Designed for graphics arts applications such as signage, photography and fine art production, the latest machines use Canon's Lucia Ex inkset across the entire range.

According to Canon, the Lucia Ex inks provide a wide colour gamut, "expressive" blacks and a high level of scratch resistance.

The manufacturer has also introduced "hot swap" technology to the range, allowing users to replace ink while printing to avoid interruption to production.

The 12-colour ImagePrograf iPF6400 and iPF6450 models replace the company's existing iPF6300 and iPF6350 machines.

Offering a 24" (610mm) print width, both machines can print at a maximum resolution of 2,400 x 1,200dpi.

The iPF6450 features an optional spectrophotometer that is claimed to enable stable and consistent colour production while Canon's new Calibration Link enables the user to centrally control colour management of the ImagePrograf in multiple sites.

Canon has also replaced its existing 44" (1117m) iPF8300 model with the new iPF8400, which increases internal HDD storage to 250GB.

Brand new to the series are the 60" (1524mm) iPF9400 and iPF9400S models that offer 12-colour and eight-colour output respectively.

In addition, the manufacturer has developed a new Photoshop plug-in that includes a layout function with automated size adjustment for ideal gallery wrap production.

Canon used last week's Photokina 2012 show in Germany to showcase the new machines.

Last month, Canon unveiled two new additions to its ImagePrograf series of wide format printers for technical and architectural applications, the iPF760 and iPF765.