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Cleaning the Print Head
If you find that the printout is unexpectedly faint or that dots are missing, you may be able to solve these problems by cleaning the print head, which ensures that the nozzles are delivering ink properly.
You can clean the print head from your computer using the Head Cleaning utility in the printer driver or from the printer by using the buttons.
Note:|
Clean the print head only if print quality declines; for example, if the printout is blurry or the color is incorrect or missing.
Use the Nozzle Check utility first to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This saves ink.
When ink is low you may not be able to clean the print head. When ink is expended you cannot clean the print head. Replace the appropriate ink cartridge first.
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Using the Head Cleaning utility for Windows
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
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Make sure the printer is turned on.
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Make sure that no
 error light is flashing or on. |
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Make sure that A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.
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Right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Head Cleaning.
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If the printer icon does not appear, refer to the following section to add the icon.
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Follow the on-screen instructions.
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The 
power light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
power light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
Caution:|
Never turn off the printer while the
power light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer. |
Note:|
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure about four times, turn the printer off and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
If the print quality still has not improved, at least one of your ink cartridges may be old or damaged and may need to be replaced.
 See Replacing an Ink Cartridge Before It Is Expended
If print quality remains a problem after replacing the ink cartridges, contact your dealer.
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
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Using the Head Cleaning utility for Mac OS X
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
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Make sure the printer is turned on.
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Make sure that no
error light is flashing or on. |
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Make sure that A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.
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Access the EPSON Printer Utility 2.
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Click the Head Cleaning button in the Utility dialog box.
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Follow the on-screen instructions.
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The power light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
power light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.Caution:|
Never turn off the printer while the
power light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer. |
Note:|
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure about four times, turn the printer off and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
If the print quality still has not improved, at least one of your ink cartridges may be old or damaged and may need to be replaced.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge Before It Is Expended
If print quality remains a problem after replacing the ink cartridges, contact your dealer.
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
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Using the printer buttons
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the printer buttons.
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Make sure that no
error light is flashing or on. |
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Make sure that A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.
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Press and hold down the
maintenance button for three seconds. |
The printer starts cleaning the print head and the power light begins flashing.
power light begins flashing.Caution:|
Never turn off the printer while the
power light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer. |
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When the
power light stops flashing, print a nozzle check pattern to confirm that the head is clean. See Checking the Print Head Nozzles
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Note:|
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure about four times, turn the printer off and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
If the print quality still has not improved, at least one of your ink cartridges may be old or damaged and may need to be replaced.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge Before It Is Expended
If print quality remains a problem after replacing the ink cartridges, contact your dealer.
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
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