When I set out to find a new printer, I had a simple goal: find something that wouldn’t drain my wallet with every ink cartridge purchase. That’s how I ended up with the Canon Pixma Ink Efficient G3770, a multi-function printer that, on paper, promises to solve this problem. After spending a good amount of time using it for everything from printing office documents to family photos, I have a clear picture of what this machine offers. It’s a solid choice for a home or small office, but it’s not without its quirks.
I was particularly interested in the “ink efficient” aspect. The refillable ink tank system is a major selling point, and it’s a huge shift from the traditional, and often frustrating, cartridge model. The transparent tanks on the front of the unit make it easy to see ink levels at a glance, which is a small but welcome detail. Canon’s GI-71 ink bottles are designed with a specific nozzle shape that only fits the correct tank, which makes refilling a mess-free process. This simple design feature avoids the headache of accidentally pouring the wrong color into the wrong tank. The pigment-based black ink ensures crisp text, while the dye-based color inks are used for everything else.
Key Takeaways
- The Canon Pixma Ink Efficient G3770 is a multi-function printer with a refillable ink tank system, designed for low-cost printing.
- The ink bottles feature a special nozzle design to prevent a messy refill process.
- The printer is a 3-in-1 device: it prints, scans, and copies.
- It has built-in Wi-Fi and supports mobile printing through the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app.
- The printer is priced in India at ₹20,270 (at the time of a recent market check), though street prices may vary.
Design and Build Quality
The G3770 has a fairly standard, no-frills design. It’s a black, plastic body that feels sturdy enough for regular use. The overall footprint is compact, so it won’t take up much space on your desk. The control panel is minimal, with a small 1.35-inch monochrome LCD screen.
This screen is functional, showing simple icons and guided instructions, which helps with a lot of the initial setup and basic tasks without needing a manual. I do wish the screen was a bit larger or maybe even color, as navigating menus can feel a little cramped. The paper tray holds up to 100 sheets of A4 paper, which is adequate for most home users, but you’ll be refilling it often if you have a heavy workload. The rear tray design makes it easy to load different paper types, including photo paper and envelopes.
The physical ports are tucked away. I found the USB Type-B port to be a bit difficult to access, which can be annoying if you plan on using a wired connection often. I’ve also seen a few online discussions where users mention the USB port being a pain to deal with.
Performance and Print Quality
When it comes to printing, the G3770 performs as expected for a printer in this class. Canon states a print speed of up to 11 images per minute (ipm) for black-and-white documents and 6 ipm for color. In my experience, these speeds are a good guideline for regular text documents. For more graphics-heavy pages, the speed drops.
Text quality is where this printer shines. The pigment-based black ink produces sharp, clear text with minimal bleeding. The text looks great for school reports, official documents, and everyday printing. I did notice some very minor graininess on the edges of letters if I looked closely, but for all practical purposes, the text is more than acceptable.
Photo printing, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. The maximum print resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi, which sounds impressive. However, the color output can sometimes look a bit washed out. For casual photo prints to stick in a family album, it’s fine. If you are a professional photographer or someone who needs vibrant, true-to-life photo prints, this may not be the best option. I also noticed tiny white gaps between lines on some color prints, which required a manual cleaning process to fix. This is a known issue from a few online forums. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, as my main use is for documents, but it is something to consider.
The Ink Tank System and Cost
This is the most important part of the review for me. The G3770 uses the Canon GI-71 ink bottles. The page yield is where the cost savings become apparent. The black ink bottle can print up to 6,000 pages, and the combined color bottles can print up to 7,700 pages in standard mode. There’s also an economy mode that can stretch this to 7,600 black and 8,100 color pages.
Compared to printers that use cartridges, the per-page cost is very low. Canon’s official website lists the price of the printer at ₹20,270. While this is a higher initial investment than a cartridge-based printer, the long-term savings on ink are substantial. For someone who prints a high volume of pages, like a small business owner or a student, the G3770 pays for itself over time.
Canon also includes a user-replaceable maintenance cartridge, which is a great touch. This makes it easy to perform maintenance at home without needing a service technician, which helps extend the printer’s lifespan.
Connectivity and Software
The G3770 supports Wi-Fi, which is a must-have feature today. Setting up the wireless connection was straightforward using the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app. The app itself is easy to use and lets you print, scan, and copy directly from your smartphone or tablet. The printer also supports Wi-Fi Direct, which means you can connect to it even without a router. Apple AirPrint and Mopria are also supported, making it convenient for both iOS and Android users.
Key Product Specifications
- Printer Type: Inkjet
- Functions: Print, Scan, Copy
- Ink Type: Refillable Ink Tank (Canon GI-71)
- Ink Bottles: Black (135 ml), Cyan, Magenta, Yellow (70 ml each)
- Page Yield (A4): Black: 6,000 pages, Color: 7,700 pages
- Print Speed (ISO): Black: 11 ipm, Color: 6 ipm
- Print Resolution: Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
- Scanner Type: Flatbed (CIS)
- Scanner Resolution: 600 x 1200 dpi
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB 2.0
- Display: 1.35-inch monochrome LCD with backlight
- Paper Handling: 100 sheets (A4, Plain Paper)
- Supported Paper Sizes: A4, A5, A6, B5, Letter, Legal, etc.
- Supported Operating Systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/7, macOS 10.14.6+, Chrome OS
- Weight: Approx. 6 kg
Verdict
The Canon Pixma Ink Efficient G3770 is a printer built for a specific kind of user. It is for the person or family that prints a lot of documents. It is for the student who needs to print notes for class. It is for the small business owner who needs to print invoices, forms, and other black-and-white documents regularly. For these users, the high initial cost is a sound investment that will pay for itself over time through low ink costs.
While it is a multi-function printer, its strengths lie in document printing. The photo quality, while not terrible, is not its strong suit. The lack of automatic duplex printing is a major drawback, especially for a printer in this price range. If your needs are primarily for high-quality photo prints or you need to print a lot of double-sided documents, you should look elsewhere.
But if you are tired of the constant expense of ink cartridges and print mainly text-based documents and a few occasional photos, the Canon Pixma G3770 is a strong contender. It’s a reliable workhorse that does a good job at what it was designed to do: provide a low-cost printing experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do you set up the Canon Pixma G3770 for wireless printing?
A1. You can set up the wireless connection using the printer’s LCD screen by selecting “Wireless LAN setup.” The most convenient way is to use the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app on your smartphone and follow the on-screen instructions for “cableless setup.” You can also connect to the printer’s Wi-Fi Direct network directly from your device.
Q2. What type of ink does the Canon G3770 use, and how long does it last?
A2. The G3770 uses Canon GI-71 ink bottles. The black ink is pigment-based for sharp text, while the color inks (cyan, magenta, yellow) are dye-based. According to Canon, the black ink bottle can print up to 6,000 pages, and the color bottles can print up to 7,700 pages in standard mode. These figures are based on ISO/IEC 24712 test standards.
Q3. Can I use non-genuine ink in the Canon G3770?
A3. Canon strongly recommends using only genuine Canon ink bottles. Using non-genuine or third-party ink may affect print quality and can even damage the print head. Moreover, using non-genuine ink can void your printer’s warranty, so it’s a risk.
Q4. Does the Canon Pixma G3770 have an automatic document feeder (ADF)?
A4. No, the Canon Pixma G3770 does not have an automatic document feeder. It has a flatbed scanner, which requires you to manually place each page you want to scan or copy.
Q5. Is it possible to print on both sides of the paper with the G3770?
A5. Yes, it is possible to print on both sides of the paper. However, the printer does not have an automatic duplex printing feature. This means you will have to manually flip the pages and feed them back into the printer to print on the other side.
