An Epson EcoTank ET-2850 that prints blank pages almost always has a problem with ink reaching the print head, either because the tanks have been allowed to run low, there is air in the lines or the nozzles have dried and clogged, and the cure is a short ladder of steps that start gently and end with a deeper clean. First look at the ink tanks on the front of the printer. The ET-2850 shows how much ink is left through the windows on the tanks, and Epson says to keep the ink above the lower line;
The checks in more detail
a tank that has run below it lets air into the supply, and the printer prints blanks. If any tank is below the lower line, refill it to the upper line with the correct Epson bottle, as the bottles are keyed to fit only the correct color, and then continue with the cleaning below. Run a nozzle check from the printer's menu or from the driver's maintenance tab. The pattern shows a grid of lines for each color; gaps or missing lines mean clogged nozzles. If they are faint or incomplete, run one Print Head Cleaning, then print the check again.
Do not repeat cleaning more than a few times in a row, because each cleaning uses ink and fills the waste ink pad, so after two or three rounds, leave the printer for several hours and try again, as the ink softens a dried clog. Epson also offers Power Cleaning on some models, a deeper process that uses more ink, to be used only when normal cleaning has failed. Print a page every few days, since an unused inkjet dries out, and keep the printer on a stable surface where it is not moved while filling.
After refilling, the printer may need to charge ink, which takes minutes, and you should not interrupt it. Check the paper settings and that the page has content; a document that is blank on screen prints blank. In the driver, check that Black Ink only or Grayscale is not selected with an empty black tank. If the nozzle check is perfect and pages are still blank, check the application. If cleanings fail and a message mentions an ink pad, contact Epson with the serial number, since the pad needs service. Store the bottles upright and tightly closed.
Differential
Likely causes of “Epson EcoTank ET-2850 prints blank pages”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A tank below the lower line
What separates it Air gets into the lines
How to confirm Refill to the upper line and clean the head
- 2
Dried or clogged nozzles
What separates it Gaps in the nozzle check
How to confirm Run a head cleaning and wait between rounds
- 3
Repeated cleanings
What separates it Ink is used and the pad fills
How to confirm Leave it for hours before another round
- 4
Rarely used printer
What separates it The head has dried
How to confirm Print a page every few days
- 5
Wrong driver settings
What separates it Black only with an empty black tank
How to confirm Check the color settings
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The ink levels
- The nozzle check pattern
- How many cleanings were run
- Whether the document is blank on screen
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck the tank levels
ReversibleKeep above the lower line.
Refill any low tank
ReversibleTo the upper line.
Run a nozzle check
ReversibleRead the grid.
Run a head cleaning
ReversibleThen re-check.
Wait several hours
ReversibleBefore more cleanings.
Contact Epson
ReversibleIf a pad message appears.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Ink pad
- Cleaning fills the waste pad.
- Bottles
- They are keyed to the colors.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If cleanings fail and a message mentions the ink pad, contact Epson with the serial number
- !Do not keep running cleanings
- !Refill only with the correct bottles
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my ET-2850 print blank pages?+
Air or dried ink at the head.
How low can the ink go?+
Not below the lower line.
How many cleanings should I run?+
Two or three, then wait.
Why print regularly?+
An unused inkjet dries out.