Highlighting its commitment to both the imagePRESS and the mainstream graphic arts industry Canon also launched a new business unit dedicated to commercial printing, the Digital Production Solutions Group, (DPSG) headed by well known Canon identity Christophe Lambert.
The imagePRESS has been developed to emulate the look and feel of offset printing. Canon says imagePRESS is a ’quantum leap’ in digital print production. It uses a new wax based ’V-toner’ which has a tiny particle size of 5.5 microns Canon says the new V-toner means imagePRESS produces offset quality, and is not limited to producing glossy prints, but can equally provide matt or satin, according to the substrate used.
Linda Coffey, national marketing manager of DPSG says, “Canon has created a new benchmark in quality and services through its launch of imagePRESS, which represents a significant step forward in digital print technology”.
The first solution in the imagePRESS family, and the one launched in Sydney is the imagePRESS CI, designed to be used for short-run colour printing, photo-reproduction and for proofing. It can be specified either with a Canon rip or an EFI Fiery rip. Production speed of the C1 is 14 colour prints a minute, in size SRA3+. It has automated calibrating, and resolution of 1200dpi with 256 gradations.
Industry veteran Kit Andrews, now part of the DPSG, described the imagePRESS as “the most exciting technology I have seen in more than two decades of graphic arts business.”
For most printers their first view of the new solution will be at PrintEx07 in May, which will see Canon introduce the print production version, the imagePRESS 7000, which runs at 70 SRA3+ sheets a minute, and on which Canon is pinning very high hopes. It believes the combination of offset quality, speed and media flexibility will prove a winning formula in what is becoming a very competitive field.
The launch events in Sydney and Melbourne attracted large numbers of printers, who in addition to garnering details about the imagePRESS heard small business guru and TV personality David Koch give a well-received ’15 reasons why business are successful’ presentation.
Canon says the creation of DPSG is n recognition of the shift in professional and on-demand print technologies. DPSG will be responsible for Canon’s high end digital production product range in Australia, and aims to service the needs of this growing segment.
DPSG is part of Canon’s Business Imaging Solutions Group (BISG) and in addition to Christophe Lambert the senior roles include national sales manager, Mitchell Filby; national marketing manager, Linda Coffey and national operations manager, Sumitta Jayaratne.
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