Canon's imageRUNNER (often shortened to "iR") and imageRUNNER ADVANCE ranges are among the most widely-deployed office multifunction devices in the UK. We've been an authorised Canon dealer since the early 1980s, so this is a guide we wish someone had handed us in 1985. It's deliberately plain — no marketing fluff.

What is the imageRUNNER range?

imageRUNNER is Canon's name for its multifunction printer/copier/scanner family. Models range from compact A4 colour devices that fit on a desk, all the way up to floor-standing A3 production machines that run high-volume colour with finishing options like booklet making, hole punching and stapling. The "ADVANCE" suffix denotes the more capable office series with the colour touchscreen interface and Canon's uniFLOW integration for fleet management and authentication.

Where each model sits

  • imageRUNNER 1600 series — small A4 mono MFDs for low-volume offices. Compact, network-ready, easy to maintain.
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX C3700/C5800 series — the office workhorse. A3 colour, 25–60 pages per minute, full feature set including secure print, scan-to-cloud, and uniFLOW integration. This is what most of our SME and education clients run.
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX C7700/C9000 series — high-volume A3 colour, designed for in-house print rooms or busy multi-team offices. Booklet finishing, advanced colour management.
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX 6000/8000/8900 mono — high-speed mono for legal firms, accountants and any operation pushing serious mono volumes.

What makes a Canon a Canon

Three things, in our experience:

  • Build quality. Canon MFDs tend to last. We have machines installed in 2014 still running daily on maintenance contracts. The drum and fuser units are over-engineered.
  • The interface. Canon's touchscreen UI is the most consistent we work with — clear, fast, customisable per user. Staff training time is short.
  • uniFLOW. This is Canon's print management software. It does authentication, secure release, rules-based routing, scan workflows and detailed cost reporting. It's optional, but it's where Canon shines on bigger fleets.

When a Canon doesn't make sense

Canon equipment is mid-to-premium pricing. If you're a 4-person office printing 500 pages a month, an entry-level Konica Minolta or Epson WorkForce will cover you for less. Canon makes sense when:

  • You print 5,000+ pages per month
  • You need consistent colour output (marketing, design, education)
  • You'll keep the machine 5+ years (Canon's longevity becomes a meaningful saving)
  • You want fleet-wide print management and reporting

Buying tips

  • Buy from an authorised Canon dealer. Direct dealer status means factory-trained engineers, faster parts availability and dealer pricing. Online resellers and grey-import suppliers often can't get warranty parts quickly.
  • Don't oversize. The most common mistake is buying the next model up "just in case." A 45-ppm machine running at 20% capacity is wasted money. Spec to your actual volume + ~30% headroom.
  • Insist on a service contract. Canon MFDs are reliable, but no machine is bulletproof. A cost-per-page contract with the supplier covers toner, parts and labour for predictable money.
  • Lease over 5 years. For most clients, 5-year leases give the best monthly figure with a clean upgrade path at the end.

What about the C5800 specifically?

The C5800 series is the model we recommend most often — it's the sweet spot of the office line. A3 colour, 35–60 ppm depending on sub-model, full uniFLOW support, sensible footprint. Most professional services firms, schools and SMEs land here. If you're doing your research and want a starting point, ask for a quote on a C5840i or C5860i — and we'll size up or down from there.

What about used / refurbished?

We do supply professionally reconditioned imageRUNNER ADVANCE machines with full warranty cover. They typically save 30–50% versus new. Worth considering if budget is tight or you need a backup machine for an event, but always make sure refurbished kit comes with a warranty and a service contract — there's no point saving £2,000 if you spend it on repairs in year two.

For more on whether to lease or buy, see our lease vs buy guide. To learn about our Canon dealer service across Manchester and the North of England, see the dedicated page.

W·A·Hutton have been supplying and managing print solutions across the North of England since 1925. To find out more, call us on 0161 822 0864 or get in touch here.