LexJet Offers the First Aqueous Printer with Fluorescent Pigment Ink

Last month, Canon announced it added four new models to the imagePROGRAF series of printers. These new models now offer fluorescent pink pigment ink, a first for aqueous printers.

“We are excited to partner with Canon U.S.A., Inc. to offer our customers the first-ever aqueous printer with fluorescent ink,” says C.J. Forker, LexJet VP of Sales. “The new Canon imagePROGRAF GP Series will help meet the increased demand for intense, eye-catching colors for applications that include high-impact pop art, point-of-purchase graphics, posters, and more.”

The new imagePROGRAF GP-4000 (44-in) and GP-2000 (24-in) use ten colors, including red, orange, green, and violet ink, plus the new fluorescent pink ink. The imagePROGRAF GP-300 (36-in) and GP-200 (24-in) use five colors plus fluorescent pink ink.

Print service providers can create high-impact graphic posters, wall art, and custom pop art. Artists, retailers, and entertainment venues are just some of the customers who are frequently purchasing tailored graphics with vivid neon and fluorescent colors.

With the imagePROGRAF GP-4000 (44-in) and imagePROGRAF GP-2000 (24-in), you can reproduce light, delicate pastel colors and vivid  fluorescent and neon colors in the following markets:

  • Proofing
  • Print-for-pay
  • Entertainment
  • Design Department
  • Advertising Companies

Create visually stunning graphics and posters for various applications with the imagePROGRAF GP-300 (36-in) and imagePROGRAF GP-200 (24-in) in these markets:

  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality/Beverage Distributors
  • Education
  • Signage
  • Government
  • Retail

The imagePROGRAF GP Series printers are available for pre-order now, with shipping planned for November.

For questions regarding the imagePROGRAF GP Series, contact a LexJet sales specialist at 800-453-9538, visit our dedicated landing page, or shop on LexJet.com.

Just Announced: The Next Generation of Canon imagePROGRAF PRO Series Printers

Canon launched the next generation of the PRO Series printers this week at Printing United in Dallas, Texas. These new large-format solutions offer enhanced productivity, efficiency, and usability over the previous generation of PRO Series printers.

These new printers feature new innovations that will improve the end-user experience, including “first of its kind” intelligent automatic media feeding technology Canon built into these devices. The time saving intelligent media loading system allows the operator to move away after placing the roll in the printer without feeding the roll paper or selecting the media type.

The media is automatically fed and transported over the platen, the multi-sensor built into the printer measures the surface reflectance and media thickness to identify the media type. These two measurements are used together with the database of pre-registered media in the printer and the loaded roll media type is determined by a learning function that uses the printer usage history data.

The new printers are available in both 11-color and 8-color models:

If you are attending Printing United, stop by and visit with your favorite LexJet sales representative at S-One’s booth #6810 to learn more about these new printers.

When Is It Time to Upgrade Your Printer?

Michael Clementi

The start of a new year is the perfect time to evaluate your business goals and ensure that you have the right equipment to help you reach those objectives. With all the new printers and different technologies available today, we asked in-house printer expert Michael Clementi to weigh in on how to tell if it’s time to replace your old printer.

Q: What are the most common ways to tell if your printer is aging?

A: For aqueous piezo technology (like Epson or Roland), you’ll experience vertical banding running the length of the print, errors that you cannot navigate past or an increase in the number of cleanings needed to produce a healthy nozzle check. For aqueous thermal user-replaceable printheads (such as Canon or HP), you may see hardware errors on the machine. You can call a LexJet representative to help determine what may be causing the error; however, if you need service, it would be best to contact the printer manufacturer for quotes or troubleshooting. Some hardware-related issues indicate the need for a head replacement – not uncommon for thermal printers – but errors related to what I call the “drive train” of the printer (i.e.: belts, head/carriage motors and internal electrical components) might be reparable, but the difference in cost of repair vs. upgrading to the latest technology might be almost negligible.

Q: Are there any repairs that are worth the cost rather than buying a new printer?

A: If it is an older Epson or Roland that needs a full printhead replacement (which are not user-replaceable and can cost more than $600 for just the parts, not including labor), it makes more sense to use those funds towards a new printer. With a new model, you will have better ink usage, print more profitable jobs, work with current technology and have a printer that is covered under warranty. New technology has allowed for increase in output and a significant decrease in the footprint of the printer. New printers will also be more efficient and will offer a wider color gamut than older models. If your current printer is several generations old, it may be difficult finding parts for the repair due to the manufacturers halting production of older parts (as they call, “end of life”).

Q: What kind of lifespan can I expect to get from a printer?

A: The average lifespan for aqueous machines is three to five years, depending on the technology, frequency of use and how well it is maintained. Solvent and latex printers can be in the six- to eight-year range, again depending upon use and maintenance.

Q: When is it a wiser investment to upgrade rather than repair?

Tech Corner: First Review of the All New Canon PRO-4000S/6000S

Great things come in small packages. The all new redesign of the Canon ImagePROGRAF Pro-4000S and Pro-6000S looks and performs as a completely different machine than the prior generations. Improved print performance and speed along with a much smaller footprint are some of the differences that make this printer stand out in its class.

Making something better than its predecessor has its challenges, but understanding what the end user wants is one of Canon’s designers’ strongest attributes. They have their ears open to their consumers, and this new series really proves that.

Canon cares about print quality, permanence and productivity, but also about how much space their product takes up in your shop. Out of the choices available in the market, these printers now take up the least amount of space.