Reference Guide

Index Help Safety Contents Glossary

Troubleshooting / Printing and Copying Problems

Print Quality Problems

Horizontal banding
Vertical misalignment or banding
Incorrect or missing colors
Blurry or smeared printout

If you are having print quality problems, first print a test page , then compare it with the illustrations below. Click the caption under the illustration that best resembles your print.

Horizontal banding	Vertical misalignment or banding
Horizontal banding	Vertical misalignment or banding
Incorrect or missing colors	Blurry or smeared printout

Horizontal banding

• Make sure that the printable side of the paper is face up in the sheet feeder.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility to clear any clogged ink nozzles.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

• Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
  See Aligning the Print Head

• Use up ink cartridges within six months after installing them.

• Use only genuine Epson ink cartridges.

• Clear all customized settings, then select Text as the Quality Option setting in your printer driver. For details, see online help.

• Check the Ink light. If the light is flashing, replace the appropriate ink cartridge.
  See Replacing an Ink Cartridge

• Make sure that the Media Type selected in the printer software is correct for the type of paper you loaded.

Media Type Settings

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Vertical misalignment or banding

• Make sure that the printable side of the paper is face up in the sheet feeder.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility to clear any clogged ink nozzles.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

• Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
  See Aligning the Print Head

• Make sure that the Media Type selected in the printer software is correct for the paper you loaded.

Media Type Settings

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Incorrect or missing colors

• Clear the Black Ink Only setting in your printer software. For details, see online help.

• Adjust the color settings in your application.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

If colors are still incorrect or missing, replace the color ink cartridge. If the problem persists, replace the black ink cartridge.
See Replacing an Ink Cartridge

• If you have just replaced an ink cartridge, make sure the date on the box has not expired. If you have not used the CX1500 for a long time, replace the ink cartridges.
  See Ink Cartridges

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Blurry or smeared printout

• Make sure that you are using the CX1500 printer driver.

• Use only paper recommended by Epson.
  See Paper

• Use genuine Epson ink cartridges.

• Make sure that the CX1500 is on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond its base in all directions. The CX1500 will not operate properly if it is tilted.

• Make sure that your paper is not damaged, dirty, or too old.

• Make sure that your paper is dry and that the printable side is facing up.

• Clear all customized settings, and select Text as the Quality Option setting in your printer software. For details, see online help.

• If the paper is curled toward the printable side, flatten it or curl it slightly in the opposite direction.

• Make sure that the paper or Media Type setting in your printer software is correct.

• Remove each sheet from the output tray as it is printed, especially if you are using transparencies.

• If you are printing on glossy media or transparencies, place a support sheet (or a sheet of plain paper) beneath the stack, or load only one sheet at a time.

• Do not touch or allow anything to come into contact with the printed side of transparencies or paper with a shiny finish. After printing documents on transparencies or glossy media, allow the ink to set for a few hours before handling the prints.

• Run the Head Cleaning utility.
  See Cleaning the Print Head

• Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
  See Aligning the Print Head

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