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

• Try the following:
  • Epson inks, specialty papers, and printers are designed to work together. For the best results, use genuine Epson ink and paper.
  • Make sure your paper meets the specifications and isn't damp, curled, or wrinkled. In addition, if you are using special, coated, or glossy photo paper, try the following:
    • If the paper you're using has a printable side (check your paper packaging for details), make sure the printable side is loaded face-down. The printable side is usually brighter or whiter.
    • Remove each sheet from the output tray as it is printed.
    • Avoid handling printouts on glossy paper for a few hours to allow the ink to set.
  • 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 help prevent marks or smudging. If you're copying a document or photo, increase the Dry Time in the product's Paper and Copy Settings.
  • To clean the rollers inside the product, try making several copies without placing a document on the scanner glass.
  • If you're printing from a computer, make sure the following settings are set correctly in the Windows, Mac OS X 10.5/10.6, or Mac OS X 10.4 printer driver:
    • Type or Media Type: Select a Type or Media Type setting that matches the paper you loaded.
    • High-Speed (Windows only): Try turning this setting off.
      
      Note:
      This setting controls whether the print head prints in both directions (bi-directional) or in one direction (uni-directional)—from right to left. Turning this setting off to print in one direction decreases print speed but may improve print quality.
    • Thick paper and envelopes: Select this setting in the Mac OS X 10.5/10.6, or Mac OS X 10.4 printer driver if you are printing on envelopes or other thick paper. To select this setting in Windows, click the Maintenance tab, click Printer and Option Information, and select Thick paper and envelopes. Make sure to turn this setting off when not printing on thick paper or envelopes.
    
    If you're printing double-sided automatically with the duplexer, try adjusting the print density and drying time in the Windows, Mac OS X 10.5/10.6, or Mac OS X 10.4 printer driver.
  • If you're using the product as a stand-alone machine to print (for example, to print from a memory card or a device connected to the product's front USB port), make sure the print settings are correct.
  • Print a nozzle check pattern. If there are gaps, clean the print head.
  • Try aligning the print head.