Epson R1800 Manual

							Printing on CDs and DVDs71
6. Remove the position check disk or CD and measure the distance from the edge of 
the hole to the small cross marks (distances labeled A and B as shown). You’ll need 
a metric ruler with millimeters for these measurements.
7. Open the File menu and select 
Adjust Print Position. You see a screen like this:
8. Make sure 
Enter Values (Windows) or Value Entry (Macintosh) is checked. 
Input the A distance in the 
Height (Top) or Top Space box. Enter the B 
distance in the 
Width (Right) or Right Space box.
9. Click 
OK to save the measurements.
Adjusting the Print Density
If ink smears on your printed CDs or DVDs, you may need to adjust the color 
saturation or ink density. Discs from different manufacturers may absorb ink 
differently, so you may need to adjust the density for each type of disc. Follow these 
instructions to print a color saturation check pattern and make adjustments as 
necessary.
1. Start EPSON Print CD.
2. Insert a test CD or DVD for printing, as described on page 66.
3. Select 
Print from the File menu.
Enter measurements hereMacintosh Windows
Enter measurements here 
						

							72Printing on CDs and DVDs
4. Make sure EPSON Stylus Photo R1800 is selected, then click Print Density 
Confirmation Pattern
 (Windows) or Print Density Check Pattern 
(Macintosh).
5. Click 
Print. The printer prints the pattern and ejects the tray. 
6. After the pattern is printed, examine the print and make the 
Print Color 
Correction
 (Windows) or Color Correction (Macintosh) setting lighter or 
darker as necessary.
You can print three density patterns on one disc. Each pattern is printed in a 
different location.
7. After the first pattern is printed, adjust the setting, then repeat steps 2 through 6, 
selecting 
Second or Second Time to print the second pattern. 
8. If you want to try a third Color Correction setting, you can repeat steps 2 through 
6 again and select 
Third or Third Time.
9. Remove the CD or DVD and let it dry for at least 24 hours. Then check the 
saturation levels again.
You can also use the 
Brightness and Contrast settings in Epson Print CD to adjust 
color saturation. See the Epson Print CD on-screen Help for instructions.
Macintosh
Windows 
						

							73
Maintaining Your Printer
Follow the instructions in this chapter to keep your printer working at its best and to 
prepare it for moving, if necessary: 
■“Cleaning the Print Head” below
■“Replacing an Ink Cartridge” on page 76
■“Aligning the Print Head” on page 80
■“Cleaning the Printer” on page 82
■“Transporting the Printer” on page 83
Cleaning the Print Head
If your printouts are unexpectedly light, or dots or lines are missing, you may need 
to clean the print head. This unclogs the nozzles so they can deliver ink properly. 
Print head cleaning uses ink, so clean it only if quality declines. 
Caution: When you don’t turn on your printer for a long time, print quality can 
decline, so turn it on at least once a month to maintain good print quality.
This section explains how to clean the print head using the Auto Nozzle Check and 
Cleaning utility and the Head Cleaning utility. Use the Auto Nozzle Check and 
Cleaning utility first, to let the printer check and clean the nozzles. If you still notice 
problems with quality, you can manually clean the print head. 
Note: You can also clean the print head by holding down the Hink button on the 
printer for three seconds (when the red 
Hink light is off). 
						

							74Maintaining Your Printer
Automatically Checking and Cleaning the Print 
Head
The Auto Nozzle Check and Cleaning utility prints a nozzle check pattern that the 
printer then reads to see if you have any clogged nozzles. If cleaning is needed, the 
printer automatically cleans the print head.
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the red
 Hink light is off. 
(If the 
Hink light is flashing or on, you need to replace a cartridge; see page 76.)
2. Load several sheets of plain, letter-size paper in the printer’s sheet feeder.
3. Do one of the following:
Windows: Right-click the   icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of 
your screen). Select 
Auto Head Cleaning.
Note: If the icon does not appear, click Start > Printer (and Faxes), right-click on 
EPSON Stylus Photo R1800, and select Printing Preferences. Select the 
Maintenance tab and click Auto Nozzle Check and Cleaning.
Mac OS X: Open the Applications folder and select EPSON Printer Utility. 
Select 
SP R1800, click OK, and select Auto Nozzle Check and Cleaning.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen. The printer prints and examines the nozzle 
check pattern shown below. If cleaning is necessary, it then cleans the print head 
and prints and checks another nozzle check pattern.
5. The utility prints and checks up to five times. If some print head nozzles are still 
clogged, it displays an on-screen message telling you to manually clean the print 
head. Follow the instructions on page 75 to clean the print head, if necessary.
If you still have print quality problems, check the solutions beginning on page 93. 
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. 
						

							Maintaining Your Printer75
Running the Head Cleaning Utility
1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the red Hink light is off. 
(If the 
Hink light is flashing or on, you need to replace a cartridge; see page 76.)
2. Do one of the following:
Windows: Right-click the   icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of 
your screen). Select 
Head Cleaning.
Note: If the icon does not appear, click Start > Printer (and Faxes), right-click on 
EPSON Stylus Photo R1800, and select Printing Preferences. Select the 
Maintenance tab and click Head Cleaning.
Mac OS X: Open the Applications folder and select EPSON Printer Utility. 
Select 
SP R1800, click OK, and select Head Cleaning.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to clean the print head. 
Cleaning takes about two minutes, 
during which the printer makes noise 
and the  green Ppower light flashes.
4. When the green Ppower
 light stops flashing, make sure paper is loaded in the 
printer. Click 
Print nozzle check pattern, then click Print (Windows) or click 
Confirmation, then click Next (Macintosh). The nozzle check pattern prints.
5. If the nozzle check pattern has no gaps or lines (as shown below), click 
Finish.
Caution: Never turn off the printer 
while the green P power light is 
flashing, unless the printer hasn’t 
moved or made noise for more 
than 5 minutes. 
						

							76Maintaining Your Printer
If the pattern has white lines or gaps (as shown below), click Clean to clean the 
print head again.
If you don’t see any improvement after cleaning the print head three or four times, 
check the solutions beginning on page 93. You can also turn the printer off and wait 
overnight—this allows any dried ink to soften—and then clean the print head again.
Replacing an Ink Cartridge
When the red Hink light flashes, an ink cartridge is low on ink. 
When the red 
Hink light stays on, you need to replace a cartridge.
You can open the printer cover to check the ink light indicating a cartridge that is low 
on ink or needs to be replaced. 
When a cartridge is more than six months old, you may need to replace it if printouts 
don’t look their best. If the quality doesn’t improve after cleaning and aligning the 
print head, you can replace the cartridge even if the red 
Hink light is off.
Caution: Don’t open Epson Status Monitor or respond to any ink messages 
when your printer is printing. This may cause your printer to pause and leave an 
uneven surface on your printout. If your ink is running low, wait until printing 
finishes before checking ink levels or attempting to replace a cartridge. If you 
must replace an ink cartridge in the middle of a print job, the quality of your 
printout may decline. For best results, check your ink levels and replace ink 
cartridges, if necessary, before printing. 
						

							Maintaining Your Printer77
Checking the Ink Levels
To see an estimate of your ink levels, do one of the 
following:
■Windows: Double-click the   icon on the 
Windows taskbar. You see a window like this: 
■Mac OS X: Choose Applications > EPSON 
Printer Utility > SP R1800 > EPSON 
StatusMonitor
.
You see a window like this:
Click a cartridge image to display information about 
the cartridge.
Purchasing Ink Cartridges
Use these Epson ink cartridges within six months of installing them and before the 
expiration date on the package:
Caution: 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.
You can purchase genuine Epson ink and paper from an authorized Epson reseller. To 
find the nearest reseller, please call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). Or purchase 
online at www.epsonstore.com (U.S. sales) or www.epson.ca (Canadian sales). 
Ink cartridgePart number
Yellow T054420
Magenta T054320
Cyan T054220
Matte Black T054820
Photo Black T054120
Red T054720
Blue T054920
Gloss Optimizer T054020 
						

							78Maintaining Your Printer
Ink Cartridge Precautions
Warning: Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children; don’t drink the ink. 
If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets 
in your eyes, flush them thoroughly with water.
Caution: To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head by hand.
You cannot print if an ink cartridge is expended. Leave the expended cartridge 
installed in the printer until you have obtained a replacement. Otherwise the ink 
remaining in the print head nozzles may dry out.
Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges
Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once you start replacing a 
cartridge, you must complete all the steps in one session.
You can replace a cartridge whether the red 
Hink light is off, flashing, or on.
1. Make sure the printer is turned on (the green Ppower light should be on, but not 
flashing). Then open the printer cover.
2. Press the 
Hink button. 
The print head moves and the green Ppower light flashes.
If a red ink light is flashing or on (indicating a low or expended cartridge), the 
cartridge(s) indicated beneath the light(s) needs to be replaced. 
3. Lift up the cartridge cover.
4. Press in the tab on the back of the cartridge, lift it out of the printer, and dispose 
of it carefully. 
						

							Maintaining Your Printer79
5. Shake the new cartridge four or five times before 
opening its package. (Don’t shake it after it’s 
unpacked.)
6. Remove the new cartridge from its package.
 
7. Slide the new cartridge into its slot. The side with the green circuit board goes in 
the front of the slot.
8. Press the cartridge down until it clicks into place.
9. If you need to replace any other ink cartridges, repeat steps 4 through 8.
10. Close the cartridge cover, press it down on the top until it clicks, then close the 
printer cover.
11. Press the 
Hink button. The printer begins charging the ink delivery system.
The green Ppower light and red 
Hink lights flash and the printer makes noise. 
Charging takes about 90 seconds. When it’s finished, the green Ppower light 
stops flashing and stays on. The red 
Hink light and the light(s) above the 
cartridge(s) go out.
Caution: Never turn off the printer while the green Ppower light is flashing, 
unless the printer hasn’t moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes.
Caution: Don’t touch the green circuit board on 
the front of the cartridge; you may inhibit normal 
operation and printing.  
						

							80Maintaining Your Printer
Aligning the Print Head
If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, or you see light or dark horizontal 
banding, you may need to align the print head. You can have the printer 
automatically check and align the print head or you can check and adjust the 
alignment yourself.
Automatically Aligning the Print Head
1. Turn on the printer.
2. Load letter-size Epson Presentation Paper Matte.
3. Do one of the following:
Windows: Right-click the   icon on your taskbar (in the lower right corner of 
your screen). Select 
Print Head Alignment.
Note: If the icon does not appear, click Start > Printer (and Faxes), right-click on 
EPSON Stylus Photo R1800, and select Printing Preferences. Select the 
Maintenance tab and click Print Head Alignment.
Mac OS X: Open the Applications folder and select EPSON Printer Utility. 
Select 
SP R1800, click OK, and select Print Head Alignment.
You see a screen like this:
4. Click the 
Automatic button, if 
necessary, then click 
OK.
5. On the next screen, click 
Start. 
The printer prints and checks an 
alignment pattern, and then 
prints and checks two more 
patterns.
6. When alignment is finished, click 
Finish on the last screen.