Care of Epson Print Heads & Cartridges

Most EPSON printers have both the black and color print heads permanently fixed in the printer, and have separate black and color ink reservoirs that simply clip in and out of the appropriate print head. These reservoirs are known as cartridges.

Some models of EPSON have a combined removable head and reservoir where the reservoir can be removed for replacing and the head/reservoir assembly removed from the printer to facilitate changing from black to color printing. Only one head can be used at a time. EPSON print heads have piezo electric jet elements.

Note: a cartridge must only be changed when the appropriate black or color "ink out" light is illuminated. Changing a cartridge before the light indicates results in the printer failing to print either in black or color depending on which cartridge has been replaced. The printer must have its "ink out" function reset for the printer to operate.

Do not remove a cartridge and leave it out for any length of time before fitting a new one, as the print head jets can dry out and block very quickly.

Do not attempt to remove the ink cartridge from a removable combined head/reservoir with the head assembly out of the printer. Part of the print head cartridge locking mechanism can break and the printer can also not print when the assembly is refitted into the printer. The printer will have to be reset.

Changing a Cartridge

When preparing to replace a cartridge, make sure that you have the new cartridge on hand before removing the empty one. Move the cartridge carriage to the "change cartridge" position with the printer switched on. Remove the cartridge packaging and tear off the seal portion of the top label from the cartridge. Removal of the complete label will render the cartridge useless, as the air/vent balance will be affected.

Lift up the appropriate cartridge lever that raises the cartridge up from the print head ink supply tubes. Remove the empty cartridge from the head and immediately insert the new one. Close the cartridge-securing lever down and put the cartridge through its cleaning cycle one or two times. Carry out a nozzle test or test print depending on the model type.

After checking the results and you find that the print is satisfactory, you can now continue to use the printer. If the results are poor, repeat the clean and test cycles a few times.

Note: Please have your printer operator's manual on hand for more complete details. Refer to replacing cartridge, print defects, and troubleshooting.

Always print regularly with an EPSON printer; eg., daily if possible. Should you regularly print in black and rarely use color, then, at least once a week, carry out a color cartridge clean and print test. This reduces the chance of the print head jets from becoming blocked and leading to potential piezo jet "pump" element failure when attempting to print again.