Clean the Print Head Nozzles

If print quality has declined and the nozzle check pattern indicates clogged nozzles, you can clean the print head.

Note:
You cannot clean the print head if an ink cartridge is expended, and may not be able to clean it when a cartridge is low. You must replace the cartridge first.

You can clean the print head using your product’s control panel or your software. See these sections below:

Using the Control Panel

From the Computer

Using the Control Panel

1.	Load a few sheets of plain paper in the paper cassette.

2.	Press the  Home button, then press , ,  or to select Setup.

3.

Press OK.

4.	Press  or  to select Maintenance, then press OK.

5.	Press  or  to select Head Cleaning, then press OK.

6.	Press OK and select the option corresponding to the nozzles that are clogged (All Colors, All except Black, or Black Only). Then press the  Start button. The cleaning cycle can take up to 2 minutes.

When you see a completion message on the LCD screen, cleaning is finished.

Caution:
Never turn off your product during a cleaning cycle or you may damage it.

7.	Press  or  to select Nozzle Check, and press OK. Then press  Start to run a nozzle check to confirm that the print head is clean.

8.	If the printout looks good, press  or  to select Finish Nozzle Check, then press OK to finish; if not, press  or  to select Head Cleaning, then press OK to run another cleaning cycle.

You may need to clean the print head up to 4 times. You can also turn off your product and wait at least 6 hours. Then try printing again.

9.	When you’re done, press  Home to exit.

Note:
If you do not use your product often, it is a good idea to print a few pages at least once a month to maintain good print quality.

From the Computer

1.	Load a few sheets of plain paper in the paper cassette.

2.	Windows: Right-click the  printer icon in the bottom right corner of your screen (the taskbar) and select Head Cleaning.

Macintosh:
Open the Applications folder, open the Epson Software folder, and select Epson Printer Utility 4. Then select Head Cleaning.

3.	Follow the on-screen instructions to start the cleaning cycle, which can take up to 2 minutes.

The  On light flashes throughout the cleaning cycle and stays on green when the cycle is finished.

Caution:
Never turn off your product during a cleaning cycle or you may damage it.

4.	When the  On light stops flashing and remains on, you can check to see if the nozzles are clean. Click Print Nozzle Check Pattern and click Print.

5.	Check the nozzle check pattern that prints to see if there are gaps in the lines.

6.	If there are no gaps, click Finish.

If there are gaps or the pattern is faint, click Clean to clean the print head again.

You may need to clean the print head up to 4 times. You can also turn off your product and wait at least 6 hours. Then try printing again.

Note:
If you do not use your product often, it is a good idea to print a few pages at least once a month to maintain good print quality.