Canon has brought out the Colorado M-series – its first roll-to-roll large-format graphics printer platform with scalable speed configuration and media handling.
The 1.6m-wide M-series comprises the Colorado M3 or M5, with cruising speeds of 29m²/hr and 40m²/hr, and top speeds of 111m²/hr and 159m²/hr respectively. There’s the option to upgrade from one speed to the other either temporarily or permanently.
Both printers can also be easily upgraded to M3W and M5W models with a new Canon UVgel white ink option, as well with FLXfinish+ matte/gloss print technology for CMYK prints.
Users can automate the print-to-finish process with a UVgel Print Factory or UVgel Wallpaper Factory configuration, which seamlessly integrate the Colorado M-series printer with cutting, rewinding, taping or sheet stacking to manage volumes of at least 50,000m² per year with minimal operator time.
Jennifer Kolloczek, European planning, marketing and 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.”
Like previous Colorado models, but with added enhancements, the M-series is designed to handle the workload of multiple legacy roll-to-roll printers. The new printers are supported by the makeready software Prismaguide XL.
Canon said that compared to other ink technologies, such as latex or eco-solvent inks, UVgel technology consumes up to 40% less ink to build up the same image quality and colour intensity, and users can print on environmentally responsible materials such as PVC-free and paper-based media, even uncoated. The technology can also take out the laminate from the end application.
The Colorado M-series is available via accredited partners as well as through Canon’s direct sales organisations.
