Canon offers printers the power to transform their businesses at drupa 2024

Drupa, Düsseldorf, Germany, 17.00h CET 27th May 2024 – At drupa 2024 (Messe Düsseldorf, 28 May – 7 June 2024, Hall 8a), Canon is showcasing its full capabilities as a leading provider of end-to-end digital production print solutions and services. Under the banner of ‘The Power to Move’, Canon is demonstrating how, in collaboration with partners, it works closely with customers to deliver the transformative technologies, expertise and support that inspire and enable them to move their businesses forward. Canon’s focus goes beyond the individual print business by also helping PSPs devise new and better ways of working with their customers with innovative business models and new levels of collaboration and integration. Canon is also taking a leading role in inspirational and aspirational projects and communities, impacting entire supply chains and the printing industry as a whole.

Across the Canon stand, visitors can see the complete, extensive range of Canon production print technologies, including Canon PRISMA workflow solutions, Canon print media, inkjet and toner presses, web-fed and sheetfed presses, flatbed and roll-to-roll wide format printers and digital label and packaging production. All production solutions print live applications and are arranged by industry segment: Commercial Print, Publishing (including books), Promotional Communications (including direct mail and retail), Labels and Packaging, Interior Décor, as well as Inhouse and CAD printing. In the ‘Printworks’ area of the stand, visitors have the opportunity to discuss their strategic and operational challenges with Canon business development, workflow and application specialists. They can also discover how Canon has successfully supported print service providers of all types and sizes to deploy sustainable growth strategies based on innovative technologies, expert advice and implementation capability – from solution design to project management, process automation, service and support.

Sheetfed portfolio expansion

With an expanded portfolio of sheetfed presses reflecting its position at the forefront of the digital production print market, Canon is demonstrating yet more reasons for PSPs to partner with Canon and benefit from the growth opportunities that the broadest portfolio of toner and inkjet presses in this segment provides. Making its European debut at drupa is the new varioPRINT iX1700 sheetfed inkjet press (available in 2025), which will efficiently produce average monthly volumes from 300,000 to 1.5 million A4 images. The new press is positioned between the highly successful varioPRINT iX3200 B3 sheetfed inkjet press, which customers globally rely on for monthly throughput from one million to five million A4 images, and the successful imagePRESS V series of colour toner presses, which has seen more than 2,500 installations in EMEA since its introduction.

In addition, Canon is extending its sheetfed inkjet capability to higher volumes with the announcement of a new heavy-duty, B2 sheetfed press, the varioPRESS iV7, for a volume range up to 4.5 million B2 images per month (see separate press release dated 27.05.2024). On the Canon stand, visitors can see print samples and a digital animation of the press, which is scheduled for first installations in the second half of 2025. Together, the imagePRESS, varioPRINT iX and varioPRESS platforms establish a comprehensive portfolio of Canon sheetfed technologies for businesses of all sizes and production volumes.

Web-fed portfolio expansion

In the ultra-high volume inkjet arena, drupa 2024 is the global launch platform for Canon’s latest high speed webfed inkjet presses, the new ProStream 2000 series and the ColorStream 8200 (see separate releases dated 25.03.2024). The ColorStream 8200 webfed inkjet press is being shown in a smart book-block end-to-end solution, a truly collaborative, customer-driven technology innovation from Canon and Hunkeler, pushing the boundaries of automated on-demand book production. The new ProStream 2133 webfed inkjet press will be producing direct mail, books and magazines in variable formats on the fly, highlighting its outstanding productivity, quality and production versatility.

Wide format portfolio news

For producers of wide format print applications, technology highlights are the recently launched Arizona 2300 FLXflow flatbed wide format printer with optional PRISMAelevate XL software, and the new imagePROGRAF PRO and GP series of large format printers (see separate releases dated 25.03.2024 and 25.01.2024), together with other innovations being introduced at the show:

• The plotWAVE and colorWAVE T-series, the next generation of Canon’s large format printers for technical documentation printing. Both T-series also include PRISMA Tech Suite, a new set of workflow solutions, while multiple IT security features in the printers offer a high degree of protection and a circular design supports environmental initiatives (see separate press release dated 27.05.2024).
• Multiple innovations to expand the range of high value applications PSPs can develop with the Colorado M-series to support their business growth, including the new UVgel Packaging Factory, FLXture (a five-ink-layer printing technology that adds micro-texture to the printed image), the capability to print graphic overlays for membrane switches, and a new Jumbo Roll Interface kit (see separate press release dated 27.05.2024).

Labels and packaging

With the live production of various label, corrugated and folding carton applications on its stand, Canon is demonstrating its commitment to becoming a significant, trusted partner to the label and packaging markets. As evidence of that commitment, Canon is giving its first live demonstration outside Japan of the new LabelStream LS2000 water-based digital label press, slated for 2025 availability. Through a 3D model, technology animations and production samples, Canon will also showcase its concept for a 1.7m wide, single pass, industrial-scale corrugated press, offering a production speed of 8,000 sqm/hour at offset quality (see separate release dated 25.03.2024). And live on stand, Edale, a Canon company since 2022, will showcase its FL5 carton production line integrated with FDC6000 flatbed die cutter for single-pass carton embellishment and finishing.

Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director, Marketing & innovation, Production Printing, Canon EMEA, comments: “We’re excited to show visitors the vast array of technological innovations that we’ve developed in the eight years since the last drupa as part of our long-term commitment to the industry and to sustainable growth. Consistent with our ambition to enable business innovation for different types and sizes of PSPs and converters, we’re exhibiting our broadest ever portfolio of powerful digital production print, label and packaging solutions, and showing how we work with customers in all segments to unlock their commercial and creative potential. With the variety of production lines printing live on stand, the customer success stories and the expert advice available in the Printworks area around business transformation and sustainability, we’re aiming to inspire PSPs to empower themselves to move their businesses forward and to show visitors Canon’s ability to help them achieve their goals.

“Our two new B3 and B2 sheetfed inkjet technologies are great examples of how Canon innovations keep pushing boundaries and of our commitment to the commercial print market. We’re showcasing our strength in a segment that Canon has pioneered and grown with the best-selling varioPRINT iX3200 platform and extending the inkjet advantage to PSPs of all volumes – whether they transition volumes from other technologies to inkjet or work in hybrid operations.

“And at drupa, we are very much looking forward to welcoming and starting conversations with label and packaging converters. I am confident that, with fresh eyes and our proven solution and innovation mindset, we will also make a positive impact in these domains.”

Canon print media range supports PSPs in reducing carbon footprint

Visitors at drupa can discover the full range of Canon Print Media spanning cutsheet media, high speed inkjet media, large format media for technical documents and large format media for graphics applications, across the stand in live production as well as at the central Canon Print Media display. In conversation with Canon media experts on site, PSPs can find the perfect match of print media for their production needs. Canon will also be showing a preview with samples of its new Red Label Zero A4 superior quality paper range for office and professional printing. This is the latest addition to Canon’s Zero range of papers, which is designed to help reduce users’ carbon footprint by lowering CO₂ emissions during manufacturing and through Canon’s engagement in climate projects to compensate residual CO₂ emissions. The new range will be available later in the year, but visitors to Canon’s stand will be able to pick up a sample kit.