Hi everybody,
I hope y’all doing great and welcome back to the blog with yet another Episode of Bring your images to life.
In the last episode I introduced the Canon imagePROGRAF TA-20, which is one of Canon’s latest and greatest large format printers, directed towards smaller businesses and first time large format printing users. I covered most of the specifications and the ease of the overall setup process last time. So if you haven’t already, make sure to check it out here.
In this episode we are having a closer look on the flexibility when it comes to printing with the TA-20. This printer is able to deal with a lot of different printing scenarios and you’ll be surprised how easy the overall handling of different media types is. So without further ado, let’s get start right away.
Good news: This blog post is also available in German here.
Mounting paper on the TA-20
First things first, this printer is a beast when it comes to mounting options of various media types. Being a large format printer, you’re able to mount paper rolls up to 24 inches, while the device itself is one of the smallest options on the market. Next to paper rolls, you can of course mount single sheets of paper as well. Most of today’s large format printers are very laborious when it comes to loading or even switching media types on the fly. Not so with the imagePROGRAF TA-20, as Canon did a perfect job with the roll holder in combination with the menu system on the touch screen.
One click on the Load paper button on the screen will bring up a step-by-step guide on how to load a roll for printing.
The holder itself slides out smoothly and after releasing the lock via the holder stopper lever, you’ll be able to slide on a roll of your choice. After locking the stopper and sliding the holder back into the printer’s holder slots, you just need to insert the edge of the roll into the feed slot and you’ll be ready to go.
Loading sheets instead of a roll is as easy with the TA-20. The roll holder stays in place, attached to the printer and acts as a support for the loaded sheet. Again you start by hitting the Load Paper button, but this time followed by Load cut sheet or Replace cut sheet. Follow the instructions on the display, load the sheet into the feed slot and you’re all set for printing.
Regarding paper types which are supported by the TA-20, you won’t be disappointed at all. Canon’s new imagePROGRAF printer supports a sheer endless list of types, including different kinds of plain papers, coated papers, photo papers, proofing papers as well as CAD-dedicated types. A whole list of supported medias can be found here.
The imagePROGRAF TA-20 features all kinds of finesse, when it comes to making printing as easy and as flexible as possible. You’re even able to keep track of the amounts left on paper rolls via a very smart barcode technology provided by the TA-20. Furthermore, the printer cuts prints from the roll automatically and several cutting methods can be defined by the user via the menu as well. So far, the TA-20 truly is a fun device to work with, as it is super easy and straight-forward when it comes to the overall user experience, even for beginners. Gone are the days where maintaining such a device is a stressful and time consuming process. The Canon imagePROGRAF TA-20 leads into a new era of user oriented printing devices, offering flexibility one could only dream of a few years ago.
Printing borderless with perfect results
While printing with borders should be fine for most scenarios, including Fine Art photography prints, a professional printer shows its true capabilities when it comes to borderless printing. Throughout my years as a photographer, I’ve seen plenty of printers fail in this regard, either completely, by not even offering borderless printing at all, or by not being consistent when it comes to the final results. The more print jobs fail in this regard, the more waste of ink and paper as well as money and time you’ll have.
From what I could see during my testing period with the Canon imagePROGRAF TA-20 though, it is very reliable when it comes to borderless printing. In fact, this is true for all Canon imagePROGRAF printers, thanks to Canon’s advanced Air Feeding System, which keeps the paper flat and in perfectly place during print. Furthermore, Canon is known for their high precision nozzles and rich features when it comes to paper type and position detection technology. Without going too much into detail here, you definitely can put your mind at rest when it comes to borderless printing and perfect results with the TA-20 in general.
Producing weather-resistant prints
One further feature of the Canon imagePROGRAF TA-20, which once again sets it apart from the competition, is its ability to create weather-resistant prints. Yes, you read it correctly: Weather-resistant!
The TA-20 features a special kind of water-resistant pigment ink, provided via the 5 high-quality LUCIA TD cartridges, which by the way can be swapped during printing in case one of it runs empty.
Being able to print weather-resistant offers all kinds of possibilities, especially when it comes to producing flyers or posters, which will be placed in tough, wet environments, like i. e. on exterior walls of buildings.
Of course you’ll need a fitting paper type for this scenario, but don’t worry: They guys at Canon got your back, i.e. with their high quality Water Resistant Adhesive Matte Polypropylene 290gsm paper. In combination with the TA-20 your prints will brave the elements, not matter the weather.
Alright everybody, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this episode about the Canon TA-20. In the next episode we will have a closer look at some of the amazing software packages Canon offers for their imagePROGRAF printers and why these are super useful in combination with the TA-20.
In the meanwhile, feel free to drop me a mail or direct message on Instagram at any time, as I’m always happy to help you guys and love to have a good chat with like-minded people in general.
Thanks for following along and your constant support!
Talk soon,
Chris