Epson Stylus Pro 9890 User Manual

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3. Select one of the following, then press OK:
 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.
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 
OK to save the setting.
Running Cleaning Cycles
You can run several types of cleaning cycles from the control panel (or from 
the Epson LFP Remote Panel2): normal cleaning, power cleaning, and 
cleaning each pair of ink colors.
Run the power cleaning only if the normal cleaning process is not sufficient 
to clear the nozzles. 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 150.
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.
Caution: Don’t run a 
cleaning cycle while 
thick media is loaded in 
the printer.
 
						

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4. Press d until MAINTENANCE is selected, then press r.
5. Press d until 
CLEANING is selected, then press r.
6. Select one of the following, then press r:
 NORMAL CLEANING—Press OK to start the cleaning cycle.
 CLEAN COLOR PAIRS—Press r, select the color pair you want to 
clean, then press 
OK to start the cleaning cycle.
 POWER CLEANING—Press OK to start the cleaning cycle.
7. When cleaning is finished and the 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 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.
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 150). 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.
Note: You must use at 
least a 10
× eye loupe to 
examine the nozzle check 
pattern for deflected 
nozzles. 
Tip: To properly align the 
print head, you can also 
use Epson Doubleweight 
Matte Paper or Ultra 
Premium Photo Paper 
Luster. 
 
						

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3. Press u or d until HEAD ALIGNMENT is selected, then press r. 
PAPER THICKNESS is selected.
4. Press r two times, then select the paper type loaded in the printer and 
press 
OK.
5. Press l three times, then press d to select 
ALIGNMENT.
6. Press r to select 
AUTO, then press r again. UNI-D (uni-directional) is 
highlighted. This is the type of alignment to start with.
7. Press r, then press 
OK to start the alignment process.
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.
8. When the uni-directional alignment is finished, press r. 
9. Select 
HEAD ALIGNMENT, then select ALIGNMENT.
10. Select 
BI-D ALL and press OK to start the alignment process.
11. When done, press   to exit head alignment mode. 
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 is expended, 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 screen. 
The numbers above the ink icons on the LCD screen correspond to the 
9 ink cartridge slots on the printer.
The icons show the approximate amount of ink remaining.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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When the red BInk Check light is flashing and INK LOW appears on the 
LCD screen, the indicated cartridge is almost expended. Make sure you have 
a replacement cartridge. When the light stays on and 
REPLACE INK 
CARTRIDGE 
is displayed, the cartridge is expended. You must replace the 
cartridge before you can continue printing.
You can install any combination of 150, 350, and 700 ml cartridges. Use the 
following Epson UltraChrome K3
® with Vivid Magenta 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 turned on. Then follow these steps:
1. Note the color of the cartridge that is low or expended.
2. Press the
  button.
If ink in one or more cartridges is expended, the corresponding ink 
cover is unlocked.
If the ink is not expended, select the ink bay you want to open and 
press 
OK.
3. Open the ink cover all the way.
Ink baySlot no.Cartridge150 ml350 ml700 ml
Left 1 Cyan (C) T642200 T596200 T636200
2 Yellow (Y) T642400 T596400 T636400
3 Light Cyan (LC) T642500 T596500 T636500
4 Matte Black (MK) T642800 T596800 T636800
5 Photo Black (PK) T642100 T596100 T636100
Right 6 Vivid Magenta (VM) T642300 T596300 T636300
7 Light Black (LK) T642700 T596700 T636700
8 Light Light Black (LLK) T642900 T596900 T636900
9 Vivid Light Magenta 
(VLM)T642600 T596600 T636600Note: 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.
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.
For best printing results, 
use up a cartridge within 
six months of opening the 
package.
Caution: Leave the 
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. 
 
						

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4. Then press in the cartridge you want to replace. The cartridge pops out.
5. Remove the expended ink cartridge from the printer. It’s a good idea to 
save your first set of expended cartridges so you can use them for 
transporting the printer, if necessary.
6. Make sure the replacement cartridge is the correct color and remove it 
from its package. Gently shake the cartridge for about 5 seconds 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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7. Hold the cartridge with the arrow pointing toward the printer. Then 
insert the cartridge into the slot until it clicks into place. Don’t force it 
in.
8. Close the ink cover.
Once the cartridge is installed, the printer returns to its 
READY state.
Note: If you can’t insert 
the cartridge smoothly, 
you may have the wrong 
cartridge. Check the 
package and product 
code. If the BInk light 
remains on after installing 
the cartridge, it may not 
be inserted fully.
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 damage.
 
						

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Switching Black Ink Mode
You can switch the black ink from Photo Black to Matte Black or vice-versa 
by pressing the   button on the control panel.
The Photo Black cartridge is ideal for printing photographic images on 
all media types. It is optimized for traditional photographic and ink 
jet-coated papers, such as Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster, 
Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss, Proofing Paper Commercial, and so 
on.
The Matte Black cartridge is optimized for printing photographic 
images on matte or fine art papers, such as Epson Ultra Premium 
Presentation Paper Matte and Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper. This 
cartridge significantly increases black optical density.
Generally, you should switch black ink cartridges only if you plan to run a 
large number of print jobs in the new mode.
Switching from Photo Black to Matte Black takes 2 minutes and 
consumes approximately 1.2 ml of ink.
Switching from Matte Black to Photo Black takes 3 minutes and 
consumes approximately 3.4 ml of ink.
Changing the Date and Time
1. Press r Menu.
2. Press d until 
MAINTENANCE is highlighted, 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.
5. Press 
OK to save the setting.
Note: You can use the 
PRINTER SETUP menu to 
enable the roll paper 
counter, paper size 
check, and several other 
printer features. For more 
information, see 
page 213.
 
						

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Using Maintenance Mode
Maintenance mode allows you to make special settings and perform 
maintenance procedures that may be needed occasionally. You can use 
maintenance mode to do the following:
Change the language or units of measurements used on the printer’s 
control panel menus.
Adjust the maximum value for roll paper tension.
Run a “super strong” cleaning cycle. 
Return all of the printer’s control panel settings to their default values.
Follow these steps to use maintenance mode:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off. 
2. Press and hold the 
 button, then press the PPower button and 
hold it until the printer turns on and the LCD screen displays 
MAINTENANCE MODE.
3. Use the d and u buttons to select the settings described below. If you 
need to back up to the previous menu level, press l.
To change the language on the LCD screen, press d to highlight 
LANGUAGE, then press r. Press d until you see the language you 
want, then press 
OK to select it. The printer exits maintenance 
mode and returns to normal operation.
To change the units of measurement, press d to highlight LENGTH 
UNITS
, then press r. Press d to switch from METRIC to 
FEET/INCH, then press OK to select it. Press l when done.
To change the temperature units of measurement, press d to 
highlight 
TEMPERATURE UNITS, then press r. Press d to switch 
from 
C (Celsius or centigrade) to F (Fahrenheit), then press OK to 
select it. Press 
l when done.
To change the maximum roll paper tension, press d to highlight 
ROLL PAPER TENSION, then press r. Press d to decrease the 
maximum value, or u
 to increase it (from 1 to 5). Press OK to select 
the setting you want.
 
						

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To run a super strong cleaning cycle, press d to highlight 
SS CLEANING, then press r to display EXECUTE. Press OK to 
start the cleaning cycle.
To return all control panel settings to their default values, press d to 
highlight 
DEFAULT PANEL, then press r to display EXECUTE. 
Press 
OK to restore the default settings.
4. To exit maintenance mode, turn off the printer by pressing the PPower 
button. Press the PPower button again to turn on the printer in the 
normal operating mode.
Replacing the Paper Cutter
If you notice that your paper isn’t being cut cleanly, the cutter may need to 
be replaced.
You can obtain a new cutter from Epson (part number C12C815331). See 
page 12 for ordering details.
Removing the Old Cutter
Make sure the printer is turned on, then follow these steps to remove the 
cutter:
1. Press r 
Menu.
2. Press d until 
MAINTENANCE is highlighted, then press r.
3. Press d until CUTTER REPLACEMENT is highlighted, then press r 
again.
4. Press 
OK. The paper cutter moves to the replacement position.
Note: If the optional 
SpectroProofer is 
attached to the printer, 
remove it following the 
instructions that came 
with it.
 
						

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5. To remove the cutter cover, press in the tab and pull it down.
6. Loosen the screw using a cross-head screwdriver.