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I have one, and it is clogged up now :(. The only printing mode that give somewhat readable prints is the “Epson photo” mode (or something named similar), whic

by jcobnl 6y ago

I have one, and it is clogged up now :(. The only printing mode that give somewhat readable prints is the “Epson photo” mode (or something named similar), which is really slow. But I hope it will magically fix itself if I keep on printing in that mode for awhile.

reaperducer 6y ago
My Epson has a function in the Tools menu to unclog things. If you haven't looked for it already, that might be something to explore.
thescriptkiddie 6y ago
Try diluting the ink with alcohol (70% isopropanol is fine) and doing a bunch of throw away prints. If that doesn't work you can buy a replacement print head from Epson.
- avian 6y ago
  I suggest checking the type of ink first. Inks for my printer (type 664) are definitely water based and don't dissolve well in alcohol. A cloth dipped in alcohol hardly touches any dried-on ink, but distilled water will dissolve it nicely.
avian 6y ago
Similar experience. For some reason my Epson clogs more easily than the HP it replaced. I tried cleaning heads manually (there are a few tutorials out there that show how to do it with distilled water and some cloth). It's very dirty work and that didn't really work for me. It very quickly gets clogged again. A trick that I found more useful is to not bother with the print head itself, but instead clean the parking spot and the tools that the printer uses to clean the heads itself (there's a rubber wiper, foam and some other stuff there). I unplug the printer, unlock the head and roll it off to the other side, and then use some cotton swabs and distilled water to clean the rubber and rinse the foam. I also keep the parking spot wet with water (the rubber seal + pad that rests on the head when the printer is turned off). Keeping that part clean + the periodical head cleanings that the printer seems to do automatically works out reasonably well. Although every time I do a nozzle check I still always have a nozzle or two clogged so it's not perfect.
- numpad0 6y ago
  Pigment vs dye ink difference?
cbozeman 6y ago
Ink jet printers really are designed to be used almost daily. Even if all you're doing is printing a 5% coverage test page.
userbinator 6y ago
Inkjets will clog more in dry climates, which is why they are far more common in regions like SE Asia with high humidity. You probably have clogged black nozzles, and photo mode uses the 3 colours to make black. (Lasers are prone to clump toner in those climates.)

by jcobnl 6y ago

reaperducer 6y ago

My Epson has a function in the Tools menu to unclog things. If you haven't looked for it already, that might be something to explore.

thescriptkiddie 6y ago

Try diluting the ink with alcohol (70% isopropanol is fine) and doing a bunch of throw away prints. If that doesn't work you can buy a replacement print head from Epson.

avian 6y ago
I suggest checking the type of ink first. Inks for my printer (type 664) are definitely water based and don't dissolve well in alcohol. A cloth dipped in alcohol hardly touches any dried-on ink, but distilled water will dissolve it nicely.

avian 6y ago

Similar experience. For some reason my Epson clogs more easily than the HP it replaced. I tried cleaning heads manually (there are a few tutorials out there that show how to do it with distilled water and some cloth). It's very dirty work and that didn't really work for me. It very quickly gets clogged again. A trick that I found more useful is to not bother with the print head itself, but instead clean the parking spot and the tools that the printer uses to clean the heads itself (there's a rubber wiper, foam and some other stuff there). I unplug the printer, unlock the head and roll it off to the other side, and then use some cotton swabs and distilled water to clean the rubber and rinse the foam. I also keep the parking spot wet with water (the rubber seal + pad that rests on the head when the printer is turned off). Keeping that part clean + the periodical head cleanings that the printer seems to do automatically works out reasonably well. Although every time I do a nozzle check I still always have a nozzle or two clogged so it's not perfect.

numpad0 6y ago
Pigment vs dye ink difference?

cbozeman 6y ago

Ink jet printers really are designed to be used almost daily. Even if all you're doing is printing a 5% coverage test page.

userbinator 6y ago

Inkjets will clog more in dry climates, which is why they are far more common in regions like SE Asia with high humidity. You probably have clogged black nozzles, and photo mode uses the 3 colours to make black. (Lasers are prone to clump toner in those climates.)