Brian Coombs · Director, Product Planning & Marketing · Canon ·  PRINTING United 2025

At Printing United Expo in Orlando, Wayne from INKISH speaks with Brian Coombs, Director of Business Strategy at Canon, about the company’s strong presence at the event and the world debut of the new Colorado XL.

Brian explains that the show has exceeded expectations. “The response has been tremendous,” he says. “We were told there might be more than 28,000 attendees, making this one of the biggest Printing United events ever. The interest and engagement have been fantastic—it’s a great opportunity to spend time with customers and show them what’s new.”

Canon’s booth—the largest at the show—centers around the launch of the Colorado XL, a 3.2-meter hybrid printer that marks a major step forward for the company. “We officially announced the product at the end of September, but this is the first time it’s being shown publicly,” Brian explains. “This isn’t just a larger Colorado M series—it’s been completely re-engineered for higher-volume production, greater durability, and broader applications.”

The Colorado XL features Canon’s proven UVgel technology, now reformulated to print on both flexible and rigid materials. “The UVgel concept remains the same,” Brian says, “but we’ve optimized the chemistry for hybrid use so it can deliver consistent quality across substrates.”

A key strength of the new system is its modularity. “We’re offering two main versions,” Brian explains. “The XL7R is roll-to-roll only, while the XL7H—the one we’re showing here—is hybrid. The real advantage is that customers can start simple and scale up. They can add features like white ink, dual-roll capability, or hybrid tables later on. Some upgrades can even be done remotely via license activation. It’s designed to grow with the business.”

Feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’ve had constant traffic at the booth,” Brian says. “People are excited about the flexibility and performance. It’s the most customizable large-format platform we’ve built so far.”

Asked about orders, he adds, “This demo unit is for internal use, but yes—we’ve already received multiple orders. The interest level has been excellent.”

Reflecting on the event itself, Brian notes the strong sense of momentum. “Having everything in one hall keeps the energy up,” he says. “It’s been a great experience here in Orlando, and I’m confident that next year in Las Vegas will be just as successful.”