Troubleshooting printer installation and communication issues in macOS

RELATES TO:

  • You cannot add the Epson printer driver in Printers and Scanners
  • Printer does not print
  • Error messages:
    • Printer Paused
    • Communication Error
  • Printouts are faint
  • The Epson Printer Utility cannot be accessed
  • Print Settings / Printer Settings is not available or is crossed-out
  • Print options, such as paper type and quality, are limited

EXPLANATION:

If the printer does not attempt to print when a print job is sent, or the print job is not fully completed, then there may be a communication issue between your computer and the printer.

A communication-related problem may also be the cause of other printing issues, including poor print quality.

Follow the steps below to identify and resolve the issue:

 

Check the printer's power

Power is indicated by a green, red or amber light on the printer's control panel.

If the product is powered off, check the power cable is connected and it is on at the power source.

Hold down the power button for five seconds to power it on.

If it will not power on, see There appears to be no power to the Printer - all lights are off. What can I do?

If an error message is displayed on the control panel refer to the user guide supplied with your product or search the Epson website for a solution.

You will need to clear all errors before you can print again or undertake further troubleshooting.

 

Perform a printer operation check

If there is power to the printer and the printer's control panel is not displaying any error lights or error messages, perform a printer operation check (self test).

You will need to load plain A4 paper into the printer's paper sheet feeder.

Refer to the user's guide for the printer for instructions.

See the instructions relevant for the results of the printer operation check.

 

Yes, the printer operation check printed

Reconnect the printer to the computer and follow the next series of steps to troubleshoot the issue.

 

Yes, the printer operation check printed but it was slow to print

See Slow Printing in macOS for assistance

 

No, the printer operation check did not print

Perform the check again. If it fails again, the printer may require a service. Contact Epson - no further troubleshooting is necessary at this point.

Update your Mac system:

We recommend ensuring that you are using the latest version of macOS. You can check for updates via Apple menu > App Store > Updates. Download and install any OS updates and restart the Mac before starting the below troubleshooting.

Check the connection method

Click on the tab that relates to the connection method which is being used to connect to the printer and follow the troubleshooting steps.

  • Check that the USB cable is firmly secured at both the printer port and the port on the Mac.
  • Check that the cable is not taut as it may be pulled out of the port resulting in a loss of communication.
  • Connect the printer directly to the port on the computer. Remove any hubs or switches.
 

Check the print queue and printer status

If the document has not printed it may be that the printer is 'Paused' or documents are stuck in the print queue.

Any documents in the queue will need to be cleared. Having jobs stuck in the queue could cause incorrect or garbled characters on printouts.

See How to cancel printing and open the Print Queue in macOS for assistance.

 

Check the correct printer is selected in Printers and Scanners of the System Preferences

Make sure the correct printer is selected for your connection method. Use the article How to install an Epson printer driver using the Apple Software Updater in macOS for guidance.

If the correct printer and driver are in use and the printer appears ready to print, test this by printing a Test Page. See How to print a test page in macOS for guidance.

 

If the Test Page fail to print

Cancel all documents. For instructions see How to cancel printing and open the Print Queue in macOS, then move to the next step.

 

If printing is successful

  • Try printing from a program that you had attempted to print from without success.
  • If you can print a Test Page from the Printers and Scanners, but you cannot print from a particular program, the problem is therefore with the program that you are attempting to print from, contact the software vendor.
 

Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver

Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver, to restore the driver to its default settings. Follow the instructions below:

Note:

If you are using the printer via USB. Only power on the printer and connect the USB cable from the printer to the USB port on the mac when prompted to by the installation program. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
  • Power off the printer and disconnect any data cables if not connecting via wi-fi (e.g. USB or ethernet).
  • Complete the steps in How to uninstall Epson drivers and software on a Mac, then return to this article.
  • Make sure that your printer is still powered off and disconnected.
  • Restart your Mac, the drivers will need to be reinstalled.
  • Once installed restart the mac. If you are still unable to print proceed to the next step.
 

If the issue is still present

  • If you are experiencing any of the other problems listed, try to print from another user account on the mac.
  • Finally, try the printer on another computer (mac or PC) to establish where the problem lies. If the printer works on another system then this indicates that the issue lies with the mac.
  • If the printer still does not work on another computer, having completed all recommended steps, contact Epson for further advice.
 

Printing is slow or is only printing partial pages

If printing is slow refer to the article Slow Printing in macOS.