Canon U.S.A. Introduces Three Color Products With Innovative New Print Head Technology.

Business/Photo Editors

NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia assets available

Seybold San Francisco 2002

Booth #1201 (South Hall)

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 10, 2002

Desktop Proofer, Large Format Printers Feature Canon's Newly Developed

1+- Inch Print Head Technology For Super High Speed and High Quality

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a pioneer in the wide format printing market and a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), blazes the trail again today with the introduction of three new products intended for applications in the graphics, office and print-for-pay markets.

The Canon imagePROGRAF W2200 Color Graphics Printer and the imagePROGRAF W7200/7250 Large Format Printers represent a new generation of ink jet-based products incorporating Canon's exclusive 1+- inch print head and super-fine, high-density, extreme-precision nozzles.

All three new imagePROGRAF products will be demonstrated at Canon's booth, #1201 South Hall, during the Seybold Convention and Exposition 2002 that takes place at the Moscone Convention Center here from September 10 - 12. All three printers are also available beginning today through Canon U.S.A. distributors.

New Products Build Upon Canon's Leading-Edge Print Technologies

The imagePROGRAF W2200, W7200 and W7250 owe their print quality and remarkable print speeds to Canon's newly developed technology featuring a 1+- inch BubbleJet six-chip print head. This technology is based on Canon's expertise in semiconductor manufacturing, original materials technology and innovative process technology. The integration of the heater, circuits and nozzles on a silicon wafer allowed the development of a wider head with semiconductor levels of precision, while maintaining a high nozzle density of 7,680 nozzles - 1,280 for each of six colors. The new imagePROGRAF products also rely on a new tubing mechanism from Canon to deliver consistently uniform, powerful, high-precision dot placement at very high speeds.

"These three new large-format printers represent the culmination of many years of effort by Canon's Research & Development scientists and we're delighted to finally bring this technology to market," said Amit Bagchi, director of marketing for Canon U.S.A.'s Printer Division. "The output quality and speed of these printers is amazing and I expect the imagePROGRAF product line will cement Canon's reputation as one of the pre-eminent providers for the large-format printer market."

imagePROGRAF W2200

The Color Graphics Printer imagePROGRAF W2200 is a high-speed, high-quality graphic arts proofing printer for paper up to 13" x 19". Along with other Canon wide-format printers, the imagePROGRAF W2200 utilizes Canon's MicroFine Droplet Technology for higher stability, quality, uniformity and precise placements of each droplet. The W2200 also produces ink droplets that are considerably smaller than other wide-format products on the market.

With its high resolution, 4-picoliter droplet size and six colors of ink (black, cyan, magenta, yellow, photo cyan, photo magenta), the W2200 is best suited for color comps, conceptual drawings, graphic illustrations and digital photos. More than 256 color gradations are possible with Canon's Photoreal Error Diffusion feature. The new technology built into the imagePROGRAF W2200 also enables it to print at speeds as fast as 4 pages-per-minute (ppm) for letter-size prints in standard mode and 6 ppm for 11" x 17" color prints in high-speed mode.

Its ability to print on paper as wide as 13" x 19" positions the W2200 as a solution for graphic designers, artists, printers and advertising companies, whose customers - including magazines - use this size format that includes film crop marks. The W2200 supports up to 250 sheets of 20 lb. plain paper, 150 sheets of 28 lb. 8 1/2" x 11" coated paper or 50 sheets of glossy, photographic or proofing paper through a flexible paper supply and delivery system that includes switchback paper feeding and front-loading manual feeding. The printer's oversized 130 ml ink tanks keep the W2200's cost-per-page low and a Remote User Interface allows the printer to be controlled via a web browser. The imagePROGRAF W2200 has an estimated "street" price of $1,995. The W2200 also offers an optional 250-sheet cassette drawer that supports up to 13" x 19" paper.

imagePROGRAF W7200/7250

The imagePROGRAF W7200 and W7250 are six-color, high-speed and high-quality graphics printers designed for advertising agencies, corporate offices, manufacturers, retail, entertainment businesses and quick-print outlets. Both printers produce photographic quality images at lightning speed. The W7200 can produce images of up to 323 sq. ft. /hour in draft mode and 128 sq. ft./hour in standard mode. In high quality mode the W7200 produces output at 72 sq. ft./hour. The W7250 can print up to 215 sq. ft./hour in draft mode, up to 92 sq. ft./hour in standard mode and up to 46 sq. ft. /hour in high-resolution mode. Both printers feature Canon's MicroFine Droplet Technology and create output using 8-picoliter droplets for a fine gradation and high-quality resolution of up to 600 x 1200 dpi. The W7200 produces prints that are 36 inches wide while the W7250 produces 24-inch-wide prints, which are the two most preferred sizes of large-format outputs, according to recent market studies.

For easier paper handling and loading, both printers include front-loading media feed/discharge operations, which also contribute toward the small-footprint of each printer. The W7200 weighs just 194 lbs. (with stand) while the W7250 weighs just 161 lbs. The W7250 has an estimated street price of $3,495; the estimated street price of the W7200 is $5,495.

Software Front-End Solutions

In an effort to ensure a total turnkey solution, Canon U.S.A. will team with several software companies with expertise in the graphic arts, proofing and corporate office markets to provide front-end RIPs for its new imagePROGRAF line. These companies include BestColor USA, Inc., Global Graphics, Onyx Graphics and Scanvec Amiable, Inc. All four software RIPs will be sold through each company's respective reseller channels.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. In 2001, the Company was listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and was ranked #41 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2001, with global revenues of $26 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs approximately 11,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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