Friday, September 19, 2008

Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 – BLI’s Pick for Outstanding Wide-Format Color Inkjet Graphics Printer


Recognized for its exceptional photographic print quality, the 24-inch imagePROGRAF iPF6100 features a 12-color pigment ink system, built-in calibration and sophisticated print-head technology with dual user-replaceable printheads.

The lab test report is very comprehensive. Below is the summary that explains how Canon ImagePROGRAF was tested and evaluated in-house by Buyers Laboratory.



Test duration:
Two months, including a 5,000 square foot or 464.5 square meter durability test.

Performance Overview:
Realiability (Excellent)
Ease of Assembly (Excellent)
Ease of Network Setup (Excellent)
Paper Handling (Very Good)
Ease of Use (Very Good)
Administrative Utilities (Very Good)
Print Drivers (Excellent)
Feedback to Workstation (Very Good)
Application Compatibility (Excellent)
Colour Management (Very Good)
Colour Print Quality (Excellent)
Black Print Quality (Very Good)
Feature Set (Good)

Performance Summary:
Designed for small networked workgroups in graphic arts and professional photography markets, the 24-inch Canon ImagePROGRAF iPF6100 wide-format, referred to by Canon as large-format inkjet printer, performed extremely well during its BLI evaluation, having printed more than 800 pages spanning 5,000 square feet or 464.5 square meters without experiencing any errors or jams. Employing Canon’s 12-ink Lucia pigment ink set, the iPF6100 produced high quality, smudge resistant prints on a variety of paper stocks in colour and black modes. BLI technicians were especially impressed with the printer’s ability to generate very smooth, neutral gray tones with no perceptible bronzing on Canon’s heavy weight glossy photo paper. Colour output was exceptional, superior to that of other wide-format printers tested to date, with notable highlight and shadow detail displayed across a wide variety of colour prints. In addition to generating high quality photo-graphic prints, the unit also produced black and white and colour technical documents and maps of very good quality. Althought the printer is equipped with a built-in densitometer, supplied to ensure colour consistency by calibrating to factory specifications, it was not utilized beyond the initial calibration, as colour remained extremely consistent.

BLI technicians were also particularly impressed with this wide-format printer’s ease of use and quick and simple assembly, which was completed in less than an hour. Configuring the printer on the network and installing the print driver and the accompanying utilities were also straightforward and loading roll media was the easiest of any wide-format printer tested to date. Based on its superb image quality, perfect reliability and overall ease of use, along with valuable features such as borderless printing and built-in calibration capability. BLI highly recommends the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 24-inch wide-format printer for graphics and fine arts users.

Strenghts
- Highly realiable; flawless reliability performance
- Fast and easy installation; no dealer required
- Superior colour image quality
- Excellent colour consistency throughout the test period
- No observable bronzing on black-only prints
- Broad halftone range and consistent fill
- Auto-switching between photo and matte black inks
- Colour calibration capability with built-in densometer
- Borderless printing
- Fast between-page processing times
- Wide range of compatible media
- Easiest media loading procedure for wide-format printers tested by BLI
- Supports front-loading of thick sheets
- Quick wake-up time from sleep mode
- Media-saving barcode and Free Layout nesting functions
- Clearly labeled control panel
- Windows and Mac compatible


Source: Buyers Laboratory Lab Test Repor, May 2008

About Buyers Laboratory
For more than 45 years, Buyers Laboratory has been the leading independent office-equipment testing lab and business consumer advocate. In addition to publishing the industry's most comprehensive and accurate test reports on office document imaging devices, each representing months of exhaustive hands-on testing in BLI's 10,000-square-foot lab, the company has been the leading source for extensive databases of specifications and pricing on copiers, printers, fax machines and multifunctional products. The company's databases cover more than 10,000 products and have a long-standing reputation for being the industry's most trustworthy and complete. They are available to BLI subscribers online via the company's bliQ competitive information service. This encyclopedic resource also provides quick and easy access to BLI's First Look Reports, Field Test Reports, Lab Test Reports, Solutions Reports, Digital Imaging Review and Business Consumer's Advisor newsletters and OEM library.

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