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Home > Printing > Replacing Ink Cartridges

Replacing an Expended Ink Cartridge

Using the printer buttons

Using your computer

You can replace an ink cartridge using the printer buttons or using your computer. Refer to the appropriate section below for instructions.

Note:

Do not open the ink cartridge package until you are ready to install it in the printer. The cartridge is vacuum packed to maintain its reliability.

Using the printer buttons

This table describes the status of the lights and the actions you need to take.

Lights	Action
	Obtain a replacement ink cartridge.
	Replace the expended ink cartridge.

flashing,

To replace an ink cartridge using the

stop/maintenance button, follow the steps below.

When the

light is flashing, the ink cartridge is not expended and you cannot use the following steps to replace cartridges.

Caution:

Do not remove the cartridge from the printer until you are ready to replace it with another.

Note:

The illustrations show replacement of the cyan ink cartridge, but the instructions are the same for all the cartridges.

Make sure the

power light is on, but not flashing.

Open document cover, and then open the cartridge cover.

Press the

stop/maintenance. The print head moves to the ink cartridge replacement position and the

power light begins to flash. The expended ink cartridge appears in the replacement position. If two or more ink cartridges are expended, the cartridge at the far left moves to the replacement position.

Caution:

Do not move the print head by hand, as this may damage the printer. Always press the

stop/maintenance button to move it.

Note:

If an ink cartridge is low, you may continue to use it until it is expended. To confirm the status of each ink cartridge, see one of the following sections:

See Using EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows)

See Using EPSON Status Monitor (Mac OS X)

Do not hold the

stop/maintenance button for more than three seconds, or the printer may start cleaning the print head.

For best results, shake the new ink cartridge four or five times before opening the package.

Remove the new ink cartridge from the package.

Caution:

Be careful not to break the hooks on the side of the ink cartridge when you remove it from the package.

Do not touch the green IC chip on the side of the cartridge. This can damage the ink cartridge.

Always install an ink cartridge immediately after removing the old cartridge. If the cartridge is not installed promptly, the print head may dry out and be unable to print.

Remove the yellow tape from the bottom of the ink cartridge.

Caution:

You must remove the yellow tape from the cartridge before installing it; otherwise, print quality may decline or you may not be able to print.

If you have installed an ink cartridge without removing the yellow tape, take the cartridge out of the printer, remove the yellow tape, and then reinstall it.

Do not remove the transparent seal from the bottom of the cartridge; otherwise, the cartridge may become unusable.

Do not remove or tear the label on the cartridge; otherwise, ink will leak.

Squeeze the tab at the back of the ink cartridge that you want to replace. Lift the cartridge straight up and out of the printer. Dispose of it properly.

Note:

If it is difficult to remove the cartridge, lift the cartridge with more force until it comes out.

Place the ink cartridge into the cartridge holder with the bottom down. Then push down the ink cartridge until it clicks into place.

Press the

stop/maintenance button. If two or more ink cartridges are expended, the next expended ink cartridge moves to the replacement position after pressing the

stop/maintenance button. Repeat to replace other ink cartridges as needed. When all expended ink cartridges are replaced and the

stop/maintenance button is pressed, the printer moves the print head and begins charging the ink delivery system. This process takes about one and a half minutes to complete. The

power light stop flashing and remains on, and the

ink light goes out.

Close the cartridge cover and document cover.

Caution:

The

power light continues to flash while the printer is charging ink. Never turn off the printer while this light is flashing. Doing so can result in incomplete charging of ink.

Note:

If the

ink light is flashing or is on after the print head moves to its home position, the ink cartridge may not be installed properly. Press the

stop/maintenance button again, press the ink cartridge down until it clicks into place, and then close the cartridge cover firmly.

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Using your computer

You can monitor the ink cartridge status from your computer and view on-screen instructions for replacing an expended ink cartridge.

When you need to replace an ink cartridge, click How to in the status monitor window. Follow the on-screen instructions to replace the cartridge.

For more information on using your computer to replace ink cartridges, see the section below.

See Using EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows)

See Using EPSON Status Monitor (Mac OS X)

Note:

If there is a communication problem between the printer and your computer, on-screen instructions for replacing the ink cartridge do not appear. In that case, you can continue replacing the ink cartridge by using the buttons on the printer.

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(NPD4177P-01 EN)