CHICAGO-Sept. 6, 2001-- Canon U.S.A., Inc., the U.S. market share leader in color laser copier/printer solutions for the last 14 years in a row, announced today the new CLC 1100 model as part of its CLC 1100 Series line of color laser copier/printers. The CLC 1100 produces full color output at 8.5 pages-per-minute (ppm), and black-and-white output at 42 ppm, and sets new benchmarks for entry-level price/performance with a base unit U.S. suggested retail price of $19,900. The CLC 1100 targets a wide range of color users, from corporate to graphic arts applications, and can be used in production environments as a backup unit, or for proofing purposes. With this introduction, Canon Color award-winning technologies and features that were previously offered to mid-to-high range users are now available to the entry-level customer. "With the introduction of the CLC 1100, Canon is responding to the growing use of color with a model that offers significant price/performance value at the entry-level point,'' said Mason Olds, director and general manager, Canon U.S.A. Graphic Systems Division. "As the undisputed leader in color, Canon will continue to embark on our winning combination of giving our customers what they want -- the right products at the right time to the right marketplace.'' Central to the CLC 1100's state-of-the-art color reproduction is Canon's Color Automatic Image Refinement (AIR) screening technology, which improves the resolution to 800 dpi x 400 dpi in appearance. A single step transfer system ensures that toner is transferred only once for each color, reducing the chance that any environmental factors will influence imaging. The CLC 1100 uses Canon's exclusive Finer Brighter Toner (FB-Toner), which is comprised of toner particles that are much smaller than conventional color copier/printer toners. With advanced mapping technology and FB-Toner, the CLC 1100 provides greater imaging accuracy. In addition to the reduced toner particle size, the brilliance of the toner has also been improved, expanding the color gamut of the CLC 1100 well beyond existing technologies. Enhanced Network Color Server Options The CLC 1100 will be sold as either a standalone copier, or as a fully networked copier/printer with the addition of color server options known as the Canon ColorPASS-Z40e and ColorPASS-Z600. Both color servers have been co-developed by Canon and Electronics for Imaging (NASDAQ: EFII. Canon ColorPASS-Z40e The PowerWise architecture of the ColorPASS-Z40e features an Intel Celeron 433 MHz processor, 128MB of RAM, and 6 GB Hard Drive. Windows NT is the resident operating system. The ColorWise 2 color management system comes standard on the unit, allowing the downloading of ICC and custom profiles and simulations to match the calibration of monitors, scanners, or other output devices. With ECT file compression technology, the ColorPASS-Z40e dramatically improves raster image processor (RIP) performance while delivering the total compression of large files without data loss. Canon ColorPASS-Z600 The Canon ColorPASS-Z600 is powered by a high-speed 1.0 GHz Intel Pentium III processor, a 40GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, an internal 250 MB Zip drive, and CD-ROM, all for transporting a wide range of files across virtually any network, platform, or application. Also featuring ColorWise 2 color management, the ColorPASS-Z600 has innovative features that are rarely found in its class, including tray alignment for simplex and duplex output, member printing for job accounting purposes, and pdf editing, for making late-stage corrections during a print job. Paper Handling and Document Finishing The CLC 1100 standard paper supply includes two cassettes that hold 550 sheets of 20 lb. bond or a whole ream of 28 lb. bond each, and a stack bypass that holds 250 sheets. An optional 2.5K paper deck is also offered for additional paper capacity. An optional 20-bin Stapler Sorter is available for stapling up to 30 sheets of letter size paper. Pricing and Availability The CLC 1100 and its optional accessories are available today through all Authorized Canon U.S.A. Dealers and Canon Business Solutions locations. The ColorPASS-Z40e has a suggested retail price of $7,495, and the ColorPASS-Z600 has a suggested retail price of $19,500.