How to Fix Epson Sublimation Printer Lines, Clogs and Feeds

Quick answer: How to fix Epson sublimation printer problems starts with a nozzle check. If the pattern has gaps, clean the print head. If nozzles are still clogged after three cleanings, Epson says to run a Power Cleaning, then flush the ink tubes. If the pattern is complete but prints still show lines, raise the print quality, match the paper type and run a print quality adjustment.

That one test, the nozzle check, is the fork in the road. It tells you whether you’re dealing with a clogged head or a settings problem. The fixes for each are completely different, and mixing them up is how people end up running cleaning cycle after cleaning cycle on a printer that was only ever set to the wrong paper type.

I’ll stick to what Epson publishes for its SureColor F170 dye-sublimation printer, since that’s Epson’s own desktop sublimation model with support pages behind it. Other F-series models follow similar steps, but check your manual.

Why Epson Sublimation Prints Go Wrong

Sublimation ink has to land precisely and evenly, because every streak or pale patch transfers straight onto the blank when you press it. That’s why small print faults matter so much more here than on a document printer. From Epson’s F170 troubleshooting FAQs, the usual causes, roughly most likely first:

1. Clogged print head nozzles. These show up as gaps in the nozzle check pattern and as lines (banding) in prints.
2. Wrong Paper Type in the driver, so the printer lays down ink for a different media.
3. A low print quality setting. Epson notes faster printing can lower overall quality.
4. Paper that’s wrinkled, folded, bent or not supported.
5. Old or unshaken ink. Epson says to use bottles before their expiration date and shake them before filling.
6. Dust inside the printer from leaving covers open.
7. Low ink in one or more tanks.

How to Fix Epson Sublimation Printer Banding and Clogs

Work through these in order. Stop as soon as a nozzle check comes back clean and the print looks right. No need to go further.

1. Run a nozzle check from the printer’s control panel or the Epson printer driver.
2. Read the pattern. Gaps mean clogged nozzles. No gaps means the problem is settings, not the head.
3. If there are gaps, clean the print head. Then run another nozzle check.
4. Repeat up to three cleanings. Epson’s threshold is three.
5. Still clogged? Run a Power Cleaning.
6. Still clogged after that? Flush the ink tubes, following your printer’s guide.
7. Run a print quality adjustment from the control panel.

Don’t skip the nozzle check between cleanings. In practice, each cleaning uses ink, and when you blindly run five cleanings in a row you burn through ink without knowing which one actually cleared the head.

My take: if a Power Cleaning and a tube flush don’t clear it, stop there. Call Epson. Home remedies like soaking the head or pushing cleaning fluid through it by hand aren’t in Epson’s guidance, and a damaged head turns an annoying clog into a much bigger problem.

When the Nozzle Check Is Perfect but Lines Remain

Epson splits this into two cases.

• Horizontal banding: select a higher Print Quality setting in the driver, select the correct paper type, and run a print quality adjustment from the control panel.
• Vertical banding: select a higher Print Quality setting and run a print quality adjustment.

I think this is the most overlooked fix on the list. A clean head plus a “Standard” or fast setting can still band, and the cure is a slower, higher quality print mode, not another cleaning cycle.

Colors Look Uneven, Too Light or Too Dark

Epson’s F170 FAQ lists a long set of checks for uneven, light or dark prints. The ones I’d try first:

• Visually check every ink tank and refill any that are low.
• Confirm the Paper Type in the driver matches the loaded paper.
• Make sure ink bottles are within their expiration date, and shake them before filling the tanks.
• Keep all printer covers closed except when loading media, so dust doesn’t collect inside.
• Enable color management in your design software or the printer driver.
• Use paper that meets the printer’s specifications, flat and unwrinkled.

One honest caveat from Epson: monitors and printers produce color differently, so a print won’t always match your screen exactly. Some difference is normal. Don’t chase perfection on paper.

Paper Won’t Feed Properly

Epson’s paper feed checklist for the F170 is short:

• Put the printer on a flat surface, in the recommended environmental conditions.
• Use only paper the printer supports. Epson recommends its own Epson DS Transfer Multi Use paper in 8.5 x 11 inch and 8.5 x 14 inch sizes.
• Don’t load more than the maximum number of sheets.
• Make sure the paper size and paper type settings match what’s actually loaded.

Image Prints the Wrong Way Round

Sublimation transfers usually need to be mirrored so they read correctly once pressed. If the print isn’t inverted, Epson says to turn on the mirror option in the driver:

• Windows: select Mirror Image on the More Options tab.
• Mac: select Mirror Image from the Print Settings menu in the print dialog.

Honestly, I’d make a habit of checking this before every print. It’s a cheap mistake on paper. Pressed onto a mug, a shirt or a slate photo panel with lettering backwards, it’s a ruined blank and a lost afternoon.

“Printer Error. Turn on the Printer Again”

If the screen shows this message, Epson’s advice is to remove any paper or protective material from inside the printer. On a brand-new printer, that includes any shipping tape or protective bits you might have missed during setup. If the message stays, contact Epson support.

How to Fix a Sublimation Printer From Sawgrass

If your sublimation printer is a Sawgrass SG500 or SG1000 rather than an Epson, the logic is similar but the limits differ. Sawgrass’s maintenance steps:

1. Leave the printer powered on and plugged in at all times. Sawgrass says it runs a brief cleaning cycle every 10 hours on its own.
2. Print at least 1 to 2 times a week if you don’t print daily.
3. For missing nozzles, run a head cleaning up to 3 times, checking the nozzle pattern after each.
4. If that fails, run head flushes, up to 5, with a nozzle check after each. Flushes use more ink.
5. Soak the capping station with hot distilled water for 5 to 10 minutes. Sawgrass says to use only distilled water, since other liquids can damage the sponge and print head.
6. If nozzles are still missing after 3 cleanings and 5 flushes, contact the Sawgrass Care team.

What about an Epson inkjet converted to third-party sublimation ink? Epson’s sublimation FAQs are written for its SureColor F-series and Epson’s own ink, so I’d treat them as general guidance only on a converted machine and lean on your ink supplier’s instructions.

How to Keep It From Happening Again

Most of the prevention advice falls straight out of the fixes above. Here’s the short version I’d tape next to the printer:

• Keep the covers shut unless you’re loading or unloading paper. Epson says that stops dust collecting inside.
• Shake each ink bottle before you top up a tank, and use bottles before the date on the package.
• Leave the Paper Type and quality settings saved as a preset in your design software, so a rushed print doesn’t fall back to a fast draft mode.
• Run a nozzle check before an important job, not after you’ve wasted a blank.

Sawgrass owners have one extra habit worth copying: Sawgrass wants its printers left switched on so the automatic cleaning can run, and printed at least once or twice a week. Epson doesn’t publish the same rule for the F170 in its FAQs, so I wouldn’t assume it carries over. Check your user guide for its maintenance schedule.

When to Contact Epson Support

I’d stop troubleshooting and call Epson when:

• Nozzles stay clogged after three cleanings, a Power Cleaning and an ink tube flush.
• A “Printer Error” message persists after clearing all paper and packing material.
• Print quality stays poor with a clean nozzle check, the right paper type and the highest quality setting.

Once the printer side is sorted, the press is the other half of the job. See how to reset a Cricut heat press if yours is acting up, or browse Sublimation & Heat Press for more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does My Epson Sublimation Printer Have Lines?

Lines usually mean clogged nozzles. Run a nozzle check and clean the head if there are gaps. If the check is clean, Epson says to raise the print quality, match the paper type and run a print quality adjustment.

How Many Times Should I Clean an Epson Print Head?

Epson’s F170 guidance is up to three cleanings. If nozzles are still clogged, run a Power Cleaning, then flush the ink tubes if needed.

What Paper Does the Epson F170 Use?

Epson recommends its own Epson DS Transfer Multi Use paper, in 8.5 x 11 inch and 8.5 x 14 inch sizes.

How Do I Mirror an Image on an Epson Sublimation Printer?

Turn on Mirror Image in the driver. On Windows it’s on the More Options tab. On a Mac it’s in the Print Settings menu.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: Epson F170: uneven print quality and banding, Epson F170: horizontal or vertical lines, Epson SureColor F170 support and FAQs and Sawgrass: SG500/SG1000 preventative maintenance.