Print Quality Troubleshooting - Epson Stylus COLOR 900 Service Manual

EPSON Stylus COLOR 900/900N

3.1.4 Print Quality Troubleshooting

if you notice that print quality declines, it is usually because:
Y
The bi-directional adjustment setting is incorrect.
If you notice that vertical lines are misaligned or that vertical
banding appears, perform the bi-directional adjustment as
described in "Bi-Directional Adjustment"
Y
The printhead nozzles are clogged.
If you notice missing dots or lines, the printhead nozzles are
probably clogged. Clean the printhead as described in
the Printhead" on page 156, or by following the instructions in
step 1 of the table at right. Note that clogged printhead nozzles can
also cause horizontal or vertical banding (by deflecting ink off at an
angle from the nozzles). If you notice this problem, you should also
try cleaning the printhead.
If you still have print quality problems after performing these steps, refer
to the following table.
on page 138.
"Cleaning
Table 3-29. Cleaning Does Not Solve the Print Problem
Step Problem
1 Is dried ink clogging Press the Cleaning button and hold it down for
the nozzles? three seconds to start the printhead cleaning cycle.
As many as seven or eight cleaning cycles may be
needed. (Unlike previous models, the EPSON
Stylus COLOR 900/900N is not equipped with the
CL3 or "dummy cleaning" sequence. Therefore,
you can repeat the cleaning as many times as you
need to without having to run a self-test or print any
pages between cleanings.
2 Is dried ink clogging Try performing the initial ink charge operation as
the nozzles? described below:
1. Using the adjustment program, reset the initial
ink charge flag in the EEPROM. (See Chapter 5
for details.)
2. Turn the printer off for 10 seconds, and then turn
it back on.
3 Has a printhead FFC Remove the upper case and check if the FFCs are
come loose? properly connected to CN8 and CN9 on the main
board. Even if they are not visibly loose, try
disconnecting and then reconnecting them, and
then run a print check.
NOTE: Before reinstalling the FFCs, remove the
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
Solution
F r a m e
H e a t S i n k
C h e c k t h a t t h e c o n n e c t o r s a r e
n o t c o n n e c t e d a s l a n t .
metal frame in front of them, shown in red
above. Otherwise, it is impossible to
connect the FFCs securely.
83