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Before each printing session, carry out a nozzle check to ensure that all ink channels are firing. If they are not, make sure that you have not run out of ink, and then perform up to a maximum of four nozzle checks and cleans to restore a good nozzle print out (when you replace a cartridge, you may need to carry out a couple of cleaning cycles to get rid of air which will inevitably enter the system during the changeover process) . Also, make sure that the blue lever at the right hand side of the printer is set to zero (on most Epson desktop printers) - If this is unsuccessful, read on:
Problem prevention is always better than problem solving!
Turn you printer on for a few minutes once every few days - especially when you are not using your printer for long periods. When you turn a printer on, it goes through a mini head-clean which can prevent the build up of dried ink on the underside of your ink head. - If you go on holiday, why not leave your printer switched 'on' and connect your print to the mains through an inexpensive central heating timer switch, set to turn on for a few minutes every other day - when you return, your print head will be in perfect order, ready to print.
For dirty rollers we recommend Platen Cleaner Spray. This will remove any build-up of dried ink or paper fibres. We advise you to use this spray applied to a sheet of paper to create a cleaning sheet, which will maintain your inkjet roller friction, and maintain good paper feed characteristics. |
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Printer Banding / Incomplete Nozzle Check |
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There are many causes of printer banding and these are often simple mistakes which can be easily corrected. Before you attempt any printer cleaning methods we suggest you go through this fault finding checklist:
• The lever on the right hand of the printer is set to the correct position - '0'
• You have a perfect nozzle check and the text underneath is clear and crisp. (performed in printer drivers utility)
• You have a perfect head alignment. (performed in printer drivers utility)
• The print resolution is correct, usually 1440 dpi. (set in printer driver properties)
• High speed is un ticked unless your profile settings say otherwise. (set in printer driver properties)
• You have the selected the correct media setting. (set in printer driver properties)
- If this is unsuccessful, read on:
The aim of this printer head cleaning technique is to attempt to force ink through the nozzles, thus clearing any dried ink.
• Produce a solid block of the colour you are experiencing problems with in Adobe Photoshop. This is done using the paint bucket tool.
• Print it up to 12 times A3 size on 1440 dpi
• Keep printing until you get a solid colour
• If you are experiencing a problem with a certain channel using a bulk system please ensure the bottle is filled to the top, and your breather tube is not block or pinched off in any way. Check also that your ink feed line in not clamped off by mistake.
If you have problem with more than one channel you may like to run a purge file at 1440dpi in order to gain a complete nozzle check. Right click here and select "save target as"
save this in any folder or on your desktop - you can then open this up in Photoshop for printing. Print this up to 6 times or until your nozzle check come good.
If this technique fails to produce a solid colour, please refer to the next technique below:
This printer cleaning technique requires Isopropanol Cleaning Solvent and a piece of cloth – 10cm long by 1.5cm wide by 2mm thick. This technique is excellent for softening dried ink under the print head that can cause blockages. See below for the step by step guide: (Please note: this is performed at your own risk)
• Turn the printer off.
• Turn the printer back on again.
• The printer will then go through a priming sequence which involves the printer head moving to the far left.
• Once the printer head is at the left of the printer, take out the mains lead.
• The printer head will then stay in this far left position – you can also now manually move the print head.
• Move the print head to the middle of the printer.
• Switch the gray leaver at the back of the printer to the CD position (there is a picture of a CD) this raises the ink head.
• Soak the cloth in Isopropanol Cleaning Solvent.
• Place the soaked cloth on the left hand side of the printer so it lies on the bottom where there is a sponge-like material. Make sure the cloth is a flat as possible.
• Manually move the print head over the cloth
• Switch the gray lever at the back to the paper position so the ink head lowers down onto the cloth.
• Preferably, leave the printer in this state overnight.
• In the morning, raise the head (put the gray lever in the CD position) and move it to the right of the printer. Then return the gray lever to the paper position
• Remove the cloth - it should be completely saturated with ink and dried ink deposits.
• Turn the printer on and perform a nozzle check.
• If the nozzle check is not complete after no more than 2 head cleans please contact us. |
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Inaccurate Colour/Installing Profiles: |
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First of all, please ensure you have a perfect nozzle check (this is carried out in the utilities section of your Epson printer driver). If you do not have a perfect nozzle check, please refer to this section of this page. Once you have confirmed you have a perfect nozzle check, ensure you are selecting the correct profile and have the correct printer settings in Adobe Photoshop for that profile (correct media type, resolution, colour management settings...) - if you are unsure of these please contact us.
Epson 950 inkjet printers do vary quite noticeably one printer to another, so it is advisable to install a free ICC profile for your printer/paper/ink combination. You can download free ICC generic profiles and the installation instructions from here.
For professional photographers and critical enthusiasts, it may be best to commission one custom ICC printer profile for your favourite inkjet media to guarantee best possible colour accuracy and image quality. We have two specialists who look after professional photographers, and one profiling specialist who assists enthusiasts (non-professionals). Please Click here for their links |
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| If you are still experiencing difficulties with your Epson 950 printer, please contact us and we will do our best to help you. |
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