The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 is one of the best professional photo printers for those who like to print at least some images at home.

Reliability and high-quality images are the names of the game in home printing. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 delivers on both.

There will be times when printing at home just makes more sense, whether you're a paid professional or a hobby photographer. It's easier at home when you want a standard-sized, high-quality photo printed on paper. (A specialty print shop will be better for large quantities, unusual sizes, or non-paper printing.) The key, of course, will be using a high-quality printer.

The imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 has a 17-inch wide-format professional printer that is Wi-Fi enabled. It utilizes 11 ink colors and Canon's celebrated Chroma Optimizer. 

Let's Talk Ink

The quality of the ink and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 utilization of the ink significantly influence image quality. It's what helps make this printer so exceptional.

Canon's professional printers use the Canon LUCIA PRO 11-color pigment ink system and Canon's Chroma Optimizer cartridge. The key is in the delivery system - it delivers denser droplet placement, providing a broader color gamut. That, in turn, offers much more accurate color, enhanced detail, and exceptional image clarity.

The newly formulated blue and magenta inks render even better colors with greater authenticity. Overall, you're getting great colors that are better than ever.

Canon's Chroma Optimizer is critical to the printer's overall excellence and is nothing short of remarkable. Basically, it fills in the bumps between ink droplets. That levels off the ink droplet height, enhancing the glossiness and flatness of the print surface. That means an expanded color gamut and improved black density. But that's not all it does. It also suppresses the Bronzing Effect, helping to enhance the appearance of black & white prints. 

Black Ink

Anyone trying to print an image or document only to find they're out of black ink has learned a lesson about its value. It is critical to accurate color representation. And it's not just any black; it needs to be the correct black.

This Canon's all-new Photo Black ink delivers deeper black tones and superior representation. Canon's new Photo Black allows for the perception of deep, precise details. There's no need to switch black ink cartridges between images, desired black ink types, or even paper quality. 

The imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 works fabulously with different media types. The printer has dedicated nozzles for its Matte Black and Photo Black inks, allowing you to easily switch paper types without interruption. 

Canon uses its proprietary Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology, producing speedier print speeds with less clogging. Microsensors monitor printing looks for clogs. If a clog is detected, another nozzle immediately and automatically provides backup. This reduces the need to clean nozzles and saves paper from being ruined due to clogging.

 Fun but Important Data

What's a printer without some data to define its performance? (Ok, maybe it's only data junkies that find numbers fun, but these numbers matter!)  

• Print resolution for color or black-ink-only is up to 2400 x 1200 dpi.

• It can produce a 13 x 19-inch print in about two and a ½.

• There are 1,536 nozzles x 12 inks = 18,432 nozzles and sensors to continuously monitor status.

• Ink droplet size is four picoliters per ink. A picoliter is one-trillionth of a liter.

• The print head is 1.28-inches wide for faster printing.

Software Accessories

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 includes a powerful plug-in called Print Studio Pro (V 2.0) to help your workflow. It has 16-bit image processing, soft proofing, and integration with the Digital Lens Optimizer included in Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP) image software.

The printer includes various other valuable tools like the Accounting Manager, which lets you track paper and ink usage. There's also a Color Calibration Tool and a Quick Utility Tool Box for printer management. 

Paper Matters

As you might expect, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 handles paper up brilliantly! How often have you printed a photo only to find the paper skewed? That shouldn't happen with this printer. There are vacuum openings at the top of the platen to hold the paper evenly as it feeds through the printer. 

The Canon Air Feeding System contains side-to-side and corner-to-corner skewing for even printing on the page. A consistent distance between the print head and the media allows you to use thick or thin paper without misfeeds or redos. 

It can print on paper up to 17 inches (43.2 cm) wide and 23.4 (59.4 cm in length). 

Printer Body

The printer weighs a substantial 70+ pounds in a relatively small body of 28.5 x 17 x 11.2 inches (72.4 x 43.2 x 28.4 cm). Set this baby up somewhere and leave it. This isn't a portable printer by any means. 

Its weight has some advantages - it helps reduce vibrations caused by moving parts. The weight also creates a stable body for the printing process.  

Price

This isn't a budget printer, but its short-term costs will outweigh the long-term costs of paying for professional prints that you can easily do at home. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Photo Printer costs $1299. We think this printer is well worth its price tag if you like to print at home.