Cleaning The Print Head - Epson Stylus Color 480SXU User Manual

Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge
If you need to replace an ink cartridge before you see a Status
Monitor 3 message, follow the steps here to use the Ink
Cartridge Replacement utility. Before you begin, make sure
you've read the ink cartridge precautions on page 5.
You can only access the Ink Cartridge Replacement utility
from the Windows Printers utility, as described in the steps
below. You can't run the utility from within a Windows
application.
1. Make sure the printer is plugged in but not printing.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, then select Printers.
Right-click the EPSON Stylus COLOR 480SXU icon
and click Properties from the menu that appears.
3. Click the Utility tab, then click the Ink Cartridge
Replacement button.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to replace the
ink cartridge. After you've installed the cartridge, the printer
begins charging ink for several minutes.
5. Wait until you see a message telling you that charging is
complete before resuming printing.
Never unplug the printer while it's charging ink.

Cleaning the Print Head

If your printed image is unexpectedly light or faint, or dots or
lines are missing from the image, you may need to clean the
print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink
properly.
You can check to see if any nozzles are clogged by running the
Nozzle Check utility. Then, if you need to clean the print
heads, you can do so from the utility. See the next section for
instructions.
If you don't want to check the nozzles first, you can run the
Head Cleaning utility to clean the print head, as described on
page 7.
Cleaning the print head uses ink, so clean it only if print
quality declines.
When you don't turn on your printer for a long time, the
print quality can decline. It's a good idea to plug in your
printer at least once a month to maintain good print
quality.
If any paper you buy comes with a cleaning sheet, don't
use the cleaning sheet with your printer; it may jam
inside the printer.
Printing a Nozzle Check
Follow these steps for your operating system to run the Nozzle
Check utility:
1. Make sure the printer is plugged in but not printing.
2. Right-click the
Windows taskbar, then select Nozzle Check in the menu
that appears.
Or, if you have an application running, you can also run the
utility by accessing the printer settings dialog box as
described in your Printer Basics book. Click the Utility tab,
then click the Nozzle Check button.
3. Make sure letter-size or larger paper is loaded in the printer.
Click Print to print a nozzle check pattern.
4. Examine the nozzle check
pattern.
Each staggered horizontal and
straight vertical line should be
complete, with no gaps in the
dot pattern. If your printout
looks okay, click Finish.
If any dots are missing, as
shown here, click Clean and
follow the instructions on the screen to clean the print head
again. (The actual test prints the lower pattern in color.)
If you don't see any improvement after cleaning three or four
times, check the solutions in your Printer Basics book. You can
also turn the printer off and wait overnight—this allows any
dried ink to soften—and then try cleaning the print head
again.
Using the Head Cleaning Utility
Follow these steps to run the Head Cleaning utility:
1. Make sure the printer is plugged in but not printing.
2. Right-click the
Windows taskbar, then select Head Cleaning in the
menu that appears.
Or, if you have an application running, you can also run the
utility by accessing the printer settings dialog box as
described in your Printer Basics book. Click the Utility tab,
then click the Head Cleaning button.
3. Click Start and follow the instructions on the screen.
Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which the print
head moves and the printer makes some noise.
Never unplug the printer while it's cleaning the print
head.
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EPSON Stylus Color 480SXU
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Status Monitor 3 icon on your
EPSON Stylus Color 480SXU
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