At the WPPI Show March 8-10 in Las Vegas, Canon will unveil three new models of imagePROGRAF printers for the proofing, graphic arts, photography, and fine-art markets. The three models include: the 44-in. imagePROGRAF iPF8300 and the 24-in. imagePROGRAF iPF6350 and iPF6300.

New Inkset: Each new printer features Canon’s all new, 12-color LUCIA EX pigment inkset, which increases the achievable color gamut by approximately 20% from the previous imagePROGRAF iPF x100 series. This increase in gamut will enable users of the new printers to reproduce more than 90% of  PANTONE® colors.

 With LUCIA EX ink, photographers will be able to reproduce the finest details in the shadow areas of images and produce more expressive and crisp blacks and ever smoother color gradations than before.

 An innovative polymer structure in the inks results in greater scratch resistance and protection from color fading. It also reduces bronzing and metamerism.

Durable Prints: Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR), the world’s leading independent image permanence testing laboratory, has been evaluating the new Canon LUCIA EX expanded-gamut, 12-color pigment inks. 

Henry Wilhelm, president of WIR commented, “A review of preliminary data from the still ongoing tests indicates that prints made with LUCIA EX pigment inks and select photo and fine art papers will achieve WIR Display Permanence Ratings in excess of 75 years for color images and well beyond 200 years for black-and-white images.  In addition, LUCIA EX pigment inks exhibit excellent short-term color drift (“dry-down”) behavior, which is critically important for color-managed workflows and in proofing applications.  The new LUCIA EX inks also achieved WIR’s highest rating for resistance to damage from atmospheric ozone, a particular concern in urban environments in situations where prints might be displayed unframed and exposed to ambient indoor air.”

New Media Configuration Tool: Because so many photographers have different preferences in inkjet media and may want to use non-traditional substrates to further improve the versatility of their printers, Canon has developed a new Media Configuration Tool. It allows customers to not only utilize Canon media, but also gives users of LexJet materials and other third-party media the ability to add and make adjustments to paper settings and enhance the precision and quality of the output.

Workflow: To expand print options and improve proofing capabilities, the iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 come bundled with a new Print Plug-In for Photoshop®, Digital Photo Professional and support for Adobe Color Management Module, enabling features such as Black Point Compensation.  Through the Photoshop Plug-In, each new model allows 16-bit RGB images edited in Photoshop to be sent directly to the imagePROGRAF printers, preserving smooth and high gradation.

 Brian Hampton, an award-winning nature photographer, had the opportunity to print with a Canon imagePROGRAF for the first time. He states, “The quality of the print is amazing.  I was particularly impressed by the iPF8300’s ability to reproduce shadow details in a way that exceeds anything I’ve seen previously on the market. It’s quite a step above the competition.”

Hampton also noted the built-in workflow solutions and commented, “The ability to export out of Photoshop via the plug-in is outstanding. Many of its capabilities perform as well as an RIP program without the additional cost

 Built-In Hard Drive for High-Volume Jobs and Reprints: To support high-volume printing and streamline workflows, the Canon iPF8300 and iPF6350 come equipped with an 80 GB high-capacity hard disk drive (HDD) that allows for faster spooling of large files as well as the ability to reprint jobs directly from the printer. To ensure the highest level of productivity and reduce overall print time, all new models are also equipped with a standard gigabit Ethernet network interface and an automatic dual-blade cutter.

Precision Technology: To fully capitalize on the dynamic color range of the new LUCIA EX ink set, each new imagePROGRAF model employs two advanced one-inch print heads, each featuring 2,560 nozzles per color and outputting a super fine four picoliter (pl) droplet at a full 2400×1200 dots-per-inch resolution (dpi) to reproduce details with extraordinary accuracy and clarity. 

Paired with enhanced plug-ins and new High Precision Printing Modes, these new imagePROGRAF models are designed to provide an extremely high level of quality in photographic and proofing prints.

The new imagePROGRAF iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 are compliant with U.S. ENERGY STAR energy-saving standards and RoHS compliance standards

The imagePROGRAF iPF8300/6350/6300 will start shipping in March for a manufacturers’ suggested retail price of $5,995, $3,995 and $3,695, respectively.

If you won’t be able to attend WPPI and see these exciting new printers yourself, we’ll be providing more details about some of the best  features of the new printers in future posts on Studio LexJet and in LexJet In Focus newsletter.