Epson Stylus Color 880, Stylus Color 880i, Stylus COLOR 8³, eight cubed - Stylus Color 8³ Ink Jet Printer User Manual

Page 1
EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
edge guides
paper support
output tray extension
printer cover
ink cartri dg e clamp
thickness lever
control panel
output tray
Media name Size Part number
EPSON Photo Paper Letter
EPSON Photo Stickers (CD-RO M an d pa per) EPSON Photo Stickers (refill, pape r on ly )
EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper
EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets
EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyw eight
EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper
EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Card Kit
The avai la bi lit y of p ape r t yp es vari es by lo ca tio n. Not all p ap er type na me s ma t c h th e Medi a Ty pe setting name s in yo ur printer software. See the chart on page 6 or the instructions that came with your paper to select the correct Media Type setting.
®
A4 4
×
6 inches
Panoramic (8.3
23.4 inches) A6, 16frame s pe r
Kit
sheet A6, 16frame s pe r sheet
Letter S041153/S041155
A4 S041106
Letter A4
Letter S041286
Letter S041267
S041141 S041140 S041134 S041145
×
S041144-KIT S041144
S041257 S041258
contro l pa ne l

Accessories

Media

Media name Size Part number
EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper Letter
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
EPSON High Quality Ink Jet Paper
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film
EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies Letter
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Cards
A4 Letter
A4 Legal
Letter A4
Letter A4
Letter A4 A6
A4 A6 S041054
S041060 S041059
S041062/S041029 S041061 S041067
S041111 S041117
S041124 S041126
S041072 S041071 S041107
S041064 S041063

Ink Cartridges

Cartridge Part number
Black T019201 (U.S.) T019311 (Canada) Color T020201 (U.S.) T020311 (Canada)

Printer Specifications

Printing

Printing method On-demand ink jet Nozzle configuration
Black 144 nozzles Color 144 nozzles
(48 each: cyan, magenta, yellow)
720 dpi
Resolution Maximum 2880 dpi Print direction Bidirectional with logic seeking Control code EPSON ESC/P2, EPSON Remote Input buffe r 256KB
×
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EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i

Paper

Paper type Size Paper types Thickness Weight
Single sheets Letter (8.5 × 11 inches)
Legal (8. 5 × 14 inches) Half letter (statement, 5.5 × 8.5 inches) Executive (7.5 × 10 inches) A4 (210 × 297 mm) A5 (148 × 210 mm)
Transparen ci es , glo s sy film, glossy paper
Matte Paper ­Heavyweight
Self-adhesive sheets A4 (210 × 297 mm) Self adhesive sheets distr ibuted by
Envelope s No. 10, 4.1 × 9.5 inches (104 × 140 mm)
Index (ink jet) cards A6 (105 × 148 mm)
Photo Paper Letter (8.5 × 11 inches)
Photo Stickers A6 (105 × 148 mm), 16 frames/sheet Photo stickers distributed by EPSON — — Premium Glossy Photo
Paper Iron-On Cool Peel
Trans f er P a pe r
Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) A4 (210 × 297 mm) A6 (105 × 148 mm), glossy film only
Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) Matte paper distributed by EPSON
DL, 4.3 × 8.7 inches (110 × 220 mm) C6, 4.4 × 6.4 inches (114 × 162 mm) 132 × 220 mm (5.2 × 8.7 inches)
8 × 10 inches (203 × 254 mm )
A4 (210 × 297 mm) 4 × 6 inches (102 × 152mm) Panoramic (210 × 594 mm)
Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) Glossy photo paper distributed by
Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) Transfer paper distributed by EPSON —
Plain bond paper and special ink jet papers distributed by EPSON
Transparencies, glossy paper, and glossy film distributed by EPSON
EPSON Plain bond paper or air mail paper 0.006 to 0.02 inch
Ink jet cards distributed by EPSON
Photo paper distribute d by EPSON
EPSON
0.003 to 0 .004 inch (0.08 to 0.11 mm) for plain bond paper
——
——
(0.16 to 0.52 mm)
——
17 to 24 lb (64 to 90 g/m for plain bond paper
12 to 20 lb (45 to 75 g/m
2
)
2
)
Note: Always load paper into the sheet feeder short edge first. Envelopes should be loaded flap edge first, with the flap side down.
Since the qualit y of any particular brand or type of paper may be change d by the manufacturer at any time, EPSON cannot attest to the quality of any non-EPSON brand or type of paper. Always te st samples of paper s tock befor e purchasing large quantities or printing larg e jobs.
Poor quality paper may reduce print quality and cause paper jams and other problems. If you encounter problems, switch to a higher grade of paper.
Do not l oad curled or folded paper. Use papers under these conditions:
Temperature: 59 to 77 °F (15 to 25 °C) Humidity: 40 to 60% RH
Store printouts on EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film and Self Adhesive Sheets under these conditions:
Temperature: 59 to 86 °F (15 to 30 °C) Humidity: 20 to 60% RH
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 6 or the instructions that came with your paper t o select the correct Media Type setting.
Printable area
A
B-L B-R
single sheets/index cards
A: The minimum top margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
When loading multiple sheets of EPSON Photo Quality Glossy
Film, the minimum top margin is 1.2 inches (30 mm). B-L: The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm). B-R: The mini mu m right margi n is as follows:
0.12 inch (3.0 mm) for single sheets and C6 envelopes
0.28 inch (7 mm) for DL envelopes.
1.10 inch (28 mm) for No. 10 envelopes. C: The mini mum bottom margi n is 0.5 4 in ch (14.0 mm ). * You can extend the minimum bottom margin to 0.12 inch (3.0 mm)
by selecting Maximum as the Printable Area setting. Howev er, print quality may decline in the expanded area. Before pr inting large jobs, print a single sheet to confirm print quality.
A
B-L B-R
C
envelopes
C
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.
L & R
EPSON 4 × 6-inch Photo Paper (dott ed line s indicat e pe rf ora t i on s)
A: The maximum top margin is 0.67 inch (17.0 mm). L & R: The maximum left and right margin is 0.24 inch (6.1 mm). C: The maximum bottom margin is 0.24 inch (6.1 mm).
A
C

Ink Cartridges

Black ink cartridge
Specification
Color(s) Black Cyan, Magenta, Yellow Print capacit y* 900 pages text (ISO /IEC
Cartridge life 2 years from production date (if unopened)
Storage temperature
Transit temperature
Freezing temperature**
Dimensions 1.09 (W)
* The actual print capacity may va ry, depending on ho w often you
turn on the printer and how often you clean the print head.
** Ink thaws and is usable after approximately 3 hours at
77 °F (25 °C).
T019201 (U.S.) T019311 (Canada)
10561 letter pattern at 360 dpi)
(within 6 months after opening package, at 77 °F [25 °C])
4 to 104 °F (−20 to 40 °C)
1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
22 to 14 0 °F (−30 to 60 °C) 1 month at 104 °F (40 °C) 120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C)
3.2 °F (
16 °C)
×
inches
27.8 (W)
38.5(H) m m
To ensu re good results, use genuine EP SO N cartridges and do not refill them. Other products may cause damage to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.
2.4 (D) × 1.5 (H)
×
59.7 (D) ×
Color ink cartridge T020201 (U.S.) T020311 (Canada)
300 pages (A4, 360 dpi, 5% duty each color)
−0
.4 °F (−18 °C)
1.7 (W)
×
inches
42.9 (W)
38.5(H) m m
2.4 (D) × 1.5 (H)
×
59.7 (D) ×

Mechanical

Paper feed Friction method
Paper path Sheet feeder, rear entry Sheet feeder
capacity 100 sheets of 17 lb (64 g/m
2
) pape r
Dimensions
Storage Width: 17.7 inche s (450 mm )
Depth: 10.6 inches (269 mm) Height: 6.8 inche s (172 mm)
Printing Width: 17.7 inches (450 mm)
Depth: 21.5 inches (546 mm) Height: 10.6 inches (269 mm)
Weight 13.2 lb (6 kg) without the ink cartridges

Electrical

Specification 120 V Model 220240 V Model
Input voltage range*
Rated frequency range
Input frequency range
Rated current 0.4 A 0.2 A Power consumption Approx. 18 W (ISO/ IEC 10561 Letter Pattern)
* Check the label on the back of the printer for your printer’s
voltage.
99 to 132 V 198 to 264 V
50 to 60 Hz
49.5 to 60.5 Hz
Approx. 3.5 W in st andby mode

Environmental

Temperature
Operation 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C) Storage* -4 to 104 °F (-20 to 40 °C)
1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
Transit* –4 to 140 °F (–20 to 60 °C)
120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C)
Humidity (without condensation)
Operation 20 to 80% RH
*
Storage
*Stored in shipping container
5 to 85% RH
Don’t use an ink cartridge if the date on the package has expired.

Safety Approvals

Safety stan dar ds UL 1950, CSA C22 . 2 No. 950 EMC FCC part 15 subpart B class B
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Control Panel

paper ou t light
color ink out light
black ink out light
cleaning button
load/eject button
power button
Follow these guidelines when you check the control panel lights.
P is on The Ppower li ght 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 he ad .
S flashes When the S paper out light flashes, you have a
S is on When the S paper out light comes on, your paper
B or A flash When an ink out light flashes, your ink suppl y is
B or A are on When an ink out light comes on, you need to
P and S
flash and B and A are on
P S B A flash
paper jam. Press the S load/eject button to try to clear 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 against the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide against it. Turn on the printer and press the S load/eject button to resume printing.
is out or in co rr ectl y lo ad ed. Ma ke su re no ne of the sheets are curled, creased, old, stuck together, or too thin. Then reload the paper against the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide against it. Press the S load/eject button to resume printing.
low. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge.
replace the ink cartridge. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge. See page 6 for instructions.
When the P power and S paper out lights flash and the B black and A color 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 installe d ink cartridge(s). Turn off the printer, open the cover, and check inside for any jammed paper. Then turn the printer back on. I f an in k ou t lig ht rem ai ns on an d t he pr int head moves into replacement position, replace the ink cartridge(s) as described on page 8. If the lights still f lash and/or come on, contact your dealer or EPSON.
When all the lights flash, your printer may have an internal error. Make sure you removed all the packing material as described on the unpacking sheet in your printer box. Then turn off the printer, wait a few seconds, and turn it on a gain. If the lights still flash, contact your dealer or EPSON.
power light
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 an oth er outlet .

Installing an Ink Cartridge for the First Time

Follow these ink cartridge precautions:
Install both ink cartridges, and leave them installed for
all types of printing, or the printer won’t work.
Remove the yellow tape seal from the top of the ink
cartridges or you’ll permanently damage them. Don’t remove the clear seals on the bottom or ink will leak out.
Don’t open an ink cartridge clamp to remove a
cartridge except to replace it with a new one. Once you remove a cartridge, you can’t reuse it, even if it conta ins ink.
Never turn off the printer when the
flashi ng , u nl es s the pr in t er ha sn ’ t mo ved or made any noise for more than five minutes.
Keep ink cartridg es out of the reach of children and don’t drink the ink.
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water . I f ink g et s i n you r ey es, f l ush t h em i mmed ia tel y with water.
1. Lower the output tray and open the pr inter cover.
2. Press the P power button to turn on the printer. The P power light flashes and the B black and A color ink out lights come on. The ink cartridge holders move left into loadi ng position .
Don’t use an outlet that is controlled by a wall switch or timer, or one on the same circuit as a large appliance, to avoid damaging the printe r’s power supply.
Always use the off. Never use an external switch, such as a powe r strip switch.
power button to turn the printer on or
P
power light is
P
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3. Lift up the two ink cartridge clamp s.
4. Unwrap the in k ca rtridges, then rem ov e only the yellow part of the tape seal on the top.
black cartridge color cartridge
5. Tilt each cartridge forward slightly as you lower it into its holder. Hang the tabs at the back of the cartr id ge on the hooks.
Don’t turn off the printer or interrupt chargin g or it will start over, using more ink than necessary. It’s finished when the P power light stops flashing.

Testing the Printer

You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem comes from the printer itself or some other source. Follow these steps to run the printer check:
1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turne d off.
2. Disconnect th e in terface cable from the p rin ter.
3. Ma ke sure paper is loaded in the print er.
4. Hold down the S load/eject button, the n press and releas e the Ppower button. Con tin u e h olding down the S load/eject button until the Pp o wer light st arts to f l ash, then release it.
The print er p rints one page sho wing 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 9.)
.
Don’t place the cartridges under the hoo ks; you m ay d ama ge the clamp when you close it.
6. Press down on the ink cartridge clamps until they lock in place, but don’t press down on the cartridges themseleves.
7. Press the A cleaning button and close the printer cover.
Ink charging takes abo u t o ne and a ha lf minute s , with th e P power light flashing and the printer making noise until it’s finished.
5. To end the check, turn off the printer after it prints the check pag e. Then reco n nect the inter f ace cable and turn on your printe r a n d comput er.
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 “Probl ems and Solut ions” in the Printer Basics book.
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Printing on Special Media

Whether you print on plain paper or special media, you need to select the Media Type setting according to the guidelines in the table below.
Some special media have a cut co rner that you nee d to
position corr ectly; follow any ins t ru ctions in the package. Always handle shee ts by the edges, and don’t touch the printable surface.
cut corner
For this paper name...
Plain paper and envelopes Plain paper EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer
Paper EPSON High Quality Ink Jet Paper Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Cards EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive
Sheets EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper Photo Paper EPSON Photo Paper EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Cards EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film Photo Quality Glossy Film EPSON Photo Stickers EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies Ink Jet Transparencies EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper Premium Glossy Photo Paper EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight Matte Paper - Heavyweight
The availabilit y of paper typ es varies b y location.
Select this Media Ty pe setting

Additional Media Loading Guidelines

Don’t use the cleaning sheets that may be included with your special media; they may damage the printer.
Be sure to load the printabl e (whi ter) side of the media face
up in the sheet feeder. You can load paper up to the arrow mark on th e left edge
guide. In ad d ition to the
the correct If the special media has protective sheets between each sheet
Media Type
Paper Size
for your media on the Paper menu.
of media, be sure to remove the protective sheets before printing.
option, remember to sele ct
printable side face up

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. O therwise 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 (800) 873-7766 or visit the EP SON St or e www.epson.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer refe rral.
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 Outdat ed Ink Cartrid ge” o n page 8 .
TM
at
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EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i

Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges

You can replace a cartrid g e w hen the B black or A color ink out light is either flashing or on. (If you perform these steps when both ink out lights are off, the printer cleans the print heads as descr ibe d on pag e 9. )
Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before yo u begi n. 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 p rinti ng ( the Ppower light sh ould be on, but not flashing), then open the printer cover.
2. Press the A cleaning button and hold it f or about th ree seconds until the pr int he ad move s left and the Ppower light begins flashing.
To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head by hand. Don’t open the clamp or remove a cartridge except t o replace it with a new one. Once you remove a cartridge, you can’t reuse it, even if it contains ink.
3. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. Th e c artridge rises up fro m its holder. (The illustration shows color ink cartridge replacement. To replace the black ink cartridge, lift up only the smaller clamp on the le ft.)
5. Unwrap the new ink cartri dge. The n remove only the yellow part of the tape seal on top.
black cartridge
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.
color cartridge
6. Tilt the new cartridge forward slightl y as you lowe r it into its holder. Hang th e tabs at the back o f the cartridge on the hooks.
4. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it carefully.
Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and don’t drink the ink.
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets into your eyes, f lush them immediately with wa ter.
Don’t place the cartridges under the hoo ks; you m ay d ama ge the clamp when you close it.
7. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it lock s in p l ace, but don’t press down on the cartridge itself.
8. If you need to replace the other ink cartridge, repeat ste p s 3 through 7 before continuing with step 9.
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9. Press the 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 Ppower light stops flashing and stays on.
Never turn off the printer while the P p ower light is flashi ng, un less the printe r hasn ’t moved or made nois e for more than 5 minutes.

Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge

When an ink cartridge is more than six months old, you may need to replace it if you no tice th at y o ur prin touts d on ’t l ook as good as they used to. If print quality doesn’t improve after cleaning and al ig ning the print h ea d, y ou c an replace one or both cartridges.
Follow these steps to replace an ink cartridge before the B black or A color ink out light is flashing or on:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not p rinti ng ( the Ppower light sh ould be on, but not flashing), then open the printer cover.
2. Press the S load/eject button and hold it for about three seconds until the pr int he ad move s left and the Ppower light begins flashing.
To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head by hand. Don’t open the clamp or remove a cartridge except t o replace it with a new one. Once you remove a cartridge, you can’t reuse it, even if it contains ink.
3. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. Th e c artridge rises up fro m its holder. (The illustration shows color ink cartridge replacement. To replace the black ink cartridge, lift up only the smaller clamp on the le ft.)
4. Lift the cartridge out of the printe r and disp o se of it carefully.
Keep ink cartridg es out of the reach of children and don’t drink the ink.
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them immediately with water.
5. Unwrap the new ink c artridge. T hen re move only the yellow part of the tape seal on top.
black cartridge
You mus t 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.
color cartridge
6. Tilt each cartridge forwar d sli gh tly as you low er it into its holder. Hang the tabs at the back o f the cartridge on the hooks.
8 - EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
Don’t place the cartridges under the hooks; you may damage the clamp when you close it.
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7. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it locks in place, but don’t press dow n on the car t ridg e 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 but to n again and cl o se 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 Ppower light stops flashing and stays on.
Never turn off the printer while the P p ower light is flashi ng, un less the printe r hasn ’t moved or made nois e for more than 5 minutes.

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 in either of the followi ng w ays:
using the Head C l ean ing utility (whe n the printer is
connected to a local port, not over a network), as des cribed on page 9
using the printer’s control p anel bu tto ns, as described on
page 9
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.

Using the Head Cleaning Utility

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, re p la ce the ink cartridge before continuing.)
2. If you have an application running, access the printer settings dialog box.
, point to
Or, with Windows, click select
Printers
printer icon in the Printers window. Then sel ect
880 Properties Defaults
. Right-click your
in Windows 95 or Windows 98,
in Windows NT, or
Start
EPSON Stylus COLOR
Printing Preferences
Settings
, then
Document
in
Windows 2000.
3. Windows: Click the
Utility
tab.
Macintosh: Click the Utility button.
4. On the Utilit y m enu, click the
Head Cleaning
button.
5. Follo w th e instructions on the screen to clean the p r int head. Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which the printe r m a k es some noi se and th e Ppower light flashes.
Never turn off the printer while the P power light is flashin g, unl ess the pr inte r hasn ’t moved or made nois e for more than 5 minutes.
6. When the P power light stops flashing, run a nozzle check to confirm the print head noz zles are clean and reset the cleaning cycl e.
Make sure paper is loaded in the printer and click
nozzle check patter n
. Then c lick
. The nozzle check
Next
Print
pattern prints (see pag e 10 for detail s).
7. If the nozzle check pattern has no gaps in its dots, click
.
Finish
If the pattern is missing dots, click
to clean the print
Clean
head agai n . If you d on ’t se e any impr ovem en t aft er cl ea ning three or four times, check the so l uti o ns in th e Printer Basics book. You can also turn the printer off and wait overnight—this allows any dried ink to soften—and then try cleaning the print head agai n.

Using the Control Panel to Clean the Print Head

Follow these steps to clean the print head:
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, re p la ce the ink cartridge before continuing.)
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2. Press the A cleaning button and hold it down for three second s. C lea n ing tak es a bo ut 3 0 seco nd s, d ur ing w h ich th e printe r m a k es some noise and the Ppower light flashes .
Never turn off the printer while the P p ower light is flashi ng, un less the printe r hasn ’t moved or made nois e for more than 5 minutes.
3. After the Ppower light stops fla sh i ng, print a page to test the print quality and res et th e cleaning cycle.
If your prin ter is connected d irectly to the com p u ter, go to step 4 to run a nozzle check.
If you’re printing over a network , open an application and print a short document containing black and colo r data. Then go to step 8.
4. I f y o u have an ap p lica t ion run n ing, ac cess the printer settings dialog box.
, point to
Or, with Windows, click select
Printers
printer icon in the Printers window. Then select
880 Properties Defaults
. Right-cli c k your
in Windows 95 or Windows 98,
in Windows NT, or
Start
EPSON Stylus COLOR
Printing Preferences
Settings
, then
Document
in
Windows 2000.
5. Windows: Click the
Utility
tab.
Macintosh: Click the Utility button.
6. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer, click the
button, and click
Check
. The noz zle check pattern
Next
Nozzle
prints (see the next section for details).
7. If the nozzle check pattern has n o gaps in its dots, cl ick
.
Finish
If the pattern is missing dots, click
to clean the print
Clean
head again.
8. If you do n ’ t see any imp rovement a f ter cleani n g t hree or four times, check the solutions in the Printer Basics book. You can also turn the printe r off and wait overnight—this allows any drie d in k to soften—a n d then try clea ning the print head again.
Each staggered horizo nta l an d straight vertical lin e should be complete, with no gaps in the dot p atte rn. If your printout looks okay, you’re done. If any dots are missing, as shown below, clean the print head again; see page 9 for instructions.
missing dots
missin g do ts
missing dots

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 ne two rk , to u se 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.
Or, with Windows, click select
Printers
. Right-click the
, point to
Start
EPSON Stylus COLOR 880
icon in the Printers windows. The n se le ct Windows 95 or Window s 98, Windows NT, or
Printing Preferences
3. Windows: Click the
Utility
Document Defaults
tab.
Settings
Properties
in Windows 2000.
, then
in
in

Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern

Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. It should look something like this:
10 - EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
Macintosh: Click the Utility button.
4. You see th e Ut ili ty menu . Cl ick t he
Print Head A lignment
button.
5. F o llow the instruct ions on th e screen to pri nt 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 th e instru ctions on the scre en .
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EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i

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 pow er co rd , and disconne ct the pr inter cable .
2. Remove al l the paper from the shee t feeder.
3. Clean the exterior of the printer w ith a soft, da mp cloth .
4. Clean ink out of the printer’s interior with a soft, damp cloth.
Don’t touch the gears inside the printer.
Never u se al coh ol or t h inne r for clea ni ng ; th ey can da mag e the printer components and case.
Don’t use a hard or ab rasive brush .
Don’t get water on the printer components and don’t spray lubricants or oils inside the printer.
Don’t use a ny cl ea ni ng s hee t s incl ud ed wi th sp ec ia l me di a; they may jam inside the printer.
4. Open the printer cover. Secure the ink cartridge holder to the printer with tape as show n, th en cl o se the pri nter cover.
Tape the ink cartridge holder to the printer case
5. Push in the output tray extensions and close the tray.
6. Repack the printer and attachment s in the or iginal box using the protective materials that came with it. See the unpacking sheet that was packed with your printer.
Be sure to keep the printe r l evel as you trans p o rt it. After transportin g the printer, remove the tape se curing th e
print head and test your printer. If you notice a decline in print quality, clean the print head (see page 9) ; if outpu t is misaligned, align the print head (see page 10).

Transporting the Printer

If you move your prin ter some d istanc e, you nee d to prepa re 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, wai t unt il the print head locks in the far right positio n, th en tu rn off th e p rinte r.
2. Unplug th e p ower cord fr o m the electrical outlet . Then disconne ct the prin ter cable fro m the pr in ter.
3. Remove any paper from the printer and remove the paper support.

Relate d Do cu men t at io n

TM-SC880/i EPSON Stylus Col or 880/880i Service
Manual
PL-SC880/i EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i Parts Price
List
CPD-10637 EPSON Stylus Col or 880/ 880i
Printer Basics
CPD-10638 EPSON Stylus Col or 880/ 880i
Start Here
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EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
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