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CANON 9900, I80 & PROGRAF W6200 PHOTO PRINTERS

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Canon 9900 Photo Printer - This new top-of-the-line Canon printer uses a new set of 8 color Canon Dye Inks ("ChromaPLUS") in individual cartridges to produce up to 13 by 19 inch borderless photos at 4800 by 2400 resolution and using a smaller 2 picoliter ink droplet from 512 Nozzles per color or a total of 6144 Nozzles ejecting 122 million droplets per second. Canon is adding two new Inks, a new Orange color which has a somewhat red appearance (for better yellows and reds) and a new Green color (for richer greens) to help the printer obtain an increased color gamut. It has 3 ways to connect to it, Firewire, USB 1.1 and USB 2.0, with the Firewire and USB 2.0 offering very fast print times. Canon indicates that this printer will have quite a bit of speed as it can print text at 16 pages per minute, borderless 4 by 6 inch Photos in 32 seconds, 5 by 7 in 45 and a 8 1/2 by 11 inch in 84 seconds and a 13 by 19 inch can be printed out in 3 minutes. It supports the PictBridge printing AND Canon Direct Printing formats as well as ICC profiles! This printer looks fantastic with the use of dye inks it promises to have excellent vivid color glossy printing and Canon indicated to us that this printer will be outstanding for black and white printing! Canon is also releasing a new version of its Easy-PhotoPrint software - version 2.1 that is bundled with the new 9900 Photo Printer. The new software works directly with Canon's new Digital Photo Professional software and together the they are now capable of identifying color-space information automatically and transferring it accurately to the printer. Canon indicates in the Press Release that the new Easy-PhotoPrint v2.1 software enables image data obtained in Adobe RGB with a broad color range to be more faithfully printed on the Canon i9900 photo printer .The new Canon 9900 Photo Printer will have an MSRP of $499 and will ship in May 2004.

Canon I80 Printer - This highly portable & compact model with a newly designed print head replaces the current I70 model and features both 5 and 2 picoliter ink droplets at 4800 by 1200 resolution using 1088 nozzels. It can produce 4 by 6, 5 by 7 and 8.5 by 11 inch borderless photo quality prints now at faster desk top speeds. It can print 14 ppm black text and color pages at 10 ppm. Other changes include an increased size of the ink cartridge and there is an option for BlueTooth to be added for $79.00 allowing direct wireless prints from other BlueTooth units such as cell phones with cameras or PDAs. The i80 mobile printer also includes a built-in IrDA port. There is a auto power portable battery unit which will sell for $89.99 and a cradle kit with an extra battery and charger unit for $139.99. It supports both PictBridge and Canon Direct Printing without need for a computer. The I80 should be available in the next week or two and will sell for $249.99.

Prograf W6200 Photo Printer - This is one of the fastest 24-inch pigment ink printers, with breakthrough wide format output speeds combined with superior image and archival quality. It uses Canon's singular bi-directional head, MicroFine Droplet Technology™ and pigment ink solution. Canon's imagePROGRAF W6200 is said to quickly produces highly detailed, brilliant, photo-quality archival prints and proofs up to 24 inches wide. The printer comes with PS-level 3 compatible raster image processor (RIP) software and retails at less than $3500.

 

CANON LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST 13 x 19 INCH DESKTOP PHOTO WITH ChromaPLUS EIGHT COLOR INK SYSTEM FOR WIDER COLOR GAMUT

LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Canon's top-of-the-line i9900 desktop photo printer empowers consumers, photo enthusiasts and working photographers to make their own professional quality borderless photo prints. The 13 x 19-inch inkjet printer features new red and green ink cartridges for rich, accurate color rendition, industry leading 4800 x 2400 dpi* maximum color resolution, microscopic 2 picoliter ink droplets, as well as USB 2.0 Hi-speed** and Firewireâ interfaces. The i9900 desktop photo printer will be available in May for a suggested list price $499.99***.

The i9900 photo printer is the first in its class to offer eight individual ink tanks. Canon's exclusive ChromaPLUS 8-color ink system adds individual red and green ink tanks to the cyan, magenta, yellow, black, photo cyan and photo magenta inks that are commonly found on six-color printers. The red ink tank allows for an approximately 60% increase in the orange/red gamut over six-color printing and provides for previously unobtainable orange hues and well as richer reds. The green ink adds about 30% increase in green gamut as compared to six-color printing and creates more accurate and deeper greens in grass and foliage. The resulting finished print more closely matches the color characteristics of positive photographic film.

Canon's dye inks produce higher levels of glossiness, more vivid colors, reduced graininess and better contrast photo quality when compared with traditional flat and lack luster pigment-based inks used in conventional printers.

"With the proliferation of higher resolution digital cameras quickly entering the consumer market, the need and the opportunity for people to print larger than 8.5 x 11 inches is rapidly increasing," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). "The i9900 Photo Printer allows users of higher megapixel digital cameras to expand beyond the small canvas of traditional desktop printers and print up to 13 x 19-inch borderless photos."

In addition to the two new colors, Canon has further increased the printer's photo quality by doubling the maximum color resolution to 4800 x 2400 dpi* from the earlier generation i9100 photo printer. The i9900 photo printer features the world's longest and highest nozzle-density print head in a consumer product and has 6,144 nozzles, capable of ejecting a staggering 122 million droplets per second**** that are a mere two picoliters in size. The print head uses Canon's exclusive advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology™, which ejects consistent prescribed-volume ink droplets for smooth gradations, accurate skin tones and rich, vibrant colors. To match the look of minilab prints, the i9900 photo printer supports edge-to-edge borderless printing in 4x6, 5x7, 8.5x11 and 13x19 inch sizes.

Photo printing speeds on the i9900 printer remain significantly faster than the competition. Users can print a 4 x 6-inch borderless photo in about 38 seconds, a 5 x 7-inch borderless photo in approximately 47 seconds, an 8.5 x 11-inch borderless photo in about 84 seconds and a full 13 x 19-inch borderless photograph in under three minutes***. For printing text, websites and other documents, the i9900 model features print speeds of up to 16 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up to 12 ppm in color printing***.

ICC Support
ICC profiles provided allow for the accurate translation of color data from any other compliant device into the Bubble Jet i9900's native color space. For professional users reliant on consistent color reproduction across devices (such as scanners, monitors and printers) the ICC profile permits tremendous flexibility by ensuring the retention of color accuracy during printing, irrespective of the image source.

Direct Photo Printing
Direct photo printing is made possible without using the computer thanks to the PictBridge featured on the new i9900 photo printer. PictBridge is an industry standard for digital printers, digital cameras and digital camcorders that allows the direct printing of images from PictBridge compatible digital cameras and camcorders to a PictBridge compatible printer, regardless of brand or manufacturer, without the use of a computer ††.

Bundled Software Easy-PhotoPrint 2.1
Canon's latest release of its Easy-PhotoPrint software - version 2.1‡ - works directly with Canon's new Digital Photo Professional software±, improving the professional-level of support. Together with Digital Photo Professional software, the Easy-PhotoPrint software is now capable of identifying color-space information automatically and transferring it accurately to the Canon i9900 photo printer. Easy-PhotoPrint v2.1 software enables image data obtained in Adobe RGB with a broad color range to be faithfully reproduced on the Canon i9900 photo printer.

Easy-PhotoPrint v2.1‡ software is an ultra-easy high-speed photo printing application equipped with a wide selection of useful printing functions for professional, prosumer and amateur users. Features include functions for batch printing a large number of images of differing types and aspect ratios, index printing to facilitate file management, and for printing out Exif data captured together with the images. It can also print out RAW data when used in combination with Digital Photo Professional. Together with Digital Photo Professional, it ensures the optimum workflow from color management to printing. The integrated workflow of Digital Photo Professional and Easy-PhotoPrint 2.1 enables the color management system to reproduce colors faithful to the original image data.

In addition to Easy-PhotoPrint software, the i9900 photo printer includes Easy-PhotoPrint Plus and Easy-WebPrint software‡. Canon developed the Easy-PhotoPrint Plus software to reduce red-eye problems and smooth out facial imperfections. Easy-WebPrint software facilitates printing from the Internet by automatically formatting and scaling the output so that the entire page is printed even when it extends over multiple screens. This time saving and cost saving feature reduces waste and ensures that the selected pages are printed properly, in color and without trimming the right-hand margin.

Connections
The i9900 photo printer features fast USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and Firewire interfaces to satisfy the needs of professional users. USB 2.0 Hi-Speed is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh systems while the Firewire interface is specifically for Macintosh users. A conventional USB interface is also included allowing up to three computers to be connected to the printer simultaneously.

Compatibility
Compatible with both Windows® and Mac® platforms (Windows XP, Windows 2000/Millennium Edition/98 and Mac OS (8.6 to 9.x) and Mac OSX v 10.2.1 to 10.3.x.), the i9900 photo printer also includes the Zoom Browser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac) image management software, and PhotoStitch (for Windows and Mac) that makes composite images from shots taken separately.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and is ranked #39 on the Business Week list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2003, with global revenues of $24.5 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs more than 10,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

PictBridge is a Trademark
Specifications subject to change without notice. All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners. System requirements vary by application.
* Resolution may vary based on printer driver setting. Maximum resolution of 4800x1200 dpi used at the bottom edge of the paper.
** USB 2.0 Hi-Speed requires Windows XP (Service pack 1), Windows 2000 (Service pack 4) or Mac OS X v. 10.2.7 to 10.3.x.
*** Prices are MSRP at time materials were created. Prices subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.
****Capacity calculation based on print head frequency times nozzle count.
† Photo print speeds based on default driver mode using Canon Photo Paper Pro. PPM printer speed based on high-speed draft mode. Print speed will vary depending on system configuration, software, document complexity, print mode and page coverage.
†† For a listing of select Canon digital cameras and camcorders featuring Bubble Jet Direct or PictBridge direct printing technology, visit www.usa.canon.com/consumer/directprint. To determine if a non-Canon brand camera or camcorder is PictBridge-compatible please consult the manufacturer.
‡ Easy-PhotoPrint and Easy-PhotoPrintPlus are not compatible with Mac OS 8.6. Easy-WebPrint requires the Windows version of MicrosoftÒ Internet Explorer version 5.5, version 6.0 recommended.
±OS compatibility not confirmed as of publication date



CANON'S NEW i80 MOBILE PRINTER SUPPORTS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY AND IMPROVED PHOTO QUALITY

LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Canon's new i80 mobile printer enhances the quality and flexibility of portable printing. The world's most advanced mobile printer features a newly designed print head, optional Bluetooth Unit* and an optional Automobile Power Unit. The i80 mobile printer will be available in mid-February for a suggested list price of $249.99**.

"Our new i80 mobile printer expands beyond the traditional road warrior applications into environments like professional photographers on assignment, educators traveling from one classroom to another, college students with limited dorm space, real estate agents, pilots, military personnel, insurance agents and many others," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). "The i80 mobile printer allows all of them to print much needed documents and photographs on the fly."

"The successor to our enormously popular i70 portable printer, the i80 model expands the flexibility and capabilities available to the end-user," added Hashimoto. "The enhanced wireless printing capabilities allow many WindowsÒ users to print all types of data from their computers or print photos, schedules and address book lists from select PDAs, laptops or cell phones - without wires."

Canon has dramatically improved the photographic quality of the i80 mobile printer with an all-new print head. This new print head combines microscopic 2 picoliter nozzles that significantly reduce the size of the dots on the page for better photo quality with 5 picoliter nozzles for fast print speeds.

The i80 mobile printer offers a maximum resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 color dpi***. Utilizing the benefits of Canon's advanced MicroFine Droplet Technologyä, the print head ejects consistent prescribed-volume ink droplets for smooth gradations, delivering accurate skin tones and rich, vibrant colors. To match the look of mini-lab prints, the printer supports edge-to-edge borderless printing in 4x6, 5x7 and 8.5x11 inch sizes.

The new print head found on the i80 mobile printer increases print speeds up to 14 pages-per-minute (ppm) in black and up to 10 ppm in color****. The maximum 14 ppm black speed ensures Canon has the fastest mobile printer on the market with black text speeds approximately 50 percent faster than the nearest competitor. To achieve the fast printing speeds of photos and documents, the i80 mobile printer incorporates 1,088 total nozzles into its print head.

Wireless Printing In A Portable Package
The optional user installable BU-10 Bluetooth Unit will have an estimated selling price of $79.99** and conceals nicely on the front of the printer under the smoke-gray cover. The i80 mobile printer also includes a built-in IrDA port*****.

Power-Up With Optional Car Charger
Canon is also introducing a new optional Automobile Power Unit (PU-100U). The new Automobile Power Unit allows mobile users who frequently work from their car to charge or power their i80 mobile printer directly through a car power socket, helping to ensure they can print virtually anywhere. The Automobile Power Unit will also work with the i70 printer and will have an estimated selling price of $89.99**.

The i80 mobile printer provides versatility of use by offering a couple of power options. The printer will come with a power cable for desktop and AC power use and the consumer has the option to purchase a Portable Kit (LK-51) that includes a Lithium Ion battery with a 450 page life per two-hour charge plus a battery holder that will allow the battery to be charged while on the unit for a suggested list price of $99.99**, (extra Lithium Ion battery inserts are available for a suggested list price of $89.99**) or a Cradle Kit (CK-51) that includes the Lithium Ion battery, the battery holder and a charging cradle for a suggested list price of $139.99**.

Simple And Direct Photo Printing
Photo printing is a snap for the whole family with or without using the computer thanks to the inclusion of PictBridge featured on the new i80 mobile printer. PictBridge is an industry standard for digital printers, digital cameras and digital camcorders that allows the direct printing of images from PictBridge compatible digital cameras and camcorders to a PictBridge compatible printer, regardless of brand or manufacturer, without the use of a computer ******.

In addition to PictBridge printing capabilities the i80 mobile printer includes Easy-PhotoPrint******* (an Exif Print compatible application) and Easy-WebPrint ********software. The Easy-PhotoPrint software allows users to print high quality digital photographs quickly and easily by automatically sizing digital images to print borderlessly on 4x6, 5x7 and 8.5x11 inch paper solving the aspect ratio dilemma. Easy-PhotoPrint software also improves digital image quality by helping to eliminate "photo noise" and enhance color saturation with the "Vivid Photo" driver enhancements. The included Easy-WebPrint software facilitates printing from the Internet by automatically formatting and scaling the output so that the entire page is printed even when it extends over multiple screens. This timesaving and cost-saving feature reduces waste and ensures that the selected pages are formatted to print properly without trimming the right-hand margin.

Compatible with both Windows® and Mac® platforms (Windows XP, Windows 2000/ MillenniumEdition/98 and Mac OS (8.6 to 9.x) and Mac OSX v 10.2.1 to 10.3.x.), the i80 mobile printer also includes the Zoom Browser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac) image management software, and PhotoStitch (for Windows and Mac) software that makes composite images from shots taken separately.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and is ranked #39 on the Business Week list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2003. Canon Inc. achieved global revenues of $29.9 billion in 2003; $9.8 billion of which came from Canon Americas. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
PictBridge is a Trademark
Specifications subject to change without notice. All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners. System requirements vary by application.
MicroFine Droplet Technology is a trademark of Canon Inc.
* Bluetooth operation depends on the devices and software version used. [I have not seen this particular disclaimer before. Please use our standard disclaimer, which is: "Bluetooth v.1.1. Bluetooth technology is compatible with Windows XP only." Please advise what you mean by your disclaimer, as we may need to revise/add to our standard disclaimer.]
** Prices are MSRP at time materials were created. Prices subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.
*** Ink droplets can be placed with a pitch of 1/4800 inch at minimum. Resolution may vary based on printer driver setting.
**** PPM printer speed based on high-speed draft mode. Print speed will vary depending on system configuration, software, document complexity, print mode and page coverage.
*****IrDAv.1.1. IrDA is compatible with Windows XP/2000/Me/98.
******For a listing of select Canon digital cameras and camcorders featuring Bubble Jet Direct or PictBridge direct printing technology, visit www.usa.canon.com/consumer/directprint. To determine if a non-Canon brand camera or camcorder is PictBridge compatible please consult the manufacturer.
*******Easy-PhotoPrint is not compatible with Mac OS 8.6.
********Easy-WebPrint requires the Windows version of MicrosoftÒInternet Explorer version 5.5, version 6.0 recommended.

 



LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) today is showcasing the industry's fastest 24-inch pigment ink printer, designed to offer breakthrough wide format output speeds combined with superior image and archival quality. The introduction of the imagePROGRAF W6200 greatly expands the company's wide format product portfolio and establishes a new market category for the imaging technology leader.

Using Canon's singular bi-directional head, MicroFine Droplet Technology™ and pigment ink solution, Canon's imagePROGRAF W6200 is able to rapidly produce highly detailed, brilliant, photo-quality archival prints and proofs up to 24 inches wide. The printer - producing A1-sized prints in less than five minutes in standard (600 x 1200 dpi) mode - comes equipped with the company's own graphic PS-level 3 compatible raster image processor (RIP) software and retails at less than $3500.

"The output speed of the imagePROGRAF W6200 fundamentally strengthens Canon's competitive edge in the fast-growing wide format segment," states Amit Bagchi, director of printer division for Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Fueled by its rapid output and a comprehensive range of exceptional features, Canon will market the new W6200 printer as a high-speed, high-quality and cost-effective proofing, signage and poster solution for multiple environments, including corporate, print for pay and photo retail operations."
With the increasing use of high-quality digital imaging solutions by corporations and photographic retailers, Canon expects wide adoption of the printer for multiple professional applications. From in-house production and proofing at ad agencies, graphic and design studios, pre-press operations and commercial point of purchase to informational and display signage for retail and entertainment establishments, the imagePROGRAF W6200 promises to fulfill many diverse large-format printing purposes.

"Beyond its use within the professional printing and pre-press arena, the addition of the new W6200 printer to our imagePROGRAF line of wide format printers also creates an entirely new market for Canon and a far more competitive profit center for photo retail establishments, enabling them to easily produce high quality, highly profitable posters for customers quickly, conveniently and on site," adds Mr. Bagchi.

"Additionally, at approximately three feet long and four feet tall, the small footprint of the imagePROGRAF W6200 keeps the amount of valuable retail floor space it uses to a minimum and can itself serve as an eye-catching point-of-sale device, promoting impulse buys, novelty applications and customized decorations for celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, promotion and retirement parties and even company award ceremonies."

High Speed, High Quality, Low Maintenance
Canon creates posters in under five minutes. The imagePROGRAF W6200 printer's extra-large, bi-directional print head streamlines the workflow and speeds the output, printing A1 size media (594mm x 841mm or slightly larger than 24" x 36") in as little as 1.5 minutes in draft (300 x 1200 dpi) mode, 4.5 minutes in standard (600 x 1200 dpi) mode and seven minutes in high (1200 x 1200 dpi) mode. What's more, the print head is user replaceable, ensuring that printer downtime is held to minutes (not hours or days waiting for a service call).

Utilizing Canons's MicroFine Droplet Technology that consistently provides precise and uniform 8-picolliter ink droplets, a extra-large (1.07-inch, six color, bi directional print head with 1280 nozzles per color (for a total of 7680 nozzles), the imagePROGRAF W6200 produces brilliant graphics in record times. Thanks to Canon technology - including a top quality print mode of 1200 x 1200 dpi - and the use of 1/6-density Photo Cyan and Photo Magenta as two of the six ink colors create smoother color gradations and dramatically reduce graininess particularly in midtone and highlight areas.

The printer employs a new straight paper path design, wherein roll media is fed from the back and printed out to the front and cut sheets are fed from the front. The paper path can be switched manually between roll media and cut sheet media. The imagePROGRAF W6200 also features adjustable head heights to accommodate a variety of Canon specialty media compatible with the unit. A pull out media exit guide supports rigid media to come out flat and stores conveniently in the main unit when it is not needed.

The printer is capable of full-bleed printing on compatible roll- media such as heavy coated paper, photo semi-glossy paper, photo glossy paper and flame resistant cloth in popular sizes including but not limited to 20" x 24" and 24" x 36".

Offered as Canon's latest pigment ink engine - for greater archival longevity - the imagePROGRAF W6200 printer features six individual 130 ml ink tanks that can be easily replaced as needed, even mid-job. Despite its heavyweight printing capabilities - including both roll and cut sheet media compatibility - the imagePROGRAF W6200 is quickly and easily assembled, weighs in at a mere 110 pounds, has a space-saving foldaway basket and a lower profile making access to the roll holder and the LCD panel easier.

The W6200 printer is a multi-platform system supporting Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP and Macintosh OS 8, 9 and OS X (10.2). The printer also fully supports the most popular network protocols (including TCP/IP, AppleTalk and IPX/SPX) and ships with a 10/100 BASE-T/TX Ethernet network interface and a USB 2.0 high-speed interface. An optional Firewire/IEEE1394 board is available.

The Canon Graphic RIP included with the imagePROGRAF W6200 printer and contains such features typically found in upgraded or high-end RIP packages as hot folder printing workflow, print server capability, ICC profile based color management, color curve editing and press simulation. Canon's Graphic RIP is both Macintosh and Windows OS compatible.

The Canon imagePROGRAF W6200 printer begins shipping in mid February and carries an MSRP of $3,495.

About Canon U.S.A.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and is ranked #39 on the Business Week list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2003. Canon Inc. achieved global revenues of $29.9 billion in 2003; $9.8 billion of which came from Canon Americas. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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*Actual prices are determined by dealers and may vary.
** All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

 
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