(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 22, 2002 ) Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) on October 21 adds to its line of desktop flatbed multifunction products (MFPs) a new model guaranteed to catch the eyes of college students, home users and small-office customers on a budget. The new Canon MultiPASS F20 is a workhorse in a compact, stylish package, offering high-quality printing, scanning and copying at a competitive price. As with its larger companion products, the MultiPASS F80 and F60, the new MultiPASS F20 model also features the added convenience of a photo card slot so digital camera enthusiasts can create beautiful borderless prints using Canon's patented Advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology.

"The MFP market is fast growing, with some analysts predicting MFP growth just this year will reach over 30 percent," said Hiroaki Yokoyama, director and assistant general manager of marketing for Canon U.S.A.'s SoHo Products Division. "Adding the MultiPASS F20 model to our current product line will enable Canon to capture a larger share of this market. The F20 delivers great functionality and the best of Canon's digital imaging technology at a competitive price. We're confident that it will attract customers looking for the value and performance they have come to expect from the Canon brand."

The Canon MultiPASS F20 has the right combination of features to produce most popular family and student projects, ranging from super-sharp printing of letters, web pages and incredible color photos. Based on Canon's S330 printer engine, the MultiPASS F20 can print at speeds of up to 14 pages-per-minute (ppm) for black-and-white and 10 ppm for color, based on letter-size output. The MultiPASS F20 creates crystal clear photo-quality prints with a color resolution of up to 2400 x 1200 dpi, due to a 5-picoliter-droplet size and Canon's Advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology. This revolutionary ink ejection process separates and ejects prescribed-volumes of ultra-fine ink droplets from a high-density multi-nozzle head with precise accuracy, delivering fast, brilliant printed images.

The MultiPASS F20 can handle up to 100 sheets of plain paper through its built-in sheet feeder that is designed to help ensure consistent paper feeding at high speeds, regardless of paper type. The F20 also prints on an assortment of media, including glossy photo paper, transparencies, envelopes, banner paper and even t-shirt transfers. For extra convenience, the MultiPASS F20 can produce borderless 4" x 6" photos in just over 1 minute as well as letter-size borderless copies and prints.

Canon's MultiPASS F20 is also a perfect partner for digital camera users, with its ability to print photos using its photo card slot. The F20 includes a PCMCIA Type II memory card slot so that Canon and other selected-brand digital cameras can print to the all-in-one unit. The PCMCIA adapter will support a variety of memory cards, including Compact Flash, Smart Media, Memory Stick, and Secure Digital. The F20 includes Exif Print support for easy, smart processing of digital images and ships with Canon's exclusive Easy-PhotoPrint software to produce the highest quality photo prints.

Rounding out the needs of the home office user, the MultiPASS F20 can also copy and scan. The F20 copies letter-size black-and-white documents at speeds of up to 14 copies-per-minute (cpm) and color documents as fast as 10 cpm. The MultiPASS F20 can reduce or enlarge originals from 25% to 400% in 1% increments. Scanning employs Contact Image Sensor (CIS) technology, with color optical resolutions of up to 600 x 1200 dpi or 9600 dpi (interpolated).

Canon's new MultiPASS F20 uses the BCI-24 system of two ink tanks, with one tank for black and one tank for color. The unit employs a full-speed USB 2.0 interface and supports Windows XP/Me/98/2000 operating systems. The MultiPASS F20 unit includes a one-year limited warranty with Instant Exchange.

The Canon MultiPASS F20 will begin shipping in late October to retailers nationwide at a suggested "street" price of $249.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. In 2001, the company was listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and was ranked #41 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2001, with global revenues of $26 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs approximately 11,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

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Produced for Canon USA

Contact:

Judy Raichek, Canon U.S.A.
516-328-5186
jraichek@cusa.canon.com

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Canon U.S.A., Inc.
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