Epson EcoTank ET-3850 is slow when printing

The checks in more detail

The first page also takes extra time to warm up and process. Check the print settings. In the print dialog open the printer's preferences and look at the quality: Best, High or Photo is far slower than Standard or Draft. Choose a lower quality for ordinary documents, and switch off High Speed being disabled, if that option is shown; with High Speed on, the printer prints in both directions. Check the paper type, since photo or matte settings slow printing. Two-sided printing roughly halves the speed because the printer waits for the ink to dry.

A large file, a PDF with many images or a document with embedded fonts takes the computer time to process before the printer starts; try printing from another application or saving the file as a lower-resolution PDF. Then the connection. A weak Wi-Fi signal makes data arrive slowly, so the printer pauses; move it closer to the router, or connect an Ethernet cable or a USB cable to test, as Ethernet is the fastest and most stable. Restart the printer, the computer and the router.

Update the printer driver and firmware through Epson's site or the Epson Smart Panel. Clear the print queue of stuck jobs and make sure that the printer is not set to print in a quiet mode, which reduces speed to cut noise; turn Quiet Mode off. A printhead that needs cleaning can also slow a print by running a cleaning, so run a nozzle check if prints look poor. If it is still slow after these steps with a wired connection, contact Epson with the model and the serial number.