Canon PIXMA MG3550 — Features, Specs, Performance & Business Use

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Canon PIXMA MG3550 — Features, Specs, Performance & Business Use

The Canon PIXMA MG3550 is an entry-level, wireless inkjet all-in-one designed primarily for home offices, students and very small businesses that need a compact device for printing, copying and scanning with occasional photo output. It isn’t a full-blown office MFP, but it packs a surprisingly capable feature set (borderless printing, auto duplex, Wi-Fi and relatively high optical scan resolution) into a small footprint and low price. Below is a focused, practical deep dive into what the MG3550 delivers, how it performs in real use and which business scenarios it makes sense for.

Quick spec snapshot (the essentials)

  • Functions: Print, copy, scan (3-in-1).

  • Max print resolution: Up to 4,800 × 1,200 dpi (colour, enhanced).

  • Print speed (A4, ESAT): Approx. 9.9 ipm mono / 5.7 ipm colour.

  • Photo print: 10×15 cm borderless photo in ≈ 44 seconds.

  • Scanner (optical): Up to 1,200 × 2,400 dpi (CIS flatbed).

  • Connectivity: USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (including Wi-Fi Direct/PIXMA Printing Solutions mobile app). 

  • Duplex: Automatic two-sided printing supported (A4/Letter).

Those headline numbers show the MG3550 is positioned to be a flexible home/mini-office device rather than a departmental workhorse.

Design & build — compact, no-frills, user friendly

Physically the MG3550 is small and lightweight — it’s intended to sit on a desk or shelf rather than in a print room. The control panel is simple (buttons with a small status display), paper access and cartridge replacement are front/upper facing, and the output tray folds neatly when not in use. The design emphasizes straightforward operation: quick set-up via Canon’s installation utilities and mobile printing support (AirPrint, Canon’s PIXMA app and Google Cloud Print historically on some SKUs) make it easy for non-technical users to get started. 

Build quality is adequate for its class: you shouldn’t expect the robustness of an office MFP, but the MG3550’s mechanism is typical of consumer Canon printers and reliable when used within expected volumes.

Printing engine & output quality

Text and documents

The MG3550 uses Canon’s FINE print-head technology with two cartridges (black + combined colour). For business text documents (letters, invoices, internal reports) it produces clean, legible output — not quite the contrast of a monochrome laser, but more than acceptable for most small-business needs. The rated 9.9 ipm black speed gives decent responsiveness for single-user or small-team environments. 

Photos and colour graphics

Where the MG3550 outperforms monochrome or basic office lasers is in colour and photo quality. The claimed 4,800 × 1,200 dpi enhanced resolution and small droplet size enable smooth gradients and sharp photo prints, and the MG3550 supports borderless printing up to A4 (and common photo formats) for client handouts and snapshots. While it won’t replace a professional photo printer for colour-critical proofs, it gives very good results for promotional flyers, product photos and one-off client materials. 

Scanning & capture — a surprisingly capable flatbed

The MG3550’s scanner is a CIS flatbed with optical resolution up to 1,200 × 2,400 dpi — high enough for accurate document digitization and decent photo scans. Canon’s bundled software supports basic scan-to-file, scan-to-email and scanning workflows, which is useful for small offices digitizing receipts, contracts or incoming mail. The scanner’s colour depth and A4 scan speed are suitable for occasional to moderate scanning tasks.

Note: the MG3550 does not include an automatic document feeder (ADF), so multi-page scanning requires manual page placement on the platen. For offices that process multi-page documents frequently, a model with an ADF will be more efficient.

Connectivity & mobile printing

A core strength of the MG3550 is its connectivity: built-in Wi-Fi allows easy sharing across small networks, and Wi-Fi Direct plus Canon’s PIXMA Printing Solutions app enable mobile printing without a router. The printer supports common mobile standards (Apple AirPrint and Android printing through Canon’s app or Mopria on some platforms), which makes it convenient for hybrid workers, tablets and smartphones. For small teams and home offices this reduces friction and driver headaches. 

From an IT-management standpoint the MG3550 is intentionally light: it lacks enterprise management, SNMP accounting and secure print release features found on business class MFPs. That’s fine for one-to-five-user contexts, but larger fleets will want a managed print solution.

Real-world performance & reliability

In everyday use the MG3550 behaves like a typical high-quality consumer inkjet:

  • Short jobs (single pages, quick letters) return quickly thanks to fast first-page behavior and a low warm-up routine.

  • Mixed content (documents with colour logos or photos) prints noticeably slower than plain text jobs because of rasterization and ink drying.

  • Photo jobs are handled well but print time for borderless, high-quality photos is longer (the 44-second 10×15 cm claim is under specific test conditions).

Reliability is consistent when the device is used within recommended volumes and left powered in a normal environment. Like all inkjets, occasional automatic head cleaning may occur (consuming a small amount of ink) — this is worth factoring into running costs for infrequent users. Repairability for basic issues is limited; many small issues are resolved with simple user actions guided by Canon’s support pages and manuals.

Consumables, running costs & TCO

Running costs are where many buyers must do the math. The MG3550 uses standard two-cartridge FINE consumables (black and tri-colour). Canon offers XL high-yield cartridges that reduce per-page costs, and aftermarket cartridges exist widely; however OEM inks give more consistent colour, better reliability and preserve warranties.

Practical tips for cost control:

  • Use XL cartridges if your monthly pages justify the higher cartridge cost — they reduce the per-page price substantially.

  • Put the default driver in draft/economy for internal documents to save ink, and reserve high-quality photo modes for client materials.

  • Consider total cost (ink + paper + occasional maintenance) versus a small colour laser if your monthly page volumes are high; lasers often become more economical for heavy text loads. 

Best business use cases

The MG3550 is best matched to the following scenarios:

  1. Home office and freelancers (1–2 users): Compact footprint, good photo and colour output, and wireless convenience make it a solid all-rounder.

  2. Micro retail and boutiques: On-demand printing of promotional flyers, receipts with logos, and photo prints for customers.

  3. Creative freelancers / small studios: Quick client proofs, mockups and small batches of printed visuals without outsourcing.

  4. Students and small non-profits: Low capital cost and flexible media support suit budgets that need occasional colour printing and scanning.

Not a great fit when:

  • Your work requires heavy multi-page scanning (no ADF), sustained high monthly page volumes, or enterprise-grade management/security. In those cases step up to a business MFP or dedicated document scanner.

Deployment tips & practical advice

  • Place the MG3550 in a low-dust, temperate area and leave it on standby to avoid ink drying cycles that happen with frequent power cycling.

  • Keep one spare black cartridge on hand for small teams to avoid downtime during important jobs.

  • Use the PIXMA Printing Solutions app for easy mobile printing and share setup instructions with non-technical users to minimize helpdesk calls.

  • For occasional photo and marketing print runs, use Canon’s recommended photo papers (glossy or semi-gloss) for best results.

Final verdict

The Canon PIXMA MG3550 is a smart choice if you want an affordable, compact all-in-one that can handle both everyday documents and attractive colour/photo prints. It combines respectable print speeds for the class, high enhanced resolution for photos, a capable flatbed scanner and convenient wireless/mobile connectivity. For home offices, freelancers and very small businesses that occasionally produce colour collateral and need a reliable scanner, the MG3550 is a pragmatic, good-value option.


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