Canon unveils new imagePROGRAF PRO-300 large format inkjet printer
posted Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 7:59 AM EDT
Printers come and printers go, but the Canon PROGRAF series of printers has been well-received among fine art printing afficianados for some time now. Canon has today unveiled the new imagePROGRAF PRO-300 inkjet model which promises a few intriguing improvements to the line, including an even smaller footprint for overall size.
If you've strolled into an office store lately you're likely aware that printer demand has gone through the roof during this day and age of so many of us working from home, so the arrival of a new model on the scene is welcome news for everyone, especially enthusiast and professional photographers! So let's dive into all the details of the new Canon PRO-300 to see if this new model will earn a spot on your printer table.
Canon's PROGRAF series of large format fine art printers ranges in size from accommodating 13 inches wide all the way to 60 inches wide. The PRO-300 is the smallest of these, handling media up to 13 inches wide and up to 39 inches in length, while offering a footprint that is 15% smaller than its predecessor. This is certainly a welcomed trend for any of us facing space shortages trying to work out of our homes.
At Imaging Resource we've relied on the PROGRAF PRO-1000 as our primary reference printer for more than 5 years, and it has proven to be a very dependable, reliable printer across a tremendous output of printing for all Image Quality pages in that time. The PRO-300, as part of this family line, should therefore prove to be quite a reliable fine art printer should 13 inches wide be large enough for your own printing needs.
Ink for the PROGRAF PRO-300 is provided via a 9-color LUCIA PRO palette plus the Chroma Optimizer tank which provides additional color gamut and enhanced black density. A new matte black tank also offers enhanced black density as well as smooth gradations and details in darker areas. Canon has also enhanced their catridge anti-clogging technologies with an improved recovery function for instances when a single tank may fail, allowing other tanks to compensate.
The LCD has also been upgraded to a 3" panel which allows for easier visual access to printing progress and additional visual paramenters.
High-speed printing is rated to 4 minutes, 15 seconds for a 13 x 19 inch print when using Photo Paper Pro Premium paper. If this seems a bit on the slow side to anyone who's not yet used a fine art printer, they are designed to print more slowly than standard office printers due to their high-end nature and the desired output quality, which is far superior to what a traditional office printer can achieve.
Canon has also enhanced their Professional Print and Layout software to assist in seamless printing from traditional photo software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. It can also operate as standalone printing software if needed.
Additionally, Canon has unveiled a new fine art paper, dubbed Premium Fine Art Rough in standard letter size as well as 13"x19" and 17"x22" sizes. The rough cotton design is intended to produce a 3-dimensionality to your images not available in flatter styles of fine art paper.
The imagePROGRAF PRO-300 will be available for purchase in late July for US$899, and if you're interested in this printer we suggest placing your order as soon as the order page appears, as stock in this day and age won't likely last very long due to incredibly high current demand.
