Which Canon Printer Should You Buy? Canon imagePROGRAF GP vs GP-S vs PRO Explained

If you're shopping for a 24, 44, or 60-inch Canon large-format printer, you've probably come across three machines that look nearly identical: the Canon GP, the Canon GP-S, and the Canon PRO. Like identical triplets, they share the same Canon DNA — but on the inside, they're built for three very different types of customers.

Here's how they compare on print quality, ink systems, production capability, and color gamut — and most importantly, which one is right for your business.

What All Three Share

Before the differences, the similarities. Every one of these printers is built on Canon's professional imaging platform:

• Canon PF-10 user-replaceable printhead with 18,432 nozzles monitored on every pass
• 4-picoliter droplet size with up to 2400 × 1200 dpi resolution
• 3 GB RAM and 500 GB hard drive
• Wireless networking and built-in color calibration
• Intelligent media loading — the printer detects media width, length, and type automatically
• Optional multi-function roll unit
• Sub-ink tank system for continuous printing
• A full suite of free software: Device Management Console, Professional Print & Layout, Free Layout Plus, Media Configuration Tool, Accounting Manager, and Canon PosterArtist

Whichever model you choose, you're getting Canon's professional-grade foundation. The differences come down to color, speed, and intended applications.

Canon GP Series: Maximum Color Impact

The GP Series is all about one thing: hitting nearly every color in the Pantone book. It reaches up to 99% of the Pantone Solid Coated Formula Guide — and up to 97% of Pantone Pastels & Neons.

The secret is its 11-color ink system: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Black, Matte Black, Gray, Orange, Red, Green, Violet, and Fluorescent Pink.

That fluorescent pink is the game changer. For retail graphics, event graphics, sports graphics, school signage, trade show displays, and posters that need to stop people in their tracks — when someone walks past your graphic and says "wow, that color jumps off the page," that's the GP Series doing its job.

Best for: sign shops and print providers producing posters, POP displays, retail signage, marketing graphics, and event graphics — especially anyone who needs to hit corporate spot colors.

Canon GP-S Series: Built for Production

The GP-S is the streamlined production machine. Compared to the GP, Canon simplified the ink set from 11 colors down to 7: Matte Black, Photo Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Gray, and Orange. Gone are the red, pink, violet, and green.

Why lose those colors? Because the GP-S is designed for production environments where speed, consistency, and operating cost matter more than fluorescent effects or maximum Pantone coverage. Canon's testing still shows approximately 96% Pantone Formula Guide coverage — more than enough for production graphics — while delivering faster print speeds and the lowest cost of ownership of the three.

Best for: sign shops, in-plant print departments, franchise print centers, and high-volume poster businesses focused on throughput and efficiency.

Canon PRO Series: The Photography Specialist

The PRO Series plays an entirely different game. It's Canon's photography and fine art specialist, built around a 12-color pigment ink system: Black, Matte Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Photo Cyan, Photo Magenta, Gray, Photo Gray, Red, Blue, and Chroma Optimizer.

The Chroma Optimizer is the key differentiator — it delivers smoother gloss uniformity, better shadow detail, improved black density, and more professional photographic output. The PRO isn't trying to be the fastest; it's built to reproduce subtle gradients, skin tones, shadow detail, and color transitions better than anything else in the lineup. This is the printer professional photographers obsess over.

Best for: professional photographers, fine art studios, museums, universities, graphic artists, and print-for-sale businesses where image quality is the top priority.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Which One Would I Buy?

• Sign shop making posters and retail graphics? The GP Series — nothing grabs attention like fluorescent pink.
• Running a busy production department? The GP-S Series — speed and efficiency win.
• Selling photography or fine art? The PRO Series, every time.

There's no bad choice here. The real question isn't which printer is best — it's what you're printing most often. Match the printer to your applications and you'll get the best return on your investment.

Need help deciding? Contact the team at IT Supplies — we'll walk through your applications, media, production volume, and budget to find the right Canon imagePROGRAF for your business. Call 1-800-771-9665.