Canon has developed material appearance image-processing technology that enables printing that faithfully recreates such material appearance characteristics as gloss, plasticity and transparency, qualities that change in appearance depending on the orientation of lighting or the angle from which an object is viewed. Material appearance characteristics are those qualities that determine an object's look and feel, such as gloss, plasticity, surface contours and transparency. The acquisition of this information, such as surface contours and reflectance, in addition to color data, is essential for reproducing an object's texture in photographs and other forms of printout.

Canon's material appearance image-processing technology makes use of multiple Canon digital cameras, which are used to capture images of the target object, facilitating the digitization of such material appearance information as subtle surface contours and gloss. The digitized material appearance information is then used to faithfully reproduce the material appearance properties of the original object using a (UV-curable) printing technology that is optimally controlled in accordance with its print characteristics.

UV-curable is an inkjet printing technology uses UV-curable inks, which instantly dry and adhere to surfaces when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Canoc says that material appearance image-processing technology makes possible not only the high-definition representation of color characteristics, but also the printing of various material appearance qualities, such as those of metal, cloth and other materials. Additionally, as the technology is capable of faithfully recreating the material appearance characteristics of the original target object, it can be used to reproduce historically significant oil paintings and other valuable cultural properties.

Next-generation imaging devices

Canon is also developing a Cinema EOS System 8K camera and professional-use 8K reference display that will support the production of next-generation 8K video content, along with a still-image single-lens reflex camera equipped with a CMOS sensor featuring approximately 120 million effective pixels.

Through the further enhancement of the Cinema EOS System 8K camera and professional-use 8K reference display under development, Canon aims to contribute to smooth production workflows, facilitating not only the input and output of 8K video content, but also such processes as 8K to 4K down-conversion and 4K cropping.

The Cinema EOS System 8K camera being developed will be equipped with a Canon Super 35 mm-equivalent CMOS sensor that makes possible high-resolution 8,192 x 4,320 pixel (approximately 35.39 million effective pixels) imaging performance even at a frame rate of 60 frames per second with 13 stops of dynamic range and a wide color gamut. Additionally, featuring a body size that realizes outstanding mobility and a design that delivers operability, along with an EF mount that offers compatibility with Canon’s interchangeable EF lens lineup, the camera will support diverse shooting styles and means of visual expression.

Incorporating Canon image-processing technology, the ultra-high-resolution 8K reference display currently under development will achieve high brightness, high contrast (high dynamic range) and a wide color gamut. Additionally, with a pixel density exceeding 300 pixels per inch, a level approaching the limit of human visibility, the display will make possible ultra-realistic imaging that enables the reproduction of subtle changes in light that were previously not possible.

Featuring a resolution of approximately 120 effective megapixels, the SLR camera now being developed will incorporate a Canon-developed high-pixel-density CMOS sensor within the current EOS-series platform, which will realize compatibility with the company’s interchangeable EF lens lineup. The high-resolution images that the camera will be capable of producing will recreate the three-dimensional texture, feel and presence of subjects. The camera will facilitate a level of resolution that is more than sufficient for enlarged poster-sized printout while also enabling images to be cropped and trimmed without sacrificing image resolution and clarity.