CHICAGO---May 6, 2003-- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. and a leader in networked imaging solutions, today announced several significant product additions and new features for the Canon imageRUNNER product line and for Print On Demand (POD) environments. The new additions, including magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) printing and the Bourg Perforating Rotating Folding Unit (BPRF) for Canon imageRUNNER 110 and imageRUNNER Pro 150+, will be unveiled at the Canon Digital Solutions Forum 2003, an annual showcase of the Company's technological leadership and strategic vision being held throughout a 100,000+ square foot exhibit at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, May 6-7. "Canon is extremely pleased to bring to our customers an ever expanding array of technology suited for high production requirements," said Dennis Amorosano, director and assistant general manager, Canon U.S.A. Integrated Business Systems Division. "Through the implementation of these new products, customers can significantly impact throughput, be more productive, and support a wider array of On Demand applications." MICR Printing Canon is expanding its capability to support transactional, On Demand print applications through the delivery of the imageRUNNER 110M. Using interchangeable toning stations and MICR font security the imageRUNNER 110M is equally adept at handling both MICR printing applications such as checks, coupons, rebates, and financial documents while also supporting standard On Demand applications. Offering the same functionality and accessory support as Canon's existing imageRUNNER 110, the imageRUNNER 110M offers significant flexibility in meeting diverse customer application needs. The new imageRUNNER 110M is expected to be available in June 2003 at a suggested retail price of $235,000. BPRF For use with imageRUNNER 110 and 150 Pro+ engines, the C.P. Bourg BPRF module enables 2-up printing for in-line perfect binding, transforming sheets of paper into signatures by a process of perforation rotation and folding for bound books. It helps to eliminate paper waste, reduces per page charges and doubles productivity in producing small size books by increasing the number that can be produced per hour. Supporting 8.5 x 11 inch and A4 paper sizes, the BPRF is also capable of supporting paper sizes up to 11 x 17 inches. The C.P. Bourg BPRF is expected to be available during the third quarter of 2003. New In-Line Punching Tool A productivity enhancing accessory for the imageRUNNER 110 and 150 Pro+, the In-Line Puncher unit supports multiple, interchangeable punch tools for varying customer applications. The newest punch tool supports the creation of rectangular holes designed for plastic comb finishing applications such as those typically found with training materials and calendars. Available in June 2003, it has a suggested retail price of $8,000. ImageSmart 2.2 Version 2.2 of ImageSmart Document Mastering Software provides users with a simple, fast and reliable workflow tool for boosting productivity in digital prepress environments. Based on standard PDF workflow, ImageSmart 2.2 delivers new job setup and workflow capabilities including the enhanced SmartBoard 1.2 plug-in for taking advantage of imageRUNNER 110, 110M, and 150 Pro+ device features, and a new tab creation and enhanced image editing tool. * Through the use of ImageSmart 2.2, users can significantly improve document "make-ready" and production workflow, driving greater job throughput and performance. * ImageSmart 2.2, a free upgrade for existing customers, will be available in June 2003.