Epson 950 Printer Support Page

Please read this page to ensure your getting the best use out of your Epson 950 printer in terms both of results and reliability.

TOPICS (click to jump)
Lyson ICC Profiles
Printer Head Cleaning
Printer Banding / Incomplete Nozzle Check
CIS Inkjet Head Recovery
Inaccurate Colour
Further Help

Lyson ICC Profiles

For PC users: To download these profiles you will require Winzip. Go to www.winzip.com to download this software.
For Mac users: To download these profiles you will require StuffIt! Go to www.alladinsys.com to download this software.
For profile help and support, CLICK HERE
Click your paper type to download your profile...

Printer Head Cleaning

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.

THE BEST TIP OF ALL: 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 or poor paper feed action, 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.

Printer Banding / Incomplete Nozzle Check

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:

- If this is unsuccessful, read on:

Problem with a single channel (e.g. black): The aim of this printer head cleaning technique is to attempt to force ink through the nozzles, thus clearing any dried ink.

If you have problem with more than one channel you may like to run a purge file at the best print quality (the slowest print) 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 you have problem with more than one channel you may like to run a purge file at the best print quality (the slowest print) 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.

CIS Inkjet Head Recovery

If you have a Continuous Ink System and you are experiencing a lack of ink in one (or more) of your channels you may have lost your ink flow.

We demonstrate further head cleaning methods for printers such as the Epson 950 in our Bad Nozzle Check Basics training video

Inaccurate Colour

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. These are:

IN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP PRINT WITH PREVIEW:
Select correct profile
Intent: Perceptual
Use Black point compensation: checked

IN EPSON PRINT DRIVER:
Media type:
Gloss, Satin and Semi Gloss Papers = Premium Glossy Photo Paper
Art Papers = Watercolor Paper Radiant White
Matt Papers = Archival Matt Paper
Print Resolution: 1440
High Speed: On
Color Management: ICM
ICC / ICM Profile: Off (No color adjustment)

* For Fine Art Papers: Be sure to select “Manual-Roll” as the Paper Source. Use the rear media feeds on your printer provided by Epson for more reliable take up of thicker papers. Consult the “Help” documentation in the printer driver for details.

NOTE. For generic gloss profiles, any colour cast can be dialled out by adjusting the cyan, magenta, and yellow sliders. Ensure only small adjustments are made as they can have a dramatic effect on the overall tone of the print. Any amount you subtract from a colour should be added to the other two so that the net effect is zero. For example a warm cast could be compensated for by reducing the magenta by -2, and adding +1 to both the yellow and cyan.
Due to the settings used for Fine Art and Matt papers this technique cannot be used for these media types.

Epson 950 printers 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

Further Help

If you are still experiencing difficulties with your Epson 950 printer, please contact us and we will do our best to help you.