Last week we were fortunate enough to be working at the Canon Make it Future Proof event which took place at the Customer Experience Center in Poing close to Munich. The event attracted nearly 1000 visitors from across Europe who attended principally to see some of the new technology available. It is a chance to truly see the technical and creative potential of the technology in a state-of-the-art facility that enables Canon to really showcase and inspire people.

The event itself is a great example of how Canon, one of the leading print technology brands are changing the way they inform and inspire their customers. It obviously helps if you have the capacity to be able to do this level of sophistication! (They have nearly 8,000 sq metres of hall space), but regardless, the event was an impressive brand experience and had many features and content delivery with presentations, talks, tours and showcases. Not to mention networking dinners and hospitality. While it is an exhausting project for the team, I would venture it is well worth it, and I doubt there is any other brand in the print sector that would or could do it any better. While for sure trade shows still have a place, clearly their pre-COVID dominance over budgets is starting to be challenged as these in-house events give brands the chance to spend quality time with customers, update them with the technology but also listen to their problems and their challenges which provides valuable market insight and information. Without the restrictions of having to do this alongside competitors and at a place and a time which is not always 100% suitable.

Jennifer Kolloczek, European Planning, Marketing & Innovation Senior Director, Production Print at Canon Europe explains, “The event was a huge success for Canon and our visitors. It gave us a platform to come together to have insightful discussions about current challenges and opportunities, to explore how our latest technology and software solutions and the expertise of our team and industry peers can help print service providers enhance their operations and take hold of new growth opportunities. In line with the theme, ‘Make It Future-proof’, which is all about business transformation, it was inspiring to hear that print service providers and our partners are motivated and committed to moving their businesses forward. We’re excited to support them on this journey, building on the positive outcomes of this event, and helping them to lay the foundations for a successful, profitable and resilient future.”

FuturePrint took part in presentations and discussions throughout the event on top industry trends, adaptability and taking control, recruitment and retention and sustainability. As well as that they were also introducing some new products to the market. Here is a bit more about that!!!

Canon Europe launched version 6 of its integrated, high-performance workflow and production management platform, PRISMAproduction, and launched PRISMAsimulate Ultra, which includes digital layout proofing, ink estimation and production simulation features for graphic arts and business communication applications.

PRISMAproduction - Achieve faster turnarounds and increased process efficiency

Building on 25 years of experience and customer feedback, PRISMAproduction has been further developed to automate and integrate data input and conversion, prepress and production management, in a single platform to help customers achieve the highest levels of workflow efficiency.

Numerous enhancements have been made to the tool, including improved pre-press capabilities, giving customers more flexibility to handle a variety of print file formats including PDF, AFP, line data, PCL, Postscript, PPML, LCDS, RDO and VIPP files.

As print jobs continue to become increasingly more complex due to variable data for personalisation and runs-of-one, print file sizes are also growing. The capabilities of the new software version include tools for better data optimisation to run PRISMA production supported web-fed and sheetfed inkjet and toner presses at full speed, even for extremely large PDF files such as commercial photo applications. This not only maximises the throughput of the workflow but also ensures that even the fastest of printers achieves the highest level of productivity.

Version 6 of PRISMAproduction runs on SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server) supporting even higher security standards than its predecessor. With improved separation between the application software and the operating system and enhancements to user management, these security features ensure print businesses can keep customer data safe and better comply with their own and industrywide security standards.

Michael Engemann, Head of Production Control at Continentale Krankenversicherung a.G. which has trialled the new version, comments: “When we tested the upgraded version of PRISMAproduction, it turned out that our production operation worked so seamlessly with the new version that our decision was made to stick with this new version. We forgot that it was a new version because it just worked.”

“For us, PRISMAproduction is easier and more reliable to use than our previous proprietary solution. Additionally you don't have to check whether all the data is still there or whether the printer has swallowed data when it comes to data security. So we really do see a benefit in the system's reliability and stability.”

PRISMAsimulate Ultra – Make offerings and orders more competitive

Canon strives to help print service providers (PSPs) to streamline their workflows. PRISMAsimulate Ultra provides an easy-to-integrate, on-premises application that supports users in ink estimation, proofing and workflow simulation, enabling them to increase predictability and reduce makeready times. PRISMAsimulate Ultra is the successor of the popular TrueProof and consists of two independent optional modules when purchased with PRISMAsimulate Ultra Server:

• The Universal PDF Estimator gives customers detailed ink consumption for Canon’s web-fed inkjet presses, enabling quicker and more accurate quotations to be produced for print buyers, without having to print the file first, saving both time and resources. It supports the comparison of pre-and post-calculations against actual ink and media consumption, and the production of valuable management data for further optimisation of quotations and ink-related settings. Print operators can also easily create reports with detailed ink and media consumption estimates based on engine-specific data. The intuitive reports can be automatically or manually exported as PDF or CSV files to allow further processing in other management applications.

• In combination with PRISMAproduction, the Printer Simulation Packages offer layout proofing and production simulation for web-fed inkjet and selected toner presses to ensure first-time-ready output by checking the layout, registration and printability of each file before printing. This is useful for print service providers growing their applications portfolio as they can avoid trial and error, which takes up valuable printing time. Alongside seamlessly integrating printer simulation into the customer production workflow with PRISMAproduction, the software can help print service providers to save resources, cost and waste.

In line with market demands for more automation and against a backdrop of increasing resource costs, PRISMAsimulate Ultra is offered on a subscription basis so that no major investment is required for customers upfront.

Canon’s European Planning, Marketing & Innovation Senior Director, Production Print, Jennifer Kolloczek, says, “Print businesses are under pressure to respond faster and more efficiently while having the flexibility to meet customer demands. At the same time, they face challenges such as a shortage of skilled labour, a demand for shorter run-lengths and an increase in resource costs. As many research houses highlight, automation and end-to-end workflows will be key investment areas for print businesses in the coming years in order to meet these challenges by enhancing process optimisation and increasing productivity. With graphic arts and business communication print applications incorporating and being triggered by more data about consumers, security has also become a top priority for many PSPs.”

Kolloczek continues, “We want to help print service providers make their operations as easy and as seamless as possible, so they can be ready to adapt to any market demand and know they can securely manage their customers’ data. Alongside the automated features within our digital print and existing PRISMA workflow solutions, our customers can rely on the new PRISMAproduction and PRISMAsimulate Ultra process efficiency tools to help them expand their business into new market segments and confidently offer a broad range of print applications to graphic arts and business communications print buyers”

Canon Europe also announced two new additions to the imagePRESS V series, the flagship V1350 and the V900 series. Setting new standards in cut-sheet toner productivity, the V series is the latest evolution of the hugely successful imagePRESS family. Featuring technological enhancements that take its performance to a new level while making it easier to use, the V series enables both commercial and in-house print service providers (PSPs) to overcome their production challenges and meet customer demands for high-quality, dynamic print content produced to the tightest deadlines.

Now with an option for commercial and in-house printing environments of every size and printing need, the imagePRESS V series is a powerful family of toner production presses that offers increased automation – making them very operator friendly – a wealth of feeding and finishing options, and seamless integration with workflow solutions via PRISMAsync or EFI Fiery controllers. Joining the imagePRESS V1000 mid-range production press that started shipping in June this year, the V1350 offers the highest print speed, productivity and durability of the imagePRESS family, while the lighter volume production press, the V900, offers the most extensive range of applications printable on one compact device. Robustly built and with sustainability a consideration, the series has been engineered for continuous, reliable productivity, consistent and stable colour, as well as unbeatable front and back registration accuracy.

The imagePRESS V1350 – best in class for productivity

The flagship imagePRESS V1350 offers exceptional performance and the highest productivity in its class of colour toner production presses. With a top speed of 135 pages per minute, it handles monthly volumes of up to 2.4 million A4 pages with a lifetime of 72 million A4 pages, thanks to its industrial build. The inclusion of a vacuum-feeding mechanism, a flatter paper transport path, the advanced Print on Demand-Surface Rapid Fusing (POD-SURF) unit and integrated cooling system supports long, continuous periods of top-quality printing at high speed and without paper jams, allowing both commercial and in-house print service providers to turn around even demanding jobs quickly and at high volumes without compromise.

Offset-like quality is a given for the V1350 and is maintained from the first to the last sheet of every job, whatever the run length. The Multi-D.A.T. colour correction system automatically preserves colour stability even during continuous runs, with the built-in, In-Line Spectrophotometric Sensor automating accurate colour adjustments when needed. The V1350 is designed for the production of high-quality print applications, such as brochures, leaflets, high end mailings and cards, and offers the tightest accuracy in its class for front and back registration (0.5mm), thanks to its advanced registration technologies.

Supporting the broadest media weight range (60gsm-500gsm) of a colour toner press and a wide selection of paper types (including embossed and synthetic) and offering full compatibility with the extensive range of inline finishing equipment from Canon and leading technology partners, the imagePRESS V1350 allows PSPs to offer their customers digital runs of any length across a huge variety of print products.

The imagePRESS V900 series – light volume production press that offers greater application flexibility

The entry-level model of the V series family, the imagePRESS V900 series is ideal for printers producing monthly volumes of up to 500,000 A4-pages. It comes in three different models – V900, V800 and V700, reflecting the maximum speed of each – 90ppm, 80ppm and 70ppm – and is made for fast-paced production environments where consistent, high quality, productivity and media choice are required day in, day out.

Not only is it the most compact device in the family, but the V900 also offers a class-leading variety of applications that are printable on a small device, thanks to the media it supports – from 52gsm plain and 70gsm coated to 350gsm thick media, narrow envelopes, as well as auto-duplex 762mm and simplex 1.3m banners and embossed and synthetic paper. This versatility is supported by the latest vacuum technology that adjusts the suction force according to paper weight, stabilising the transport of thick paper, as well as the inclusion of feed rollers and strengthened transport rollers that improve transport stability for thin, thick and short paper, expanding the range of media that can be used and preventing paper jams.

Removing the need for a highly skilled operator, the V900 incorporates new time- and labour-saving automation features that make it easy to use. The inclusion of the optional Duplex Colour Image Reader Unit allows the device to make rapid pre-print adjustments to front and back registration (delivering impressive 0.8mm accuracy), colour gradation, colour density and secondary transfer voltage to ensure high quality even on textured media. Users simply run printed adjustment charts through the Automatic Document Feeder, part of the Duplex Colour Image Reader Unit, and the V900 then automatically makes the required adjustments. Other time-saving features on the V900 include remote alerts to tell operators when consumables are running low.

Jennifer Kolloczek, European Planning, Marketing & Innovation Senior Director, Production Print at Canon Europe says: “The additions of the V1350 and V900 to our imagePRESS V series family will allow both commercial and in-house print service providers to work better, faster, and with greater scope to offer their customers more high-value print products. Built on powerful and proven patented technology and developed based on customer feedback, the imagePRESS V series brings a fresh perspective to digital toner press design, making it a reliable solution for print service providers to produce a diverse range of jobs on a single press. The series offers more automated features, a broad range of feeding and finishing options, and easy workflow integration. Utilizing print management applications such as PRISMAsync Remote Manager to remotely submit, monitor and manage jobs across one or more presses and PRISMAlytics Dashboard to get insights, monitor and analyse Key Performance Indicators, users can boost profitability with optimised print performance and benefit from reduced manual intervention, less waste and increased productivity. And with more freedom in production, they can take on new print volumes, offer more support to customers and help grow their business.”

The imagePRESS V series features controls for maintaining colour consistency in real time and is available with options that include the Sensing Unit and Inspection Unit for further automation of quality control tasks.

The new imagePRESS V1350 will be commercially available from Canon and accredited partners in the first half of next year and the V900 will be available from December 2022.