Epson Stylus Pro 3880 User Manual

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PRINTER ERROR
RESTART THE 
PRINTERPrinter errors have 
occurred.Turn the printer off, then turn it on.
REPLACE 
MAINTENANCE 
CARTRIDGE SOONThe maintenance cartridge 
is almost full.Replace the maintenance cartridge with a genuine 
Epson maintenance cartridge. See “Replacing the 
Maintenance Cartridge” on page 104.
SERVICE CALL 
ERROR NNNN
PLEASE CONTACT 
THE REPAIR CENTERPrint head is locked.
A fatal error has occurred.Remove all protective materials from the print head to 
release it.
Turn the printer off, leave it for awhile, then turn it on 
again. If message appears again, note the code and 
contact Epson. See “Where To Get Help” on page 12.
Message ExplanationResponse
 
						

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Improving Print Quality
You can often improve print quality by doing the following:
Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 90 for instructions.
Align the print head. See page 93 for instructions.
When you send a print job, make sure your print options are set 
correctly. For more information, see Chapter 3 (Macintosh) or 
Chapter 4 (Windows).
If none of these suggestions help, try the solutions below.
ProblemSolution 
Your print has 
horizontal or vertical 
banding.◗Check the ink indicators and light to see if you are low on ink. Replace ink 
cartridges if necessary, as described on page 95.
◗Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 90 for instructions. 
◗Align the print head from the printer’s control panel, as described on page 93.
◗Turn off High Speed in your Advanced settings.
◗Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct for the media 
you’re printing on. 
◗Make sure the printable side of your media is loaded face-up.
◗Choose a higher resolution, such as SuperPhoto - 2880dpi.
◗If you’re using a third-party RIP and non-Epson media, see if the RIP provides a 
method for adjusting the paper feed.
Try adjusting your paper configuration settings (see page 63 for Macintosh or page 74 
for Windows). Check these settings:
◗Make sure the Paper Thickness setting is correct for the paper you’re printing on.
◗Use the Paper Feed Adjustment to eliminate banding (see page 44). Reduce the 
value for white lines, or increase it for overlapping dark lines.
◗If you’ve created a custom paper configuration, be sure to return the setting to 
STANDARD when you’re done using it. See page 45.
 
						

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Your print is grainy, or 
has misregistration or 
ghosting.◗Check the ink indicators and light to see if you are low on ink. Replace ink 
cartridges if necessary, as described on page 95.
◗Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 90 for instructions. 
◗Align the print head from the printer’s control panel, as described on page 93.
◗Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct for the media 
you’re printing on. 
◗Make sure the printable side of the paper is loaded face-up in the tray.
◗Choose a higher resolution, such as SuperPhoto - 2880.
◗Turn off High Speed in your Advanced settings. 
Try adjusting your paper configuration settings (see page 63 for Macintosh or page 74 
for Windows). Check these settings:
◗Make sure the Paper Thickness setting is correct for the paper you’re printing on.
◗Use the Paper Feed Adjustment to eliminate banding (see page 44). Reduce the 
value for white lines, or increase it for overlapping dark lines.
◗If you’ve created a custom paper configuration, be sure to return the setting to 
STANDARD when you’re done using it. See page 45.
Your print has gaps or 
appears faint.◗Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct for the media 
you’re printing on.
◗Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 90 for instructions. 
◗Check the ink indicators and light to see if you are low on ink. Replace ink 
cartridges if necessary, as described on page 95.
◗The Paper Thickness setting is not correct for the paper you’re printing on. Use 
your printer software (see page 63 for Macintosh or page 75 for Windows) to 
choose the correct setting. 
◗The platen gap setting is too wide. Use the printer’s menu system to change the 
setting to STANDARD, or to NARROW if printing on very thin paper. See page 42 
for instructions.
ProblemSolution 
 
						

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Colors are incorrect or 
missing.◗Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct for the media 
you’re printing on.
◗If you are using the color management features in Photoshop or another 
application, you must turn off color management in the printer driver. See page 54 
(Macintosh) or page 68 (Windows).
◗Adjust the Color Density setting in the Paper Configuration utility.
◗If you’re using a third-party RIP or non-Epson media, custom color profiles will give 
you the best color reproduction.
◗Make sure the printable side of your media is loaded face-up.
◗Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 90 for instructions. 
◗Check the expiration date printed on each of the ink cartridges. If the cartridge is 
too old, replace it as described on page 95. 
◗Check the ink indicators and light to see if you are low on ink. Replace ink 
cartridges if necessary, as described on page 95.
◗Make sure color settings in your application or printer software are correct.
◗To produce sharper images with more vivid colors in Windows, select 
PhotoEnhance in the Advanced menu. You can also select Color Controls in the 
Advanced menu, and adjust the color, brightness, and other settings.
◗For Macintosh, select Color Controls in the Printer Color Management section in 
the Print window. See “Choosing Color Management Options” on page 54.
Your print appears 
blurry or smeared.◗Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct for the media 
you’re printing on.
◗If you’re printing on non-Epson media, you may need to adjust the paper thickness 
setting, drying time, or color density. Use your printer software (page 55 for 
Macintosh or page 75 for Windows) to choose the correct setting. 
◗Your paper doesn’t meet the required specifications or wasn’t stored in a dry, 
humidity-free environment. Load new paper.
◗Make sure the printable side of your media is loaded face-up.
◗Ink has leaked into the paper path. Wipe the paper path area of the printer with a 
soft, clean cloth. See page 107 for cleaning instructions.
◗Turn off High Speed in your Advanced settings.
◗The platen gap setting is too narrow. Use the printer’s menu system to change the 
setting to WIDE or WIDER. See page 42 for instructions.
◗Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 90 for instructions. 
ProblemSolution 
 
						

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Solving Operational Problems
If you can’t turn the printer on, if it stops printing unexpectedly, or if 
nothing prints, check the following: 
The printer is turned on.
Paper is loaded in the printer. 
The printer is plugged securely into a working electrical outlet that’s not 
controlled by a switch or timer.
The interface cable is securely connected to the printer and your system.
The voltage supplied by the electrical outlet matches the voltage on the 
printer’s rating label. If not, turn off the power and unplug the power 
cord immediately. Contact Epson for assistance (see page 12).
If none of these suggestions help, try the following solutions.
The bottom edge of 
your print is smeared.◗The paper is curled toward the printable side. Flatten it or curl it the other way. 
◗Make sure the Media Type setting in your printer software is correct for the media 
you’re printing on.
◗If you’re printing on non-Epson media, you may need to adjust the paper thickness 
setting or drying time. See page 42.
◗If you’re printing on thick paper, the platen gap setting may be too narrow. Use the 
printer’s menu system to change the setting to WIDE or WIDER. See page 42 for 
instructions.
ProblemSolution 
ProblemSolution
The printer stops 
printing 
unexpectedly.◗If the 
P Power light is flashing, the printer is performing a maintenance procedure 
or waiting for ink to dry. Check the display message and lights on the control panel. 
Wait until the 
P Power light stops flashing.
◗Check the display message and lights on the control panel to see if an error has 
occurred. Follow the instructions for the messages beginning on page 114.
The printer sounds as 
if it’s printing, but 
nothing prints.◗Follow the instructions beginning on page 90 to clean the print head.
◗Communication between the computer and printer may have been momentarily 
interrupted. Try restarting the computer and printing again.
 
						

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126 | Solving Problems
Nothing prints. ◗Turn off the printer and computer. Make sure the interface cable is securely 
plugged in. Then restart the printer and computer.
◗Make sure the interface cable meets the required specifications. See page 10 or 11.
◗Your Epson printer is not selected as the default printer. Install the printer driver if it 
is not installed yet, and follow the instructions below to select your Epson printer as 
the default printer.
Windows 7 and Windows Vista: Click
 , Control Panel, and then click Printers. 
Right-click EPSON Stylus Pro 3880 and select Set As Default. Then close the 
window.
Windows XP: Click Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware, and then 
click Printers and Faxes. Right-click EPSON Stylus Pro 3880 and select Set As 
Default Printer. Then close the window.
Macintosh: Make sure the Stylus Pro 3880 printer driver is correctly added to the 
Printer Setup Utility.
◗The printer port setting doesn’t match the printer connection port (Windows).
Windows 7 and Windows Vista: Click
 , Control Panel, and then click Printers. 
Right-click EPSON Stylus Pro 3880 and select Properties. Click the Ports tab and 
make sure your printer port is selected.
Windows XP: Click Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware, Printers 
and Faxes. Right-click EPSON Stylus Pro 3880, and select Properties. Click the 
Ports tab and make sure your printer port is selected.
◗Follow the instructions beginning on page 109 to uninstall your printer software. 
Then locate your printer software CD-ROM and reinstall the software. You can also 
download and install the latest driver for Macintosh or Windows from the Epson 
website at epson.com/support.
ProblemSolution
 
						

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Solving Miscellaneous Printing Problems
If your printouts are not what you expected, try the suggestions below:
ProblemSolution
Your print has incorrect or 
garbled characters.◗Make sure your software is installed correctly and the printer is selected in your 
application. 
◗Clear any stalled print jobs from the Printer Setup Utility.
◗Turn off the printer and computer. Make sure the interface cable is securely 
plugged in at both ends.
Your print has incorrect 
margins.◗Check the page size or paper size settings in your application. Make sure they 
are within the printer’s printable area.
◗Make sure the Paper Size and Borderless settings in your printer software are 
correct for the paper you’re using.
◗Paper is loaded incorrectly. Follow the instructions in Chapter 2 to reload the 
paper. 
Your image is inverted.◗Turn off the Flip Horizontal setting in your printer software. See page 47 
(Macintosh) or page 65 (Windows) for instructions.
Blank paper is printed.◗Make sure your software is installed correctly and the printer is selected in your 
application. 
◗Make sure the Paper Size setting in your printer software is correct for the 
paper you’re using.
◗Make sure the Paper Source setting in your printer software is correct. 
A ruled line on your print 
appears to shift.Align the print head as described on page 93.
Color images print in black 
only.Make sure Color is selected in your printer software.
The printer continues to 
feed paper after you have 
cancelled a job.◗Press the 
+Cancel/Reset button to clear any print job data in the printer’s 
buffer. Then press and hold the 
+Cancel/Reset button to reset the printer.
 
						

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Solving Paper Problems
If paper feed or paper jam problems occur frequently, try one or more of the 
following solutions:
For heavy or thick media, follow the instructions on page 135 to load 
the media correctly in the front slot.
Make sure the paper is not folded, wrinkled, or damp.
Make sure the printer’s environment falls within the required 
temperature and humidity range (see page 135).
Make sure the paper is not too thick or too thin. See page 135 for paper 
specifications.
Make sure no foreign objects are inside the paper path.
Make sure the printer isn’t located in a brightly lit area. The paper 
sensors may not operate correctly.
Make sure the Media Type and Paper Source settings in the printer 
software are correct.
Make sure the platen gap setting is correct for the paper or media you’re 
printing on. See page 42 for more information.
If you’re not using Epson media, make sure you use a paper 
configuration to adjust for the paper’s thickness and drying time 
(see page 45).
Printing is too slow. ◗Turn on High Speed in your Advanced settings.
◗Choose a lower resolution in your printer software for faster printing.
◗Select Automatic mode and move the slider towards Speed (on the Main tab 
in Windows or in the Print Settings section of the Print window in Macintosh).
◗Clear space on your hard drive or run a defragmentation utility.
◗Don’t run too many applications at the same time.
◗Turn off virtual memory.
◗Add RAM to your system.
◗Consider upgrading your system to support a faster connection to the printer, 
such as USB 2.0.
ProblemSolution
 
						

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Paper Skews When Printing on Large Format Media
If your paper skews while feeding into the printer, use the edge guide on the 
right side of the auto sheet feeder to help the paper feed straight.
Paper Feed or Paper Jam Problems
If paper jams frequently while feeding or during printing, try one or more of 
these solutions:
Make sure the paper is not folded, wrinkled, or curled.
Make sure the printer is located in an environment that is within the 
printer’s operational temperature range (see page 134).
Make sure the paper is not damp.
Store unused paper in its original package.
Make sure the paper is not too thick or too thin.
Make sure no foreign objects are inside the printer.
Check the Media Type setting in the printer software and make sure it 
is correct for the type of paper you are using.
Make sure the platen gap setting is correct for your paper (see page 42).
If you are using a custom paper configuration for non-Epson special 
media, check the paper type selected in the printer’s menu (see page 45).
 
						

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Clearing a paper jam from the auto sheet feeder
1. Turn off the printer.
2. Carefully remove the jammed paper from the output tray.
If necessary, open the top cover, and remove any jammed paper from 
the area shown below.