Print Quality issues: Incorrect or missing colours or lines on printed images

Colour casting can be caused by blocked nozzles on the print head, you may be able to identify the problem by checking the print head nozzles. if any colours are missing you can check the print head nozzles from your computer by using the Nozzle Check utility.

Performing a nozzle check will determine if any of the nozzles are blocked.

Note:
Make sure that you are using genuine Epson ink cartridges before completing any of the below steps (see Why should I use genuine Epson ink cartridges?).

1. Make sure that plain, A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder/paper tray. Also, make sure your paper is not damaged, dirty, or too old; and that it's dry and the printable side is facing up.
2. Open the printer driver's maintenance and utility section.
   • Windows:
     1. Open the Devices and Printers folder.

        For detailed instructions on this step see How to open the Devices and Printers folder in Windows.

     2. In the printers folder, right-click on the Epson printer icon, and then left-click on Printing Preferences. The Printing Preferences window appears. Click on the Maintenance tab from along the top of the window.
   • Mac OS X:
     • Open the Mac OS X Hard Drive. Browse to Applications\Epson Printer Utility or \Applications\Utilities\ and double-click on the Epson Printer Utility icon. Select your printer from the list if prompted.
3. Click on Nozzle Check and follow the on-screen instructions to print a nozzle check confirmation pattern.

   Windows	Mac OS X

4. When the check has printed, compare the printout to the examples below:

   Good nozzle check sample (print head does not need cleaning)	Poor nozzle check sample (print head needs to be cleaned)

   If there are no print quality problems, such as gaps or missing segments in the test lines, the print head is fine. Move to the next step.

   If there are breaks in the printed pattern, such as missing segments or lines/streaks (depending on the type of nozzle check pattern), or a missing colour, this indicates that the issue is related to the print head, e.g. a clogged ink nozzle or a misaligned print head. and/or ink cartridge (e.g. old cartridge, non-genuine Epson or refilled ink cartridge). If a colour is not printing at all, there will be a colour imbalance that will cause a 'colour cast' effect.

   The solution is to run through a series of head cleans. Refer to one of the following articles for further assistance:

   • How do I use the Head Cleaning utility in Windows?
   • How do I use the Head Cleaning utility in Mac OS X?

Avoid using old or damaged ink cartridges. If the cartridges have been installed in the printer for longer than 6 months then you may see a decrease in print quality over time.

Tip:
We recommend you use up ink cartridge within six months of opening the vacuum package and before the best before date shown on its retail packaging. Replace any old or damaged ink cartridges with new, genuine Epson cartridges for best printing results.

If a cartridge has been installed in the printer for longer than 6 months, then over time the ink from the cartridge may start to dry out and cause ink to become clogged in the printer. You may see a decrease in print quality if any nozzles on the print head are clogged with ink. This can result in missing colours, which in turn results in a colour cast.

When printing photographs using the correct media is essential. To ensure you get the best quality from your Epson printer we recommend you use only paper supported by Epson. Epson offers specially-designed paper and other print media for all your printing needs.

Use only one of the recommended Epson paper types with your printer. To ensure you get the best quality from your Epson printer, you should use genuine Epson ink and media. Some non-genuine Epson papers are made for inkjet printers which heat the ink before transferring it to the page, thus the paper coating is manufactured to bond with this hot ink and fuse it to the page, potentially resulting in poor print quality and colour casts.

The end results from third-party media are often not favourable when compared with prints made on genuine Epson papers. Epson printers are very carefully tuned to ensure Epson inks and Epson's Micro Piezo print head produce the best quality prints using carefully selected Epson paper. See your printer's user guide for a list of suitable Epson paper.

Epson recommends the use of genuine Epson ink cartridges. Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine ink. The use of non-genuine ink may cause damage that is not covered by Epson’s warranties, and under certain circumstances, may cause erratic printer behaviour. Information about non-genuine ink levels may not be displayed, and use of non-genuine ink is recorded for possible use in service support.

A colour cast can also be software related. Before printing you will be given the option to go into the Printer Properties or Printing Preferences in Windows or Print Settings in Mac OS X.

From here you can alter settings which control the printer. Make sure the correct settings are in effect for the type of print you are sending to the printer e.g. the paper type and quality.

 

Click here to view screenshots for an example of a typical Epson printer driver dialog box.

Windows	Mac OS X

To print in black you will need to select the 'Black Ink Only', 'Grayscale' or 'Black' print mode option in your printer driver. See Related Article How do I select the 'Black Ink Only' or 'Grayscale' print mode? for assistance.

Note:

Yields vary considerably based on images printed, print settings, paper type, frequency of use and temperature. For print quality, a variable amount of ink remains in the cartridge after the replace cartridge indicator comes on. The printer ships with full cartridges and part of the ink from the first cartridges is used to prime the printer. The same amount of ink will not be taken from subsequent cartridges.