My prints are scuffed or smeared. What should I do?

• If your prints are scuffed or smeared, try these solutions:

  • Make sure your paper meets the specifications for your product.
  • Do not use paper with folds or creases and always use new media.
  • If you are using cut sheet paper, check that changes in humidity and temperature have not made the paper wavy or curled up on the edges. Load the paper just before printing and do not use wavy or curled paper. For roll paper, cut off any wavy or curled parts and then load the roll again. For cut sheets, use new paper.
  • If the surface of the paper is scuffed, select a wider Platen Gap setting. If results do not improve, set Paper Setting or Custom Paper Setting > Paper Eject Roller to Use (Heavy Load) or Use (Light Load).

    Caution:
    The Paper Eject Roller setting may damage glossy paper.

    If your prints are still scuffed, try selecting a wider Platen Gap Offset setting.

    Note: The Platen Gap Offset setting cannot be set wider or narrower than the value set for Platen Gap.

  • If ink is smeared on your prints, clean the rollers and the paper cassette printing path. For roll paper, load blank A2 or 17-inch wide paper and select > Forward to feed it through the printer. Paper is fed as long as the icon is pressed. Once the paper comes out clean, cleaning is complete. Then select to cut the paper. For the paper cassette printing path, load several sheets of A2 (16.5 × 23.4 inches [420 × 594 mm]) or 17-inch wide paper in the paper cassette. On the Home screen, select the   maintenance icon > Paper Guide Cleaning and then select Start. Select Run Again, as needed, until the sheets come out clean, and then select Done.
  • If you are using non-Epson media, make sure you create a custom paper configuration for the media.
  • Lower the Color Density setting in the Paper Configuration dialog in the printer driver.
  • Make sure the Paper Size Check setting is set to On, or the printer may print outside the edges of the loaded paper and smear ink on the back of the print.
  • Depending on the print density and type of paper you are using, the ink may take a while to dry. Do not stack the prints until the ink is completely dry.
  • Make sure that the printer driver's Media Type settings match the paper that you are using.
  • If the bottom edge is scuffed, try widening the bottom margin.
  • If the trailing edge is scuffed while printing, create your data with a wider margin.
  • If the printhead is scuffing the edge of the paper, set a larger Top Margin in the paper settings.
  • If the left or right edges of the paper are scuffed while printing, create your data with a wider left or right margin. If the situation does not improve, rotate the data 90 degrees in the printer driver or your software before you print.
  • If you are printing multiple pages and Auto Cut is set to Never Cut, the area between pages may be scuffed. Widen the margin between pages.
  • Try cleaning inside of the printer and the roll paper feeder.
  Related tasks
  Creating Custom Paper Settings Using the Control Panel
  Cleaning the Roll Paper Feed Slot
  Cleaning the Platen
  Related references
  Paper Specifications
  Paper Setting Menu
  Maintenance Menu
  Paper Configuration Options - Windows
  Related information
  Using Epson Media Installer