Canon U.S.A. Inc. has announced an expansion of its production inkjet portfolio and entry into the B2 Sheetfed Inkjet Press market with the Canon varioPRESS iV7. The varioPRESS iV7, capable of producing 8,700 B2 4/0 sheets per hour (4,350 B2 4/4 sheets per hour) and printing up to 4.5 million B2 images per month, will look to deliver a strong combination of quality, productivity and versatile media support.

The varioPRESS iV7 can help empower commercial printers to migrate jobs from existing digital devices and shorter runs from offset. It will be commercially available in the second half of 2025.

The varioPRESS iV7, looking to build on the continued success of the varioPRINT iX-series B3 digital sheetfed inkjet press, has been engineered to address the increasing pressures of general commercial print service providers (PSPs), online and publishing printers and book producers.

Delivering continuous industrial productivity, the varioPRESS iV7 can print 8,700 B2 4/0 sheets per hour regardless of media weight, while printhead and image quality control are automated, and ink can be refilled without stopping the print run. Ideal for short-run, just-in-time production, general commercial printers can be supported in their efforts to assist customers in reducing overproduction and print inventory.

Featuring a two-step drying and fixation process — and encompassing a printable area of up to 29.5-by-24 inches — the varioPRESS iV7 can enable the production of a diverse application range, including magazines, catalogs, books, postcards, business cards and marketing collateral to direct mail. Containing an air-supported, straight-paper path, the press can support coated and uncoated media from 60gsm to 450gsm, including selected paper boards, and can handle heavy media at full rated speed.

The varioPRESS iV7 features 1200 dpi piezo printheads and water-based polymer pigment inks, combined with Canon's ColorGrip conditioning liquid to reproduce vibrant colors, fine text and precise line details on media at high speed.

"We are thrilled to enhance our production inkjet portfolio with the varioPRESS iV7 to help address production challenges faced by printers," said Shinichi "Sam" Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A. Inc. "The versatility of this press serves as a valuable asset for delivering high-quality, high-production B2 output, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of inkjet technology. By offering this technology, we are empowering our customers to help seamlessly meet their ever-changing needs and excel in their businesses."

In other news, building on the global success of the Colorado M-series, the modular 64-inch roll-to-roll printer with optional UVgel white ink that launched last year, Canon U.S.A. Inc. has announced the expansion of the appeal of the M-series with multiple innovations, available via a free firmware update, offering both new and existing customers the potential to expand their application ranges, which may open opportunities to enter new market segments.

The FLXfinish+ option, if used with the Colorado M-series, offers design creativity, enabling the addition of matte, gloss or mixed matte and gloss on the same print, without additional varnish. This advanced option allows for the creation of striking visual effects and textures, enhancing the tactile experience of the final product. Moreover, it streamlines the printing process by limiting the need for post-print varnishing, helping to save time and reduce production costs.

A new feature now available for the Colorado M-series printer is FLXture, a five-ink-layer printing technology that allows users to add micro-texture to large format prints for subtle surface detail, copying the luxurious and sensory feel of materials such as wood and leather. Creative print applications can be designed with an easy-to-use recipe in the PRISMAguide XL V3.4 software release, which intelligently prepares the layers of UVgel ink for printing. Whether the requirement is for a subtle background texture, elegantly embossed lettering or to highlight parts of an image on high-value packaging, labels or other products, the FLXture option can enhance printed applications with additional surface textures without complicated combinations of different materials.

In a further step to help maximize productivity by reducing the need for roll changes for longer jobs, an updated Jumbo Roll Interface kit is now available, which enables the Colorado M series printer to handle jumbo rolls of various types of media, including transparent, structured, metallic and dark-colored media.

"Offering the unique benefits of Canon's UVgel technology, the Colorado printer was designed right from the start to deliver the amazing combination of quality, productivity, automation, application range and operating cost," Yoshida said. "The system's resulting success in the market showed what a great combination of benefits it offers and, together with customer feedback, inspired us to develop the modular Colorado M-series. Launched last year, the M-series has, in turn, raised the bar for productivity and substantially expanded the range of applications that customers can create.

"And we're not stopping there. Leveraging the benefits of UVgel technology and the modularity of the Colorado M-series, the advances we're announcing today focus on application diversification and automation," Yoshida continued. "With these and future advances, we plan to continue to deliver innovations designed to provide our customers with competitive benefits by allowing them to increase their capabilities and helping them to tap into new creative applications, products and markets."