I deleted my latest printer update now I can't print ot get updates as it says I already downloaded them

Question

After updating to Mavericks I did not do any photo printing for about 6 weeks.  The printer worked just fine for general use until yesterday when I needed to print 20 8x10s.  I have an Epson Photo 1400, a pretty high quality printer that has been a workhorse for years now and still produced great pictures.  In Aperture I used icc profiles for whatever paper I was using.  Normally the print would go through the printer very slowly for photos as I used the better Epson Glossy paper.  Normal pages on normal paper are printer at high speed (13 seconds) which was fine but a photo would take 1 1/2 minutes, also fine.  The quality was outstanding.  I downloaded the latest Epson print drivers yesterday.  I cannot be sure if it was before or after my recent photo printing issues.  Now the printer speeds through 8x10s in about 13 seconds giving me crummy prints and they lask the detail I had before.  Nowhere could I find adjustments that were not "grayed" out.
I emails support at Epson and they gave me instructions to delete the printer and reload it.  Done with no improvement.  They had me delete plists for the printer and told me to delete and reload the printer through "Printers & Scanners."  All done and still no improvement.  I called today and they led me through many more steps including downloading the drivers for 10.6OS (Lion?) and now I can't get the printer to do anything.  It sees the printer, I can delete and add it back but when I go to print it shows up in the print que but nothing ever happens. 
I have tried to go to updates for Epson printers via software updates but it sees I already downloaded the newest drivers yesterday and it will not let me downlaod them.  At least they gave me plain printed pages.  Now I have nothing and a large 20 pound paperweight sitting in the corner of my desk.  I like Epson printers (or I did) and I am concerned that if I buy a new, different one, I will still not be able to get the latest printer drivers as "I already loaded them."
Any advice on how to go forward?  I have followed everyone's advice for troubleshooting but fear I caused some of this myself.

Answer 1

Thanks John for the suggestion.  I was finally able to dwonload the newest drivers today when I signed on.  Seems like if you let one day go by Software Update will look at your version of the driver and will finally let you download the newest.  That did not help.  Nothing but communication errors.  It would not even let me load the the new driver as it would no longer ever see the printer.
Yesterday, for further explanation, I was working at the computer when I heard the printer chime a few times.  When I looked over the green light, which normally signals it is receiving a file to print, was flashing away.  I was doing nothing and I finally had to turn it off.  I spoke with another techie friend who is a big Mac user and has the same printer and he suggested it may be the USB circuit.  This printer has been on for 5 years with a few days off.  We have concluded the circuits are past their useful life and I will soon send the printer to be recycled somewhere.  A new printer is on the way as I need this device.
Again, thank you for your suggestion and I will mark this solved due to mechanical failure.