Monday, April 17, 2006
ImagePRESS X, a Sneak Peak
Today I had the opportunity to hear a little about the Canon imagePRESS X, Canon's new digital production press announced shortly after PRINT 05 at the Canon Expo 2005.
The Canon imagePRESS X was launched at IPEX 2006 as the Canon imagePRESS C7000VP and will see its official US debut at the ON DEMAND Conference & Expo later this spring. The system is expected to enter the market in November.
Canon's new imagePRESS C7000VP
According to Canon, the system was designed to meet three primary goals:
Increased Productivity
Flexible Media Handling
Superior Image Quality
Increased Productivity
The imagePRESS C7000VP will print at 70ppm and will maintain rated speed independent of paper weight. Gone are the days of slowing down when printing on heavy weight stocks.
Flexible Media Handling
The system can handle paper weights between 64 and 300 gsm, and page sizes up to 13x19.2 inches.
Superior Image Quality
Canon is making the bold claim that the imagePRESS is the first high-volume digital printer to produce near-litho quality prints at an astonishing 70 pages per minute. The printers are so revolutionary that we're sure they'll redefine professional print industry standards. (Canon.co.uk IPEX PR)
Technical details of the systems imaging unit are still being closely guarded, but Canon did state that the system will have print 1,200 x 1,200 DPI x 4 bit-depth.
The toner used by the system will not require a separate fuser agent. According to Canon, this eliminates the ghastly fuser steaks many digital printers are accustom to seeing on prints. Instead of using a fuser agent, the toner will be coated in a wax that will assist in toner adhesion during the fusing stage.
Canon is also touting a feature called gloss optimization. This feature is said to match the image gloss with that of the media.
Workflow
Two Digital Front Ends (DFE) will be available for the imagePRESS C7000VP. The Canon RIP, at the low end. The imagePRESS Server, a DFE based on EFI RIP technology be available for customers that have advanced digital workflow requirements.
The use of the EFI RIP technology will allow it seamlessly integrate with all of EFI's print production tools.
I speculate that the Creo Print On-Demand Solutions Group will also release a DFE offering as they look to increase market share in the DFE market.
Competition
Canon is marketing this system as a competitor to the Xerox DocuColor 7000/8000 and the Kodak NexPress 2100.
The target market for this device will be the digital printing and commercial printing industry segments.
While pricing has not been finalized, the system will sell for around $250,000 with click charges in the 4-5 cents range.
This system is worth checking out if you make it to On Demand.
Posted in: Digital Printing
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