Horizontal banding
Vertical misalignment or banding
Incorrect or missing colors
Blurry or smeared printout
Unnatural gradation

If you are having print quality problems, then compare the problem with the illustrations below. Click the caption under the illustration that best resembles your printout.

• Make sure the printable side of the paper is face up in the sheet feeder.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility to clear any clogged ink nozzles.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

• Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
  See Aligning the Print Head

• Use ink cartridges within six months after opening the packages.

• Use genuine Epson ink cartridges.

• Clear all customized settings and select Text as the Quality Option in your printer settings (Windows). See online help for more information.
  See Accessing the printer driver for Windows

• Check the ink light. If the light is flashing, replace the appropriate ink cartridge.
  See Replacing an Empty Ink Cartridge

• Make sure the Paper Type or Media Type selected in the printer driver is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer.
  See Selecting the Correct Media Type

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• Make sure the printable side of the paper is face up in the sheet feeder.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility to clear any clogged ink nozzles.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

• Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
  See Aligning the Print Head

• Clear the High Speed check box in your Advanced printer settings. See online help for details.

• Make sure the Paper Type or Media Type selected in the printer driver is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer.
  See Selecting the Correct Media Type

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• Clear the Black Ink Only setting in your printer driver (for Windows). See online help for details.

• Adjust the color settings in your application or in your Advanced printer settings. See online help for details.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

If colors are still incorrect or missing, replace one of the color ink cartridges. If the problem persists, replace the black ink cartridge.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge Before It Is Empty

• If you have just replaced an ink cartridge, make sure the date on the box has not expired. If you have not used the printer for a long time, replace the ink cartridges.
  See Replacing an Ink Cartridge Before It Is Empty

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• Make sure you are using the appropriate printer driver for the printer.

• Use only paper recommended by Epson.
  See Paper

• Use genuine Epson ink cartridges.

• Make sure the printer is on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the base in all directions. The printer will not operate properly if it is tilted.

• Make sure your paper is not damaged, dirty, or too old.

• Make sure your paper is dry and the printable side is facing up.

• Clear all customized settings and select Text as the Quality Option in your printer settings (Windows). See online help for more information.
  See Accessing the printer driver for Windows

• If the paper is curled toward the printable side, flatten it or curl it slightly in the opposite direction.

• Make sure the Paper Type or Media Type selected in the printer driver is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer.
  See Selecting the Correct Media Type

• Remove each sheet from the output tray as it is printed.

• If you are printing on glossy media, place a support sheet (or a sheet of plain paper) beneath the stack, or load only one sheet at a time.

• Do not touch or allow anything to come into contact with the printed side of paper with a shiny finish. After printing on glossy paper, allow the ink to set for a few hours before handling them.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

• Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
  See Aligning the Print Head

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If you print using the PhotoEnhance setting on the Main menu, your printout may have strange gradation in areas of your photo that are out of focus.

• Clear the PhotoEnhance check box (Windows).

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