Canon, Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan, Inc. announced the introduction in Japan of seven new PIXUS-series inkjet printers and the newly developed Canon Photo Paper Gloss Pro Platina (PT-101). The new lineup includes five inkjet all-in-one models—the PIXUS MP980, MP630, MP620, MP540, and MP480—and two inkjet printer models: the PIXUS iP4600 and iP3600.

The new Canon PIXUS lineup utilizes newly developed dye-based inks for richer and brighter color expression, and supports ChromaLife100+. When combined with Genuine Canon photo paper, the ChromaLife100+ system can preserve photos with an album life of more than 300 years. The Auto Image Fix feature, which now also compensates for red-eye, detects faces in images and automatically analyzes and categorizes the type of scene in a photograph to optimize print output.

Incorporating Canon’s FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) printhead technology as well as enhanced direct printing capabilities, the new PIXUS lineup delivers ease of use and functionality. Additionally, the new models incorporate a new design that achieves reduced body dimensions.

The new all-in-one Canon PIXUS MP980, the flagship model of the PIXUS series, offers printing, copying, scanning, and direct printing in an easy to use design. The MP980 offers a maximum resolution of 9,600 x 2,400 dots per inch (dpi), microscopic ink droplets as small as one picoliter, and six-color ink system that includes special gray ink. Such features as 3 Size Droplet technology, which efficiently makes use of three ink droplet sizes, contribute to reduced printing times, enabling the MP980 to create a borderless L-size photo in 17 seconds.

The multifunctional Canon MP630, MP620, and MP540 each feature a five-color ink system that combines four dye-based color inks with a special pigment-based black ink, and a wide-view TFT LCD monitor. The MP630 incorporates a contact image sensor (CIS) with an optical resolution of 4,800 dpi, and can print a borderless L-size photo in approximately 18 seconds, and can output an A4-size color copy in around 26 seconds. The MP620 and MP540 are each equipped with a 2,400-dpi CIS and can print borderless L-size photos in around 35 seconds, and produce A4 color copies in approximately 31 seconds.

The multifunction Canon MP480 features a 1.8-inch flip-up TFT LCD monitor, a 2,400-dpi CIS, and uses FINE ink cartridges, which integrate the printhead with the ink tank. Because the Canon PIXUS MP620 and MP980 accommodate wireless and wired LAN connections, they enable convenient printing regardless of printer location.

The iP4600 and iP3600 feature five-color systems comprising four dye-based color inks and pigment-black ink. The duo produces high image-quality prints on both photo and regular paper, with the iP4600 capable of printing a borderless L-size photo in approximately 18 seconds, and the iP3600 in around 35 seconds.

In addition to the launch of the seven new PIXUS models, Canon also announced the introduction of Canon Photo Paper Gloss Pro Platina (PT-101). The highest grade of Canon Genuine Photo Paper, Gloss Pro Platina (PT-101) achieves both high-quality coloration and absorption by separating the ink-absorbing layer, coated with ultra-fine alumina particles, into separate color and absorbent layers.

All of these products are expected to be made available to the Japanese market in October 2008.