Looking Toward 2026 Pinnacle Awards Program, Canon Reflects on 2025 Wins

Each year, the Pinnacle Awards program recognizes the most innovative technology that is advancing quality, capability, and productivity across the printing industry. Presented by PRINTING United Alliance, these coveted awards signal to packaging and printing professionals that a piece of hardware, equipment, software, or other product will help them stay competitive in their market.

Here, Kiyoshi Oka, executive vice president and general manager, Marketing Strategy Unit at Canon U.S.A., discusses their Pinnacle Award wins from 2025, which include Canon Bag in a Box Inks for varioPRINT iX Sheetfed Inkjet press in the Digital Inks — Industrial and Packaging category, imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 in the Roll-to-Roll Aqueous (Under 80˝) category, and Canon Colorado M5 in the Roll-to-Roll UV (Under 80˝) category. His insights shed light on what this recognition means for the company and the broader industry.

Why are the products deserving of a Pinnacle Award?

Oka: Each of these products was designed to address real-world production challenges while helping customers operate more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably. The Colorado M5 exemplifies this by combining high productivity with UVgel technology, white ink capability, and FLXfinish+, allowing printers to produce mixed matte and gloss applications in a single pass while scaling performance through its modular design.

The imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 won a 2025 Pinnacle Award in the Roll-to-Roll Aqueous (Under 80˝) category. | Credit: Canon

The imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 delivers exceptional image fidelity through its LUCIA PRO II pigment ink system, built-in color calibration, and intelligent media handling. At Canon, our customers are our most important stakeholders, and our R&D efforts center on what would most tangibly help them succeed. These features help photographers, fine artists, and designers achieve consistent, accurate output while simplifying workflow and reducing reprints.

Bag-in-Box Inks for the varioPRINT iX represent a meaningful advancement in non-output technology. By transitioning from 5kg plastic bottles to 10kg bags in cardboard boxes, Canon reduced plastic use by approximately 60% per kilogram of ink. This enables longer run times, cleaner operation, and fewer ink changeovers.

Together, these innovations reflect Canon’s commitment to continuous improvement across print ecosystems. We’re thrilled to have been recognized, as it is a testament to our focus on advancing technology to offer real-world solutions.

Was this your first time entering the Pinnacle Awards program? If not, what keeps you coming back?

Oka: Canon has participated in the Pinnacle Awards program for many years, and what continues to bring us back is the program’s focus on practical innovation that advances the industry. The Pinnacle Awards recognize how products perform in real production environments. This aligns closely with Canon’s development philosophy.

Each submission reflects extensive collaboration with customers and partners to refine technologies that improve efficiency, sustainability, and output quality. Our primary focus is to advance with purpose. Whether it is reducing plastic waste through Bag-in-Box Inks, improving operational visibility and color accuracy with the imagePROGRAF PRO-2600, or enabling scalable growth through the modular Colorado M-series, these entries represent purposeful advancements rather than incremental change.

Participating in the program allows Canon to benchmark its solutions against evolving industry needs and reinforces our commitment to delivering technologies that help print service providers remain competitive today while preparing for what’s next.

Canon Bag in a Box Inks for varioPRINT iX Sheetfed Inkjet press won a 2025 Pinnacle Award in the Digital Inks — Industrial and Packaging category. | Credit: Canon

What does winning a Pinnacle Award mean to Canon?

Oka: Winning a Pinnacle Award is meaningful validation that Canon’s customer-driven innovation is delivering measurable value. Being recognized across both output and non-output categories reinforces the importance of designing solutions holistically, from hardware and inks to workflow and sustainability.

For Canon, these awards affirm our approach of continuously improving existing platforms rather than standing still. Bag-in-Box Inks demonstrate how incremental changes can deliver significant sustainability and operational gains. The imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 and Colorado M5 show how advances in image quality, automation, and scalability help customers expand applications and improve productivity.

Ultimately, a Pinnacle Award confirms that Canon’s investments in technology are aligned with what printers need most.

What value do you see in the Pinnacle Awards program for the printing industry?

Oka: The Pinnacle Awards program plays an important role in highlighting technologies that move the printing industry forward in meaningful ways. By recognizing products that improve efficiency, quality, and sustainability, the program helps printers identify solutions that can deliver long-term business impact.

The awards also encourage manufacturers to innovate with intention. This is the epitome of excellence in our industry, and we treat our applications as such. Submissions are evaluated on how products improve production environments, reduce waste, and streamline operations in a real way that will enhance customers’ experience and business. This focus benefits the entire industry by elevating standards and rewarding solutions that address real customer needs rather than theoretical performance.

For print service providers, the Pinnacle Awards offer a trusted benchmark for evaluating new investments and understanding where innovation is delivering tangible value.

Are you planning to enter again in 2026?

Oka: Our primary focus is to continue innovating and to further develop new technology that advances our customers’ ability to excel in their fields. Since awards are affirmations of success in our mission to support our customers, with the Pinnacle Awards being of the highest echelon, yes, Canon plans to continue participating in the Pinnacle Awards program. Innovation is an ongoing process, and we see the program as an important platform to share how our technologies continue to evolve alongside customer needs.

As production demands increase and sustainability expectations continue to rise, Canon remains focused on advancing print solutions that deliver efficiency, reliability, and scalability. Participating in future Pinnacle Awards allows us to demonstrate how continuous improvement across hardware, consumables, and workflow supports customer success and helps shape the future of the printing industry.