Diagnosing Printer Problems

First, check the printer's lights (see below) or run a printer check (see Running a Printer Check).

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  paper light on
Your paper ran out. Load more paper and press the  paper button.
Red  paper light flashes
Paper is jammed in the printer.
Press the  paper button to eject the jammed paper. If the light is still flashing, open the cover and remove all paper, including any jammed or torn pieces. Then reload paper and press the  paper button to continue printing.
You can also set the paper thickness lever to the position, pull the jammed paper out, then return the lever to the  position.
If you're using roll paper, press the roll paper button. If the roll paper is jammed, you may need to remove the paper, then reload it to continue printing (see Removing Your Photos and Paper).
Red  paper light flashes quickly
The paper thickness lever is set incorrectly.
Set the paper thickness lever to the correct setting for the paper that you loaded in the printer. See Loading Paper for instructions.
Red  ink light flashes
One of the cartridges is low on ink. Check the message that appears on your screen to determine which cartridge is low or follow the instructions in Checking the Ink Supply. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge.
Red  ink light on
One of the cartridges is out of ink or not installed. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge, then follow the steps in Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges to install it.
If you have just installed a new cartridge, it may be incompatible with the printer or incorrectly installed. Reinstall it or replace it with the correct cartridge, as described in Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges.
Green power light and red  ink light are on
One or both of the ink cartridges is not installed correctly. Reinstall it as described in Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges.
Green power light is off; red  paper and red  ink lights flashing alternately
Paper may be blocking movement of the print head. Turn off the printer, then open the cover and remove any jammed paper or other foreign objects. Turn the printer back on again. If the lights are still on, contact your dealer or EPSON as described in Where To Get Help.
Green power light is off; red  paper and red ink lights flashing
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 as described in Where To Get Help.

Running a Printer Check

You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem comes from the printer or some other source.

  1. Turn off your printer and computer.
  2. Disconnect the printer's interface cable.
  3. Load letter-size paper in the printer.
  4. Hold down the  paper button, then press and release the  power button. When printing starts, release both buttons.



    5. A test page prints showing the printer's ROM version number, an ink counter code, and a nozzle check pattern. (If the pattern has gaps, you need to clean the print head as described in Cleaning the Print Head.)

    • If the test page prints, the problem probably lies in your software settings, interface cable, or computer, or your software may not be installed correctly.
    • If the test 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.

  5. Turn off the printer, reconnect the interface cable, then turn on your printer and computer.