Epson B 310N User Manual

							Maintaining Your Printer131
Cleaning the Print Head
If you find that your printouts are unexpectedly faint or have gaps in them, you may be able 
to solve these problems by cleaning the print head, which ensures that the nozzles are 
delivering ink properly.
You can clean the print head from your computer using the Head Cleaning utility in the 
printer driver or from the printer by using the control panel or buttons.
Note:
❏Clean the print head only if print quality declines; for example, if the printout is blurry or the color 
is incorrect or missing.
❏Use the Nozzle Check utility first to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This saves 
ink.
❏When ink is low you may not be able to clean the print head. When ink is expended you cannot 
clean the print head. Replace the appropriate ink cartridge first.
&See “Replacing an Ink Cartridge” on page 120.
Using the Head Cleaning Utility for Windows
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
1. Make sure the printer is turned on.
2. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
3. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
4. Right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Head Cleaning.
If the printer icon does not appear, refer to the following section to add the icon.
&See “From the Shortcut Icon on the Taskbar” on page 15.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
The PPower light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
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Caution:
Never turn off the printer while the PPower light is flashing. Doing so may damage the 
printer.
Note:
❏If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure, turn off the printer and wait for 
at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
 
						

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❏If print quality remains a problem, contact Epson.
&See “Where To Get Help” on page 164.
❏To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
Using the Head Cleaning Utility for Mac OS X
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
1. Make sure the printer is turned on.
2. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
3. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.
4. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3.
&See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15.
5. Click the Head Cleaning button in the Utility dialog.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.
The PPower light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
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Caution:
Never turn off the printer while the PPower light is flashing. Doing so may damage the 
printer.
Note:
❏If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure about four times, turn the printer 
off and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning 
if necessary. If print quality has still not improved, contact your dealer.
❏To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
Using the Control Panel
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the control panel.
1. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
2. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the rRight button. 
Menu appears on the LCD screen.
 
						

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3. Press the dDown or uUp button to select MAINTENANCE, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
4. Press the dDown or uUp button to select CLEANING, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
5. Press the OK button to start cleaning. The PPower light begins flashing.
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Caution:
Never turn off the printer while the PPower light is flashing. Doing so may damage the 
printer.
6. When the PPower light stops flashing, the printer returns to the nozzle check menu. 
Press the OK button to print a nozzle check pattern to confirm that the head is clean.
&See “Checking the Print Head Nozzles” on page 129.
Note:
❏If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure, turn off the printer and wait for 
at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary.
❏If print quality remains a problem, contact Epson.
&See “Where To Get Help” on page 164.
❏To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
Aligning the Print Head
If you notice a misalignment of vertical lines or horizontal banding, you may be able to 
solve this problem by using the Print Head Alignment utility in your printer driver or from the 
printer by using the buttons.
Refer to the appropriate section below.
Note:
Do not press the +Cancel button to cancel printing while printing a test pattern with the Print Head 
Alignment utility.
Using the Print Head Alignment Utility for Windows
Follow the steps below to align the print head using the Print Head Alignment utility.
1. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
2. Make sure letter/A4 size plain paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
 
						

							Maintaining Your Printer134
3. Right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Print Head Alignment.
If the printer icon does not appear, refer to the following section to add the icon.
&See “From the Shortcut Icon on the Taskbar” on page 15.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to align the print head.
Using the Print Head Alignment Utility for Mac OS X
Follow the steps below to align the print head using the Print Head Alignment utility.
1. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
2. Make sure letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.
3. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog.
&See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15.
4. Click the Print Head Alignment button in the Utility dialog.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to align the print head.
Using the Control Panel
Follow the steps below to align the print head using the control panel.
1. Make sure that letter/A4 size plain paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
2. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the rRight button. 
Menu appears on the LCD screen.
3. Press the dDown or uUp button to select MAINTENANCE, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
4. Press the dDown or uUp button to select HEAD ALIGNMENT, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
5. Press the OK button to print the alignment pattern.
6. Look at the alignment patterns and find the square without any visible bands in sets #1 
through #4.
 
						

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7. Press the dDown or uUp button to select the number that corresponds to the square 
for sets #1 through #4.
8. Press the OK button to register your selection.
Cleaning Your Printer
To keep your printer operating at its best, clean it thoroughly several times a year.
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Warning:
Be careful not to touch the parts inside the printer.
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Caution:
❏Never use alcohol or thinner to clean the printer. These chemicals can damage the 
printer.
❏Do not apply grease to the metal parts under the print head.
❏Be careful to keep water away from the electronic components.
❏Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants.
❏Unsuitable oils can damage the mechanism. Contact Epson or a qualified service person 
if lubrication is needed.
Note:
After using the printer, close the paper support and the output tray to protect the printer from dust.
Cleaning the Inside of Your Printer
Ink and paper build-up from the rollers may affect the print quality or may prevent the paper 
from feeding smoothly. You can clean the inside of your printer using the control panel.
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Caution:
Do not wipe the inside of the printer, or small pieces of lint may build up inside the printer.
Using the Control Panel
Follow the steps below to clean the inside of the printer using the control panel.
1. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
 
						

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2. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the rRight button. 
MENU appears on the LCD screen.
3. Press the dDown or uUp button to select MAINTENANCE, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
4. Press the dDown or uUp button to select CLEANING SHEET, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
5. Press the OK button. The printer feeds and ejects paper.
Repeat these steps until no ink gets on the paper.
Transporting Your Printer
If you need to transport your printer some distance, carefully prepare and repack it as 
described below. Use the original box and packing materials, or a similar box that holds the 
printer snugly.
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Caution:
When transporting the printer, do not tilt it, stand it up vertically, or turn it upside down. 
Otherwise, ink may leak inside the printer.
1. Plug in the printer and turn it on. Wait until the print head returns to the home position.
2. Press the P Power button to turn off the printer, then unplug its power cord.
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Caution:
Do not unplug the power cord while the print head is moving or the print head will not 
return to the home position.
3. Disconnect the interface cable.
4. Remove all paper from the printer.
5. Confirm that the cartridge lever is in the locked position and the cartridge cover is 
closed.
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Caution:
Leave the ink cartridges and maintenance box installed to prevent the ink from leaking.
Note:
If you’re using the Extra High Capacity Ink Cartridge, install a standard- or high-capacity 
cartridge instead when you transport the printer.
6. Close the output tray and paper support.
 
						

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7. Attach the protective materials to both sides of the printer.
8. Repack the printer and power cord in the original box.
Note:
❏Keep the printer level during transport.
❏Be sure to remove the protective materials from the printer before using it again.
❏Do not hold the duplex unit when you lift the printer, to prevent the duplex unit from becoming 
detached. Also, make sure that the duplex unit is attached correctly after setting up the printer.
Storing Your Printer
If you need to store your printer, follow the instructions below.
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Caution:
When storing the printer, do not tilt it, stand it up vertically, or turn it upside down. Otherwise, 
ink may leak inside the printer.
1. Plug in the printer and turn it on. Wait until the print head returns to the home position.
2. Press the P Power button to turn off the printer, then unplug its power cord.
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Caution:
Do not unplug the printer or turn off the power to the outlet until all the lights are off. 
Otherwise, the print head will not be capped and will dry out during long-term storage.
3. Disconnect the interface cable.
4. Remove all paper from the printer.
5. Confirm that the cartridge lever is in the locked position and the cartridge cover is 
closed.
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Caution:
Leave the ink cartridges and maintenance box installed to prevent the ink from leaking.
6. Close the output tray and paper support.
Note:
You may need to clean the print head the first time you use the printer after storing it for a long 
period of time.
 
						

							Using the Printer on a Network138
Chapter 9 
Using the Printer on a Network
Setting Up the Printer on a Network
This printer can connect anywhere on your network using 10Base-T or 100Base-TX 
because it has a built-in Ethernet interface that supports the TCP/IP protocol.
You can make network interface settings such as IP address by using the printer’s control 
panel, or the applications for your computer.
Using the printer’s control panel
&See “Network Setting Menu” on page 106.
&See also “How to Access the Control Panel Menus” on page 103.
Setting Up Your Computers to Use the Printer
Make sure you have connected the printer to your network as described on the Start Here 
sheet. Then follow the steps below for every computer on the network that will print with the 
B-310N or B510DN.
1. Insert the Software CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
With Windows 7 and Windows Vista, if you see the AutoPlay window, click Run 
Setup.exe. When you see the User Account Control screen, click Continue or Yes.
2. Click Install.
 
						

							Using the Printer on a Network139
3. Click Install driver for network connection.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Note:
If the Windows Security Alert window appears, click the Unblock button; otherwise the printer 
will not be listed on the screen of EpsonNet EasyInstall.
5. When you see the following screen, select the printer and click Next.
 
						

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6. If you see the following screen, select Automatic. If you need to set the IP address 
manually, select Manual and enter the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. 
Then click Next. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the printer driver.
7. When you see the following screen, enter a different name for the printer if you want. If 
you want to print a test page, select the Print test page check box. Click Next.
Note:
If the Windows Security Alert window appears, click the Unblock button.
8. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.