Cleaning the Print Head

If your printouts are unexpectedly light, or dots or lines are missing, you may need to clean the print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink properly. Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it only if quality declines.

Note: You can also use a printer software utility to clean the print head right from your computer. Select the ? or Help button on your printer settings window for instructions running the print head cleaning utility.

  1. Make sure the EPSON Stylus CX3200 is turned on but not printing, and the Error light is off. (If the Error light is flashing or on, you may need to replace an ink cartridge; see Replacing an Ink Cartridge for details.)



  2. Press a Menu button until you see Head Cleaning on the LCD screen.
  3. Press the Color Copy button.

    4. Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which the Stylus CX3200 makes some noise and the On light flashes briefly.

    Caution: Never turn off the EPSON Stylus CX3200 while the  On light is flashing, unless the Stylus CX3200 hasn't moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.

  4. When the  On light stops flashing, run a nozzle check to confirm the print head nozzles are clean.

    5. Make sure paper is loaded, press a Menu button until you see Nozzle Check on the LCD screen, and press the Color Copy button. The nozzle check pattern prints.

    Note: You can also use a printer software utility to print a nozzle check right from your computer. Select the ? or Help button on your printer settings window for instructions running the nozzle check utility.

  5. Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. It should look something like this:



    6. Each staggered line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If your printout looks okay, you're done.

    If you see any gaps in the dot pattern, clean the print head again.

  6. When you're finished, press the Stop button.

If you don't see any improvement after cleaning three or four times, check the solutions in Problems and Solutions. You can also turn the EPSON Stylus CX3200 off and wait overnight-this allows any dried ink to soften-and then try cleaning the print head again.

Caution: When you don't turn on your EPSON Stylus CX3200 for a long time, the print quality can decline. It's a good idea to turn on your Stylus CX3200 at least once a month to maintain good print quality.