Canon Unveils imagePROGRAF W6400 and W8400 Large Format Printers Combined with New Software Solution.

PHILADELPHIA -- Canon U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:CAJ)

--Canon imagePROGRAF W6400 and W8400 Printers with New Proprietary Software Offer Complete Workflow Solution for Creating, Processing, and Printing

Professional Large Format Output

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leading provider of office imaging systems, ink-jet technology and digital photography, today announced the new imagePROGRAF W6400 and W8400 pigment ink large format printers. Engineered to satisfy the most demanding print applications, the recent additions to Canon's large format portfolio bundle exceptional printing speeds and enhanced image quality with a brand new suite of workflow software. The new W6400 and W8400 printer systems address an expanded spectrum of large format output environments and requirements, including corporate, print for pay and photo retail operations as well as photography and the fine art markets.

The imagePROGRAF W8400 (44") and imagePROGRAF W6400 (24") offer a truly competitive and valuable solution for creating, processing and printing in large format, made possible by precision engine enhancements combined with an industry-unique array of out-of-the-box software solutions. With a four-picoliter inkjet droplet size plus an enhanced ink formulation, including a new matte black ink, the imagePROGRAF W6400 and W8400 offer a winning combination of high-speed and uncompromising image quality at an affordable price.

"With their new hardware specifications and the inclusion of the bundled software, these new devices are positioned to significantly raise the output and workflow expectations of what a large format printer system can deliver," said Amit Bagchi, director of Graphic Arts Systems Division for Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Canon reengineered our printers to precisely meet both the creative and production needs of our total wide format audience base. We added improvements to maintain speed, increase color intensity, heighten resolution and provide a truly intuitive large format printing solution."

Both of the imagePROGRAF printers come with a suite of software programs that will serve as a valuable tool in a wide variety of business environments. PosterArtist software helps users of all levels to create and design professional posters, banners and signage with extreme ease. The program includes an extensive library of royalty-free images and clip-arts, as well as advanced features such as opacity blends and automatic layout adjustment for increased design flexibility.

PosterArtist also includes:

--Professionally designed templates to simplify poster creation

--Over 1GB of preloaded files in wide variety of poster designs and artwork

--Opacity blends for special effects 

--Simple and easy steps to customize posters

--The ability to import images in JPEG, TIFF, and bitmap (.bmp) file format

--Automatic object layout and size adjustment for different page sizes

--Poster preview conversion to JPEG file format for emailing or proofing

Digital Photo Print Pro (DPPP) allows users to print digital images with the aid of professional-grade editing tools, such as red eye elimination, skin tone improvement, moire removal, and automatic borderless cropping. DPPP offers easy image correction and layout tools for all levels of users. For advanced imaging application users, DPPP is a powerful workflow tool tied with RAW file development software such as Canon Digital Photo Professional and Adobe(R) Photoshop(R). In addition, the DPPP can be used as a robust collage/index tool to facilitate complex workflow for professionals such as commercial, portrait, wedding, and fine art photography.

PhotoPRINT(R) Select, a true Adobe (R) Postscript(R) 3(TM) software RIP with a licensed Pantone(R) color library, manages large graphic files efficiently to address the needs of demanding IT and Graphic professionals. This robust RIP is capable of creating up to 6 individual printer setups for easy drag-and-drop printing. This feature enables direct scan-to-print from color imageRUNNER devices for an easy enlargement process ideal for both print for pay and print for use environments, in addition to driving up to 6 imagePROGRAF printers at the same time.

The imagePROGRAF Printer Driver 2005 is a Windows(R) and Macintosh(R) driver that delivers accurate "Out of the Box" color, and automatically installs professionally created color profiles for Canon's wide variety of large format media. The driver is now able to faithfully match the color of a calibrated monitor screen. An additional feature of the printer driver is its industry standard ICC profile color-matching capability. This unique feature facilitates professionals to use custom ICC media (output) profiles for precise color matching, even from an application that does not support ICC profile workflow. The driver also incorporates expanded color settings for Grey tone adjustment, color saturation as well as additional features for the advanced user. The Canon driver also offers simplified page setup options and one-touch borderless printing - providing a similar look and feel to other Canon consumer and business imaging equipment.

The included HDI driver provides an efficient way to print AutoCAD(R) files accurately from Windows for architectural and engineering businesses.

With Print Plug-in for Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) for Windows(R) and Macintosh(R), users can now create, process and print large format images directly from Photoshop. This plug-in is an export module that bypasses the operating-system-dependent print driver - allowing for 16-bit RGB images within Photoshop(R) to be printed directly in 10-bit mode, dramatically increasing gradations and as a result, overall image quality. The print history function enables the user to apply past color, profile and print settings to future jobs.

Canon's proprietary print head technology enables high-speed printing at 2400 x 1200 dpi with precise four picoliter ink droplets for high image resolution, clarity and detail. Canon's unique print head enables the W8400 to achieve print speeds up to 307 square feet per hour (sfph) at 1200x1200 dpi resolution(1). Even for the most discernable eyes, the printer's highest quality mode (2400x1200 dpi, 10-bit color mode) prints at an amazing 26 sfph (22sfph with W6400)(2). In addition, Canon's new high-intensity yellow ink makes possible a wider color range and increased color intensity, while a new image processor enhances image quality for the production of brighter photos and vivid, eye-catching point-of-purchase posters and materials.

In order to achieve 4x higher resolution than their predecessors without sacrificing speed, a new, more efficient image controller was developed for the new W8400/W6400. By utilizing a single chip design (SOC--System On Chip), the image processing is drastically faster, eliminating the need for two separate memories - CPU and image processing ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) - access. In addition, the memory itself has been upgraded to DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM) to further speed up the printing process. Combined with a faster image processing algorithm, the new system is able to retain Canon's printing speed advantage - even with an increase in processed data.

The imagePROGRAF W8400 device, capable of printing on media up to 44 inches wide and designed to appeal to professional users requiring outstanding quality and high speeds in this larger format, including commercial printers, designers, advertising agencies, poster printers, as well as architects, engineers, has an MSRP of $ 5,995.00.

The imagePROGRAF W6400 is capable of printing on media up to 24 inches wide and will appeal to a broad range of wide-format users who value quality and speed but don't require extra-large output sizes, including prepress/proofing departments, photo labs, professional photographers and internal marketing departments. MSRP is $3,495.00.

Both the imagePROGRAF w6400 and imagePROGRAF W8400 are immediately available through authorized Canon U.S.A. dealers.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 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 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Prices, availability and specifications subject to change without notice.

(1) Based on Canon Plain Paper.

(2) Based on Canon Glossy Photo Paper.