printer utilities Archives - John Paul Caponigro

Printer Power Cleaning Cycles

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Problem
I cleaned the heads but they’re still clogged.

Solution Clean them again. The fourth time in a row initiates a power cleaning cycle.

printerutilities_nozzleclog

New Epson printers have anti-clogging coatings on the nozzles and initiate self-clean cycles automatically.
When power cleaning cycles don’t work you can humidify the heads (rest them no wet sponge for a while).
You’ll need to perform nozzle checks more often if you’re in a very dry environment (air conditioning dries) or you don’t use a printer for extended periods of time.

Light Micro-Banding

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micro-banding_light

Problem
I’ve got white micro-banding in my print(s).

Solution
Check for nozzle clogs with the Printer Utility.

printerutilities_nozzleclog

Realign the print heads with the Printer Utilities.

printerutilities_printheadalignment

If the problem persists, adjust print speed slower with Advanced Media Control’s Paper Feed Adjustment.

PaperFeedAdjustment

In rare cases, the media feed speed can’t be adjusted with software adequately and that means it’s time to send a printer in for servicing.

Colored Micro-Banding

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microbanding_colored
Problem
I’ve got colored micro-banding in my print(s).

Solution
Unclog the nozzles with the Printer Utility.

printerutilities_nozzleclog

Colored micro-banding means one of the inkheads isn’t firing. It’s not always uniform.

Dark Micro-Banding

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microbanding_dark

Problem
I’ve got dark micro-banding in my print(s).

Solution
Realign the print heads with the Printer Utility. If printing on High Speed, try printing with High Speed off.

printerutilitiesheadalign

If the problem persists, adjust print speed with Advanced Media Control’s Paper Feed Adjustment.

PaperFeedAdjustment

Dark micro-banding happens when lines of ink overlap each other. Imprecise head alignment is the most common problem. Less frequently, the speed media is feed through the printer is slightly off. In rare cases, the media feed speed can’t be adjusted with software adequately and that means it’s time to send a printer in for servicing.

Delete & Reload Printer Driver

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Problem
I sent a file to the printer but the printer won’t start.

Solution
Delete and reload the printer driver.
On a Mac, go to System Preferences, click Print&Fax, highlight the printer, check the – button, then check the +, click on the icon for your printer and check Add.

SystemPreferences

Print&Fax

DeleteDriver

Print&Fax_noprinter

AddPrinter

Remember to have your printer plugged in and turned on when you do this. Don’t confuse this with going to the manufacturer’s website and downloading the latest driver.
Communication errors between the computer and printer happen frequently, most often when ink or paper type is changed, stalling the print queue. Deleting and reloading the printer driver is a simple solution that fixes it immediately.

Locating Printer Utilities

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Problem
I can’t find my printer utilities.

Solution
On a Mac, go to System Preferences, click on Print&Fax, double click on the icon for your printer, click Printer Setup, click Utility, Click Open Printer Utility.

systempreferences_print&fax

Print&Fax_3800 copy

openprinterutilities

printerutilities copy

The most common uses for the printer Utility are to remove nozzle clogs and to align print heads. New Epson printer models are self-cleaning and self-aligning so you won’t have to do this often. But when the automated systems fall short, knowing where this utility is can be helpful.