The Original is unbeatable

Always choose genuine Canon LUCIA inks instead of any non-Canon ink. Don't make any compromises on quality, so that you are always safe on the prints
The original is unbeatable always choose Canon LUCIA ink
Back to all Articles

Excellent ink for the finest print

Ink with superior quality is required for the inkjet printing process of the imagePROGRAF large format printing systems. Genuine Canon LUCIA inks have been specially developed in our laboratories for imagePROGRAF printing systems to meet the requirement for the highest print quality.

In practice, this means you can achieve brilliant colour reproductions, professional image quality and the finest lines in every possible area of application, thanks to the genuine LUCIA inks precisely matched with our printing systems.

Best Quality is the most important

Only high-quality and tested raw materials are used in production of Canon LUCIA Ink, which guarantees maximum consistency and quality thanks to a unique composition and optimal production conditions. Thorough testing procedures ensure consistent quality of printing, in which you can fully rely on.

All imagePROGRAF printers use full pigment inks which is stronger than dye, in terms of resistant to UV or ozone. Therefore, prints using Canon pigment inks will last for relatively longer time without noticeable fading.

In addition, LUCIA pigment inks are humidity resistant and guarantee a perfect appearance even outdoors. Prints using Canon water resistant media with LUCIA ink achieve excellent weather resistance without lamination for up to 6 months, ideal for eyecatching outdoor applications.

People discussing the advancements of genuine Canon Ink at a glance.

Advantages of genuine Canon Ink at a glance

  • Genuine Canon ink formulation
  • Highest printing quality
  • Tested and approved by Canon
  • Canon printer guarantee high colour consistency
  • Wider colour gamut
  • Vivid and punchy colour expression on fluorescent colours, thanks to new fluorescent pink ink in GP-series
  • Exceptional colour vibrancy with the special colours ink, orange, red, violet and green
  • Microencapsulated pigments enable increment in pigment density, enhancing rich colour expression and image clarity
  • Pigment ink particles remain near to surface, achieving bold and more expressive various colour expressions
  • Finest lines and details with high clarity
  • Chroma Optimizer (CO) enables fantastic tonal gradations and suppress bronzing to achieve real dark density and faithful colour expression
  • Prints are more weather resistant, using Canon Genuine ink and water resistant media

Sharp lines and fonts with genuine LUCIA TD inks

LUCIA TD ink includes two types of black inks with different surface tension. Matte Black (MBK) ink with high surface tension enables minimal spreading of ink droplets, and pigment remains near the surface. This is suitable for producing crisp lines and dense text with minimal feathering.

Illustration of sharp lines and fonts with genuine LUCIA TD inks
Illustration of Canon lines and texts with clear boundaries.

Lines and texts with clear boundaries

When it comes to the edge between black and colours, LUCIA TD with 2 types of black ink, places black ink (BK) with lower surface tension between colour ink (low tension) and MBK ink (high tension) to reduce bleeding. So lines & texts with clear boundaries can be produced.

The unauthenticated formulation of non-Canon ink is not tailored to Canon's imagePROGRAF printing systems and often does not contain the same composition. Some ingredients and substitutes not being authorised by Canon may potentially result in less-sharp text, lines, and graphics reproduction, making prints imprecise and fuzzy overall.

With the Canon LUCIA pigment inks, a product with highest promising quality with consistency, the microfine ink droplets are placed precisely on the media by the print head, immediately bond with the surface - nothing runs or smears!

Supreme print quality with the finest nuances

This unique ink formula of the LUCIA PRO inks with microencapsulated pigments allows increment in pigment density, enhancing rich colour expression and image clarity.

Chroma Optimizer (CO) which is used when printing on glossy/semi-gloss paper, optimally controls the light that determines the colour appearance in order to faithfully express the original colours, especially for blacks without blurring.

Illustration of Canon's Supreme print quality with the finest nuances.

No compromises, Quality counts

Thanks to the LUCIA pigment ink, the Canon superior print heads create micro-fine droplets of 4 or 5 pico-litres in size for a particularly detailed print image - this corresponds to 4 to 5 billionths of a milli-litre of ink. The particularly high-quality LUCIA inks from Canon are perfectly matched to the print heads of the imagePROGRAF printing systems, so that the inks always pass the extremely fine print nozzles smoothly and ensure a flawless print result.

Whether you produce banners, signs, posters, photographs, fine art prints or technical drawings, only in combination with genuine Canon inks can you fully benefit from the quality of Canon imagePROGRAF large format printers.

Colour accuracy – guarantee only with Canon genuine ink

The best quality of the prints results from the perfect application of ink after prior calibration on a print medium defined by an ICC profile. The ICC profile informs the printing system about the properties of the print medium and controls the colour-accurate application of ink by the print head. Canon creates the ICC profiles for Canon print media in countless laboratory tests with the imagePROGRAF printing systems - of course only with the genuine LUCIA inks. If you choose non-Canon ink, there is no guarantee for colour reliability and exemplary prints.

That is why document authenticity is also important for you

Prints with Canon LUCIA TD genuine inks are particularly resistant to aging and counterfeiting. These properties are the focus of investigations by the Paper Technology Foundation (PTS). A large number of mechanical, chemical, optical and thermal tests are carried out for PTS certification.

These were mastered with flying colours by the imagePROGRAF large format printer together with the genuine LUCIA pigment inks, the printing media from Canon and the certificate for the production of originals, the execution and certified copies of notarial deeds in accordance with 12 DO Not was issued.

The guarantee for document-proof prints: imagePROGRAF, LUCIA genuine inks and print media from Canon.

The guarantee for document-proof prints: imagePROGRAF, LUCIA genuine inks and print media from Canon

With the interaction of the imagePROGRAF large format printing systems, the original pigment inks and the appropriate printing media from Canon guarantees that a document will not age easily or become unusable even after many years and is therefore document-proof. And every user who uses genuine Canon inks and media benefits from this experience. The independent tests prove that the genuine materials are compatible with each other and guarantee a perfect print result - even if you don't necessarily have to or want to print in a document-proof way. There is not such a guarantee on the quality of the prints when you use non-Canon ink.

Excellence until last drop

Canon’s imagePROGRAF printers are designed to use every last drop of ink. So when it’s time to replace the tank, you can be absolutely sure that no ink remains inside, you are not paying for ink which won’t ever get used, most importantly, this is also environmental friendly.

The printing system enables insertion of the ink tanks in completely and fill up the sub-ink tanks. Thanks to its "hot-swap" technology, it allows ease changing the ink tanks during operation. This user-friendly feature is particularly efficient and unique in the market.

Canon imagePROGRAF printer provides excellence until the last drop.

Highest print quality with genuine Canon LUCIA ink

Non-Canon Ink

Canon Genuine LUCIA ink

What you need to pay attention to

  • Prints with less attractive colours and graphics, imprecise texts and lines
  • Unauthenticated ink formulation is not tailored to imagePROGRAF printing systems
  • Unauthorised ingredients and substitutes

What you can count on

  • Prints with brilliant colours, even gradient and razor-sharp lines
  • Unique ink formulation perfectly matched to imagePROGRAF printing systems
  • High-quality and authentically approved raw materials

Disadvantage for the printing system

  • Possible risks to the print head due to overheating or too high boiling point of the ink
  • Damage to the print head and clogging of the print nozzles due to unauthentic ink usage
  • Possible contamination of hoses and intermediate tanks due to unknown / unauthorised ink composition
  • Size of ink tanks might vary and might not be able to fit into the printer perfectly, sometimes can lead to leakage and not the best functionality

Advantage for the printing system

  • Hassle-free print production thanks to perfect and suitable ink temperature, so no overheating of print head
  • Normal print head life span printhead guarantee with 1 trillion droplets placement of ink perfectly on the print media
  • LUCIA genuine inks act as a care treatment for printing systems, giving hoses and ink tanks a decent service life
  • The best functionality and perfect fit of the ink tanks ensure smooth production

Disadvantage for printing results

  • Feathering and bleeding might occur, leading to unsatisfying prints, as lines and texts are not as sharp as expected
  • Prints might not be PTS certified
  • Prints for outdoor applications are less durable comparatively, due to less weather resistant
  • PANTONE calibration is not guaranteed with non-Canon inks

Advantage for printing results

  • Presentation of sharp edges, precise lines and fine text, thanks to both MBK and Black ink, with suitable surface tension which reduces feathering and bleeding
  • Document authenticity guaranteed by PTS certificate
  • Weatherproof and durable prints with full pigment inks and water resistant media
  • Highest colour accuracy with iPF GP series, which are PANTONE certified

Why take risks?
...... choose genuine ink to secure the quality

  • Non-Canon ink with unauthorised ingredients might not only lead to unsatisfying printer results, but also can possibly damage the print head and clog the nozzles, which shortens the consumables’ life span
  • Using Canon genuine inks ensures consumables can be used under a normal life span
  • While printing with Canon genuine inks, the finest lines are pin-sharp on paper, images are always having professional quality, bright colours with consistency secured. Document authenticity for archiving your prints is guaranteed. However, it might be difficult to achieve this if you use non-Canon ink.


When it comes to reliability and colour security, you can count 100% on genuine Canon inks. Our imagePROGRAF GP printers are PANTONE certified and prints with LUCIA pigment inks show precise colour representation with minimal variations.

Why take risks? ...... choose genuine ink to secure the quality
Recognise the original

Recognise the Original

Choose genuine Canon inks to ensure you‘re on the safe side. Always purchase the ink from reliable suppliers and look for the unique colour-changing hologram featured on every genuine ink pack. It appears iridescent gold when viewed from the front, and dark green when tilted horizontally

A generally poor quality of the packaging also suggests a counterfeit, because with genuine Canon ink packs, packaging as well as product itself is with the highest quality.

Look closely at the unique colour-changing hologram.

Does the colour change at different viewing angles as describe? If not, it's not original and might not reflect the quality you would expect from Canon.

Related Products

Find out more about the genuine LUCIA pigment inks in our brochure.