Printing The Canon Pixma TR7020 prints using inkjet technology, which sprays liquid ink onto the paper from a moving head. It prints text very well, nearly as good as a laser printer. It's on the slow side for text, 9.7 pages per minute, costing 11.3 cents per page. Its color graphics printing is Very Good for reports, newsletters and web pages, at 2.4 pages per minute, costing 30.2 cents per page. It prints Very Good photos on glossy paper that most people would be happy with. It has auto-duplex printing to print both on sides of the page, with no loss of quality. The multi-color ink cartridge must be replaced when a single color runs out. If the black ink runs out, it stops printing—it can't be set to just use the remaining color ink. The capacity of the main paper tray is 100 sheets, a typical size. There's a second input tray that can hold another 100 sheets.
Scanning and Copying Scanning performance was Good, but had a few noticeable flaws. It can scan or copy an area up to 11.7 x 8.5 inches (letter size). Copying performance was Good, but had a few noticeable flaws. It has an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for easily scanning/copying a stack of pages.
Controls and Display The printer has a 1.6-inch (diagonal size) monochrome display screen.
Connectivity and Networking You can connect directly to a PC with a USB cable, or to your network router wirelessly with WiFi. There's a WiFi Auto-connect feature that makes it easy to link to your wireless router. Apple AirPrint is built in, to print wirelessly from Apple devices via your local network. You can also install an app on your smartphone or tablet, as another option for printing over your WiFi network.
Cost of Ownership and Ink When this section was last updated, the printer's purchase price was about $160, typical for an all-in-one cartridge inkjet printer. Printing uses up ink and the costs add up over time. This printer uses 2 cartridges. The Canon ink cartridges used in testing were the PG-260 BK and CL-261 Color. At the time, their prices were $17 and $24 respectively. We estimate the ink cartridges to last a very short time—4.5 months—following a typical printing schedule of 264 text and 96 color graphics pages per year. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate the total equivalent cost to be $338, low for an inkjet. The estimated yearly cost is $89, which is generally typical—and also for this printer type, typical. The theoretical total cost after 5 years is $605.
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 Pixma TR7020 was 1.
Software The collection of software accompanying the printer may include: the printer driver, printer applications, electronic user manual, (and for all-in-ones:) scanning, faxing, and OCR apps. These get installed on your personal computer. All models are evaluated with a Windows 10 PC using the latest version of printer driver and printer support apps available at the time of testing.
About the Ink cartridges, Software and Firmware Our test results are valid only for the Canon-brand ink cartridges, 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 by either (1) running the Canon printer-update app installed on the PC, or (2) accessing 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. Try searching online.
