Epson ET-2800 printout is blurry or smeared

Cause 1 of 5The paper is damp, curled, old, loaded wrongly, outside the product's specification, or the paper type setting is wrong. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, pp. 217-218

First checkUse paper that is dry, flat and new, and load it correctly.

Causes and checks

The paper is damp, curled, old, loaded wrongly, outside the product's specification, or the paper type setting is wrong. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, pp. 217-218
1. Use paper that is dry, flat and new, and load it correctly.
2. Slide the edge guides against the paper.
3. Make sure the paper type setting matches the paper you loaded.
4. Use Epson papers for correct saturation and absorption of genuine Epson ink.
Fresh ink is handled before it dries. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 218
1. Remove each sheet from the output tray as it prints.
2. Do not stack printouts, handle glossy printouts right after printing, or dry them in direct sunlight or with a dryer.
3. When you print on both sides, print the lighter side first and let the ink dry completely before you reload the paper.
Ink is low, or nozzles are clogged. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 218
1. Check the ink levels visually and refill if needed.
2. Run a nozzle check and clean the print head if needed. See Run a nozzle check from the control panel.
3. Clean the paper path. See Clean the paper guide rollers.
The product printed while ink was too low to see in the tank windows, or has been unused for a long time. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 218
1. Fill the tanks to the upper lines, then run a Power Cleaning. See Run a Power Cleaning from the control panel.
2. Run a nozzle check to see whether quality improved.
A copy is smeared. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 218
1. Lower the copy density setting on the product control panel.
2. Do not press too hard on the original or the document cover.
3. Clean the scanner glass.

Service

If the checks above do not clear it, contact Epson America technical support: (562) 276-4382, epson.com/support. United States, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Canada: (905) 709-3839, same hours (epson.ca/support). Source: Where to Get Help, pp. 232-233

Other ET-2800 problems

Printer does not turn on or off2 causes in the manual. First: the power cord is loose or the power button was not held long enough to turn the product on.
Noise after filling the ink tanks2 causes in the manual. First: the first time the tanks are filled, the product charges its print head. The power light flashes until charging finishes.
Message asks to reset ink levelsThe LCD screen asks you to reset the ink levels after a refill. The message can also appear while ink remains in the tanks.
Printout is faint or has gaps5 causes in the manual. First: nozzles are clogged.
White or dark lines across the printout6 causes in the manual. First: nozzles are clogged.
Printout is grainy3 causes in the manual. First: the paper is loaded with the wrong side up, or the print quality setting is low.
Printout colours are wrong3 causes in the manual. First: A printer software setting changes the colour.
Blank pages print2 causes in the manual. First: the paper size setting is wrong, or a blank page is in the document.
Printout is slanted2 causes in the manual. First: the paper is not squared against the guides or the settings are wrong.
Border appears on borderless prints2 causes in the manual. First: the paper type, size or driver setting does not allow borderless printing.
Margins on the printout are wrong2 causes in the manual. First: the paper size, margin or loading settings are wrong.
Incorrect characters print2 causes in the manual. First: the cable, USB hub, spooler or computer sleep state interferes with the print job.
Image size or position is wrong2 causes in the manual. First: paper size, layout or loading settings are wrong.
Printed image is invertedA mirror or inversion setting is on.
Too many copies printThe Copies setting asks for several copies.
Nothing prints3 causes in the manual. First: the product is off, disconnected or offline.
Printer icon is missing from the Windows taskbarThe Status Monitor shortcut is not enabled.
Printing is slow3 causes in the manual. First: the product slowed down after long continuous printing.
Paper does not feed or several sheets feed at once4 causes in the manual. First: paper does not feed for printing.
Paper does not eject fully or comes out wrinkled2 causes in the manual. First: the paper size setting is wrong.
Printer cannot connect to the wireless router4 causes in the manual. First: the signal path to the 2.4 GHz router is poor.
Network software cannot find the printer2 causes in the manual. First: epsonNet Setup cannot see the product on the network.
Printer does not appear in the Mac printer windowThe product needs a restart or the WPS window timed out.
Wireless connection is unstable on a MacA device on a Mac USB 3.0 port interferes with the wireless connection.
Cannot print over a network2 causes in the manual. First: the product, driver or network settings are wrong.
Cannot scan over a networkSoftware, firewall or resolution settings block the scan.
Printer makes noise but nothing copiesNozzles are clogged, the software is wrongly installed, or the product is tilted.
Copies have faint or wrong coloursNozzles are clogged, or the glass or paper is the cause.
Copy position, size or margins are wrongThe original, paper or copy settings are wrong.
Product software will not installCable, programs, privileges or system requirements interfere with installation.
LCD screen text is in the wrong languageThe panel language is set to another language.
Scanning software does not work or Epson Scan 2 will not startThe computer, cable or settings prevent scanning.
Scanning is slowThe resolution is high or the computer is short of resources.
Cannot send scans to a cloud serviceThe computer, login or service is unavailable.
Scanned image shows only dots, a line of dots or crooked linesThe original is placed wrongly or the glass is dirty.
Scanned image is blurry, too dark or shows the back of the original2 causes in the manual. First: movement, pressure or settings affect the scan.
Characters are not recognised in a scan converted to editable textThe original, language or scan settings are not suitable for OCR.
Scanned image edges are cropped, patchy or show ripples3 causes in the manual. First: the original is placed too close to the glass edge.

Sources

User's Guide, ET-2800/ET-2803. Epson America, Inc. Document CPD-60271, revision CPD-60271R2, 253 pages, en-US. files.support.epson.com (PDF). Listed on the manufacturer's support page. Retrieved 13 November 2026.

Page numbers are the numbers printed in the manual. Where this page and the manual differ, follow the manual.

Applies to: ET-2800, ET-2803. United States and Canada.
Source: User's Guide, ET-2800/ET-2803, CPD-60271 revision CPD-60271R2
Last verified: 13 November 2026
Handbook: Epson EcoTank ET-2800 printer in Printers; all Epson handbooks