Epson printers are widely used for their efficiency, but after a firmware update or driver update, you may notice that numbers and words are not printing correctly. This issue can manifest as:

✅ Random characters or symbols instead of text

✅ Garbled or missing words and numbers
✅ Blank spaces where text should be
✅ Incorrect font rendering
 

This guide will walk you through the possible causes of this issue and provide step-by-step troubleshooting solutions to restore proper printing.

Common Causes of Printing Errors After an Epson Update

1. Corrupted Printer Drivers

  • The firmware update may have overwritten or corrupted the existing printer driver.
  • The wrong driver version might have been installed.

2. Incompatible Printer Settings

  • Some settings like font encoding, paper size, or print language may have changed after the update.
  • The printer may be set to RAW printing mode, causing data misinterpretation.

3. Connection Issues

  • A faulty USB or network connection can cause print jobs to be misinterpreted.

4. Software Conflicts

  • A recent Windows or macOS update may conflict with the printer driver.
  • Security software or antivirus programs may block the printer’s communication.

5. Epson Firmware Restriction

  • Some firmware updates may block third-party ink cartridges, leading to errors in print output.

Step-by-Step Fixes for Epson Printer Text & Number Printing Issues

Step 1: Restart Your Printer & Computer

Before diving into technical fixes, try a simple restart:

  1. Turn off your printer and unplug it from power.
  2. Restart your computer.
  3. Wait 2–3 minutes, then turn the printer back on.
  4. Try printing a test page to check if the issue persists.

Step 2: Check & Update Printer Drivers

If the printer driver was corrupted or outdated, reinstalling or updating it can solve the issue.

For Windows Users:

  1. Press Windows + R, type devmgmt.msc, and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Printers, right-click on your Epson printer, and select Update Driver.
  3. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
  4. If the problem persists, download the latest driver from Epson’s official website and install it manually.

For macOS Users:

  1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select your Epson printer and click Remove Printer.
  3. Download and install the latest Mac-compatible driver from Epson’s official site.
  4. Re-add the printer and set it as default.

✔ Try printing again to see if this fixes the issue.

Step 3: Adjust Printer Language Settings

Sometimes, an Epson update changes the Printer Language Setting, causing misinterpretation of numbers and text.

For Windows Users:

  1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
  2. Right-click your Epson printer and select Printer Properties.
  3. Go to the Advanced tab and click Print Processor.
  4. Select WinPrint and set the default Data Type to RAW.
  5. Click OK, then restart your printer.

For macOS Users:

  1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select your Epson printer and click Options & Supplies.
  3. Look for Language Settings and change it to Auto-Detect or PostScript.
  4. Save changes and restart your printer.

✔ Print a test document to check if the text prints correctly.

Step 4: Check Print Spooler Service (Windows Only)

The Print Spooler is responsible for managing print jobs. A corrupted spooler can cause printing issues.

How to Restart Print Spooler:

  1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Scroll down to find Print Spooler.
  3. Right-click Print Spooler and select Restart.

✔ Try printing again after restarting the spooler.

Step 5: Run the Epson Printer Troubleshooter

Epson provides a built-in troubleshooting tool to detect and fix common printing issues.

For Windows Users:

  1. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Click on your Epson printer and select Run the Troubleshooter.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

For macOS Users:

  1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Remove the printer and re-add it manually.
  3. Run a test print to check if the problem is resolved.

✔ If errors are detected, follow the recommended fixes.

Step 6: Check & Change the Default Font Settings

Some Epson updates affect font encoding and cause misprinted characters.

For Windows Users:

  1. Open Notepad and type some text.
  2. Click File > Print and select your Epson printer.
  3. Click Preferences > Advanced.
  4. Change the Font Substitution Settings to TrueType.
  5. Apply the changes and print again.

✔ If the text prints correctly in Notepad but not in other programs, update your fonts.

Step 7: Uninstall Recent Windows Updates (If Issue Started After a System Update)

If your printer started printing incorrectly after a Windows update, try rolling back the update.

How to Uninstall a Recent Update:

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Update & Security > View Update History.
  3. Click Uninstall Updates, find the most recent update, and click Uninstall.

✔ Restart your computer and check if printing returns to normal.

Step 8: Reset Epson Printer to Factory Settings

If nothing else works, resetting your Epson printer to its factory settings may resolve the issue.

How to Reset Epson Printer:

  1. Press the Home button on the printer.
  2. Go to Setup > Restore Default Settings.
  3. Select Restore All Settings.
  4. Confirm and restart the printer.

✔ Reconfigure your printer and try printing again.

Final Thoughts

If your Epson printer is printing numbers and words incorrectly after an update, the issue is usually related to driver corruption, font encoding, or incorrect printer settings.

✅ Start with simple fixes (restart printer & computer).

✅ Reinstall or update printer drivers.
✅ Adjust printer language and font settings.
✅ Roll back system updates if needed.
✅ Reset the printer as a last resort.

 

If none of these fixes work, contact Epson Support for further assistance.

Would you like help finding official Epson driver updates for your specific printer model? 😊