Reliable Epson Printer Troubleshooting for Common Issues

• Mr. Ryan
• on Jul 04, 2023

Epson printers are quality devices known for their user-friendly controls. But sometimes, they may encounter unexpected errors. From printer not printing to printing slowly, paper jams, and the offline problem, the list of errors is very long. Users must learn the correct Epson printer troubleshooting to know how to troubleshoot common printer problems. It will help them to address these issues whenever they arise.

This article will provide greater details regarding the troubleshooting process.

Epson Printer Troubleshooting When It Doesn’t Print

Sometimes, an error may occur that prevents your printer from stopping printing. You can identify the message on the LCD of your printer. This can be because of low ink levels, improper cable connection, paper jams, and inadequate paper. Follow these fixes.

• Connect your printer directly to the computer with the USB cable.
• If it doesn’t resolve the problem, connect the cable to another USB port.
• If you use an Epson network printer, check the network connection status.
• Replace the network cable and reconnect the printer to your home network.
• Set your printer as default by going to ‘Devices and Printers’ in the control panel.
• Here, right-tap your printing device and choose to set it as default.
• You may also download the latest Epson printer drivers from the official website.

Troubleshoot Epson Printer Not Connecting to Wi-Fi

Often, printer users find that no matter what they do, they cannot establish a wireless connection with their printer. Here is the Epson printer troubleshooting for Wi-Fi.

• Update your Epson printer’s driver software.
• Configure the port settings of the device by going to the ‘Control Panel.’
• Here, head to ‘Hardware and Sound’ and choose ‘Devices and Printers.’
• Right-tap on your printer and select ‘Printer Properties.’
• Launch the ‘Ports’ tab in the ‘Properties’ window.
• Find if your printer has the correct port assigned to it.
• Now examine your network connection by linking the Wi-Fi with another device. It will enable you to find out whether your network is active or not.
• Also, reinstall the printer from the Control Panel.
• After that, restart your system.

Epson Printer for Paper Feed and Jams

If you repeatedly find paper feed problems, use these solutions:

• Adjust the paper section before loading the paper.
• Ensure that your paper isn’t wrinkled or folded.
• The paper should be flattened.
• The printing should occur within the working temperature range.
• Your paper should be wet or damp or too thick or thin.
• Examine the printer to ensure that there aren’t any foreign objects inside it.
• The platen gap settings should correspond with your paper. If it doesn’t, go to the ‘Printer setup’ and change these settings.

Clear paper jams using these pointers.

• Turn off your printing device.
• Open the cover of the roll paper and shift the paper lever to the position you’ve released.
• Cut the paper at the insertion slot and take out the roll paper.
• Take out the jammed paper from the rear and front of the printer.
• If your loaded paper from the tray is jammed, turn off your printing device and shift the paper lever to the position you’ve released.
• Take out the tray from the printer and remove the jammed paper.
• If the paper is jammed around the printer’s rear cover, squeeze the knobs of the rear cover to remove it.
• Now, take out the jammed paper.

Troubleshoot Epson Print Quality Issues

You may find this issue in Epson Eco tank printers. A major cause for it is clogged nozzles. Follow these steps to carry out print head cleaning.

• Turn on your printer and hit the ‘Start’ menu on your computer.
• Go to the control panel and tap ‘Devices and Printers.’
• Right-tap your printer and choose ‘Printing Preferences.’
• Tap ‘Maintenance’ and click ‘Head cleaning.’
• Go by the instructions.
• At the end, tap ‘Print nozzle check pattern.’
• Tap ‘Print’ and check the quality of the printout.

Fix Epson Printer Not Recognizing the Ink Cartridge

Follow these tips if your Epson printer does not recognize the print cartridge.

• Determine the cartridge that your printer does not recognize.
• Check whether the cartridge is compatible with your Epson printer.
• There should not be any yellow tape on the ink cartridge.
• Place the cartridge into the cartridge holder.
• Clean the chip on the cartridge and then clean the cartridge holder.
• Clean away all the frozen ink on the cartridge holder.
• Now, insert the cartridges into their correct holder.
• If errors show up, remove the cartridges one by one and switch off your printer.
• Now, turn on your printer.
• Pull down its lid and push the ink button.
• If the issue does not resolve, load another cartridge.

Fix Epson Printer Printing Slowly

If you want your Epson printer to print papers quickly, use one or more of the solutions explained below.

• Exit all unnecessary applications running in the background of your computer.
• Check whether you’ve set the print quality to ‘High.’ if so, lower it.
• Turn on the high-speed or bi-directional settings.

1. Windows users can enable this setting by going to the control panel and choosing ‘Settings.’ Now, choose ‘General Settings’ followed by ‘Printer Settings.’ Select ‘Bi-directional printing’ on the ‘More options’ tab.
2. Mac users can enable this bi-directional printing by going to ‘System Preferences’ and choosing ‘Printers and Scanners.’ Choose your printer and tap ‘Options & Supplies’ followed by ‘Options.’

• Disable the ‘Quiet mode.’

1. Windows users should go to the Quiet mode settings and choose ‘Off’ on the ‘More Options’ tab of the printer driver.
2. Mac users should go to ‘System Preferences’ followed by ‘Printers and Scanners.’ Now choose your printer, followed by ‘Options & Supplies.’ Tap ‘Options’ and turn off the Quiet mode settings.

Troubleshoot Epson Printer Offline

If your Epson printer shows an offline status on Windows or Mac, resort to the following measures.

• Reboot your Epson printer.
• Check if it is connected to a network.
• Turn off the ‘Use Printer Offline’ option if it is on by going to ‘Devices and Printers’ in the Control Panel.
• Here, tap on your printer and remove the check from the option to use the printer offline.
• Clear all printing jobs.
• Open the Service window and right-tap the ‘Spooler’ option to open properties.
• Now launch ‘File Explorer’ and type ‘%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS.’
• Delete every file in the printer folder.
• Now, tap ‘Start’ on the spooler properties and restart your computer.

Fix Error Light Blinking on Your Epson Printer

If you find that the red light is steady, but there’s a flashing green light on the Epson, it indicates a lack of adequate paper. So, load it with adequate paper and see if the error resolves. But if you find both green and red lights flashing, it indicates a paper jam. Here, you should eject and load the paper again to perform printing.

If you find red light flashing while the green light is steady, it points to low ink in one of the cartridges. So, check the ink levels, and refill the cartridge with low ink.

Troubleshooting Epson Printer Printing Blank Pages

If you are unable to pinpoint a specific cause for your printer printing blank pages, check for the following:

• Ensure that the printer is on a stable and flat surface.
• Don’t keep it tilted, as it will hinder its working.
• Ensure that you use a paper type that is compatible with the printer’s specifications.
• Get a printout of the nozzle check pattern. It will let you know about clogged nozzles.
• If the nozzles are clogged, clean the printhead.
• Ensure that the orientation, layout settings, and paper size in the printer are correct.
• Ensure that your document doesn’t have blank pages.
• You can opt for the ‘Skip blank page’ option in the printer if you are taking a printout from a Mac or Windows system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Epson printer not printing with full ink?

Your printer may not print even with full ink because of clogged nozzles. So, do a printhead cleaning. Another reason can be that it doesn’t recognize your cartridge. You should remove the protective coating on the cartridge or bypass the cartridge check.

How do I reset my Epson printer?

Reset your printer to default settings by pressing and holding the ‘Cancel’ button. After three seconds, the message to reset the device to default will show. Press ‘OK.’

How should I manually clean the Epson printhead?

Clean the nozzles using a lint-free cloth and a printhead cleaning solution. Soak the printhead with a mix of lukewarm cleaning solution and distilled water. Use a lint-free cloth and syringe and clean the individual printhead. Let it dry afterward.

Summing up

This Epson printer troubleshooting guide will be very handy whenever you encounter any glitches. Refer to it so that you can make your printer resume printing without wasting time. Contact a printer expert if you have more queries or need assistance.