Printing The Canon imageCLASS LBP172dw prints using laser technology, which picks up powdered "toner" on a roller and fuses it to the paper with heat. It prints black-and-white text with excellent quality. Text printing was very quick, 5 pages took 13 seconds, costing 5 cents per page. It prints mono graphics with some obvious defects, but OK for casual use, costing 14.1 cents per page. It has auto-duplex printing to print both on sides of the page. The capacity of the main paper tray is 250 sheets, a generous amount.
Scanning and Copying This is a single-function printer. It lacks a built-in scanner/copier.
Ease of Use This printer's usability is limited. It has a monochrome display screen with a 1.8-inch diagonal size.
Versatility It's slightly versatile and has a limited featureset: a USB port, WiFi, Ethernet, and auto-duplex printing. The main tray can hold up to 250 pages, a generous amount. It has only 1 input paper tray, inconvenient if you need to use multiple types of paper. It can handle 163 gsm weight paper—for printing on stiff office paper. The largest paper size it may accept is 8.5 x 14 inches, larger than most models. The output tray can hold up to 100 sheets, helpful when you need print a largish amount all at once. It's a small design that may find a place on a crowded desktop, and a middleweight at 15.2 pounds.
Connectivity and Networking It can print documents via USB, Ethernet and WiFi. We found it more tedious than usual to setup the WiFi connection on this printer.
You can also print from your smartphone or tablet. One option is "cloud printing" which most phones and tablets natively support. If yours doesn't, look for the Canon printer app at the online store. For more details see
Canon's website. Be aware that cloud printing transmits your document outside your home network, to a cloud server before reaching your printer. If you're near the printer, then the second, more-private option found on most printers is "WiFi Direct" which wirelessly connects the printer exclusively to your phone or tablet. A third option is wired—a "USB OTG cable for printer" with the USB that's compatible with your device—an inexpensive accessory, but it may not be supported on older devices.
Costs and Toner When this page was last updated, the printer's purchase price was about $ 216, typical for a regular black and white laser printer. Printing uses up toner and the costs add up over time. This printer uses one cartridge. When the toner runs low, you replace the empty cartridge. The toner we used in testing was the Canon 072 BK cartridge—at the time, the price was $ 75. According to our tests, one cartridge will print approximately 1430 pages of black text, a fair amount. We estimate each cartridge of toner to last at least 5 years—a long time—following a typical printing cadence of 23 text pages per month. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate your total equivalent cost to be $ 244—low among mono laser printers. The theoretical total cost after 5 years is $ 285.
Notes The printer uses up very little space.
Printer Firmware Firmware is software that exists inside the printer. All models are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing. The firmware version of the Canon imageCLASS LBP172dw was 3.03.
Software The collection of software accompanying the printer may include: the printer driver, printer applications, electronic user manual. These get installed on your personal computer. All models are evaluated with a PC and the Windows operating system, using the latest version of printer software (driver) and printer support apps available at the time of testing. The software version was 3.11.0.0.
About the toner, software and firmware Our test results are valid only for the Canon-brand toner, and the software and firmware versions indicated. If your printer's software or firmware differ from the ones shown, you either have an older or a newer version of these. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the printer's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware updates are downloadable directly to your printer via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable). You can check your printer's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware: Either (1) run the Canon printer-update app on the PC, or (2) access the "Settings" section of the printer menu and navigating to the firmware update option. Consult the user manual or Canon's website for further guidance.
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