Canon imageCLASS MF452dw review

A fax-equipped choice within the MF450 family

The Canon imageCLASS MF452dw suits a monochrome office that needs telephone fax, automatic two-sided printing and automatic capture of both sides of a document stack. Its exact U.S. item is 5161C012. That identity is useful when comparing similar listings: Canon's original series brochure gives this model Print, Copy, Scan and Fax, while MF451dw and MF453dw have no fax hardware. A shared manual or similar enclosure does not erase that distinction.

The practical tradeoff is paper capacity and model-specific speed. The supplied arrangement holds 350 normal Letter sheets, and the U.S. model specification declares up to 34 one-sided Letter pages per minute. The series brochure's headline separately identifies MF453dw as the 40 ppm version. Its shared specification table contains a faster generic row, so this assessment retains the exact MF452dw figure rather than promoting it to its neighbor's rating.

Two document sizes, two different input areas

The single-pass duplex feeder is the stronger reason to choose this printer for document capture. It can read both sides without a reversing second pass and accepts originals up to Legal. Its declared capacity is 50 Letter sheets at the specified paper weight; original condition and stack height still matter. This is a color scanner attached to a monochrome print engine, useful for preserving colored annotations without making color output available.

The glass has a separate maximum of 8.5 by 11.75 inches. That covers ordinary Letter and A4 placement, but a full Legal sheet belongs in the feeder. Books, fragile pages and small originals that need glass placement must fit the smaller area. Do not choose it for a Legal-size bound original merely because the feeder supports Legal.

Computer capture uses MF Scan Utility, ScanGear MF or an appropriate application. Install the exact scanning components as well as the print driver. On a Windows network, register the machine in MF Network Scanner Selector; Canon specifically excludes IPv6 scanning in this preparation section. A printer visible to the computer is therefore not sufficient evidence that file capture has been configured.

Keep the computer, mobile and fax arrangements clear

The printer includes USB, Gigabit Ethernet and infrastructure Wi-Fi. Native computer printing and scanning can use the corresponding configured arrangement. If a USB scan does not begin while the printer sleeps, follow the guide's wake instructions. The five-inch touchscreen handles local document functions, but it does not replace the scanner software required by the computer workflow.

AirPrint and Mopria offer separate mobile printing paths on a suitable shared network. Wi-Fi Direct provides another connection through the printer's hotspot for compatible devices. Application controls vary, so native-driver media choices, scanning controls and password release are not promised through every mobile application.

Telephone fax needs its own line configuration. The operating guide distinguishes automatic fax reception, manual reception with a telephone, answering-machine use and fax/telephone auto switching. Choose the mode around the actual line and attached telephone equipment. The presence of Ethernet or Wi-Fi does not itself provide an analog fax service.

Paper routines and protected output

The standard cassette holds 250 normal Letter sheets and the multipurpose tray another 100. The advertised 900-sheet maximum includes an optional 550-sheet cassette. For an installed-capacity requirement, count the supplied 350 first and verify whether a particular unit actually includes the add-on. The actual operating table supports automatic two-sided Letter, Legal and A4 printing; envelopes follow their own multipurpose loading routine and are not duplex media.

Secure Print is a native-driver workflow. Select the protected output method when submitting a document, then choose the stored job at the printer and enter its PIN. Stored jobs face memory and automatic-deletion limits, so this is temporary release control rather than permanent document storage. Finish any conflicting Remote Scanner operation before trying to release the job.

Supplies and installation limits

Canon marks Cartridge 057, declared at 3,100 pages, as the included supply in the original brochure. Cartridge 057 H is the 10,000-page high-capacity replacement option. These declarations do not predict the yield of a particular document mix or establish a current cost per page. The recommended monthly range is 750–4,000 pages; it is a planning guide rather than a guaranteed service life.

The U.S. operating manual specifies 110–127 V AC at 60 Hz. Its closed-body measurements are 17.875 inches wide, 18.25 deep and 15.5 high, with additional space needed to open and load the printer. Choose MF452dw when its actual fax hardware and single-pass capture suit the office. For color printing, a larger glass or more included paper, compare a model that positively documents those particular requirements.