Printer for Canvas

[Isaac11]

Hello Guys !

I have a shop of Custom Product on a Mall Center like Phone Case, Mug, Pillow...
I will need some advice to buy a 44" Printer for Canvas.
I made some calculation and I am Printing 100 square meter per year of canvas.
But the Matter is I do not use each day the printer... Sometimes I will Print only 1 Canvas per week
Sometimes I will print 20 Canvas per week.
My customers don't need high printing quality (like Photographs) but they need average quality.
Why I'm here because i'm looking for a printer whose Printer heads will not be clogged.
Thanks for your future advice

[bill t.]

Canon just introduced this stripped-down version of their iPF8400 specifically for commercial uses like yours.  Six colors instead of twelve, but I'm sure the prints are great.  You would probably be better off with aqueous banner media, rather than canvas.  That's what is usually used in point of sales applications because of low price and scratch resistance.

https://www.itsupplies.com/Canon-Imageprograf-iPF8400SE-6-Color-44in-Wide-Format-Printer-8572B002AA

[Isaac11]

First thank you for you quick answer.
My main business is to sell canvas and do you think this printer will be good for canvas media or is it only good for poster ?
Thanks

[bill t.]

If have printed more than 2300 square meters of canvas with my 8300 and have had no trouble from the printer.  All problems relating to printing canvas were with the canvas itself.

Canvas is normally coated or varnished, and the inks in Canon printers are not compatible with certain types of canvas if you use a paint roller to spread the varnish.  However, that is not a problem if you spray the coating, then you can use any kind of canvas.  All kinds of canvas printed on Epson printers (and possibly also HP printers) can be coated with a roller.

However, for the 3 Epson printers I have used I would typically have to spend 1/2 hour or more cleaning the printheads for every 3 or 4 square meters of printed media.  That was very annoying.  With my 8300, I spend only about 4 hours per year on printhead issues and maintenance.  With the right canvas, the 6 ink Canon would work very well in your application with very little maintenance.  My 8300 has been used almost every day for over 3 years and it's still as good as new.

[Isaac11]

I see huge difference between price of the IPF8400 SE on ITSUPPLIES and other website
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1034353-REG/canon_8572b002aa_imageprograf_ipf8400se_44_large.html Here it's $4,495.00
Do you think I can find canvas that doesn't need Coating for this printer ? Because I will not have enough space and time to coat. Also customers never ask for coating.

[bill t.]

I don't know why there is such a big price difference.  Maybe it's a mistake.  Call itsupplies and ask, they are a very good and reputable supplier.

Some glossy canvases like Breathing Color's Crystalline canvas claim to not require coating.  It's a very colorful, very rich looking canvas.  But I personally would not even consider releasing prints that were not coated.  It's all comes down to business decisions.  If you want to sell uncoated canvas, then you should tell your customers that they must be very careful with handling it, and they must never use household cleaners like Windex anywhere near it.

[Kirk at ManageColor]

Coating is for permanence and scratch protection. Coating is recommended/suggested. If you are doing average print quality at reasonable cost then you don't need to coat them. Any canvas that works with the printer is ok and does not have to be coated. If it ever becomes an issue you can carry the coating spray in cans and sell them to your customers to do it themselves.

[Isaac11]

I ask itsupplies and they told me that is the real price !
Now what I'am afraid to don't have the good settings and Profil to print on canvas because there is nothing on breathingcolor.com

[howardm]

Don't see your printer listed? Contact us
Email: support@breathingcolor.com
Phone: 866-722-6567

[Isaac11]

Thank you
I already sent an email !  

[crwoo]

If you NEED a 44 inch printer, perhaps you should buy a 60 inch, no?

my iPF8400 often stands for a few weeks without usage, no problem.

[Isaac11]

I don't have enough space to put an 60" Printer at my shop.
I try to download the printer driver for the iPF8400SE to see if they offer Canvas media when printing
I didn't find so I'm afraid that it will be difficult to print on canvas
Any advice ?
Thanks

[bill t.]

There is a manual listed for download on the Canon Europe site, I don't have time to read it.

From your original post I inferred you wanted to print point of sales graphics for your shop.  You should look also at the iPF8400S, which has 8 inks and is known to be about equal to the eight-ink Epson 9800 and 9880 which were recently the industry standards for both reasonably accurate photo imagery and for nozzle clogs.

The 8400se is a CMYK + red printer.  It has both photo black and matte black inks, so I assume it could print on any media, but the results might not be up to fully professional standards for photo imagery.  It is probably better at being colorful than at being photographically excellent.

If you're at a consumer level on your canvas prints, the 8400se results may be well within the range suitable for typical consumer jpeg files, but pros may not be impressed.

When a new printer comes out there's always a period of confusion about its capabilities and potential problems.  It's best to let the dust settle before buying.

[Isaac11]

Just received my new brand IPF8400SE ! 
I'm very happy with printing on canvas !
I can't find the Plug-in for photoshop on IPF8400SE... I think there is no plug-in for this printer but some website promote this plug-in.
https://www.canon.com.au/~/media/Product%20Brochures/Printers/ImagePROGRAF/Canon_imagePRO_iPF8400SE_Specifications_Brochure.ashx
On software specification : Print Plug-in for Photoshop