The five new devices are part of the imagePROGRAF range.
Canon’s imagePROGRAF 9400
Albawaba reported on the product release, which is said to be aimed at the “graphic arts markets”, with the devices ranging in size from 24 to 60 inches (0.6 to 1.5 metres) and featuring either eight or 12 ink colours, and Canon noting that the machines “have been equipped with a host of new features to deliver superior image quality, productivity and usability”.
The machines use the OEM’s LUCIA EX inks, which it adds makes it the only company “to use a singular ink set across an entire large format range”, with the expanded inkset providing a “wider colour gamut, more expressive blacks, better scratch resistance and a more stable colour for optimum image quality”. Each device features ‘hot swap’ technology that gives the user the ability to replace ink “whilst printing”, allowing for “uninterrupted production and reduced down-time”.
The two 12-colour, 2- inch machines are the imagePROGRAF iPF6400 and iPF6450, which are replacing the OEM’s iPF6300 and iPF635, with the latter featuring an optional spectrophotometer to enable “precise, highly stable and consistent colour” and a calibration link to “provide a unified solution” for all 12-colour wide-format machines from Canon.This only needs to be installed on the device in one location, and can centrally control colour management on “multiple” imagePROGRAF devices, “optimising output and ensuring uniformity of colour”.
Another 12-colour but 44-inch machine, the imagePROGRAFipF8400, replaces the iPF8300, and contains an internal hard drive with 250GB of space, whilst the 60-inch iPF9400 and 9400S models are 12-colour and eight-colour respectively, utilising the LUCIA EX inks to provide a 20 percent-wider colour gamut. The iPF9400S also features internal technology that allows it to print around one-and-a-half times quicker than previous models, and also has an updated printhead sequence to boost speed.