Epson Stylus Color 83, Stylus Color 880, Stylus Color 880i Basic User Guide

®

EPSON Stylus Color

880/880i/8

3

Printer Basics

Printed on recycled paper

Copyright Notice

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The information contained herein is designed only for
use with this EPSON printer. EPSON is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other
printers.

Neither SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third
parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse,
or abuse of this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the
U.S.) failure to strictly comply with SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION’s operating and maintenance instructions.

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION shall not be liable for any damages or problems arising from the use of any
options or any consumable products other than those designated as Original EPSON Products or EPSON
Approved Products by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

Trademarks

EPSON, EPSON Stylus, Micro Piezo, and EPSON Photo Stickers are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON
CORPORATION.

PhotoEnhance, EPSON Software, and EPSON Store are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.

Fix-it Flix and Print Lab are service marks of Epson America, Inc.

General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of
their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

The E

NERGY STAR

Copyright © 2000 by Epson America, Inc. 11/00

emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.

CPD-10637R1

ii

Contents

WELCOME! 1

About Your Documentation 1

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips 1

Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual 2

Watching Printer Movies 4

PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH 5

Printing with Windows 5

Loading Paper 5

Opening the Printer Software 6

Selecting Printer Software Settings 7

Controlling Printing 8

Printing on a Macintosh 9

Loading Paper 9

Opening the Printer Software 10

Selecting Printer Software Settings 11

Controlling Printing 12

Using Advanced Settings 13

Enhancing Photos 13

Using Custom Project Types 14

Using Advanced Custom Settings 15

Printing on Envelopes 16

Double-Sided Printing 17

Using Special Papers 18

EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight 19

EPSON Photo Paper 19

Choosing the Correct Media Type Setting 20

MAINTAINING YOUR PRINTER 21

Cleaning the Print Head 21

Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern 22

iii

Replacing an Ink Cartridge 23

Ink Cartridge Precautions 23

Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges 24

Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge 26

Aligning the Print Head 28

Cleaning the Printer 29

Transporting the Printer 30

PROBLEM SOLVING 31

Identifying Printer Parts 31

Diagnosing Printer Problems 32

Checking the Control Panel Lights 32

Running a Printer Check 33

Problems and Solutions 34

Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Software 34

Problems with Printing 35

Problems Getting Good Print Quality 36

Problems with Paper Feeding 38

Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems 39

Uninstalling Printer Software 40

Where To Get Help 41

EPSON Technical Support 41

Creative Software Technical Support 42

iv

REQUIREMENTS AND NOTICES 43

Windows System Requirements 43

Macintosh System Requirements 44

ENERGY STAR Compliance 44

Important Safety Instructions 44

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions 45

FCC Compliance Statement 46

Declaration of Conformity 47

Warranty 48

INDEX 49

EPSON Ink Jet Papers and Ink Cartridges

Use EPSON paper and inks to get the same photo quality results that have earned EPSON’s printers all
of their awards! EPSON papers are specially coated to work with EPSON’s quick drying inks. You’ll
notice that when prints come out of your printer, you can immediately handle them. There is no
drying time, no smearing or smudging, and your image is crisp and smooth. Here are the inks for your
printer and just a few of EPSON’s papers:

Photo Paper and Panoramic Photo Paper

Photo lab quality, heavier weight glossy paper available in a
variety of sizes. Perfect for color photo keepsakes of
snapshots, framed art, banners, and panoramics.

Matte Paper - Heavyweight

Heavyweight, bright white, ultra smooth coated paper with matte finish. Perfect
for photographs, signs, and crafts.

Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper

Bright white, with a smooth matte finish to create your best impression.
Perfect for presentations, newsletters, color reproductions, and all your photo
and craft projects.

EPSON Ink Cartridges

For best results, always use genuine EPSON ink cartridges.

Black T019201 (U.S.), or T019311 (Canada)
Color T020201 (U.S.), or T020311 (Canada)

For more information on other EPSON products and fun project ideas,
look for the EPSON Print Lab

See the inside back cover for a list of EPSON papers and ink cartridges, and ordering information.

SM

Series at www.epson.com.

1

Welcome!

Your EPSON Stylus® Color 880, 880i, or 83 printer is the ideal output device for
small office or home printing. With resolutions of up to 2880 by 720 dpi, you can
print anything from reports and resumes to photos and newsletters with great results.

The EPSON Stylus Color 880i and EPSON Stylus Color 83 printers are
functionally identical to the EPSON Stylus Color 880 printer. Therefore,
this guide refers to the printer as the EPSON Stylus Color 880.

About Your Documentation

To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here poster. This book
contains system requirements, important safety information, and instructions on:

■ printing with Windows

■ maintaining the printer

■ solving basic problems

■ viewing your electronic printer manual and printer movies

®

or on a Macintosh

®

To learn detailed information about using your printer and printer software, see your
electronic Reference Guide. Instructions on viewing your Reference Guide are on page 2.

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Please follow these guidelines:

Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

Notes contain important information about your printer.

Tips contain additional hints for better printing.

1

Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual

Your printer software CD-ROM includes an electronic Reference Guide for your
printer. The manual is in HTML format, so you need a browser—such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer 3.0 or later or Netscape Navigator® 3.0 or later—to view it. If you
are using a different browser, the pages may not display correctly.

A browser is not included on the printer software CD-ROM.

You can view your electronic Reference Guide from the CD-ROM or copy it to your
hard drive and view it from there. Follow these steps:

1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM.

®

2. Windows: Double-click

drive icon, then double-click the

Macintosh: Double-click the

EPSON

icon.

My Computer

EPSON

EPSON

CD-ROM icon, then double-click the

The Main Menu appears:

Click here

3. Click

View Electronic Documentation

.

The main screen for your printer appears:

4. You can either view the manual from the
CD-ROM (
copy the manual to your hard drive (

Reference Guide

View Reference Guide

) and view it from there.

) or

Install

For details on viewing the manual, see
the next section.

, double-click your CD-ROM

icon.

2

If you copied the manual to your hard drive, you can access it at any time, as follows:

Windows: Select Start, Programs, EPSON, and double-click ESC880 Guide.

Macintosh: Open the EPSON Stylus Color 880 folder and double-click View

Reference Guide

.

When you first open the Reference Guide, you see this screen:

Click here to
expand the
table of
contents

Click a topic on the left to expand the table of contents.

After expanding the table of contents, you can click on the topic you want to view.

If there’s a right arrow , click it to view subtopics, then click on a topic to go to it.

Click the down arrow to close a subtopic list.

Closed list,
click to
expand

Click to go
to topic

If you see an icon in place of a graphic when viewing your

Guide

in Netscape Navigator, click the Reload button to load the

graphic.

Reference

3

Watching Printer Movies

Need help loading envelopes, replacing ink cartridges, or printing on both sides of the
paper? Your printer software CD-ROM includes helpful Fix-it FlixSM movies that
explain these and other common tasks.

Follow these steps to watch your printer movies:

1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM.

2. Windows: Double-click My Computer, double-click your CD-ROM
drive icon, then double-click the EPSON icon.

Macintosh: Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM icon, then double-click the

EPSON icon.

The Main Menu appears:

4

Click here

3. Click View EPSON Documentation, then click Watch Printer Movies. The
main Fix-it Flix screen appears:

4. Click the poster for the movie you want to see. If necessary, select an option on
the next screen. The movie starts playing.

Printing from Start to Finish

Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a newsletter or photograph—
from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling the print job. Follow
the instructions here for:

■ printing with Windows (below)

■ printing on a Macintosh (on page 9)

If you’re already familiar with ink jet printing, you can skip ahead to these topics:

■ using advanced settings (on page 13)

■ printing on envelopes (on page 16)

■ double-sided printing (on page 17)

■ using special papers (on page 18)

■ selecting the correct media type (on page 20)

Printing with Windows

This section describes the basic steps for printing with Windows.

(To print on a Macintosh, see page 9.)

Loading Paper

Make sure your printer and computer
are turned on.

Place your paper against the right edge
guide and slide the left edge guide
against the paper.

Load paper only
up to this arrow

Slide paper
against the
right edge
guide

5

Follow these guidelines when loading paper:

■ Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other side.

■ Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first.

■ Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.

If you’re printing on envelopes, see page 16 for loading instructions.

Opening the Printer Software

After you open your application program and create your document, you’re ready to
select your printer software settings.

From the File menu, click

Print

. You see your application’s Print dialog box (your

dialog box may look slightly different):

Select your printer here

Make the following selections on the Print dialog box:

■ Make sure your

■ If the Print dialog box contains a

Printer, or Options button, click it. Then click

EPSON Stylus COLOR 880

Properties

is selected.

button, click it. (If you see a Setup,

Properties

Click here to
open your printer
software

on the next screen.)

6

If you click the print icon on your application’s tool bar instead of
selecting Print from the File menu, you may not get the option to
change the printer software settings before printing.

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Once you click Properties, you see your printer software Properties dialog box.

The most important thing to remember is to set the correct Media Type for the paper
you’re using. The Media Type setting affects the other options you can choose. If
necessary, click the Main tab to display the settings shown below:

Select the type of paper you loaded

Select the Ink color

Select Automatic mode

Select faster or higher-quality
printing, or in-between

Click OK

Make the following settings on the Properties dialog box:

■ Choose the Media Type you’re printing on (click

the arrow button to display the list). If you’re not
sure which setting to select, see page 20.

■ Set the Ink option to

Color

to print a color

document. To print a black text document, click

Black

.

■ Set the Mode option to

Automatic

. This lets the
printer software determine the best settings for your print job. It’s the easiest way
to get good printing results on all types of paper.

■ Set the slider in the Mode box to

Quality

or

Speed

. This lets you choose between
a higher resolution or faster printing (or an in-between setting) for the paper
you’re using. (The slider is not available when certain media types are selected.)

■ When you’ve selected your settings, click OK to return to your application’s Print

dialog box.

7

For more information about printer settings, click the Help button. Or
you can right-click any item on the screen and then click What’s This?.

Selecting the Settings You Use Most Often

The printer settings you make apply only to the application you’re currently using. If
you usually print one type of document in different applications—for example,
double-sided, letter-sized documents with black ink—you can change the default
printer settings for all your programs. You do this using the Windows Printer utility.

1. Click

Start

, point to

2. Right-click the

3. Select

Properties

Windows NT, or

Settings

EPSON Stylus COLOR 880

, and then select

icon.

in Windows 98 or Windows 95,

Printing Preferences

in Windows 2000. Then click the

Printers

.

Document Defaults

in

Main

tab.

4. Select the default settings you want to use for all your applications. Click OK
when you’re finished.

Remember that you can always change the settings in your application when you want
to print different types of documents.

Controlling Printing

At the Print dialog box, click OK (or
printing.

Print

, depending on your application) to start

8

Click OK to start
printing

After a moment, the Progress Meter appears and shows the progress of your print job.
You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart printing. You can also see how
much ink you have left.

Click to cancel printing

Click to pause or resume

Does not appear if
you are printing
over a network

printing

For advanced settings and more information on printing—for example, previewing
your printout, changing the paper size, or adding a watermark—see your electronic
Reference Guide (described on page 2).

Printing on a Macintosh

This section describes the basic steps for printing on a Macintosh.

(To print with Windows, see page 5.)

Loading Paper

Make sure your printer and
computer are turned on.

Place your paper against the right
edge guide and slide the left edge
guide against the paper.

Load paper only
up to this arrow

Slide paper
against the
right edge
guide

9

Follow these guidelines when loading paper:

■ Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other side.

■ Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first.

■ Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.

If you’re printing on envelopes, see page 16 for loading instructions.

Opening the Printer Software

After you open your application program and create your document, you’re ready to
select your page setup and other printer software settings.

From the File menu, click

Page Setup

. You see your application’s page setup dialog

box (your dialog box may look slightly different):

Select your Paper Size, Orientation,
and Printable Area settings

Verify your printer model here

Click OK

Make the following selections on the page setup dialog box:

■ Make sure your EPSON Stylus Color 880 printer model (

SC 880

) is selected. (If

the model is incorrect, you need to select your printer in the Chooser; see the Start
Here poster for instructions.)

■ Select the correct

Paper Size, Orientation

Printable Area

, and

settings for your

document. See your electronic Reference Guide for details.

10

■ Click

window.

OK

to close the page setup dialog box and return to your application

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Now open the File menu and click Print. You see the main printer settings dialog box
for your application (your dialog box may look slightly different):

Select the type
of paper you
loaded

Select the
Ink color

Select Automatic mode

Select faster or higher-quality printing, or in-between

The most important thing to remember is to set the correct Media Type for the paper
you’re using. The Media Type setting affects the other options you can choose.

Make the following settings on the dialog box:

■ Choose the Media Type you’re printing on (click

the arrow button to scroll through the list). If you’re
not sure which setting to select, see page 20.

■ Set the Ink option to Color to print a color

document. To print a black text document, click

Black.

■ Set the Mode option to Automatic. This lets the printer software determine the

best settings for your print job. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results on
all types of paper.

■ Set the slider in the Mode box to

Quality

or

Speed

. This lets you choose between
a higher resolution or faster printing (or an in-between setting) for the paper
you’re using. (The slider is not available when certain media types are selected.)

■ When you’ve selected your settings, click

Print

to print your document.

11

Controlling Printing

Once you’ve clicked Print, your printer begins printing. If you turned on background
printing, you can select EPSON Monitor3 from the Application menu at the right
side of the menu bar to check the progress of your print job. You see the EPSON
Monitor3 dialog box:

Click to restart your print job

Click to pause printing

Click on your
print job. . .

Then click here to
view the details
below and control
print job priorities

If you’re not using background printing, but you need to
cancel the current print job, hold down the J key and
press the . (period) key.

Click to cancel printing

For custom project type settings, see pages 13 through 16. For more information on
printing—for example, using advanced settings, previewing your printout, changing
the paper size, or adding a watermark—see your electronic Reference Guide (described
on page 2).

12

Using Advanced Settings

Your printer software includes advanced settings that let you have more control over
your printouts. See the following sections:

■ “Enhancing Photos” below

■ “Using Custom Project Types” on page 14

■ “Using Advanced Custom Settings” on page 15

Enhancing Photos

Your printer software includes PhotoEnhance™ options that adjust brightness and
contrast to improve the appearance of low-resolution and improperly exposed photos.
PhotoEnhance also lets you add special effects. To use PhotoEnhance, set the Mode
option to PhotoEnhance in your printer settings dialog box.

If your photograph was taken with a digital camera, you can select Digital Camera

Correction

to improve your printed images. You can also select from a list of
specialized settings for photographs, such as People and Nature, or add special effects,
such as

Soft Focus

PhotoEnhance does not affect your original image; it only affects your
printout.

PhotoEnhance works only with Color ink; you cannot turn on
PhotoEnhance with Black ink selected.

Printing with PhotoEnhance may take longer on some systems.

or

Sepia

tint.

13

Using Custom Project Types

Your EPSON Stylus Color 880 printer software includes custom project types with
preset options for printing specific types of documents—such as reports, graphs, or
drafts. These options let you quickly select the best settings for your particular type of
document and paper, or select a color-matching method for your project. See the list
of options on the next page.

Always choose your Media Type
and Ink settings before you select
a custom project type

Click Custom, then click here
to select a project type

14

Macintosh

Windows

Always choose your Media Type and Ink settings
before you select a custom project type

Click Custom, then click here to select a project type

You can select from these project types:

■ Text/Graph: For printing graphics-intensive documents like presentations

with charts and graphs.

■ Economy: For printing rough drafts of text on plain paper. Saves ink.

■ ICM (Image Color Matching; Windows 95, Windows 98, and

Windows 2000 only): For printing documents created in an ICM compatible
application.

■ sRGB (standard Red Green Blue; recommended only with Windows 98 or

Windows 2000): For printing documents created in an sRGB compatible
application using sRGB colors, such as those designed for the World Wide
Web. See your Windows 98 online help for details.

■ ColorSync (Macintosh only): For printing documents in conjunction with

ColorSync compatible devices and applications.

Using Advanced Custom Settings

For maximum control over your project, you can customize your print settings—such
as Print Quality, Halftoning, and Gamma—and use special effects.

To access these settings in your printer software, click Custom and then click the

Advanced button.

15

After you customize your print settings, you can save them as a group so you can reuse
them whenever you print a similar project.

The default Gamma setting of 1.8 provides the optimum contrast
quality for your photos. However, you can change it to either 1.5 (for
decreased contrast) or 2.2 (for increased contrast; recommended for
matching colors with sRGB devices).

For more details on the printer settings, see your electronic Reference Guide, as
described on page 2.

Printing on Envelopes

You can load up to 10 envelopes at a time, flap
edge first and printable side up. Place them against
the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide
against them.

(You’ll get better results if you press each envelope
flat before loading it, or load one envelope at a
time.)

16

Set the thickness lever to the

position when you print on

+

envelopes or other thick media.
(Return the lever to the

position before you print on

0

Lever
position for
envelopes
and thick
paper

regular paper.)

Plain paper

Select

as the Media
Type setting and choose the
correct envelope size as the Paper Size setting.

If the printing smears or you have banding (light lines), try turning off

High Speed

printing in the Advanced dialog box. (See your electronic Reference Guide for
instructions on accessing the dialog box.)

Double-Sided Printing

You can print on both sides of each page with the double-sided printing option in
your EPSON® printer software. This section includes instructions for standard
double-sided printing. You can also create single-fold booklets with Folded Booklet
double-sided printing. See your electronic Reference Guide for instructions.

Use only media types that support double-sided printing. Depending on
the type of paper and the amount of ink used in your document, ink
may bleed through to the other side of the paper. Double-sided printing
is not available when the printer is shared over a network.

You can print up to 60 pages per document, on 30 sheets of paper. If you’re printing
a longer document, you’ll need to print it in sections. For example, if you were
printing a 175-page document, you’d print it in three sections of 60 pages (30 sheets),
60 pages (30 sheets), and 55 pages (28 sheets). The page ranges you’d select in your
software application’s print dialog box are: 1-60, 61-120, and 121-175.

If your long document has an odd number of pages, make sure you print even
numbers of pages for the first sections and print an odd number for the last section.
That way, if you have a blank page, it will appear at the end of your document.

Follow these steps:

1. Load plain paper or another double-sided media in your printer.

2. Open your printer software as described on page 6 for Windows and page 10 for

Macintosh.

3. Windows: Choose

Double-Sided Printing

on the EPSON Stylus COLOR 880

Properties Layout tab.

Macintosh: Choose

Double-Sided Printing

in the Page Setup dialog box.

4. Start printing. The printer prints all the odd-numbered pages first, starting with

page 1.

17

When the first side of all the pages has printed, you see a window on your screen
telling you to reload the paper.

5. Reload the entire stack of paper, without changing the order of the pages, and

insert it in the printer with the printed side down, with the top edge first, as
shown.

6. Click Resume.

18

The printer prints the even-numbered pages.

For an animated demonstration of double-sided printing, watch the
printer movies on this topic, as described on page 4.

Using Special Papers

How can you get the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text? Always
use EPSON’s special ink jet papers. To show you how much difference EPSON paper
can make, we’ve included some free samples in the EPSON Photo Quality Media
Pack. Instructions for printing on the samples are given in the following sections.

For a list of EPSON special ink jet papers and ordering information, see the inside
back cover.

EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight

EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight has a professional-looking, flat matte finish for
printing photos and graphics on a non-glossy surface. Load up to 20 sheets as
described on page 5, including a support sheet beneath the stack. Before printing,
select Matte Paper - Heavyweight as the Media Type.

EPSON Photo Paper

You can use EPSON Photo Paper to print photographs that look almost as good as
the ones you get from film processing. Photo Paper is available in a variety of sizes.

Keep the following in mind when using EPSON Photo Paper:

■ Always load the paper with the whiter (glossier) side facing up.

■ Load up to 20 sheets of 4 × 6-inch, letter-size, or A4-size Photo Paper, or 1 sheet

of Panoramic paper. Use a support sheet if it is included in the paper package.

■ Select Photo Paper as the Media Type setting.

■ To keep your printouts looking their best, store them in a resealable plastic bag or

other airtight covering and protect them from heat, humidity, and direct sunlight.
Return unused paper to the original package as soon as you finish printing.

Preserving Photos on EPSON Photo Paper

EPSON Photo Paper has been specially formulated to work with EPSON’s ink to
create prints that last as long as traditional photographs when protected from light in
photo albums or similar archival conditions.

When you display your EPSON Photo Paper prints in picture frames or mounted on
the wall, the paper provides extra UV (ultraviolet) light protection so your prints will
last longer than prints on other ink jet photo papers. Depending on the type and
intensity of the light your print is exposed to, a print on EPSON Photo Paper may
last two or more years before noticeable fading occurs. Fade resistance could decrease
in intense light conditions or increase if your print is protected by glass or special
laminates.

19

Choosing the Correct Media Type Setting

Before printing, always check the Media Type setting in
your printer software. See the table below for the setting
you should use.

The printer uses the Media Type setting to adjust the
ink coverage for the type of paper you are using.

The Media Type setting for your paper may not be the
same as the name of your paper. To be sure you are using the correct setting, see the
table below or the instructions that came with your paper.

For this paper . . . Select this Media Type setting . . .

Plain paper sheets or envelopes

EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper

EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper

EPSON High Quality Ink Jet Paper

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Cards

EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets

EPSON Photo Paper

EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper

EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Cards

EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper

EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film

EPSON Photo Stickers

EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies

EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight

®

Plain paper

360 dpi Ink Jet Paper

Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper

Photo Paper

Premium Glossy Photo Paper

Photo Quality Glossy Film

Ink Jet Transparencies

Matte Paper - Heavyweight

20

If any paper you buy comes with a cleaning sheet, don’t use the
cleaning sheet with this printer; it may jam inside the printer.

The availability of paper types varies by location.

Maintaining Your Printer

This section describes maintenance procedures to keep your printer working at its best
and preparation steps for moving your printer. Follow the instructions here for:

■ cleaning the print head (below)

■ replacing an ink cartridge (on page 23)

■ aligning the print head (on page 28)

■ cleaning the printer (on page 29)

■ transporting the printer (on page 30)

For more details, watch your Fix-it Flix movies, as described on page 4, and read your
electronic Reference Guide, as described on page 2.

Cleaning the Print Head

If your printed image is unexpectedly light or faint, or dots are missing from the
image, you may need to clean the print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can
deliver ink properly.

Cleaning the print head uses ink, so clean it only if print quality declines. You can
clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility (when the printer is connected to
a local port, not over a network), as described below. You can also clean the print head
using the printer’s control panel buttons, as shown in your Fix-it Flix movies and
described in your Reference Guide.

When you don’t turn on your printer for a long time, the print quality
can decline. It’s a good idea to turn on your printer at least once a
month to maintain good print quality.

If any paper you buy comes with a cleaning sheet, don’t use the
cleaning sheet with your printer; it may jam inside the printer.

Follow these steps to run the Head Cleaning utility:

1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and both the

B black and

A color ink out lights are off. (If an ink out light is flashing, replace the ink

cartridge instead.)

21

2. If you have an application running, access the printer settings dialog box as

described on page 6 (Windows) or page 10 (Macintosh).

Or, with Windows, click Start, point to Settings, then select Printers. Right-click
your EPSON Stylus COLOR 880 printer icon in the Printers window. Then
select Properties in Windows 98 or Windows 95, Document Defaults in
Windows NT, or Printing Preferences in Windows 2000.

3. Windows: Click the Utility tab.

Macintosh: Click the Utility button.

4. On the Utility menu, click the Head Cleaning button.

5. Follow the instructions on the screen to clean the print head. Cleaning takes

about 30 seconds, during which the printer makes some noise and the

Ppower

light flashes.

Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is flashing, unless the
printer hasn’t moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.

6. When the

Ppower light stops flashing, run a nozzle check to confirm the print

head nozzles are clean and reset the cleaning cycle.

Make sure paper is loaded in the printer and click Print nozzle check pattern.
Then click Next. The nozzle check pattern prints (see below for details).

7. If the nozzle check pattern has no gaps in its dots, click Finish.

If the pattern is missing dots, click Clean to clean the print head again. If you
don’t see any improvement after cleaning three or four times, check the solutions
in “Problems Getting Good Print Quality” on page 36. You can also turn the
printer off and wait overnight—this allows any dried ink to soften—and then try
cleaning the print head again.

Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern

Examine the nozzle check pattern you print.
Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical
line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot
pattern. If your printout looks okay, you’re
done.

If any dots are missing, as shown, clean the print
head again; see page 21 for instructions.

missing dots

missing dots

missing dots

22

Replacing an Ink Cartridge

When the

B black or

A color ink out light flashes, the indicated cartridge is low on

ink. This is a good time to make sure you have a new cartridge. When the light stays
on, the cartridge is empty and you need to replace it.

You cannot print if either ink cartridge is empty. Leave the empty
cartridge installed in the printer until you have obtained a replacement.
Otherwise the ink remaining in the print head nozzles may dry out.

Use these EPSON ink cartridges within six months of installing them and before the
expiration date on the package:

■ Black ink cartridge: T019201 (U.S.), T019311 (Canada)

■ Color ink cartridge: T020201 (U.S.), T020311 (Canada)

To ensure good results, use genuine EPSON ink cartridges and do not
refill them. Other products may cause damage to your printer not
covered by EPSON’s warranty.

When you need new ink cartridges, contact your dealer or call EPSON at
[phone] or visit the EPSON Store™ at www.epson.com (U.S. sales only). In
Canada, please call [phone] for dealer referral.

Before you replace a cartridge, be sure to read the precautions below.

If you need to replace an ink cartridge before the lights flash (because the ink is too
old, for example) follow the instructions in “Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge”
on page 26.

Ink Cartridge Precautions

Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and do not drink the ink.

If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water.

To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head by hand.

Don’t open the clamp or remove a cartridge except to replace it with a new
one. Once you remove a cartridge, you can’t reuse it, even if it contains ink.

You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the cartridge or you will
permanently damage it. Don’t try to remove the clear seal underneath the
cartridge.

23

Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges

You can replace a cartridge when the
flashing or on. (If you perform these steps when both ink out lights are off, the printer
cleans the print heads as described on page 21.)

Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once you start the ink
cartridge replacement procedure, you must complete all the steps in one session.

Follow these steps to replace ink cartridges:

1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing (the

on, but not flashing), then open the printer cover.

2. Press the

head moves left and the

3. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. The

cartridge rises up from its holder. (The
illustration shows color ink cartridge
replacement. To replace the black ink
cartridge, lift up only the smaller clamp
on the left.)

4. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and

dispose of it carefully.

B A cleaning button and hold it for about three seconds until the print

Ppower light begins flashing.

B black or

A color ink out light is either

Ppower light should be

24

5. Unwrap the new ink cartridge. Then remove

only the yellow part of the tape seal on top.

black cartridge color cartridge

6. Tilt the new cartridge forward slightly as you

place it in the holder, with the label facing up
and toward the back of the printer. Hang the
tabs at the back of the cartridge on the hooks.

Don’t place the cartridge under
the hooks; you may damage
the clamp when you close it.

7. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it

locks in place, but don’t press down on the
cartridge itself.

8. If you need to replace the other ink cartridge,

repeat steps 3 through 7 before continuing
with step 9.

9. Press the

B A cleaning button and close the

printer cover. The printer moves the print
head and begins charging the ink delivery system.

The

Ppower light flashes, and the printer makes noise. Charging takes about

30 seconds. When it’s finished, the

Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is flashing, unless the
printer hasn’t moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.

Ppower light stops flashing and stays on.

25

Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge

When an ink cartridge is more than six months old, you may need to replace it if you
notice that your printouts don’t look as good as they used to. If print quality doesn’t
improve after cleaning and aligning the print head, you can replace one or both
cartridges.

Follow these steps to replace an ink cartridge before the
light is flashing or on:

1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing (the

on, but not flashing), then open the printer cover.

2. Press the

head moves left and the

3. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. The

cartridge rises up from its holder. (The
illustration shows color ink cartridge
replacement. To replace the black ink
cartridge, lift up only the smaller clamp
on the left.)

4. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and

dispose of it carefully.

S load/eject button and hold it for about three seconds until the print

Ppower light begins flashing.

B black or

A color ink out

Ppower light should be

26

5. Unwrap the new ink cartridge. Then remove

only the yellow part of the tape seal on top.

black cartridge color cartridge

6. Tilt the new cartridge forward slightly as you

place it in the holder, with the label facing up
and toward the back of the printer. Hang the
tabs at the back of the cartridge on the hooks.

Don’t place the cartridge under
the hooks; you may damage the
clamp when you close it.

7. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it

locks in place, but don’t press down on the
cartridge itself.

8. If you need to replace the other ink cartridge,

repeat steps 3 through 7 before continuing
with step 9.

9. Press the

S load/eject button again and close

the printer cover. The printer moves the
print head and begins charging the ink delivery system.

The

Ppower light flashes and the printer makes noise. Charging takes about

30 seconds. When it’s finished, the

Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is flashing, unless the
printer hasn’t moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.

Ppower light stops flashing and stays on.

27

Aligning the Print Head

If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may need to align the print
head. Your printer must be connected to a local port, not on a network, to use the
Print Head Alignment utility.

Follow these steps:

1. Make sure the printer is turned on, but not printing, and letter-size paper is

loaded.

Load paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide to prevent ink
from spraying inside the printer and smudging your printouts.

For the best results, load EPSON ink jet paper in the printer whenever
you check the print head alignment.

2. If you have an application running, access the printer settings dialog box as

described on page 6 (Windows) or page 10 (Macintosh).

Or, with Windows, click

EPSON Stylus COLOR 880

the
Windows 98 or Windows 95,

Preferences

in Windows 2000.

3. Windows: Click the

Start

Utility

, point to

icon in the Printers window. Select

Document Defaults

tab.

Settings

, then select

Printers

in Windows NT, or

. Right-click

Properties

Printing

in

Macintosh: Click the Utility button.

4. You see the Utility menu. Click the

Print Head Alignment

button.

5. Follow the instructions on the screen to print a test page.

6. Select the most precise alignment pattern from the choices on the test page. Enter

the number of the best aligned pattern following the instructions on the screen.

You may need to repeat steps 5 and 6 more than once to align your print head
completely.

28

Cleaning the Printer

To keep your printer working at its best, you should clean it several times a year.
Follow these steps:

1. Turn off the printer, unplug the power cord, and disconnect the printer cable.

2. Remove all the paper from the sheet feeder.

3. Clean the exterior of the printer with a soft, damp cloth. Use a soft brush to clean

dust or dirt on the sheet feeder.

4. Clean ink out of the printer’s interior with a soft, damp cloth.

Don’t touch the gears inside the printer.

Never use a hard or abrasive brush, or alcohol or thinner for cleaning;
they can damage the printer components and case.

Don’t get water on the printer components and don’t spray lubricants
or oils inside the printer.

Don’t use any cleaning sheets included with special media; they may
jam inside the printer.

29

Transporting the Printer

If you move your printer some distance, you need to prepare it for transportation in
its original box. Follow these steps:

To avoid damage, always leave the ink cartridges installed when
transporting the printer.

Be sure to remove the tape used in step 4 after installing the printer in
its new location.

1. Turn on the printer, wait until the print head locks in the far right position, then

turn off the printer.

2. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet. Then disconnect the printer

cable from the printer.

3. Remove any paper from the printer and remove the paper support.

4. Open the printer cover. Secure the ink

cartridge holder to the printer with tape as

Tape the ink cartridge holder
to the printer case

shown, then close the printer cover.

5. Push in the output tray extension and close

the tray.

6. Repack the printer and attachments in the

original box using the protective materials
that came with it. See your Start Here
poster.

Keep the printer level as you transport it.

After transporting the printer, remove the tape securing the print head and test your
printer. If you notice a decline in print quality, clean the print head (see page 21); if
output is misaligned, align the print head (see page 28).

30

Problem Solving

This section gives you the basics for diagnosing and solving printer problems.

■ First see “Diagnosing Printer Problems” on page 32 to help determine what the

cause of the problem may be.

■ Then see “Problems and Solutions” on page 34 for solutions to common setup,

software, print quality, paper feeding, or other problems.

It’s a good idea to check EPSON’s web site periodically for possible
updates to your printer driver. Visit www.epson.com and check the section
for your product to see if there is a new driver available for downloading to
your computer. To check the version number of your current driver, access
the driver as described on page 6 for Windows or page 10 for Macintosh;
the version number is shown below the EPSON logo.

Identifying Printer Parts

If you need help identifying the parts of the printer, refer to these illustrations:

sheet
feeder

left edge
guide

paper support

right edge guide

printer
cover

output
tray

output tray
extension

ink cartridge holders

thickness
lever

control panel

31

Diagnosing Printer Problems

You can diagnose some problems by checking the printer’s control panel lights, as
described below, or running a printer check, as described on page 33.

Checking the Control Panel Lights

paper out light

color ink out light

black ink out light

power light

cleaning button

P is on The

flashes and

S

B

and A are on

is on When the

S

B

or A flash When an ink out light flashes, your ink supply is low. Make sure you

B

or A are on When an ink out light comes on, you need to replace the ink cartridge.

P and S flash

and

B

and A are on

Ppower light is on when the printer is on and ready to print. It

flashes when the printer is receiving a print job, charging ink, or
cleaning the print head.

When the
you have a paper jam. Press the
jam. If that doesn’t work, turn off the printer and gently pull out all the
paper. Make sure none of the sheets are curled, creased, old, stuck
together, or too thin. Then reload the paper, turn on the printer, and
press the

loaded. Make sure none of the sheets are curled, creased, old, stuck
together, or too thin. Then reload the paper and press the
button to resume printing.

have a replacement cartridge.

See page 23 for instructions.

When the
ink out lights come on, jammed paper may be blocking movement of
the print head or you may not have removed the yellow tape seal from
the installed ink cartridge(s). Turn off the printer, open the cover, and
check inside for any jammed paper. Then turn the printer back on. If an
ink out light remains on and the print head moves into replacement
position, replace the ink cartridge(s) as described on page 26. If the
lights still flash and/or come on, contact your dealer or EPSON; see
page 41 for contact information.

S paper out light flashes and both ink out lights come on,

S load/eject button to resume printing.

S paper out light comes on, your paper is out or incorrectly

Ppower and

button

S paper out lights flash, and one or both of the

power buttonload/eject

S load/eject button to try to clear the

S load/eject

32

P S B

A

flash When all the lights flash, your printer may have an internal error. Make

sure you removed all the packing material as described on the Start
Here poster. Then turn off the printer, wait a few seconds, and turn it
on again. If the lights still flash, contact your dealer or EPSON; see
page 41 for contact information.

P S B

A

are off When all the lights are off, the printer is not receiving power. Try these

solutions:

■ Make sure the printer is turned on.

■ Turn off the printer, plug in the power cord securely, and turn on

the printer again.

■ Make sure the outlet is operable and is not controlled by a switch

or timer. If in doubt, try using another outlet.

Running a Printer Check

You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem comes from the printer
itself or some other source. Follow these steps:

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off.

2. Disconnect the interface cable from the printer.

3. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer.

4. Hold down the

Continue holding down the
flash, then release it.

The printer prints one page showing its ROM
version number, ink counter, and a nozzle check
pattern. Only the nozzle check pattern is shown
below. (If the pattern has gaps in its dots, you
need to clean the print head; see page 21.)

S load/eject button, then press and release the

S load/eject button until the

Ppower light starts to

Ppower button.

5. To end the check, turn off the printer after it prints the check page. Then

reconnect the interface cable and turn on your printer and computer.

If the check page prints, the problem probably lies in your software settings, the
interface cable, or your computer.

If the check page doesn’t print, you may have a problem with your printer.

Try the suggestions in “Problems and Solutions” beginning on page 34. If nothing
seems to work, contact your dealer or EPSON as described on page 41.

33

Problems and Solutions

Below are some basic troubleshooting tips if you have any problems setting up your
printer, installing software, getting good print quality, feeding paper, or other
miscellaneous problems.

Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Software

The printer started making noise
after ink cartridge installation.

■ The first time you install ink

cartridges, the printer must charge its
ink delivery system for a couple
minutes. Wait until charging finishes
(the

Ppower light stops flashing)

before you turn off the printer. If you
turn off the printer while it’s
charging, it begins charging again the
next time you turn it on and uses
more ink than necessary.

■ Make sure the ink cartridge clamps

are locked down completely and that
no packing material remains in the
printer. Turn off the printer,
disconnect it from your computer,
and turn it on again to clear the
error. Then turn it off, reconnect it,
and turn it on again.

■ If the printer stops moving or

making noise, but the
is still flashing after 5 minutes, turn
off the printer. If the light is still
flashing when you turn it back on,
see “Where To Get Help” on
page 41.

Ppower light

You’re having problems installing the
printer software.

■ Carefully follow the instructions on

the Start Here poster.

■ Make sure your printer is turned on

and the printer cable is securely
connected to the printer and
computer.

■ Make sure you’ve closed all other

applications, including any screen
savers. Then try installing the
software again.

Your printer icon doesn’t appear in
the Chooser (Macintosh).

■ Your Macintosh has extension

conflicts. Disable Quick Draw GX in
the Extensions Manager. Make sure
EPSON Monitor3 and SC 880 are
enabled, and then restart your
Macintosh.

■ You may have too many items in the

Chooser. Delete any unused items
and check the Chooser again.

You can’t install the USB Printer
Device driver for Windows 98 or
Windows 2000.

■ Make sure your computer and cable

meet the system requirements on
page 43.

34

■ Make sure that the Universal Serial

Bus Controller is working properly in
the Device Manager. For details, see
your computer documentation. If it
is not working properly, contact your
computer dealer.

■ In Windows 2000, do not select

Block under Control Panel > System

> Hardware > Driver Signing, or
your driver installation will not be
completed. Select Ignore or Warn
instead.

■ If you use a USB hub, connect the

printer to the first tier of the hub, or
connect the printer to the computer’s
USB port directly.

You can’t install software or USB
drivers in Windows 2000 or
Windows NT.

If you see an error message or the
software doesn’t install correctly, you
may not have software installation
privileges. Contact your System
Administrator.

You’re printing over a network.

See your electronic Reference Guide for
instructions on configuring your
printer for use on a network.

Problems with Printing

Only the
nothing prints.

■ Make sure the interface cable is

connected securely and that the cable
meets the system requirements on
page 43.

■ Run a printer check as described on

page 33. If the check page prints,
make sure your printer and
application software are installed
correctly.

■ If you’re printing on a network, you

need to set up your printer for
network printing, as described in
your electronic Reference Guide.

The printer sounds as though it is
printing, but nothing prints.

Make sure the print head nozzles are
not clogged. To clean the print head,
see page 21.

Printing is too slow.

Make sure your system meets the
requirements listed on page 43. If
you’re printing a high-resolution image,
you need more than the minimum
requirements listed.

Ppower light is on, but

You may also need to:

■ Clear space on your hard disk or run

a defragmentation utility.

■ Close open applications that you’re

not using.

■ Increase your system’s memory

(RAM).

35

For the fastest printing, try the
following:

■ Choose Black ink if your document

doesn’t include color.

■ Set the Quality/Speed slider to

Speed.

■ In the printer software’s Advanced

dialog box, turn MicroWeave off
and turn High Speed on.

■ If you’re using the parallel port,

enable ECP/DMA mode on your
computer’s parallel port for
maximum print speeds. See your
computer documentation or the
manufacturer for instructions.

Your printer makes noise when you
turn it on or after it has been sitting
for a while.

Your printer is performing routine
maintenance.

Problems Getting Good Print Quality

■ Make sure the print head nozzles are

not clogged. To clean the print head,
see page 21.

■ Make sure the Media Type setting

matches the paper you loaded. See
page 20 for guidelines.

■ Make sure the printable side of the

paper is face up. It is usually whiter
or shinier.

■ If either ink out light is flashing,

replace the ink cartridge; see page 23.
If your ink cartridge is more than six
months old, see page 26 for
replacement steps.

■ Try using Automatic mode. See

page 7 (Windows) or page 11
(Macintosh) for instructions.

■ Run the Print Head Alignment

utility. See page 28 for instructions.

■ Turn off High Speed printing in the

printer software.

■ Make sure the paper thickness lever is

in the 0 position, as shown below.
Set the lever to the + position when
you print on thicker paper or
envelopes.

36

You see banding (light lines).

Your printout is blurry or
smeared.

Your printout is faint or has gaps in
the image.

■ Make sure your paper isn’t damp or

loaded face down (the printable side
should be loaded face up). If it’s
damp, reload a new stack of paper.

■ Use a support sheet with special

media, or try loading your media
one sheet at a time.

■ Make sure your paper or media meets

the specifications listed in
your electronic Reference Guide.

■ Use EPSON papers to ensure proper

saturation and absorption of EPSON
inks. Non-EPSON media may not
be compatible and may produce ink
bleeding or pooling.

■ Run the Print Head Alignment

utility. See page 28 for instructions.

■ Check the paper thickness lever

position. If it’s in the + position,
your printer is set for thicker paper
or envelopes and your image may
smear. For most papers, set the paper
thickness lever to the 0 position, as
shown to the left.

■ Make sure the print head nozzles are

not clogged. To clean the print head,
see page 21.

■ Make sure the ink cartridges aren’t

low on ink. To replace an ink
cartridge, see page 23.

■ Make sure the Media Type setting

matches the paper you loaded. See
page 20 for guidelines.

■ Make sure your paper isn’t damaged,

old, dirty, or loaded face down. If it
is, reload a new stack of paper with
the printable side up; it is usually
whiter or shinier than the other side.

You see wrong or missing colors.

■ Make sure the Ink setting is set to

Color

for color images and your

application is set for color printing.

■ Make sure the print head nozzles are

not clogged. To clean the print head,
see page 21.

■ If either ink out light is flashing,

replace the ink cartridge; see page 23.
If your ink cartridge is more than six
months old, see page 26 for
replacement steps.

37

■ If you’re printing a high-resolution

image, turn off PhotoEnhance.

■ Run the Print Head Alignment

utility. See page 28 for instructions.

■ Try using Automatic mode. See

page 7 (Windows) or page 11
(Macintosh) for instructions.

■ Make sure your printer and port are

selected in your software.

■ Your printed colors can never

exactly match your on-screen colors.
However, you can use a color
management system to get as close as
possible. For information, see your
electronic Reference Guide.

You see incorrect characters.

■ Make sure the interface cable is

securely connected and that it meets
the system requirements on page 43
or page 44. Then try printing again.

■ Make sure your printer is selected in

your application, or as the Windows
default printer or the current printer
in the Macintosh Chooser.

■ Make sure there aren’t any stalled

print jobs. If there are, delete them
and then try printing again. See your
electronic Reference Guide for
instructions.

■ If you’re using a printer switch box,

connect the printer directly to your
computer and try printing again.

Your printout is grainy.

■ Try using a higher quality paper.

■ Set the Quality/Speed slider to the

Quality

setting in your printer
software; see page 7 (Windows) or
page 11 (Macintosh).

■ You may need to increase the image

resolution or print it in a smaller size;
see your software documentation.

Problems with Paper Feeding

Too many copies are printing.

Make sure that the Copies settings in
your printer software and application
aren’t set for multiple copies.

Paper doesn’t eject fully or is
wrinkled.

■ If the paper doesn’t eject fully, you

may have set the wrong paper size.
Press the
the paper. Then select the correct
paper size in your application or
printer software.

■ If it’s wrinkled when it ejects, the

paper may be damp or too thin.

Paper doesn’t feed.

Remove the stack of paper from the
sheet feeder. Check that the paper:

■ Isn’t curled or creased

■ Isn’t too old

■ Isn’t loaded above the arrow on the

left edge guide

■ Isn’t jammed inside the printer.

(If the
paper is jammed.)

When you reload the paper, make sure
the left edge guide fits the paper.

S load/eject button to eject

S paper out light is flashing,

38

Paper jams inside the printer.

Turn off your printer, open the cover,
and remove all the paper that’s inside,
including any small pieces that may
have torn off. If paper jams frequently:

■ Use smooth, high-quality paper,

loaded printable side up.

■ Fan the stack and then even the edges

before loading it.

■ Don’t load paper above the arrow

mark on the left edge guide.

■ Place the paper against the right edge

guide and slide the left edge guide
against your paper.

The image size or position is
incorrect.

Make sure the paper and/or layout
options are set correctly.

The image is inverted, as if viewed in
a mirror.

Turn off Flip Horizontal in the printer
software or the mirror setting in your
application software. (If you’re printing
on EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel
Transfer Paper, the image should be
inverted so it irons on correctly.)

The printer prints blank pages.

Multiple pages feed at once.

Remove the stack of paper, then:

■ Make sure the paper isn’t too thin.

■ Fan the edges of the stack of paper to

separate the sheets.

To reload the paper, see page 5.

Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems

The margins are incorrect.

■ Make sure the paper size settings in

your printer software are correct. See
the electronic Reference Guide for
instructions.

■ Check your software documentation

for instructions on selecting the
correct margins for your paper size.
The margins must be within the
printable area of the page. See
“Specifications” in your electronic
Reference Guide for information.

■ Make sure your printer is selected in

your application, or as the Windows
default printer or the current printer
in the Macintosh Chooser.

■ Make sure the paper size settings in

the printer software are correct. See
the electronic Reference Guide for
instructions.

■ Make sure the print head nozzles are

not clogged. To clean the print head,
see page 21.

39

Uninstalling Printer Software

Windows

1. Double-click My Computer, then double-click the Control Panel icon.

2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click EPSON Printer Software in the
program list, then select your EPSON Stylus COLOR 880 printer icon.

3. Click the Add/Remove button (Change/Remove button in Windows 2000) and
follow the instructions.

4. If you’re using the USB port in Windows 98, click EPSON USB Printer Devices
in the program list; then click the Add/Remove button.

5. Restart your computer.

Macintosh

1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM. Then double-click the EPSON
CD-ROM icon and double-click the EPSON icon. You see the Main Menu.

2. Click Install Printer Driver. On the installer screen, click the arrow in the Easy
Install list at the top and select Uninstall. Then click the Uninstall button at the
bottom and follow the instructions. Restart your Macintosh.

40

Reinstalling Printer Software

Before reinstalling your printer software, first uninstall it as described above. Then see
your Start Here poster for detailed instructions on installing your printer software.

Where To Get Help

If you need help with your printer or its software, including EPSON Software™ Film
Factory,™ see the contact information below. For help with the creative applications
on the printer software CD-ROM, see page 42 for contact information. If you need
help using other software with an EPSON product, see the documentation for that
software for technical support information.

EPSON Technical Support

EPSON provides technical assistance 24 hours a day through the electronic support
services and automated telephone services listed in the following table:

Service Access

World Wide Web

EPSON Internet
FTP Site

EPSON E-MAIL
Technical Support

Automated
Telephone Services

From the Internet, you can reach EPSON Support at

http://www.epson.com

drivers and other files, look at documentation such as product
brochures and user manuals, and access troubleshooting
information.

If you have Internet FTP capability, use your Web browser (or
other software for FTP downloading) to log onto
with the user name
password.

To receive technical advice through e-mail, go to

http://www.epson.com

troubleshooting tab, as requested.

A variety of automated help services are available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. To use these services, you must have
a touch tone telephone and call

. At this site, you can download

anonymous

and complete the form under the

and your e-mail address as the

[phone]

ftp.epson.com

.

41

To speak to a technical support representative, dial:

■ U.S.: [phone], 6 AM to 8 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday and

7 AM to 4 PM, Saturday

■ Canada: [phone], 6 AM to 6 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday

and 7 AM to 4 PM, Saturday

Toll or long distance charges may apply.

Before you call, please have the following information ready:

■ Product name (EPSON Stylus Color 880, EPSON Stylus Color 880i, or EPSON

Stylus Color 83)

■ Product serial number (located on the back of the printer)

■ Proof of purchase (such as a store receipt) and date of purchase

■ Computer configuration

■ Description of the problem

You can purchase ink cartridges, paper, manuals, and accessories from EPSON at
[phone] or visit the EPSON Store at www.epson.com (U.S. sales only). In
Canada, please call [phone] for dealer referral

.

42

Creative Software Technical Support

If you need help with the creative software on the printer software CD-ROM, please
contact the manufacturer, as listed below:

Software Web site Email Telephone

ArcSoft
PhotoImpression
2000

ArcSoft
PhotoMontage 2000

Trellix Web http://support.trellix.com — [phone]

http://www.arcsoft.com [e-mail] [phone]

AM
PM

AM

PM

to
, PST

to

, PST

8:30
5:30

8:00
12:00

Requirements and Notices

This chapter includes system requirements, safety instructions, legal notices, and other
important information.

Windows System Requirements

To use your printer and its software, your system should have:

■

An IBM® compatible PC with at least a 486/66 MHz (for Windows 98, Windows Me, or
Windows 2000) or 486/25 MHz (for Windows 95 or Windows NT
(Pentium

■

Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows

®

processor recommended)

NT 4.0

■

At least 16MB of RAM (32MB for Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me, or
64MB for Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0 recommended)

■

At least 50MB of free hard disk space (100MB recommended)

■

VGA or better display adapter and monitor

■ Double-speed (2x) CD-ROM drive (quad-speed [4x] or faster recommended) for

installing the printer software

®

4.0) processor

■

For parallel connection: a high-speed, bidirectional, IEEE-1284 compliant parallel cable
(6 to 10 feet long) with a D-SUB, 25-pin, male connector for your computer and a

®

36-pin, Centronics

compatible connector for the printer

For USB connection: a computer running Windows 98 or Windows 2000 with a
Windows compliant USB port and a shielded USB “AB” cable from Series A (computer)
to Series B (printer), up to 6.5 ft. (2 meters) long.

Using an improperly shielded USB cable—especially a cable more than 6.5 ft.
(2 meters) long—may cause the printer to malfunction.

43

Macintosh System Requirements

To use your printer and its software, your system should have:

■

An Apple® iMac™ series, Power Macintosh® G3 or G4 with USB port

■ Mac

■ At least 16MB of available RAM (32MB recommended)

■

■

■

■ A shielded USB “AB” cable from Series A (computer) to Series B (printer), up to 6.5 ft.

®

OS 8.5.1 or later

If your iMac is running OS 8.1, you’ll need to upgrade your operating system before
installing your printer software. If your iMac is running OS 8.5.1, Apple recommends
that you install iMac Update 1.1. To find out which operating system your iMac is
running, select About This Computer

from the Apple menu.

At least 50MB of free hard disk space (100MB recommended)

VGA or better display adapter and monitor

Double-speed (2x) CD-ROM drive (quad-speed [4x] or faster recommended) for
installing the printer software

(2 meters) long

Using an improperly shielded USB cable—especially a cable more than 6.5 ft.
(2 meters) long—may cause the printer to malfunction.

44

NERGY STAR

E

Compliance

As an ENERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has determined that this product
meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency. The EPA
ENERGY STAR office equipment program is a voluntary partnership with the computer and
office equipment industry to promote the introduction of energy-efficient personal
computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers in an effort to reduce air pollution
caused by power generation.

Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure you use the
printer safely and effectively:

Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp cloth only. Do not spill liquid

■

on the printer.

Always turn off the printer using the
or unplug the printer until the

Ppower button. Don’t switch off the power strip,

Ppower light is off.

■ Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a radiator or heating vent or in direct

sunlight.

■ Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s case or insert objects through the slots.

■ Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s label.

■ Connect all equipment to properly grounded power outlets. Avoid using outlets on the same

circuit as photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch on and off.

■ Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be easily unplugged.

Placez l’imprimante près d’une prise de contacte où la fiche peut être débranchée facilement.

■ Do not let the power cord become damaged or frayed.

■ If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the total ampere rating of the devices

plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating. Also, make sure the total
ampere rating of all devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlet’s ampere
rating.

■ Except as specifically explained in this manual, do not attempt to service the printer yourself.

■ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following

conditions:

If the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered the printer; if the printer has been
dropped or the case damaged; if the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a distinct change
in performance. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions.

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

■ Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it from its package. Leaving the cartridge

unpacked for a long time before use may result in reduced print quality.

■ Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the cartridge during printing.

■ Under normal circumstances, ink will not come out of the cartridge. If it does get on your skin,

wash it off with soap and water. If it gets in your eyes, flush them immediately with water.

■ Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and do not drink the ink.

■ Do not dismantle the ink cartridges or try to refill them. This could result in damage to the print

head.

■ Once you install an ink cartridge, do not open the clamp or remove the cartridge except to replace

it with a new one. The cartridge may become unusable otherwise.

■ Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the cartridge package. For best results, use

up the ink cartridges within six months of installing them.

■ Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.

■ Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may damage the printer.

■ Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is capped in the far right position and the

ink cartridges are in place.

45

FCC Compliance Statement

For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:

■ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

■ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

■ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

■ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC
Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for
this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this
device. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused
interfaces. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This Class B apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

46

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Declaration of Conformity

DECLARATION of CONFORMITY

According to 47CFR, Part 2 and 15 for Class B Personal Computers and Peripherals; and/or

CPU Boards and Power Supplies used with Class B Personal Computers:

We: EPSON AMERICA, INC.

Located at: MS 6-43
3840 Kilroy Airport Way
Long Beach, CA 90806-2469

Telephone: [phone]

Declare under sole responsibility that the product identified herein, complies with 47CFR Part 2 and 15 of the
FCC rules as a Class B digital device. Each product marketed, is identical to the representative unit tested and
found to be compliant with the standards. Records maintained continue to reflect the equipment being produced
can be expected to be within the variation accepted, due to quantity production and testing on a statistical basis as
required by 47CFR §2.909 Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.

Trade Name: EPSON

Type of Product: Ink Jet Printer

Model: P156A

47

Warranty

Epson America, Inc. Limited Warranty

What is Covered: Epson America, Inc. (“Epson”) warrants to the first end-user customer that the Epson printer covered

by this limited warranty statement, if purchased and used in the United States or Canada, conforms to the manufacturer’s
specifications and will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of one year from the date of
original purchase. Epson also warrants that the consumable ink cartridges enclosed with the printer will perform to the
manufacturer’s specified usage, which usage may expire before the expiration of the limited warranty for the EPSON
printer. For warranty service, you must provide proof of the date of original purchase.

What Epson Will Do To Correct Problems: Should your EPSON printer prove defective during the warranty period,
please call the EPSON Connection at [phone] (U.S.) or [phone] (Canada) for warranty repair
instructions and return authorization. An Epson service technician will provide telephone diagnostic service to determine
whether the unit requires repair. If service is needed during the warranty period, Epson will, at its option, exchange or
repair the unit without charge for parts or labor. If Epson authorizes an exchange for the defective unit, Epson will ship a
replacement printer to you, freight prepaid. You are responsible for securely packaging the defective printer and returning
it to Epson within five (5) working days of receipt of the replacement unit. You must provide a credit card number to
secure the cost of the replacement printer in the event that you fail to return the defective one. If your printer is being
repaired, Epson will direct you to send your printer to Epson or its authorized service center. The printer will be fixed and
sent back to you. You are responsible for packing the printer and for shipping costs to and from the Epson authorized
service center. When warranty service involves the exchange of the product or of a part, the item replaced becomes Epson
property. The exchanged product or part may be new or refurbished to the Epson standard of quality. Epson’s liability for
replacement of the covered product will not exceed the original retail selling price of the covered product. Exchange
products or parts assume the remaining warranty period of your original product covered by this limited warranty.

What This Warranty Does Not Cover: This warranty covers only normal use in the United States and Canada. This
warranty does not cover damage to the Epson printer caused by parts or supplies not manufactured, distributed or
certified by Epson. This warranty does not cover ribbons, ink cartridges or third party parts, components or peripheral
devices added to the Epson printer after its shipment from Epson, e.g., dealer or user-added boards or components.
Epson is not responsible for warranty service should the Epson label or logo or the rating label or serial number be
removed or should the product fail to be properly maintained or fail to function properly as a result of misuse, abuse,
improper installation, neglect, improper shipping, damage caused by disasters such as fire, flood, and lightning, improper
electrical current, software problems, interaction with non-Epson products, or service other than by an Epson Authorized
Servicer. If a claimed defect cannot be identified or reproduced, you will be held responsible for the costs incurred.

THE WARRANTY AND REMEDY PROVIDED ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SOME LAWS DO
NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY, THEN ALL EXPRESS
AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE LIMITED TO THE WARRANTY PERIOD IDENTIFIED ABOVE.
UNLESS STATED HEREIN, ANY STATEMENT OR REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY ANY OTHER PERSON
OR FIRM ARE VOID. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THIS WRITTEN WARRANTY, NEITHER EPSON
AMERICA, INC. NOR ITS AFFILIATES SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS, INCONVENIENCE, OR
DAMAGE, INCLUDING DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
RESULTING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE EPSON PRODUCT, WHETHER RESULTING
FROM BREACH OF WARRANTY OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

In Canada, warranties include both warranties and conditions.

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, and some jurisdictions do not allow
the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations and exclusions may not apply
to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary from jurisdiction to
jurisdiction.

Epson America, Inc. • P.O. Box 93012 • Long Beach, CA 90809-3012

48

Index

Numerics

360 dpi Ink Jet Paper, 20
4 x 6-inch Photo Paper, 19

A

Accessories, 23, 42
Advanced settings, 13 to 16
Aligning print head, 28
Automatic mode, 7, 11

B

Background printing, 12
Banding, 16, 36
Blurry images, 37
Browser, 2

C

Cable, printer, 43, 44
Checking printer, 33
Cleaning

print head, 21 to 22
printer, 29

sheets, 20, 21, 29
Colors, incorrect, 37
Control panel, 32 to 33
Controlling printing, 8 to 9, 12
Copies setting, 38
Creative software, 42
Custom project types, 14 to 15

D

Default settings, Windows, 8
Digital signature, 35
Documentation, 1
Double-sided printing, 17 to 18
Driver signing, 35
Duplexing, 17 to 18

E

Economy setting, 15
Electronic manual, 2 to 3
E-mail technical support, 41
ENERGY STAR, 44
Envelopes, 16
EPSON

Accessories, 23, 42
automated telephone services, 41
Electronic support services, 41
help, 41 to 42
Monitor3, 12
papers, 18 to 20
Store, 42
World Wide Web site, 41

F

Faint images, 37
Fix-it Flix, 4
Flip Horizontal setting, 39
FTP, 41

G

Gamma setting, 16
Glossy media, 20
Graph setting, 15

H

Head Cleaning utility, 21 to 22
Help

creative software, 42
EPSON, 41 to 42

printer movies, 4
High Quality Ink Jet Paper, 20
High Speed setting, 36
High-resolution images, 38

49

I

O

ICM (Image Color Matching) setting, 15
Incorrect characters, 38
Incorrect colors, 37
Ink cartridge

replacing, 23 to 25
replacing outdated, 23, 26 to 27

safety instructions, 45
Ink Jet Transparencies, 20
Ink level, 9, 23
Ink setting, 7, 11
Internet, 41
Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper, 20, 39

L

Layout problems, 39
Lever, thickness, 16, 36, 37
Lights, 32 to 33

M

Macintosh

printer status, 12

printing with, 9 to 12

system requirements, 44

USB, 44
Maintaining printer, 21 to 29
Matte Paper - Heavyweight, 19, 20
Media Pack, EPSON, 18
Media Type setting, 7, 11, 20
MicroWeave setting, 36
Mirror images, 39
Monitor3, EPSON, 12
Monitoring ink level, 9, 23
Movies, printer, 4
Moving printer, 30

N

Network printing, 35
Nozzle check pattern, 22, 33

Orientation, 10
Outdated ink cartridges, 23, 26 to 27

P

Page Setup dialog box, 10
Paper

EPSON, 18 to 20
feeding problems, 38
loading, 5 to 6, 9 to 10, 16, 17 to 18, 19
size, 9, 10, 12
thickness lever, 16, 36, 37
type, setting, see Media Type setting

Photo Paper, 19, 20
Photo Quality Glossy media, 20
Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper, 20
Photo Quality Media Pack, 18
Photo Stickers, 20
Preserving photos, 19
Previewing, 9, 12
Print dialog box, 6, 8
Print head

aligning, 28

cleaning, 21 to 22
Print Head Alignment utility, 28
Print quality problems, 36 to 38
Printable Area setting, 10
Printer

cable, 43, 44

check, 33

cleaning, 29

control panel, 32 to 33

features, 1

maintaining, 21 to 29

movies, 4

noise, 36

parts, 31

problems, 32 to 33, 34, 35

status, 9, 12

transporting, 30

50

Printing

advanced, 13 to 16
controlling, 8 to 9, 12
Macintosh, 9 to 12
Windows, 5 to 9
with custom project types, 14 to 15

Problems

installing software, 34
miscellaneous, 39
paper feeding, 38
print quality, 36 to 38
printing, 35 to 36

setting up printer, 34
Progress Meter, 9
Project types, custom, 14 to 15

Q

T

Text/Graph setting, 15
Thickness lever, 16, 36, 37
Transfer Paper, Iron-On Cool Peel, 20, 39
Transparencies, 20
Transporting printer, 30
Troubleshooting, 31 to 39
Two-sided printing, 17 to 18

U

Uninstalling software, 40
USB, 35, 40, 43 to 44
Utilities

Head Cleaning, 21 to 22
Print Head Alignment, 28

Quality/Speed setting, 7, 11

R

Reference Guide, 2 to 3
Reinstalling software, 40

S

Safety instructions, 44 to 45
Saving settings, 15
Smears, 16, 37
Software

creative, 42

reinstalling, 40

solving problems, 34 to 35

uninstalling, 40
Special effects, 15
Special papers, 18 to 20
sRGB (Standard Red Green Blue) setting, 15
Support, 41 to 42
System requirements, 43 to 44

W

Watermark, 9, 12
Windows

default settings, 8
printer status, 9
printing with, 5 to 9
system requirements, 43
USB, 40, 43
USB problems, 35

World Wide Web, 41

51

How To Order EPSON Ink and Paper

To order EPSON ink cartridges, paper, and other printing media, contact
your dealer or call EPSON at [phone] or visit the EPSON Store at
www.epson.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call [phone] for
dealer referral.

EPSON Ink Cartridges

Black T019201 (U.S.), or T019311 (Canada)
Color T020201 (U.S.), or T020311 (Canada)

EPSON Papers

Paper name Size Part number

EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041060

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041059

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041062/S041029

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041061

Legal (8.5 x 14 inches) S041067

EPSON High Quality Ink Jet Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041111

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041117

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Cards A6 (4.1 x 5.8 inches) S041054

EPSON Photo Paper 4 x 6 inches S041134

Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041141

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041140

Panoramic (8.3 x 23 inches) S041145

EPSON Photo Stickers Kit (CD-ROM/paper) A6 (4.1 x 5.8 inches) S041144-KIT

EPSON Photo Stickers (refill) A6 (4.1 x 5.8 inches) S041144

EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041072

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041071

A6 (4.1 x 5.8 inches) S041107

EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041064

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041063

EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041106

EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041153/S041155

EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041124

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041126

EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041257

A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) S041258

EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041286

EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Card Kit Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041267

The availability of paper types varies by location. Not all paper types match the Media
Type setting names in your printer software. See the chart on page 20, or the instructions
that came with your paper to select the correct Media Type setting.