Making the Optimize Enlargement setting (for Windows XP and 2000 only)
Select this check box to optimize an enlargement to achieve long poster or panoramic printing without using a particular application. Clear this check box if text or graphics are distorted; however, output length may be limited depending on the application.
Using the Printer Utilities
The EPSON printer utilities let you check the current printer status and perform printer maintenance from your screen.

Printing with Windows

Do not use the Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning, or Print Head Alignment utilities if your printer is connected to your computer through a network. Do not use the Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning, or Print Head Alignment utilities while printing is in progress; otherwise, your printout may be marred.

EPSON Status Monitor 3

This utility provides you with printer status information, such as the amount of ink remaining, the free space of the maintenance tank, and it also checks for printer error. Note: This utility is available when your system is configured to support bi-directional communication.

Nozzle Check

This utility checks the print head nozzles for clogging. Check the nozzles when you notice the print quality has declined and after cleaning to confirm that the print head nozzles have been cleaned. See Checking the print head nozzles on page 68. If you click Auto in the Nozzle Check dialog box, or turn on AUTO CLEANING from the control panel on the printer, this utility not only checks the clogging nozzles, but also performs head cleaning automatically.

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Note: The letter in parentheses after the utility name indicates the shortcut key for that utility. Press ALT and the letter on the keyboard to open that utility.

Head Cleaning

This utility cleans the print head. You may need to clean the print head if you notice the print quality has declined. Use this utility to perform head cleaning. See Cleaning the print head on page 70.

Print Head Alignment

This utility can be used to improve the print quality of your printed data. The alignment of the print head may need to be adjusted if vertical lines appear out of alignment or if white or black banding noise appear in your printed data. Use this utility to realign the print head. See Aligning the print head on page 71.
Printer and Option Information
This function enables the printer driver to check the printer configuration information. You can check or select the black ink set on the printer. See Using Printer and Option Information on page 71. Note: This function is supported by EPSON Stylus Pro 9800/7800 only.

EPSON LFP Remote Panel

This utility lets you optimize your printer. See Starting EPSON LFP Remote Panel on page 72.
Checking the print head nozzles
If you find that the printed data is unexpectedly faint or dots in the printed data are missing, you may be able to identify the problem by using the Nozzle Check utility. To use the Nozzle Check utility, follow the steps below.
1. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer. 2. Click Nozzle Check. 3. Click Print if you want to visually check if any print head nozzles are clogged, if you are using non-Epson special media, or if the width of paper you are using is less than 210 mm. Click Auto if you want to perform an automatic nozzle check, and if the nozzle check indicates it is necessary.
Note: If you turn on AUTO CLEANING from the control panel on the printer even though Print has been selected, the Nozzle Check utility not only checks for the clogged nozzles, but also performs head cleaning automatically. If you are using non-Epson special media, or if the width of paper you are using is less than 210 mm, turn off AUTO CLEANING from the control panel on the printer. 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to print a nozzle check pattern. If you find missing dots, clean the print head nozzle. See Cleaning the print head on page 70.

Note: Do not start the Nozzle Check utility while printing is in progress; otherwise, your printout may be marred.

Cleaning the print head

If you find that the printed data is unexpectedly faint or dots in the printed data are missing, you may be able to solve these problems by using the Head Cleaning utility to clean the print head, which ensures that the nozzles are delivering ink properly. To use the Head Cleaning utility, follow the steps below. Note: Do not start the Head Cleaning utility while printing is in progress; otherwise, your printout may be marred. To save ink, use the Nozzle Check utility first to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This is because the cleaning process consumes some ink. When the ink check light is flashing or on, you cannot clean the print head. Replace the appropriate ink cartridge first. See Replacing Ink Cartridges on page 281. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on and the ink check light is off. 2. Click Head Cleaning. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions. 4. Click Print Nozzle Check Pattern in the Head Cleaning dialog box to confirm that the head is clean and to reset the cleaning cycle. If you still find missing dots after cleaning, try the following solutions. Select POWER CLEANING from the control panel on the printer. See POWER CLEANING on page 222.
Replace some of ink cartridges as they may be old or damaged. If the print quality remains a problem after you have tried these solutions, contact your dealer. See Contacting Customer Support on page 346.

Aligning the print head

If you find misaligned lines or black or white banding on the printed data, you may be able to solve these problems by using the Print Head Alignment utility to align the print head. To use the Print Head Alignment utility, follow the steps below. 1. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer. 2. Click Print Head Alignment. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Using Printer and Option Information
You can check or select the black ink set on the printer. Note: This function is supported by EPSON Stylus Pro 9800/7800 only. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on.

Repeat this procedure four or five times, turn the printer off and leave it alone overnight, and then try head cleaning again.
2. Click Printer and Option Information. The following dialog box appears.
The printer driver usually obtains the ink cartridge information automatically, and prints in the appropriate print mode. If this is not possible, a message appears in the Current Setting box to prompt you to select an ink cartridge. In this case, select the correct ink cartridge according to the actual ink cartridge set on the printer. 3. Click OK.
Starting EPSON LFP Remote Panel
You can optimize your printer using this utility. To start EPSON LFP Remote Panel, see the steps below. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on. 2. Click EPSON LFP Remote Panel. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions. See the EPSON LFP Remote Panel online help for details.
Making the Speed & Progress settings
You can make settings related to print speed and progress. To make the Speed & Progress settings, click Speed & Progress on the Utility menu. The Speed & Progress dialog box appears.
Note: The specific features available in the printer software vary depending on the printer model and the version of Windows that you are using.

High Speed Copies

To print multiple copies of your data faster, select High Speed Copies. This speeds up printing by using your hard disk space as a cache when printing multiple copies of your data.

Show Progress Meter

To display the Progress Meter every time you print, select Show Progress Meter. Then, you can monitor the progress of your print job.

Chapter 7

Maintenance and Transportation

Replacing Ink Cartridges

When the printers Ink check light is flashing, this indicates that the ink is low and you need to obtain a replacement ink cartridge. When the Ink check light remains on, this indicates that there is no more ink and you need to replace the empty ink cartridge. The LCD panel also displays INK LOW or INK OUT. Note: Even if only one ink cartridge is empty, the printer cannot continue to print. Epson recommends the use of genuine Epson ink cartridges. Other products not manufactured by Epson may cause damage to your printer not covered by Epsons warranties. For detailed information on ink cartridges, see Ink cartridges on page 361. To check the product codes of ink cartridges, see Consumable Products on page 368. To replace an ink cartridge, follow the steps below.
Caution: Leave the old ink cartridge installed in the printer until you are ready to replace it with a new one.
1. Make sure the printer is on. Find out which cartridge needs to be replaced, as indicated by the steady or flashing the Ink check light and the target ink icon.

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2. Open the ink compartment cover by pushing it.
3. Raise the ink levers to the released position.
4. Carefully pull the empty cartridge straight out of the printer.
Warning: If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them immediately with water. Caution: Do not shake cartridges (that have been installed previously) with too much force.
5. Make sure the replacement ink cartridge is the correct color, and remove it from the package. Shake the ink cartridge well before installing it for best results.
Note: A protection system is provided to prevent improper cartridge insertion. If you cannot insert the ink cartridge smoothly, the type of cartridge may be incorrect. Check the package and product code. 6. Hold the ink cartridge with the arrow mark facing up and pointing to the rear of the printer, and then insert it into the slot. Do not force the cartridge in further by hand.
Note: If the Ink check light remains on, this indicates the ink cartridge may not be installed correctly. Remove the ink cartridge and then reinsert it as described above. If you install an ink cartridge in the wrong slot, the ink icon of the slot that you installed wrong ink cartridge blinks on the LCD. Make sure that the correct ink cartridge is installed in the correct slot.
7. Lower the ink lever to the secured position.
8. Close the ink compartment cover. The printer returns to the previous status.
Converting the Black Ink Cartridges
You can change the black ink according to your purpose. You can choose either Matte Black or Photo Black.
Caution: To avoid interrupting a black ink change, observe the following conditions: Do not turn off the printer. Do not open the front cover. Do not move the paper lever to the released position. Do not remove the ink cartridges. Do not remove the maintenance tank. Do not unplug the power cord.
Note: If an electrical power failure occurs during this operation, turn the printer on again. You can continue your procedure at the breakpoint. The Black Ink Conversion Kit is required when changing the black ink. Also, the black ink cartridge (either Matte or Photo that you want to convert) is required. To check the product code, see Consumable Products on page 368. If the maintenance tank icon tells that the maintenance tank is full or near full on the LCD, you need to replace the maintenance tank. See Replacing the Maintenance Tank on page 295. To change the black ink, follow the steps below. 1. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD panel.

2. Press the Menu r button to enter the Menu mode. 3. Press the Paper Feed d button or Paper Feed u button to select MAINTENANCE, and then press the Menu r button. 4. Press the Paper Feed d button or Paper Feed u button to display BK INK CHANGE, and then press the Menu r button. 5. Press the Enter button to execute.
6. Make sure OPEN THE RIGHT COVER appears on the LCD, and then open the right ink compartment cover.
7. Make sure RAISE THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then raise the ink lever on the right ink compartment.
8. Make sure OPEN THE LEFT COVER appears on the LCD, and then open the left ink compartment cover. 9. Make sure RAISE THE LEFT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then raise the ink lever on the left ink compartment.
11. Make sure INSTALL C/M/Y CONVERSION CARTRIDGES appears on the LCD, and then insert three conversion cartridges in the slots on the right ink compartment.
10. Make sure REMOVE ALL FOUR INK CARTRIDGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE appears on the LCD, and then remove all four ink cartridges from the right ink compartment.
Note: If CONVERSION CRTG LIFE. REPLACE CONVERSION CRTG WITH A NEW ONE. appears on the LCD, press the Pause button. Remove the old conversion cartridge(s) from the right ink compartment, and then insert the new conversion cartridge(s). Finally, go to step 4 to start again.
12. Make sure LOWER THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then lower the ink lever on the right ink compartment.
14. When draining is complete, RAISE THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on the LCD. Raise the ink lever on the right ink compartment.
15. Make sure REMOVE C/M/Y CONVERSION CARTRIDGES appears on the LCD, and then remove the conversion cartridges from the slots on the right ink compartment.
13. The printer starts draining ink, and DRAINING INK XX% appears on the LCD. Wait until draining is complete.
16. Make sure INSTALL ALL FOUR INK CARTRIDGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE appears on the LCD, and then insert the cartridges in their specified slots.
17. Make sure LOWER THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then lower the ink lever on the right ink compartment. Make sure LOWER THE LEFT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then lower the ink lever on the left ink compartment.

18. Make sure RAISE THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then raise the ink lever on the right ink compartment.
19. The printer starts charging ink. After a while, ink lever messages appear on the LCD. When a message appears on the LCD, raise or lower the ink levers accordingly. Note: Because ink charging after black ink conversion consumes a large quantity of ink, you may need to replace the ink cartridges soon. 20. When LOWER THE RIGHT INK LEVER AND CLOSE THE COVER appears on the LCD, lower the right ink lever and close the cover. Then, when LOWER THE LEFT INK LEVER AND CLOSE THE COVER appears on the LCD, lower the left ink lever and close the cover. The ink charging is completed.
Updating the printer driver information
After the replacement operation, update the driver information using the steps below.
Make sure RAISE THE LEFT INK LEVER appears on the LCD, and then raise the ink lever on the left ink compartment.