Honored in Flatbed Rigid Substrate UV Category

TRUMBULL, Conn., Oct. 25, 2012 — (PRNewswire) — The Oce Arizona^® 480 GT printer was given the Product of the Year Award in the Flatbed Rigid Substrate UV (<$200K MSRP) category, the sixth year in a row that a model of the Oce Arizona Series has been honored with this award since the product line began shipping in 2007. The award was presented at the Specialty Graphic & Imaging Association's (SGIA) annual convention and exposition held October 18-20 in Las Vegas, NV.

The Product of the Year Awards compare output from competing devices using a common test file designed by SGIA. The prints are reviewed by a panel of judges, each with a background and expertise in digital printing and imaging. The judges look for color appeal, detail and tonality, and the output is also judged on how closely it matches the test print.

The entry image was processed using ONYX^® Thrive^™ Oce Edition print workflow software, a scalable print production solution based on Adobe^® PDF Print Engine technology. ONYX Thrive software manages the wide format print production workflow process offering print service providers accurate, predictable, high quality printing results, and reducing costly errors.

Latest member of the Oce Arizona Series family

The Oce Arizona 480 GT printer made its worldwide debut on the same day it won this award. This model – along with its larger counterpart, the Oce Arizona 480 XT printer – offer even more application versatility and production efficiencies. New features in these models include:

• Eight independent ink channels with support for varnish or double-opacity white ink printing, including additional cyan and magenta channels for higher print quality at faster speeds.
• Active pixel placement compensation for optimum image sharpness, density and uniformity over the entire printing area - both flatbed or across roll media with the Roll Media Option.
• Precise vacuum system, configured to match the majority of standard-sized graphic arts media.
• Batch mode operation for streamlining multi-layered jobs or facilitating set collation.

The Oce Arizona 480 GT and Oce Arizona 480 XT models fit in the product line between the Oce Arizona 360 Series and the Oce Arizona 550 Series in terms of productivity.

Nine Product of the Year Awards in Six Years

The Oce Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have been consistently honored by the SGIA organization. In 2006, the year of the original Oce Arizona 250 GT printer's introduction, it won the Vision Award, which is given to an exhibiting manufacturer whose new product has the best chance of positively impacting the digital imaging industry. The decision was based on the product's relevance to the market, potential industry influence and prospective value to the product's end users.

Since then, Oce Arizona Series models have received the following Product of the Year Awards:

• 2007:  Oce Arizona 250 GT, Output Device Rigid Substrate UV
• 2008:  Oce Arizona 350 GT, Honorable Mention, UV Cured Rigid
• 2009:  Oce Arizona 350 XT, Rigid Substrate UV >$200K MSRP
• 2009:  Oce Arizona 350 GT, Rigid Substrate UV <$200K MSRP
• 2010:  Oce Arizona 550 XT, Flatbed Rigid Substrate UV (>$200K MSRP)
• 2010:  Oce Arizona 550 XT, Flatbed Rigid White Ink UV (>$200K MSRP)
• 2010:  Oce Arizona 550 GT, Flatbed Rigid Substrate UV (<$200K MSRP)
• 2011:  Oce Arizona 360 XT, Flatbed Rigid White Ink UV (<$200K MSRP)
• 2012:  Oce Arizona 480 GT, Flatbed Rigid Substrate UV (>$200K MSRP)

Highly acclaimed flatbed printer series

All Oce Arizona Series printers – including the new Oce Arizona 480 GT model – share the same award-winning image quality and robust architecture, offering the Oce values of quality, reliability, productivity and user-friendliness. Since 2006, Oce Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have earned 31 industry awards to date from organizations throughout the world. These awards help validate the quality and innovation built into every Oce Arizona Series printer. More than 3,350 systems have been sold to date placing this series at the forefront of the UV flatbed printer market.

About the Oce Arizona Series of UV flatbed printers

Oce Arizona Series printers – including the Oce Arizona 318 GL, Oce Arizona 360 GT, Oce Arizona 360 XT, Oce Arizona 480 GT, Oce Arizona 480 XT, Oce Arizona 550 GT and Oce Arizona 550 XT models – are quite simply a technology disruption:  UV curable flatbed and roll-to-roll inkjet printers that deliver exceptional image quality to take display graphics to the next level. Customers can use them to add new services by printing photo-quality images on virtually any media imaginable and taking on work that was never before possible with other printing systems, thereby giving users numerous opportunities to increase display graphics revenues.

Oce Display Graphics Systems

Oce Display Graphics Systems is a leading provider of professional, wide format solutions for indoor and outdoor color display graphics applications. Oce solutions are specifically designed to enhance the revenue and profit opportunities for service providers by combining hardware with workflow software and the expertise to help companies expand into digital large format color. From extremely high-quality UV flatbed printers to roll-based printers and advanced finishing systems, Oce offers a total solution including hardware, software, imaging supplies, applications expertise, hardware service, support and financing. Customers benefit in working with a full-service partner they can count on to help their businesses grow.

About Oce

Oce is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Oce offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Oce is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Oce customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Oce is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. Oce North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL.  For more information, visit www.oce.com.

Oce and Canon: Stronger together

In 2010 Oce joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 198,000 employees worldwide. Global net sales in 2011 totalled USD 45.6 billion. Visit the Canon Inc. website at www.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2011* and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2012. In 2012, for the ninth consecutive year, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers' Choice Award for Service and Reliability. Committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, Canon U.S.A. provides 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A. , sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss .