Solving Problems


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 out light is on and green power light flashes	If you're printing on paper, your paper ran out or multiple pages have fed at once. Make sure you push the tray lever up to set the front tray to the paper (lower) position. Then, load more paper and press the paper button to resume printing. If you're printing on a CD or DVD, the CD/DVD tray is not inserted. Follow the instructions in Inserting a CD or DVD to insert the tray, then press the paper button.



Red paper out light and green power light flash	If you're printing on paper, it is jammed in the printer. Press the paper 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 paper button. If you're printing on a CD or DVD, the CD/DVD tray has not ejected. Pull out the tray and press the paper button.
Red ink light flashes	One of the cartridges is nearly expended. Check the message that appears on your screen to determine which cartridge is nearly expended or follow the instructions in Checking the Ink Supply. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge.
Red ink light and green power light are on	One of the cartridges is expended or not installed. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge, then follow the steps in Replacing an Ink Cartridge 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 Replacing an Ink Cartridge.
Green power light is off; red paper out and ink lights flash	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 Epson as described in Where to Get Help.
Green power light flashes; red paper out and red ink lights flash rapidly	The front tray is not in the correct position. Before you turn on the printer or print on paper, push the tray lever up to set the front tray to the paper (lower) position. Before you print on a CD or DVD, pull the tray lever down to set the front tray to the CD/DVD position.
Red paper out and red ink light flash alternately and green power light is on	An unsupported device is connected to the EXT. I/F USB port. Only devices compatible with PictBridge or USB DIRECT-PRINT can be connected to this port. See Direct Printing from a Digital Camera or Mobile Phone.
Red paper out and red ink light flash alternately and green power light is off	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 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 itself or some other source.

Before you run a printer check, 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.

Make sure no lights are indicating errors.

Turn off both the printer and computer. Then disconnect the USB cable from the printer.

Make sure letter-size plain paper is loaded in the printer.

Hold down the

paper button, then press the

power button. Continue holding down the

paper and

power buttons until the green

power light starts to flash, then release them.

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.)

If the test page prints, the problem probably lies in your software settings, the cable, or your computer. It's also possible that your software may not be installed correctly. Follow the instructions in Uninstalling Printer Software, then see your Start Here sheet for instructions on reinstalling the printer software.

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 Epson as described in Where to Get Help.

Turn off the printer after it prints the test page. Then reconnect the cable and turn on your printer and computer.

Problems and Solutions

Setup and Software Installation Problems

Tip: It's a good idea to check Epson's support website periodically for free updates to your Epson Stylus Photo R270 Series printing software. Click the Driver Update button on the Maintenance tab in your Windows printer software or visit Epson's support website. Download instructions are posted for your convenience.

The printer makes noise after ink cartridge installation.

The first time you install ink cartridges, the printer must charge its print head for a minute or so. Wait until charging finishes (the green

power light stops flashing) before you turn off the printer, or it may charge improperly and use excess ink the next time you turn it on.

If the print head stops moving or the printer stops making noise, but the green power light is still flashing after 5 minutes, turn off the printer. If the light is still flashing when you turn it back on, contact Epson as described in Where to Get Help.

Turn off the printer, then make sure the ink cartridges are inserted completely and the ink cartridge cover is closed completely. Also make sure no packing material remains in the printer. Wait a moment, then turn the printer back on to clear the error.

You're having problems installing the printer software.

Make sure your printer is turned on and the cable is securely connected at both ends. Then carefully follow the installation instructions on the Start Here sheet. Also make sure your system meets the requirements listed in System Requirements.

Close your other programs, including any screen savers and virus protection software, and install the software again.

If you're using Windows 2000 and you see an error message or your software doesn't install correctly, you may not have software installation privileges. Contact your System Administrator.

If you're using Windows, make sure your system was not upgraded from Windows 95. The USB Printer Device Driver may not install correctly.

If you are using a Macintosh and you do not see the printer name in the Format for menu on the Page Setup screen, you may need to set up your printer in the Printer Setup Utility or Printer Center. See the Start Here sheet for instructions.

Make sure the USB Controller is working properly in Device Manager. See your Windows help system for details. If it's not working, contact your computer manufacturer.

If you're printing over a network, see Setting Up Network Printing for instructions.

Printer Problems

Only the green

power light is on, but nothing prints.

Make sure the USB cable is connected securely at both ends and meets the system requirements.

Run a printer check. If the test page prints, make sure your software is installed correctly. You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it.

Make sure there is no packing material in the printer.

If you're trying to print a large image, your computer may not have enough memory. Try reducing the resolution of your image or printing the image at a smaller size. You may need to install more memory in your computer.

If you're using Windows Me or 98SE, you may need to clear stalled print jobs from the Spool Manager. For instructions, see Using Epson Spool Manager in Windows 98SE or Me.

If you print continuously for an extended period, the paper may temporarily stop feeding or the print head carriage may pause for a while to prevent the printer mechanism from overheating and being damaged. If this happens, you can continue to print but Epson recommends that you stop and leave the printer on for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the printer off and on and it should print at normal speed.

The printer sounds as though it is printing, but nothing prints.

If you're using Windows, make sure your printer is selected. For Macintosh OS X, make sure your printer is selected in the Page Setup and Print windows.

The print head nozzles may need cleaning. For instructions, see Checking the Print Head Nozzles.

Make sure the printer software settings are appropriate for the paper size you're using.

The printer won't operate properly if it's tilted or at an angle. Place it on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the printer base in all directions.

You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it. See Uninstalling Printer Software for instructions.

Your printer makes noise when you turn it on or after it has been sitting for awhile.

You don't see the

printer icon in the lower right corner of your screen (taskbar) in Windows.

Try restarting your computer. If you still don't see the icon, follow these steps:

Windows XP: Click Start, select Control Panel, then select Printers and Faxes (or Printers and Other Hardware and then Printers and Faxes).

Windows Me, 98SE, and 2000: Click Start, point to Settings, then select Printers.

Windows XP and 2000: Right-click your printer icon and select Printing Preferences.

Windows Me and 98SE: Right-click your printer icon and select Properties.

Click the Maintenance tab.

Click the Speed & Progress button, then click the Monitoring Preferences button.

Click the Shortcut Icon box. Then click OK in each of the open windows to close them.

Printing is too slow.

Make sure your system meets the requirements listed in System Requirements. If you're printing a high-resolution image, you need more than the minimum requirements listed. You may also need to:

Make sure the paper type selected in your printer settings is appropriate for the type of paper you're using.

Select Grayscale in your printer settings if your document doesn't include color.

For Windows, choose Draft as your Quality Option.

For Macintosh, set the Quality/Speed slider to Speed.

If your printer is connected to a USB hub, disconnect unused USB devices.

If you're using Windows, you can also increase print speed by selecting certain settings in the Speed & Progress window:

Right-click the

printer icon in the lower right corner of your screen (taskbar) and select Printer Settings.

Note: If you don't see the icon, see You don't see the printer icon in the lower right corner of your screen (taskbar) in Windows.

Click the Maintenance tab.

Click the Speed & Progress button. The following screen appears:

The table below lists the Speed & Progress settings that affect print speed.


Speed & Progress Setting	Faster	Slower
High Speed Copies	On	Off
Always spool RAW datatype (Windows XP and 2000)	On	Off
Page Rendering Mode (Windows XP and 2000)	On	Off
Print as Bitmap (Windows XP and 2000)	On	Off

The red

ink light is flashing or on after you replace the cartridge.

Print Quality Problems

You see banding (light lines).

The print head nozzles may need cleaning.

Select a higher Quality Option or Print Quality and turn off High Speed mode. See Printing in Windows, or Printing with Macintosh OS X.

Make sure the paper Type or Media Type setting matches the paper you loaded; see Selecting the Correct Paper Type for guidelines.

Make sure the printable side of the paper is face up. It's usually brighter or whiter.

The ink cartridges may need replacing.

Make sure you're using genuine Epson ink cartridges and you use them within six months after you open the packages.

If you have a Macintosh, try using Automatic mode. See Printing with Macintosh OS X for instructions.

Align the print head.

Your printout is blurry or smeared.

Make sure your paper isn't damp or curled, or loaded face down (the printable side should be face up).

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

Make sure the paper Type or Media Type setting matches the paper you loaded; see Selecting the Correct Paper Type for guidelines.

When printing on special paper, check the instructions in the paper package. You may need to use an included support sheet or load your paper one sheet at a time.

Remove each sheet from the front tray as it is printed.

Make sure your paper meets the specifications listed in Paper.

Use Epson papers to ensure proper saturation and absorption of genuine Epson inks.

Make sure you're using genuine Epson ink cartridges.

The printer won't operate properly if it's tilted or at an angle. Place it on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the printer base in all directions.

The print head nozzles may need cleaning.

Align the print head.

Avoid handling printouts on glossy paper for a few hours to allow the ink to set.

If ink smears on the back of a printout, clean the inside of the printer.

If you are using double-sided paper and printing heavily saturated or dark images on the front side of the paper, you may notice that smudges or marks appear on the front when you print the second side. If one side of the paper will contain a lighter image or text, print that side first to eliminate marks or smudging.

Clear the High Speed check box in your printer settings.

Select Thick paper and envelopes in your printer settings:

Windows:

Right-click the

printer icon in the lower right corner of your screen (taskbar) and select Printer Settings.

Note: If you don't see the icon, see display the printer icon for instructions on making it appear.

Click the Maintenance tab.

Click the Printer and Option Information button, then click Thick paper and envelopes.

Click OK, then click OK again.

Macintosh OS X:

Open the File menu in your program and select Print.

Click Copies & Pages and select Extension Settings from the pop-up menu.

Click Thick paper and envelopes, then click Print.

Load a new sheet of plain paper and press the

paper button to eject it. Do this several times. If you still have a problem, ink may have leaked inside the printer, and you need to clean it. See Cleaning the Printer for instructions.

You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it. See Uninstalling Printer Software for instructions.

Your printout is faint or has gaps.

You see wrong or missing colors.

Clear the Grayscale setting in your printer settings (for Windows). Change the ink setting in your printer settings to Color (for Macintosh).

The print head nozzles may need cleaning.

The ink cartridges may be old or low on ink. See Replacing an Ink Cartridge for details.

If you're using Windows, try turning off the PhotoEnhance setting.

For Macintosh, try using Automatic mode.

Try changing the Gamma setting; see Customizing Windows Print Settings or Customizing Mac OS X Print Settings.

After you print, the colors on your printout will take some time to set as the ink dries. During this time, the colors may look different than you expect. To reduce the drying time, avoid stacking your prints on top of each other.

Your printed colors can never exactly match your on-screen colors. However, you can use a color management system to get as close as possible. Try using the ICM (Windows) or ColorSync (Macintosh) setting.

For best results, use genuine Epson ink and paper.

Your printout is grainy.

Your printout has a slight slant.

There are scratches on your print.

If you're printing on glossy paper, prints may be scratched if not handled properly. Don't place objects on top of your prints, and be careful not to scratch them with your fingernails. For best results, frame your prints under glass.

Paper or CD/DVD Tray Feeding Problems

Paper doesn't eject fully or is wrinkled.

Paper doesn't feed correctly or jams in the printer.

Make sure the paper support extension is pulled up.

If paper doesn't feed, remove it from the sheet feeder. Reload it against the right edge, behind the tabs, then slide the left edge guide against the paper.

If multiple pages feed at once, remove the paper from the sheet feeder, fan the edges to separate the sheets, then reload it.

If paper jams, press the

paper button for several seconds to clear the jam. If that doesn't work, open the cover and remove any jammed paper, including small pieces that may have torn off. Reload the paper and press the

paper button.

Heavily saturated prints may curl, causing a paper jam when printing on both sides of the paper.

Use new, smooth, high-quality paper, loaded printable side up. Make sure the paper is not curled, creased, wrinkled, too thin, or too old.

Fan the edges of the stack of paper to separate the sheets.

Don't load paper above the arrow mark inside the left edge guide.

If you're using special paper, make sure you've followed any loading instructions that came with the paper. Also, make sure the number of sheets in the paper stack does not exceed the limit specified for the paper. For more information, see Special Papers.

Place the paper against the right edge behind the tab. Slide the left edge guide against it, but not too tightly.

If you're printing on both sides of the paper, try loading fewer sheets.

Store paper flat to prevent curling.

The printer won't operate properly if it's tilted or at an angle. Place it on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the printer base in all directions.

The CD/DVD tray is ejected or not fed correctly when a print job is sent.

CD/DVD Printing Problems

Images and text are not centered on the CD/DVD.

Ink smears on the CD/DVD or printing is too light.

Printed CDs or DVDs are dirty.

The CD/DVD won't feed into the printer.

Make sure you gently insert the CD/DVD tray along the base of the front tray until the arrow marks on the CD/DVD tray and the front tray match each other. Make sure both sides of the CD/DVD tray slide underneath the brackets on the front tray. For more information, see Inserting a CD or DVD.

Miscellaneous Printout Problems

The image is inverted, as if viewed in a mirror.

Turn off the mirror setting in your application program.

Turn off the Mirror Image setting in your printer settings:

Note: (If you're printing on Epson Iron-on Cool Peel Transfer paper, the image should be inverted.)

Windows:

Right-click the

printer icon in the lower right corner of your screen (taskbar) and select Printer Settings.

Note: If you don't see the icon, see display the printer icon for instructions on making it appear.

Click the Page Layout tab.

If it's selected, click Mirror Image to turn the setting off, then click OK.

Macintosh OS X:

Open the File menu in your program and select Print.

Click Copies & Pages and select Print Settings from the pop-up menu.

Click Advanced.

If it's selected, click Mirror Image to turn the setting off, then click Print.

You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it. See Uninstalling Printer Software.

The printer prints blank pages.

If you're using Windows, make sure your printer is selected. For Macintosh OS X, make sure your printer is selected in the Page Setup and Print windows.

The print head nozzles may need cleaning; for instructions, see Checking the Print Head Nozzles.

Make sure the printer software settings are appropriate for the paper size you're using.

If you're using Windows, activate the Skip Blank Pages setting:

Right-click the

printer icon in the lower right corner of your screen (taskbar) and select Printer Settings.

Note: If you don't see the icon, see display the printer icon for instructions on making it appear.

Click the Maintenance tab.

Click the Speed & Progress button, then click Skip Blank Page.

Click OK, then click OK again.

The printer won't operate properly if it's tilted or at an angle. Place it on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the printer base in all directions.

You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it. See Uninstalling Printer Software.

The margins are incorrect.

Make sure the paper you loaded matches the paper size and paper type settings you selected in your printer software. For instructions, see Printing in Windows or Printing with Macintosh OS X.

Choose the correct margins for your paper size.

If you're using Mac OS X, make sure you choose the same printer in the Page Setup window and the Print window.

Use the Print Preview option in your printer software to check your margins before you print.

Make sure the paper is positioned all the way to the right of the sheet feeder. Slide the left edge guide against the paper.

You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it. See Uninstalling Printer Software.

Output is not what you expect when printing borderless photos.

Too many copies are printing.

Make sure that the Copies option in your printer or application software is not set for multiple copies.

You see incorrect characters.

Make sure the USB cable is securely connected and meets the system requirements. Then try printing again.

If you're using Windows, make sure your printer is selected. For Macintosh OS X, make sure your printer is selected in the Page Setup and Print windows.

If you're using a switch box or USB hub with your printer, connect the printer directly to your computer instead.

If you're using Windows Me or 98SE, you may need to clear stalled print jobs from the Spool Manager. For instructions, see Using Epson Spool Manager in Windows 98SE or Me.

You may need to uninstall your printer software and then reinstall it. See Uninstalling Printer Software.

The image size or position is incorrect.

Uninstalling Printer Software

Windows

Note: Do not turn off or disconnect the printer while you are uninstalling the software.

Macintosh OS X

Quit all running applications.

Insert the Epson printer software CD-ROM into your Macintosh.

Open the Epson CD-ROM desktop icon.

Double-click the English folder, then double-click the OSX folder.

Note:
You may have to scroll down to see these folders.

Double-click the Installer icon.

Note: If the Authenticate dialog box appears, enter your password or phrase and click OK.

When the Installer window appears, select Uninstall from the pop-up menu in the upper left and click Uninstall.

Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the printer software.

Note:
If the name of your printer remains in the Print Center or Printer Setup Utility, select it from Printer List and click Delete.

Restart your Macintosh, then see the Start Here sheet to reinstall your software.