Seeing your Epson printer show as "Offline" on your Mac can be frustrating—especially when everything was working fine the day before. This error prevents you from printing anything, even though the printer may be connected to Wi-Fi or USB. The good news? You can usually fix this issue with a few simple steps.

In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly how to bring your Epson printer back online on macOS. Whether your printer is connected via Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, these solutions will help restore normal operation.

Why Does My Epson Printer Say “Offline” on Mac?

 
 

Before diving into the fixes, it’s helpful to understand why this error occurs. Common reasons include:

  • Your Mac lost communication with the printer (Wi-Fi drop, USB glitch)

  • The printer went to sleep or into an energy-saving mode

  • A recent macOS update caused driver conflicts

  • Incorrect printer settings or configuration

  • A print job is stuck in the queue, freezing the system

Let’s troubleshoot step-by-step.

Step 1: Restart Everything

Start with the classic but often effective fix—restart your devices.

  1. Turn off your Epson printer, unplug it for 30 seconds, and plug it back in.

  2. Restart your Mac.

  3. If using Wi-Fi, restart your router as well.

After everything is rebooted, wait for the printer to reconnect and try printing again.

Step 2: Check Printer Connection

If Using USB:

  • Disconnect the USB cable.

  • Plug it into a different port on your Mac.

  • Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners and check if the printer appears as “Idle” or “Online.”

If Using Wi-Fi:

  • On the printer’s control panel, check the Wi-Fi signal strength.

  • Ensure the printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.

  • You can print a Network Status Report from the printer’s settings menu to confirm connection status.

If the printer isn’t connected to Wi-Fi, go to the printer’s Wireless Setup Wizard, and reconnect it.

Step 3: Set Epson as Default Printer

Sometimes, macOS switches the default printer without warning.

To make sure the correct printer is selected:

  1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.

  2. Look for your Epson printer in the list.

  3. Right-click or control-click the printer and select Set as Default Printer.

  4. Try printing again.

Step 4: Remove and Re-Add the Printer

This step refreshes the connection between your Mac and the printer.

  1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.

  2. Select your Epson printer and click the “–” (minus) button to remove it.

  3. Click the “+” (plus) button to re-add the printer.

  4. Wait a few moments for macOS to detect the printer and automatically install the correct driver.

After re-adding the printer, check its status. If it now shows “Idle,” you’re good to go.

Step 5: Clear the Print Queue

Sometimes, one stuck job can hold up all others and trigger the offline status.

  1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.

  2. Select your Epson printer and click Open Print Queue.

  3. If there are any pending or frozen print jobs, click “X” to cancel them all.

  4. Try sending a new print job.

If the printer was previously stuck, this often resets its status.

 

 

Step 6: Reset the Printing System

If nothing else has worked, try resetting the entire printing system on your Mac.

⚠️ Warning: This will remove all printers and scanners from your Mac and reset settings.

  1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.

  2. Right-click in the printers list and choose Reset Printing System.

  3. Enter your administrator password if prompted.

  4. Re-add your Epson printer by clicking the “+” button.

This clean slate can resolve deeper configuration issues and communication errors.

Step 7: Update or Reinstall the Epson Driver

macOS updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues with older printer drivers.

To update the driver:

  1. Visit the Epson Support page.

  2. Enter your printer model (e.g., Epson EcoTank ET-2850).

  3. Download the latest macOS-compatible driver and utilities combo package.

  4. Install it and restart your Mac afterward.

If you already have the latest driver:

  • Open Applications > Epson Software, and uninstall any old Epson drivers or tools.

  • Reinstall the new software package from Epson’s website.

This ensures your printer has the best chance of communicating properly with macOS.

Step 8: Check for macOS Updates

Sometimes the issue lies with the operating system itself.

  1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > General > Software Update.

  2. If an update is available, install it.

  3. Restart your Mac after updating.

Apple often fixes printer-related bugs in macOS updates, so keeping your system current is always a good idea.


Step 9: Check Energy Saver or Sleep Mode on Printer

Epson printers may go into power-saving mode or disconnect from Wi-Fi after inactivity.

To prevent this:

  • Go into the printer’s Settings > Power Off Timer or Sleep Mode, and either disable it or extend the delay.

  • On some models, make sure “Wi-Fi On When Off” or “Keep Wi-Fi Connected” is enabled.

This ensures the printer remains reachable, even if it looks like it's idle.

Step 10: Use Epson iPrint App (Optional Fix)

If you're still struggling with scanning or wireless printing, consider using the Epson iPrint app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. It lets you:

  • Print and scan wirelessly

  • Check printer status

  • Access cloud storage for documents

This can serve as a temporary workaround until the Mac-side issue is fully resolved.

 

 

Still Not Working? Try These Advanced Tips

  • Assign a Static IP to your Epson printer via your router. This can prevent network confusion if your printer's IP address keeps changing.

  • Turn off IPv6 on your printer (some users report compatibility issues with certain networks).

  • Use AirPrint: macOS supports Apple’s native AirPrint drivers for many Epson models. If you re-add the printer and see “AirPrint” under Use, that driver can work without additional software.

Final Thoughts

An “Epson printer offline” message on your Mac doesn’t mean your printer is broken—it just means your Mac and printer aren’t communicating properly. With the right mix of troubleshooting and patience, you can usually get everything working again in just a few minutes.

Here’s a quick recap: ✅ Restart devices

✅ Check connection (Wi-Fi or USB)
✅ Set the Epson printer as default
✅ Re-add the printer
✅ Clear the print queue
✅ Reset the printing system if needed
✅ Update or reinstall Epson drivers
✅ Prevent sleep mode or Wi-Fi dropouts

 

If you’ve gone through all these steps and still have issues, Epson’s support team or Apple Support can help further—especially if the problem started after a macOS update.

Want help for a specific Epson model or macOS version? Just let me know—I can tailor the fix exactly for your setup.