Canon has used the FEFCO Technical Seminar 2025 to announce the launch of the Canon corrPRESS iB17, a next-generation inkjet press engineered for industrial-scale corrugated packaging production.
Capable of digitally printing up to 8,000 sqm per hour (15 million sqm per year), the company says the corrPRESS iB17 will deliver offset-like quality directly onto corrugated boards up to 1.7m wide with water-based inks and primer for indirect food contact. The automated corrPRESS iB17 enables cost-efficient short- to medium-length runs with ultra-fast turnaround times and requires fewer operators and lower skill levels.
Building on Canon’s proven expertise and experience in commercial digital printing and following the development roadmap presented as a concept at drupa 2024, the Canon corrPRESS iB17 will address the evolving needs of corrugated converters that face increasing pressure to deliver shorter runs with more variants, faster turnaround times and premium quality, and all without compromising cost efficiency.
Supported by automated printhead cleaning and quality control systems, the press minimises operator intervention while maximising production efficiency. The system’s design also reduces waste through efficient print on demand and eliminates the use of printing plates and chemicals. Unlike conventional technologies, the corrPRESS iB17 does not produce contaminated water, which then has to be filtered or released into the wastewater system.
Featuring Canon’s proprietary, high-performance, 1200 dpi piezo printheads and specially formulated, water-based pigment inks and primer, which provide an extended colour gamut with CMYK and later OVG, the corrPRESS iB17 achieves pre-print offset-like quality in the post-print process. The system also uses an advanced spot primer that ensures optimal ink adhesion and colour reproduction across the full range of corrugated materials. The ink is jetted onto the board immediately after the primer application without any drying in between, minimising the impact of drying on the board and contributing to a highly reliable production process.
Duncan Smith, Country Director, Production at Canon UK & Ireland, commented, “Corrugated converters face rising demands for shorter runs, more variants and faster turnaround without compromising quality or cost. We’re thrilled to now announce the Canon corrPRESS iB17; it marks a major milestone in our journey to becoming a key player in the packaging industry and we’re especially excited that EMEA customers will be the first to benefit from this innovation. Although we’re new to corrugated, we bring many years of collaborative innovation from industrial-scale commercial print and will combine our digital expertise with converters’ value-chain knowledge to drive progress in packaging together.”
