Cleaning The Print Head; Replacing Ink Cartridges - Epson Stylus CX4800 Series User Manual

7. Make any other necessary image adjustments.
8. Size your image as necessary.
9. Click the button to scan and restore the color in your
Scan
image(s).
What happens next depends on how you started EPSON
Scan. See the on-screen User's Guide for details.
Checking the Print Head Nozzles and
Ink Levels
If your printouts are faint or have gaps in them, some of the
nozzles in the print head may be clogged or ink may be
running low in one or more of the ink cartridges. Follow the
steps below to check the print head nozzles and remaining ink
levels using the control panel.
1. Turn off the Epson Stylus CX.
2. Load letter-size paper in the sheet feeder.
3. Press the B ink and
P On
down for about 3 seconds. The Epson Stylus CX turns on
and prints a test pattern. It also shows the percentage of ink
left in each cartridge:
Print head does
not need to be
cleaned yet:
Print head needs
to be cleaned:
If the pattern does not look good, try cleaning the print
head as described below.
Note:
You can also check the ink level using Status Monitor 3; see the
on-screen User's Guide.

Cleaning the Print Head

If your printouts are unexpectedly light or faint, or you notice
light or dark bands across your printout, you may need to
clean the print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can
deliver ink properly. Run a nozzle check (as described above)
to see if the print head needs cleaning.
Epson Stylus CX4200 Series/Epson Stylus CX4800 Series
buttons together and hold them
Note:
Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it only if quality declines and the
nozzle check indicates that the print head needs to be cleaned.
If the red B ink light comes on or flashes, you cannot clean the print
head. In this case, replace the appropriate ink cartridge first; see the
next section.
1. Make sure the Epson Stylus CX is on and the B ink light is
off.
2. Hold down the B ink button for 3 seconds until the P
light starts flashing. The Epson Stylus CX runs a head
cleaning cycle and the P
Caution:
Never turn off the Epson Stylus CX while head cleaning is in
progress. You may damage it.
3. When the light stops flashing, run a nozzle check (as
P On
described to the left) to verify that the print head is clean.
4. If there are still gaps or lines, or the test patterns are faint,
run another cleaning cycle and check the nozzles again.
Note:
If you don't see any improvement after cleaning the print head
four or five times, turn off the Epson Stylus CX and wait
overnight. This lets any dried ink soften. Then try cleaning the
print head again. If quality still does not improve, one of the ink
cartridges may be old or damaged and needs to be replaced; see
the next section.
Tip:
If you do not use your Epson Stylus CX often, it is a good idea to
print a few pages at least once a month to maintain good print
quality.

Replacing Ink Cartridges

❏ When the red B ink light flashes, one or more ink cartridges
are low on ink.
❏ When the red B ink light stays on, you need to replace the
cartridge(s).
You'll also see a message on your screen when you print telling
you which cartridge is low or empty. (You cannot print when
a cartridge is empty.)
When a cartridge is more than six months old, you may need
to replace it if printouts don't look their best. If the quality
doesn't improve after cleaning and aligning the print head,
you can replace the cartridge even if the red B ink light is off.
5/05
light flashes.
On
On
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