Canon catches up with Epson by offering a high-resolution 24” printer for fine art giclee, the Canon imagePROGRAF W6200

The above heading was valid in 2004 and early 2005, but the Epson Stylus Pro 7800 offers 8 colors and thereby may offer better quality than other earlier printers. The Canon printhead is much faster than any piezo, so faster than all Epson printers. But some artists need color gamut or a special dithering pattern, and be willing to sacrifice speed for quality.

Canon ink costs less. But if you are an artist, it is the color gamut that counts.

The Canon printers are better designed and stronger in construction. This statement is probably still valid, even in 2005.

Canon printer, since it uses thermal (bubblejet) printheads, can take a wider range of paper, further lowering production costs.

The picture at left is the Canon imagePROGRAF W6200 large format printer at PMA 2004 trade show. The Canon imagePROGRAF W6400 has been announced several months ago for Japan and then for Australia. Every US trade magazine has announced the Canon imagePROGRAF W6400 too. We are curious to see the differences between the W6200 (a printer that was already advanced for its day) and the still unknown W6400. Epson has managed to generate their Epson Stylus Pro 7800 publicity precisely during the time the Canon W6400 has not yet been introduced outside Japan or Australia.

Canon is introducing two new printers: Canon imagePROGRAF W8400 and Canon imagePROGRAF W6400

The FLAAR Reports on the Canon imagePROGRAF W8200 and Canon W7250 are now available from the FLAAR Premium Report Series on Wide Format Printers for CAD-GIS and from Print-for-Pay.

First posted Sept. 26, 2006.