MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that it is the proud recipient of four Pinnacle Product Awards for its Colorado 1630 UVgel roll-to-roll printer and its Arizona 1380 GT, Arizona 2380 GTF and Arizona 2380 XTF flatbed printers, and two Pinnacle InterTech Awards for its Canon UVgel 460 Ink technology and Canon Arizona FLOW technology, as determined by PRINTING United Alliance.

Open to all PRINTING United Alliance supplier members, this year's Pinnacle Product Award competition evaluates products that are, or will be, available for sale in 2021. A highly qualified panel of judges from across the printing industry evaluated the annual contest's 160+ entries in more than 58 categories spanning analog, digital, output and non-output technologies.

Pinnacle Product Award Winners 2021

Colorado 1630 winning best Roll-to-Roll UV (under 80 in.)
Arizona 1380 GT winning best UV/Latex Flatbed +White ($100K-200K)
Arizona 2380 GTF winning best UV/Latex Flatbed ($200K-500K)
Arizona 2380 XTF winning best UV/Latex Flatbed +White ($200K-500K)

"This juried competition represents the best of the best among commercial hardware, software, consumables, and industrial and screen equipment, and judges are basing their decisions on objective criteria," said Ray Weiss, director, Digital Print Programs, PRINTING United Alliance. "Some of the categories were decided by tenths of a point—so fierce was the competition this year—and with outstanding entries like the Colorado and Arizona, the judges certainly had their work cut out for them."

The Pinnacle InterTech Awards recognize significant new technologies that improve or advance the printing industry with exceptional contributions in quality, capability, and productivity, and are predicted to have a major impact on the printing industry.

Pinnacle InterTech Award Winners 2021

UVgel 460 Ink - UVgel 460 inks' patented auto-gelling acts on contact with the media, allowing rapid ink coverage of the media for high productivity with superior color gamut not possible with evaporative ink technologies. Its flexible nature also combines the ability to produce stretchable output for vehicle graphics and soft signage with significantly higher chemical and abrasion resistance than competitive ink technologies. In addition, UVgel 460 ink's FLXfinish™ offers producers the singular ability to produce matte or glossy prints on the same media interchangeably.

Arizona FLOW Technology - New Arizona FLOW technology significantly changes the way print producers are able to use flatbed printing systems, allowing any size or shape media to be placed anywhere on the table without regard for vacuum zones or concern about vacuum leaks, saving significant time and effort, and allowing several new working methods. Producers can now print contour-cut, unusually-shaped media or multiple, smaller boards across the table without sealing the table vacuum system. An alternative approach to the highly successful Arizona high-vacuum flatbed architecture, Arizona FLOW technology greatly reduces or even eliminates the need for masking open areas of the flatbed vacuum table, enabling quicker job setups.

"We are honored to have our products and technologies recognized by PRINTING United Alliance for their significance and innovation," said Shinichi Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "These awards exemplify our continued commitment to developing innovative technology that helps our customers meet ever-changing demands and challenges in today's print market. We congratulate all 2021 recipients."