Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Professional Inkjet Printer Review
“The electronic image could no more replace a fine photographic print, than a synthesizer could replace a violin!” Huntington Witherill
Printing our images expands our skill set. Seeing our finished work in print also changes how we think about tones and color before we press the shutter button the next time around. I’ve been printing with Canon’s Pixma Pro-100 printer, and give it a closer look here.
Originally, photographers did not print photographs. Photographs were made on copper, metal or dry plate glass. They were breakable, challenging to engrave, and impossible to share widely. The technology for producing shareable prints emerged in the 19th century, and this ability to easily duplicate an image changed our view of the world. Thanks to the inventors of that new chemistry and technology, today we can see images from the Civil War, the expansion of the Western USA, and Asian, European, African culture and history.
Now, while we can reproduce color and B/W prints in less than a few seconds, many of us just share online today. However, the exhilaration of seeing your images come to life in a 19″ by 13″ print is ineffable. When we make an object from what has only been on screen, our own creative photographs become physical things with presence. Prints are, like fine acoustic music, here to stay.
Canon Pixma Pro-100 Overview
If you are ready to take printing your photographs more seriously, the Canon Pixma Pro-100 might be the answer. With this reasonably priced printer, Canon offers the ability for photographers to take advantage of their high-end camera gear and print professional quality photos on various media up to 13″ x 19″.
Pros:
- Excellent print quality
- Reasonably priced
- Output up to 13″ x 19″
Cons:
- Large and heavy
- Expensive ink refills
- 8 Dye based inks for amazing gradients and color, 3 of which are dedicated grayscale inks for beautiful black & white prints
- The Optimum Image Generating System reproduces colors as you intend them by logically selecting the optimum ink combination and placement; Output Tray Capacity Auto Sheet Feeder 150 Sheets of Plain Paper; 20 sheets Photo Paper (4x6); 10 sheets (Letter/8x10); 1 sheet (A3+). Manual Feeder 1 sheet of Photo Paper (all sizes)
- Compatible with Individual CLI 42 Ink Tanks (Black, Gray, Light Gray, Cyan, Photo Cyan, Magenta, Photo Magenta, Yellow); Save Even More On Value Packs; Only Replace The Inks That Run Out
- 4800 x 2400 dots per inch with fine technology for incredible detail; Print your Vision up to 13 inches x 19 inches: Print professional quality photos on various media up to 13 inches x 19 inches
- Weight : 43.2 in bullet point; Number of Nozzles: 6,144; Number of Nozzles:768 per color 6144 total
Printer Set Up
Set-up time out of the box was about 30 minutes to read the instructions and link up the printer’s wireless option. Although the Canon Pixma Pro-100 offers wireless connectivity, using it with the USB cable is 100% reliable and consistent. I purchased the printer in 2017 from Amazon. For every print I’ve made with it, I’ve been pleased with the consistent color, greyscale tones, and error-free photographic image quality.
Print Quality
In my experience, the prints have been smooth, bright and consistent. Canon says the printer has resolution of up to 4800 x 2400 dpi in color and up to 4800 x 2400 dpi in black and white. Excellent detail is seen with Canon’s Pro Platinum and Pro Luster paper types.
Canon Pixma Pro-100 Paper
There are two (2) paper feed slots: a manual feed and a rear tray. A variety of paper types are available from plain paper to Fine Art and Heavy Weight. Hahnemuhle, Red River, Canon Pro Luster or Pro Platinum, and Aurora Art papers are excellent. The variety of media options was a pleasant surprise.
Paper Size
You can print on many different paper types up to 13 inches by 19 inches, including 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, and plain 8.5″ x 11″ paper. The Canon’s Pixma Pro-100 software is called Print Pro Studio (included on the CD). It has a useful collection of templates including contact sheets, portrait studio professional sizes, and custom templates to print out multiple smaller sizes. For instance, I’ve used it to cut and package six identical 4″ x 5″ smaller prints on one 13″ x 19″ sheet. This print size, 13″ x 19″, took about 7 minutes to print.
Print Speed
Canon’s Pixma Pro-100 is not a fast printer. One reason is that it runs a cleaning cycle before it prints, so to maximize your time, do something else for a few minutes after you click or tap print. Do not expect the printer to work like a fast laser printer. In my tests of “Standard” vs. “High,” Standard setting gave faster print output times, but I stayed with High as I preferred results of that setting.
Canon Pixma Pro-100 Ink
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 ink set has eight (8) inks. There are three (3) grey-scale inks in the set, and they are individually replaceable. Within the Printer software, ink levels are clearly indicated. Levels show up in a small graphic of the ink set. The printer sends messages to Mac and Win home screens when ink levels are low.
- ChromaLife100+: The combination of inks & media deliver exceptional beauty and longevity
- Optimized for photographic print quality when used with Genuine Canon Photo Papers
- The CLI 42 inks dry instantly so your photos are ready to be enjoyed as soon as they come out of the printer
- Includes 8 ink tanks: Photo Black, Gray, Light Gray, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Cyan, and Photo Magenta
- Compatible with PIXMA PRO 100
Printer Weight
The Canon’s Pixma Pro-100 is a large machine. Packaged professionally, it weighs almost 55 pounds, so the boxed printer is heavier than most of us can carry by ourselves. If you are moving its box for any distance, a dolly is helpful. The printer itself weighs 43.2 lbs, so this is not a printer you want to relocate once you choose its position in your studio or work area.
ICC Profile
Download and install the ICC (International Color Consortium) profile from Canon’s site.
Canon Pixma Pro-100 Driver and Operating System
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 drivers come in 64, 32 and even 16-bit, so it will run on previous Windows versions back to Windows XP. Canon also has Pixma Pro-100 drivers to support Apple computers as far back as Mac OS 10.5.8 Snow Leopard. These drivers, as well as XPS (a print-to-file driver), are in the included software, but all software is also found on Canon’s site.
Customer Service
Visit support.usa.canon.com in the USA and see Canon’s Knowledge Base for the WiFi setup guide. All the Network connection requirements for Mac and Win OS are there. It is straightforward to follow the prompts on Canon’s global website to set up the printer for wireless operation. You must sign Canon’s End User License Agreement.
What Could Be Better?
The USB cord could be longer. The power cord end could be larger and easier to plug in. Of course, ink could be less expensive, but for the high-quality color, this printer is a good value.
Final Comments
Prior to printing, I choose to use sharpening in my image editor. For this printer, I over-sharpen by about 15-25% in post before printing to ensure sharp output on Canon’s Pixma Pro-100 because of a difference between my screen and the print output.
For water-proofing and longer print life, I recommend treating prints with a spray like Krylon acrylic. Another option is the more expensive Hahnemühle protective spray. It is made for fine art digital prints and protects them from fading.
Auto Photo Fix II
Borderless Printing
Optimum Image Generating System
Photo Printing
Grayscale Photo Printing
Wireless Printing
Approx. 51 seconds seconds
11 x 14 Image on A3+ with Border:
Approx. 1 minute 30 seconds
5 x 7
8 x 10
Letter
Legal
11 x 17
13 x 19
150 Sheets of Plain Paper
20 sheets Photo Paper (4x6)
10 sheets (Letter/8x10)
1 sheet (A3+)
Manual Feeder: 1 sheet of Photo Paper (all sizes)
Ethernet
Hi-Speed USB
PictBridge (Cable not included)
Windows 7 SP1
Windows Vista SP1
Vista SP2
Windows XP SP3 32-bit Intel processor
Mac OS® X v10.5.8 - 10.9.x
1-Year toll-free technical phone support.
PIXMA PRO-100 Printer Driver
My Image Garden
Print Studio Pro
Quick Menu
Auto Photo Fix II
Borderless Printing
Optimum Image Generating System
Photo Printing
Grayscale Photo Printing
Wireless Printing
Approx. 51 seconds seconds
11 x 14 Image on A3+ with Border:
Approx. 1 minute 30 seconds
5 x 7
8 x 10
Letter
Legal
11 x 17
13 x 19
150 Sheets of Plain Paper
20 sheets Photo Paper (4x6)
10 sheets (Letter/8x10)
1 sheet (A3+)
Manual Feeder: 1 sheet of Photo Paper (all sizes)
Ethernet
Hi-Speed USB
PictBridge (Cable not included)
Windows 7 SP1
Windows Vista SP1
Vista SP2
Windows XP SP3 32-bit Intel processor
Mac OS® X v10.5.8 - 10.9.x
1-Year toll-free technical phone support.
PIXMA PRO-100 Printer Driver
My Image Garden
Print Studio Pro
Quick Menu
DISCLAIMER: This is an independent evaluation and I’ve had absolutely no association or reimbursement from Canon for this review.
I have this printer. I like it. I recommend it to anyone needing a good printer. The only problem I have with it is the network setup is a bear. I failed at it and only use it with a usb cable. It is the only printer with an ethernet port that I have ever used that I can’t get get to work on a network.