Following the announcements of new Epson and HP printers in recent weeks, Canon has unveiled 13 new additions to its PIXMA range of photo inkjets.
What new features will the printers offer?
According to Canon, its latest lineup of PIXMA inkjets have what it takes to address the concerns of users today, such as print quality, running cost, user-friendliness, durability and printing speed. Here're some key enhancement features you can expect.
ChromaLife100
One of the main highlights at the recent PIXMA launch was the introduction of Canon's new ChromaLife100 inks. Similar to Epson's DuraBrite inks, the ChromaLife100 system promises enhanced fade resistance of up to 100 years for photo prints placed in an album. The company claims the new dye-based inks, used in combination with its proprietary FINE printhead technology and specialised photo papers, can also ensure image permanence for printouts of up to 30 years under glass and 10 years when exposed to air.
Note: Canon uses a gas mixture of ozone, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide to simulate the fade resistance of its photo prints in normal air environment.
FINE printheads
FINE, or Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Technology, has been utilised in Canon printers since 1999. According to the company, the improvements achieved in its FINE technology over the years have made it possible for more nozzles to be packed into each printhead, allowing for finer prints without sacrificing speed.
The mid- and high-end PIXMAs will sport the latest FINE printheads with 6,144 nozzles. First introduced in the iP5000 last year, these printheads are rated to deliver industry-leading 1-picoliter (pl) ink droplets at a maximum resolution of 9,600 x 2,400dpi. Canon claims this allows some of its printers to produce photo lab-quality 4 x 6-inch borderless prints in as little as 36 seconds. The entry-level offerings are rated to deliver 2pl ink droplets at a maximum resolution of 4,800 x 1,200dpi.
| Did you know? Canon introduced its first Bubblejet printer, the BJ-80, in 1985. It could produce only black prints and has a maximum resolution of 360dpi. |
Smart LED ink tanks
 The LED on the ink cartridge flashes when it is empty or installed incorrectly |
Advanced media handling
In addition to duplex printing, two-way paper feeding and direct print on CD/DVD, one of the new PIXMA AIO printers, the MP800, will also offer a convenient DVD/CD label copy function. By placing the original disc on the scanner, users can now make a direct duplication of the label on another disc without having to first scan a copy into the PC.
 With the new MP800, you can make copies of your CD/DVD labels (click to enlarge) |
 Canon's new FINE cartridges come with onboard printheads |
A Photo/Film button has been added to the MP800 AIO to facilitate users who want to make reprints of their photos with minimum fuss. What's cool about this feature is that users can do it all on the printer, from scanning multiple images/film/slides and cropping to image enhancement and printing. In fact, it can even correct slight slants in the photos during scans.
New FINE ink cartridges
While most of the PIXMAs will continue using individual ink cartridges, some of the new printers such as the iP1600 and iP6220D will be utilising the new multicolour ink cartridges with built-in printheads. Canon claims this will allow the printers to adopt a more compact design.
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