|
Out of the Box (6.00)
The Canon Pixma mini320’s simple operation is mirrored by its simple packaging, containing only the printer, the CLI-36 integrated ink cartridge, AC adapter and power cord, manual, driver and software CD, and two 5x7-inch sheets of paper for printer alignment.
Setup (6.00)
Getting the mini320 ready for printing was a simple process, starting with plugging it in and pressing the power button. If the correct language is not already selected for the menu, uses can do that. After opening the access door, users install the single print cartridge, clicking it into place and making sure that the red LED lights solid to indicate proper installation. The printer then prompts the user to align the print head by loading one of the two 5x7-inch paper sheets into the rear tray and pressing Ok at the screen prompt. Total setup time takes about 17 minutes, with 4 minutes for alignment, and about 5 minutes for software installation.
Manual / Quick Start Guide (7.00)
Both the Easy Setup Instructions and the Direct Photo Guide paper user’s manual are well organized and easy to follow. Illustrated descriptions of paper loading, cartridge installation, and menu navigation are included, as well as a helpful troubleshooting section.
Drivers and Administration (8.00)
The mini320’s drivers are much the same as all other printers in the Canon family, which is a good thing. Canon drivers are very user friendly and full of options. All functions are accessed through software programs, or users can access control over the mini320 through the Canon My Printer utility. This main window provides three options—Printer Settings, Printer Status, and Troubleshooting.
The Printer Settings menu is the meat of the printer controls. This is divided into a five tabbed-window. The Main tab provides the basic print quality, paper choice, and color settings. Users can click through to access these latter controls, shown in the example below. A stock image of a child at the beach shows users a preview of any changes to the color, brightness, intensity, and contrast. Users can also select whether to allow the printer driver or Windows ICM to control color, or have no driver control so color management can be handled by third-party software programs, such as Photoshop.
The Page Setup tab gives users the tools to control the nuts and bolts of paper handling, including paper size, orientation, and number of copies.
Stock, one-click image effects can be chosen in the Effects tab. The Monochrome effects may be the most useful, with four standard colors to choose from. A custom slide bar that allows users to fine-tune their monochrome selection is a nice feature not found in any other printer manufacturer’s driver settings. Other options include a checkbox for Simulate Illustration, which jacks up the contrast and the color, and a few, one-click, image optimization and noise reduction tools. (More info on print driver and printer menu editing options can be found in the Internal Editing and Dedicated Black-and-White Settings sections on the Print Settings / Options page.)
Users can save any settings that want to keep for future use with the Profiles tab. These can be called up again when printing photos with similar size, orientation, and quality.
The Maintenance tab gives users the tools to perform many of the same maintenance tasks as can be accessed in the printer’s menu, such as head cleaning, printing nozzle check patterns, head alignment, and roller cleaning.
Software (8.00)
Canon has introduced a new software interface for this and its other new printers. The Canon Solution Menu, named remarkably similar to HP’s Solution Center, is the portal to access the My Printer utility, onscreen user’s guide, a link to Canon website for product information, and the included software editing program Easy-PhotoPrint EX. This is Canon’s most stripped-down version of its Easy-PhotoPrint programs, and it does the job for this compact printer, especially considering the variety of editing options contained in the driver.
Users are presented with five printing options on the program’s main screen. Each of these leads you through a three-to-four-step process to set up and print your images, either through single image printing, album printing, calendar printing, stickers, or multiple images printing (Layout). This program is similar to their EasyLayout program bundled with other printers, and we find it easy and intuitive to use.
|
