Epson ET8550 printing issue - ink marks on prints

[stephhh]

Hi!

When I print using my ET8550 I have starting having problems with ink smudges and blotches on the bottom or top of my paper. The actual image is fine it seems to be ink drops / trails from the print heads possibly? This seems to happen more when I print at A5 size. I've tried all the maintenance options RE cleaning etc.

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this? Or what I can do to remedy it?

Thanks

 

[d90]

Ink marks along the leading or trailing edge are often caused by build‑up on the platen or on the wiper pads rather than a nozzle fault. When you print smaller sizes the paper sits differently so the head can pick up droplets and lay them down at the start or end of the pass. Try opening the maintenance menu and running the paper feed roller cleaning, then gently wipe the underside of the print head and the rubber wiper/capping station with a lint‑free cloth dampened with distilled water (with the printer off and head parked). Also check that you have the correct paper size and type set in the driver; if the head gap is too small for thicker stock it can drag across the paper and leave smudges. Choosing a “thick paper” or “fine art” setting widens the gap slightly.

If cleaning the platen and adjusting the media settings doesn’t solve it, it may be a worn wiper blade or waste ink pad which will need servicing. Smudging at the top or bottom is rarely due to ink formulation alone, so a physical clean usually helps.