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Cleaning the Print Head
If you find that the printout is unexpectedly faint or that dots are missing, you may be able to solve these problems by cleaning the print head, which ensures that the nozzles are delivering ink properly.
You can clean the print head from your computer using the Head Cleaning utility in the printer driver or from the printer using the control panel buttons.
Note:|
Because print head cleaning uses ink from all cartridges, clean the print head only if print quality declines; for example, if the printout is blurry, the color is incorrect or missing, or the vertical lines are pronouncedly misaligned.
Use the Nozzle Check utility first to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This saves ink.
When ink is low, you may not be able to clean the print head. When ink is expended, you cannot clean the print head. Replace the appropriate ink cartridge first. For more information, see Replacing an ink cartridge.
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Using the Head Cleaning utility for Windows
Follow these steps to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
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Turn on the printer.
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Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
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Access the printer driver. See Using the Printer Driver.
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Click the Utility tab, and then click the Head Cleaning button.
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Follow the on-screen instructions.
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The On light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
Caution:|
Never turn off the printer while the On light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer.
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Note:|
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure, turn off the printer and wait for at least six hours. Then, run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
If print quality remains a problem, contact Epson Service Center. For more information, see Contacting Epson Support.
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
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Using the control panel
Follow these steps to clean the print head using the control panel.
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Hold down the Cleaning button for about three seconds.
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Caution:|
Never turn off the printer while the On light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer.
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When the On light stops flashing, print a nozzle check pattern to confirm that the head is clean. For more information, see Checking the Print Head Nozzles.
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Note:|
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure, turn off the printer and wait for at least six hours. Then, run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
If print quality remains a problem, contact Epson Service Center. For more information, see Contacting Epson Support.
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
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