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  paper light is on
Your paper ran out. Load more paper, then press the  paper button to resume printing.
Red  paper light flashes
Paper 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.
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 is on
One of the cartridges is out of ink 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 and red  ink light are on
An ink cartridge is not installed correctly. Reinstall it as described in Replacing an Ink Cartridge.
Red  paper and  ink lights flash 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  ink lights 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 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.

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



    4. 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.)

  4. Turn off the printer after it prints the test page. Then reconnect the cable and turn on your printer and computer.
    • 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. 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 your dealer or Epson as described in Where To Get Help.