Canon imageCLASS MF284dw Review: Why This Monochrome Laser Printer Makes Sense for Small Businesses

The Canon imageCLASS MF284dw is a monochrome laser multifunction printer aimed at users who need to print large volumes of documents quickly. We put it through a demanding real-world test at a nursery, printing around 2,500 to 3,000 pages consisting primarily of exam papers, worksheets, notices and circulars.

The biggest highlight is speed. Compared with our regularly used Canon PIXMA Mega Efficient G3012 ink tank printer, the MF284dw was noticeably faster, particularly when handling large batches. Text quality was another strong point, with crisp edges, sharp characters and consistently readable fonts across different document types.

The printer also benefits from automatic duplex printing, a 250-sheet paper cassette, a 35-sheet ADF and wireless connectivity. These features make it convenient for everyday office and educational workloads.

However, it isn't perfect. We experienced frequent paper jams, although clearing them was relatively simple. Graphics also showed some banding and dithering, making the printer less suitable for detailed images and photos. Overall, the MF284dw is a strong choice for high-volume monochrome document printing, provided graphics quality isn't a priority.

Setting up the Canon imageCLASS MF284dw was relatively straightforward. Once the printer was unpacked and connected to power, the initial configuration could be completed through its 6.9cm LCD display. The printer supports both wired and wireless connectivity, including Wi-Fi and an Access Point Mode for connecting compatible devices directly without an additional router.

For our use, wireless connectivity was particularly convenient because it meant we didn't have to keep a computer physically connected to the printer. Once the printer was connected to the network and the required drivers were installed, we could send documents for printing from different computers around the nursery.

The printer also supports Canon's PRINT app, AirPrint, Mopria and other mobile printing options, which adds some flexibility if you need to print from a phone or tablet. 

Before getting into our experience, it is worth setting the right expectations. The MF284dw is a monochrome laser printer, so it is primarily designed for documents rather than colour-heavy material or photo printing. For a nursery, office or small business where most output consists of text-heavy documents, this isn't really a limitation. 

For our workload, the more important question was whether the printer could consistently handle repeated batches of worksheets, exam papers and notices without becoming a bottleneck.

This is where the MF284dw started to make sense for our use case. Most of the documents we printed were exam papers, and the monochrome laser output was well suited to them. Text came out sharp and easy to read, while pages with tables, borders and basic graphics remained clear enough for everyday educational material.

The 250-sheet paper cassette was also useful when handling larger print jobs, as we didn't have to keep refilling the tray after every small batch. The output tray can hold up to 100 sheets, while the 35-sheet ADF makes scanning and copying multi-page documents considerably easier.

For longer documents, automatic duplex printing was another feature we found ourselves using frequently. Being able to print on both sides without manually turning the pages saves time and can significantly reduce paper usage when printing large batches.

The biggest difference we noticed with the Canon imageCLASS MF284dw was its printing speed. Compared with the Canon PIXMA Mega Efficient G3012 Multi-function WiFi Color Ink Tank Printer that we regularly use at the nursery, the MF284dw was significantly faster at churning out documents. That isn't particularly surprising, given that the MF284dw is a monochrome laser printer, but the difference was still noticeable when printing large batches of exam papers and worksheets.

We often had to print dozens of pages at a time, and the MF284dw was able to get through these jobs considerably faster than our existing ink tank printer. This made it particularly useful when exam papers needed to be prepared in larger quantities within a limited amount of time.

However, the downside here was frequent paper jams, although the process of fixing it was quite simple and straightforward. Additionally, printing multiple documents quickly also caused the edges of the paper to curve. This forced us to lay some weights on the sides of the paper overnight to flatten it out.

Text quality was another strong point of the MF284dw. In our tests, characters appeared sharp and well-defined, with crisp edges across different font sizes and styles. The fonts we used were consistently readable and well-formed, even when printing smaller text.

This was particularly important for exam papers, notices and worksheets, where readability matters more than visual flair. The printer also handled basic graphics reasonably well, with lines, borders and simple illustrations retaining good definition.

However, the MF284dw is still primarily a document printer, and that becomes apparent when printing pages containing more complex graphics.

Many of the nursery's exam papers contained a combination of text, diagrams and images. While text remained consistently sharp, some of the more detailed graphics showed minor imperfections.

We noticed subtle horizontal streaking and uneven areas of toner density in some images, particularly in sections containing larger filled areas. There was also some visible dithering, with smoother shades appearing as patterns of small dots rather than completely uniform tones. These issues were relatively minor and didn't affect the readability of the exam papers, but they were noticeable when looking closely at image-heavy pages.

For a monochrome laser printer primarily intended for office documents, this isn't a major concern. The MF284dw does its best work with text, tables and straightforward graphics rather than photographs or documents that demand highly detailed image reproduction.

After using the Canon imageCLASS MF284dw extensively and printing around 2,500 to 3,000 pages, we found it to be a capable option for users who prioritise speed, sharp text output and high-volume monochrome printing. For our nursery, the printer was considerably faster than our existing Canon PIXMA Mega Efficient G3012 ink tank printer, particularly when handling large batches of exam papers and worksheets. Text remained crisp and well-defined across different font sizes, while tables, borders and basic graphics were reproduced clearly.

The printer's automatic duplex printing, 250-sheet paper cassette and wireless connectivity also made it well suited to our everyday workload. However, it wasn't without its shortcomings. We encountered frequent paper jams during our testing, although clearing them was relatively simple. Graphics-heavy pages also showed some banding and dithering, meaning it isn't the ideal choice for users who regularly print photographs or detailed images.

Overall, the Canon imageCLASS MF284dw gets the important things right for a small business, nursery, school or home office that deals with large volumes of documents. If fast, efficient and reliable monochrome document printing is your priority, the MF284dw is a strong choice, despite its few limitations.