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 for a few hours to allow the ink to set. Let your prints dry separately for at least 12 hours before framing or placing them in protective sheets. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of plain paper between each print.
  • Turn off High Speed mode in the printer software.
  • Turn on the following settings and try printing again:
  • Windows: Access the printer settings window. On the Main tab, click the Paper Config button and set the Platen Gap to Wide. Then click the Utility tab, select Speed and Progress, and click the Check paper width before printing checkbox.
  • Macintosh OS X 10.5: Open the Print window, select Paper Configuration from the pop-up menu, and turn on the Thick paper and Check paper width before printing settings.
  • Mac OS X 10.3 to 10.4: Open the Print window, select Paper Configuration from the popup menu, and turn on the Thick paper and Check paper width before printing 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 the printouts are still blurry or smeared, ink may have leaked inside the printer, and you need to clean the printer. See Cleaning the Rollers.
  • If you are having this problem while printing on a CD or DVD, make sure you're using an ink jet-printable CD or DVD, and handle the disc carefully. Allow the ink to dry for at least 24 hours before inserting the disc in a drive.
  • You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it.