Canon has jumped into the crowded and rapidly growing entry-level digital market with a line of three printers which it says are designed to make printers money.
Launching the C800 series on Tuesday night at the company’s new Sydney office, Canon cut-sheet production product manager Henryk Krazewski says as a late entrant the C800 was built from the ground up to be best in its class.
“We took a look at the market and designed something that was better in all categories to make sure we offered the best solution,” he says.
Krazewski says a basic setup starts at less than $50,000 up to under $150,000 for the top range with all the features, with an average model setting printers back ‘well under $100,000’. “Our customers will get a hell of a lot for not a massive investment,” he says.
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The company claims the printer has the fastest speed, best image quality and resolution, and will accept the widest range of paper weights in the light production market
The C800 comes in 60, 70 and 80 A4 sheets a minute versions and prints at 2400dpi on 52-300gsm paper. It also features a range of in-line finishing options and a choice of EFI Fiery, Oce or Creo rip. The 70ppm and 80ppm printers are available now, the 60ppm printer will come online later in the year.
Krazewski says unlike competing printers it can maintain its speed even at high quality settings and uses variable drop size for better image quality.
“It also has great flexibility with paper stocks and finishing options, you have the freedom to choose what you need for your business,” he says.
“It even includes perfect binding which is the flavour of the month.”
Krazewski says the entry-level segment is growing rapidly and is poised to go from two thirds to three quarters of the digital production market before long.
“Print is not dying, it’s just changing and digital is a big part of that,” he says.
“The C800 is perfect for franchises, it’s really the sweet spot for them, as well as small commercial printers upgrading their equipment or offset companies just getting into digital.”
The C800’s first customer is 126-year-old Geelong outfit Creffield Digital Print. Director Frank Veltman says it is the right fit for his business.
“It stood up to all the requirements we needed for a reasonable price,” he says.
“Canon, and technology at this section of the market in general, has come a long way in recent years and this release really signals that Canon is back.
“Other manufacturers just sell you the machine and walk away but Canon are very down-to-Earth people and stick with you.
“I have known (Canon professional print senior general manager) Mike Boyle for a long time and consider him a friend.”
For a detailed review of the C800 series, check out the ProPrint Product of the Month section in the July magazine issue, in your mailbox this week.
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