Inkjet & Digital Printing

Canon Announces B3 Sheetfed Inkjet Press varioPRINT iX1700

Wednesday 15. November 2023 - The varioPRINT iX1700 features an innovative, high-definition 2400 x 1200 dpi printhead and a new set of inks, enabling it to produce high-quality print applications such as marketing collateral, books and demanding business communication applications.

Canon, a leader in production inkjet presses, today announces a technology preview of the Canon varioPRINT iX1700, a new 170 A4 images per minute, sheetfed inkjet press, at Canon Expo in Yokohama, Japan (19th-20th October 2023). Engineered for high productivity and consistent, high quality to meet the needs of demanding commercial and in-house print service providers, the new press is based on a compelling blend of brand new and proven Canon technologies. In Europe, visitors to drupa 2024 will be amongst the first to witness the capabilities of the varioPRINT iX1700 on the Canon stand (Hall 8A, Stand B41).
Designed for demanding commercial and in-house printers
Canon is continuously striving to support customers in the face of ongoing trends in the industry, such as the demand for shorter print runs and increasing automation to meet tighter deadlines. The brand new varioPRINT iX1700 B3 inkjet platform brings together Canon’s expertise in inkjet and sheetfed printing from its R&D centres in Japan, Germany and The Netherlands. With a speed of up to 170 A4 images per minute, the new press targets print volumes between Canon’s toner-based flagship, the imagePRESS V1350, and the inkjet varioPRINT iX2100/3200 and completes the offering for heavy production environments.
Innovative printhead and ink technology for high-quality applications
The varioPRINT iX1700 features an innovative, high-definition 2400 x 1200 dpi printhead and a new set of inks, enabling it to produce high-quality print applications such as marketing collateral, books and demanding business communication applications. The new water-based polymer inks contain highly saturated pigments and produce a wide colour gamut. Ink is jetted onto the media after the conditioning liquid, which anchors the pigments to the substrate in a very thin layer. As a result, the printed output shows high-colour reproduction and the natural texture of the substrate is preserved, opening up the reproduction or migration of applications normally printed offset. The newly developed registration correction mechanism simultaneously corrects paper skew and horizontal misalignment, achieving high image alignment accuracy at high speeds.
Productive and reliable
The versatile press prints at high speeds of up to 170 A4 images per minute or 73 B3 images per minute. In order to maximize productivity, printhead maintenance and quality control have been automated, and the printheads feature a mechanism that keeps the ink circulating along a precise flow path to the tips of all nozzles, enabling stable print operation. Thanks to the composition of the new inks, which Canon has developed specifically for the new printhead, and an air feeding system that ensures reliable paper feeding, the varioPRINT iX1700 can handle a wide variety of media. For ease of use, operators and service engineers have access from the front of the varioPRINT iX1700 and a window gives a clear view into the status of the engine. The press’ PRISMAsync digital front end offers tight integration into the Canon PRISMA suite of production workflow software as well as interoperability with many other production workflows. Its highly visual user interface and automation features support operational efficiency.
Jennifer Kolloczek, European Planning, Marketing & Innovation Senior Director, Production Print at Canon Europe, comments, “As a global leader in sheetfed inkjet production presses, with more than 600 installations worldwide, and a trusted partner to our customers, Canon is continuously looking to provide innovative, advanced inkjet technology. We’re very much looking forward to adding this press to our production offering as our expanded portfolio will allow more print service providers to further streamline their production processes, improve the quality of their printed materials, and respond with greater speed and flexibility to the diverse needs of their customers. For both commercial and in-house print service providers, the varioPRINT iX1700 will deliver these benefits and help printers to expand their services, generate more business and remain competitive.”
The new varioPRINT iX1700 press will become available in the EMEA markets in 2025. Additional product details will be provided in due course.