Epson 850N User manual

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
4/98 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N - 1
Accessories
Ink Cartridges
Use these EPSON ink cartridges before the expiration date on
the package.
Media
Printer Specifications
Printing
Printing method On-demand ink jet
Nozzle 128 black nozzles (32 ×4, staggered)
configuration 64 color nozzles ×3 (cyan, magenta,
yellow)
Printable Epson’s fastest ink jet printer
columns and Up to 20% faster than the
print speeds EPSON Stylus COLOR 800
Cartridge Part number
Black ink cartridge S020108
Color ink cartridge S020089
ink cartridge
clamp
color print head
cleaning button
black print head
cleaning button
power
button
paper thickness lever
load/eject
button
printer cover
edge guides paper support extension
control panel
output tray
extensions
paper support Media name Size Part number
EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet
Paper Letter A4 S041060/S041028 S041059/S041025
EPSON High Quality Ink
Jet Paper Letter A4 S041111 S041117
EPSON Photo Quality Ink
Jet Paper Letter A4
Legal
S041062/S041029
S041061/S041026
S041067/S041048
EPSON Photo Quality
Glossy Paper Letter A4 S041124 S041126
EPSON Photo Quality
Glossy Film Letter A4
4.1 × 5.8 (A6)
S041072
S041071
S041107
EPSON Photo Paper 4 ×6
Letter
A4
Panoramic
S041134
S041141
S041104
S041145
EPSON Ink Jet
Transparencies Letter A4 S041064 S041063
EPSON Photo Quality Ink
Jet Cards 4.1 × 5.8 (A6) 8 ×10 S041054 S041122
EPSON Iron-on Transfer
Paper Letter SE41001/SE41002
EPSON Iron-on Cool Peel
Transfer Paper Letter S041153 (10 sheets) / S041155 (50 sheets)
EPSON Photo Quality Self
Adhesive Sheets A4 S041106
EPSON Photo Sticker Kit 4.1 × 5.8 (A6)
(with 16 frames) S041144-KIT
EPSON Photo Stickers
(refill) 4.1 × 5.8 (A6) (with 16 frames) S041144
Character pitch
(characters per inch) Printing column
Printing speed (characters
per second)
Draft LQ
10 80 533 400
12 96 640 480
15 120 800 600
17 (10 condensed) 137 912 684
20 (12 condensed) 160 1067 800

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
2 - EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N 4/98
Resolution Maximum 1440 dpi ×720 dpi
Input buffer 32KB
Print direction Bidirectional with logic seeking for text
and graphics
Control code ESC/P 2™and expanded raster graphics
code
IBM XL24E emulation code
Line spacing 1/6 inch (default) programmable in
1/8-inch or 1/360-inch increments
Paper feed speed 100 milliseconds per 1/3-inch line
Character tables 1 italic and 10 graphics character tables
Character sets 14 international character sets and 1 legal
character set
Bitmap fonts • EPSON Roman (proportional)
• EPSON Sans Serif (proportional)
• EPSON Courier
• EPSON Prestige
• EPSON Script
Note:
All bitmap fonts are available in 10, 12, and 15 cpi. You can select
other font/pitch combinations using ESC/P 2 commands.
Scalable fonts • EPSON Roman
• EPSON Sans Serif
• EPSON Roman T
• EPSON Sans Serif H
Note:
All scalable fonts are available in sizes from 8 to 32 points, in 2 point
increments, and four styles: normal, bold, italic, and bold italic.
The printer always uses the fonts you select with your software
application. You need to use the printer’s internal fonts only if your
application doesn’t allow you to select fonts.
Ink Cartridges
* The print capacity may vary depending on how often you use the
print head cleaning function. Also, if you print large graphics and
dense text with little white space, you use ink faster.
** The ink thaws and is usable after approximately 3 hours at 77 °F
(25 °C).
Print quality CR speed (inches per second)
180 dpi ×180 dpi 26.7
360 dpi ×360 dpi 20
720 dpi ×720 dpi 20
1440 dpi ×720 dpi 20
Specification Black ink cartridge (S020108) Color ink cartridge (S020089)
Color(s) Black Cyan, magenta, and
yellow
Print capacity* 900 pages (A4 paper; text at
Normal - 360 dpi; 5%)
(ISO/IEC 10561 Letter
Pattern)
300 pages (A4 paper;
Normal - 360 dpi, 5%
each color)
Cartridge life 2 years from production date and up to within 6
months after opening package at 77 °C (25 °F)
Storage
temperature –4 to 104 °F (–20 to 40 °C) 1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
Transit
temperature –22 to 140 °C (–30 to 60 °F) 1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C)
Freezing
temperature** 3.2 °F (–16 °C) –0.4 °F (–18 °C)
Dimensions 1.09 (W) ×2.1 (D) ×
1.5 (H) inches
27.8 (W) ×52.7 (D) ×
38.5 (H) mm
1.7 (W) ×2.1(D) ×
1.5 (H) inches
42.9 (W) ×52.7 (D) ×
38.5 (H) mm

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
4/98 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N - 3
Paper
Note:
Since the quality of any particular brand or type of paper may be
changed by the manufacturer at any time, EPSON cannot attest to
the quality of any non-EPSON brand or type of paper. Always test
samples of paper stock before purchasing large quantities or printing
large jobs.
Poor quality paper may reduce print quality and cause paper jams and
other problems. If you encounter problems, switch to a higher grade
of paper.
Print on ink jet papers and envelopes only under these conditions:
Temperature: 59 to 77 °F (15 to 25 °C)
Humidity: 40 to 60% RH
Store glossy media and self adhesive sheets under these conditions:
Temperature: 59 to 86 °F (15 to 30 °C)
Humidity: 20 to 60% RH
Always load paper into the sheet feeder short edge first except
envelopes. Load envelopes long edge first.
Paper type Size Paper types Thickness Weight
Single sheets Letter (8.5 ×11 inches)
Legal (8.5 ×14 inches)
Half Letter (5.5 ×8.5 inches)
Executive (7.5 ×10 inches)
A4 (210 ×297 mm)
A5 (148 ×210 mm)
B5 (182 ×257 mm)
Plain paper and specialink
jet papers distributed by
EPSON
0.003 to 0.004 inch (0.08 to
0.11 mm) 17 to 24 lb (64 to 90 g/m2)
Transparencies and
glossy media Letter (8.5 ×11 inches) A4 (210 ×297 mm)
A6 (105 ×148 mm, glossy film only)
Transparencies, glossy
paper, and glossy film
distributed by EPSON
Glossy film and
transparencies:
0.0051 to 0.0059 inch (0.13 to
0.15 mm)
Glossy paper:
0.0067 to 0.0071 inch (0.17 to
0.18 mm)
—
Photo Paper 4 ×6 inches (102 ×152 mm)
Letter (8.5 ×11 inches)
A4 (210 ×297 mm)
Panoramic (8.27 ×23.4 inches)
Photo Paper distributed
by EPSON ——
Self adhesive sheets
and iron-on cool peel
transfer paper
Letter (8.5 ×11 inches; iron-on cool peel
transfer paper only)
A4 (210 ×297 mm)
Self adhesive sheets and
iron-on cool peel transfer
paper distributed by EPSON
0.0079 inch (0.2 mm)
maximum —
Photo stickers A6 (105 ×148 mm) with 16 frames Photo stickers distributed
by EPSON ——
Envelopes No. 10 9.5 ×4.1 inches
(240 ×104 mm)
DL 8.7 ×4.3 inches
(220 ×110 mm)
C5 4.4 ×6.4 inches
(114 ×162 mm)
Plain, bond, or air mail paper 0.006 to 0.017 inch (0.016 to
0.43 mm) 12 to 20 lb (45 to 75 g/m2)
Cards A6 (105 ×148 mm)
8 ×10 inches (203 ×254 mm) Ink jet cards distributed by EPSON 0.0091 inch (0.23 mm) maximum 50.7 lb (188 g/m2)

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
4 - EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N 4/98
Printable areas
Single sheets and index cards
Envelopes
A: The minimum top margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
When printing multiple sheets of glossy media, the minimum top
margin is 1.2 inches (30 mm).
BL: The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
BR: The minimum right margin is:
0.35 inch (9.0 mm) for Letter and Legal
1.10 inches (28 mm) for No.10 envelopes
0.28 inch (7 mm) for DL envelopes
0.12 inch (3.0 mm) for all other paper sizes.
C: The minimum bottom margin is 0.55 inch (14.0 mm).
Photo Paper
.
A: The maximum top margin is 0.67 inch (17.0 mm).
BL, BR: The maximum left and right margin is 0.24 inch (6.1 mm).
C: The maximum bottom margin is 0.24 inch (6.1 mm).
A: The minimum top margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
BL: The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
BR: The minimum right margin is 0.54 inch (14.0 mm).
C: The minimum bottom margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
Mechanical
Paper feed method Friction, auto sheet feeder, rear entry
Sheet feeder 100 sheets of 17 lb (64 g/m2) paper
capacity
Total print 75,000 pages (A4, text only)
volume
Dimensions
Storage Width: 8.7 inches (475 mm)
Depth:1 0.7 inches (274 mm)
Height: 7.4 inches (177 mm)
Printing Width: 8.7 inches (475 mm)
Depth: 24.0 inches (610 mm)
27.2 inches (692 mm, when
loading transparencies)
Height: 12.4 inches (315 mm)
7.95 inches (202 mm, when
loading transparencies)
Weight 14.3 lb (6.5 kg) without the ink cartridges
Electrical
* Also designed for IT power systems with Phase to Phase voltage
220–240V
Environmental
Temperature
Operation: 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C)
Storage: –4 to 140 °F (–20 to 60 °C),
stored in shipping container
1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C)
Humidity
Operation: 20 to 80% RH
Storage: 5 to 85% RH (stored in
shipping container, without
condensation)
Regulatory Approvals
Safety standards UL 1950 with D3, CSA C22.2 No. 950
with D3
A
BL BR
C
A
C
BL BR
A
BL, BR
C
EPSON 4 ×6-inch Photo Paper
(dotted lines indicate perforations)
A
B-L B-R
C
EPSON Panoramic
Photo Paper
Specification 120V Model 220−240V Model*
Input voltage range 103.5 to 132V 198 to 264V
Rated frequency range 50 to 60 Hz
Input frequency range 49.5 to 60.5 Hz
Rated current 0.4A 0.2A
Power consumption Approx. 18 W (ISO/IEC 10561 Letter Pattern)

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
4/98 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N - 5
EMC FCC part 15 subpart B class B
CSA C108.8 class B
Ethernet Card Specifications
Interface type Type B interface
Ethernet network
hardware
connectors IEEE 802.3 10BASE2 RG58A/U coaxial
cable via BNC connector
IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T straight-through
twisted pair modular cable via RJ45
connector
Network software Novell Netware 2.x, 3.x, or 4.0 (Bindery
Emulation Mode)
EtherTalk (AppleTalk)
DLC
lpr, ftp over TCP/IP protocol
NetBEUI
NetBIOS over TCP/IP protocol
Environmental
Temperature
Operation 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C)
Storage -4 to 140 °F (-20 to 60 °C)
1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C)
Humidity
Operation 20 to 80% RH
Storage* 5 to 85% RH
*stored in shipping container
Regulatory Approvals
EMC FCC part 15 class A
Safety UL/CSA approved
Reliability
MTFB 10,000 hours (power on hours)
DOS Support
If driver support for the EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N is not
available from your software manufacturer, you can use one of
the other EPSON ESC/P 2 printer drivers. These drivers
don’t provide all the EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N features,
such as 720 or 1440 dpi printing. Choose the first printer
available from the following two lists:
Black printing only• LQ-870/1170
• LQ-570(+)/1070(+)
• SQ-870/1070
• LQ-850
• LQ-500
Color and black printing
• EPSON Stylus PRO
• EPSON Stylus COLOR 500
• EPSON Stylus COLOR II
• LQ-860
• LQ-2550
Control Panel Settings
You can change the following default settings from the printer’s
control panel:
status sheet
button twisted-pair
(10BASE-T) thin coaxial
(10BASE2)
Setting Options
Print direction Auto, Bi-D, Uni-D
Font Courier, Roman, Sans Serif, Prestige,
Script, Roman T, Sans Serif H, Draft
Pitch 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17.1 cpi, 20 cpi,
Proportional
I/F mode Auto, Parallel, Serial, Option
Auto I/F wait time 10 seconds, 30 seconds
Software ESC/P 2, IBM X24E
Auto CR (IBM mode
only) Off, On
AGM (IBM mode only) Off, On
Character table PC437, PC850, PC860, PC861, PC863,
PC865, Abicomp, BRASCII, Roman 8,
ISO Latin 1
International character
set for italic table Italic U.S.A., Italic France, Italic Germany, Italic U.K., Italic Denmark 1,
Italic Sweden, Italic Italy, Italic Spain 1

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
6 - EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N 4/98
Changing control panel settings
Follow these steps to change the settings listed above:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off and has paper loaded.
2. Hold down the Xcolor cleaning button and press the
Ppower button. The printer prints a summary of
instructions for changing settings and choosing a language
for the instructions.
3. Press the Xcolor cleaning button to print a list of current
settings (indicated with arrows) and additional instructions.
4. After you make the changes you want, turn the printer off
to save the settings. The settings remain in effect until you
change them again.
Character Tables
All character tables except Italic are the same as the PC437
table for hex codes 00 through 7F. Additional characters are
available for hex codes 80 through FF. You can select the
following character tables through the control panel or
software commands:
• PC 437 (U.S./Standard Europe)
• PC850 (Multilingual)
• PC860 (Portuguese)
• PC861 (Icelandic)
• PC863 (Canadian-French)
• PC865 (Nordic)
• Abicomp
• BRASCII
• Roman 8
• ISO Latin 1
• Italic (no characters available for hex code 15)
International character sets
You can select a number of international character sets with
the control panel or the ESC R command. Othersets can only
be selected with the ESC R command. You can select
additional characters with the ESC ( ^ command.
Control Panel
Follow these guidelines when the control panel lights come on
or flash:
Testing the Printer
You can run a self test to determine whether the problem
comes from the printer itself or some other source.
❏If the results are satisfactory, the problem lies in your
software settings, the interface cable, or your computer.
❏If the self test does not print correctly, you have a problem
with your printer.
Follow these steps to run the test:
1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off.
2. Disconnect the interface cable from the printer.
3. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer.
Caution:
Load paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide. This
prevents ink from spraying inside the printer and smudging your
printouts.
Auto line feed Off, On
Network I/F mode Off, On
Loading position 8.5 mm, 3 mm, Others
Economy Off, On
Parallel I/F transfer rate Fast, Normal
Setting Options
S When the paper out light
flashes
, paper is jammed in
the printer. Turn off the printer and gently pull out all
paper. Then press the Eload/eject button.
SWhen the paper out light
comes on
, your paper ran
out or is incorrectly loaded. Load paper in the feeder
and then press the Eload/eject button.
B A When an ink out light
flashes
, your ink supply is low.
Make sure you have a replacement cartridge.
B A When an ink out light
comes on
, you need to replace
the ink cartridge.
P S B A When the power light and paper out light
flash
and all
the other lights are on, your printer has a carriage
error.
P S B A When all the lights
flash
, your printer may have an
internal error.
power button
load/eject button
color cleaning
button
black cleaning
button
paper out light
color ink out light
black ink out light
power light

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
4/98 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N - 7
4. Hold down the Eload/eject button and press the Ppower
button. Hold down the buttons until the Ppower light
starts to flash, then release them.
5. The printer prints a nozzle check pattern (shown on
page 11) andsamples of fonts and colors.
6. To end the test, turn off the printer. Then reconnect the
interface cable and turn on your printer and computer.
Using Hex Dump Mode
You can use the printer’s hex dump mode to identify problems
if you know how to interpret hex code. Follow these steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off and has paper loaded
in it.
2. Open the cover.
3. Hold down the Eload/eject button and the Xcolor
cleaning button and press the Ppower button. The printer
prints Hex Dump Mode at the top of a page and then
stops.
4. Print one or more pages from an application as usual. The
printer prints the exact code it receives in hexadecimal
format.
5. Turn off the printer to exit hex dump mode.
Printing an Ethernet Card Status
Sheet
You can print a status sheet to see information about your
Ethernet card including the serial number, node address, and
network information. You need the status sheet information
to configure your card. Follow these steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and has paper in the
feeder.
2. Press the status sheet button to print out the status sheet.
Installing Ink Cartridges for the
First Time
Always use the ink cartridges that came in the box the first
time you set up the printer. Follow these steps to install the
ink cartridges:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off (the Ppower button
should be up). Then plug the printer’s power cord into a
grounded outlet.
Caution:
Always use the Ppower button to turn the printer on or off. Never
use an external switch—such as a power strip switch—to turn off
the printer.
Don’t use an outlet that can be turned off by a wall switch or timer,
or one that uses the same circuit as alarge appliance. This may
disrupt the power, which can erase memory or even damage the
printer’s power supply.
2. Open the ink cartridge packages that came with your
printer. Then remove only the yellow part of the tape seal
on the top of each one. Don’t pull off the white portion or
try to remove the clear seal underneath the cartridge.
Caution:
Install the ink cartridges that came with the printer to ensure the
print heads charge correctly.
You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the cartridge or
you will permanently damage it. It’s OK if the tape does not tear off
completely along its dotted line.
Warning:
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and
water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them immediately with
water.
3. Press the Ppower button to turn on the printer. The P
power light flashes and the B black and A color ink out
lights come on. The black ink cartridge holder moves into
loading position.
status sheet button
black cartridge color cartridge
Remove the yellow
tape seal, but
don’t remove the
white portion

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
8 - EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N 4/98
4. Open the printer cover and lift up the black ink cartridge
clamp.
5. Place the black ink cartridge in the holder with the label
pointing up and the arrow pointing to the back of the
printer. Then close the clamp, making sure it clicks into
place.
Caution:
If the ink cartridge holder moves back to the right before you install
the cartridge, don’t try moving it back by hand. Press the Yblack
cleaning button and hold it down for 3 seconds to move the holder
back into position.
6. Now press the X color cleaning button to move the color
ink cartridge holder into loading position.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to install the color ink cartridge. Then
press the E load/eject button to begin charging the ink
delivery system.
Charging takes up to 4 minutes. The Ppower light flashes
and the printer makes various sounds until it’s finished.
Don’t turn off the printer or interrupt the charging process
or it will start over, using more ink than necessary.
Caution:
Never turn off the printer when the Ppower light is flashing,
unless the printer hasn’t moved or made any noise for more
than 10 minutes.
Removing and Installing an Ink
Cartridge
When the Bblack or Acolor ink out light flashes, the
indicated cartridge is low on ink. This is a good time to make
sure you have a new cartridge. When the light stays on, the
cartridge is empty and you need to replace it.
Use these EPSON ink cartridges within six months of
installing them and before the expiration date on the package:
Black ink cartridge: S020108
Color ink cartridge: S020089
When you need new ink cartridges, contact your dealer or call
EPSON Accessories at [phone] (U.S. only). In
Canada, please call [phone] for dealer referral.
When the Acolor ink out light comes on, you can continue
to print with black ink. Simply turn the printer off and then
back on again. When you print, make sure you choose Black
as the Ink setting in your printer software.
Removing an Empty Ink Cartridge
You can replace a cartridge when the Bblack or Acolor ink
out light is either flashing or on. Make sure the printer is
turned on and not printing before you start. Then follow these
steps:
1. Determine which cartridge needs to be replaced.
2. Lower the output tray and raise the printer cover.
3. Press the Yblack or Xcolor cleaning button and hold it for
three seconds.
Caution:
If you press a cleaning button when no ink out light is flashing or
on, the printer cleans the print heads, as described on page 10. If
you need to replace an ink cartridge before the lights flash (because
the ink is too old, for example) follow the instructions under
“Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge” on page 10.
black ink cartridge
holder
black cleaning
button
color cleaning
button

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
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The print heads move slightly left and the Ppower light
begins flashing. (The print heads return to their home
position if you don’t proceed to step 4 within 60 seconds.)
Caution:
To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print heads by hand.
4. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. The cartridge rises up from
its holder. (Although the illustration shows the black ink
cartridge, the procedure is the same for replacing the color
ink cartridge.)
Caution:
Don’t open the clamp or remove a cartridge except to replace it
with a new one. Once you remove a cartridge, you can’t reuse it,
even if it contains ink.
5. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it
carefully.
Warning:
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and
water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them immediately with
water.
6. Follow the steps in the next section to install the new ink
cartridge.
Installing the New Cartridge
Once you have removed the empty cartridge, you’re ready to
install the new one. Follow these steps:
1. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging.
2. Remove only the yellow part of the tape seal on top as
shown below. Don’t pull off the white portion or try to
remove the clear seal underneath the cartridge.
Caution:
You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the cartridge or
you will permanently damage it. It’s OK if the tape does not tear off
completely along its dotted line. Do not remove the clear seal from
the bottom of the cartridge; ink will leak out.
3. Lower the ink cartridge into its holder with the label facing
up and the arrow pointing to the back of the printer.
4. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it locks in place.
5. If you need to replace the other ink cartridge, follow the
steps under “Removing an Empty Ink Cartridge,” and then
steps 1 through 4 under “Installing the New Cartridge.”
6. Press the Eload/eject button and close the printer cover.
The printer moves the print heads and begins charging the
ink delivery system. (Even if you don’t press the button, ink
charging begins 60 seconds after you close the clamp.)
The Ppower light flashes, and the printer makes various
sounds. Charging takes about three minutes. When it’s
finished, you can print again.
Caution:
Never turn off the printer when the Ppower light is flashing,
unless the printer hasn’t moved or made any noise for more than
10 minutes.
black cartridge color cartridge
Remove the yellow
tape seal, but
don’t remove the
white portion

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
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Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge
If an ink cartridge is more than six months old, you may need
to replace it. How can you tell? You may notice that your
printouts don’t look as good as they used to. If print quality
doesn’t improve after cleaning and aligning the print heads,
you can replace one or both cartridges.
Follow these steps to replace an ink cartridge before the B
black or Acolor ink out light is flashing or on:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing.
2. Lower the output tray and raise the printer cover. Then
locate the Yblack and Xcolor cleaning buttons next to the
control panel under the printer’s cover.
Caution:
To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print heads by hand.
3. Press both the Yblack and Xcolor cleaning buttons and
hold them down for a few seconds until the black print head
moves to the left.
❏To replace the black ink cartridge, follow the instructions
beginning with step 4 of “Removing an Empty Ink
Cartridge” on page 9.
❏To replace the color ink cartridge, press the Xcolor
cleaning button and hold it down for a few seconds. After
the color ink cartridge moves to the left, follow the
instructions beginning with step 4 of “Removing an
Empty Ink Cartridge” on page 9.
Cleaning the Print Heads
If your printed image is unexpectedly light or faint, or dots are
missing from the image, you may need to clean the print
heads. This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink
properly.
Cleaning the print heads uses ink, so clean them only if print
quality declines. You can clean the print heads in either of the
following ways:
❏With the Head Cleaning utility in your printer software
(when the printer is on a localport, not on a network)
❏Using the printer’s control panel buttons
Using the Head Cleaning Utility
Follow these steps to run the utility from a Windows
computer or a Macintosh:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, andthe
Bblack and Acolor ink out lights are off.
2. Access the printer settings dialog box.
3. Click the Utility tab (Windows) or the Utility button
(Macintosh). You see the Utility menu.
4. Click the Head Cleaning button.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to clean one or
both print heads. Cleaning each head takes about two
minutes, during which the printer makes some noise and
the Ppower light flashes.
When the power light stops flashing, you need to run a
nozzle check to test the print qualityand reset the cleaning
cycle.
Caution:
Never turn off the printer when the Ppower light is flashing,
unless the printer hasn’t moved or made any noise for more than
10 minutes.
6. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer and click Print
nozzle check pattern (Windows) or Confirmation
(Macintosh). Then click Next. See “Examining the Nozzle
Check Pattern” on page 11 for instructions.
If your print quality has not improved, repeat the steps above.
If you don’t notice any improvement after doing this two or
three times, check the print quality solutions in the User’s
Guide.
Using the Control Panel
Follow these steps to clean the print heads:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing, and
that the Bblack and Acolor ink out lights are off.
2. Open the printer cover, then press the Yblack or Xcolor
cleaning button and hold it for three seconds. Cleaning
takes about two minutes, during which the printer makes
some noise and the Ppower light flashes.
3. When the Ppower light stops flashing, repeat step 3 for the
other print head if necessary.
Caution:
Never turn off the printer when the Ppower light is flashing,
unless the printer hasn’t moved or made any noise for more than
10 minutes.
4. After you’re finished cleaning and the Ppower light stops
flashing, you need to print a page to test the print quality
and reset the cleaning cycle. If you’re connected directly to
the printer, run a nozzle check. Go to step 5.
If you’re using DOS or a network interface card, open an
application and print a document containing black and
color data. Then go to step 7.
5. Access the printer settings dialog box. Then click the
Utility tab (Windows) or the Utility button (Macintosh).
You see the Utility menu.

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
4/98 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N - 11
6. Click the Nozzle Check icon, then click Next. See the
next section for instructions on examining the nozzle check
pattern.
7. If your print quality has not improved, repeat the steps
above. If you don’t notice any improvement after doing this
two or three times, check the print quality solutions in the
User’s Guide.
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern
Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. It should look
something like this, with the lower pattern colored cyan,
magenta, and yellow:
Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be
complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If your printout
looks okay, you’re done. If any dots are missing, as illustrated
below, clean the print heads again.
Aligning the Print Heads
If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may
need to align the print heads. You can align the print heads in
either of the following ways:
❏With the Print Head Alignment utility in your printer
software (when the printer is connected to a local port only)
❏Using the printer’s control panel buttons
Using the Print Head Alignment Utility
Follow these steps to run the utility (Windows or Macintosh):
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and paper is loaded.
Caution:
Load paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide. This
prevents ink from spraying inside the printer and smudging your
printouts. For the best results, load EPSON ink jet paper to check
your alignment.
2. Access the printer settings dialog box.
3. Click the Utility tab (Windows) or the Utility button
(Macintosh). You see the Utility menu.
4. Click the Print Head Alignment icon.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to print a test page
and select the correct alignment.
Using the Control Panel to Align the Print
Heads
Follow these steps to align the print heads:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off and paper is loaded.
Then open the printer cover.
Caution:
Load paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide. This
prevents ink from spraying inside the printer and smudging your
printouts. For the best results, load EPSON ink jet paper to check
your alignment.
2. Hold down theEload/eject button and the Yblack cleaning
button and turn on the printer. Then release the buttons.
After a moment, the printer prints an instruction sheet
telling you how to select a language for the alignment
instructions.
3. Press thecorrectcontrolpanelbuttonsasinstructedtoselect
a language. The printer prints instructions for aligning the
print heads.
4. Followthe instructions on the sheetto align the printheads.
When you’re finished, turn off the printer to exit the
alignment mode.
Using Special Media
When you print on special media, you need to be careful
about choosing the correct Media Type and Paper Size
settings in your printer software. The table on the following
page lists the available EPSON media and the corresponding
Media Type setting for each one in your printer software.
missing dots
Media name Size Media Type setting
EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet
Paper A4 Letter 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper
EPSON Iron-on Cool Peel
Transfer Paper Letter
EPSON Special Coated
Paper for 360 dpi Printing Letter

EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
12 - EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N 4/98
Transporting the Printer
If you need to transport your printer some distance, you
should repack it in its original box. Follow these steps:
1. Turn on the printer and wait until the print heads lock in
the far right position. Then turn off the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet. Then
disconnect the interface cable from the printer.
Caution:
To avoid damage, always leave the ink cartridges installed when
transporting the printer.
3. Remove any paper from the printer and remove the paper
support.
4. Push in the output tray extensions and close the tray.
5. Repack the printer and attachments in the original box
using the protective materials that came with it. See the
Notice Sheet that was packed with the printer.
Be sure to keep the printer level as you transport it. If you
notice a decline in print quality after transporting the printer,
clean the print heads; if output is misaligned, align the print
heads.
Related Documentation
TM-STYCLR850 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850
Service Manual
PL-STYCLR850 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850
Parts Price List
CPD-6494 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
User’s Guide
CPD-6495 EPSON Stylus COLOR 850N
Setup Guide
EPSON High Quality Ink Jet
Paper A4 Letter Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
EPSON Photo Quality Ink
Jet Paper A4 Letter
Legal
EPSON Special Coated
Paper for 720 dpi Printing Letter
EPSON Photo Quality Ink
Jet Cards 4.1 ×5.8 (A6)
8 × 10
EPSON 720 dpi Index Card 4.1 ×5.8 (A6)
EPSON Photo Quality Self
Adhesive Sheets A4
EPSON Photo Quality
Glossy Paper A4 Letter Photo Paper
EPSON Photo Paper 4 ×6
A4
Letter
Panoramic
EPSON Photo Quality
Glossy Film A4 Letter
4.1 ×5.8 (A6)
Photo Quality Glossy
Film
EPSON High Quality
Glossy Paper Letter
EPSON Photo Stickers 4.1 ×5.8 (A6)
EPSON Ink Jet
Transparencies A4 Letter Ink Jet Transparencies
EPSON Iron-on Transfer
Paper Letter
Media name Size Media Type setting