Design Supply Blog

Canon has announced it has been awarded prestigious accolades for the abilities of its leading large format printers, the imagePROGRAF iPF5100 and the imagePROGRAF iPF6100. Both printers, running with an EFI Colorproof XF RIP, were awarded FOGRA certification for their print qualities, whilst the iPF5100 was also presented with the European Digital Press Association award for its proofing abilities.

In an independant lab test conducted by BLI the iPF8100 was proven to be substantially faster than the competition.

* Epson Pro 9800 Series - 21 min 53 sec
* Canon iPF8100 - 6 min 29 sec

Both printers used Glossy A0 paper, printing in standard mode.
Ink usage was also impressive with the iPF8100 using 31.6% less ink than the Epson Pro 9800 series.

This test was conducted independently by BLI. A full copy of the report is available from them on request.

Canon iPF10 has won BEST Low Volume AEC Market Color Wide Format System at the prestigious BERTL awards 2008!

For 15 years Bertl have been the primary source of independent product evaluation, reports and analyses on digital imaging devices. BERTLS BEST recognises just that, winners are selected after rigorous analysis of the hundreds of digital imaging devices, software and utilities in the world wide marketplace.

Tested by an independent lab BLI based in Wokingham UK, the Canon iPF8000s utilises 34.5% less ink than its competition the HPDesignJet Z6100.
Testing speed on 60 inch glossy paper the iPF8000s was 2min 17 sec faster than the HP DeisgnJet in normal mode.
The colour gamut was also tested resulting in the iPF8000 having a 25.3% greater colour gamut than the HP.

The imagePROGRAF iPF8000s and iPF9000s received the Bertls Best Award in the Best Print-for-Pay/Production Market Color Wide Format System category.

Canon and EFI win plaudits for the imagePROGRAF iPF5100 and iPF6100 LFPs

Canon has announced that it has been awarded prestigious accolades for the abilities of its leading large format printers, the imagePROGRAF iPF5100 and the imagePROGRAF iPF6100. Both printers, running with an EFI Colorproof XF RIP, were awarded FOGRA certification for their print qualities, whilst the iPF5100 was also presented with the European Digital Press Association award for its proofing abilities.

Other great news.

In an in dependant lab test conducted by BLI the iPF8100 was proven to be substantially faster than the competition.

* Epson Pro 9800 Series - 21 min 53 sec
* Canon iPF8100 - 6 min 29 sec

Both printers used Glossy A0 paper, printing in standard mode.
Ink usage was also impressive with the iPF8100 using 31.6% less ink than the Epson Pro 9800 series.

This test was conducted independently by BLI

Aqueous or water-based inkjet printing is the technology that the digital wide format industry initially started but is it old technology?

What solvent did was bring new buyers in and grow the market, specifically in the sign and screen industries, where the perception was that print needed to be highly robust, last for years, and had to be genuinely outdoor durable.

However, many of those solvent print buyers have since realised that for many applications, water-based inkjets actually do a better job. Lightboxes, pop-up and roll-up displays, exhibition graphics, all of these applications, and more, are still dominated by water-based printers. These buyers that were initially resistant to investing in large-format prior to solvent ink systems, have since realised that print doesn't always have to last forever, that for all but a few applications, long-term durability is not the critical factor.

When you also then consider the current drive towards green printing, and new ink developments, we are right in the middle of something of a resurgence in aqueous printing.
Worldwide, the inkjet print market across all print sizes covering domestic, office and commercial print, is dominated by three companies. Canon, Epson and HP. Between the three of them, they account for about 80 per cent of the total market share.

In the large format market, to date Canon had been more noticeable by its absence.
A good few years back HP came crashing into a large market that was then dominated by Encad, and through an aggressive policy of trade-ins and upgrades, bought up a huge chunk of the market. It's fair to say they are currently the biggest player in water-based large format printing.

Why consider a Canon?

"Fundamentally, the Canon differentiator is speed with quality. Other manufacturers offer high quality output at low speed, and high-speed output at lower quality. In our experience, Canon is the only manufacturer to merge the two offering super quality output at production speeds. With users output demands increasing, wide format printers need to meet these demands."
"Canon's large format printer range also has another major benefit - low running costs. As independently tested, Canon printers use up to 34 per cent less ink than its competitors. Users can print faster and cheaper with Canon - ideal for today's demanding market place where more and more printers are competing for the same work, and margins on sales of large-format output are getting ever tighter."

Independent Lab Testing

In a series of benchmark tests through the world renowned Buyers' Laboratory Inc (BLI) arranged by Canon, the imagePROGRAF iPF8000S and imagePROGRAF iPF8100 both scored highly against its two market leading competitors, namely the HP DesignJet Z6100 and the Epson Stylus PRO 9880.

The independent report found the imagePROGRAF iPF8000S used 34.5 per cent less ink than its competitors' product running under identical test conditions. Figures for Canon's imagePROGRAF iPF8100 were similarly good, with the Canon using 31.6 per cent less ink. In addition, the Canon iPF8000S can save an additional 8 per cent of ink usage if switched into economy running mode.

The final tests from BLI, covering colour gamut volume, showed the iPF8000S had a larger colour volume when compared to HP DesignJet Z6100 whilst the Canon iPF8100, when measured against the Epson Stylus PRO 9880, had a comparable colour gamut volume.

Not only did Canon's LFP range do well with BLI, the strength of the imagePROGRAF printers has led to a range of BERTL'S BEST Awards 2008 in a number of categories. The Canon iPF8000S / 9000S series has been awarded the BERTL'S BEST 2008 award for Best Wide Format in the Print-for-Pay and Production Market range. The five-colour dye / pigment Canon imagePROGRAF iPF710 printer was also presented with the Best Wide Format System for the Low Volume Colour Printer AEC market.

Furthermore, Canon has recently been awarded prestigious accolades for the abilities of its leading large format printers, the imagePROGRAF iPF5100 and the imagePROGRAF iPF6100. Both printers, running with an EFI Colorproof XF RIP, were awarded FOGRA certification for their print qualities, whilst the iPF5100 was also presented with the European Digital Press Association award for its proofing abilities.

With publications from 15 European countries, a combined circulation of more than 120,000 copies and a readership exceeding 250,000 graphic arts professionals, the EDP award in particular is a prestigious recognition of the ability of Canon printers to meet the most accurate of proofing standards.

Of most relevance to the display printer is the 44" wide iPF8000S and the 60" wide iPF9000S. These Sseries printers are tailored for all-out print performance, with a maximum speed, which produces saleable print, of 37.5 square metres an hour.

Available from Design Supply the new Canon imagePROGRAF iPF810 and imagePROGRAF iPF820

The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF810 and imagePROGRAF iPF820 are both five-colour dye and pigment printers that combine fast output production speeds with efficient ink usage and a low total cost of ownership, making them two of the most appealing printers in the sector.

The imagePROGRAF iPF810 and iPF820 are capable of reproducing A1 prints in 24 seconds and A0 prints in 47 seconds, significantly faster than some of their market leading rivals. In addition, they can reproduce fine line widths down to 0.02mm1, with a range accuracy of 0.1%1, a factor that is crucial in the CAD / GIS markets where precision in building plans, maps and technical designs is critical.

The iPF810 and iPF820 are both geared towards the CAD/GIS Production and Print-For-Pay environments where fast, cost effective printing is the requirement and an ideal solution for companies who are not equipped with their own LFP capability.

The other option is for large corporate CAD and GIS companies, and local governments with multiple users who need fast, high capacity printers for fast turnaround to produce large amounts of documents.

The major difference between the printers is the iPF820 is equipped with a dual roll capability with auto switching, enabling it to handle large print runs with different types and sizes of media. The iPF810, on the other hand, has an optional take-up unit for fast consecutive printing and enabling unmanned printing.

Both printers are capable of borderless printing – a feature unique to Canon – saving time in finishing by removing the need for edge trimming. “Hot swap” ink tanks in 330ml and 700ml capacity enables the user to switch ink cartridge units on the fly, without interrupting the print run.

An 80GB hard drive also provides the capacity to store repeat jobs to queue print jobs to the devices and dedicate up to 30 different mailboxes to individual clients, jobs or users. For security, files can be selected not to save, or safely deleted from the hard drive, for additional peace of mind.

Good news with the recent introduction of pigment printers from both HP and Canon have finally added competition to the market that has been owned by Epson for years. Not being content to merely catch up to Epson though, HP has taken a large step forward with the new Z2100 and Z3100 photo printers. Both printers, available in 24" and 44" sizes, use the new Vivera pigment inks first seen in the B size PhotoSmart Pro B9180 printer.

The Z series is also the first printer that includes a built-in spectrophotometer for creating custom profiles.

Pigment inks have two major advantages over dye-based inks. First, archival life is much greater, with most offering 70 or more years of display life before visible fading occurs. The Vivera inks in the new HP printers are rated by Wilhelm Research at 200 years for both colour and black-and-white prints. The other primary advantage is the variety of media available. While dye ink printers are optimized to work with luster and gloss finish papers, pigments can print on almost any surface.

From the small glimpse we have seen-the ink, printed samples, new printhead technology, the various presentations and discussions with the product managers and experts this looks very interesting.

HP, however, is not unique in trying to develop a new ink technology to replace aggressive solvent. Industry-wide, there seems to be a general consensus that solvent has a short life span, but until an alternative is found that offers the same kind of reliability and product characteristics-outside durability, scratch- and smudge-resistance, the ability to print on the same range of media as solvent, the ability to print on flexible media surfaces without cracking, a wide color gamut-and a low or comparable price point, there is limited reason for many to switch. Especially because these inks require a new printing platform.

According to HP, the new latex inks-which are 70 percent aqueous-based-will offer both the price point and all the same properties as solvent inks but without the harmful VOCs. This is all well and good, but the one snag, as mentioned before, is that these inks won't work in the current range of printing equipment currently on the market. The new inks have been developed for use with the Edgeline printheads which offer a 4.25-inch-wide swath and 10,000+ nozzles per head.

But then, there is still the media that needs to be taken into consideration. Creating environmentally-friendly print media is the next step to creating a truly green printing option. While the new latex inks can print on vinyl, that doesn't really provide a fully "green" solution. HP also announced the availability of media with recycled content, but this is also an area that requires innovation and we know several companies are already researching media alternatives to the environmentally-unfriendly and low-cost media currently on the market.

Well here is some news !

Canon have dropped the prices a big drop on the Canon ipf imagePROGRAF 610 to just £995.00 plus VAT plus stand

(To see more on this new product on main site CLICK HERE)

The stand price is £199.00 plus VAT

Other offer on at the moment include:

FREE trial software and FREE media
with all Canon photo printers sold
Professional Photo Print Software
Mac & PC Compatible
Drag and Drop functionality
Best use page placement of images
Installed with Canon print profiles also linked to FTP site for immediate updates of any new Canon media Profiles
Auto size up or down to standard picture sizings
Multiple copies, Job Labels, Crop marks, rotations, mirror & centre on page
Software printer control: allows nozzle checks and print status from desk
Auto nest queue option for grouping jobs to save media wastage
Auto detect ink management, visual update on ink levels & maintenance tank level

Software is dongle protected & limited to 20 jobs
upgrade prices for dongle unlock code
17" - £295 24" - £395 44" - £495 60" - £595

All rolls to match purchased printer's width. Rolls supplied are 30m 240gsm Satin and 240gsm Gloss.

All prices exclude VAT and delivery and
offer is valid while stocks last.

All good news for you!

Alistair Wright

Our latest crazy idea!

Fall in love with your HP Designjet printer all over again!

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(To see more on this new product on main site CLICK HERE)

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Offering a tremendous array of unique covers for computer equipment - from the simple to the simply fabulous - choose Design Supply for unique protective equipment. Offering quantity discounts and backed by personal service and a 100% quality guarantee, we protect equipment, safeguard information, and guard against system death, all with style and flair.

Just a quick note confrm we will be at Focus on Imaging this year!

FOCUS ON IMAGING 2008 will be held in Halls 9,10 at the National Exhibition Centre. Birmingham, England from the 24th February - 27th February 2008.

FOCUS ON IMAGING is Europe's biggest annual imaging show, covering all your needs from image capture through to output and beyond.

Whether you are a professional image maker or processor, a buyer of image making equipment or materials, a manufacturer or distributor of products or a keen hobbyist, a visit to FOCUS ON IMAGING is a must.

Over 200 exhibitors and product launches galore - including all the very latest digital cameras and processing equipment - will feature at FOCUS 2008.

If you need a ticket let us know!