New Canon printers: PIXMA iP4200 and PIXMA ip1600

Canon have announced two new photo printers aimed at the consumer segment of the market. They are low cost ($130 and $50), but are the first printers to incorporate Canon's new "ChromaLife100" system of inks and papers for which Canbon claims a lifetime of 100 years when stored under archival conditions (10 years "in air" and 30 years "under glass"). Both printers can print on paper up to 8.5" wide. The iP4200 has individual ink cartridges for each color (2 black, cyan, magenta, yellow), the iP1600 has one cartridge for black and a combined color cartridge (cyan, magenta, yellow).

The Canon website has more information on the ChromaLife100 system

The ip4200 replaces the iP3000 and iP4000 printers. The iP1600 replaces the iP1500.

Here is the Canon Press Release:

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 11, 2005—High quality and great value go hand in hand with the latest entries in the Canon PIXMA photo printer line—the new PIXMA iP1600 and PIXMA iP4200 printers. At estimated selling prices of $49.99¹ and $129.99¹, respectively, these printers fit a range of budgets while expanding the top quality photo printing capabilities the PIXMA line is known for.

"The new Canon PIXMA iP1600 and iP4200 printers are designed for anyone who wants to make great inkjet prints without making a huge investment," 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). "While both of these printers offer outstanding value, they also offer exceptional performance in speed and print quality which is what printing photos is all about."

The New ChromaLife100 System

Both new Canon PIXMA photo printers use the breakthrough new Canon ChromaLife100 system. This system can produce prints on select genuine Canon photo papers that resist fading for up to 100 years² when stored in an archival quality photo album. The 100-year-lifespan rivals that of many traditional film based photos, long considered by consumers to be the benchmark for image permanence.

Unlike some competitors that only test for ozone degradation, Canon has tested the ChromaLife100 system against three types of gases to simulate realistic conditions—ozone, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide. Prints produced on Canon Photo Paper Pro with the other elements of the ChromaLife100 system had an up to ten-year gas fastness² when exposed to open air. ChromaLife100 prints, when created on Canon Photo Paper Pro or Photo Paper Plus Glossy, had up to 30-yearlight fastness² when displayed under glass.

Canon PIXMA iP4200 Printer

An advanced machine with impressive performance, the Canon PIXMA iP4200 photo printer is priced at a level that will not break the bank. The iP4200 printer is the first photo printer at this price point to feature as small as one picoliter ink droplets and up to 9600 x 2400 dpi color resolution.³ Replacing the popular iP3000 and iP4000 models, the iP4200 model produces borderless photo lab quality 4x6-inch photos in approximately 51 seconds⁴.

The printer uses five individual ChromaLife100 ink tanks along with the Canon FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) print head system. ContrastPLUS technology—a system that includes a dye-based black ink for sharper contrast - works together with FINE to produce crisp, high-contrast photo results. Document text results are sharpened with the addition of an improved, high optical density pigment black ink.

New Ink Status System Lights the Way

On new PIXMA photo printers equipped with individual ink tanks, such as the iP4200 model, the Canon ink status detection system is used to alert customers to low ink levels and to ensure that the ink tanks are installed & working correctly. Under the system, if an ink tank is accidentally placed in the incorrect slot on the print head, a light on the individual tank will begin to flash.

If the customer does not fully seat an ink tank in its slot, the light will not illuminate, indicating that it has not been correctly installed. If an ink tank is running low, the light on the ink will begin to flash. When the ink runs out completely, it will flash at a higher rate.

Printing is a Snap

Users can print directly via most contemporary digital cameras and digital video cameras, thanks to the printer's PictBridge port. With Canon camera owners who use the Print/Share button, producing a 4x6-inch print is as simple as one touch. The PIXMA iP4200 printer also supports USB 2.0 Hi-Speed⁵ access.

The iP4200 printer's futuristic cubic design incorporates built-in dual paper trays for the Canon exclusive two-way feeding and automatic duplex printing for two-sided text and photo prints. This special feature can be used in conjunction with Canon Photo Album kits that allow customers to print and showcase their photos on both sides of the paper in easy to assemble kits. The kits come in 5x7-inch and 8.5x11-inch sizes.

Canon PIXMA iP1600 Printer

Replacing the best-selling iP1500 unit, the Canon PIXMA iP1600 printer matches that great low price point with excellent quality —including up to 4800 x 1200 color dpi resolution⁶ and inkjet droplets sizes as small as two picoliters.

As one of the lowest priced photo printers around, the PIXMA iP1600 model is a four-color printer that uses the new Canon FINE Cartridge System for faster speeds and greater ease of use. In the new FINE Cartridge System, more nozzles improve print speed from its predecessor with the PIXMA iP1600 printer clocking in at approximately 70 seconds⁴ for a photo lab quality 4 x 6-inch borderless photo.

Because it's a cartridge system, replacing inks on the iP1600 printer is very simple. Since the new FINE Cartridge System is 37mm shorter than the previous generation print head and ink tank, the iP1600 model boasts a new slanted low profile design that takes up less real estate on the desktop. The new slanted design improves visibility and usability from its predecessors. In the PIXMA iP1600 model, the new pigment based black ink offers improved text printing with less bleeding on nearly all media types. The new pigment based black ink also offers improved highlighter stability on plain paper and improved optical density with blacker blacks.

Photo Print Speed

As a way to explain the speed attributes of FINE technology, Canon will now convey print speeds for all new PIXMA devices based on the approximate time it takes to print a photo lab quality 4 x 6-inch borderless print using default settings on genuine Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy.

"The photo-print speeds we quote for our PIXMA products will provide consumers with a reliable estimation of the time required to produce prints that match the image quality offered by traditional photo labs," said Katsuichi Shimizu, Chief Executive of Inkjet Products Operations at Canon Inc.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

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 rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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