Error Conditions; Ink Out; Paper Out; Paper Jam - Epson Stylus COLOR 440 Service Manual

EPSON Stylus COLOR 440, 640, and 740

1.5 Error Conditions

When the error conditions described in the following sections occur, the
printer stops accepting data, sets the interface ERROR signal to LOW
and the Busy signal to HIGH, and stops printing. See
information on the status of the LED indicators during various error
states.

1.5.1 Ink Out

When the printer is almost out of any color of ink, the appropriate Ink
Out indicator (black or color) flashes and the printer keeps on printing.
When the printer is out of either ink color, it stops printing and the
appropriate Ink Out indicator remains on. Install a new ink cartridge at
this time.
C A U T I O N
Never reinstall an ink cartridge that has been removed
from the printer. Installing an old ink cartridge
interferes with the printer's ink level detection
capability and may cause serious printing problems.
Here's why:
1. Once the cartridge has been removed, air enters the cartridge and
the printhead, and bubbles that form can prevent the printhead from
discharging ink properly. On the other hand, the air that enters
during installation of a new ink cartridge can be absorbed into the
ink itself, since the ink in the cartridge has been de-aerated during
the production process. However, the ink's ability to absorb air lasts
for only about one hour after the cartridge has been installed.
2. As long as the ink cartridge remains installed in the printer, air
cannot enter the printhead. However, if an old ink cartridge is
removed from the printer, any air entering the cartridge can never be
fully absorbed into the ink. As a result, the ink will thicken and
bubbles will form. If thickened ink gets into the printhead, it can clog
Section 1.4.3 for
the ink path or nozzle and cause serious printhead damage.
3. Normally, the ink consumption counter is reset when the ink
cartridge is removed. If an ink cartridge is removed and reinstalled
unnecessarily, the ink consumption counter will have the wrong
value, and the printer may keep printing even though the inkstalled
ink cartridge is empty. This can damage the printhead.

1.5.2 Paper Out

When the printer is printing and fails to load a sheet of paper after all
power-on operations (including timer clearing) are done, or after you
press the Load/Eject button and the paper fails to load, the printer
indicates a paper out error.

1.5.3 Paper Jam

When the printer cannot eject a sheet of paper after printing, or when
the Load/Eject button on the control panel is pressed, the printer
indicates a paper jam error.
Chapter 1 Product Description
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