For years, my home office was anchored by a reliable but uninspired laser printer. It churned out black-and-white documents with dutiful efficiency, but that’s where its talents ended. The moment a project required a splash of color, a glossy photo for a family album, or—heaven forbid—a print larger than a standard letter-sized page, I was forced to outsource. This meant frustrating trips to the local print shop, paying per-page premiums, and sacrificing creative control. The final straw came when I was designing a series of 11×17 inch posters for a community event. The back-and-forth, the file conversion issues, and the cost made me realize I was wasting valuable time and money. I needed a single machine that could handle the daily grind of document printing but also unleash creative potential, from vibrant, frame-worthy photos to oversized projects, all from the comfort of my own desk. The search for a true all-in-one creative hub began.
- The PIXMA TS9520 has a 5 Color Individual Ink System, that means it's ready for sharp black text and great looking photos. It can even support various...
- You can print from all your favorite devices, whether that is a smartphone, tablet or computer. With AirPrint , Mopria Print Service, Wi Fi, and Ethernet...
What to Look for in a High-Quality Home Photo Printer
A high-quality home printer, especially one geared towards photos and creative projects, is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for bringing digital ideas into the physical world. It bridges the gap between the image on your screen and a tangible piece of art, a professional-looking brochure, or a cherished memory for a scrapbook. The main benefits are control, convenience, and cost-effectiveness over the long term. You gain the ability to tweak colors, experiment with different paper types, and print on your own schedule without relying on third-party services. This is invaluable for small business owners, hobbyists, crafters, and families who want to preserve their memories with the best possible quality.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone who frequently finds themselves needing more than simple document printing. This includes graphic designers, photographers, small business owners creating their own marketing materials, dedicated scrapbookers, and parents working on school projects with their kids. They value print quality, color accuracy, and media flexibility. On the other hand, this type of feature-rich printer might not be suitable for those who exclusively print black-and-white text documents, boarding passes, or occasional homework assignments. For them, a basic monochrome laser printer would be far more economical in terms of initial cost and supplies. The complexity and higher ink costs of a photo-centric all-in-one would be unnecessary.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: A versatile, large-format printer is, by nature, not a compact device. Before you even consider the features, measure your available desk or shelf space. We’ve seen feedback from users who had to return an otherwise perfect printer because it was half an inch too wide for their designated nook. Account for not just the footprint, but also the space needed to open scanner lids, extend paper trays, and access rear media slots.
- Capacity/Performance: Look beyond just pages per minute (PPM), which can be misleading. For photo printing, resolution (measured in DPI, or dots per inch) is paramount; a higher DPI like 4800×1200 means finer detail and smoother color gradients. Also, consider paper handling: Does it have multiple trays? Can it handle thick cardstock or glossy photo paper? Does it have an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for scanning multi-page documents? These features dictate the printer’s true performance in a real-world workflow.
- Materials & Durability: While most printers are made of plastic, the quality can vary wildly. A well-built printer will feel solid, with sturdy trays and hinges that don’t feel like they’ll snap after a few months of use. The internal components, like rollers and print heads, are what truly determine the machine’s lifespan. Look for brands with a reputation for reliability and solid warranty support.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: A printer with amazing features is useless if it’s a nightmare to operate. A large, intuitive touchscreen interface is a huge plus. Consider the setup process: how easy is it to connect to your Wi-Fi network and devices? Maintenance involves replacing ink cartridges and occasional print head cleaning. A system with individual ink tanks is often more economical, as you only replace the color that runs out.
Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer stands out in several areas, particularly its expansive feature set and large-format capability. You can explore its detailed specifications here.
While the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer is an excellent choice for a stationary home studio, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition, especially if your photo needs are more about spontaneity and mobility. For a broader look at top models designed for on-the-go printing, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
Our Comprehensive Review of the Top Portable ZINK Photo Printers for Instant Memories
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- Print and customize your photos directly from your smartphone devices via the Canon Mini Print App.(1)
Unboxing the Canon PIXMA TS9520: A First Look at This Creative Hub
Upon its arrival, the first thing that struck us about the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer was its substantial size. The box itself hints at a serious piece of equipment, and once unpacked, the printer confirms this impression. Measuring roughly 18.5 inches wide by 14.5 inches deep, this is not a machine you tuck away in a small corner. As one user aptly noted, you should measure your space twice; the listed dimensions are accurate, but it feels even larger in person. The build is solid, classic Canon—a dense, matte black plastic that feels durable and looks professional. Setting it up involved removing a surprising amount of protective orange tape, installing the five individual ink cartridges (a simple click-in process), and loading paper. The 4.3-inch color touchscreen immediately powers on, providing a bright, clear, and responsive interface to guide you through the initial Wi-Fi connection and setup. Compared to its predecessor, the beloved PIXMA 9120, it feels like a functional evolution, trading some aesthetic flourishes for more powerful, creator-focused features like the oversized scanning and tabloid printing capabilities.
Key Benefits
- Exceptional 11×17 inch borderless printing capability
- Vibrant photo quality and sharp text from its 5-color individual ink system
- Extensive connectivity options (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, SD Card)
- Versatile paper handling with front and rear trays
- Includes an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for efficient scanning
Potential Drawbacks
- Software and driver setup can be complex and unintuitive
- Requires manual opening of the front control panel to print
- Ink cartridges can be expensive and starter set has limited capacity
Putting the Canon PIXMA TS9520 Through Its Paces: A Performance Deep-Dive
A printer’s spec sheet only tells half the story. To truly understand its value, you have to live with it—run it through projects, test its limits, and experience its quirks. We spent weeks using the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer as our primary machine for everything from multi-page document scanning to high-resolution, large-format photo printing. It revealed itself to be a machine of impressive dualities: capable of producing truly stunning output, yet sometimes demanding a level of patience and technical wrangling that can be frustrating. Here’s our in-depth breakdown of its performance.
Jaw-Dropping Print Quality and A3/Tabloid Versatility
Let’s start with the headline feature and the primary reason to consider this printer: its print quality and media flexibility. This is where the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer absolutely shines. The 5-color individual ink system, combined with a maximum color resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi, delivers on its promise. When we printed our first 8×10 photo on Canon’s own Photo Paper Plus Glossy II, the results were breathtaking. Colors were rich and accurate, skin tones were natural, and the level of detail was superb, rivaling professional lab prints. As one user rightly pointed out, this product “really shines with photo reproduction!”
But the true magic happens when you move beyond standard sizes. We loaded the rear tray with 11×17 inch (tabloid) semi-gloss paper to print a series of graphic posters. The ability to produce full-bleed, borderless prints at this size in a home office environment is a game-changer. The blacks were deep and solid, gradients were smooth, and the overall impact was incredibly professional. We also tested its versatility by printing on specialty media. Following a tip from another user, we successfully printed on waterproof inkjet transparency film by selecting the “Glossy Photo Paper” setting and using the rear tray. The ink adhered perfectly, creating sharp, vibrant results for a presentation. While one negative review mentioned issues with lines and pinkish reds, we did not experience this with our unit after the initial print head alignment, suggesting it might be an issue with a defective unit or the much-maligned starter ink cartridges running low unevenly.
The Connectivity Conundrum: Powerful Options, Painful Setup
On paper, the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer is a connectivity champion. It boasts Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, a direct USB port, and an SD card slot. It supports AirPrint for Apple devices and Mopria for Android, covering virtually every conceivable way you’d want to print. And for the most part, once it’s set up, it works well. We found printing from our iPhones via AirPrint to be seamless, and the connection over our office Wi-Fi network was generally stable.
However, getting to that stable state can be an odyssey. Our initial setup experience mirrored the frustrations voiced in several user reviews. One user described a “three hours trying to set up this beast with its archaic peripheral connections,” and we can empathize. The standard driver installation isn’t straightforward. To unlock the printer’s full potential, especially for creative work, you have to dive deep into printer properties menus that feel dated and are poorly explained. For example, enabling borderless printing isn’t a simple checkbox. As one user detailed in their frustrated review, you have to find the “borderless” setting, and then adjust an obscure slider for “minimum extension” without any clear guidance on what it does. This process can turn what should be a 15-minute setup into a multi-hour troubleshooting session. For a printer aimed at creatives, this lack of intuitive software is a significant misstep.
A Thoughtful Design with One Baffling Flaw
The physical design of the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer is mostly practical and well-considered. The 20-sheet ADF on top is a massive time-saver for scanning or copying reports and contracts. Having two separate paper inputs—a 100-sheet front cassette for plain paper and a 100-sheet rear tray for photo paper or larger formats—is incredibly convenient, preventing the constant need to swap media. The large 4.3-inch touchscreen is also a highlight, making it easy to navigate menus, copy documents, and print directly from an SD card without ever touching a computer.
But all of this thoughtful design is overshadowed by one truly bizarre design choice that was mentioned repeatedly by users, and we can confirm it is as annoying as it sounds. Before every single print job, you must manually tilt up the entire front control panel assembly. The printed page exits from a tray *below* this panel, so there is no physical obstruction preventing it from printing with the panel down. Yet, the printer has a sensor that will halt the job and display an error message until you flip it up. Users of previous models, like the PIXMA 9120, noted that their older printers had an automated output tray. This manual step feels like a regression. It’s a small thing, but when you send a print job from another room, you expect it to just print. Instead, you have to walk over to the machine, flip up the panel, and then press “OK” to proceed. It’s an unnecessary and perplexing interruption to the workflow.
What Other Users Are Saying
Our experience with the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer aligns closely with the consensus found in user feedback, which paints a picture of a highly capable but flawed machine. On the positive side, many users echo our sentiment about its core function. One happy customer stated, “It’s great, easy to setup and prints images clearly and documents sharply.” Another praised its versatility, saying it’s a “great printer for your home office” used for everything from package labels to presentations. These comments confirm that when the printer is working as intended, its output quality is a major strength.
However, the negative feedback is just as consistent and highlights the printer’s key weaknesses. The most common complaint, besides the manual front panel, is the cost and longevity of the ink. One user was particularly incensed, claiming their starter cartridges were “only 1/3rd full” upon installation and ran out after just a few large-format prints. This creates a poor first impression and forces an immediate, expensive ink purchase. Another significant issue is the difficult software setup, with one user calling the driver “terrible” and detailing the four hours it took to figure out the borderless printing settings. These shared frustrations show that the printer’s hardware is let down by its software and consumables strategy.
How Does the Canon PIXMA TS9520 Compare to the Alternatives?
While the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer is a powerful at-home creative station, its size and focus on quality make it fundamentally different from the new wave of ultra-portable photo printers. If your primary goal is instant, on-the-go photo printing, you might be better served by one of these pocket-friendly alternatives.
1. Lifeprint Ultra Slim Portable Photo Printer
- POWERFUL ON-THE-GO DESIGN | At Just 19mm Thick, This Ultra Slim, Sleek, Portable Bluetooth Printer Brings Your iPhone & Android Pics to Life! | Take it...
- HIGH QUALITY 2” X 3” PRINTS | Print Stunning HD Images—Full Color, Beautiful Contrast, Impeccable Detail | Uses ZINK 2”x3” Sticky-Backed Paper...
The Lifeprint printer is all about instant social sharing and portability. It uses ZINK (Zero Ink) technology to produce 2×3 inch sticky-backed photos directly from your smartphone. Its unique feature is “Hyperphotos,” which embeds a video within a print that comes to life when viewed through the Lifeprint app. Someone would choose the Lifeprint over the Canon if their priority is fun, spontaneous printing at parties or while traveling. It’s not about archival quality; it’s about the novelty and immediate gratification. The Canon, in contrast, is for someone who wants to carefully edit a photo on a large screen and produce a high-resolution, frame-worthy print up to 11×17 inches.
2. Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Smartphone Printer Mini Film
- For Instax mini instant cameras
- 2.13 x 3.4 inches image size
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link bridges the gap between digital photos and the nostalgic charm of instant film. It prints photos from your phone onto actual Instax Mini film, giving you that classic, tangible photo with the iconic white border. It’s chosen for its aesthetic and the unique, one-of-a-kind nature of each print. It’s perfect for scrapbooking, journaling, or sharing physical photos with friends. The per-print cost is higher than ZINK, and the quality is intentionally lo-fi and retro. The Canon PIXMA TS9520 is the polar opposite, striving for maximum detail, color accuracy, and digital perfection on a much larger canvas.
3. HUIJUTCHEN Mini Photo Printer Thermal Pocket Sticker for iPhone
- Ways to download print app "Fun Print" ---① Search "Fun Print" in Google Play. ② Search "Fun Print" in the App Store. You can turn on the wireless...
- Inkless Mini Sticker Printer --- Our wireless mini thermal printer measures 3.1x3.1x1.5 inch, weight 5.3oz, small size enough to carry with you anywhere....
This alternative represents the budget-friendly, utility-focused end of the portable spectrum. As a thermal printer, it prints exclusively in black and white. It excels at creating small, sticky-backed labels, QR codes, to-do lists, and simple line-art stickers. Its main advantages are its incredibly low running costs (no ink, just thermal paper) and its pocketable size. A user would choose this for organization and crafting on a budget, not for photos. It serves a completely different purpose than the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer, which is a full-color, high-fidelity imaging device for both photos and documents.
Our Final Verdict on the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer
After extensive testing, the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer proves to be a true jack-of-all-trades, and impressively, a master of one: print quality. For creatives, hobbyists, and small office owners who need the flexibility to print stunning, borderless photos and projects up to 11×17 inches, there are few machines that offer this level of quality and versatility at this price point. The hardware is solid, the ADF is a workhorse, and the final output is genuinely beautiful.
However, this recommendation comes with significant caveats. You must be prepared to wrestle with a sometimes-frustrating software setup, tolerate the bizarre manual-open front panel, and budget for Canon’s pricey ink cartridges. If your printing needs are simple, this machine is overkill. But if you’re willing to overlook its quirks to unlock a world of creative, large-format printing from your desktop, the Canon PIXMA TS9520 is a powerful and rewarding tool.
If you’ve decided the Canon PIXMA TS9520 All-in-One Wireless Printer is the right fit for your creative projects, you can check its current price and availability here.
Last update on 2025-10-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API