Canon Solutions America Announces First Océ VarioPrint i300 Shipments

Canon Solutions America recently held a second anniversary press and analyst meeting in Florida, marking two years that the former Océ has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. The event gave Canon Solutions America executives the opportunity to provide an update on its new midrange cutsheet color inkjet press—the Océ VarioPrint i300—which will be commercially available later this summer and is currently shipping to the first customer installation sites.

Up until recently dubbed "Project Niagara," Canon Solutions America is seeking to be the first company to plant its flag in the midrange cutsheet, color inkjet space. A B3-format device (max. media size of 13.9x19.7") that shares many of the finishing capabilities of the Océ VarioPrint 6000 series, the Océ VarioPrint i300 can churn out 294 letter images per minute and up to 3,800 duplexed B3 sheets per hour. The unit’s monthly volume output ranges from one million to 10 million letter images.

Canon Solutions America played an integral part in introducing this important new product to the production print market, working closely with customers during the developmental and testing phases, as well as providing support during installation and training.

Over the course of the next three months, Canon Solutions America will be installing the first four Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet presses in the United States. Although the press has been in operation at T Systems in Germany, part of the Deutsche Telekom group, units are currently shipping to four U.S. Lead Customer Program (LCP) installations, which include IWCO Direct, OneTouchPoint (CCI), Merrill Corp. and Progressive Impressions International (PII). These four customers play an active role in Canon Solutions America’s advisory councils and were helpful in developing the product for the mass market. The company will focus on ensuring that these four customers get up and running with the new product, achieving high production output at top speeds with high-quality output.

(Watch the video below featuring Canon Solutions America's Francis A. McMahon, as he discusses with Mark Michelson the first four installations of the Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet printer and why the press is a true industry game-changer.)

Based on proven inkjet technology, the Océ VarioPrint i300 fills the speed and capacity gap that exists between conventional high-end, toner-based, sheetfed presses and entry-level continuous-feed inkjet presses. By doing so, Canon Solutions America helps print service providers find the right print solution for their needs and creates new market opportunities.

The new cutsheet color press addresses the needs traditionally associated with the inkjet printing space—transactional materials, direct mail, books and manuals—and promises to have uses that speak to the needs of commercial and publishing applications, as well. Given the affordability of the machine, plus the high-quality, variety of substrates, and high speeds, the Océ VarioPrint i300 provides an unprecedented opportunity for commercial printers to enter the inkjet space. Its digital front end is driven by a new, scalable PRISMAsync controller, which is fully supported by the well-known PRISMAproduction suite, making for a truly integrated end-to-end digital workflow.

Inkjet printing continues to grow in the Production Printing market. Canon Solutions America now offers four platforms for customers considering an inkjet option including the newly announced Océ ImageStream 3500 and Océ VarioPrint i300, as well as the proven Océ ColorStream 3000 Twin Series and Océ JetStream Series. These four devices have the ability to meet the requirements of a variety of applications and businesses within the market.

The Océ VarioPrint i300 will be on display at GRAPH EXPO 15 in Chicago and at the Canon Expo in New York City this fall.