Epson Stylus Pro 3880 User Manual

							5-91
Maintaining and Transporting the Printer | 91
3. Click the Nozzle Check icon.
4. Click 
Print to print the nozzle check pattern so you can see if the print 
head needs to be cleaned. Or click 
Auto if you want to run the nozzle 
check and have the printer automatically clean the print head if 
necessary.
5. Examine the nozzle check pattern to make sure it has no gaps or lines.
If the printout looks okay as shown below, you’re done. Click 
Finish.
If you see any gaps as shown below, click Clean to clean the print 
head and follow the on-screen instructions.
6. If the nozzles do not clear after a few cleaning cycles, run a Power 
Cleaning Cycle, as described in the next section.
Note: You must use at 
least a 10
× eye loupe to 
check the pattern. 
 
						

							5-92
92 | Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
Running a Power Cleaning Cycle
You can run a power cleaning cycle from the control 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.
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 90.
2. Make sure the printer is ready and the red B ink light is not on or 
flashing.
3. Press the 
Menu r button.
4. Press d until 
MAINTENANCE is highlighted, then press r.
5. Press d to select 
POWER CLEANING, then press r.
6. Press the Enter button to start the power cleaning.
7. When cleaning is finished and the P
 Power 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 after a few power cleaning cycles, turn 
off the printer and let it sit 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 
power cleaning cycle 
while thick media is 
loaded in the printer.
 
						

							5-93
Maintaining and Transporting the Printer | 93
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 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 
best 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 (see page 90). 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 one of the following types 
of paper:
Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper
Epson Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper
Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster
Enhanced Matte Paper
Epson Ultra Presentation Paper Matte
Epson Presentation Paper Matte
2. Press the 
Menu r button.
3. Press d until 
HEAD ALIGNMENT is highlighted. Then press r.
4. Make sure 
Auto is highlighted and then press r.
 
						

							5-94
94 | Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
5. Press d or u to select the type of paper you loaded: PREM. 
GLOSSY/LUSTER
, P Q INK JET PAPER (Epson Presentation Paper 
Matte), or 
ENHANCED MATTE PAPER (Ultra Premium Presentation 
Paper Matte). Then press r.
6. Press Enter to start printing. After printing is complete, the printer 
starts aligning the print head.
It takes several minutes to run the head alignment. The printer’s white 
beam sensor reads the alignment pattern and adjusts the printer 
automatically. Make sure you don’t open the top cover or turn off the 
printer during this process.
If you want to verify or fine-tune the alignment process, you can perform a 
manual head alignment.
Aligning the print head manually
When you want to use the non-Epson special media, you can perform the 
head alignment manually. To perform head alignment manually, follow the 
steps below.
1. Press the 
Menu r button.
2. Press d until 
HEAD ALIGNMENT is highlighted. Then press r.
3. Press d to select 
MANUAL. Then press r.
4. Press d to select actual paper thickness value between 
0.1 mm and 
0.5 mm.
5. Press r to register your value.
 
						

							5-95
Maintaining and Transporting the Printer | 95
6. Press Enter, and the printer starts printing.
Head alignment pattern examples:
7. After printing is finished, the pattern number and current set number 
are displayed. Select the set that has the smallest gaps, and then press the 
doru button to display the number for that set.
8. Press Enter to register the set number. The next pattern number 
appears. Then repeat step 7.
9. After you set the pattern, the printer exits Menu mode and returns to 
the 
READY status.
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 cartridge needs to be replaced, 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.
 
						

							5-96
96 | Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
The easiest way to check ink levels is from the control panel:
When the red B ink light is flashing and
 INK LOW appears on the LCD 
panel, the indicated cartridge is low on ink. Make sure you have a 
replacement cartridge. When the light stays on and you see the LCD 
message 
REPLACE INK CARTRIDGE, the cartridge is expended. You must 
replace the cartridge before you can continue printing.
Use the following UltraChromeK3
® Epson ink cartridges:
You can purchase genuine Epson ink and paper from an authorized Epson 
reseller. To find the nearest reseller, call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). 
Or you can also purchase online at www.epsonstore.com (U.S. sales) or 
www.epson.ca (Canadian sales).
CartridgeProduct code
Matte Black T580800
Photo Black T580100
Light Black T580700
Light Light Black T580900
Cyan T580200
Vivid Magenta T580A00
Light Cyan T580500
Vivid Light Magenta T580B00
Yellow T580400
1 Matte Black
3 Light Black 2 Photo Black
4 Light Light Black7 Light Cyan 9 Yellow
5 Cyan8 Vivid Light Magenta 
6 Vivid Magenta
Caution: You must use 
the Epson ink cartridges 
designed for your printer. 
Other ink cartridges will 
not work and may cause 
damage not covered by 
your warranty. 
 
						

							5-97
Maintaining and Transporting the Printer | 97
Before you start, make sure the printer is turned 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. If the red B ink light is on and 
REPLACE INK CARTRIDGE appears on 
the printer’s LCD, press the u button to unlock the ink cover. If the 
light is flashing and the LCD message is 
INK LOW, you need to hold 
down the button for 3 seconds to unlock the ink cover.
3. Lift the ink cover.
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. 
 
						

							5-98
98 | Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
4. Press the ink eject button above the cartridge you need to replace. The 
ink cartridge slides out slightly.
5. Carefully pull the cartridge straight out of the slot and dispose of it 
properly.
6. Make sure the replacement ink cartridge is the correct color, and then 
remove it from its package.
WA R N I N G: 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.
Caution: Do not touch 
the green chip on the top 
of the cartridge. Doing so 
may prevent normal 
operation and printing. 
 
						

							5-99
Maintaining and Transporting the Printer | 99
7. Shake the ink cartridge well before installing it.
8. Hold the ink cartridge with the arrow mark facing up and pointing to 
the back of the printer, and then insert it into the slot until it clicks.
The printer has a protection system to prevent improper cartridge 
insertion. If you cannot insert the ink cartridge easily or if you see the 
message 
INK CARTRIDGE ERROR on the LCD panel, the type of 
cartridge may be incorrect. Check the package and product code.
If the B ink light remains on, the ink cartridge may not be installed 
correctly. Remove the ink cartridge and then reinsert it as described 
above.
Arrow mark
 
						

							5-100
100 | Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
9. Close the ink cover and press it until it clicks.
When you see 
READY on the LCD, the printer is ready to print. 
Performing Additional Maintenance Tasks
In addition to running a power cleaning cycle, you can use the Maintenance 
menu to switch between Matte Black and Photo Black, set the printer’s date 
and time, and adjust the contrast on the LCD screen.
The printer also provides a maintenance mode which lets you change the 
printer’s defaults and run special procedures.