Maintenance and Transportation

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.

You can clean the print head using the buttons on your 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:
Print head cleaning uses ink, so 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 to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This saves ink. For more information, see Checking the Print Head Nozzles.

If error messages indicating ink expended or ink low appear on the LCD screen, you cannot clean the print head. 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. Follow the instructions to reposition the front tray.

Checking the Print Head Nozzles

Using Your Computer
  1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and no warnings or errors are displayed on the LCD screen.
  2. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.
  3. Windows: Right-click the icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of your screen). Select Nozzle Check.

    4. Macintosh: Open the Applications folder and select EPSON Printer Utility2. Select SP R380 Series in the printer list, click OK, and select Nozzle Check.

    You see a screen like the following:



  4. Click Print or Next. The nozzle check pattern prints:



  5. If there are no gaps or lines, click Finish.

    6. If there are gaps or lines, or the test patterns are faint, click Clean. Then read the on-screen instructions and skip to step 3 in 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, and no warnings or errors are displayed on the LCD screen.
  2. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.
  3. Press Setup.
  4. Press or to select Maintenance, then press OK.
  5. Press or to select Nozzle Check, then press OK.
  6. Press Start.

    7. The nozzle check pattern prints:



  7. If there are no gaps or lines, the print head does not need to be cleaned. Press OK to return to the Maintenance menu.

    8. If there are gaps or lines, or the test patterns are faint, skip to step 6 in Running the Head Cleaning Utility Using the Buttons on the All-in-One to clean the nozzles.

Running the Head Cleaning Utility

Using Your Computer
  1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and no warnings or errors are displayed on the LCD screen.

    2. (If ink is low, you need to replace an ink cartridge before cleaning the print head; check the ink supply, then replace the cartridge.)

  2. Windows: Right-click the icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of your screen). Select Head Cleaning.

    3. Macintosh: Open the Applications folder and select EPSON Printer Utility2. Select SP R380 Series in the printer list, click OK, and select Head Cleaning.

    You see a screen like the following:



  3. Click Start or Next.

    4. Cleaning takes several seconds. The message "Print head cleaning in progress. Please wait." appears on the LCD screen.

    Caution:
    Never turn off the printer while the message "Print head cleaning in progress. Please wait." appears on the LCD screen. You may damage it.

    Do not insert the CD/DVD tray during cleaning.

  4. When the message "Print head cleaning complete." appears on the LCD screen, make sure paper is loaded in the printer, then do the following:

    5. Windows: Click Print Nozzle Check Pattern, then click Print.

    Macintosh: Click Confirmation, then click Next.

    The nozzle check pattern prints (see Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern for details).

  5. If there are no gaps or lines, click Finish.

    6. If there are still gaps or lines, or the test patterns are faint, click Clean to clean the print head again.

    If you don't see any improvement after cleaning four times, turn the printer off and wait six hours. This allows any dried ink to soften. Then, try cleaning the print head again.

    If you still don't see any improvement, refer to Problems and Solutions.

Using the Buttons on the Printer
  1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and no warnings or errors are displayed on the LCD screen.

    2. (If ink is low, you need to replace an ink cartridge before cleaning the print head; check the ink supply, then replace the cartridge.)

  2. Load a few sheets of letter-size plain paper in the printer.
  3. Press Setup to enter the Setup menu.
  4. Press or to select Maintenance, then press OK.
  5. Press or to select Head Cleaning, then press OK.
  6. Press Start.

    7. The printer runs a head cleaning cycle and a message appears on the LCD screen. Cleaning takes approximately 30 seconds.

    Caution:
    Never turn off the printer while the message "Print head cleaning in progress. Please wait." appears on the LCD screen. You may damage it.

    Do not insert the CD/DVD tray during cleaning.

  7. When cleaning finishes, press Start. The printer prints a test pattern (see Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern for details).
  8. If there are no gaps in the pattern, press OK to return to the Maintenance menu.

    9. If there are gaps in the pattern, press Start to clean the print head again.

    If you don't see any improvement after cleaning four or five times, turn the printer off and wait six hours. This allows any dried ink to soften. Then, try cleaning the print head again.

    If you still don't see any improvement, refer to Problems and Solutions.

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

Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern

Examine the nozzle check pattern you printed. Each staggered line should be solid, with no gaps, as shown.

Replacing an Ink Cartridge

When you print with low or expended ink cartridges, you see a message on the LCD screen telling you which cartridges are low or expended.

You'll also see a message on your computer screen when you print telling you which cartridge is low or expended.

When a cartridge is installed in the printer for more than six months, you may need to replace it if printouts don't look their best. If the quality doesn't improve after cleaning and aligning the print head, you can replace the cartridge even if the cartridge is not expended.

Checking the Ink Cartridge Status

Note:
Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine ink. If you install non-genuine ink cartridges, the ink cartridge status will not be displayed.

If any of the ink cartridges installed in the printer is broken, incompatible, or improperly installed, the ink cartridge status will not be accurately displayed.

Using Your Computer

Note:
When you use your printer as a shared printer on a network with the following combinations of computers, the client operating systems may not be able to communicate directly with the printer and some functions will not be available for the client.

Server
Client
Windows XP/XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Me/98SE/2000
Windows Me/98SE/2000
Windows XP/XP Professional x64 Edition

To check your ink supply, do the following:

Using the Buttons on the Printer
  1. Press Setup to enter the Setup menu.
  2. Press or to select Ink Cartridge Status, then press OK.
  3. You see a screen showing the status of the ink cartridges:



    4. The cartridges are identified as follows: Y (yellow), B (black), LC (light cyan), LM (light magenta), M (magenta), C (cyan).

  4. When you're done checking the ink cartridge status, press OK. Press or to select OK, then press OK.

Purchasing Ink Cartridges

Epson offers two different capacity cartridges for each color in your Epson Stylus Photo R380.

Use these Epson ink cartridges within six months of installing them and before the expiration date on the package. 

Ink cartridge
Part number
Black
78 (T078120)
Cyan
78 (T078220)
Magenta
78 (T078320)
Yellow
78 (T078420)
Light Cyan
78 (T078520)
Light Magenta
78 (T078620)
High-Capacity Black
77 (T077120)
High-Capacity Cyan
77 (T077220)
High-Capacity Magenta
77 (T077320)
High-Capacity Yellow
77 (T077420)
High-Capacity Light Cyan
77 (T077520)
High-Capacity Light Magenta
77 (T077620)

Note:
You may use any combination of cartridge sizes. (If you've installed a 78 black cartridge, you can still use a 77 magenta cartridge, for example.)

Try the High Capacity cartridges available at www.epson.com/highcapacity (U.S. Sales) or www.epson.ca (Canadian Sales).

To ensure the best results, use genuine Epson ink cartridges and do not refill them. Other products may cause damage to your printer not covered by Epson's warranty.

You can purchase genuine Epson ink and paper from an Epson authorized reseller. To find the nearest reseller, call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). Or you can purchase online at http://www.epsonstore.com (U.S. sales) or http://www.epson.ca (Canadian sales).

Ink Cartridge Precautions

Warning:
Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. Do not allow children to drink from or handle the cartridges.

The ink cartridges are designed to contain any excess ink and prevent leakage. Careful handling is recommended, however. Do not touch the supply port of the ink cartridge or its surrounding area.

If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets in your eyes, flush them immediately with water. If discomfort or vision problems continue after a thorough flushing, see a doctor immediately.

Caution:
Don't remove the cartridge label, or ink will leak.

Don't remove the green IC chip from the cartridge. Installing a cartridge without an IC chip can damage the printer. Avoid touching the green IC chip, as this can damage the ink cartridge.

If you remove an ink cartridge temporarily, protect the ink supply port on the bottom of the cartridge from dirt and dust. Place it in a small box, or, if you have the original packaging, return it to its own box.

Store ink cartridges in the same environment as the printer. Stand the cartridges upright; the label identifying the color should be on top.

Note:
You cannot continue printing or copying with one ink cartridge expended, even if the other cartridges still contain ink. Before printing, replace the expended cartridge.

This printer uses ink cartridges equipped with IC chips that monitor the amount of ink used by each cartridge. Cartridges are usable even if they are removed and reinserted. Some ink is consumed each time cartridges are inserted, however, because the printer automatically checks their reliability.

If you remove a cartridge that is low (for which you have received an "Ink low" message) and you temporarily install a new cartridge in its place, you cannot reuse the low cartridge.

Ink is consumed during the following operations: print head cleaning, self-cleaning (performed when the printer is turned on), and ink charging (when an ink cartridge is installed).

Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges

Before you remove or install an ink cartridge, read the Ink Cartridge Precautions.

Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once you start replacing a cartridge, you must complete all the steps in one session.

Caution:
Leave the expended cartridge installed until you have obtained a replacement, or the ink remaining in the print head nozzles may dry out. To ensure good results, use genuine Epson ink cartridges and do not refill them. Other products may cause damage to your printer not covered by Epson's warranty.

Note:
Do not open ink cartridge packages until you are ready to install the ink. Cartridges are vacuum packed to maintain reliability.

  1. Make sure the printer is turned on, the CD tray is not inserted, and the front tray is in the paper (lower) position.
  2. If an ink cartridge is expended, the LCD screen indicates which cartridge(s) you need to replace. Press OK.

    3. If an ink cartridge is low, the LCD screen displays a message when you print. Press Setup, select Maintenance, then press OK. Press or to select Change Ink Cartridge, then press OK.

  3. Open the printer cover, then open the cartridge cover.



    4. Caution:
    Never attempt to open the cartridge cover while the print head is moving; wait until the cartridges have moved to the replacement position.

    To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head by hand.

  4. Squeeze the back tab of the used cartridge as you lift it straight out. Dispose of it carefully. Don't take the cartridge apart or try to refill it.



    5. Warning:
    If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets in your eyes, flush them immediately with water. If discomfort or vision problems continue after a thorough flushing, see a doctor immediately.

    Note:
    If an ink cartridge is low, you may continue to use it until it is expended.

    You can also use the Status Monitor to check ink cartridge status. See Checking the Ink Cartridge Status for more information.

  5. Remove the new cartridge from the package.

    6. Caution:
    Be careful not to break the hooks on the side of the ink cartridge when you remove it from the package.

    Always install an ink cartridge immediately after removing the old cartridge. If the cartridge is not installed promptly, the print head may dry out and be unable to print.

    Do not touch the green IC chip on the side of the cartridge. This can damage the ink cartridge.



  6. Remove the yellow tape from the bottom of the ink cartridge.



    7. Caution:
    You must remove the yellow tape from the cartridge before you install it; otherwise, print quality may decline or you may not be able to print.

    If you have installed an ink cartridge without removing the yellow tape, take the cartridge out of the printer, remove the yellow tape, and then reinstall it.

    Do not remove the transparent seal from the bottom of the cartridge; otherwise, the cartridge may become unusable.



    Do not remove or tear the label on the cartridge; otherwise, ink will leak.



  7. Lower the new ink cartridge into the holder. Push down gently until the cartridge clicks into place.



  8. If you need to replace other ink cartridges, repeat steps 4 through 7 before continuing with step 9.
  9. Close the cartridge cover, then close the printer cover.



    10. .

  10. Press OK.

    11. The printer begins charging the ink delivery system and the message "Charging Ink. Please Wait." appears on the LCD screen.

    After about one minute, the message "Ink cartridge replacement is complete." appears on the LCD screen.

    Caution:
    Do not turn off the printer during ink charging as this will waste ink.

    Do not insert the CD/DVD tray during ink charging.

Aligning the Print Head

If your printouts look grainy or blurry, or you see light or dark lines, you may need to align the print head.

Note:
You may also see lines in your printouts if your cartridges are low on ink or you need to clean the print head.

Do not press the Stop/Clear Settings button while printing an alignment sheet.

Before you align 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. Follow the instructions to reposition the front tray.

Using Your Computer
  1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and no warnings or errors are displayed on the LCD screen.
  2. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.
  3. Windows: Right-click the icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of your screen). Select Print Head Alignment.

    4. Macintosh: Open the Applications folder and select EPSON Printer Utility2. Select SP R380 Series in the printer list, click OK, and select Print Head Alignment.

  4. Follow the instructions on the screen to print an alignment sheet. You see a window like this one:



  5. Look at the four sets of patterns in your printout. For each set, look at the printed squares to determine which one in each set is the most even, with no streaks or lines, and enter its number in the corresponding box on the screen.



    6. If every square in a set contains a line or lines, select the square with the thinnest line or lines. Then click Realignment and Print to print another alignment sheet and repeat this step.

  6. Click Finish to close the Print Head Alignment utility.
Using the Buttons on the Printer
  1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and no warnings or errors are displayed on the LCD screen.
  2. Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.
  3. Press Setup to enter the Setup menu.
  4. Press or to select Maintenance, then press OK.
  5. Press or to select Head Alignment, then press OK.
  6. Press Start. An alignment sheet prints.



    7. Examine pattern #1.

  7. Look at the pattern and find the square that is most even, with no streaks or lines.
  8. Press , then press or to select the number for that square.
  9. Press OK.
  10. Press to select the next pattern, then repeat steps 7 through 9.
  11. When you've finished your selections for each of the four patterns, press OK. You see the message "Print head alignment is complete."

Cleaning the Printer

To keep your printer working at its best, you should clean it several times a year.

  1. Turn off the printer, unplug the power cord, and disconnect the USB cable.
  2. Remove all the paper, then use a soft brush to carefully clean away all dust and dirt from the sheet feeder. See Epson Stylus Photo R380 Parts for more information on the location of the sheet feeder.
  3. If the outer case or inside of the sheet feeder is dirty, clean it with a soft cloth dampened with mild detergent. Keep the printer cover closed to prevent water from getting inside. See Epson Stylus Photo R380 Parts for more information on the location of the printer cover.
  4. If ink accidentally gets inside the printer, wipe it off with a soft, dry cloth in the area shown below.



    5. Warning:
    Don't touch the gears or any other parts inside the printer.

    Caution:
    Never use a hard or abrasive brush, or benzine, alcohol, or paint thinner for cleaning; they can damage the printer components and case.

    Don't get water on the printer components and don't spray or apply lubricants, oils or grease inside the printer.

    Don't use any cleaning sheets included with special paper; they may jam inside the printer.

Transporting the Printer

If you need to ship your printer, you must prepare it for transportation by packing it in its original box or one of a similar size.

Caution:
When storing or transporting the printer, do not tilt it, stand it up vertically, or turn it upside down. Otherwise, ink may leak from the cartridges.

Leave the ink cartridges installed. Removing the cartridges can dehydrate the print head and may prevent the printer from printing.

  1. Remove all paper from the sheet feeder.
  2. Turn the printer off.
  3. Open the printer cover and make sure the print head is in the home (far right) position.
  4. Secure the print head in the home position with a piece of tape, as shown below.



  5. Close the printer cover.
  6. Unplug the power cord from the outlet, then disconnect the USB cable from your computer.
  7. Close the front cover.



  8. Close the paper support.



  9. Repack the printer in the box, using the protective materials that came with it.
  10. Turn off the printer and unplug its power cord. Then disconnect the power cord and USB cable from the printer.

Keep the printer level as you transport it.

After transporting the printer, plug it in, turn it on, and test it. If you notice a decline in print quality, clean the print head; if output is grainy or blurry, align the print head.