Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer Review: The Home Office Hero We’ve Been Waiting For?

In our home, the demand for printing, scanning, and copying comes in unpredictable waves. One minute, it’s a desperate, last-minute plea to print a 15-page school report due tomorrow. The next, it’s a request to scan a stack of signed contracts for work. Then, my partner wants to print high-quality photos from our holiday for a scrapbook project. For years, this meant juggling an old, slow printer that only handled documents, a separate flatbed scanner that took up half the desk, and frequent trips to a local print shop for photos. The clutter was immense, the inconvenience was a constant low-level stress, and the cost of individual services added up. The search for a true “all-in-one” solution that could handle the diverse needs of a modern family and home office without compromising on quality felt like a quest for a mythical creature. This is the exact problem the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer aims to solve.

What to Consider Before Buying an All-In-One Printer

An All-In-One Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for consolidating tasks, saving space, and streamlining the workflow of any home or small office. It combines the functionality of a printer, scanner, and copier into a single, compact unit, eliminating the need for multiple devices. The primary benefit is efficiency. Imagine scanning a multi-page document directly to your email, printing photos from your smartphone, and running off copies of an invoice, all from one machine. This convergence of technology saves not just physical space but also valuable time. It’s designed for the multitasker, the parent managing school projects, the remote worker handling documents, and the creative hobbyist bringing digital ideas to life.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a constant mix of digital and paper-based tasks. This includes families with school-aged children, freelancers, small business owners, and anyone working from a home office. If your needs regularly switch between printing text-heavy documents, scanning receipts for expenses, and printing occasional colour photos, an all-in-one is practically a necessity. However, it might not be suitable for those who have highly specialized needs. For example, a professional photographer might prefer a dedicated photo printer for archival-quality prints, and an office that digitizes thousands of documents might invest in a high-speed sheet-fed scanner. For those who only print a few black-and-white pages a month, a simpler, single-function laser printer could be more cost-effective in the long run.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: An “all-in-one” shouldn’t mean “takes-up-all-the-space.” Measure your intended location carefully. The Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer measures 40.3W x 36.4D x 20.6H cm, a considerable but manageable footprint for a home office desk. Also, consider its 8.2 kg weight; it needs a sturdy surface.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond the initial purchase price to the machine’s capabilities. Key metrics include print speed (pages per minute or ppm), print resolution (dots per inch or dpi), and paper tray capacity. A higher dpi (like the 4800×1200 on this Canon) means sharper photos, while a decent ppm (13 for black and white here) ensures you’re not waiting forever for documents. Features like an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) and auto-duplex (two-sided) printing are massive time-savers.
• Materials & Durability: Most home printers are constructed from durable plastic. While they won’t feel like industrial machines, look for a solid build with no flimsy-feeling trays or doors. The weight of the unit can often be an indicator of the internal components’ quality. A well-built machine should feel stable and robust during operation.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: In today’s connected world, setup and operation should be seamless. Check for reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, intuitive controls, and a user-friendly companion app for mobile printing. Also, consider the long-term cost and process of replacing ink. Many modern printers, including this one, offer ink subscription services that can simplify maintenance and potentially lower costs.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications here to see how it measures up against your specific needs.

While the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions and Unboxing the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer

Pulling the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer from its box, the first thing we noticed was its substantial but sleek design. Finished in a professional matte black, it avoids the cheap, glossy plastic look that plagues many home electronics. At 8.2 kilograms, it has a reassuring heft that suggests quality components within. The lines are clean and modern, with the 35-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) neatly integrated into the top lid, maintaining a relatively compact silhouette for such a feature-rich machine. Setting it up on the desk, its 40.3cm width is standard, but the 20.6cm height makes it feel less imposing than older all-in-one models.

The control panel is minimalist, centered around a small but clear OLED display and tactile buttons, which provide satisfying feedback. Inside, accessing the two-cartridge ink system (one black, one tri-colour) is straightforward. Canon includes a set of starter cartridges and a small pack of photo paper, a nice touch that allows you to test its full capabilities right away. Compared to some of its competitors, the build feels solid and thoughtfully engineered, from the smooth action of the scanner lid to the sturdy feel of the paper trays. It immediately presents itself as a serious piece of home office equipment, ready to tackle a variety of tasks.

A Deep Dive into the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer’s Performance

An all-in-one printer lives or dies by its performance across a range of tasks. It’s not enough to be good at just one thing; it has to be a reliable jack-of-all-trades. We put the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer through its paces over several weeks, using it as the central hub for all our family and home office needs. From churning out lengthy reports to digitizing old photos and even indulging in some creative projects, we explored every facet of its functionality. Here’s our detailed breakdown of how it performed in the real world.

The Setup Saga: Navigating the Initial Hurdles

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: the setup process. In our testing, we confirmed the feedback from some users that getting the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer connected to our Wi-Fi network was not as seamless as we’d hoped. The recommended process involves using Canon’s mobile app to guide you, but our first few attempts failed to find the printer. This is a common frustration with many modern wireless devices, where network configurations can cause unforeseen conflicts.

Pivoting, we decided to try a direct connection to our computer. This highlighted a notable omission: the printer does not come with a USB-B cable. Thankfully, we had one from an older device. Once connected via USB, the software installation was straightforward, and the printer was up and running in minutes. From there, we were able to access the network settings more directly and manually configure the Wi-Fi connection. This included the slightly confusing step of finding the printer’s default password, which, as one user discovered, requires you to print a network information sheet directly from the printer’s control panel. Once this hurdle was cleared, the wireless connection proved to be stable and reliable. Our advice: be prepared for a bit of troubleshooting. While the process was initially frustrating, it’s a one-time inconvenience. Once connected, the printer’s wireless capabilities are excellent.

Everyday Performance: The Document and Scanning Workhorse

Once the setup was complete, the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer truly began to shine as a daily workhorse. For document printing, the specified speed of 13 pages per minute (ppm) for black and white is accurate. We printed a 20-page document, and it was ready in just over a minute and a half. The text quality is exceptionally sharp and crisp, easily legible even at small font sizes, making it perfect for professional reports, essays, and contracts. Colour documents print at a more leisurely 6.8 ppm, but the quality is impressive, with solid colours and no bleeding.

The two standout features for office productivity are, without question, the auto-duplexing and the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). The auto-duplex feature, which automatically prints on both sides of the paper, is seamless and a fantastic way to save paper and create more professional-looking multi-page documents. The 35-sheet ADF is a complete game-changer. We fed it a 15-page contract that needed to be scanned and emailed, and the machine handled the entire stack flawlessly, scanning each page without a single jam. This transforms a tedious, page-by-page manual task on a flatbed scanner into a simple “set it and forget it” operation. Copying multi-page documents is just as easy. For any home office that deals with paperwork, these two features alone justify the investment.

Unleashing Creativity: Beyond the A4 Page

Where the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer truly sets itself apart from more office-focused rivals is in its creative capabilities. The maximum print resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi is tailor-made for photo printing, and the results are stunning. We printed several 4×6 and A4-sized photos on Canon’s glossy photo paper, and the colours were vibrant, skin tones were accurate, and the level of detail was fantastic. While it uses a single tri-colour cartridge rather than individual ink tanks (which pro-level photo printers use), the quality is more than sufficient for family albums, framed prints, and photo gifts. It easily outperforms the photo printing capabilities of most entry-level all-in-one machines.

But it goes further. Canon actively encourages experimentation with its support for a wide variety of specialty media. We tested this by printing designs on magnetic photo paper, creating custom fridge magnets for the family. The printer handled the thicker media without issue, and the results were sharp and professional. This opens up a world of possibilities for craft projects, personalized gifts, or even small-scale business merchandise like branded magnets or stickers. The ability to switch from printing a black-and-white invoice to a full-colour magnetic photo in moments is a testament to this printer’s incredible versatility. The creative potential baked into this machine makes it an exceptionally valuable tool for a family, and you can see the full range of its creative printing features here.

Connectivity and The Smart Ecosystem

Once past the initial Wi-Fi setup, the printer’s connectivity is robust. The Canon PRINT app is the central hub for mobile operations and is remarkably powerful. From the app, you can print documents and photos directly from your phone’s storage, or from cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. We found this incredibly convenient for printing email attachments or photos without ever needing to turn on a computer, echoing the sentiment of one user who praised its ease of use “direct from your mobile phone.” The app also allows you to initiate scans, check ink levels, and access troubleshooting guides.

The printer is also compatible with the PIXMA Print Plan, Canon’s ink subscription service. This is an optional service where the printer monitors your ink levels and automatically orders new cartridges before you run out. For users with consistent printing volumes, this can be a convenient and cost-effective way to manage supplies, removing the “oh no, I’m out of cyan” panic right before a deadline. While not for everyone, the option adds another layer of modern convenience to the ownership experience.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our findings align closely with the real-world experiences of other users. The feedback is generally positive, highlighting the machine’s versatility and convenience once it’s up and running. One user succinctly praised it as an “All in one printer. Scan, photos, plain printing. Easy to use direct from your mobile phone,” which perfectly captures its core strengths. This speaks to the seamless mobile experience we also enjoyed after conquering the initial setup.

However, the setup process is a recurring theme. Another detailed review noted, “Initial setup was very difficult, it took me an hour or two… It refused to setup via wifi, so I had to do it using a USB cable, which is not supplied in the box.” This directly mirrors our own experience and serves as a fair warning for potential buyers: a little patience and technical know-how (or a spare USB cable) might be required. This user’s frustration is valid, but it’s important to note their conclusion that since that initial jam and setup difficulty, “it’s behaved itself since.” This confirms our assessment that the initial setup is a one-time hurdle, not an indicator of the printer’s ongoing performance.

How Does the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer Compare to the Competition?

No product exists in a vacuum. The Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer faces stiff competition in the crowded home printer market. To give you a clearer picture, we’ve compared it against three popular alternatives, each with its own unique strengths.

1. HP DeskJet 2820e All-in-One Printer Wireless

The HP DeskJet 2820e is aimed squarely at the budget-conscious user with very light printing needs. Its primary advantages are its lower initial cost and extremely compact footprint, making it ideal for small apartments or dorm rooms where space is at a premium. However, these advantages come with significant trade-offs when compared to the Canon. The HP lacks an Automatic Document Feeder and auto-duplex printing, meaning scanning multi-page documents is a manual process, and two-sided printing requires you to flip the paper yourself. Its print speed is also slower, and its photo quality, while acceptable, doesn’t match the vibrancy and detail of the Canon. The HP DeskJet 2820e is a good choice for someone who prints a few pages a month, but for any serious home office or creative use, the Canon’s superior feature set is well worth the extra investment.

2. Brother DCP-J1360DW Wireless A4 Inkjet Printer

The Brother DCP-J1360DW is a more direct competitor to the Canon, offering a similar all-in-one feature set including printing, scanning, copying, and auto-duplexing. Brother printers are often praised for their reliability and straightforward setup, which could be a deciding factor for users wary of the Canon’s initial connectivity issues. It uses four individual ink cartridges, which can be more cost-effective if you tend to use one colour more than others, as you only replace the one that’s empty. Where the Canon pulls ahead is in its creative flexibility and photo quality. The Canon’s higher print resolution and explicit support for specialty media like magnetic paper make it the superior choice for hobbyists and families who want to do more than just print documents.

3. Brother HL-L3220CWE Wireless Colour Printer

This Brother model represents a completely different approach. It is a single-function colour LED (similar to laser) printer, meaning it only prints—it does not scan or copy. Its strength lies in speed and cost-per-page for high-volume document printing. It’s significantly faster than the Canon for colour documents and uses toner cartridges that last much longer than ink cartridges, making it more economical for an office that prints hundreds of colour flyers or reports. However, it completely lacks the all-in-one versatility of the Canon. It cannot scan a document, make a quick copy of an ID, or print high-quality glossy photos. This is a specialized tool for high-volume printing, whereas the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer is the versatile Swiss Army knife for a dynamic home environment.

Our Final Verdict on the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer is a powerful and remarkably versatile machine that punches well above its weight. It successfully bridges the gap between a productivity-focused office machine and a creative-focused photo printer. Its document quality is sharp, and its productivity features—specifically the Automatic Document Feeder and auto-duplex printing—are indispensable for any busy home office. Simultaneously, its superb photo quality and support for creative media make it a fantastic tool for family projects, hobbies, and crafts.

The one significant caveat is the potential for a frustrating initial Wi-Fi setup, a hurdle that may test the patience of less tech-savvy users. However, we view this as a one-time inconvenience that is vastly outweighed by the printer’s outstanding long-term performance and flexibility. If you’re looking for a single device that can handle work reports, school assignments, multi-page scanning, and beautiful photo prints with equal skill, the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer is an exceptional choice that we highly recommend.

If you’ve decided the Canon PIXMA TS7450i All-in-One Printer is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.