Canon has announced the launch of the BJ-W9000, its new large format printer which it says offers optimum combination of high-resolution and high-speed printing.

"Ideally suited for print-for-pay and colour-proofing environments, as well as heavy volume in-house printing, the BJ-W9000 can handle a comprehensive range of print media reaching up to 109.2 cm (43")," it said. The various types of media include plain, coated and glossy paper as well as glossy film and backprint film. The maximum printing width of the machine is 106.7 cm (42 inches).

"With the introduction of the BJ-W9000 we are expanding our large format line-up to meet the needs of our customers in all large format segments," said Peter Bjorkqvist, European marketing manager for Copier & Printer Products, Canon Europa Office Imaging Products Division. "This model is our flagship to deliver enhanced productivity and performance to print-for-pay and colour proofing environments."

The BJ-W9000 incorporates four of Canon's revolutionary 256-nozzle print heads (248 nozzles used), enabling this large format printer to perform at extremely high speeds. For printing on A0-size the draft, normal, and high-resolution speeds of the BJ-W9000 are 7, 14, and 29 minutes respectively. The long-lasting, 256-nozzle print heads are also replaceable, ensuring increased reliability for demanding printing environments.

"Not compromising quality for speed, the high 1200 x 600 dpi print resolution of the BJ-W9000 guarantees outstanding print and colour quality in all print modes and on various media thus providing higher productivity in conjunction with consistent and excellent image quality," said the company. "The innovative symmetric sequence of the print head allows for unique bi-directional printing in which the first and second run of each colour are printed in exactly the same sequence. This system further enhances the colour quality and consistency, and provides much smoother output."

The BJ-W9000 has a two-level automatic loading tray that holds two rolls of media and features an automatic switching function. This auto switch can also be selected from the driver, and allows continuous printing or, if holding different types of media, automatic switching between media.

The BJ-W9000 utilises an innovative six-colour printing process which includes two new colours (light cyan and light magenta). The additional colours incorporated in the ink delivery system result in increased colour precision, greater depth, and finer tone diffusion, thus substantially improving the overall print quality.

The ink-delivery system has been further enhanced with the introduction of its high-capacity 650ml ink-bottle and revolutionary ink-tubing system. The new high-capacity ink-bottle is utilised for all six colours, thus reducing the frequency of replacement and improving efficiency for customers. The new ink-tubing system utilises sub-tanks, with which ink is automatically replenished and bottles can be changed during printing. Each sub-tank also includes three electrodes which constantly monitor ink levels and provide full detection of waste ink, therefore enabling high production print jobs to continue without interruption.