Canon has announced two new modular UVgel printers in its 1.6m Colorado roll-fed line, the M3 and M5, both site-upgradeable for speed and able to use white ink for the first time with this print technology.
To ship across the EMEA region coincident with Fespa Global Print Expo (23–26 May 2023), the new machines address a wide range of applications and productivity requirements and can be further configured for specialist applications like wallpaper or high volume (over 50,000sqm/yr) production with minimal operator intervention via jumbo roll support. The specifications for the M3 and M5 maximum output speeds are 111 and 159sqm/hr respectively, with high quality modes at 29 and 40sqm/hr.
Software-unlockable speed boosts will be offered for both models, with an option to access a one-month boost to meet peak production periods as well as to make a permanent upgrade. In addition to optional support for white ink – also field-upgradeable – which Canon says gives unusually high density compared to other inkjet technologies, the FLX Finish+ variable gloss option introduced at Fespa 2022 will be offered, allowing the finish to be varied across different parts of a job. It is not possible to mix white and the variable finish, however.
Canon EMEA director, Marketing & Innovation, Wide Format Printing Group, Matthew Faulkner demonstrated a range of applications on substrates ranging from pre-printed fluorescent and metallised materials to clear window film and even a mica-coated board. He said that target markets for the new machines included printers looking to expand into the ‘buoyant’ wide-format market driven by the resumption of live events and in-person shopping, as well as established wide-format PSPs who could exploit the ‘expert’ or nice application like the ‘wallpaper factory’ (supported by Fotoba cutting equipment) or printing to corrugated liner for packaging purposes.
Jennifer Kolloczek, European planning, marketing & innovation senior director, Production Print at Canon Europe said, ‘Ever since they burst onto the market, Colorado printers with UVgel ink have set the highest bar for speed, quality and all-round productivity. On top of these business-critical performance criteria, large format graphics providers today want to make smart, environmentally responsible investments in printing solutions that can evolve with them and help them tap into lucrative creative applications, products and growth markets. With its modularity and the addition of an easy-care white ink option, the new Colorado M-series is the growth engine that businesses can rely on to level up their capabilities and turn ideas into reality.’
Pricing was not revealed but was described as being ‘in line’ with that of the existing Colorado 1630 and 1650 models, both of which remain available.
