I see horizontal banding. What should I do?

• Make sure you are using a compatible paper type. Verify the printable side of the paper is face up in the sheet feeder. Select your paper type in the printer driver menu and let the driver automatically set the print settings. Make sure the paper thickness lever is in the correct position for your paper type. Make sure your ink cartridges are not outdated. They should be replaced six months after installing them in the printer to ensure the ink is fresh.
  
  If necessary, follow these steps to run the head cleaning utility and nozzle check:
  
  The Head Cleaning utility is available only when the printer is connected directly to your computer, not over a network.
  
  1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the red Error light is off. (If the Error light is flashing or on, you may need to replace an ink cartridge)
  
  2. Windows:
  Right-click the printer icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of your screen). Select Head Cleaning.
  
  Macintosh OS 8.6 to 9.x:
  Choose File > Page Setup or Print. Click the Utility button, then click the Head Cleaning button.
  
  Macintosh OS X:
  Open the Applications folder and double-click EPSON Printer Utility. Select SP 825 in the printer list, click OK, and select Head Cleaning.
  
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen to clean the print head. Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which the printer makes some noise and the green processing light flashes.
  
  Caution: Never turn off the printer while the light is flashing, unless the printer hasn't moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.
  
  4. When the green processing light stops flashing, make sure plain paper is loaded in the printer. Then click Print nozzle check pattern (Windows) or Confirmation (Macintosh) and follow the on-screen directions to print a nozzle check.
  
  5. If the nozzle check pattern has no gaps in its lines, click Finish.
  
  If the pattern has any gaps, click Clean to clean the print head again.
  
  If you don't see any improvement after cleaning three or four times, check the solutions beginning on page 91 of your printer basics manual.
  You can also turn the printer off and wait overnight - this allows any dried ink to soften-and then try cleaning the print head again.