- Pleasing design.
- Well-made and designed trays/doors.
- Switchable input/output tray for large paper.
- Small memory buffer.
- No media card slots.
The printer can also produce good quality documents, but at a slower rate than all-in-one printers. In our speed tests, printing rates for 4" x 6" photos were relatively quick, although printing speeds for larger photos was slow. Power Usage was comparable to some of the best performing all-in-ones and compact photo printers. Our quality testing yielded high scores for color accuracy, with flesh tones reproducing very well. Color gamut scored even higher, meaning the printer has a fairly wide range of colors that it can reproduce.
Canon produces some of the most user-friendly software for printers available, and they bundle helpful programs with the Pro9000, including Easy Photo-Print, a 3-step printing program, and Easy Photo-Print Pro, a plug-in for Photoshop.
The eight ink tanks are easily installed and replaced. The Pro9000 alerts users to low ink levels with handy LEDs on the tanks and driver window warnings. The ChromaLife 100 inks produce vibrant prints that, according to Canon’s figures, will last 100 years in an album and 30 years behind glass. Canon also provides a wide variety of quality papers, from plain glossy to photo rag and museum etching.
The print trays are efficiently designed and function very well. Users have several options for expanding trays to accommodate larger size paper or different weights and surfaces. With a slight adjustment, the output tray, for example, doubles as an input tray for heavyweight 13" x 19" paper. A back door opens and allows the paper to run through the printer flat and return to the output tray when printing is complete. Two wheels on the rear of the printer are helpful for moving the printer in and out of a storage position to allow the trays to be opened to their full extent.
The Pro9000 features no media slots and just a PictBridge connection. Consumers interested in more connectivity options and a more interactive control panel might want to look at the HP 8750 or the Epson R1800. See the Comparisons section on the Overall Impressions page for more info.
Although simple in design and functionality, for an entry model pro photo printer, the Pro9000 has a lot to offer at a decent price. Photographers will like the sleek and stylish design. Improvements in image quality would be nice, and we hope that our forthcoming review of the Pro9500 ($849), Canon’s next jump ahead in the pro photo category, shows better image quality.
