Brian Sims Principal Consultant, Metis Print Consultancy, www.metis-uk.eu 40 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk May / June 2024 - Issue 348 Maximum speed 40 m/min Substrate width 340mm Colours CMYK + W Resolution 2,400 x 1,200dpi Statistics need, the LabelStream LS2000 can print with the process set CMYK and if needed a white which can add great opacity to any label. The application of this base undercoat of white ink can be used for transparent substrates or when applied on solid materials, it has the effect of greatly improving the vividness of the colours laid on top. All this technology, be it new inks or inkjet heads, clearly needs back office systems within the printer to keep the hardware and printed products at the highest and most productive levels. For colour, the LabelStream LS2000 has an onboard spectrophotometry which will keep the printed copy within the required standard in a closed-loop system and adjust where needed on the fly. It can self-calibrate when needed and has the capacity for ICC profile creation. As you would expect from Canon the user interface is simple and easy to use, and any calibration or colour adjustment can be done by someone with little or no colour management expertise The head itself also has onboard technology to automatically keep the nozzles and ink ways in top condition but there are also manual controls should the user feel an intervention is required. Flexibility is Key So much for the inkjet heads and inks, but this is only half the picture. What can the LabelStream LS2000 print on and how quickly can it do it? Referring back to the market for this printer, the substrate list that the LabelStream LS2000 can process comprises a wide range of self-adhesive label materials from coated to synthetic paper and films which should mean any number of new markets could be available should you have this printer. The width of the substrate is up to 340mm, and reel to reel and the processing of whichever substrate you need to use is up to 40m/min when printing in CMYK mode. The combination of inks and substrates positions the LabelStream L2000 in a very good position to tackle the opportunity presented by short to medium production runs needed but coupled with the high print quality now being taken for granted on consumer products. It goes without saying that the machine itself has been well engineered from an aesthetic point of view. Simple user interfaces are built into the long white printer itself. Access to the web and printheads is through transparent windows or panels making the operation of the machine simple and trouble free. The machine will be available to endusers in Europe in 2025 but it will no doubt generate great interest as it is likely to be a main focus point of the Canon stand at drupa later this year. UNDER THE HOOD / CANON LABELSTREAM LS2000
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