy paper, both of which provided very sharp and saturated (maybe too much so) prints.

In our test strip to the right, we took an identical image file and printed it on the new HP Photosmart 8150, an older Epson Stylus Photo 1270 - which many considered to be a superb photo printer, and the Canon PIXMA MP760.  When viewing the full size photo with the naked eye or in my case, with glasses, all three prints looked superb - see photo above.  The Canon MP760 stood out due to its colors being a bit richer compared with the other two printers, but I was amazed at how consistent print quality has become from one printer to the next.  Differences were more apparent after scanning the images into the PC at 300dpi, then zooming in all three photographs - comparing them side-by-side at 100% (actual size) magnification.

When subjected to a high resolution scan, the Canon MP760 print showed its true colors. Gradients were very smooth, colors were strong, and details were sharp.  My two-year old Epson Stylus Photo 1270 printer showed a definite print pattern which reduced sharpness and smoothness.  The HP Photosmart 8150, which I will be posting my review for in about a week, performed exceptionally well, but again, when compared to the Canon PIXMA MP760, wasn't able to offer the smoothness that the MP760 exhibited.  It is very important to note that comparing these scanned images is not a scientific comparison.  The finish on each paper is different with each manufacturer and likely scans in differently. It is also important for me to reiterate that you could not notice these differences in print patterns when holding the prints in your hand.

The following tests show how well the Canon MP760 printer is able to print small text and thin lines, both on plain paper as well as on photo paper (Semi-gloss). I have also included a photo print of the same test using the HP Photosmart 8150, a printer I will be finished reviewing shortly. Each test area is a 100% crop from the original test file and should only be used to judge differences in print quality. When viewing the page at arms length (or even a bit closer,) each of the prints looked very sharp. Please note that this is NOT a scientific test and was just a way that I could show you "close-up" differences in detail. When scanning printed pages, the finish of the paper will affect the scanned image tone, although from what I can tell it has not affected resolution differences - which I was able to compare to each print. The differences in background "white" is due to paper finish and brightness. Example; HP's glossy paper reflected more light back to the scanner compared to Canon's Semi-gloss paper, thus looks "whiter" even though in actuality the Canon is actually a whiter finish (ISO 91 brightness vs. ISO 86 brightness.)
Original Source File	Printed using plain multipurpose paper (20lb, 92 ISO Brightness)
Canon MP760: Printed on Canon Semi-Gloss Photo Paper 91 ISO Brightness	HP Photosmart 8150: Printed on HP Glossy photo paper 86 ISO Brightness
From viewing each print in hand, as well as looking at the scanned versions of each page, it is clear that the resolution of the Canon MP760 is superb. Reading 2-point text on a printed page is very difficult without a magnifying glass, yet when looking at the scanned pages it is clear that the MP760 didn't have any problems printing text that small. The HP Photosmart 8150 also didn't break a sweat printing 2-point text. When printing thin white lines (1-point in height) against a black background using Canon's Semi-gloss photo paper, the results were smooth (to the naked eye), with only a hint of wicking or paper fibers when viewing the scanned image. Smooth lines are visible even on the plain-paper test, however the fibers of the paper are much more pronounced - thus reducing image quality and resolution. This test, if anything, helps to drive home the importance of using the right paper. You should never use PLAIN-PAPER in an inkjet printer, as I did for this test. Over time, the cotton fibers will end up clogging some of the print heads of the printer.