When was the machine launched and what market is aimed at? Canon’s DreamLabo 5000 was premiered at a glitzy event in Germany earlier this month, but it won’t be commercially available in Europe until early 2012. It’s aimed at what Canon describes as "wholesale photo finishers" looking to switch from silver halide technology to digital, but the company is keen to highlight its commercial applications. "There’s no doubt that if you have a digital press and you’re looking to bolster that with premium quality, then the DreamLabo is totally appropriate," says Chris Gould, director of production photo printing at Canon Europe.

How does it work? The DreamLabo uses Canon’s thermal Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology, similar to that found on its Pixma range of consumer printers and the imagePrograf wide-format machines. However, it has woven the heads into the 305mm-wide high-density array that enables a resolution of 2,400x1,200dpi. The duplexing web-fed press comes with an onboard RIP and trimmer, enabling it to process 600dpi 8-bit RGB files, which it converts to 2,400dpi, and output trimmed prints. The machine offers a double ink tank system for on-the-fly replenishment and a standard double magazine paper feeder, which can be upgraded to a quadruple system. It uses a seven-colour inkset, CMYK plus photo magenta, photo cyan and grey and, according to Katsuichi Shimizu, Canon managing director and chief executive for inkjet products operations, it boasts an optical density of 2.2, which "is beyond that of HP Indigo or even Heidelberg".

What’s its USP? At first glance, it’s print quality, pure and simple. While Canon claims that not only is its image quality "overwhelmingly superior", it also says the fact that it’s designed for 24/7 operation, with only two or three hours of scheduled maintenance required each week, will prove another strong selling point. One limiting factor, however, is that it can only run four types of specially developed photo stocks right now. "That’s not to say it’s a closed system, paper manufacturers can submit papers for testing and also get advice on coating," says Gould.

How quick is it and what’s the quality like? In the commercial print world there’s no doubt that speed is the machine’s Achilles’ heel, especially when compared with rival machines (see Alternatives). But the DreamLabo was not bred to be a racehorse; it’s focused on quality rather than speed. Equally, Canon says that DreamLabo’s key rivals use silver halide technology and in that world, the machine’s apparently modest speed is fairly respectable.

How easy is it to use? In theory, it should be very easy – the machine is primarily designed to be used by photolab technicians, so automation was a key aspect of its development. "There is competitive advantage in the way the machine operates, for example, like the auto-start function and the inline colour calibration," says Gould.

What training and level of support can users expect? Hard to judge as the machine’s not even in beta yet, but because it utilises well established technology, Gould is confident that when the machine launches next year "it will have the weight of the whole Canon infrastructure behind it".

How much does it cost and how many are installed? Exact pricing for Europe is yet to be finalised, but Gould predicts it will sell for circa €420,000. Canon is unlikely to reveal running costs before September, but Shimizu hints that in terms of cost-per-page the DreamLabo is unlikely to be the cheapest. However, he stresses that when compared to rival digital technologies that require laminating or coating to achieve the all important photo gloss, costs may balance out. "What we’re presenting is opportunity. We’re giving users the tool to access new revenue streams and we’re giving them an advantage," adds Gould.

SPECIFICATIONS
Speed 16.6 duplex A4 pages per minute (40x 6x4" photos/min single sided)
Max resolution 2,400x1,200dpi
Min print size 89x89mm
Max print size 635x305mm
Substrate range 165-275gsm
Web width 127-305mm
Footprint 3.4x1.6m (4.1x1.6m with optional quadruple magazine system)
Weight 2.5 tonnes
Price €420,000 (£366,000)
Contact Canon UK 01737 220000

ALTERNATIVES
HP Indigo 5500 The DreamLabo’s key rivals are the high-end silver halide systems, but in the digital field, its foes are commercial engines with photo applications and key among these is the Indigo 5500. At 68 A4ppm it’s substantially faster than the DreamLabo and matches its resolution. It comes with four colours as standard, but this can be expanded up to seven colours and HP makes much of its optional SmartStream Photo Enhancement package.
Price from £355,000
Contact HP 01344 363368

Kodak Nexpress SE2500 The 83ppm, 600dpi machine comes with an intelligent calibration system and the option of a fifth imaging unit for special effects or clear coating for spot or flood gloss or matt effects. However, it’s worth noting that in June the company will launch the Nexpress Photo and SX platforms, which have the photo markets squarely in their sights.
Price from £398,000
Contact Kodak UK 0870 8500 204

Xerox iGen4 With a top speed of 110 A4ppm, the iGen is the fastest of the rivals highlighted and over five times as fast as the DreamLabo. It has inline spectrophotometry, offers 600x4,800dpi and comes with the option of inline UV varnishing.
Price from £350,000
Contact Xerox 0870 873 4519