Problem Printer

[mxdi]

My dads printer is playing up, and I cant fix it for him, so hoping PH can answer

Its an Epson C44 he hasnt used it a while and the ink has dried i think
we have tried cleaning nozzles and cleaning heads through the maintenance programs which it doesnt appear to be doing anything
after a few sheets of printing the black is now coming through quite clear and sharp but the colour is still not right, missing lines, not vivid colour
so i bought a new cartridge and open the lid to fit it and the cartridges dont reel along to let me change them.
power button is on, red button continually flashing.
any ideas?

[Pigeon]

Don't know about the cartridge not moving along thing, but IME Epson are shite when it comes to blocked nozzles. It may be working OK on the black now but I'd reckon it'll keep clogging again and again so it probably isn't worth taking too much trouble over.

[agent006]

One of the buttons will move he cartridges out.

As for a diagnosis? New printer time, heads are blocked, as epsons always do. It's why they're so cheap.

[mxdi]

he has only had it about 3 months, i'll have another fiddle with it, if not i'll take it back.

[stuuu]

This works for HP carts as I've had a few brand new ones that won't work, never mind ones that have been sitting in the printer. The process I follow is below and it has worked for all cartridges.

Sit the cartridge on wet kitchen towel for 10 mins. Usually if this works you will see all the colours get drawn out into the towel.

If that doesn't work

Sit the carts in 3mm of warm water for an hour or so. Then sit them on the wet paper towel again.

Final solution, sit cart in hot water for an hour. then try wet paper towel again.

[nanny state mode]
take care with hot water young man
[/nanny state mode]

Keep us posted as other may be interested to know if this works for Epson too.

[anonymous-user]

This won't work with Epson printers though. An HP cartridge has a print head built into it. The epsons have the printhead built into the printer and the cartridge purely contains ink.

[stuuu]

ah well mxdi, you will have to get the toolbox out or try cotton bud with meths?

someone must have been here before???

[Pigeon]

Yes, agent006 and me

Cleaning Epsons with meths or other solvent works badly if at all.

Much as I hate advising people to get new stuff, I must say: Get a new printer. Preferably not Epson. Or Lexmark. I like HP gear myself.