The distributor revealed the details of the eight-colour ColorPainter H-104s and H-74s printers at its Maidenhead showroom last week (11 December).

Its 74in and 104in models can print up to 55sqm an hour in eight-colour operation, which is claimed to output at nearly twice as fast as rival machines.

Both printers can outlay at up to 100sqm in four-colour mode, using eight super-wide piezo inkjet heads, which can print at resolutions up to 720dpi.

Colourgen managing director Jeff Biggs said the machines "take performance to a new level".

He added: "The printers deliver extremely high-quality output at speeds that no other printer of a similar class can get anywhere near."

The ColorPainter printers come specified with either eight colours with one head per colour or four colours with two heads per colour, offering maximum image quality or productivity respectively.

Each machine incorporates Smart Pass technology, which is said to offer optimum print quality with smooth gradients.

"Seiko II has also made major advances with the mild-solvent inks, opening up a greater range of applications for the ColorPainter range," said Biggs.

The ColorPainter H-74s and H-104s will be available in the UK from January with prices expected to start at £42,950 for the H-74s with the H-104s retailing for £57,950, excluding VAT.