My printout is blurry or smeared. What should I do?

• Check the following:

  • Make sure your paper isn't damp or curled, or loaded face-down (the printable side should be face-up). It's usually brighter or whiter.
  • Use a support sheet with special paper, or try loading your paper one sheet at a time.
  • Make sure your paper meets the specifications. Also, it is important to select the correct paper type.
  • Use Epson papers to ensure proper saturation and absorption of genuine Epson inks. Also, make sure you're using genuine Epson ink cartridges.
  • Align the print head.
  • Remove each sheet from the front tray as it is printed.
  • The printer won't operate properly if it's tilted or at an angle. Place it on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the printer base in all directions.
  • Avoid handling printouts on glossy paper for a few hours to allow the ink to set.
  • Turn off High Speed mode in the printer software.
  • If ink smears when you print on envelopes or other thick paper, select Thick paper and envelopes in your printer settings.
  • If you are using double-sided paper and printing heavily saturated or dark images on the front side of the paper, you may notice that smudges or marks appear on the front when you print the second side. If one side of the paper will contain a lighter image or text, print that side first to eliminate marks or smudging.
  • Load a new sheet of plain paper and press the paper button to eject it. Do this several times. If this does not help, ink may have leaked inside the printer, and you need to clean the priner.
  • If you are having this problem while printing on a CD or DVD, make sure you're using ink jet-printable CDs or DVDs and handle the disc carefully. Allow the ink to dry for at least 24 hours before playing the disc or inserting it in a drive.
  • You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it (Windows or Macintosh).