A large format printer is a computer that happens to print. It sits on your network, it stores files on a hard drive, and it handles the drawings, artwork and documents you would least like to see leave the building. Industry research published last year found that only around a third of IT teams apply printer firmware updates quickly, which leaves a lot of devices running old code. We supply Canon imagePROGRAF printers across the TC, TM, GP and PRO lines, and the simplest way to stay out of that group costs nothing at all.

Start with the free Canon Firmware Update Tool

Canon publishes a Firmware Update Tool for every current and recent imagePROGRAF device. Open the Canon software portal, select your model, click the Firmware Update Tool, then download and install it. After that the tool does the watching for you. It detects when an update is available, notifies the operator, and guides them through a very simple installation. No ticket to raise, no engineer visit, no downtime to plan around.

Some of those updates look after the health and lifespan of the machine. Others carry the latest imagePROGRAF security upgrades. The tool treats both the same way, so nobody has to judge which downloads are worth the trouble. For the wider picture of what Canon hands over with an imagePROGRAF, we have covered the free software and tools that come with the range separately.

What sits on the hard drive, and how to get rid of it

Every job that passes through an imagePROGRAF leaves a trace on the internal hard drive. Canon encrypts that drive at industry-standard AES 256, and the encryption covers all files on it, including the operating system. Take the drive out of the machine and the data on it stays protected.

Deletion is handled properly too. Print jobs on the HDD can be permanently deleted at any time, and the range offers four levels of erasure. The strongest complies with the German Federal Government’s VS-ITR guidelines, which is the standard to reach for when a printer comes to the end of its life or moves to another site. Some models also take a removable HDD, so the drive can be locked away overnight.

Closing the doors you are not using

Most printer risk arrives through a port or a service nobody remembered was switched on. The Security Settings menu on the imagePROGRAF control panel lets an administrator turn those off one by one.

Network protocols can be disabled to block unwanted device communication. The internet connection can be switched off entirely, so the printer runs as a standalone device with no Wired LAN, Wi-Fi or AirPrint access. USB drives can be blocked, and firmware updates via USB drive can be blocked separately. On sites where Wi-Fi is prohibited, the Wi-Fi module can be physically removed from the machine to keep it compliant.

Management access is controlled the same way. The control panel can be locked so users cannot change settings, with the Load, Feed and Cut buttons left available so media handling and printing carry on. The Remote UI supports multiple user levels, so standard users in a remote location can check printer status, change the media setting or reprint a saved job, and only administrators can touch the security, network, service, firmware and language settings. IP information can be hidden from the control panel altogether.

Encrypted communication across the network

Data moving to the printer is protected too. IEEE802.1X authentication holds client devices at the door until their credentials have been validated, with support for EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS and PEAP, and up to five CA certificates registered per printer. SNMPv3 covers monitoring traffic.

SSL/TLS levels are set by you. TLS 1.3 is fully supported as the maximum communication level, and the minimum can be set to TLS 1.2, 1.1 or 1.0, which matters if you have older equipment sharing the same network. With the right configuration, IPSec secures data travelling from a PC to the printer. One point to plan for: IPSec on imagePROGRAF runs over IPv6, and it is not compatible with IPv4.

Stopping prints being picked up by the wrong person

Plenty of information leaks happen at the output tray rather than on the network. Someone lifts the wrong stack, or a job sits in the tray until a passer-by reads it.

PIN code printing closes that gap. A numerical code of up to seven digits is set when the job is submitted, and the job only prints once the same code is entered on the printer’s operating panel. For sites already running uniFLOW On-Premise or Hybrid, jobs can be released by IC card instead, with the card reader mounted next to the operation panel, so a print only appears when its owner is standing there.

There is a physical answer as well. Prints can be stacked with the printed surface face down, using the Top Delivery Tray on the imagePROGRAF TZ series or the optional stacker on the TX series, so nobody walking past can read what is in the tray.

Where to start

Install the Firmware Update Tool first. It is free, it takes minutes, and it keeps everything else current. Then work through the Security Settings menu on the control panel and switch off what you do not use.

If you are specifying a new machine and security is part of the brief, our Canon large format printers, technical CAD printers and photo and fine art printers pages are the place to begin. We also handle plotter and printer repairs and servicing across the range. Get in touch and we will talk you through which imagePROGRAF models carry the features your site needs.