Epson ET-4850 printout is blurry or smeared

Cause 1 of 6The paper is unsuitable or loaded wrongly. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 290

First checkCheck that the paper is not damp, curled or old and is loaded correctly.

Causes and checks

The paper is unsuitable or loaded wrongly. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 290
1. Check that the paper is not damp, curled or old and is loaded correctly.
2. Push the edge guides against the paper.
3. Use a support sheet with special paper, or load special paper one sheet at a time.
4. Use Epson papers and match the paper type setting to the paper.
5. For thick paper or envelopes, select the matching settings. In Windows you can also try Short Grain Paper in Extended Settings.
Ink has not dried or the page is handled too soon. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 290
1. Take each sheet from the output tray as it prints.
2. Wait before handling glossy printouts.
3. When you print on both sides, print the lighter side first and let the ink dry before reloading.
Banding or a smeared edge points to the paper path or loading. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 290
1. For vertical banding or smearing, clean the paper path.
2. For horizontal banding or a smeared top or bottom, load the paper in the correct direction and push the edge guides to its edges.
3. If you printed on the wrong side of photo paper, clean the paper path.
Ink is low, nozzles are clogged or the head is misaligned. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 291
1. Check the ink levels 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. Align the print head. See Align the print head from the control panel.
The product printed with ink too low to see in the tank windows, or has been idle a long time. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 291
1. Fill the tanks to the upper lines.
2. Run a Power Cleaning, then a nozzle check. See Run a Power Cleaning from the control panel.
A copy is smeared. Source: Blurry or Smeared Printout, p. 291
1. Lower the copy density setting on the control panel.

Service

If the checks above do not clear it, contact Epson America technical support: (562) 276-4382, epson.com/support. United States, 6 AM to 8 PM Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, and 7 AM to 4 PM Pacific Time, Saturday. Canada: (905) 709-3839, same hours (epson.ca/support). Source: Where to Get Help, p. 310

Other ET-4850 problems

Printer does not turn on or off2 causes in the manual. First: the product does not power on.
Noise after filling the ink tanks2 causes in the manual. First: the product charges its print head the first time the tanks are filled; the power light flashes until it finishes.
Message asks to reset ink levelsThe LCD screen asks for an ink level reset. It can appear even when 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 printout5 causes in the manual. First: nozzles are clogged or the head is misaligned.
Printout is grainy3 causes in the manual. First: the paper faces the wrong way, or quality settings are low.
Printout colours are wrong3 causes in the manual. First: software settings alter the colour.
Blank pages print2 causes in the manual. First: the paper size setting is wrong or the document has a blank page.
Printout is slanted2 causes in the manual. First: loading, paper or settings are wrong.
Border appears on borderless prints2 causes in the manual. First: paper or driver setting does not allow borderless printing.
Margins on the printout are wrongPaper size, margins or loading are wrong.
Incorrect characters print2 causes in the manual. First: A cable, USB hub, spooler or sleep state disturbs the job.
Image size or position is wrong2 causes in the manual. First: settings or loading are wrong.
Printed image is invertedA mirror setting is on.
Too many copies printThe Copies setting is above one.
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 off.
Printing is slow3 causes in the manual. First: the product slowed itself to protect the print mechanism after long printing.
Paper does not feed or several sheets feed at once4 causes in the manual. First: the cassette or paper stack is wrong.
Originals do not feed from the automatic document feederThe originals or their loading do not suit the ADF.
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 router5 causes in the manual. First: WPS was not completed in time.
Network software cannot find the printer2 causes in the manual. First: epsonNet Setup cannot find the product.
Printer does not appear in the Mac printer windowThe product needs a restart, a WPS window was missed, or software is incomplete.
Wireless connection is unstable on a MacA device on a Mac USB 3.0 port interferes with wireless.
Wired network connection is unstable or slowThe router or access point supports IEEE 802.3az (Energy Efficient Ethernet), which can make the connection unstable or slow.
Cannot print over a network2 causes in the manual. First: product, driver or settings are wrong.
Cannot scan over a networkSoftware, firewall or resolution blocks the scan.
Printer makes noise but nothing copiesNozzles are clogged, software is wrongly installed or the product is tilted.
Copies have faint or wrong colours2 causes in the manual. First: nozzles, glass, ADF or paper cause the problem.
Copy position, size or margins are wrongThe original, paper or copy settings are wrong.
Product software will not installCable, other programs, privileges or system requirements interfere.
Scanning software does not work or Epson Scan 2 will not startComputer, power mode or settings stop 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 wrongly placed 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 image.
Characters are not recognised in a scan converted to editable textOriginal, language or scan settings are unsuitable for OCR.
Scanned image edges are cropped, patchy or show ripples3 causes in the manual. First: the original sits too near the glass edge.
Cannot send or receive faxes2 causes in the manual. First: the line, cable or settings are wrong.
Cannot receive faxes with a telephone connectedThe telephone is on the wrong port or Receive Mode is wrong.
Fax memory full error2 causes in the manual. First: received faxes fill the inbox, which holds up to 100 faxes.
Fax quality is poor2 causes in the manual. First: A received fax is poor.
Sent fax arrives in the wrong sizeThe original is wrongly placed or the glass is dirty.
Received fax is not printedA product error such as a paper jam blocks printing, or the faxes are saved in memory.

Sources

User's Guide, ET-4850. Epson America, Inc. Document CPD-60205, revision CPD-60205R1, 333 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-4850. United States and Canada.
Source: User's Guide, ET-4850, CPD-60205 revision CPD-60205R1
Last verified: 13 November 2026
Handbook: Epson EcoTank ET-4850 printer in Printers; all Epson handbooks