Canon U.S.A. (Melville, NY) has rolled out its new ColorStream 8000 Series of web-fed inkjet printers. A key addition to its ColorStream family, this new flagship series represents the next stage in the evolution of the platform and “sets a new standard for high-volume production environments with its combined advances in productivity, print quality and application flexibility,” said the OEM. The series has been designed to meet the current and future production challenges of corporate and public-sector in-plants, print and communication service providers and specialized commercial printers. “This series still exceeds expectations in the transaction and direct-mail segments as previous ColorStream models have – but the newer platform also delivers high quality prints for commercial and book printers,” Canon added. The series’ expanded media range (including lightweight papers) broadens the application focus to include publishing and packaging inserts.

Comprising two models, the ColorStream 8000 Series maximizes throughput with print speeds of up to 525 ft./min. and prints up to 2,290 letter images/min (16–75 million letter images per month), handling production peaks and providing the capability to reduce labour and run costs by consolidating volumes from offset and web-fed toner presses onto the ColorStream. The series’ productivity is further enhanced by increased automation, freeing up operator time for other value-added activities. Automated tasks and increased print width to 22”, combined with excellent uptime of the ColorStream 8000 series, gives users a reliable, productive solution they can really trust. Maximum engine performance uptime and increased efficiency of service support is further recognized through the ColorStream 8000 Series Proactive Maintenance Program, which offers additional peace of mind in proactive production planning by delivering data-driven predictive maintenance.

The ColorStream 8000 series features new 1,200-dpi printheads that yield “stunning and consistent print quality even at the highest speeds – from the first print to the last – reproducing smoother gradients, homogeneous tints and sharper detail, and minimizing typical inkjet technology artifacts.” The ColorStream 8000 series also uses a new water-based pigment ink set with latex polymer, which delivers a very wide color gamut that exceeds GRACoL 2013 Uncoated standards, impeccable droplet formation, and deep black and vibrant colors on uncoated papers without any pre-treatment. The series’ can print on a wide variety of uncoated, recycled and inkjet-optimized papers from 40 gsm to 160 gsm as standard (and selected papers up to 220 gsm). Users can now generate high-quality promotional applications next to transactional, direct mail and book (mono and full colour) applications. This capability is enhanced by the design of the press’s paper path, which, with a maximum print width of 22″, gives freedom to create outstanding promotional pieces and maximize book formats.

“Since its introduction in 2010, the ColorStream family has been recognized by customers across the globe as a highly productive and reliable solution,” said Shinichi Yoshida, Executive VP and GM at Canon U.S.A. “The ColorStream 8000 series is a new platform that leverages the heritage of the existing ColorStream family and takes its users to the next level of productivity, print quality and efficiency. I’m confident that the ColorStream 8000 series, as the latest milestone in the evolution of the product family, will prove to be just as popular, if not more so, than earlier models and will play a major role in the continuing migration of print volumes to digital inkjet.” Those interested can see the new ColorStream 8000 Series in action at Canon’s Customer Innovation Center in Boca Raton, Florida or request a virtual demo this summer.