Canon U.S.A. Introduces The imagePRESS C1+ Featuring Clear Toner

Business Wire, Oct 26, 2008

Building Upon its Industry Leading imagePRESS Product Line, the imagePRESS C1+ Expands Design and Printing Options with Unique, New Clear Toner Feature

CHICAGO -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a global leader in digital document imaging and office solutions, today introduced the new imagePRESS C1+, the first color device with clear toner for the light production and proofing markets. Based on the acclaimed imagePRESS C1, the imagePRESS C1+ continues to produce the highest quality color proofs, layouts and graphic imagery with the added feature of clear toner to offer exciting new possibilities for design.

Boasting remarkable image quality at true 1200 x 1200 dots-per-inch (dpi), the imagePRESS C1+ enables users to produce crisp and clear colors with every printing job. With printing speeds up to 14 pages-per-minute (ppm) for color jobs, and up to 60 ppm for black-and-white and up to 40ppm for clear printing jobs(I), the new imagePRESS has the ability to handle a wide range of paper stock including coated and textured stocks. To accomplish this, the Canon C1+ incorporates a unique paper management system called the Media Library, which can be customized for each stock used, allowing printing environments to save templates for future and repeat printing jobs. With the addition of the clear toner and the various paper descriptions, the imagePRESS C1+ opens up many possibilities for the printing markets.

"The use of a clear toner in the imagePRESS C1+ expands what we are able to offer customers in the printing market," said Tod Pike, senior vice president, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "The ability to produce consistent color reduces the need for multiple prints, bringing down overall printing costs. In addition, the clear toner enables designers and graphic arts professionals to expand their capabilities and offer a wider array of innovative printing solutions. This new model will further establish the Canon imagePRESS line as an industry leader."

The unique clear toner feature of the Canon imagePRESS C1+ introduces to the creative market a visual texture treatment that expands design capabilities. From subtle delicate suggestions to a bold creative image, this affect impacts the message to the market. Additionally, the new clear toner feature on the imagePRESS C1+ makes it an appealing option for corporate environments that are looking to add security features such as watermarks to their documents, without distracting or altering the design elements.

Like its predecessor the imagePRESS C1, the new Canon imagePRESS C1+ will produce the highest quality colors through the use of the V-Toner which has a large color spectrum to allow for accurate color reproduction, while the small toner particle size, averaging 5.5 microns in size, produces brilliant and ultra sharp details.

The Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA), a New York City design and branding agency, was selected to "test drive" the new imagePRESS C1+ because of its reputation and history for producing innovative graphic arts and its passion for ink on paper. The CSA team found advanced applications and design methods that further expanded the capabilities of the new imagePRESS C1+ and demonstrated the true strength of the product.

"The exceptional print quality, endless paper options and simulated spot varnish technique enables us provide seductive, finished looking prototypes for our client design presentations," said Carla Miller, CSA's Design Director. "We can even produce short-run final printing that holds its own with traditional offset printing," she added.

Recognizing that the actual press is only part of a printing solution, Canon U.S.A. offers three print controllers for the imagePRESS C1+ that are able to handle graphic demands ranging from entry-level graphic and design to intensive graphic and variable data files. Depending on an organization's graphic and printing needs, there are a number of print controller options for the imagePRESS C1+. Those options include the imagePRESS Server Q2v2 which is offered for the most intense, high-end users, the imagePRESS Server T1v2 for mid-level printing needs, and the UFR II/PLC/PS Kit-P2 for firms that require high-quality printing and color tools, but are not graphic centric environments.

With its open architecture and cross platform color management capabilities, the Canon imagePRESS C1+ makes color management easy. Creative teams can be at ease as the imagePRESS C1+ seamlessly integrates with all desktop color management solutions, supporting the Adobe Creative Suite and QuarkXpress, and print drivers that are both Mac and PC compatible.

Canon will start accepting orders for the new imagePRESS C1+ in late October, and shipping will tentatively set for mid-November, 2008. The imagePRESS C1+ will be available through authorized Canon U.S.A. dealers with a manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $31,500II

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2007+, with global revenues of $39.3 billion, is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is on the 2007 BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/pressroom.