Canon Pixma MP470 Printer

[Don Schaeffer]

obtained the Canon all-in-one printer with air miles (cost about 1700 airmiles). It arrived yesterday. Tried it with the included mat paper--results very mediocre but that mat paper was equivalent to plain paper. Tried with generic glossy paper--an inky mess. The ink didn't absorb. Went out and bought some Canon Quality Photo Paper (@14.50 per 20 sheets) and bingo. The results are great especially for a four-color printer. The dot signiatiure under 10 power magnification was visible barely and the colors look very smooth and full-ranged. It also has a scanner/copier and prints from memory cards or camera directly.

I usually have buyers-yahoo syndrome. But this printer I really like.

[Photo-John]

Profiling is critical with printers, unless you use the manufacturers paper with the supplied software. That usually works pretty well. But if you want to use another brand of paper you will need to have printer/paper profiles to get good results. Some printer and paper companies provide paper profiles on their Web sites. For others, you'll have to create your own profiles with profiling hardward and software. The supplied matte paper should have worked, if it's Canon paper. Maybe you didn't choose the correct paper setting in the printer software?