Development objectives
In May 2001, Canon marketed the CP-10 compact photo printer (Photo 2) in an effort to create a culture of home printing that was unlike anything available for film photography. Following the CP-10, Canon produced several more models in the CP series, improving the printers' usability and functionality all the while.
Canon started a second series of compact photo printers with the launch of the SELPHY ES1 (Photo 3) in October 2006. This model featured a vertical design and used cartridges that contained both the ink and the paper.
The SELPHY CP770 (Photo 1), introduced in June 2008, is the latest model of Canon's CP compact photo printer series. The development objectives for the CP770 are described below.
• Design a photo printer, based on a brand-new design concept that melds seamlessly into the daily lives of people
Feature 1: New design
• Design concept
The scenario we envisioned for this design concept was a mother with young children who could casually enjoy printing photos together. Working from this assumption, we focused on completely eliminating any high-tech image from the design so the printer could blend into a family's daily life.
• Storage basket system
We wanted a way to allow the user to pack the printer, the ink cassette, the paper cassette, and other accessories into one container for easy transport between rooms or outdoors.
What we came up with is the storage basket system shown in Photo 4. The bright design will not look out of place in the living room of a family with young children.
The friendly shape of the basket appeals to the eye whether the printer is being used or not. And the mango-yellow coloring was selected to match the casual style of the rounded printer unit.
The partitions inside the basket can be easily adjusted to accommodate and protect ink cassettes, paper and paper cassettes, and the compact power adaptor (Photo 5).
• Safety considerations
We designed the basket without any sharp edges or protrusions to protect young children from injury. Furthermore, the basket's durable polypropylene material is quite unlikely to crack or split.
Feature 2: Excellent image quality
• Dye-sublimation prints with superb tone reproduction (maximum print resolution of 300 × 300dpi)
The CP770 uses a dye-sublimation print system that offers superb reproduction of tone gradations. The printer is capable of resolutions as fine as 300 x 300dpi.
Precise gradation regulation has been made possible that eliminates any effects of the ambient temperature.
• Auto photo adjustment
The CP770 adds face detection and partial contrast correction to the auto photo adjustment features found on previous CP models. These new features provide more natural looking photos.
The face detection algorithm has been specially tailored for the printer. It analyzes and optimizes the brightness of faces in the image while taking into consideration the overall brightness of the scene.
The partial contrast correction feature is able to adjust just those parts of the photo that have become dark, as frequently occurs in backlit scenes (Photo 6).
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• Adobe RGB support
The CP770 supports Adobe RGB, the standard color space of the printing industry. The printer automatically recognizes image data in Adobe RGB format and performs an optimal color conversion.
When the CP770 is used with the EOS 40D, EOS Kiss X2, or other Adobe RGB-supporting cameras, it is possible to process and print data in a more expansive color space.
• Overcoating for excellent longevity
The overcoat, applied immediately after printing, protects the photo from fingerprints and moisture as well as minimizes fading caused by light, particularly ultraviolet.
Overcoated photos can be archived for up to 100 years without significant deterioration (based on aging simulations*).
*Assuming the photos are stored in a dark location at 23°C with a relative humidity of 50%.
Feature 3: Rich functionality
• Printing directly from memory cards
The CP770 can print directly from leading memory cards (Table 1) in its card slots. When more than one memory card is inserted, the LCD monitor will display the selectable memory card types.
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• PictBridge/Direct Print support
The CP770 supports both the industry PictBridge standard and Canon's own Direct Print standard. The CP770 automatically makes a PictBridge connection when a PictBridge camera is attached.
A CP Direct connection is formed when a Canon camera that doesn't support PictBridge is connected.
• Array of print modes
The CP770 offers a number of printing options to suit different purposes, including bordered prints, borderless prints, image combination prints, and date/file number prints.
• My Colors support
The CP770 comes with the same My Colors function as found on digital cameras. This function allows the user to print after making color adjustments, such as changing the color balance or making a specific color in an image more vibrant.
The My Colors modes available are B/W, Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, and Positive Film.
• Red-eye correction
The CP770 can detect red eye in images taken with flash . When the printer detects red eye in an image, it automatically processes the image to correct the red eye before printing.
• Wireless printing
The CP770 supports wireless printing using Bluetooth, IrDA, or IrSimple.
For example, users can transfer photos taken with their camera phone by IrDA (IrSimple)* to the CP770 and print them straight away.
*Some models that support wireless communications cannot transfer photos.
• Quick prints in just 43 seconds
The CP770 can print L-size photos in as little as 43 seconds* thanks to print engine optimizations and faster image processing.
*From the start of the yellow printing pass to print ejection.
• Supports four paper sizes - L size, postcard size, card size, and wide size
Users can choose the paper size that best suits their purpose because the CP770 can handle four paper sizes: L size (89 × 119 mm), postcard size (100 × 148 mm), card size (54 × 86 mm), and wide size (100 × 200 mm).
• Handles full-sheet labels and 8-label sheets
Feature 4: Convenience and ease of use
• Simple operation
We used a simple button layout with three independent buttons - Print, Back, and Menu - to access the most frequently used operations so that anyone can easily make basic prints.
We also created a new menu screen after completely redesigning the user interface from the perspective of improving usability. Anyone can simply and intuitively operate the printer just by following the instructions on the screen (Figure 1).
For the first time on a CP series printer, the menu screen indications are given in Japanese. We aimed to improve the usability of the printer by adding text explanations to the icons used previously.
• Better DPOF printing operation
To improve the operation of DPOF printing, the CP770 has been designed so that a reminder message (Figure 2) appears when a memory card with DPOF settings is inserted in a card slot. Printing can be started directly from the DPOF print confirmation screen.
• Error messages show both cause and solution
Error messages (Figure 3) have been improved to show both the cause and the solution of the problem when, for example, the paper or ink is missing or the paper is jammed.
• 2.5-inch LCD monitor for image confirmation
Viewing images before printing has been improved by equipping the printer with a 2.5-inch TFT LCD monitor.
• New paper cassette design
The design and configuration of the paper cassettes have been completely rethought for easier and more intuitive operation. A tab on the top lip of the cassette makes opening and closing easier, and illustrations on the cassette explain how to use the cassettes (Photo 7).
• Battery operation for use outdoors or away from electrical outlets
A special battery pack can be used to power the CP770 outdoors or when an AC outlet is not convenient.
With a fully charged battery pack, the CP770 can make about 36 L-size or postcard-size prints or about 72 card-size prints.
• Seven display languages
The CP770 is the first CP printer to support multiple languages (Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese). The addition of these languages allows users in Japan whose native language is not Japanese enjoy more convenience from the printer.
This concludes our look at the CP770 compact photo printer this month. Table 2 provides the main specifications of the CP770, and Photo 8 shows the CP770 kit components. No suggested retail price has been set for the CP770.
Also on sale is the CP760 (Photo 9), the sister model to the CP770.