Epson Stylus Pro 10600 User Manual

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5-2|Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
Checking Printer Status and Part Life
Using the control panel, you can check the amount of ink remaining, the 
total number of prints, and the status of your cutter blade, maintenance 
tank, and other printer parts. You can either print out a status check, or you 
can view the printer’s status on the control panel. 
Printing a Status Check
The status check shows the current default settings, the amount of ink 
remaining in each cartridge, the page count,...

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Maintaining and Transporting the Printer|5-3
Checking Ink Levels and Component Life
To view printer status information on the control panel instead of printing 
it, follow these steps:
1. Press the
 SelecType button on the control panel. Press it several times 
until you see 
PRINTER STATUS MENU on the display.
2. Press the 
Item button. You see the printer firmware version the display. 
3. Continue pressing the 
Item button to display the amount remaining for 
each of the 6 inks or service life...

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5-4|Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
Running a Cleaning Cycle
If your printed image is unexpectedly light or faint or dots are missing from 
the image, you may need to run a cleaning cycle. This unclogs the print head 
nozzles so they can deliver ink properly.
The cleaning cycle uses ink, so you should run it only if print quality 
declines. To determine whether a cleaning cycle is necessary, print a nozzle 
check first. You should also print a nozzle check after cleaning the print head 
to...

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Maintaining and Transporting the Printer|5-5
4. Press the Enter button. The nozzle check prints as shown below. 
If all the lines in the check pattern are complete, with no gaps or 
misplaced dots, the print head doesn’t need cleaning. (You may need to 
use an eye loupe to check the pattern.) 
If any dots are out of place or missing from the pattern, as shown below, 
clean the print head as described in the next section. 
Cleaning the Print Head from the Control Panel
Follow these steps to run the...

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5-6|Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
If the lines on the pattern still appear broken after several cleaning 
cycles, or if any dots are out of place, turn the printer off and leave it 
overnight, then clean the print head again the following morning. If you 
still see no improvement, try an SSCL cleaning cycle as described below. 
Performing an SSCL Cleaning Cycle
The SSCL cleaning cycle performs a more intensive cleaning than the 
standard cleaning cycle. In most cases, you won’t have to use...

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Maintaining and Transporting the Printer|5-7
Aligning the Print Head
If banding appears on your prints, or vertical lines are not straight, you need 
to align the print head. Although you can align the print head using the 
printer software, it’s best to use the control panel. This aligns the print head 
for all modes and resolutions. 
If you haven’t already done so, run a nozzle check before aligning the print 
head (page 5-4). This ensures that the print head alignment patterns print 
correctly....

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5-8|Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
8. Examine the first row (marked #1 C). You see a series of patterns similar 
to the one below across the width of the paper. Use your own eye loupe 
or the one that came with the printer to determine which line is the best. 
(Each line is composed of two overlapping colors. Look for the line in 
which the colors overlap the most evenly. In the example below, 
number 8 is the best line.)
9. Look at the other patterns in the first row to see if the same...

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Maintaining and Transporting the Printer|5-9
14. When done performing the adjustment in Uni-D (uni-directional) 
mode, as described above, you should repeat it in Bi-D mode (select 
ALIGNMENT = Bi-D ALL). The process is exactly the same, but the 
printed pattern is different:
To select the best pattern, use an eye loupe to determine which block has 
the smallest gaps. In the example shown above, number 8 has the 
smallest gaps. 
Note
If you’re performing a 
Bi-D ALL adjustment, it’s 
important to...

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5-10|Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
Replacing Ink Cartridges
Before you begin a large print job, you should check your ink levels as 
described below. If one of your cartridges is low, you can replace it before 
you start. Or you can wait until the ink runs out, replace the cartridge, and 
resume printing without any loss of print quality.
Partially used cartridges can be saved for up to six months and reused for 
running smaller print jobs. It’s a good idea to store them in individual,...

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Maintaining and Transporting the Printer|5-11
Ordering and Replacing Cartridges
When you installed the printer’s first ink cartridges, you initialized the 
printer to use either Photographic Dye, Archival ink, or UltraChrome ink. 
Be sure you replace the cartridges with the same type, or you will see an error 
message and your printer won’t work until you insert the correct cartridges.
Use the following EPSON ink cartridges before the expiration date on the 
package:
Photographic Dye ink
Archival...