LFP - Large-Format-Printing

Canon expands UVgel printer series with new Océ Colorado 1650 for optimal flexibility

Thursday 16. May 2019 - Canon Europe launches the new Océ Colorado 1650 printer, extending customer choice by expanding the series of roll-to-roll large format devices featuring Canon UVgel technology. The Océ Colorado 1650 introduces a new flexible ink and Océ FLXfinish, meeting the needs of customers wanting increased media versatility to fuel business growth.

The new 64″ production printer builds on the breakthrough productivity, output quality and media versatility of the Océ Colorado 1640, while delivering optimal performance for print service providers (PSPs) producing high volumes of applications such as self-adhesive vinyls, wall coverings, canvasses, soft signage and front- and back-lit graphics requiring a high degree of flexibility for mounting and framing.
The Océ Colorado 1650 works with a new version of Canon UVgel ink, designed for maximum flexibility by increasing the ‘stretchability’ of each cured ink droplet. Output from the printer can be bent and folded for soft signage applications, without risk of cracking.
In addition, the Océ Colorado 1650 incorporates Océ FLXfinish, a new approach to LED curing which allows the user to choose between matte or gloss modes for each individual print to achieve different aesthetic finishes, without the need to change inks or media. A gloss finish gives visual impact to applications such as banners and posters, while a matte appearance is particularly appealing for high quality indoor applications viewed in artificial light, such as wall coverings or premium instore Point-Of-Sale (POS) materials.
Océ FLXfinish technology also enables printing on porous media, such as uncoated papers, as well as soft signage materials such as textiles and silicon edged graphics, by enabling each ink droplet to be ‘fixed’ immediately on jetting, preventing absorption by the substrate.
The Colorado Series features exact positioning enabling near perfect registration for double-sided printing and ‘inside out’ printing for media wound with the printable surface facing in, further boosting productivity and versatility.
Michele Tuscano, Vice President, Large Format Graphics, Canon EMEA, explains: “When we launched the Océ Colorado 1640 at FESPA in 2017, we were convinced that our Canon UVgel technology had to be a platform for an extended family of products, designed to give customers the optimal blend of high productivity, broad colour gamut, wide applications range and low cost of ownership.”
“Based on the positive feedback from our customers and channel partners, we have channeled our R&D efforts over the last two years into delivering a second 64″ printer that maximises the very popular production advantages of the gel technology, while elevating performance for media and applications such as self-adhesive vinyls, which account for an increasing proportion of customer output.”
Tuscano adds: “The fact that we can now also offer the additional choice of matte and gloss prints at the push of a button is a very exciting development for graphics producers, enabling them to unlock new business opportunities in premium interior POS and décor, with a single printer and without switching media or inks.”
The Océ Colorado 1650 has been tested by several existing Canon UVgel customers in EMEA who have reported excellent results across a range of applications including wall coverings, labels and promotional graphics.
Canon is exhibiting the new solution this week at FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 in Munich, Germany (stand B5-E30), producing live applications such as wall coverings and self-adhesive vinyls.
The Océ Colorado 1640 model is also on display, producing POS materials such as posters with automated inline cutting using technology from Canon finishing partner Fotoba (see separate Canon at FESPA 2019 overview release).
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer is the recommended choice for PSPs whose output is dominated by floor graphics, posters and signage and vehicle graphics requiring the most robust performance. Customers benefit from reduced time to market as Canon UVgel prints are instantly dry, while the increased media choice enables them to produce high quality stand-out indoor applications using Machine Coated Offset paper. The original ink offers strong durability, with exceptional inherent resistance to scratches, abrasion, washing and scrubbing, as well as chemicals and solvents, without the need for additional lamination.
There are over 800 placements of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer worldwide to date, 500 of which are in the EMEA region, with more than 25 customers working with multiple devices. Data from the customer base shows that each Colorado engine is printing on average more than 14,600 sqm per year, with 12% of units producing in excess of 25,000 sqm. This underlines the outstanding productivity achievable with these printers, thanks to the combination of exceptional output speed, automated nozzle maintenance and ease of media loading.