News Release

Canon and Heidelberg Announce Global Co-operation in Sheetfed Inkjet Printing

Drupa, Düsseldorf, Germany, 27th May 2024—Canon and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), technology leaders in inkjet and sheetfed offset printing respectively, today announce their global sales and service co-operation in inkjet printing, with a joint focus on supporting commercial print businesses striving to establish hybrid offset/digital production to meet changing print buyer needs and increase their capability to handle shorter runs of more diverse jobs. HEIDELBERG will expand its technology portfolio by introducing an own inkjet product family based on the newly announced Canon B2 sheetfed inkjet press and the well established B3 sheetfed inkjet press. Both presses will be integrated into the HEIDELBERG Prinect workflow; Service and Saphira Ink will be delivered through HEIDELBERG.

Akira Yoshida, President & CEO and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Canon Production Printing Holding B.V, comments: “Canon has channeled significant energy and investment to develop its leading inkjet technology and give customers in the commercial printing industry a clear vision of their future. HEIDELBERG boasts a unique heritage, an extensive customer base and in-depth knowledge of the needs of commercial print businesses. We are confident that our collaboration with HEIDELBERG will accelerate the move to blended offset/digital production and enable transformative innovation for many more offset print businesses worldwide.”

Dr. David Schmedding, Head of Sales of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, comments: “We are confident that Canon is the ideal partner for HEIDELBERG to support our customers with best-in-class inkjet press technology, backed by deep expertise in digital applications and business development. Our aim is to offer print shops that operate sheetfed offset and digital presses simultaneously an attractive and integrated service and product portfolio. That’s why we’re excited to be able to offer our customers innovative industrial inkjet presses integrated in our Prinect workflow to gain flexible and cost-effective autonomous production.”

Currently more than 650 Canon B3 sheetfed inkjet presses have been successfully adopted by customers worldwide, giving them increased flexibility and agility to produce a broad spectrum of shorter-run work efficiently and profitably. Building on this track record, the new Canon B2 sheetfed press promises ideal levels of digital productivity, quality and media versatility for industrial customers when it becomes available.

The new HEIDELBERG inkjet portfolio is being shown on the Heidelberg stand in Hall 1 at drupa 2024 (Düsseldorf, Germany, 28 May—7th June). Visitors can see a technology animation of the new B2 sheetfed inkjet press on the Canon stand in Hall 8a, and the press is slated for availability in Q4 2025.

About Canon Production Printing

Canon Production Printing develops and manufactures high-tech printing products and workflow software for the commercial printing market as a company within the Canon Group, a global provider of imaging technologies and services. Canon Production Printing operates on three continents, with approximately 3,000 employees (end 2023) and has its global headquarters in Venlo, the Netherlands. Its product offering includes continuous-feed and cut-sheet printers for high-volume printing and publishing as well as large-format roll-to-roll and flatbed printers for display graphics and CAD/GIS applications. Selected flexible packaging applications have also been added to the portfolio. Since the foundation of the company, the desire to continuously innovate has always been in its DNA. Canon Production Printing is committed to investing and promoting growth in commercial printing, one of the four businesses, alongside network cameras, medical, and industrial equipment, that will underpin Canon’s future. Further information about Canon Production Printing is available at cpp.canon.

About HEIDELBERG

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft (HEIDELBERG) is an innovative technology company with a leading position in the global printing industry. As a reliable and highly innovative partner, we have been synonymous with quality and future viability for more than 170 years. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and innovative business ideas, we shape the future trends in the printing industry. We also use our technology expertise to successfully position ourselves in new business areas such as e-mobility. At the same time, we examine where we can tap new markets on the basis of technological synergies and production- specific features. Our core business is oriented toward the needs of our customers in our target markets of packaging and label printing as well as special and commercial printing. The focus is on increasing the productivity of the entire value chain by digitizing and automating the necessary process steps, particularly with solutions in the areas of robotics, artificial intelligence, and software-based workflow management. HEIDELBERG is the leading provider of sheetfed offset machines, a technology used in the production of high-quality, high-volume printed products. In addition, the Company has also expanded its position in flexographic printing for the packaging market and in digital label printing in recent years. Further information about HEIDELBERG is available at www.heidelberg.com.