Canon debuts two 'Pro' PIXMA printers
updated 09:55 am EST, Tue February 21, 2006
Canon \'Pro\' PIXMA printers
Canon today introduced two affordable, new professional photo printers: the ten-color PIXMA Pro9500 and the eight color PIXMA Pro9000 models. As the first Canon PIXMA printers to earn the Pro designation, the PIXMA Pro9500 printer utilizes pigment-based inks, while the PIXMA Pro9000 printer uses dye-based inks; both produce gallery quality prints up to 13 x 19 inches on a variety of specialty media and fine art papers. The PIXMA Pro9500 Photo Printer uses ten individual tanks of Canon's Lucia branded pigment-based inks and Canon's 7,680 nozzle print head and Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology. The ten Lucia inks--photo black, matte black and gray as well as cyan, magenta, yellow, photo cyan, photo magenta, red and green--are precisely placed in three-picoliter droplets and are housed in the printer simultaneously, according to Canon.
The PIXMA Pro9000 Photo Printer uses Canon's high-density 6,144 nozzle print head to deposit precise and constant 2-picoliter ink droplets using individually packaged dye-based inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, photo cyan, photo magenta, black, red, and green - and Canon Photo Paper Pro glossy stock creates beautiful finished images.
Both printers borrow design elements from Canon's digital SLR line, which feature curved edges reminiscent of the lines on Canon digital SLRs and 'pro-black' pebble finish as well as support PictBridge for direct digital camera printing.
In addition, they include Canon Easy-PhotoPrint Pro, a plug-in software program for Adobe applications Photoshop CS and Photoshop CS2, and Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP) version 2.1, which permits one-click image transfer. The software also offers simple settings for color management and allows users to configure printer settings once for images on multiple sheets. Easy-PhotoPrint Pro also facilitates the printing of RAW images (as a high quality TIFF or JPEG) without having to save from DPP software and creates pattern prints that demonstrate different color balance, brightness, and contrast than the original image and prints them on a sheet of paper for easy comparison.
New fine art printing papers
Canon also launched its 100 percent cotton, Fine Art Paper "Photo Rag" designed for printing photo art as well as copies of water colors, oil paintings, woodblock prints and illustrations). The company also introduced its Fine Art Paper Premium Matte, a heavy 210g-per-square meter paper with a smooth matte finish that "conveys an artistic, gallery-grade look to photographs and other art content." Both new papers are offered in 8 1/2 x 11-inch and 13 x 19-inch sizes.
Additionally, Canon has expanded its media lineup with a new 8 x 10-inch size of its Photo Paper Pro and Photo Paper Plus Semi Gloss media, as well as a new 13 x 19-inch size for its Photo Paper Plus paper,
Canon will debut the PIXMA Pro9500 and PIXMA Pro9000 photo printers in its booth (no. 3509) during the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) exhibit, which takes place in Orlando, Florida, from February 26th until March 1st, 2006.
(Pricing and availability not noted.)
