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

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 replace an ink cartridge in the Epson Stylus 1400 do the following;

–          Open the printer cover

–          Press the ink drop button on the printer (Do not hold the button down for more than 3 seconds or this will start the print head cleaning cycle).  The printer will move the ink carriage over and will display a crossed out ink drop over the cartridge that needs replacing.

 

–          Press the ink drop button again to see if there are any other cartridges that need replacing.  If so, the printer will move the crossed out ink drop above the next cartridge that needs replacing.  If it does, then press the ink drop button again to make sure there are no additional cartridges that need replacing.  Take note of the colors that the printer indicated needed replacing.

–          Open the cartridge cover and remove the cartridge(s).

–          Insert the new cartridge(s), close the cartridge cover, then press the ink drop button to charge the new ink.

 

Sometimes when our cartridges are installed the LCD screen of certain Epson printers may ask if it is ok to use third party cartridges.  You must select Yes, the default option will have No selected so you must change it to Yes.

 

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.  On some Epson printers you will have the ability to select whether the cleaning will be done on the black or the colors depending on which cartridge is giving the issue to help conserve ink.  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 perform the cleaning;

–          In Windows, right click on the printer icon in the task bar on the bottom right of the screen and select Head Cleaning.

–          Alternatively, press and hold down the ink drop button on the printer for 3 seconds.

 

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 you are installing the correct cartridge into the correct slot.  Double check the cartridge number on the cartridge to verify it is indeed the correct cartridge and not a light cyan going into the cyan slot for example.  Also, check the ridges on the back of the cartridge for differences from the OEM.