Canon Selphy CP 750 portable printer review

18 July 2007 11:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Canon’s range of compact standalone dye sublimation Selphy printers gets a revamp with the introduction of the CP 750. The remarkably small package is well-built with silver and white livery that will look at home in any office or home environment.

The printer includes a range of neat, simple to use features and fast print output that make it an attractive proposition for anyone looking for a compact direct printer. Add to this the portability (with an optional battery pack that clips home on the back of the device) and you have a great little printer. Providing that is you want just 6 x 4 prints.

For, as with all such printers, you’re limited in the range of output to photos, 6 x 4-inch prints at that. Connectivity is however rather good with USB2 for PC connectivity, PictBridge compatible printers have their own, self retracting cable built-in and, in case you’re camera has a different port to the PictBridge cable on offer, there’s another USB DirectPrint port as well.

Additionally you get infrared compatibility and (optional) Bluetooth capability for anyone wanting to print directly from, say, a mobile camera phone. Controls are spread around the 2.4-inch colour screen which, sadly, does not articulate and include tools for trimming, removing redeye, adjusting layout (there are just two, borderless and with a border for “normal” prints) and adjusting colours.

This last is a missed opportunity as the "my colours" setting you pick is not previewed on the screen but does allow you apply vivid, positive film, black and white or sepia modes among others.

Prints are formed on the paper when layers of dye-based ink are heated or “sublimated” onto the special media. Yellow, cyan and magenta dyes are used with a clear sealing layer applied over the top of the colours on the last pass.

Media passes right through the machine fed from its rather clunky-to-use media cassette that slots into the front of the printer and it is undeniably fascinating (well it was for me!) to watch as the photos magically appear on the paper one colour at a time.

Print resolution is 300dpi so more than ample for photo output and that output is very good indeed with a one proviso. There are odd striations in the output, particularly visible in areas without much detail such as clear blue skies in a photo.

This is a real disappointment as was the fact when a print command is cancelled the 750 appears to still wind on the dye sheet for that colour. That means, because the paper and ink packs compliment each other, you can loose a print, as there won’t be ink for it when you get to the end of the pack.

Ink and paper come in 36, 72 and 108-sheet packs costing £5.20, £15.90 and £16.67 respectively. Costs per print work out at around 14-pence each, so not the cheapest available.

Verdict

A compact and easy to use printer the CP 750 certainly is capable of great results that are also claimed to last up to 100-years in an album. But those odd lines in the print disappoint, as does the costs per print.

However, if you’re interested only in 6 x 4-inch sized prints and the portability this machine remains one worth a serious look.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Canon
Price as reviewed: £139
Latest price: Compare prices
The good: Compact design, Colour reproduction, portability (with optional battery pack), ease of use
The bad: Visible stripes in print areas of low detail, print cancel still winds-on dye sheet, screen not articulated, limited layout options
Quick verdict: If you’re interested only in 6 x 4-inch sized prints and the portability this machine remains one worth a serious look
Score