Cleaning The Print Head; Checking The Print Head Nozzles - Epson Stylus Photo R280 Manual

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. Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it
only if quality declines.
You can clean the print head using the
printer or using the Head Cleaning utility on your computer.
You can also run a nozzle check to see if the print head needs
cleaning.
Note:
Clean the print head only when print quality declines (for example,
if you see lines in your printout or colors are incorrect or missing).
Before you clean the print head, check the print head nozzles first
(as described in the next section) to confirm that the print head
needs to be cleaned. This saves ink.
If the red ink light comes on or flashes, you cannot clean the
print head. In this case, replace the appropriate ink cartridge first.
Caution:
If you don't use your printer often it is a good idea to print a few
pages at least once a month to maintain good print quality.
Before you check the print head nozzles or clean the print
head, make sure the CD/DVD tray is not inserted in the
printer, and make sure the front tray is in the paper (lower)
position.

Checking the Print Head Nozzles

You can check the print head nozzles using your computer or
the buttons on the printer.
Using Your Computer
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the
red ink light is not on. (If the red
need to replace a cartridge.)
2. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.
3. Windows: Right-click the
(in the lower right corner of your screen). Select
.
Check
Macintosh OS X: Open the
EPSON Printer Utility2
printer list, click , and select
OK
ink button on the
ink light is on, you
printer icon on your taskbar
Nozzle
folder and select
Applications
. Select in the
SPR280 Series
.
Nozzle Check
You see a screen like the following:
4. Click or
Print Next
Print head does
not need to be
cleaned:
Print head
needs to be
cleaned:
5. If there are no gaps or lines, click
If there are gaps or lines, or the test patterns are faint, click
. Then read the on-screen instructions and skip to
Clean
step 3 under "Running the Head Cleaning Utility" ("Using
Your Computer") to clean the nozzles.
Using the Buttons on the Printer
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, that the
CD/DVD tray is not inserted in the printer, and the red
ink light is not on. (If the red
to replace a cartridge.)
2. Turn the printer off and make sure the front tray is in the
paper (lower) position.
3. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.
7/07
Epson Stylus Photo R280
. The nozzle check pattern prints:
.
Finish
ink light is on, you need
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