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

The T0321 black cartridge is physically thicker than the T032 color cartridges.  The T0321 is a high capacity black that is also used in place of the standard yield T0421 black cartridge used in Epson printers that use the T042 series of cartridges.

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 you 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 the cartridge on a C80 printer do the following;

–          Open the printer cover.

 

–          Wait a moment for the ink cartridge holders to move into the loading position.  The print head will move the cartridge that needs to be replaced under the crossed out ink drop mark.  Press the ink drop button again to see if any other cartridges need replacing.

 

–          Once all the cartridges that need replacing are pointed out the printer will move the print head to the cartridge replacement position.  Pinch the front and back tabs of the empty cartridge as you lift it out of the printer.

 

–          Insert the new cartridge into the printer.  Make sure that the correct color is being installed into the correct slot.

 

–          Press the ink drop button and close the printer cover.

 

–          The printer will then charge the new cartridge.

 

Print Quality Issues

 

There’s a clear piece of plastic covering the nozzle at the bottom of the cartridge.  Do NOT remove this clear piece of plastic, the printer will puncture this during the charging 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.  A paper towel can be used to cover the nozzle 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 perform the cleaning;

–          Press and hold down the ink drop button for 3 seconds.  The cleaning process will take 2 minutes.

 

Click on the picture below to view a slideshow animation on performing a head cleaning on the C82 printer.  The procedure will be similar to the printers that use the T032 series cartridges

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.  Make sure you are installing the cartridge in the correct orientation, try flipping the cartridge around and trying again.