Canon PIXMA MP280: In-Depth Review — Features, Specs, Performance & Business Use
The Canon PIXMA MP280 is an all-in‐one inkjet printer (print, scan, copy) aimed at home users, photo enthusiasts, and very light small business / home office users. Launched in the late 2000s/early 2010s, it's one of Canon’s entry-level multifunction devices that emphasizes photo printing quality alongside document functionality. It delivers respectable specs for its class, especially in terms of photo print resolution and features like borderless printing, while making trade-offs in speed, connectivity, and long-term cost.
This article will examine what the MP280 offers, where it excels and where it falls short, how it performs in real scenarios, and whether (in 2025) it still has relevance for business users or whether modern alternatives are better.
Key Features & Specifications
Here are the most relevant technical specs and features of the Canon PIXMA MP280, compiled from Canon’s official data and trusted retailer listings.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Device Type | Print / Scan / Copy all-in-one inkjet (multifunction) |
| Print Technology | Inkjet with Canon’s FINE cartridges, 4-ink system (black + tri-colour) |
| Maximum Print Resolution | 4,800 x 1,200 dpi (colour) for photos; 600 x 600 dpi (black) for text/document printouts. |
| Print Speed (ESAT) | Approx. 8.4 ipm (black text, plain paper) / ~4.8 ipm (colour) in “office document” mode. |
| Photo Print Time (4″×6″ / 10×15cm, borderless) | ~43 seconds (on Photo Paper Glossy II) in borderless mode. |
| Scanner / Copier | Flatbed colour scanner; optical resolution approx. 1,200 x 2,400 dpi; colour depth up to 48-bit internal, 24-bit external. |
| Paper Handling / Media Types | Rear tray: approx. 100 sheets of plain paper; supports photo papers, envelopes; borderless printing on several photo sizes; manual duplex printing (Windows only). |
| Ink Cartridges | Black (PG-510 or optional PG-512) and Colour (CL-511 or CL-513) cartridges. Smaller yields for standard cartridges; optional higher yield ones available in some markets. |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 direct to PC/Mac. No built-in Ethernet or Wi-Fi on base model. |
| Copy / Enlargement / Reduction | Copying documents/photos; enlarge/reduce from 25% to 400%. Borderless copying / fit-to-page functions. |
| Software / Enhancements | Auto Photo Fix II, Full HD Movie Print (for printing frames from video), Auto Document Fix (correction of uneven exposure, backlight etc.), Easy-WebPrint EX, driver features for poster & booklet printing. |
| Operating Systems Supported | Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and Mac OS X (various versions as of the era). |
| Physical Dimensions & Weight | Approx. 450 × 335 × 153 mm (W × D × H); ~5.5 kg. |
| Power & Noise | Operating power ~10 W; standby/scan lamp off ~0.8 W; off ~0.4 W. Noise levels when printing (photo or document) are moderate. |
Design & Usability
Build and Physical Layout
The MP280 is designed to be compact enough for a photo-inkjet multifunction to live on a desk. The input tray is rear-facing, supporting up to ~100 sheets of plain paper. It also supports photo paper and various specialty media through the rear tray feed; for borderless photo printing, it offers different photo sizes including 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, letter, legal in some markets.
The control panel includes LED or small LCD status indicators, buttons for copy / photo mode etc., but no large touchscreen. Copy settings, scan, and print options are largely governed through the driver software on the connected computer. This is typical for its era — less independence from PC compared to modern MFPs that scan or email directly without a PC.
Software Features
The MP280 offers photo-centric software features:
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Auto Photo Fix II: Helps correct exposure, colour, lighting automatically for photos. Good when you need decent photo output without manually editing.
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Full HD Movie Print: Lets you choose still frames from certain video formats (e.g., from Canon cameras) to print as photos. Useful for people who want to print snapshots from video content.
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Auto Document Fix: Helps correct scanned documents that are skewed, poorly scanned or have exposure problems.
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Borderless Photo Printing: Yes, for photo sizes up to 8.5×11" in some markets; for smaller photo sizes borderless is standard.
Performance & Real-World Use
Print Quality
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Text Documents: For standard text documents, the MP280 delivers sharp black text in standard fonts. Because it uses an inkjet FINE print head, text is legible though not as razor-thin or fast as in laser printers. For occasional document printing, its performance is acceptable.
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Photo Output: This is where the MP280 shines relative to many pure office printers. At 4,800 x 1,200 dpi photo resolution, combined with borderless capability and Canon’s photo paper support, it produces photo lab-like prints for snapshots, family photos, greeting cards, etc. Photo print times aren’t instant but the quality is good for non-professional use.
Speed & Throughput
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The ESAT document printing speeds (8.4 ipm for black, ~4.8 ipm colour) are modest by today’s standards but typical for a consumer/mid-tier inkjet from its generation. For small print jobs (2-5 pages) there’s a noticeable delay (warm up, processing).
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Photo printing is slower, particularly for borderless or high resolution—expect ~43 seconds for a 4×6 photo. Not ideal when you need many photos quickly, but reasonable for occasional printing.
Scanning & Copying
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The scanner is flatbed CIS (Contact Image Sensor) with optical resolution up to ~1,200×2,400 dpi. For document scanning, this is more than adequate. Scanning photos is fine; for high detail or archival work, a higher quality flatbed or film scanner would beat it.
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Copying is functional but slow, especially for copies made from borderless photo or high-quality settings. Routine document copying is acceptable.
Business Use & Fit
Where the MP280 may serve business use, and where it struggles.
Appropriate Business Scenarios
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Small home offices or micro-businesses that occasionally print photos, marketing flyers, greeting cards, or promotional material along with documents.
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Freelancers / content creators who want to produce photo prints (e.g. photographers, social media content, event snapshots) but don’t need professional photo lab speed or volume.
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Schools / educators for printing student photos, project work, learning materials, and colour images.
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Small shops / boutiques needing occasional photo prints (e.g. for display or packaging) plus standard document printing.
Limitations for Heavier Business Use
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Speed: The relatively slow “colour document” print speed and photo print times make it unsuitable for high-volume printing or tight deadlines.
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Running Cost: Inkjet cartridges, especially for colour, tend to dry out or require frequent replacement when underused, increasing cost per page. For heavy document printing, a laser printer may have lower ongoing cost.
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Connectivity: Lack of built-in network printing, WiFi, or duplex scanning/email options limit how it can be integrated into multi‐user or workflow-oriented business environments. Most operations depend on PC with USB.
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Durability: Printer parts, ink lines, and cartridges in older models may suffer from wear. Also photo inkjet prints are more sensitive to water, light, and handling than laser-printed text.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
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Photo quality: High resolution, borderless photo options, good colour rendering. A standout among non‐photo-specialized multifunction printers.
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Feature richness for the era: Auto Photo Fix, Full HD Movie Print, Auto Document Fix, borderless printing — features useful for novices and photo lovers.
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Compact and all-in-one: Gives printing, scanning, copying in one unit. Good for low-space environments.
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Low power draw in standby/off: Reasonable idle and off-state power consumption helps with energy costs when not in heavy use.
Weaknesses
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Speed limitations: Not suited for fast or heavy print jobs; colour document printing is particularly slow.
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Ink cost: Colour runs and photo printing consume more ink; cartridges may not have high yield. Also, inkjet heads may need cleaning, which uses ink.
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Limited connectivity & workflow features: No built-in WiFi or Ethernet in base; no automatic duplex (unless manually flipped); limited direct scanning to cloud / email.
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Aging model: As a product from earlier era, driver/software support may fade; hardware wear, availability of parts or service may be limited in some regions.
Practical Recommendations & Buying Advice
If considering the MP280 (used, refurbished, or new if available), here are some tips to get the most value:
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Buy extra cartridges (especially colour) if you plan to print photos; avoid using the standard yield colour carts exclusively, as they run out faster and drive up cost.
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Use genuine Canon photo paper when printing borderless photos — output quality and durability are better.
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If printing many photos or colour graphics, use draft mode for proofs and normal/best mode sparingly; this saves ink.
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Keep firmware and drivers up to date; ensure compatibility with your current OS. Newer OS versions may have driver issues for older printers.
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Use the MP Navigator EX and Canon software tools to scan, store and organize photos, documents. OCR may be limited but can help with document archiving.
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If you occasionally need borderless prints, test the photo sizes and media before large jobs to verify quality and alignment.
Relevance in 2025 & Alternatives
Given the age of the MP280 design, how does it stack up in 2025?
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Modern inkjet/photo multifunction printers now offer WiFi, mobile printing, cloud integrations, faster photo print times, automatic duplex, and higher OEM ink yields. So for users needing more recent features, newer models may offer better value.
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If your usage is limited — occasional photo prints, light document printing — the MP280 may still serve adequately, especially if you already own one.
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For businesses with growing print volume or need for productivity (scanning/duplication, networked workflows), investing in more modern, network-ready MFPs likely gives higher upward ROI.
Competitors to consider would include more recent consumer photo-inkjet MFPs, or lower-cost monochrome laser MFPs when documents dominate.
Conclusion
The Canon PIXMA MP280 is a printer that blends photo-friendly features with basic document capability, making it appealing for home users, hobbyists, small businesses, or anyone who values photo printing moderately often. It offers:
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Excellent photo resolution and borderless printing,
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Decent quality scanning and copying,
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Useful photo-enhancement software, and
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A compact all-in-one form.
However, its limitations in speed, connectivity, long-term cost, and its aging hardware constrain its usefulness for heavier business workflows. For heavy document printing, or modern mobile/office network integration, newer printers may outperform it.
If you're deciding whether to keep using one, buy second-hand, or replace the MP280, ask yourself:
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How many pages do you print per month (documents vs photos)?
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Do you need wireless, Ethernet or cloud integration?
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Are photo prints frequent enough to justify ink and paper cost?
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How important is first-page speed, automatic duplex, and upgrade support?
If photo printing, colour graphics, and occasional document tasks are your priority, the MP280 still has strengths. But for robust, high-volume, or networked business use, newer models are likely better investments now.
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