Diagnosing Printer Problems

Checking the Printer's Lights

If the printer's lights come on or flash, check the explanations listed below.

Lights
Explanation
Green  power light flashes
The printer is receiving a print job, replacing an ink cartridge, charging ink, or cleaning the print head.
Red  error light is on
Your paper ran out, ink ran out, or paper is jammed. You may also see a message on your screen.
If paper is out, load more paper, then press the  maintenance button to resume printing.
If paper is jammed, press the  maintenance button to eject the paper. If that doesn't work, turn off the printer, open the cover, and pull the paper out from the front, including any torn pieces. Then turn on the printer, reload paper, and press the  maintenance button.
If you see an ink out message on your screen, you need to replace one of your ink cartridges as described in Replacing an Ink Cartridge.
Red  error light flashes
One of the ink cartridges is low. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge. To determine which cartridge is low, check the ink level as described in Checking the Ink Supply.
Green  power light is off and red  error light is on
Paper may be blocking movement of the print head. Turn off the printer, open the cover, and remove any jammed paper or other foreign objects. Then turn the printer on again. If the lights are still on, contact your dealer or EPSON; see Where To Get Help for contact information.
Green  power light and red  error light flash
The printer may have an internal error. Turn off the printer, wait a few seconds, and turn it on again. If the lights are still flashing, contact your dealer or EPSON; see Where To Get Help for contact information.
Green  power light and red  error light are on after installing an ink cartridge
One of your ink cartridges is installed incorrectly. Follow the instructions in Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges to reinstall the cartridge.

Running a Printer Check

You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem comes from the printer itself or some other source. The printer check also shows how much black and color ink you have left.

  1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. Then disconnect the USB cable from the printer.
  2. Make sure letter-size or larger plain paper is loaded in the printer.
  3. Hold down the  maintenance button, then press and release the  power button. Continue holding down the  maintenance button until the green  power light starts to flash, then release it.

    4. The printer prints one page showing its ROM version number, the ink counter code, and a nozzle check pattern. (If the pattern has lines, you need to clean the print head; see Cleaning the Print Head.)

  4. Turn off the printer after it prints the check page. Then reconnect the cable and turn on your printer and computer.
    • If the check page prints, the problem probably lies in your software settings, the USB cable, or your computer. It's also possible that your software may not be installed correctly. See Reinstalling Printer Software for instructions on reinstalling the printer software.
    • If the check page doesn't print, you may have a problem with your printer. Try the suggestions in Problems and Solutions. If nothing works, contact your dealer or EPSON as described in Where To Get Help.