Epson Stylus Color 880 User manual

EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
8/00 EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i - 1
Accessories
Media
The availability of paper types varies by location. Not allpaper
type names match the Media Type setting names in your
printer software. See the chart on page 6 or the instructions
that came with your paper to select the correct Media Type
setting.
Ink Cartridges
Printer Specifications
Printing
Printing method On-demand ink jet
Nozzle configuration
Black 144 nozzles
Color 144 nozzles
(48 each: cyan, magenta, yellow)
Resolution Maximum 2880 dpi ×720 dpi
Print direction Bidirectional with logic seeking
Control code EPSON ESC/P2, EPSON Remote
Input buffer 256KB
Media name Size Part number
EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper Letter
A4 S041060 S041059
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet
Paper Letter A4
Legal
S041062/S041029
S041061
S041067
EPSON High Quality Ink Jet
Paper Letter A4 S041111 S041117
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy
Paper Letter A4 S041124 S041126
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy
Film Letter A4
A6
S041072
S041071
S041107
EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies Letter
A4 S041064 S041063
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet
Cards A6 S041054
ink cartridge
clamp
printer cover
edge
guides
paper support
control
panel
output tray
extension
output tray
thickness
lever
control panel
EPSON Photo Paper Letter
A4
4 ×6 inches
Panoramic (8.3 ×
23.4 inches)
S041141
S041140
S041134
S041145
EPSON Photo Stickers®Kit
(CD-ROM and paper)
EPSON Photo Stickers
(refill, paper only)
A6, 16 frames per
sheet
A6, 16 frames per
sheet
S041144-KIT
S041144
EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel
Transfer Paper Letter S041153/S041155
EPSON Photo Quality Self
Adhesive Sheets A4 S041106
EPSON Matte
Paper - Heavyweight Letter A4 S041257 S041258
EPSONPremiumGlossy Photo
Paper Letter S041286
EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting
Card Kit Letter S041267
Cartridge Part number
Black T019201 (U.S.) T019311 (Canada)
Color T020201 (U.S.) T020311 (Canada)
Media name Size Part number

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Paper
Note:
Always load paper into the sheet feeder short edge first. Envelopes
should be loaded flap edge first, with the flap side down.
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.
Do not load curled or folded paper.
Use papers under these conditions:
Temperature: 59 to 77 °F (15 to 25 °C)
Humidity: 40 to 60% RH
Store printouts on EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film and Self
Adhesive Sheets under these conditions:
Temperature: 59 to 86 °F (15 to 30 °C)
Humidity: 20 to 60% RH
The availability of paper types varies by location. Not all paper types
match the Media Type setting names in your printer software. See
the chart on page 6 or the instructions that came with your paper to
select the correct Media Type setting.
Printable area
A: The minimum top margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
When loading multiple sheets of EPSON Photo Quality Glossy
Film, the minimum top margin is 1.2 inches (30 mm).
B-L: The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).
B-R: The minimum right margin is as follows:
0.12 inch (3.0 mm) for single sheets and C6 envelopes
0.28 inch (7 mm) for DL envelopes.
1.10 inch (28 mm) for No. 10 envelopes.
C: The minimum bottom margin is 0.54 inch (14.0 mm).
* Youcanextendtheminimumbottommarginto0.12inch(3.0mm)
by selecting Maximum as the Printable Area setting. However,
print quality may decline in the expanded area. Before printing
large jobs, print a single sheet to confirm print quality.
Paper type Size Paper types Thickness Weight
Single sheets Letter (8.5 ×11 inches)
Legal (8.5 ×14 inches)
Half letter (statement, 5.5 ×8.5 inches)
Executive (7.5 ×10 inches)
A4 (210 ×297 mm)
A5 (148 ×210 mm)
Plain bond paper and special ink jet
papers distributed by EPSON 0.003 to 0.004 inch (0.08 to 0.11 mm)
for plain bond
paper
17 to 24 lb
(64 to 90 g/m2)
for plain bond
paper
Transparencies, glossy
film, glossy paper 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 ——
Matte Paper -
Heavyweight Letter (8.5 ×11 inches) Matte paper distributed by EPSON — —
Self-adhesive sheets A4 (210 ×297 mm) Self adhesive sheets distributed by
EPSON ——
Envelopes No. 10, 4.1 ×9.5 inches (104 ×140mm)
DL, 4.3 ×8.7 inches (110 ×220 mm)
C6, 4.4 ×6.4 inches (114 ×162 mm)
132 ×220 mm (5.2 ×8.7 inches)
Plain bond paper or air mail paper 0.006 to 0.02 inch
(0.16 to 0.52 mm) 12 to 20 lb (45 to 75 g/m2)
Index (ink jet) cards A6 (105 ×148 mm)
8 ×10 inches (203 ×254 mm) Ink jet cards distributed by EPSON — —
Photo Paper Letter (8.5 ×11 inches)
A4 (210 × 297 mm)
4 ×6 inches (102 × 152 mm)
Panoramic (210 × 594 mm)
Photo paper distributed by EPSON — —
Photo Stickers A6 (105 ×148 mm), 16 frames/sheet Photo stickers distributed by EPSON — —
Premium Glossy Photo
Paper Letter (8.5 ×11 inches) Glossy photo paper distributed by EPSON ——
Iron-On Cool Peel
Transfer Paper Letter (8.5 ×11 inches) Transfer paper distributed by EPSON — —
A
B-L B-R
C
A
B-L B-R
C
single sheets/index cards
envelopes

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.
A: The maximum top margin is 0.67 inch (17.0 mm).
L & R: 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).
Ink Cartridges
* The actual print capacity may vary, depending on how often you
turn on the printer and how often you clean the print head.
** Ink thaws and is usable after approximately 3 hours at
77 °F (25 °C).
To ensure good results, use genuine EPSON cartridges
and do not refill them. Other products may cause damage
to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.
Don’t use an ink cartridge if the date on the package has
expired.
Mechanical
Paper feed Friction
method
Paper path Sheet feeder, rear entry
Sheet feeder
capacity 100 sheets of 17 lb (64 g/m2) paper
Dimensions
Storage Width: 17.7 inches (450 mm)
Depth: 10.6 inches (269 mm)
Height: 6.8 inches (172 mm)
Printing Width: 17.7 inches (450 mm)
Depth: 21.5 inches (546 mm)
Height: 10.6 inches (269 mm)
Weight 13.2 lb (6 kg) without the ink cartridges
Electrical
* Check the label on the back of the printer for your printer’s
voltage.
Environmental
Temperature
Operation 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C)
Storage* -4 to 104 °F (-20 to 40 °C)
1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
Transit* –4 to 140 °F (–20 to 60 °C)
120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C)
Humidity (without condensation)
Operation 20 to 80% RH
Storage*5 to 85% RH
*Stored in shipping container
Safety Approvals
Safety standards UL 1950, CSA C22.2 No. 950
EMC FCC part 15 subpart B class B
Specification
Black ink cartridge
T019201 (U.S.)
T019311 (Canada)
Color ink cartridge
T020201 (U.S.)
T020311 (Canada)
Color(s) Black Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Print capacity* 900 pages text (ISO/IEC
10561 letter pattern at
360 dpi)
300 pages (A4, 360 dpi,
5% duty each color)
Cartridge life 2 years from production date (if unopened)
(within 6 months after opening package, at 77 °F
[25 °C])
Storage
temperature −4 to 104 °F (−20 to 40 °C)
1 month at 104 °F (40 °C)
Transit
temperature −22 to 140 °F (−30 to 60 °C)
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) ×2.4 (D) ×1.5 (H)
inches
27.8 (W) ×59.7 (D) ×
38.5 (H) mm
1.7 (W) ×2.4 (D) ×1.5 (H)
inches
42.9 (W) ×59.7 (D) ×
38.5 (H) mm
A
L & R
C
EPSON 4 ×6-inch Photo Paper
(dotted lines indicate perforations)
Specification 120 V Model 220−240 V Model
Input voltage
range* 99 to 132 V 198 to 264 V
Rated frequency
range 50 to 60 Hz
Input frequency
range 49.5 to 60.5 Hz
Rated current 0.4 A 0.2 A
Power consumption Approx. 18 W (ISO/IEC 10561 Letter Pattern)
Approx. 3.5 W in standby mode

EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
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Control Panel
Follow these guidelines when you check the control panel
lights.
Installing an Ink Cartridge for the First
Time
Follow these ink cartridge precautions:
❏Install both ink cartridges, and leave them installed for
all types of printing, or the printer won’t work.
❏Remove the yellow tape seal from the top of the ink
cartridges or you’ll permanently damage them. Don’t
remove the clear seals on the bottom or ink will leak
out.
❏Don’t open an ink cartridge clamp to 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.
❏Never turn off the printer when the Ppower light is
flashing, unless the printer hasn’t moved or made any
noise for more than five minutes.
Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and don’t
drink the ink.
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap
and water.Ifink gets inyour eyes, flush them immediately
with water.
1. Lower the output tray and open the printer cover.
2. Press the Ppower button to turn on the printer. The
Ppower light flashes and the Bblack andAcolor ink out
lights come on. The ink cartridge holders move left into
loading position.
Don’t use an outlet that is controlled by a wall switch or
timer, or one on the same circuit as a large appliance, to
avoid damaging the printer’s power supply.
Always use the Ppower button to turn the printer on or
off. Never use an external switch, such as a power strip
switch.
Pis on The Ppower light is on when the printer is on and
ready to print. It flashes when the printer is
receiving a print job, charging ink, or cleaning the
print head.
Sflashes When the Spaper out light flashes, you have a
paper jam. Press the Sload/eject button to try to
clear the jam. If that doesn’t work, turn off the
printer and gently pull out all the paper. Make sure
none of the sheets are curled, creased, old, stuck
together, or too thin. Then reload the paper against
the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide
against it. Turn on the printer and press the
Sload/eject button to resume printing.
Sis on When the Spaper out light comes on, your paper
is out or incorrectly loaded. Make sure none of the
sheets are curled, creased, old, stuck together, or
too thin. Then reload the paper against the right
edge guide and slide the left edge guide against it.
Press the Sload/eject button to resume printing.
B or Aflash When an ink out light flashes, your ink supply is
low. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge.
B or Aare on When an ink out light comes on, you need to
replace the ink cartridge. Make sure you have a
replacement cartridge. See page 6 for instructions.
Pand S
flash and
Band A
are on
When the Ppower and Spaper out lights flash
and the Bblack and Acolor ink out lights come
on, jammed paper may be blocking movement of
the print head or you may not have removed the
yellow tape seal from the installed ink cartridge(s).
Turn off the printer, open the cover, and check
inside for any jammed paper. Then turn the printer
back on. If anink out lightremains on and the print
head moves into replacement position, replace the
ink cartridge(s) as described on page 8. If the lights
still flash and/or come on, contact your dealer or
EPSON.
P S B A
flash When all the lights flash, your printer may have an internal error. Make sure you removed all the
packing material as described on the unpacking
sheet in your printer box. Then turn off the printer,
wait a few seconds, and turn it on again. If the
lights still flash, contact your dealer or EPSON.
power
button
load/eject
button
cleaning
button
color ink
out light
black ink
out light
power
light
paper out
light
P S B A
are off When all the lights are off, the printer is not receiving power. Try these solutions:
❏Make sure the printer is turned on.
❏Turn off the printer, plug in the power cord
securely, and turn on the printer again.
❏Make sure the outlet is operable and is not
controlled by a switch or timer. If in doubt, try
using another outlet.

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3. Lift up the two ink cartridge clamps.
4. Unwrap the inkcartridges, then remove only the yellow
part of the tape seal on the top.
5. Tilt each cartridge forward slightly as you lower it into its
holder. Hang the tabs at the back of the cartridge on the
hooks.
.
6. Press down on the ink cartridge clamps until they lock in
place, but don’t press down on the cartridgesthemseleves.
7. Press the Acleaning button and close the printer cover.
Ink charging takes about one and a half minutes, with the
Ppower light flashing and the printer making noise until it’s
finished.
Don’t turn off the printer or interrupt charging or it will start
over, using more ink than necessary. It’s finished when the
Ppower light stops flashing.
Testing the Printer
You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem
comes from the printer itself or some other source. Follow
these steps to run the printer check:
1. Make sure both theprinter and computer are turned off.
2. Disconnect the interface cable from the printer.
3. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer.
4. Hold down the Sload/eject button, then press and release
the Ppower button. Continue holding down the
S load/eject button until the Ppower light starts to flash,
then release it.
The printer prints one page showing its ROM version
number, ink counter, and a nozzle check pattern. Only the
nozzle check pattern is shown below. (If the pattern has
gaps in its dots, you need to clean the print head; see
page 9.)
5. To end the check, turn off the printer after it prints the
checkpage. Then reconnect the interface cable and turn on
your printer and computer.
If the check page prints, the problem probably lies in your
software settings, the interface cable, or your computer.
If the check page doesn’t print, you may have a problem with
your printer.
Try the suggestions in “Problems and Solutions” in the Printer
Basics book.
black cartridge color cartridge
Don’t place the cartridges under
the hooks;you may damage the
clamp when you close it.

EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
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Printing on Special Media
Whether you print on plain paper or special media, you need
to select theMedia Type setting according to the guidelines in
the table below.
The availability of paper types varies by location.
Additional Media Loading Guidelines
Don’t use the cleaning sheets that may be included with
your special media; they may damage the printer.
❏Be sure toload the printable (whiter) side of the media face
up in the sheet feeder.
❏You can load paper upto the arrow mark on the left edge
guide.
❏In addition to the Media Type option, remember to select
the correct Paper Size for your media on the Paper menu.
❏If the special media has protective sheets between each sheet
of media, be sure toremove the protective sheets before
printing.
❏Some special media have a cut corner that you need to
position correctly; follow any instructions in the package.
Always handlesheets bythe edges, and don’t touch the
printable surface.
Replacing 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.
You cannot print if either ink cartridge is empty. Leave the
empty cartridge installed in the printer until you have
obtained a replacement. Otherwise the ink remaining in
the print head nozzles may dry out.
Use these EPSON ink cartridges within six months of
installing them and before the expiration date on the package:
❏Black ink cartridge: T019201 (U.S.) T019311 (Canada)
❏Color ink cartridge: T020201 (U.S.) T020311 (Canada)
To ensure good results, use genuine EPSON ink cartridges
and do not refill them. Other products may cause damage
to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranty.
When you need new ink cartridges, contact your dealer or call
EPSON at [phone] or visit the EPSON StoreTM at
www.epson.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call
[phone] for dealer referral.
If you need to replace an ink cartridge before the lights flash
(because the ink is too old, for example) follow the
instructions in “Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge” on
page 8.
For this paper name... Select this Media Type setting
Plain paper and envelopes Plain paper
EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper
EPSON Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer
Paper
EPSON High Quality Ink Jet Paper Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Cards
EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive
Sheets
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper Photo Paper
EPSON Photo Paper
EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Cards
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film Photo Quality Glossy Film
EPSON Photo Stickers
EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies Ink Jet Transparencies
EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper Premium Glossy Photo Paper
EPSON Matte Paper - Heavyweight Matte Paper - Heavyweight
cut corner
printable
side face up

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Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges
You can replace a cartridge when the Bblack or Acolor ink
out light is either flashing or on. (If you perform these steps
when both ink out lights are off, the printer cleans the print
heads as described on page 9.)
Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once
you start the ink cartridge replacement procedure, you must
complete all the steps in one session.
Follow these steps to replace ink cartridges:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing (the
Ppower light should be on, but not flashing), then open
the printer cover.
2. Press the Acleaning button and hold it for about three
seconds until the print head moves left andthe Ppower
light begins flashing.
To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head
by hand. 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.
3. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. The cartridge rises up from
its holder. (The illustration shows color ink cartridge
replacement. To replace the black ink cartridge, lift up only
the smaller clamp on the left.)
4. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it
carefully.
Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and don’t
drink the ink.
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with
soap and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them
immediately with water.
5. Unwrap the newink cartridge. Then removeonly the yellow
part of the tape seal on top.
You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the
cartridge or you will permanently damage it. Don’t try to
remove the clear seal underneath the cartridge.
6. Tilt the new cartridge forward slightly as you lower it into
its holder. Hang the tabs at the backof the cartridge on the
hooks.
7. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it locks in place,
but don’t press down on the cartridge itself.
8. If you needto replace the other ink cartridge, repeat steps 3
through 7 before continuing with step 9.
black cartridge color cartridge
Don’t place the cartridges under
the hooks;you may damage the
clamp when you close it.

EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
8 - EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i 8/00
9. Press the Acleaning button and close the printer cover.
The printer moves the print head and begins charging the
ink delivery system.
The Ppower light flashes, and the printer makes noise.
Charging takes about 30 seconds. When it’s finished, the
Ppower light stops flashing and stays on.
Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is
flashing, unless the printer hasn’t moved or made noise for
more than 5 minutes.
Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge
When an ink cartridge is more than six months old, you may
need to replace it if you 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 head, you can replace one or
both cartridges.
Follow these steps to replace an ink cartridge before the Bblack
or Acolor ink out light isflashing or on:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing (the
Ppower light should be on, but not flashing), then open
the printer cover.
2. Press the Sload/eject button and hold it for about three
seconds until the print head moves left andthe Ppower
light begins flashing.
To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head
by hand. 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.
3. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. The cartridge rises up from
its holder. (The illustration shows color ink cartridge
replacement. To replace the black ink cartridge, lift up only
the smaller clamp on the left.)
4. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it
carefully.
Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and don’t
drink the ink.
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap
and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them
immediately with water.
5. Unwrap the newink cartridge. Then remove only the yellow
part of the tape seal on top.
You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the
cartridge or you will permanently damage it. Don’t try to
remove the clear seal underneath the cartridge.
6. Tilt each cartridge forward slightly as you lower it into its
holder. Hang the tabs at the back of the cartridge on the
hooks.
black cartridge color cartridge
Don’t place the cartridges under
the hooks; you may damage the
clamp when you close it.

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7. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it locks in place,
but don’t press down on the cartridge itself.
8. If you need to replace the other ink cartridge, repeat steps 3
through 7 before continuing with step 9.
9. Press the Sload/eject button again and close the printer
cover. The printer moves the print head and begins
charging the ink delivery system.
The Ppower light flashes and theprinter makes noise.
Charging takes about 30 seconds. When it’s finished, the
Ppower light stops flashing and stays on.
Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is
flashing, unless the printer hasn’t moved or made noise for
more than 5 minutes.
Cleaning the Print Head
If your printed image is unexpectedly light or faint, or dots are
missing from the image, you may need to clean the print head.
This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink properly.
Cleaning the print head uses ink, so clean it only if print
quality declines. You can clean the print head in either of the
following ways:
❏using the Head Cleaning utility (when the printer is
connected to a local port, not over a network), as described
on page 9
❏using the printer’s control panel buttons, as described on
page 9
When you don’t turn on your printer for a long time, the
print quality can decline. It’s a good idea to turn on your
printer at least once a month to maintain good print quality.
If any paper you buy comes with a cleaning sheet, don’t
use the cleaning sheet with your printer; it may jam inside
the printer.
Using the Head Cleaning Utility
Follow these steps to run the Head Cleaning utility:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and
both the Bblack and Acolor ink out lights are off. (If an
ink out light is flashing, replace the ink cartridge before
continuing.)
2. If you have an application running, access the printer
settings dialog box.
Or, with Windows, click Start, point to Settings, then
selectPrinters. Right-click your EPSON Stylus COLOR
880 printer icon in the Printers window. Then select
Properties in Windows 95 or Windows 98,Document
Defaults in Windows NT, or Printing Preferences in
Windows 2000.
3. Windows: Click the Utility tab.
Macintosh: Click the Utility button.
4. On the Utility menu, click the Head Cleaning button.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to clean the print
head. Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which the
printer makes some noise and the Ppower light flashes.
Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is
flashing, unless the printer hasn’tmoved or made noise for
more than 5 minutes.
6. When the Ppower light stops flashing, run a nozzle check
to confirm theprint head nozzles are clean and reset the
cleaning cycle.
Make sure paper is loaded in the printer and click Print
nozzle check pattern. Then click Next. The nozzle check
pattern prints (see page 10 for details).
7. If the nozzle check pattern has nogaps in its dots, click
Finish.
If the pattern is missing dots, click Clean to clean the print
head again. If you don’t see anyimprovement after cleaning
three or four times, check thesolutions in the Printer Basics
book. You can also turn the printer off and wait
overnight—this allows any dried ink tosoften—and then
try cleaning the print head again.
Using the Control Panel to Clean the Print
Head
Follow these steps to clean the print head:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and
both the Bblack and Acolor ink out lights are off. (If an
ink out light is flashing, replace the ink cartridge before
continuing.)

EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
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2. Press the Acleaning button and hold it down for three
seconds. Cleaningtakesabout 30seconds,during whichthe
printer makes some noise and the Ppower light flashes.
Never turn off the printer while the Ppower light is
flashing, unless the printer hasn’t moved or made noise for
more than 5 minutes.
3. After the Ppower light stops flashing, print a page to test
the print quality and reset the cleaning cycle.
If your printer is connected directly to the computer, go
to step 4 to run a nozzle check.
If you’re printing over a network, open an application and
print a short document containing black and color data.
Then go to step 8.
4. If you have an application running, access the printer
settings dialog box.
Or, with Windows, click Start, point to Settings, then
select Printers. Right-click your EPSON Stylus COLOR
880 printer icon in the Printers window. Then select
Properties in Windows 95 or Windows 98, Document
Defaults in Windows NT, or Printing Preferences in
Windows 2000.
5. Windows: Click the Utility tab.
Macintosh: Click the Utility button.
6. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer, click the Nozzle
Check button, and click Next. The nozzle check pattern
prints (see the next section for details).
7. If the nozzle check pattern has no gaps in its dots, click
Finish.
If the pattern is missing dots, click Clean to clean the print
head again.
8. If you don’t see any improvement after cleaning three or
four times, check the solutions in the Printer Basics book.
You can also turn the printer off and wait overnight—this
allows any dried ink to soften—and then try cleaning the
print head again.
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern
Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. It should look
something like this:
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 shown
below, clean the print head again; see page 9 for instructions.
Aligning the Print Head
If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may
need to align the print head. Your printer must be connected
to a local port, not on a network, to use the Print Head
Alignment utility.
Follow these steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned on, but not printing, and
letter-size paper is loaded.
Load paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide to
prevent ink from spraying inside the printer and smudging
your printouts.
For the best results, load EPSON ink jet paper in the
printer whenever you check the print head alignment.
2. If you have an application running, access the printer
settings dialog box.
Or, with Windows, click Start, point to Settings, then
selectPrinters.Right-click theEPSON Stylus COLOR 880
icon in the Printers windows. Then select Properties in
Windows 95 or Windows 98, Document Defaults in
Windows NT, or Printing Preferences in Windows 2000.
3. Windows: Click the Utility tab.
Macintosh: Click the Utility button.
4. You see the Utility menu. Click the Print Head Alignment
button.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to print a test page.
6. Select the most precise alignment pattern from the choices
on the test page. Enter the number of the best aligned
pattern following the instructions on the screen.
missing dots
missing dots missing dots

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Cleaning the Printer
To keep your printer working at its best, you should clean it
several times a year. Follow these steps:
1. Turn off the printer, unplug the power cord, and
disconnect the printer cable.
2. Remove all the paper from the sheet feeder.
3. Clean the exterior of the printer with a soft, damp cloth.
4. Clean inkout of the printer’s interior with a soft, damp
cloth.
Don’t touch the gears inside the printer.
Never use alcohol or thinner for cleaning; theycan damage
the printer components and case.
Don’t use a hard or abrasive brush.
Don’t get water on the printer components and don’t spray
lubricants or oils inside the printer.
Don’t use any cleaning sheets included with special media;
they may jam inside the printer.
Transporting the Printer
If you move your printer some distance, you need to prepare it
for transportation in its original box. Follow these steps:
To avoid damage, always leave the ink cartridges installed
when transporting the printer.
Be sure to remove the tape used in step 4 after installing
the printer in its new location.
1. Turn on the printer, wait until the print head locks in the
far right position, then turn off the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet. Then
disconnect the printer cable from the printer.
3. Remove any paper from the printer and remove the paper
support.
4. Open the printer cover. Secure the ink cartridge holder to
the printer with tape as shown, then closethe printer cover.
5. Push in the output tray extensions and close the tray.
6. Repack the printer and attachments in the original box
using the protective materials that came with it. See the
unpacking sheet that was packed with your printer.
Be sure to keep the printer level as you transport it.
After transporting the printer, remove the tape securing the
print head and test your printer. If you notice a decline in
print quality, clean the print head (see page 9); if output is
misaligned, align the print head (see page 10).
Related Documentation
TM-SC880/i EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i Service
Manual
PL-SC880/i EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i Parts Price
List
CPD-10637 EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
Printer Basics
CPD-10638 EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
Start Here
Tape the ink cartridge holder
to the printer case

EPSON Stylus Color 880/880i
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