OK first thing I need to understand is what software you are using to prepare the file for printing. I will presume that you are working from Canon DPP and are therefore using Canon Studio Pro as the printing part of that .
When your paper is set for either top or manual feed , if this is set by the paper it comes from a paper profile, in which all sorts of things can be pre set. For example the GSM weight and dimensions of the paper in terms of weight and thickness, will dictate which route through the feed will be best suited. If you feed a heavy art paper through the top load and have the head set low ..... your going to see head strikes on the edges of the paper and possibly ink smears. The rear feed " manual load " is a more direct path through the system and combined with either a paper setting profile or a command within the driver to " avoid abrasion" will lift the head to avoid this....if you find that a paper is not listed that is a " Canon basic paper " , or one that profiles are based on then you need to open the Canon utility Toolbox and look for " Media Config Tool " here look for a tab to ADD or UPDATE media information. There is an option to add from the internet, and here you will find and add the missing profile. If you have your printer sat close to a wall , then you will have edge it forward a couple of inches to allow you to open the rear feed flap. Make sure you use cotton gloves for handling the paper, oils from your fingers will spoil the inking. Open out the paper guides and then once the paper is GENTLY fed into the slot and down to ready ( needs a slight pressure and a wiggle) now gently bring the guides in to touch the edges of the paper and centre it in the path.
As for creating your own media type , all I can say is read the manual and paperwork that came with your printer. It is an amazing but complex bit of kit that you can work through slowly and methodically.
I hope that by now you have the ability to download and install a profile for your paper of choice. Select the correct paper route from the Canon driver and then use the profile that matches this. If you use a Canon root paper that is not the exact match where the profile was created , you will notice heavier inking, more ink bleed , slight colour shifts in shadows or other slightly annoying changes..... not to mention needing to watch paper thickness and head strikes.
As I said when I print from Photoshop and I set " Let Photoshop manage colour" and only set the paper size, path, borderless , basic paper type, in the Canon driver window ...making sure that colour management is set to off or do not match. Then in the Photoshop window I set, let photoshop manage, the paper profile as downloaded from manufacturers site or created for you, and black point compensation with perceptual rendering intent.
When you print using the printer manufacturers software you are in fact letting the printer deal with this and you would set the media type to the Canon root paper " Heavyweight Fine Art" for example , then the size ..A2, paper source manual feed, then under colour management set " Match ICC profile " and then set the profile you have for your paper.... along with black point compensation and rendering intent ... perceptual.
Canon also have a new software called Professional Print and Layout that you can use to print via. Like I said I always use Photoshop, and so am more used to that. When setting up your file for the Pro 1000 you can leave it in 16 bit format and Adobe RGB profile by using the Canon XPS driver. As for file size and DPI, they say the Canon works well with either a 300 or 600 DDPI file, and if prepared this way will print well at 100%. If you print borderless watch out for image stretching to ensure coverage, this can be controlled in software.
OK so now I have spent quite a bit of time trying to guide you and I need to see an image of a happy face next to a print that worked. Good luck.
