10 Decisions You Must Make Before You Buy the Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II Printer
1. Are you a professional or serious amateur photography or a graphic artist?
The Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II is one of the company’s premier imaging products and has been designed and built for people who need high-end print resolution, borderless printing as much as 13x19 and a host of other professional features and capabilities.
Read real customer reviews of the Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II here.
2. Do you have sufficient space for this printer?
The dimensions of the Pro9500 are approximately twice the size of a standard 8.5x11 photo-inkjet printer, at 30 by 14 by 7.5 inches. You actually need approximately 40 inches total to accommodate this printer and its trays. You must also have enough space behind the Pro9500 because of the paper path when using the front single-sheet feeder. The paper temporarily exits the back of the printer and is then fed forward.
The automatic feeder on the Canon Pro9500 will accept media as much as 100 gsm (grams per square meter), or a U.S. paper grade of 70 lb. text. "Canon-approved" stock as thick as 300 gsm can also be used. This converts to a range of approximately 100 lb. cover, 140 lb. Bristol and 170 lb. index.
The unit will also print media as thick as .05 inches (approximately 1.2mm), but you must use the front single-sheet feeder.
4. Are you printing a significant number of gallery-quality, fine art prints and framed client images at sizes as much as 13x19 (A3+)?
The maximum size print you can produce on the Pro9500 will likely be the primary reason why serious photographers, graphic designers and others choose this printer. Large prints are not beneficial, however, unless their quality is equally professional and high-end. Virtually every third-party test and review judges the Pro9500’s output as excellent, delivering the photo-lab quality that Canon promises.
As important as large print sizes may be to you, know that this Canon printer will also generate bordered or borderless prints at various smaller sizes to 4x6.
5. Is an exceptional ink system that reproduces excellent color and black-and-white prints needed for your work?
The Canon Pro9500 Mark II has the same ten-tank Lucia pigment ink system as the earlier model. Pigment inks have proven to outperform the dye-based inks found in most consumer and many prosumer printers. Color output on the Pro9500 is incredibly brilliant, as it also reproduces fine detail and delicate tonal nuances at an amazing level.
An added capability that distinguishes this printer from many others is its exceptional black-and-white printing. Three of the 10 tanks are used for a pair of black inks (photo and matte blacks) and gray. Various third-party tests have compared the Pro9500’s black-and-white printing to other printers that are known for their monochrome performance. These tests revealed that the blacks of prints from the Pro9500 are penetrating and create a beautiful flow from tone to tone.
6. Does your work environment require a quiet printer?
The Pro9500 is extremely quiet, even without using the machine’s “Quiet Mode.” One sound test found that any noise from this printer was barely noticeable, at approximately 40db from just a distance of a few feet.
7. Are you willing to trade speed for print quality and the other high-end features of the Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II Printer?
As one of the best printers at this price point, even the Pro9500 takes some time to make excellent prints at the highest quality. In one test, this Canon printer required a bit more than 10 minutes to print a 13x19 borderless print from Photoshop CS3 at standard quality. This time was for the first print of the day; subsequent prints took a bit less time, with the fastest at approximately 7 minutes. As you might expect, the smaller the print size, the faster it prints.
The Pro9500’s top-shelf black-and-white printing will also leave you waiting, with a test speed for a 13x19 of almost 15 minutes. Although this seems slow, its average for its competitive group.
8. Have you budgeted sufficient funds for printing supplies, inks specifically?
To ask the Canon Pro9500 to give its best output will require liberal use of ink. The Lucia pigment-based inks will cost, on average, $20 to $25 per cartridge. Another test measured how many prints were possible before receiving a low-ink indication. The testers were able to print approximately 20 13x19s (half color and half black and white) and several 8x10s and smaller prints. This compares favorable to the Canon’s competitors.
9. Is it important to you to buy green?
The Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II Printer is designated as EnergyStar-qualified and a Generation Green product.
10. Do you need to spend $750 to $800 for a printer?
You do, if your answer is “Yes” to most of the questions in this article. Once you’ve thoroughly researched and looked at the Canon Pro9500 printer and you determine that it will serve your needs then you can consider yourself a masterful decision-maker.
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