Canon Adds Six New A4 Printers

August 24, 2006: Canon will add six new A4 inkjet printers to its line-up in September and October, including two dedicated printers and four all-in-one machines.
Due for release in October, the Pixma iP5300 (RRP $249) replaces the iP5200 model and offers improved photo printing, advanced media handling (including automatic duplex printing and CD printing) and faster printing speeds. It uses Canon’s ContrastPLUS ink system with five individual tanks, including photo black for improved image contrast. Canon’s 1 picolitre FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) print-head technology provides a resolution of up to 9600 x 2400 dpi and print made with the ChromaLife 100 inks on selected Canon papers are claimed to maintain their colours and vibrancy for 100 years.
The Pixma iP5300 can print a 15 x 10 cm photo in roughly 21 seconds and delivers document printing speeds of 31 ppm for black and 24 ppm for colour. A dual paper path accommodates up to 300 sheets of paper and allows paper to be sourced from the sheet feeder or paper cassette. Many of the iP5300’s features are found on the new Pixma iP4300 model (RRP $199), which replaces the iP4200 and is due to go on sale in October. The iP 4300, which also uses ChromaLife 100 inks, can print a borderless 15 x 10 cm photo in 36 seconds and offers document printing speeds of up to 30 ppm for black and 24 ppm for colour.
Of the three A4 all-in-one printers that go on sale in September and October, the Pixma MP810 (RRP $449) is the most interesting to photographers because it is the only new model that can print directly from 35mm film. It comes with a Film Adaptor Unit that lets users scan up to six negatives or four mounted slides at a time at a top resolution of 4800 x 4800 dpi. A scan-to-PDF feature lets users scan an image or document directly into a PDF format. Most of the printing features of the iP5300 model are replicated in the MP810, which can also copy up to 31 black or 24 colour documents per minute. Dual Gamut Colour Processing Technology ensures optimised copies and photo reprints. A new Easy-Scroll Wheel provides quick access to all key functions and a pull-up 3.0-inch colour TFT screen allows users to view images from film or memory cards.

Many of the features of the MP810 can be found in the Pixma MP600 (RRP $349), which has a smaller 2.5-inch LCD and slightly slower printing and copying times. This model (Pixma MP600R) is also available with a built-in IEEE802.11g / IEEE802.11b wireless interface for printing and scanning plus Ethernet support. Both models go on sale in October. Due for release next month is the Pixma MP510 (RRP $249), which sports a 1.9-inch colour LCD and uses four individual ChromaLife 100 ink tanks. This model includes 2 picolitre FINE print-head technology and is capable of printing a borderless 15 x 10 cm photo in 47 seconds. It offers document printing speeds of 25 ppm for black and 17 ppm for colour. It also features a dual paper path and can accommodate up to 250 sheets of plain paper at a time.
All the above printers come with Canon’s easy-to-use software, which includes Easy Photo Print, Easy Web Print and CD Label Print. Full details of the new printers can be found at www.canon.com.au. For stockist information, phone Canon on 1800 021 167.