Epson B 500DN User Manual

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8. Close the cartridge cover.
Note:
When you install the Extra High Capacity Ink Cartridge, use the printer with the cartridge cover 
opened.
Maintenance Box
Checking the Maintenance Box Status
Using the Control Panel (B-500DN)
To check the maintenance box status using the control panel, follow the steps below.
1. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the rRight button. 
MENU appears on the LCD screen.
2. Press the dDown or uUp button to select PRINTER STATUS, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
3. Press the dDown or uUp button to select MAINTENANCE BOX, and then press the OK 
or rRight button.
4. A rough estimate of the maintenance box capacity appears on the LCD screen.
Note:
You can check the maintenance box status by the icon displayed on the lower right of the LCD 
screen as well. 
&See “Icons on the LCD” on page 106.
 
						

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Using the Printer Lights (B-300)
To check the maintenance box status, see the  Maintenance box status light. The 
Maintenance box status lights let you know the remaining free capacity of the 
maintenance box.
For Windows
Note:
Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine maintenance boxes. If a 
non-genuine maintenance box is installed, the maintenance box status will not be displayed.
To check the maintenance box status, do one of the following:
❏Double-click the printer shortcut icon on your Windows taskbar. To add a shortcut icon 
to the taskbar, refer to the following section.
&See “From the Shortcut Icon on the Taskbar” on page 15.
❏Open the printer driver, click the Maintenance tab, then click the Status Monitor 3 
button.
Maintenance box status 
lightStatus
Off The maintenance box has enough free capacity.
Flashing The maintenance box is nearing the end of its service life.
On The maintenance box is at the end of its service life.
 
						

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A graphic displays the maintenance box status.
Note:
❏The printer ships with a new maintenance box, even though the service life indicator does 
not show 100% when the printer is new. EPSON Status Monitor 3 and the printer’s control 
panel will indicate when the maintenance box needs to be replaced.
❏If the maintenance box installed in the printer is broken, incompatible with the printer model, 
or improperly installed, EPSON Status Monitor 3 will not display an accurate calculation of 
the maintenance box status. Be sure to replace or reinstall any ink cartridge indicated by 
EPSON Status Monitor 3.
For Mac OS X
You can check the maintenance box status using EPSON StatusMonitor. Follow the steps 
below.
1. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog.
&See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15.
 
						

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2. Click the EPSON StatusMonitor button. The EPSON StatusMonitor appears.
Note:
❏The graphic displays the maintenance box status when EPSON StatusMonitor was first 
opened. To update the maintenance box status, click Update.
❏Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine maintenance boxes. If 
non-genuine maintenance boxes are installed, the maintenance box status may not be 
displayed.
❏If the maintenance box installed in the printer is broken, incompatible with the printer model, or 
improperly installed, EPSON StatusMonitor will not display an accurate status of the 
maintenance box. Be sure to replace or reinstall the maintenance box.
Purchasing a Replacement Maintenance Box
You can purchase a genuine Epson maintenance box at Epson Supplies Central at 
www.epson.com/ink3 (U.S. sales) or www.epson.ca (Canadian sales). You can also 
purchase supplies from an Epson authorized reseller. To find the nearest one, call 
800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766).
 
						

							Replacing Consumables135
Handling Precautions
Read all of the instructions in this section before replacing the maintenance box.
❏Epson recommends the use of genuine Epson maintenance boxes. The use of a 
non-genuine maintenance box may cause damage that is not covered by Epson’s 
warranties, and under certain circumstances, may cause erratic printer behavior. 
Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine maintenance boxes. 
The maintenance box status is not displayed when a non-genuine maintenance box is 
used.
❏Do not dismantle the maintenance box.
❏Do not touch the green IC chip on the side of the maintenance box.
❏Keep out of reach of children, and do not drink the ink.
❏Do not peel off the film covering the maintenance box.
❏Do not tilt the used maintenance box until it is placed in the plastic bag provided.
❏Do not reuse a maintenance box which has been removed and left detached for a long 
period.
Replacing the Maintenance Box
To replace the maintenance box, follow the steps below.
1. Confirm that the printer is ready and not printing.
2. Open the maintenance box cover.
3. Remove the new maintenance box from the package.
4. Lift up and pull the installed maintenance box outward.
 
						

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Note:
❏Do not tilt the maintenance box when you remove it.
❏Hold the maintenance box with both hands when you handle it.
5. Put the used maintenance box into the plastic bag, and then seal the bag.
Note:
The plastic bag is provided with the new maintenance box.
6. Insert the new maintenance box into place as far as it will go.
7. Close the maintenance box cover.
 
						

							Maintaining Your Printer137
Chapter 8 
Maintaining Your Printer
Checking the Print Head Nozzles
If you find that your printouts are unexpectedly faint or have gaps in them, you may be able 
to identify the problem by checking the print head nozzles.
You can check the print head nozzles from your computer by using the Nozzle Check utility 
or from the printer by using the control panel or buttons.
Note:
The printer checks the print head on a regular basis to keep it clean and make sure you receive 
premium print quality. If print head nozzles are clogged, the printer automatically cleans the print 
head. Normally, you do not need to perform nozzle checks and print head cleaning; however, the 
self-cleaning function cannot completely prevent nozzle clogs.
Using the Nozzle Check Utility for Windows
Follow the steps below to use the Nozzle Check utility.
1. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
2. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
3. Right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Nozzle Check.
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.
Using the Nozzle Check Utility for Mac OS X
Follow the steps below to use the Nozzle Check utility.
1. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
2. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.
 
						

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3. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog.
&See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15.
4. Click the Nozzle Check button in the Utility dialog.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Using the Control Panel (B-500DN)
Follow the steps below to check the print head nozzles 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.
3. Press the dDown or uUp button to select TEST PRINT, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
4. Press the dDown or uUp button to select NOZZLE CHECK, and then press the OK or 
rRight button.
5. Press the OK button to print the nozzle check pattern.
After printing, the cleaning menu appears. If you find a print quality problem, press the 
OK button to clean the print head.
Using the Printer Buttons (B-300)
Follow the steps below to check the print head nozzles using the printer buttons.
1. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
2. Turn off the printer.
3. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette.
 
						

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4. Hold down the )Paper/Cancel button and press the PPower button to turn on the 
printer.
5. When the printer turns on, release both the buttons.
Below are two sample nozzle check patterns.
Compare the quality of the printed check page with the sample shown below. If there 
are no print quality problems, such as gaps or missing segments in the test lines, the 
print head is fine.
If any segment of the printed lines is missing, as shown below, this could mean a 
clogged ink nozzle or a misaligned print head.
&See “Cleaning the Print Head” on page 139.
&See “Aligning the Print Head” on page 143.
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.
 
						

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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 128.
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.
c
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.
❏If print quality remains a problem, contact Epson.
&See “Where To Get Help” on page 182.
❏To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.