Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

The PictBridge revolution: Introducing the Bubble Jet i455 and i475D Direct Print photo printers

PictBridge compatible Direct Print photo printers keep coming from Canon.

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of its latest PictBridge compatible photo printers, the Canon Bubble Jet i455 and i475D.  The two new models have been launched in line with Canon’s position at the forefront of the drive towards complete PictBridge compatibility.  Any PictBridge compliant digital camera can connect and print directly to these compatible printers, regardless of brand and without the need for a PC. The Bubble Jet i455 and i475D replace the Bubble Jet i450 and i470D respectively.

With a print head nozzle density up to seven times that of competing brands and a nozzle apperture size 40% smaller than Canon’s nearest rival, the i455 and i475D use a 2pl droplet size to deliver unsurpassed 4800x1200 dpi* professional photo quality as standard.  The same technology that delivers tiny 2pl ink droplets and the highest nozzle density also makes these easily the fastest printers in their class - both models boast incredible 18ppm mono and 12 ppm colour print speeds.

“Not only do the Bubble Jet i455 and i475D deliver the best quality photo prints and highest speeds in their class,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland, “they embody our commitment to producing cameras and printers that work together with whatever device our customers might have or choose to have in the future.”

Multi-brand, multi-media printing
As well as supporting the new industry standard PictBridge protocol, both printers are backward compatible with Canon’s Bubble Jet Direct.  This allows direct print from any compatible Canon digital camera or digital video camcorder.  The i475D has a built in four-in-one card slot to accept CompactFlash? cards and Microdrive, SmartMedia, Sony Memory Stick? and SecureDigital cards from any digital camera.  Even xD-Picture cards can be supported with use of an adaptor.

Unsurpassed print quality
Traditional manufacturing techniques assemble print heads from multiple layers and components.  The inherent inaccuracies in this process limit print head length, nozzle size and density.  Canon’s engineers revolutionised the manufacturing process and now use patented semiconductor manufacturing techniques to laser etch ultra-high precision advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology print heads with the world’s smallest nozzles and the world’s highest nozzle density (up to seven times that of lesser brands). 10-micron diameter Micro-Nozzles deliver consistent 2pl droplet size with precision and speed for accurate ink placement on to paper. Canon’s technologies combine to print images as good as, if not better than dedicated photo printers from other vendors.

Photo prints without the wait
Both the i455 and i475D boast the best photo print speeds in their class. This is particularly evident in borderless printing where nozzle density plays a decisive role.  Both printers offer 18ppm mono and 12ppm colour print speed, and can produce a 4"x 6” photo print in approximately 62 seconds.  Photo Noise Reduction mode improves noise in dark and solid colour areas sometimes found on digital camera images, while Vivid Photo technology enhances colours particularly in areas of blues and greens.

Both printers also support a full range of specialist media offered by Canon including the newly introduced Photo Paper Plus, Semi Gloss (SG-101) & Glossy Photo Paper (GP-401).

Extra features
Thei455 and i475D will ship with software packages chosen to help users get the most from their printer. The i475D comes with PhotoViewer software, which allows images stored on a memory card to be viewed and selected via a PC.

Easy-PhotoPrint makes it easy to scale and apply photo effects to images. It also improves the quality of Exif 2.2-compliant digital images by making use of the additional information captured at the time the photograph was taken.

Easy-WebPrint simplifies the printing of Internet pages and reduces paper and ink waste by scaling the output so the entire page is printed even when it extends over multiple screens.

The i455 and i475D are fitted with a USB interface, and support all popular Windows and Mac operating systems.

* Addressable

The Bubble Jet i455 and i475D will be available from October 2003 for around ?79 and ?149 inc VAT, respectively.