Canon will showcase a range of new solutions at drupa, which were launched to the world’s media in Brussels last month, Wayne Robinson was there for AP
Canon has launched a range of products that will see the further growth of its imagePRESS range and its LFP portfolio, as well as a new strategic alliance with leading print provider Agfa Graphics.The strategic alliance means that Canon's imagePRESS range of digital presses will be capable of full integration with Agfa Graphics’ new Apogee Suite - a leading edge JDF workflow solution.
Designed to help set customers firmly on the path to profit, the alliance ensures that both companies can leverage their market-leading expertise to offer customers more efficient, flexible and integrated workflow solutions.
New from Canon are the imagePRESS C6000 and imagePRESS C6000VP, extending Canon’s high volume digital production colour range.
The lower output, and lower cost, solutions comprise imagePRESS technologies, which Canon claims deliver exceptional print quality that is complementary to offset printing.
In addition to these machines, the first ever colour device with clear toner for the light production market will be introduced. Building on the success of the imagePRESS C1, the new device boasts a clear toner, which enhances the final print product, providing yet another innovative extension of the imagePRESS range.
Aimed primarily at the corporate print room and print-for-pay market, the imagePRESS C6000 delivers quality prints with resolutions of 1,200dpi with 256 graduations at rated speed of 60 colour impressions-per-minute onto paper stocks up to 135gsm, with the ability to print on a wide variety of stocks up to 300gsm.
The imagePRESS C6000VP delivers the same outstanding print quality, with a constant rated speed of 60 colour impressions-per-minute onto paper stocks up to 300gsm. A maximum media supply of 10,000 sheets from up to eight different sources can be configured on the imagePRESS C6000 and imagePRESS C6000VP devices - potentially delivering over two hours of uninterrupted prod-uction printing.
The imagePRESS C6000 and image-PRESS C6000VP maintains compatibility with the paper feeding and post-press accessories of the imagePRESS C7000VP, which now includes in-line perfect binding.
Designed specifically for the imagePRESS digital press, to help print providers expand their ability to offer value-added services and realise additional revenue opportunities from short-run/on demand book printing, the new perfect binder offers very simple operation, making it easy for any print provider to achieve high-quality book or perfect bound document production with minimal intervention.
Clear toner will further boost the image quality of the new imagePRESS, allowing users to enhance colour or black-and-white areas when printing - with particular emphasis on selected text, logos and images. This is all achieved during the print process, therefore eliminating the cost normally associated with separate offline finishing processes. As a result, the new device presents a cost-effective way of adding value to the print product in print-on-demand environments. Adding to the successful scale of digital colour presses, Canon has also launched a new range of imagePRESS monochrome engines, which are designed for the commercial print, CRD, transactional and print-for-pay (copyshop) sectors. Furthermore, following the imagePRESS' reputation for quality and productivity, the black-and-white devices will be available in a number of different speeds and configurations.
The imagePRESS monochrome presses will be running at 135 A4 pages-per-minute. Like the digital colour range, they have been designed to create professional-looking documents, inclu-ding on-demand perfect bound books and will feature a number of finishing and output options, including booklet trimmer, paper folder, saddle finisher, high capacity stacker, professional puncher, and document inserter.
For Canon’s fast growing wide format printer range, a new addition in the form of the imagePROGRAF iPF720 features an impressive 80 GB hard disk drive.
One of the fastest devices in its class for corporate users and professional print, the iPF720’s extensive memory enables customers to use the additional capacity as an extra tool to drive faster throughput of printed jobs and to enhance productivity.
Canon announced that it has achieved an impressive 40 per cent sales growth in the large format printer market during 2007, thanks to an unprecedented 11 products launched during this period. Canon's ongoing commitment to the LFP sector has seen its market share treble in the last three years to approximately 13 per cent for 2007, with Canon predicting further significant growth in 2008 and beyond. This year’s drupa promises much for Canon, for whom the graphic arts market has grown in importance significantly since the last drupa. Visitors to the drupa stand will have the opportunity to see different production units in full flow, and will be able to discuss the impact on their businesses of implementing Canon product.
