Canon Aims Past the Printer

INDUSTRY PRESS AND dealer representatives gathered March 15-16 at Canon Solutions America’s Itasca, Illinois, facility to learn about the latest Colorado wide-format printers: the M Series. Among other capabilities, this scalable, modular printing platform offers reduced maintenance, options for automation and what company representatives call “white without worry” – essentially, a relatively hassle-free white-ink option that’s more similar in use to standard CMYK.

Automation options for the Colorado line include the Wallpaper Factory, which pairs the Canon printers with loaders and cutters from Fotoba for users interested in pursuing a sector that company representatives characterized as ripe with opportunity.

However, conversations and technology demonstrations at the Canon event also indicated that a successful process requires more than the right printer. Supplementary technologies also have a role to play, and how users think about technology matters as well. Here are three examples:

The ink makes the image. One of the most significant advantages of the Colorado line is the ink – specifically, UVGel, a formulation designed to combine the color range of eco-solvent inks, the speedy drying time of latex inks, and the low-temperature curing of UV inks. According to Canon reps, the difference with other UV inks is encapsulated in the term “gel” – with this formulation, the ink does not spread or flow until exposed to the onboard LED curing lamp. Waiting to cure until the entire image is formed enables faster print times, eliminates drying delays, and facilitates a smoother, more uniform surface.

“Fastest” doesn’t necessarily mean “most productive.” Direct comparisons with competing products were a major highlight of the event, particularly for dealers who also carry other companies’ lines. Results of these tests aside, Canon representatives repeatedly emphasized the benchmarking measured only actual print times for an “apples-to-apples” comparison. The implication is that overall productivity also depends on tasks surrounding the print, such as swapping media, changing parameters, and other tasks associated with setting up or changing over to a new job.

Automation isn’t always physical. A common means of speeding processes outside the print itself is automation, and on that front, the Canon event delivered. One example on display was the UVgel Wallpaper Factory, which integrates a Colorado printer with a motorized Fotoba Jumbo Roll media loader on one end and a Fotoba XLD 170QP cutter on the other.

However, attendees seemed just as interested (if not more so) in PrismaGuide XL software, at least judging by the number of questions they asked. Most of those questions were about the software’s “recipes” – print-ready files with job-specific patterns prepared in advance. When the job repeats, or when the user wins similar work, composing, storing, and reusing multi-layer application “recipes” can significantly reduce the time and effort required to prep for a job (even if the person who originally configured that job has long since left the business). Sometimes, it seems, the best tasks to automate involve the mind more than the hands.

One of the most touted capabilities of the new printer is a white-ink option that requires relatively less maintenance due to the properties of the company’s UVgel ink. This single-layer example is printed on Mactac JT5796 3.1-mil frosted polymeric vinyl with micro adhesive.