Pixma Pro-200 Printing TERRIBLE photos

[Beth1981]

PLEASE HELP!! I am so frustrated! Let me preface this post by saying that I am not a professional photographer nor am I super tech-savvy (though I am the go-to IT person in my home).  I purchased the Pro-200 to print pictures for hanging in my home as well as for crafting. I am used to "plug and play" printers and was expecting to be able to unbox the pro-200 and be off and running within minutes. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. I've tried to print different photos several times and they all look awful! They are blurry and grainy, there are random black spots in places and the colors are way off!! I have tried printing from my iPhone and my Mac. I tried printing from Canon software instead of directly from the photos app.  I have I don't know if I am doing something wrong (settings, software, etc.) or if there is something wrong with the printer. Can anyone out there help?  Should I return it?

Thanks in advance!!

[jrhoffman75 · Accepted solution]

1. Did you run a nozzle check?

2. What operating system?

3. Not to be insulting, but a common problem reported on the forum - is the paper loaded properly, with print side facing out?

4. Can you post a screenshot of your settings?

[Beth1981]

Thanks so much!  I feel like a dummy!  The matte paper I have looks almost exactly the same on both sides, but when I flipped it around, the prints did come out so much better. 

[jrhoffman75]

Glad you got it resolved. A trick is to wet a fingertip and touch a corner of the paper. The print side will be tacky to the touch.