Summary of Customer Reviews
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 13″ Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer has garnered highly positive feedback from a majority of users, particularly for its professional-grade print quality, especially in producing vibrant colors and deep blacks. The printer is popular among photographers, artists, and small business owners who need high-quality prints up to 13×19 inches. Users consistently mention that it delivers rich colors, sharp details, and smooth gradients, making it ideal for both color and black-and-white prints.
However, there are some common complaints about its slower print speeds, issues with software setup, and the cost of ink cartridges. While most users find the quality of the prints to justify the price, a few users express frustration over its operational quirks, particularly regarding paper handling and print speed.
PROS
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Excellent Print Quality: Users overwhelmingly praise the print quality of the Canon PRO-300, highlighting its ability to deliver vivid colors and deep blacks. “A user mentioned that the colors pop off the paper, and the detail is exquisite.”
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Pigment-Based Ink: The printer uses pigment inks that provide long-lasting, fade-resistant prints, making it suitable for professional photography and fine art printing. A user noted, “The pigment inks are fantastic, especially for long-lasting prints that don’t fade over time.”
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Wide Range of Media Compatibility: The printer supports a variety of media types, including glossy, matte, and fine art papers, which enhances its versatility. One user mentioned, “I was able to print on canvas, and the results were incredible.”
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Compact Size for a Pro Printer: Despite its high-end features, the Canon PRO-300 is compact for a professional printer. One user noted, “It doesn’t take up much space, and still delivers gallery-quality prints.”
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User-Friendly Software: Several users appreciated Canon’s Print & Layout software, which makes it easy to manage print settings. “The software integration is smooth, and the color profiles are accurate,” said a satisfied reviewer.
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Sharp Black & White Prints: Many customers highlighted the quality of monochrome prints, with one mentioning, “The gray tonal range is outstanding, making it perfect for black-and-white photography.”
CONS
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Slow Print Speed: A frequent criticism of the PRO-300 is its slow print speed, especially when producing high-quality prints. One user stated, “Printing an 8×10 took about 4 minutes, which is significantly slower compared to my older Canon model.”
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Cost of Ink: Many users expressed concern over the cost of replacing the ink cartridges. “The ink is pricey, and it runs out faster than I expected,” a user commented, although most acknowledged the quality justifies the expense.
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Software Issues: Some users encountered problems with the software setup, particularly when trying to print from specific programs. “It took me a while to get the software working properly with Lightroom,” a user mentioned, indicating a learning curve for some.
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Paper Handling Issues: A few users reported difficulties with paper feeding, especially when using thicker media like cardstock. “The printer struggles with cardstock, which was disappointing since that was one of my main reasons for buying it,” a customer explained.
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Slower Print Time for Larger Formats: Some users found the print times for larger formats to be inconveniently slow. One reviewer noted, “It prints beautifully, but if you’re in a rush, this might not be the printer for you.”
Who Should Buy?
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is an excellent choice for professional photographers, artists, and small business owners who prioritize high-quality print results over speed. It is especially suitable for those who print fine art, photography, or need to produce long-lasting, gallery-ready prints. The printer is also a good fit for those who require precise color management and need to print on a variety of paper types, including canvas and fine art paper.
However, if you need a fast printer for high-volume or time-sensitive projects, or if you’re on a tight budget and are concerned about ongoing ink costs, this printer might not be the best option.
Do Users Recommend the Product?
Most users recommend the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300, especially for its print quality, which many describe as “professional” and “gallery-ready.” They appreciate its versatility in handling different paper types and the longevity of the prints due to the pigment-based inks. The overall consensus is that, despite some drawbacks like slow print speeds and higher operating costs, the printer’s output quality makes it a worthy investment for those who need top-tier printing capabilities. As one user said, “The quality of the prints makes up for any issues. If you need professional-grade prints, this is the printer for you.”
Customer Reviews
Updated on April 8, 2024
Outstanding 13" Professional Printer
The Pro-300 is my first Canon professional printer, and after the first six weeks of use, I am very impressed with this printer. Just as a little background, I have been using Epson 17″ and 24″ professional printers for nearly 20 years, and they have served me well. I recently retired and wanted a smaller 13″ pro printer just for local art shows and photography competition, so it was between the Epson P700 and the Canon Pro-300. I read all the reviews, on B&H and elsewhere, and really wrestled with this decision (changed my mind two or three times during the process!), but finally picked the Pro-300 – and was a little nervous about it after nearly 20 years with Epson. So I’ll review what I liked and didn’t like about each, and why I picked the Canon.
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Excellent Printer
I have been using the Pro-100 and when Canon announced this Pro-300 I pre-ordered it immediately. The Pro-100 makes great prints and I also have the Pro-1000 which is a specialty printer that makes 17×22 poster prints. I received this Pro-300 yesterday and let me tell you it’s amazing and the prints jump off the paper. It comes with setup inks so you will need to order more inks. This printer is a mini-me version of the Pro-1000. You can now see the ink levels in the small screen on the front of the printer. The only thing negative I would say is the 8×10 takes 4 minutes to print while with the pro-100 it takes 60 seconds. but the prints are better and last longer. Get this printer, you won’t be disappointed.
- 79
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Fine Printer Except For Two Things
The PRO-300 prints beautifully. BUT, the Professional Print and Layout (PPL) program does not work. The second problem is that Canon Support is unresponsive to my problem.
- 68
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An impressive printer.
I am a professional studio photographer, in business for 37 years. I began my photography journey in the darkroom and even had a business back in the film days printing for other pros and add agencies, but with the advent of digital. I began sending all my work to pro labs. Recently I decided that I needed to get back to printing my work. I had lost that connection to the finished product that printing gives you. After much research and youtube videos, I decided on the Canon Pro 300. The main reason I went with it was because of the Pigment-based inks. I wanted to be able to tell my customers that the prints they were getting from me were going to most likely outlast them.
I have not been disappointed. The print quality is amazing, as good, and many times better than the pro lab I use was giving me.
Be aware that there is a learning curve with high-quality inkjet printing, but with all the info available creating what you see is on your monitor is easy.
The printer is not a fast printer: for most situations, that’s not an issue, but for a job where you have to print say 50 8x10s of a class reunion on the night of the reunion, it’s important. Canon says an 8×10 with borders takes 1:45, borderless takes longer and my experience has been a little over 2 minutes per 8×10. So for those 50 8x10s, that’s about two hours or more, figuring in all the little things, like changing ink carts.
It’s also just about as, or more expensive than having a lab do your printing, especially for the smaller prints, but there are two great advantages over the lab. You have the print right now, and you are in control of the quality. Seeing the print come out of the printer is as exciting as seeing the image come up in the tray of Dektol all those years ago.
A couple of issues. Ink has been a little scarce. Several sources have been out of stock when I have gone to look for it, but after some hunting, I have been able to find it. It’s also expensive. For a guy who has always used aftermarket inks, spending about $125.00 for a full set of inks has been a little cringeworthy, but they have the quality and the longevity that I want.
One other thing that has been a bummer and that is Canon has a printer program called Professional Print and Layout Software, looks like a great addition to the Pro 300 except I have not been able to get it to see the printer as a stand-alone application and it will not work as a plugin to the latest version of Photoshop. But I have been printing directly from ON1 Photo Raw and that has worked great.
All in all, it’s my first foray into a pro printer and I love it.
- 68
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Compatible
Please note that this requires google and android. It’s not 100% Apple friendly.
- 59
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Great prints not user friendly
I’ve had this printer since thanksgiving and I love the prints and have always hated canon software. Hey canon hire some software people to make all of your websites and printers easy for dummies like me. I’m so sick of uninstalling and reinstalling printer software when are you going to a firmware update for this horrible operating system!!!!
- 57
- 2
Professional quality prints
The setup is easy and the instructions are clear. The printer is bigger than I expected. The print quality is great! The results are truly professional. The phone app allows you to print photos wirelessly directly from your phone without a computer. The only downside is the ink is expensive and large prints use a lot of ink.
- 45
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OK printer, horrible software and support
I bought this based upon the glowing reviews. Frankly, this thing really disappoints me. I should have known better as all the Canon printers I’ve had have died right out of warranty. I purchased the four-year care plan hoping to get better access to help and some protection. Well, when you call, you still get the eternal wait with irritating music on the line. The printer will not print an 11×17 on matte art paper without shifting the print about 1/4 of an inch in the final one of the paper. And leading up to that it prints white lines. Great if you want an 11×14 and let the printer destroy the other three inches. I want to use the Canon PPL software, but it can’t find the printer and the plug-in will not show up in LC or PS version 23.1. Prints out of Lightroom are way too dark (I am using a calibrated Eizo monitor recently purchased and calibrated). I am really ready to pack it up and return it. Wish I had not invested in additional ink and paper. Very disappointed.
- 44
- 7
This printer is AMAZING. INCREDIBLE PRINT QUALITY. UPDATED: Still LOVE it!
Purchased this to replace an Epson photo tank wide format printer which was horrible. I could not be happier with this printer. Using their Photo Paper Pro Luster paper, the quality is literally indistinguishable from a professionally printed photo. Its borderless 13×19″ prints are mind-blowing. It’s a little on the slow side, but wow. I’ve also printed on waterslide decal transfer sheets with very fine print/text sizes, and it’s perfect. Highly recommend!
***UPDATE*** I’ve been using it this printer for over a month now and it is incredible. If you want photos that are-hard-to-believe-it-is-actually-real then buy it. If you like bad printers, then this isn’t the one for you. Just amazing.
***UPDATE 2*** Holy cow this thing is amazing. I bought in in November and it’s now March and the print quality is still absolutely perfect. Can’t remember the last time I’ve had a printer so good.
- 43
- 0
Greeting Cards & Stickers
I want to write this review for others looking to purchase this printer for small bussiness use. I have looked all over and had a hard time finding others using it for stickers, greeting cards, & paper products. I have tested this printer for a couple days and want to share my findings. The main reason I purchased this printer was for the pigment inks. It can be hard to find printers that run manufacture pigment inks. With printing stickers you want something that is UV resistant, and waterproof. I tested out a glossy weatherproof sticker paper and a matte weatherproof sticker paper made for inkjet printers. The print quality was fantastic on these 2 papers. They also passed my waterproof testing. I was very happy with the outcome. I also t…
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