Sometimes it happens to us that we leave our Epson printer without using it for a while and when we want to use it again it does not work as we expect. This happens because the ink that is accumulated between the ink ducts dries , in addition to the fact that the head (responsible for throwing the ink when printing) is filled with it and the same process happens, therefore the ink that remains stored there prevents our printer from performing its activity properly.
On other occasions it happens that when printing from the mobile with Android or the PC, we observe a decrease in the quality of the images, loss of color, lack of sharpness, tendency to a single color, image distortion, color degradation, etc … Also, it can be due to dust or ink residues that clog the nozzles and affect the head.
That is why here we will briefly explain how to easily solve this problem that sometimes generates unnecessary expense. There are two different ways that can be applied in a comfortable and easy way, the first is basic and elementary just using your computer; the other requires a little more concentration and work.
Index( )
- How to check that my Epson printer has ink
- Check your printer from your PC
- How to test the injectors
- How to clean my printer heads
- Head cleaning in Windows
- Clean your heads on Mac
- What do I need to clean the heads manually?
- Process
- Maintaining your printer cartridges
- How to reset Epson cartridges
- Are Epson Ecotank refillable cartridges of good quality?
- Most common print quality problems
- Horizontal bands
- Vertical misalignment or bands
- Wrong colors
- Stained print
How to check that my Epson printer has ink
To see all the information about your Epson printer , it will be necessary to have the appropriate drivers installed. Now, look for the Epson icon on the toolbar and access its options by double-clicking.
The printer options will be displayed, here locate the ‘Utilities’ tab, depending on the model, an option named EPSON Status Monitor 3 should appear , click on the icon and the cartridges and the amount of ink they have will be displayed.
Check your printer from your PC
- Go to the start bar and search for devices and printers while there, select the printer and click on printing preferences
- Then you select maintenance located in this option, you can perform an injectors test by selecting that option; this will serve to clear doubts
- Later you will locate where it says head cleaning; you must wait for the process to be completed and check with a new impression
However, in some cases this process falls short , so a more exhaustive cleaning is used in order to recover a printing quality and productivity of our Epson, here we need some accessible tools that help us to do this. job; You must also be very subtle so as not to cause serious damage.
When it is observed that the previous process did not work, it tends to believe that there are no other alternatives and we even think that a new printer should be bought or taken to a specialist.
What usually happens is that the nozzles are very clogged by dry ink or that the obstruction is in the head directly , despite the ink levels with which the cartridges are, the printing goes bad; It may happen to other people that they go a long time without using the Epson for a few weeks or months and this causes the ink to dry and not be able to print.
So here we will help you to do a proper cleaning of the head and injectors so that you can solve this problem with ease and from the comfort of your home. For this you need to have a series of tools and follow the procedure described below.
How to test the injectors
Turn off the printer completely and add a letter or A4 size sheet. After feeding the paper, press the power button and the button with a small inverted triangle inside a circle at the same time .
Immediately the printer starts working, I will start the nozzle check process . Note that uncut lines should be shown, if you see a cut or smudge it may be that ink is missing or a cartridge is failing.
How to clean my printer heads
Before you start, make sure you have A4 or letter paper in the printer. Turn off the printer completely, after that, press the button with the inverted triangle in a circle. Press the button until the power button begins to flash, the heads should be clean at this point. You can check this by testing the injectors.
Head cleaning in Windows
It is best to open the Windows ‘Settings’ menu, once there, go to ‘Devices’. On the left side, the ‘Printers and scanners’ tab will appear, click on it. On the right, locate your printer and click there and then click on ‘Manage’ .
This time, locate ‘Printing Preferences’ . Here, look for the ‘Maintenance’ tab at the top. You will see the option ‘Head Cleaning’ just press on it to start.
Clean your heads on Mac
Go to the Apple menu, then you must locate the ‘System Preferences’ section. In this section there is the option ‘Print and Fax’ , here choose the model of your Epson printer.
An option with a name similar to ‘Options and spare parts’ should be displayed, here you must click on ‘Utility’. Finally, the option ‘Head Cleaning’ will appear , press on it to start.
What do I need to clean the heads manually?
- A screwdriver (star and paddle); glass cleaning liquid; three syringes or injectors; waste paper; and a plastic cup
Process
- The printer cover must be carefully removed (taking care not to break the flesh) using the screwdriver and set it aside. You can work with the flesh on, just by unscrewing; although to have a greater comfort it is suggested to remove it completely
- Now the injector ductmust be raised so that the head can be removed, that is, the little hoses that we see there are raised for better access
- Then we remove the head with great care to clean it
- At this point, the head is cleaned, introducing glass cleaning liquid with the help of the injectors so that it releases the dry ink that does not allow printing well.
- Now here, what remains is to wait for as much ink as possible to drop and clean with the paper
- After this, each of the cartridgesthat make up the head can also be sucked , for this a different syringe is used since it must be one for each color
- Each thing inside the head is repositioned and adjusted, it is verified that everything is where it should be
- Once each part of the printer has been checked, the cover is placed and adjusted
- Finally it is installed, refills the cartridges and you configure the Epson printer
Maintaining your printer cartridges
Certainly the nozzle check and head cleaning options are highly recommended. At the same time, make sure you use the printer relatively consistently and be careful not to get dust.
It is best to put the printer in a suitable place , where it is well ventilated and without humidity, in turn, avoid paper jams, use original cartridges and spare parts.
How to reset Epson cartridges
This process is functional when one of the cartridges is not recognized . First of all, completely turn off the Epson printer, also disconnect it from the power source. Remove all cartridges from the printer.
Insert only the cartridge that was having the problem and wait about 20 minutes before turning on the computer again. From the Epson configuration menu, in ‘EPSON Status Monitor’ check if the cartridge is working, if so, repeat the above process and install all the cartridges again.
Are Epson Ecotank refillable cartridges of good quality?
Really refillable cartridges Epson Ecotank are good . In fact, this type of printer is the most recommended if you want to buy a new one. Mind you, it is very important to purchase the proper ink provided by Epson to get the best possible performance.
Most common print quality problems
There are many reasons why Epson printers do not print, even when we have ink. Let’s take a look at some of the more common problems that can appear .
Horizontal bands
The best thing would be to do a nozzle check , this way you will see if the printer has any problems. It is also a good idea to run ‘Head Alignment’ from the printer menu.
Vertical misalignment or bands
If the lines are misaligned when printing, the sheet may not be set correctly , check that. You can also use the ‘Head Alignment’ function which also helps with this purpose.
Wrong colors
First of all, it is necessary to check that no ‘Special Color’ mode is activated , a clear example of this is the ‘Grayscale’. Ink levels may be low, you can see this from the software. In turn, do not forget to perform a test of injectors and the relevant alignment.
Stained print
The first thing to avoid this type of inconvenience is to check the condition of the paper . The paper you use must be the correct size and in good condition. You can also try cleaning the print area carefully, sometimes ink builds up and causes this problem.
