Canon has refreshed its entry-level all-in-one printer, modifying the cartridges used.

The new cartridges still have three different ink tanks in a single color cartridge, along with a second cartridge devoted to black.

Just as we were beginning to think we'd never stop repeating the mantra that a 'cheap' printer will come back to bite you with pricey cartridges, Canon's  new cartridges have proved us wrong.

On the condition that you use the special high capacity versions, which are only marginally more expensive than the 'regular' cartridges, then you'll find they last forever and really bring down the total cost of ownership.

The models you need to look out for to get the most of the MP240 are the PG-512 (black) and the CL-513 (color) which make this new all-in-one more efficient than the much pricier MP620 which ships with separate cartridges for each ink color, usually thought to be more economic.

Simple Interface, High Speeds

LCD screens are reserved for classier models, and using this printer without one is a little tricky.

It's much easier to see what the printer is up to when there are a few lines of text to guide you, and a screen also helps when connecting directly to the printer to print photos rather than reading any messages on the computer screen.

Even if it is an entry-level printer, though, the MP240 is still relatively speedy, reaching up to thirteen pages per minute (ppm) on our test document in draft mode, and six and eight ppm of color and black and white printing respectively in normal mode.

These speeds are certainly not the fastest on the market but they are more than acceptable for home users.


The problem with using at home though is that it's a very noisy printer. 

As soon as you print a document, the mechanism that picks up a sheet of paper is incredibly loud, and things don't get any better during printing either.   

You can root about in the driver to activate a silent mode, but then the printer ends up a lot slower.

Speed or silence: it's up to you to decide which you value more.

Worth mentioning, though, is the ability to program the printer to default to silent mode at certain times of day, which is a useful feature.

Quality Printing

However much you pay for your all-in-one, its print quality is one of the most important questions. 

Here, you certainly won't be disappointed.

Office documents arrive with sharp, dark characters and clear color graphics.

Photos, meanwhile, are very nicely handled, even if the coloring is a little exaggerated for some.

The high saturation won't escape the attention of amateur photographers looking for good color fidelity, but the colors are in general reasonable.


Ink Costs: A Pleasant Surprise

Canon have two different sets of cartridges for the MP240.

On the one hand there's the PG-510 and the CL-511, which are shipped with the printer, while on the other, you can replace these with the PG-512 and the CL-513.

The second set is a little more expensive than the first, but offers exceptional performance.

The exact cost per page depends on how much each type of cartridge costs where you are, and it's often possible to find reductions and special offers making the bigger cartridges even better value for money.

Cartridge Tests

Cartridge	Lifespan (prints)
PG-510 (black)	2760
PG-512 (black--high capacity)	5205
CL-511 (color)	97
CL-513 (color--high capacity)	144