Epson 11880 - Stylus Pro Color Inkjet Printer - Checking and Cleaning the Print Head

Epson Stylus Pro 11880
6 - Epson Stylus Pro 11880 10/07
5. Make sure the replacement cartridge is the correct color and
remove it from its package. Shake the cartridge well before
installing it.
6. Hold the cartridge with the arrow pointing toward the
printer. Then insert the cartridge into the slot until it clicks
in place. Don’t force it in.
Caution:
Do not touch the green chip on the side of the cartridge. Doing so
may prevent normal operation and printing. Do not touch the
black parts inside the ink bay.
Do not remove and re-insert cartridges more often than
necessary. Doing so can compromise the needle valve seal and
allow air to enter the ink tubes, causing nozzle loss.
7. Close the ink cover.
Once the cartridge is installed, the printer returns to its
READY state.
Paper Type and Banding
Banding can be caused by several problems, such as clogged
print head nozzles or a misaligned print head. It can also be
caused by using a paper that is not defined in the Epson
printer driver or in a third-party RIP. To correct this problem,
make sure you select the correct paper type in the driver. See
“Selecting the Correct Media Type Setting” in the User’s
Guide or Printer Guide.
If your paper type is not defined, use the printer’s menu
system to create a custom paper type. See “Optimizing the
Settings for Your Paper” in the User’s Guide or Printer Guide.
Checking and Cleaning the Print Head
If your printed image shows a color shift or horizontal lines,
you should check the print head to see if any nozzles are
clogged or deflected. Then you can run a cleaning cycle to
clear the nozzles.
1. Press r
Menu.
2. Press d until
TEST PRINT is selected, then press r.
NOZZLE CHECK is selected.
3. Press r, then press
to start printing the nozzle check
pattern.
4. Use at least a 30
× eye loupe to examine the nozzle check
pattern.
❏ If the pattern looks good as shown below, the print head
is clean.
❏ If any dots or segments are missing or deflected as
shown below, run a cleaning cycle from your computer
or by pressing and holding the r button for at least 3
seconds. Then print another nozzle check pattern to
make sure the nozzles are clean.
❏ If the nozzles are still clogged after three cleaning cycles,
run a power cleaning cycle as described below.
Note:
You can check the print head using your printer utility software or,
you can select
Auto Nozzle Check using the printer’s control panel. See
the User’s Guide or Printer Guide for details.