The commercial printing industry continues to face relentless pressure to deliver higher quality output on tighter deadlines, forcing businesses to find a delicate balance between the robust volume of offset printing and the agile, short-run capabilities of digital technology. Responding to this critical market need, Canon has announced a significant expansion of its production portfolio with the impending commercial launch of two new sheetfed inkjet presses, the varioPRESS iV7 and the varioPRINT iX1700. These machines are engineered to provide commercial printers with a definitive and streamlined pathway for migrating shorter-run jobs from traditional offset equipment and less efficient digital devices. By doing so, Canon aims to empower print service providers to unlock new levels of operational efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and confidently produce a wider array of premium applications that meet the evolving demands of their clientele. This strategic move reinforces the company’s decade-long presence in the sheetfed inkjet sector, signaling a clear intention to shape the future of production print.
A New Generation of Inkjet Technology
The High-Volume Powerhouse varioPRESS iV7
Engineered as the new flagship for high-volume production environments, the B2-format varioPRESS iV7 is poised to make a substantial impact on the digital printing landscape. This press is a testament to raw productivity, boasting an impressive printing speed of 8,700 B2 sheets per hour, which translates to a remarkable monthly capacity of up to 4.5 million B2 images. These figures position the iV7 as a direct challenger to traditional offset for short- to mid-volume runs, where setup times and waste can cripple profitability. Canon is specifically targeting the most demanding segments of the industry, including large-scale commercial print service providers (PSPs), high-traffic online printers, and producers of books and magazines. For these businesses, the combination of high productivity, exceptional print quality, and extensive media versatility offered by the iV7 represents a transformative opportunity. It enables them to take on a greater variety of jobs, from high-end marketing collateral to short-run publications, without the economic penalties typically associated with frequent plate changes and press make-readies on offset equipment. This press is designed not just to supplement existing workflows but to fundamentally redefine them for greater agility.
The strategic introduction of the varioPRESS iV7 is intended to establish a new benchmark for performance and quality within the highly competitive digital B2 segment. By delivering consistent, offset-like quality at industrial speeds, the press directly addresses the core challenge that has historically limited the adoption of digital technology for certain high-value applications. Its advanced engineering ensures that PSPs no longer have to compromise between speed and fidelity. Furthermore, the iV7’s ability to handle a wide range of media types and weights grants printers the flexibility to expand their service offerings and pursue more creative and profitable projects. This versatility is crucial for online printers who must cater to a diverse array of customer demands and for book producers looking to economically print limited-edition runs or on-demand titles. By facilitating a seamless migration of work from analog to digital, the varioPRESS iV7 empowers print businesses to optimize their production floors, reduce operational costs, and respond with unprecedented speed to the market’s insatiable demand for customized, timely, and high-quality printed materials.
Efficiency and Quality with the varioPRINT iX1700
Complementing the high-volume prowess of its larger sibling, the varioPRINT iX1700 is a B3-format sheetfed press meticulously designed for the realm of efficient, high-quality short-run production. This machine is optimized for monthly volumes ranging from 300,000 to 2 million A4 images, operating at a brisk pace of up to 170 A4 images per minute. Its target audience includes both commercial printers handling a diverse mix of small jobs and in-house print departments that require professional-grade output with rapid turnaround times. In these environments, the ability to quickly switch between jobs, minimize waste, and maintain consistent quality is paramount. The iX1700 excels in this niche, providing a reliable and cost-effective solution for producing applications such as direct mail, brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials that demand both visual impact and production efficiency. By filling this crucial gap in the market, the press allows businesses to profitably accept jobs that might otherwise be impractical, thereby enhancing their service offerings and strengthening their competitive position in a crowded marketplace.
A cornerstone of the varioPRINT iX1700’s exceptional performance is its new Qualinx technology, a sophisticated integration of novel and proven Canon innovations cultivated across the company’s global research and development centers. This proprietary technology suite is the driving force behind the press’s ability to deliver consistently high-quality output run after run. Qualinx encompasses advancements in ink formulation, printhead design, and image processing algorithms, all working in concert to ensure sharp text, vibrant colors, and smooth gradations on a wide variety of substrates. For commercial and in-house printers, this level of reliability is non-negotiable, as it directly impacts brand integrity and customer satisfaction. The development of Qualinx underscores a deep understanding of the daily challenges faced by print providers, offering them the confidence to produce premium-quality applications without the extensive calibration and manual adjustments often required by other digital systems. It represents a significant step forward in making top-tier print quality more accessible, automated, and dependable for short-run production.
Strategic Market Impact and Portfolio Integration
A Comprehensive and Scalable Portfolio
The arrival of the varioPRESS iV7 and varioPRINT iX1700 does more than just add two new machines to the market; it completes a strategic vision for a comprehensive and highly scalable product family. These new presses will join the well-established varioPRINT iX3200 and iX2100 models, creating what is now one of the industry’s broadest and most versatile portfolios of digital sheetfed inkjet presses. This expanded lineup provides a solution for nearly every conceivable production need, spanning from modest entry-level volumes of 15,000 A4 images per month all the way up to the industrial-scale capacity of 4.5 million B2 images offered by the new iV7. This remarkable breadth offers print businesses a clear and logical technology upgrade path. A small print shop can begin its inkjet journey with a lower-volume model and, as its business grows and its needs evolve, seamlessly transition to a more powerful press within the same familiar ecosystem. This scalability eliminates the disruption and steep learning curves associated with switching vendors and technologies, fostering long-term partnerships and ensuring that a business’s print capabilities can grow in lockstep with its success.
A Glimpse into the Future of Print Production
The announcement of these two presses, with commercial availability slated for the second quarter of 2026, has already solidified Canon’s commitment to leading the industry’s transition toward more agile and efficient production methods. Prospective customers were given an exciting preview of what this technology can achieve, with demonstrations scheduled to begin at Canon’s Customer Experience Centre in Venlo, The Netherlands, in January 2026. This move was widely seen as more than a simple product launch; it represented a clear and decisive step in blurring the lines between traditional offset and digital inkjet printing. The introduction of the iV7 and iX1700 provided print service providers with powerful new tools to not only meet but anticipate the demands of a market that increasingly values speed, personalization, and quality. Ultimately, this expansion of the sheetfed inkjet lineup signaled a pivotal moment, empowering printers with the versatile, scalable, and fully supported solutions they needed to navigate the evolving landscape and secure a profitable future.
