In this day and age, some people might claim that printers are obsolete for personal use. With the new Canon PIXMA TS8170 though, I have to completely disagree. There’s just something about holding a glossy picture in your hand, or having physical evidence of beautiful memories around your house that feels special. And the Canon PIXMA prints out photos in such beautiful colour that it only makes the memories better.
I got to try out the PIXMA TS8170 for myself when it arrived at our office, and I was excited to see it in action. My verdict? At only $299, it’s a steal for how feature packed and full of fun upgrades it is, compared to its predecessors.
You might ask, why airshow pictures, of all things? It’s pretty simple. I had a great time throughout the six days of the airshow. The various aerial displays left me in awe, and I wanted to capture some of that feeling as a keepsake. Furthermore, my father works in the aviation industry, and has an interest in planes. He even has a display cabinet for plane models! Any photos I took would fit right in with his collection.
Vivid Reds And Blues
The six-ink system of the PIXMA TS8170 claims to have improved colour reproduction, compared to its predecessors. In particular, the reds and blues are supposed to be more vibrant.
Conveniently enough, a photographer I visited the airshow with captured a photo that would make the perfect test for the PIXMA TS8170’s red capabilities. The picture was of red KT-1B TNI-AU Jupiter planes from Indonesia, flying in formation. The planes were in focus despite the speed, thanks to his Canon EOS 70D camera and Sigma 150-600mm long-range lens. And when printed, the red of the planes was indeed rich and fiery!
The new “photo blue” was easier to test, with the skies as the perfect backdrop. Sunny, cloudless days left the sky a beautiful blue that made the planes flying against it stand out all the more. Even cloudy days had their moment to shine, with the cirrus clouds marking a stark contrast to both the planes and the blue sky behind. The azure F-15SG from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) also made for photogenic testing material.
The end result, printed on Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II, turned out in jewel-bright, jazzy shades of blue.
Magnetise Your Memories
One of the highlights of printing out my pictures was using the PS 508 Magnetic Photo Stickers. These print out on 690gsm glossy paper that can be stuck to any magnetic surface! Remember how we used to buy cute magnets to attach notes to our fridges? Now you can cut the middleman out and just make your own!
I can’t wait to print out magnets for my family and friends. That is, after printing out photo magnets of my favourite planes first, of course 😉
If you’re wondering, my favourite planes are the bright blue RSAF F-15SG and the ultra sleek F-16 from the United States Air Force!
Packed Full Of Features
Other notable features of the PIXMA TS8170 include Auto Duplex Printing, and a very responsive touch-screen display. Besides the Magnetic Photo Stickers, the PIXMA TS8170 can also print on Removable Photo Stickers and Free-Cutting Photo Stickers. Very useful for labelling bottles and containers, or scrapbooking and card-making!
