Epson ET-8550 Cropped Prints and Smudging at the End of the Page: Page Width Sensor Fixes and Starwheel Solutions

Question 

I'm having printing issues with my Epson ET-8550. I've already tried power cleaning, head cleaning, printhead cleaning, flushed ink, and refilled new ink-but the problem is still there. When the printer is supposed to push the paper/film out at the end, it keeps feeding and smudges the print. Recently it also started printing cropped images. Can you help or make a video on this?

Reference: YouTube community post comment (https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx9ht8UeTcqEYprvlpdmTa7KC-wiC-GXxM?lc=UgyrVmI-UJ30JqTQuhp4AaABAg)

Answer

You're describing two issues that often happen together on converted or modified ET-8550 setups-especially when printing on film:

1. Cropped images (printer "shrinks" or chops the print area)

2. Smudging at the end because the printer keeps feeding and the print gets dragged

Let's break them down.

1) Why the ET-8550 prints cropped images

In most cases, cropped prints happen when the Page Width Sensor thinks the media (paper/film) is narrower than it really is. When the printer believes the sheet is too narrow, it protects itself by reducing the printable area or shifting the image-resulting in cropping.

This is especially common with DTF film because:

• the film can be semi-transparent,

• the leading edge may not reflect light consistently,

• and the sensor may "see through" it or misread the boundary.

Fix: Make the leading edge easier for the sensor to read

Your proposed fix is right on target:

• Place a strip of opaque tape (painter's tape works well) across the back side of the film at the leading edge (the first edge entering the printer).

• The goal is to make the film appear "solid" to the sensor so it can read the full width correctly.

Tips to make this work better:

• Keep the tape flat with no wrinkles (wrinkles can cause skew or strikes).

• Don't block rollers-apply tape only where it won't gum up feed components.

• If the film is very transparent, you may need a wider strip or a more opaque material.

If cropping is intermittent, it's often because the sensor reading is inconsistent from one sheet to the next due to lighting, reported film width, or how the leading edge enters.

2) Why it smudges at the end (and why the last inch is a problem)

Your second observation is also correct: if the starwheels ("pizza wheels") were removed, the printer may lose its ability to properly control, grip, and guide the media at the final portion of the print.

Those small spiked wheels are annoying because they can leave marks-so many people remove them for film printing-but they also provide critical traction and stabilization.

When they're gone, what can happen is:

• the printer continues advancing the film expecting the usual traction,

• the sheet doesn't exit cleanly,

• the printed area stays in contact with internal surfaces longer than intended,

• and the still-wet ink gets dragged/smudged, especially on the last inch.

Fix: Extend the media so the printer has "something to hold"

A very effective workaround is exactly what you suggested:

• Tape a leader (an extra piece of film or backing sheet) to the end of your film so the printer can keep feeding without dragging the printed portion.

• This makes the sheet effectively "longer," giving the printer time and distance to finish the print and eject without the last section hovering inside the exit path.

Leader tips:

• Use a straight, clean seam-crooked seams can skew and cause head strikes.

• Use tape that won't peel inside the printer (avoid glossy weak adhesives).

• Keep thickness minimal; a bulky seam can catch.

Additional smudge-reduction checks (very common on film)

Even if the leader helps, smudging can also be worsened by:

• Too much ink laydown / too slow drying
  Try lowering ink density in your RIP settings, reducing resolution, or increasing pass count appropriately depending on your workflow.

• Platen gap / head height too low
  If the print is physically close to the film, you're more likely to get contact smears. If your driver/RIP allows platen gap adjustments, a slightly wider gap can help (with the tradeoff of potential sharpness).

• Dirty exit rollers or residue
  Film printing can leave adhesive, coating, or ink mist residue that transfers to the print at the end.

• Paper feed skew or curl
  Curl at the trailing edge can cause the film to lift and brush surfaces.

3) Cleaning cycles won't fix this (and why)

You already did power cleaning, head cleaning, flushing, and refilling. That effort makes sense for nozzle issues-but your symptoms point more toward media sensing + mechanical handling, not clogged nozzles.

So if nozzles look acceptable but the output is cropped and smudging at eject, further cleaning cycles usually just:

• waste ink,

• stress the pump/capping station,

• and increase the chances of introducing air.

It's better to focus on:

• width sensing accuracy (opaque leader/tape),

• exit traction (starwheel decision + leader method),

• and drying/contact control.

4) Error codes

No specific Epson error codes were included in the message you shared (for example, "0x..." codes or flashing-light patterns). If your ET-8550 is displaying any numeric code, a "paper out" loop, or a light blink sequence, include that code/pattern-those details can change the diagnosis from "sensor mis_attach" to "feed motor / PF encoder / paper sensor" issues.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. Because of that, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic facility, printer repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Due to high demand, we work on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take a few weeks before we can schedule a drop-off. Our services are set up to repair either a whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. That said, we understand our rates aren't the most economical-so we strongly encourage self-help through online research. You can start by checking YouTube or visiting our channel homepage, BCH Technologies on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Use the search icon next to "About" on the right side of the menu bar to find topic-specific videos. I receive dozens of requests every day asking for a video on a specific issue, and after nine years of uploads it's difficult to remember every single one-using YouTube's search is the fastest approach. Plus, YouTube may recommend other relevant videos from other creators that can help too.

Thanks again for reaching out, and thank you for supporting BCH Technologies and our YouTube channel. I truly appreciate it, and I hope the tape-at-the-leading-edge and film-leader method gets you printing cleanly again.