Canon wins seven PRINTING United Alliance Pinnacle Product and Technology Awards

According to Canon, the Colorado M-series was the winner in the Roll-to-Roll / Hybrid / Flatbed New Technology category, while the Arizona 135 GT, 1380 GTF, 1380 XTF, 2380 GTF and 2380 XTF made a clean sweep by winning each of their five respective UV / Latex Flatbed categories. Additionally, Canon also won the Pinnacle Technology Award for the recently launched unique Canon UVgel White Ink.

Open to all PRINTING United Alliance supplier members, the Pinnacle Product Award competition evaluates products that are commercially available in 2023. In 2023, over 160 entries across 58 categories, covering analogue, digital, output and non-output technologies, were judged by a highly qualified panel of experts from the printing industry, says Canon. 

Colorado M-series and UVgel ink impresses Pinnacle Awards judges

Canon launched the award-winning Colorado M-series, a fully modular roll-to-roll printer with two speed configurations and UVgel white ink option, in March 2023. Based on a single platform that can be configured to customers' needs, the printer offers easy in-field hardware and software upgrades, giving users the option to enhance their printer in line with their changing requirements.

According to Canon, users can also benefit from the unique performance advantages of UVgel and print a wider spectrum of applications with the introduction of the award-winning white UVgel ink. UVgel's unique formulation produces dense, opaque white images in fewer printing passes and with fewer production issues and nozzle-cleaning and maintenance requirements often associated with white ink. This all results in smooth, hassle-free prints with minimal waste and optimal productivity, adds Canon. 

Canon says that since its launch, the Colorado M-series has already helped many users increase print volumes and expand their offering with new, valuable applications in segments such as interior décor. It is also opening up new opportunities in retail and hospitality with the white ink and multi-layered printing options.

Arizona wins five Pinnacle Product Awards

In 2023 the Arizona family won all five of the UV / Latex Flatbed categories entered. These include:

• Arizona 135 GT — UV / Latex Flatbed (under USD$100K)
• Arizona 1380 GTF — UV / Latex Flatbed (USD$100K - USD$200K)
• Arizona 1380 XTF — UV / Latex Flatbed + White (USD$100K - USD$200K)
• Arizona 2380 GTF —  UV / Latex Flatbed (USD$200K - USD$500K)
• Arizona 2380 XTF — UV  /Latex Flatbed + White (USD$200K - USD$500K)

Canon adds that in the past three years, it has announced multiple developments across the Arizona portfolio, including innovations in:

• the Arizona 2300 series in 2020
• the launch of the Arizona 135 in 2021 and,
• more recently, the introduction of FLOW technology to the Arizona 1300 series in 2023.

The Arizona family is designed to support industrial productivity standards and improve uptime with automation enhancements that minimise maintenance.  The latest Arizona models feature award-winning, third-generation VariaDot printing technology, delivering high quality, greyscale image reproduction, Canon says.

And with FLOW technology, a Canon innovation that combines a zoneless, multi-origin flatbed with mirrored pneumatic registration pins, the need to mask or tape substrates to the flatbed is eliminated. This means it's therefore quicker and easier to change between boards of any size or shape, and users can achieve significant time savings, according to Canon.

Alex Ryan, product manager, of production print at Canon South Africa, says, "We're thrilled to have once again been honoured with multiple Pinnacle Product Awards by the PRINTING United Alliance, and it's very rewarding to be acknowledged across a diverse range of output technology categories."

Ryan adds, "Canon’s approach to research and development in the wide format graphics market is driven by the needs of our users which we consistently seek to learn from. These awards are a testament to this customer-centric approach and reaffirm the impact of these innovative solutions in our customers' businesses.

"We're confident that our Colorado and Arizona product lines will continue to enable users to boost profits, expand their application possibilities with new high-value products and open up new exciting market opportunities, including interior décor, signage and packaging," concludes Ryan. 

To find out more about the Colorado M-series, visit www.canon.co.za.  

To find out more about the Arizona family, visit www.canon-europe.com.