Diagnosing the Problem

Troubleshooting printer problems is best handled in two steps: first diagnose the problem, then apply likely solutions until the problem is fixed.

The information that you need to diagnose and solve most common problems is provided by online problem solving, the control panel, the status monitor or by running a printer operation check. Refer to the appropriate section below.

If you have a specific problem relating to print quality, a printout problem not related to print quality, or a paper feeding problem, or if the printer does not print at all, refer to the appropriate section.

To solve a problem, you may need to cancel printing.

You can identify many common printer problems by checking the error indicators on the printer's control panel. If the printer stops working and you cannot solve the problems, see the table of error indicators and solutions provided in the booklet.

If a problem occurs while printing, an error message will appear in the status monitor window.

When you need to replace an ink cartridge, click the How To button on the window, and the status monitor will lead you step-by-step through the cartridge replacement procedure.

To confirm the status of each ink cartridge, see one of the following sections:
See Using EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows)
See Using EPSON StatusMonitor (Mac OS X)

If an error message appears indicating the printer's ink pads are nearing the end of their service life, contact Epson support to replace them. When the printer's ink pads are saturated, the printer stops and Epson support is required to continue printing.

If you are unable to determine the source of the problem, run a printer operation check to help you determine whether the problem comes from the printer or your computer.

To run a printer operation check, follow these steps.

A test page prints showing a nozzle check pattern. If the pattern has gaps, you need to clean the print head.
See Cleaning the Print Head