Print Quality Problems

Make sure the printable side of the paper is face down in the paper cassette.

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

For best results, use up ink cartridge within six months of opening the package.

Try to use genuine Epson ink cartridges.

Check the ink cartridge status by using EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows) or EPSON Status Monitor (Mac OS X).
See Checking the Ink Cartridge Status
If the graphic displays the ink is low or expended, replace the appropriate ink cartridge.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge

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

Make sure the printable side of the paper is face down in the paper cassette.

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

For Windows, clear the High Speed check box from the Advanced window in your printer driver. See the online help for details.
For Mac OS X 10.5 or later, select Off from the High Speed Printing. To display the High Speed Printing, click through the following menus: System Preferences, Print & Fax, your printer (in the Printers list box), Options & Supplies, and then Driver.
For Mac OS X 10.4, clear the High Speed Printing setting in Extension Settings in the Print dialog box of your printer driver.

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

For Windows, clear the Grayscale setting in the Main or Advanced window in your printer driver.
For Mac OS X, clear the Grayscale setting in Print Settings in the Print dialog box in your printer driver.
See the printer driver online help for details.

Adjust the color settings in your application or in your printer driver settings.
For Windows, check the Advanced window.
For Mac OS X, check the Color Options dialog box from the Print dialog box.
See the printer driver online help for details.

Run the Head Cleaning utility.
See Cleaning the Print Head

Check the ink cartridge status by using EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows) or EPSON Status Monitor (Mac OS X).
See Checking the Ink Cartridge Status
If the graphic displays the ink is low or expended, replace the appropriate ink cartridge.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge

If you have just replaced an ink cartridge, make sure the date on the box. If you have not used the printer for a long time, Epson recommends replacing the ink cartridges.
For details on replacing an ink cartridge before it is expended, see the booklet.

Use only paper recommended by Epson.
For details on Epson special media, click the Appendix tab in the upper right corner of the User’s Guide window. Then click Product Information and Ink and Paper.

Try to 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 face down in the paper cassette.

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

Make sure the paper type selected in the printer driver is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer.
See Selecting the Correct Paper 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. To handle your printouts, follow the instructions of the paper.

Run the Head Cleaning utility.
See Cleaning the Print Head

If you are printing high-density data on plain paper by automatic 2-sided printing, set the Select Document Type either to Text with Photo or to Photo in the Print Density Adjustment window. If you still cannot solve the problem, lower the Print Density and choose a longer Increased Ink Drying Time.
See Automatic standard 2-sided printing
See Automatic folded booklet 2-sided printing (for Windows only)

If the paper is smeared with ink after printing, clean the interior of the printer. For details on cleaning the printer, click the Appendix tab in the upper right corner of the User’s Guide window. Then click Maintenance and Cleaning the Product.