Printer Help

Help with your printer & ink cartridges

Epson printers poor quality print?

I get asked this a lot in the shop so I thought I would add how to fix this on the website.

Instructions:

 

1. Open the Printers or Printers and Faxes folder.

    

   In Windows 7, click Start then Devices and Printers.  In other versions of Windows:

    

   • Click Start > Settings > Printers, or
   • Click Start > Printers, or
   • Click Start > Control Panel then double-click on:
     

      

     • Printers, or
     • Printers and Faxes, or
     • Printers and Other Hardware then View Installed Printers.

      

2. Right-click on the icon for your printer and select Printing Preferences.

    

   Example: Windows Vista

   

   
   

    

3. This will display the Printing Preferences window.

    

4. Click on the Maintenance (or Utility) tab.

    

   

   
   

    

5. Click on Head Cleaning. This will launch the utility.

    

6. Click Start and wait for the printer to finish the first cleaning cycle.

    

   

   Caution:
   Never turn off the printer while the On light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer.

    

7. Click Print Nozzle Check Pattern. This procedure will confirm the effectiveness of the head clean. You can also access the print Nozzle Check option from the Maintenance or Utility menu.

    

   

8. Click Print.

   

   
   

    

9. The printer will print a nozzle check. Compare the print out with the next window. If there are gaps, the print out is faint, click Clean, and then Finish when the procedure is complete.

    

   

   • If the nozzle check prints correctly (showing no breaks in the pattern), but the text is still broken you may need to run the Print Head Alignment utility

      

      

     If the nozzle check is complete, click Finish.

• If there are gaps or faint print on your printout click Clean.

If gaps are still present, perform another head clean (without printing a nozzle check between the cleans). Once the second clean is complete, power off the printer.

Wait one minute before powering it back on, then print a nozzle check. Compare the printout with the example window (above). 

• If it is complete, click Finish.
• If there are gaps or faint print on your printout carry out another set of head cleans.
• We recommend only a maximum of six head cleans.

Note:

If gaps are still present in the nozzle check pattern, power off the printer and leave it for at least six hours. Print a nozzle check following this period. If this does not show improvement, then it is recommended that you install a new set of genuine Epson ink cartridges. If only certain colours are affected, you could replace the associated cartridge. Replace any damaged or old cartridges - we recommend replacing cartridges that have been open for over 6 months (from the date the cartridge was first removed from its plastic vacuum packaging).