Canon unveils radical new ink

Canon Australia has unveiled a new ink and print head technology with the introduction of UVgel technology, which it says will be at the core of its future roll-to-roll printers.

According to Canon, the new UVgel offers large format printers a powerful combination of productivity, image quality, application range, automation and cost-effective production.

Canon’s local professional print team says it is looking forward to introducing the technology into the Aussie market, and says the UVgel can produce high quality results on any flexible media.

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Adrian Morris, manager of display graphics for Canon Australia says UVgel is a cost-effective, durable product of Canon’s technological research and development.

“The potential is exciting with technological advances encompassing both ink and print head developments. The radically new UV curable ink on which this technology is based gels on contact with media, which results in precise dot placement and area control, for perfectly repeatable images at high speed,” says Morris.

“Ultra-thin ink dispersion gives the print virtually no discernible physical profile and dramatically cuts printing costs by up to 40 per cent compared with conventional eco-solvent or latex printing.”

“In addition, the ink formulation provides the wide colour gamut of solvent inks, together with the environmental advantages and safety profile of latex and UV inks.”

The UVgel also features a LED UV curing sub-system, completely independent of the printing system, which Canon says ensures identical jetting to curing time for every ink droplet – a feature Morris asserts provides unprecedented uniformity across the printed image.