copies and scans from the printer glass come out with a weird yellow or pink tint, colors are all wrong.

Diagnosis

The yellow or pink color cast occurring during scans and copies on the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is almost always caused by a failure in the CIS (Contact Image Sensor) calibration process. Unlike a camera, the scanner does not "know" what true white is; it relies on a physical reference point—a narrow, factory-calibrated white strip located at the very top edge of the scanner bed—to set the color balance for every single pass. When dust, ink splatter, or adhesive residue accumulates on this calibration strip, the scanner reads the "white" as being tinted. If the strip is contaminated with a blue-ish smudge, the printer compensates by adding yellow or pink to the image to "correct" the balance, resulting in a global color shift across your entire document. You can confirm this by scanning a plain white piece of paper; if the white areas appear creamy or flushed, the sensor is misreading the reference strip. This is a hardware-level calibration error, not a software glitch or an ink nozzle problem, as the issue persists even when using the "Copy" function without sending data to the PC.

How to Fix It

To resolve the color tint, you must manually clean the calibration reference area and reset the sensor's baseline.

1. Lift the scanner lid completely and inspect the top edge of the glass, specifically the area near the hinge where the scanner head begins its movement.
2. Locate the narrow white plastic strip (the calibration strip) situated just outside the main scanning glass area.
3. Dampen a high-quality microfiber cloth with a small amount of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. Do not spray the alcohol directly onto the printer; apply it to the cloth first to avoid liquid seeping into the sensor housing.
4. Gently wipe the white strip in a single direction, removing all fingerprints, dust, and ink streaks. Ensure no lint is left behind, as a single fiber can cause a vertical line or a color spike.
5. Clean the actual glass surface of the flatbed using a separate section of the cloth to ensure no debris is dragged into the calibration area.
6. Close the lid and perform a "Power Cycle": Turn the printer off using the power button, unplug the power cable from the wall for 60 seconds, and then plug it back in. This forces the scanner head to re-initialize and perform a fresh calibration read of the cleaned strip.
7. Run a test copy of a document with a clear white background to verify the tint is gone.

If That Didn't Work

• Adjust the Scan Settings: If the tint is subtle, access the "Scan Settings" on your computer via the Epson Scan 2 utility. Change the "Image Option" from "Auto" to "Manual" and manually adjust the Color Balance sliders. Lower the Yellow or Magenta levels until the white balance appears neutral.
• Perform a Hard Reset of the Scanner: Enter the printer's maintenance menu on the LCD screen. Navigate to "Restore Default Settings" and select "All Settings." This clears any corrupted color profiles that may have been saved to the internal firmware.
• Check for "Photo" vs "Document" Mode: Ensure the printer isn't set to a specific "Photo" or "Vivid" mode during copying. These modes often boost saturation and warmth, which can look like a yellow tint on standard office paper. Switch to "Plain Paper" or "Standard" mode.
• Inspect for Light Leakage: If you are scanning in a room with very bright, direct sunlight or strong yellow incandescent lighting, light can leak through the gaps of the scanner lid. Place a heavy dark cloth over the lid during the scan to see if the color cast disappears.

Heads Up

• Never use window cleaner, ammonia-based products, or abrasive scrubs on the scanner glass or calibration strip, as these can strip the protective coating and permanently distort color accuracy.
• Avoid using paper towels for cleaning the calibration strip; they leave behind microscopic cellulose fibers that the scanner interprets as debris, causing "streaking" in your scans.
• If you notice the tint returning frequently, check if you are using high-gloss photo papers that shed residue; always use a carrier sheet for extremely glossy materials to keep the calibration strip clean.
• Remember that the ET-2850 uses a CIS sensor, which is more sensitive to physical debris than older CCD scanners; a monthly wipe-down of the glass edges is recommended for high-volume users.