2015 PhotoPlus Expo Recap and Observations

As I sit in my local coffee shop thinking about last weeks PhotoPlus Expo, I realize how fortunate I am. During my three days at the Canson Infinity booth, I talked with many students and friends and saw many familiar faces. It was great to hear about their experiences with printing, their photography projects, and how much they are enjoying Canson papers. It was also gratifying to hear how much they appreciated my help.

I admit it was difficult for me to write that last sentence, simply because I’m not comfortable calling attention to myself and my actions. But I want to acknowledge all of you who expressed your gratitude, and say that I am humbled by your feedback.

It keeps me focused on the things that truly matter and less worried about those things that don’t.

Next Generation Printers

I didn’t get to walk the show floor that much, but I wanted to highlight the new generation of printers from Canon and Epson. I got a chance attend a special event where Canon launched their new 17” wide printer, the Canon Pro-1000.

A successor to the Pro-1 (which I reviewed here), the Pro-1000 sports a new look and design. Notable features include anti-clogging technology, new plugin software that promises sharper prints, and newly formulated inks (Lucia Pro) with a richer photo black ink for contrast and increased shadow detail. The inks also have a larger color gamut than previous Canon printers.

It’s obvious this is Canon’s response to the Epson Surecolor P800 introduced earlier this year. It offers many of the same features as the Pro-1000, plus a few more. For example, Epson offers an optional roll feeder, which is great for printing panoramas. The new UltraChrome HD inks also offer extended permanence ratings, up to 400 years according to Wilhelm-Research.

While they are also roughly the same size, the Epson P800 weights about 27lbs (12kg) less than the Canon Pro-1000 – not an insignificant amount.

It’s an exciting time to get into printing when you consider the current printer technology that’s never been available before at this price point (app $1,000). I hope to get one of these printers soon, just have to decide which one!

For a broader scope of what the major highlights were at PhotoPlus, I recommend Kevin Raber’s excellent articles over on luminous-landscape: Day 1 and Day 2.

Common Questions

As always, I received many questions at the Canson booth. Probably the most common question was something like, “What’s the best paper for…?”

My answer is always the same – it depends on the image and what you want to convey as the photographer. There is no best paper for “black and white” or “landscapes.” As I explained in my last article, you choose a paper based on how it complements your vision.

Another common question was which printer is better, Canon or Epson. And again it’s virtually impossible to see the difference in quality from one to the other. They both make beautiful prints, and all of the prints on display in the Canson booth were made using printers from both manufacturers. Brand loyalty, pricing, and specific features are the deciding factors between the two.

Finally, many asked if Canson had any new papers. While there were no new papers, several papers have been renamed. BFK Rives is now known as Printmaking Rag. Arches Velin Museum Rag and Arches Aquarelle Rag are now Velin Museum Rag and Aquarelle Rag. While the names have changed, the paper and ICC profiles are identical.

Canson also has a redesigned website with improved navigation, resources, and informational videos made by yours truly.

Conclusion

I enjoyed the expo, and especially want to thank Canson Infinity for their support and friendship.

I’ll be writing a lot more about printing in the coming months as I develop some new advanced printing workshops. Stay tuned!

Questions or comments please share them below!