Luscious colors, deep blacks for giant photos and art prints
The Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100 ($1,299.99) is an updated version of the Canon imagePrograf PRO-1000, which was introduced in 2016. We liked it so much back then that it earned our Editors‘ Choice award for C-size (17-inch paper width) professional photo printers. The PRO-1100 offers a few hardware-based improvements, including enhanced Wi-Fi and the ability to print on paper up to 129 inches long. However, the most significant improvements are linked to the new Lucia Pro II inks. The PRO-1100’s blacks are deeper and richer than with the PRO-1000, and the wider color gamut opens up the contrast range and brings a heightened sense of dimensionality. Plus, the reformulated inks provide better scratch resistance and print longevity. Add it all up, and the Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100 is our latest Editors‘ Choice pick for professional-grade photography and graphic-arts inkjet printers, while the Epson SureColor P900 is an equally excellent wide-format printer and could be a better choice if you need to use roll paper.Design: A Big, Heavy Printer for Big, Gorgeous Photos
Given its price and capabilities, the PRO-1100 straddles the line between advanced hobbyists and professional photographers. It competes directly with the SureColor P900, our 2021 Editors‘ Choice pick for professional-grade photography and graphic-arts inkjet printers.
These two models are now close in their overall print quality. In its favor, the P900 supports roll paper, as well as sheet paper. The P900 is slightly smaller, weighs about half as much as the PRO-1100, and has a superior control-panel display. In its favor, the PRO-1100 has an impressive air-feed system that makes it easier to handle large photo papers. It also has anti-clogging technology that automatically swaps out blocked nozzles, and its inks are less expensive than the P900’s inks.
The PRO-1100 is a large and heavy printer, even taking into account that a certain amount of bulk is needed to handle 17-by-22-inch sheet stock. At 11.2 by 28.5 by 17.1 inches (HWD) with the trays retracted, the PRO-1100 requires a significant amount of table space. Factor in, too, that you’ll need to extend the forward-facing paper-out tray enough to catch whatever size paper you’re printing. Some thicker papers will require that you use the manual feed in the back of the printer. That paper input tray is angled more toward the back than the main paper tray, which will require that the printer be positioned a little further away from a wall or other obstruction.
The PRO-1100 weighs in at a backbreaking 71.4 pounds after the printhead and 12 ink cartridges are installed. It would be best to have two people, rather than one, lift this printer out of its box and onto a table or cabinet that can support its considerable bulk and weight.
How does the PRO-1100’s size and weight compare with the competition? It’s almost exactly the same size and weight as the previous PRO-1000, which sells now for $999.99. The SureColor P900 ($1,349) is the most direct 17-inch wide-format competitor in both price and target audience. It measures 7.8 by 24.2 by 14.5 inches. That’s a little smaller on all three dimensions compared with the PRO-1100. The P900 also weighs 35.3 pounds, which is about half the weight of the PRO-1100. Another potential 17-inch contender is the new Epson SureColor P5370. It measures 16 by 34 by 30 inches and weighs 117 pounds. Given its higher list price ($2,095) and even more substantial weight, the P5370 is less of a direct competitor for the PRO-1100 than the P900 is.
According to Canon’s technical specifications for the PRO-1100, it has a maximum resolution of 2,400dpi horizontally and 1,200dpi vertically. That may seem low if you’re not familiar with this class of photo printers. But compared with consumer-level printers that might have that same technical pixel resolution, the PRO-1100 is more exacting in the placement and amount of ink delivered to each of its dots. The replaceable PRO-1100 printhead has a total of 18,432 nozzles, with each of the 12 ink cartridges given 1,536 nozzles.
This model also has built-in sensors that check for any blocked nozzles. If it finds a blocked nozzle, it will automatically switch to another nozzle as a backup. And the PRO-1100 has an air-feed system that acts like a vacuum cleaner to pull in and secure the paper for a more consistent and accurate application of the ink droplets.
The PRO-1100 is equipped with two paper input trays: a top feed and a manual feed slot. The top feed can handle multiple sheets, as long as the sheets are of the same type and size. The manual slot, on the other hand, can handle only one sheet at a time. The number of sheets that the top feed can hold varies according to the type and thickness of the paper. Canon rates the top feed for 150 sheets of 8.5-by-11-inch plain paper, 20 sheets of 4-by-6-inch photo paper, 10 sheets of 8.5-by-11-inch photo paper, or one sheet of 13-by-19-inch or 17-by-22-inch photo paper. The top feed can handle paper with a maximum thickness of 0.
