Canon imageCLASS MF6560 review

Legal glass capture with fax added to the USB desk

The Canon imageCLASS MF6560 is an earlier monochrome multifunction reference for an office that works with Legal originals, paper copying and telephone fax. Its standard paper supply is substantial: a 500-sheet cassette and 100-sheet multipurpose tray. The useful distinction from many smaller devices is that Legal originals fit the glass as well as the automatic duplex feeder. The deciding compromise is connectivity and software: standard computer operation is USB, while network operation requires an optional external device.

The exact MF6560 brochure also identifies PCL5e/PCL6 and UFR II LT printing. That language support and its fax functions distinguish it from the simpler MF6530, while built-in Ethernet in the shared Basic Guide belongs to MF6580. The similar names should not be used to exchange those functions or to present an optional print server as standard hardware.

The feeder supports duplex, but Legal stacks are smaller

The original operating guide gives both the glass and feeder an 8.5 by 14 inch maximum. The glass therefore provides a real alternative for an appropriate Legal page, book or original that cannot travel through rollers. It still has weight and thickness limits; a large glass is not permission to force a thick object under the cover.

The general feeder count is 50 sheets, while Legal documents are specifically limited to 25. The detailed guide also specifies a larger minimum feeder original than the short brochure. Those operation limits matter when preparing a batch. Automatic two-sided scanning is positively stated for this exact model, but the reviewed sources do not establish single-pass mechanics. It is suitable for automatic duplex capture without being represented as a single-pass scanner.

For the documented Windows computer-capture routine, install the scanner driver, enter Scan mode on the machine, start MF Toolbox and set the desired format before starting the scan. Color capture is independent of the monochrome print engine. Canon's 9,600 dpi brochure number is enhanced resolution; the separate 600 dpi optical figure describes the scanner's optical specification. Neither establishes a hands-on quality result.

Use the included sources before counting expansion

The normal 600-sheet total uses the actual guide's 80 gsm paper basis. The optional second 500-sheet cassette is a separate accessory and is excluded from that total. The multipurpose tray is a stack-fed source for alternate media, including the specified envelope routine, rather than a one-sheet bypass. Load the tray extension, flatten envelopes, follow the printed-face and flap directions and select the matching driver size.

The cassette table names Letter and Legal, while its settings menu additionally lists A4. A4 fits the documented multipurpose range, so that source provides a supported route without promising the larger cassette capacity for every regional setup. Automatic print duplex is confirmed by the exact brochure, but its precise driver-supported paper sizes are not established in the reviewed material. Check that range in the installed driver before choosing the model for a specific duplex-paper requirement.

Canon rates one-sided Letter output at up to 23 pages per minute. That is a printer declaration, separate from fax transmission times or copy readiness. The reviewed exact sources do not provide a recommended monthly volume. A large cassette and a 23 ppm rating cannot be turned into a sustained-page recommendation.

Fax and computer scanning need their own preparation

Telephone fax uses the configured line independently of USB. The U.S. instructions describe a conventional line arrangement and explicitly do not support Voice over Internet Protocol. PC fax sending uses its own fax driver and sends a computer document through the machine; it is not a replacement for the paper-to-file scanning routine. Fax memory estimates in the brochure and guide use differing reception/combined descriptions, so they should not be treated as physical paper capacity or an electronic archive guarantee.

The original Mac package is described as printing and PC fax sending only. It does not establish Mac computer scanning. Verify the exact software for the intended computer before relying on an older machine, and do not assume a modern app banner upgrades its documented functions.

The actual Basic Guide rates Cartridge 106 Starter at approximately 2,500 pages and the replacement at 5,000, using ISO/IEC 19752 on A4 at default density. The older brochure uses a 5% coverage description for the replacement; preserve that distinction. The U.S. guide specifies 120–127 V at 50/60 Hz and much more operating space than the closed body. The MF6560 fits a document-heavy USB desk when its genuine Legal capture and fax routines are useful; a newer networked model is the better direction when shared computer capture or current driver support is the deciding requirement.