Canon has announced a couple of new production printers. This includes a new high-speed inkjet printer, the ImageStream 3500, which appears to be based around the ColorStream 3000 series but with a new type of ink. The significance is that Canon claims that this new ink can print on offset coated paper stocks, without requiring any kind of primer or special treatment. Instead, the new pigment inks provide finer edge sharpness, less fray and dot gain and increased optical density for stronger contrast and sharp lines with increased colour vibrancy.
The ImageStream 3500 can run to up to 160m/min (525 ft/min) at 1200 x 600 dpi. The press also has the most compact footprint in its class, designed to be 10 to 50 per cent smaller than other production systems.
There’s also a new ImagePress C800 series of cut sheet dry toner presses, which includes both the 70ppm C700 and 80ppm C800 models. The press release is sprinkled with acronyms, none of which are explained properly but appear to suggest that it offers good print quality and accurate registration, which most of us would probably take for granted from most printers.
Resolution is 2400 x 2400 dpi and it uses a twin belt fusing unit to print to stocks up to 220gsm at rated speed. It can print in duplex on media up to 300gsm. There’s a new multi-drawer paper deck that can blow air at different speeds, depending on the type and weight of paper, and has a new separation control system to prevent paper jams.
The C800 series will be the first printers to use the latest EFI front end, the Fiery FS150, that was announced last week and forms the basis of Canon’s F200 (FS150 Pro) and G100 (FS150) front ends. There’s also a PrismaSync controller option.
Canon also announced a new roll-fed monochrome printer, the VarioStream 4000, aimed at corporate data centres and commercial printing companies with mid to very high print volumes. It can be configured as a simplex or duplex system, and produce from 180 to 1200 ppm. It has automatic resolution detection and supports 240, 300 and 600 dpi data streams (including mixed resolutions) without the need for intervention. The printer can also be integrated with an internal stacker to handle paper and forms, with or without feedholes, coming from stacks or from rolls.
Leave a Reply