Canon Colorado M and XL Series - Media Management

These printers use a controller-side media list that can be managed from CalderaRIP. Media synchronization runs automatically in the background, so any changes made in CalderaRIP, such as creating, editing, or deleting media, are transmitted to the printer immediately.

Media Workflow

Based on Canon Colorado’s official documentation, the media management workflow for these printers is as follows: 

1. Configure media in the RIP: Download and install a media profile, and manage the profiles in the RIP. This article focuses exclusively on this first step.
2. Prepare media for printing: Load media roll in the media drawer, a core on the roll winder, and calibrate your media.
3. Print with or without winding: Print without winding or tape media to the take-up roll core to wind media, with or without a tension bar.
4. Cut and unload media: Cut media and unload a roll from the winder and the media drawer.

Media Configuration in EasyMedia

From the EasyMedia module, after selecting your Canon Colorado you will see an interface with action buttons to create, duplicate, delete, or edit media profiles (1), and a list of available supports and their categories (2).

Create or Duplicate Media Profiles

Main Settings tab

• Name: Name of your media used in the Print module.
• Cost per m²: Enter the cost of your media (per square meter). If you ignore it, click the Compute… button.
• Compute…: In the window that appears, first enter the roll width and selects its unit (m, cm, mm, inches, or feet), then enter the roll length and select the corresponding unit, and finally enter the cost.

Parameters tab

• Horizontal compensation (%): We recommend not to modify this. Any deviation is likely to be mechanical on the printer's side.
• Vertical compensation (%): This can be useful if you detect an increase or decrease in the length due to heating or media tension which is common when printing on vinyl or textiles for example. To calculate the compensation, click Compute and follow the software’s instructions.

• Category: Category of media types with the same properties, used as a template when you create media. For instance, “textile” or “thin paper”. This field is automatically filled with the category you have chosen from the Media available on the printer window.
• Controller Version: In some cases, you can choose the firmware or the controller version of your printer.
• Automatic Advanced Correction (feed adjustment): You can choose between Off, Normal, Enhanced, or Structured Media. If activated, a yellow ink marker will be printed as a guide to correct media step inaccuracy.
• Tight winding: Start printing on media before it needs to be taped on the output winder. You can select No tension bar, Locked tension bar, or Tension bar.

• Winding strategy (R4.4.2 and above): This parameter allows you to configure a value between 0 (looser) and 5 (tighter) for each media project.

    Info

  In roll-to-roll printing, the winding strategy determines how the printer controls the tension and winding of the media as it is being printed. This can affect the print quality, media handling, and overall printer performance. Please consult Canon's documentation for more information.

• Automatic media advance (automatic media jogging): Check the box if you want to protect media laying against marking from engine pinches.
• Support cutter: With this setting, the media can be cut per sheet at the end of the printing process. Checking the box enables the function. It can be helpful to disable it when working with heavy media such as banners.
• Requires manual loading: Enable or disable the automatic loading.
• Moist protection (sensitivity): Select a number between 0 and 5 to set the timer that retracts media in the drawer to protect it from humidity when not used (0 disables the function).
• Outer core diameter (mm): By default, the value is set to 79 mm but you can select a number between 76 and 200 mm. Fill in this value to have the most accurate remaining length of your media.
• Media thickness (µm): The value must be set between 50 and 800 µm. The printer uses this value if the media thickness is not calculated during calibration. If, during calibration, the printer gets a measure, this value will be overridden.
• Advanced media step calibration (Self-Adhesive Vinyl, SAV, setting)
• Suitable for side edge detection: By checking this box, width and skew detections can be achieved.
• Print gap. You can choose medium or high for the margin between jobs.
• Use white markers. You can choose between regular and white (automatic crop marks use CMYK or White).

Vacuum Power tab

• Vacuum Power (5 zones): Type a number between 0 and 100 to adjust vacuum power.

Installing a Downloaded Media Profile

Profiles for your Canon Colorado can be migrated from another model, downloaded directly through the Canon graphiPLAZA community, or requested from our technical support team.

1. From EasyMedia, click on your Canon Colorado printer.
2. Now click on the Import... button. A small window will appear; click on Install Patch.
3. A pop-up will appear, in which you will have the opportunity to locate the corresponding media profile. Click on Load:
   
4. Another pop-up will ask you to confirm which profiles you want to add. You can view only those profiles that will work on your printer or all those included in the profile patch. You can also select and install only some of them, or install the whole list. Click on the corresponding option:
   
5. A final message will appear to let you know that the installation has been successful. Click OK.

Delete Media

For deleting media, you have two options:

1. To delete one or a couple of media types, you can just click on the Delete button of EasyMedia. This will automatically remove the media from the printer too (Operator Panel, Media, Media type).
2. To delete all media types, click on Printer Media... (more details on this button in the next chapter). Another window will appear with three buttons at the lower part: click on Delete all Printer Media.

Synchronization with the Printer

Normally, media is synchronized automatically between EasyMedia and the Colorado controller in the background. If necessary, you can instead use the Media List configured directly on the printer.

1. From EasyMedia, click Printer Media…. A window will open showing the media list configured on your printer, which should match the media list in your RIP:
   
2. Now, you can use one of the four functions available:
   • Delete: Allows you to delete the selected media/calibrations individually.
   • Delete all Printer media.
   • Export all Media from RIP to Printer: This can be used if you connect a new printer to CalderaRIP and want to use the same profiles.
   • Import all Media from the Printer to RIP: This can be used if you connect to CalderaRIP a printer with existing media.