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Problem Solver

Print Quality Problems

Horizontal banding
Vertical misalignment or banding
Incorrect or missing colors
Blurry or smeared printout
Print quality does not improve after head cleaning

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

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

Horizontal banding

• Make sure that 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 up ink cartridges within six months after opening their packages.

• Use the genuine Epson ink cartridges.

• Clear all customized settings, and select Text settings as the Quality Option setting on your printer's software (Windows).
  Clear all customized settings, and select Automatic as the Mode setting on your printer's software (Mac OS X).
  See Making Settings on the Main Menu (for Windows)
  See Print Dialog Box (Mac OS X)

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

• Make sure that the Media Type selected in the printer software is appropriate for the type of media loaded in the printer.

Media Type Settings

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Vertical misalignment or banding

• Make sure that 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 printer software's Advanced dialog box.
  See Making the Advanced settings (Windows)
  See Advanced mode (Mac OS X)

• Make sure that the Media Type selected in the printer software is appropriate for the type of media loaded in the printer.

Media Type Settings

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Incorrect or missing colors

• Clear the Grayscale setting in your printer software (for Windows). Change the Color setting in your printer software to Color (for Macintosh).
  See Making the Advanced settings (Windows)
  See Color (Mac OS X)

• Adjust the color settings in your application or in your printer software's Advanced dialog box.
  See Making the Advanced settings (Windows)
  See Color Management (Mac OS X)

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

If colors are still incorrect or missing, replace the color ink cartridge. If the problem persists, replace the black ink cartridge.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge

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

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Blurry or smeared printout

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

• Use only paper recommended by Epson.
  See Paper

• Use genuine Epson ink cartridges.

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

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

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

• Clear all customized settings, and select Text settings as the Quality Option setting on your printer's software (Windows).
  Clear all customized settings, and select Automatic as the Mode setting on your printer's software (Macintosh).
  See Making Settings on the Main Menu (for Windows)
  See Print Dialog Box (Mac OS X)

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

• Make sure that the Media Type setting in your printer's software is correct.

• Remove each sheet from the output tray as it is printed, especially if you are using transparencies.

• If you are printing on glossy media or transparencies, 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 transparencies or paper with a shiny finish. After printing documents on transparencies or glossy media, 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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Print quality does not improve after head cleaning

If print quality remains poor after making this setting or after repeatedly cleaning the print head, one or both of the ink cartridges may be old or damaged and should be replaced.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge

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