Designed for photography and fine art, the new imagePROGRAF PRO line features the newly developed LUCIA PRO II pigment ink designed to help improve the image quality from previous models while also enhancing resistance to light. Improved black density on art paper was achieved by changing the formulation and material of matte black ink, the color gamut of the dark region was expanded by the adoption of a newly designed image table. The new ink set can also work to help produce and preserve prints as a crystalline wax has been added to the ink, giving the printed surface better resistance to abrasion-caused scratches on glossy and semi-glossy media. The reformulated Chroma Optimizer is designed to give the surface a clear coat of transparent ink that helps suppress bronze phenomena and helps reduce uneven glossiness.
I certainly hope that since they are marketing this as an improvement in longevity, they actually sponsor Wilhelm to do his assessment on it. Of course when that gets published, could be a year or two down the road.
As I am looking to replace my much loved 8300, the main questions are how much did Canon improve the ink longevity -- as the old inks are just not good enough in that respect for me to sell prints made with them as "Archival" IMO, and what will the the Epson response.
I wonder if the new inks will work in the older 4000 and 4100 printers?
I have been informed by Canon South Africa that they will not work in the older printers!
They said there was some firmware change related to enabling blacker matte blacks. So new inks probably need new code and there's little incentive for them to try to reprogram the old printers. Also they probably have physically changed the inks to prevent misinstallation into printer expecting other one.
. However, the money is in the ink and if they worked on the older printers that would really drive ink sales. Plus, it would make it easier for Canon to manufacture and stock only one type of ink.
