Epson Stylus Pro 11880 User Manual

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Viewing Status Information
To view printer status information instead of printing it, follow these steps:
1. Press r 
Menu. 
2. Press d to select 
PRINTER STATUS, then press r. 
3. Do one of the following: 
To check the firmware version, press r again. When done, press l.
To check the number of pages that can be printed with each ink 
cartridge, press d to select 
PRINTABLE PAGES, then press r. Press 
d to view the number of pages remaining for each cartridge. When 
done, press l.
To check the amount of ink left, press d to select INK LEVEL, then 
press r. The percentage of ink left in the first cartridge is displayed. 
Continue pressing d to see the status of the remaining cartridges. 
When done, press l. 
To check how much capacity the maintenance tanks have, press d 
to select 
MAINTENANCE TANK, then press r. The percentage 
remaining for each tank is displayed. As the tank is filled, the 
percentage drops. When done, press l.
To check the amount of ink used (in milliliters) and paper used 
(in centimeters), press d to select 
USAGE COUNT, then press r. 
Clear this setting with the 
CLEAR USAGE COUNT option.
To check job history, press d to select JOB HISTORY, then 
pressr. For the last 10 print jobs saved in the printer, you see the 
ink used (in milliliters) and paper used (in square centimeters). The 
most recent job is saved as No. 0. When done, press the l button. 
To check the total number of prints, press d to select TOTAL 
PRINTS
, then press r. When done, press l. 
To check the EDM status of the printer, press d to select EDM 
STATUS
, then press r. (EDM is a future enhancement.) When 
done, press l.
4. Press the 
 Pause button to exit the menu.
Note:  You can change 
the units of 
measurement from 
centimeters to inches 
and feet using 
maintenance mode on 
the printer’s control 
panel. See page 131 for 
instructions
 
						

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Checking and Cleaning the Print Head
If your printed image shows a color shift or horizontal lines, you should 
check the print head to see if any nozzles are clogged or deflected. Then you 
can run a cleaning cycle to clear the nozzles.
You can also turn on Auto Nozzle Check from the printer’s control panel. 
The printer will then check the nozzles periodically or before each print job 
and clean them if necessary. 
Running the Nozzle Check and Head Cleaning Utilities
You can use your printer software to check the print head nozzles, then 
examine the pattern to determine whether any nozzles are clogged or 
deflected. 
1. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer.
2. Do one of the following to access the printer utilities: 
Mac OS X: Open the Epson Printer Utility2 in your Applications 
folder. Select your printer and click 
OK.
Windows Vista or XP: Click Start and select Control Panel. Select 
Printers or Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer icon and 
select 
Printing Preferences. Click the Utility tab.
Note: You can run a 
cleaning cycle by holding 
down the r button for 
three seconds. You can 
also use the printer’s 
Maintenance menu to 
run a power cleaning 
cycle or clean the nozzles 
for pairs of colors. See 
page 125 for details.
 
						

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You see a menu like the following:
3. Select the 
Nozzle Check icon.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen.
5. After the pattern is printed, use at least a 30
× eye loupe to examine it. 
If the pattern looks good as shown below, the print head is clean.
If any dots or segments are missing or deflected as shown below, run 
a cleaning cycle from your computer or by pressing and holding the 
r button for at least 3 seconds. Then print another nozzle check 
pattern to make sure the nozzles are clean.
If the nozzles are still clogged after three cleaning cycles, run a power 
cleaning cycle as described page 125.
Windows
Macintosh
Caution: Don’t run a 
cleaning cycle while 
thick media is loaded in 
the printer.
 
						

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Using the Control Panel Menu
You can print a nozzle check from the control panel and examine it to 
determine whether any nozzles are clogged or deflected. Then you can run a 
cleaning cycle by pressing and holding the r 
Menu button. 
Follow these steps to print the nozzle check pattern. 
1. Press r 
Menu. 
2. Press d until 
TEST PRINT is selected, then press r. NOZZLE CHECK is 
selected.
3. Press r, then press   to start printing the nozzle check pattern.
4. Follow the instructions on page 123 to examine the nozzle pattern.
Automatically Checking and Cleaning the Print Head
The printer automatically checks the nozzles and cleans them if necessary. 
You can specify how often you want this to happen or turn this feature off. 
You can also have a nozzle check pattern printed on a regular basis, so you 
can check it yourself.
1. Press r 
Menu. PRINTER SETUP is selected. Press r again.
2. Press d until 
AUTO NOZZLE CHECK is selected, then press r. 
3. Select one of the following, then press  :
 ON: PERIODICALLY—The printer periodically checks its nozzles 
and runs a cleaning cycle if necessary (default). 
 ON: EVERY JOB—The printer automatically checks its nozzles 
and runs a cleaning cycle if necessary before each print job. This 
process uses a very small amount of ink (and no paper) and is 
recommended if you are running large print jobs unattended. 
—The printer will not perform automatic nozzle checks and 
cleaning cycles.
4. Press 
l, then select PRINT NOZZLE PATTERN and press r.
 
						

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5. Select ON: EVERY PAGE to have the nozzle check pattern printed 
before each print job, or 
ON: EVERY 10 PAGES or OFF. These settings 
take effect only when you print on roll paper. 
6. Press   to save the setting.
Running a Power Cleaning Cycle
You can run a power cleaning cycle from the control panel (or from the 
Epson LFP Remote Panel) if the normal cleaning process is not sufficient to 
clear the nozzles. However, the power cycle uses a large quantity of ink, so it 
is recommended only as a last resort. 
You can also run power cleaning for each pair of ink colors.
The cartridges need to be at least 50% full to use power cleaning. You may 
need to replace a low cartridge to run the cleaning cycle. After cleaning, you 
can reinsert the old cartridge.
1. Print a nozzle check to make sure the print head needs cleaning, as 
described on page 124.
2. Make sure the printer is ready and the red B ink 
Check light on the 
printer’s control panel is not on or flashing.
3. Press r 
Menu. 
4. Press d until 
MAINTENANCE is selected, then press r. 
5. Press d until 
PWR CLEANING is selected, then press r. Press   to 
start the power cleaning.
6. When cleaning is finished and the 
 Pause light stops flashing, print the 
nozzle check again to confirm that the head is clean.
For effective cleaning, always run a nozzle check between cycles. 
If the pattern is still missing segments or has deflections after a power 
cleaning cycle, turn the printer off and leave it overnight, then clean the 
print head again the following morning with regular cleaning cycles. If 
you still see no improvement, contact Epson for assistance. 
Caution: Don’t run a 
cleaning cycle while 
thick media is loaded in 
the printer.
Note: You must use at 
least a 30
× eye loupe to 
examine the nozzle check 
pattern for deflected 
nozzles. 
 
						

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Aligning the Print Head 
Aligning the print head is the most important thing you can do to ensure the 
best print quality. If banding appears on your prints, if they look grainy or 
blurry, or if you see misregistration or “ghosting,” you need to align the print 
head. 
Although you can align the print head using the printer utility software, it’s 
also easy to align from the printer’s control panel. This will do the most 
thorough job in the shortest time, and it’s all automatic.
If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good idea to run a nozzle check before 
aligning the print head (page 124). This ensures that the print head 
alignment patterns print correctly.
Follow these steps to align the print head using the control panel: 
1. Make sure the printer is turned on. Then load Epson Enhanced Matte 
paper. 
2. Press r 
Menu. 
3. Press u or 
d until HEAD ALIGNMENT is selected, then press r. 
PAPER THICKNESS is selected. 
4. Press r, then select the paper type loaded in the printer and press  . 
5. Press l twice to back up, then select 
SELECT THICKNESS and press r.
The 8 mil (0.2 mm) setting is selected by default. This is the correct 
setting for most Epson papers.
6. Press   to save the setting.
7. Press l twice, then press d to highlight 
ALIGNMENT. 
8. Press r to select 
AUTO, then press r again. UNI-D (uni-directional) is 
highlighted. This is the type of alignment to start with.
9. Press the   button to start the alignment process. 
Tip: To properly align the 
print head, you can also 
use Epson Doubleweight 
Matte Paper or Premium 
Luster Photo Paper. 
 
						

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Each head alignment takes about 7 minutes. The printer’s white beam 
sensor reads the alignment pattern and adjusts the printer automatically. 
Make sure you don’t open the front cover or turn off the printer during 
this process.
10. When the uni-directional alignment is finished, press the d button until 
BI-D 2-COLOR is highlighted. Then press the   button to start the 
bi-directional black alignment process.
11. When the bi-directional black alignment is finished, press the d button 
until 
BI-D ALL is selected. Then press the   button to start the 
alignment process. 
12. When done, press the 
 Pause button to exit head alignment mode. 
If you want to fine-tune the automatic alignment process, you can perform a 
manual head alignment. For instructions, see page 172.
Replacing Ink Cartridges
Before you begin a large print job, you should check your ink levels. 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 then continue the job 
without any loss of print quality. However, it is best to replace a low ink 
cartridge before starting a large print job. 
The easiest way to check ink levels is from the control panel LCD display. 
The numbers below the ink icons on the LCD display correspond to the 9 
ink cartridge slots on the printer. The icons show the approximate amount 
of ink remaining as follows: 
When the red B ink check light (and the ink status light) is flashing (and
 INK 
LOW
 appears on the LCD display), the indicated cartridge is almost out of 
ink. Make sure you have a replacement cartridge. When the lights stay on 
and 
NOT ENOUGH INK is displayed, the cartridge is expended. You must 
replace the cartridge before you can continue printing. 
 Full  Ink low (flashing) Letters indicate ink color.
 Half full  Ink expended
 20% or less  Cartridge error or no cartridge
Tip: You can store partially 
used ink cartridges for up 
to 6 months. If you do so, 
Epson recommends 
covering the openings 
with tape.
 
						

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Use the following Epson UltraChrome K3® Epson ink cartridges: 
You can purchase genuine Epson ink and paper from an Epson Professional 
Imaging authorized reseller. To find the nearest reseller, visit 
www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales), www.epson.ca (Canadian sales), or 
call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). Or you can purchase online at 
www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales) or www.epson.ca (Canadian sales).
Before you start, make sure the printer is powered on. Then follow these 
steps to replace an ink cartridge:
1. Note the color of the cartridge whose icon and abbreviation is on or 
flashing. This is the cartridge you need to replace.
2. Press the ink cover button to unlock the ink bay, then open the cover.
Slot no.CartridgePart number
1 Vivid Light Magenta T591600
2 Light Light Black T591900
3 Matte Black T591800
4 Light Black T591700
5 Light Cyan T591500
6 Cyan T591200
7 Vivid Magenta T591300
8 Photo Black T591100
9 Yellow T591400Note: We recommend 
that you use genuine 
Epson cartridges and do 
not refill them. The use of 
other products may affect 
your print quality and 
could result in printer 
damage.
Cartridge yields vary 
considerably based on 
images printed, print 
settings, paper type, 
frequency of use, and 
temperature. For print 
quality, a small amount of 
ink remains in the 
cartridge after the 
“replace cartridge” 
indicator comes on.
Caution: Leave the low 
or expended cartridge in 
the printer until you are 
ready to replace it.
To prevent ink reporting 
errors, never replace the 
ink cartridges with the 
printer turned off. 
Note: If the ink 
compartment doesn’t 
open when you press the 
button, insert the end of 
a paper clip in the small 
hole on the upper left 
corner.
HoleInk status lights
 
						

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3. Push in the expended cartridge to release it.
4. Remove the expended ink cartridge from the printer. It’s a good idea to 
save a set of expended cartridges so you can use them for transporting 
the printer, if necessary.
5. Make sure the replacement cartridge is the correct color and remove it 
from its package. Shake the cartridge well before installing it.
WARNING: Do not shake 
the expended cartridge, or 
ink may leak out. If ink gets 
on your hands, wash them 
thoroughly with soap and 
water. If ink gets in 
your eyes, flush them 
immediately with water.
 
						

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6. Hold the cartridge with the arrow pointing toward the printer. Then 
insert the cartridge into the slot until it clicks in place. Don’t force it in. 
7. Close the ink cover. 
Once the cartridge is installed, the printer returns to its 
READY state. 
Changing the Date and Time
1. Press r Menu.
2. Press d until 
MAINTENANCE is selected, then press r.
3. Press d until you see 
CLOCK SETTING, then press r.
4. Use the d, u, and r buttons to set each item in the date and time, 
displayed in the following format: 
MM/DD/YY HH:MM.
Caution: Do not touch 
the green chip on the 
side of the cartridge. 
Doing so may prevent 
normal operation and 
printing. Do not touch the 
black parts inside the ink 
bay.
Caution: Do not remove 
and re-insert cartridges 
more often than 
necessary. Doing so can 
compromise the needle 
valve seal and allow air to 
enter the ink tubes, 
causing nozzle loss.