INK TANK – These don’t have a print head attached so DO NOT perform the paper towel method.

These are re-manufactured cartridges which mean the casing is an original Epson casing that’s been refilled, relabeled/sealed, and re-programmed/re-chipped.

Not Recognizing

 

Verify you have the correct cartridge for your specific model printer.

 

Make sure the cartridge is installed correctly and fully inserted.  Make sure that they are installing the right color into the right slot.

 

There is a smart chip on the cartridge located on the end that is installed into the printer.  Check to see if there is any dirt or damage on the gold contact points.  It’s normal for the Epson name on the chip to be crossed out with permanent marker.  You can use a dry Q-tip to gently wipe the chip contacts.  Do not touch the chip with your fingers, as finger print oil can cause false readings.

 

You can try resetting the machine.  To do this; remove the cartridges from the printer, power the printer off, unplug the power cord for 10-15 seconds, re-insert the power cord, turn the printer on, and re-insert the cartridges.

 

To remove and replace the cartridges into a Stylus Photo R2880 do the following;

–          Open the printer cover.  Press the ink drop button to move the print head to the ink replacement position.  The light above the cartridges that need replacing will be flashing or it will be steady.

 

–          Open the cartridge cover.

–          Squeeze the tab on the cartridge and lift the cartridge straight up to remove it.

–          Install the new cartridge into the holder and push it down until it clicks into place.

 

–          Close the cartridge cover and then close the printer cover.

 

–          Press the ink drop button to begin charging the ink.  This takes about 2 ½ minutes.

Print Quality Issues

 

There is a yellow piece of tape that must be removed prior to installation.  This opens a vent hole.  Do NOT remove the clear piece of plastic found on the nozzle at the bottom of the cartridge; the printer will puncture this during the cartridge replacement cycle.

Try shaking the cartridge or gently tapping it on a hard surface.  Take caution if the cartridge has already been open as ink may leak out of the punctured nozzle and vent hole.  A paper towel can be used to cover these two holes before attempting to shake or tap to prevent ink leakage.

A print head cleaning should be performed when experiencing any type of print quality issue.  Print head cleaning does use a lot of ink so it should be done sparingly.  Epson recommends that if the first cleaning doesn’t resolve the issue to perform a second clean but allow the printer to sit for 10-15 minutes BEFORE attempting to do any printing.  This allows the ink to soak on the print head and help soften or loosen any dried ink which may be clogging the nozzles.  To run a cleaning;

–          In Windows, right click the printer icon located in the taskbar on the bottom right corner of the screen and select Auto Head Cleaning.  A window will open and you will select Start to begin cleaning.

Also, remove the cartridge and check the bottom to make sure the nozzle has been punctured.  While the cartridge is out check the slot in the printer to make sure there is no debris that may be blocking the ink from coming out correctly.

 

Not Fitting

 

Verify they are installing the correct cartridge into the correct slot.  Have them read back the cartridge number on the cartridge to verify it is indeed the correct cartridge.