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

  • Check the following:
    • Make sure your paper isn't damp or curled.
    • If the paper you're using has a printable side (check your paper packaging for details), make sure the printable side is loaded face-up in the printer. The printable side is usually brighter or whiter.
    • Use a support sheet with special paper (such as a sheet of plain paper beneath the special paper sheet), or try loading your paper one sheet at a time.
    • Make sure your paper meets the specifications.
    • Make sure the paper Type or Media Type setting in the Windows, Mac OS X 10.5/10.6, or Mac OS X 10.4 printer driver matches the paper you loaded.
    • Use Epson papers to ensure proper saturation and absorption of genuine Epson inks.
    • Align the print head.
    • Remove each sheet from the output tray as it is printed.
    • Try turning off High Speed in the Windows, Mac OS X 10.5/10.6, or Mac OS X 10.4 printer driver. (On Mac, you can turn off High Speed when printing in Automatic Mode by setting the Quality/Speed slider to Quality. When printing in Advanced Mode, unselect High Speed.)
    • 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.
    • Clean the rollers inside your printer.
Published:  May 6, 2010 Was this helpful?​ Thank you for the feedback!
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