Editor's Pick: Large-Format Printers Built for Technical Workgroups

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Chances are good that you harbor two grumpy impressions of your workgroup’s shared large-format printer. One, it’s something that, after you hit Ctrl+P with a mechanical detachedness, you wander over to. Two, it’s something irksome because A) it’s old and slow, B) its once high resolution is now meh resolution and C) it always runs out of ink halfway into your jobs. Except for that mechanical memory part, today’s Pick of the Week could help you with this.

Canon U.S.A. is now shipping three new 44-in., high-volume, large-format inkjet printers: The imagePROGRAF iPF850, iPF840 and iPF830. It seems these full-color rigs were built with a lot of feedback from users like you in mind.

Let’s start with speed and resolution. Speed is always a tricky specification because of the intricacies of colors and details, but the imagePROGRAF’s economy mode A1 size paper print speed is up to 22 seconds. Maximum print resolution is a crisp 2400 x 1200 dpi executed by some 15,300 plus nozzles. So, you should get full-color renderings that pop as well as fine-detailed technical drawings and maps.

Now some two-fold news about ink. First, Canon says its reformulated magenta ink improves the clarity and vibrancy of fine lines, images and text. The big news, however, is that the imagePROGRAF printers have an ink-tank system that lets you replace ink tanks without pausing your print job. The tanks hold 700ml worth of ink, which should get you through most long continuous print runs.

Speaking of long runs, the imagePROGRAF iPF850 and the iPF840 are two-roll media systems. One thing that means for you is that you can use an automatic routing feature for jobs with mixed media or roll sizes and not futz around changing media every few pages. The three new imagePROGRAFs have a maximum single-page print length of 59 ft. (18 m) for roll feeds and 63 in. (1.6 m) for cut-sheet paper. All are front loaders.

Canon U.S.A. has introduced the 44-in., five-color imagePROGRAF iPF850, iPF840 and iPF830 high-volume, large-format inkjet printers for medium and large workgroups of CAD and other engineering professionals. Image courtesy of Canon U.S.A Inc.

Download the imagePROGRAF brochure linked at the end of today’s Pick of the Week write-up to get the full specs for the imagePROGRAF iPF850, iPF840 and iPF830 large-format printers. The write-up has details on supplied software, pricing and the like. Canon’s new imagePROGRAF line seems to incorporate a lot of features that could change your impression about your workgroup’s large-format color printer for the better. Hit today’s Pick of the Week link and see for yourself.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Learn more about Canon U.S.A.'s new line of printers here.