Canon has introduced the Colorado 1630, an entry-level version of its 1.6m UV gel roll-fed printer with remotely unlockable feature upgrades and 70% of the production speed of the existing models.
Reporting over 2000 units installed worldwide of the Colorado 1640 (introduced in 2017) and 1650 (2019), plus over 200 of the Wallpaper Factory printer-plus-cutter combination sold in 2020, Canon said with the new 1630 model, it is bringing its UV gel technology ‘to the masses’, with the base price of the new machine set at €36,000.
Intended to be sold via the reseller channel, the Colorado 1630 has the same 1.6m roll width as the 1640/50 models and prints at the same resolution and quality to the same wide range of substrates . Its maximum speed is 111sqm/hr for applications like outdoor banners and billboards, with 29sqm/hr for close-viewing high quality output; the respective figures for the 1640/50 are 159 and 40sqm/hr.
Reflecting the lower anticipated production volumes, the 1630 has 700ml ink bottles (still CMYK only) but still supports as an option the FLXfinish module, which allows matt or gloss surface finishes to be achieved by controlling the LED UV curing process. Other options are a second media roll and double-sided printing. All of these options are effectively pre-installed and can be unlocked quickly and remotely at any time without needing a service visit. Canon also stressed that no cheaper material options had been used in the construction of the new model.
Michele Tuscano, head of Global Partner Channel & Vice President EMEA – Large Format Graphics at Canon Production Printing, commented, ‘Enabling our customers and partners to expand their application possibilities and grow their business is an essential driver for us at Canon Production Printing and increasingly we’ve seen a demand for a 1.6m UV gel printer that can serve all PSPs. That’s why we’re introducing this new addition of the 1630 to the Colorado printer family, so customers can benefit from a highly automated, robust and stable printer with a modular architecture that offers a great deal of flexibility at an attractive investment level.’
The Colorado 1630 is available immediately via Canon or its accredited partners, which in the UK include CMYUK, Adapt and Perfect Colours.
If you’re in the market for a roll-fed wide-format printer, make sure you don’t miss our round-up in the forthcoming May/June issue of Digital Printer. If you don’t regularly receive the magazine, you can register for free here.
