Epson Stylus Photo 1280

Product Controls

Cleaning Cycle - Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the maintenance lights are off. Press and hold the maintenance button for three seconds. Cleaning takes about 30 seconds, during which the printer makes some noise and the power light flashes. When the cleaning cycle is complete, the power light will stop flashing.

Printer's Nozzle Check Pattern - Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. Then disconnect the interface cable from the printer. Make sure letter-size or larger paper is loaded in the printer. Hold down the Maintenance button, then press and release the Power button. Continue holding down the Maintenance button until the Power light starts to flash, then release it. The printer prints one page showing its ROM version number, ink counter, and a nozzle check pattern.

Which interfaces does the printer support?

The printer comes with a built in IEEE-1284 parallel port and USB port.

What do I need to do to print with this printer on a network?

The printer can be networked using the optional EpsonNet 10/100 Based-TX external Ethernet print server from Epson.

What is the proper way to turn off the printer?

Wait until the printer stops printing and use the printer's power button. Never use an external switch, such as a power strip, surge protector, or power protector, to turn off the printer, as the print heads will not be in the proper position. It can be harmful to your printer if you turn the printer off using an external switch.

Where can I find the printer manual?

Your printer software CD-ROM includes an electronic Reference Guide for your printer. The manual is in HTML format, so you need a browser such as Internet Explorer 3.0 or later or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later to view it. If you are using a different browser, the pages may not display correctly. (A browser is not included on the printer software CD-ROM.)

Where can I find the User's Manuals for the all the software that comes with the printer?

Several of the applications that came with your printer include electronic user's manuals in the Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You'll find these in the Manuals folder on the EPSON CD-ROM, as well as in the product folders. If you already have Adobe Acrobat Reader v3.0 on your system, remove v3.0 and install Adobe Acrobat Reader v4.0 from the EPSON CD-ROM.

What do I need to do to print with my printer on a LocalTalk network?

This printer is not a LocalTalk printer.

Can I use the cleaning sheets that are included with any special media I purchase?

No. These sheets can damage the printer.

Can I use sheet labels with this printer?

Yes, EPSON makes Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets. To avoid paper jams, only load one Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheet at a time. Also, set the Media Type in the printer driver to the "Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper" setting.

Does this printer support borderless printing?

Epson has a wide variety of ink jet paper (4" x 6", 5" x 7", letter", 8" x 10", 11 x 14 and 13" roll) which supports borderless printing with this printer.

Why do I get smearing on the edges when printing borderless?

It is recommended to use only the thicker specialty media from Epson, specified in your printer's reference guide, for borderless printing. Ink satuation may cause thinner paper to curl as it feeds through the printer causing smearing.

What is the correct way to load transparency paper?

It is recommended to use EPSON Ink Jet Transparency Paper (S041064). Before loading the transparency, place the included support sheet or a sheet of plain paper beneath the transparency (or beneath the stack of transparencies if you are loading more than one). You can load up to 10 transparencies at a time, but you may get better results by loading one sheet at a time. Insert the transparency sheet making sure that the notch is at the top right side of the sheet. Remember to choose the correct Media Type setting in the printer driver software. Please refer to your Printer Basics Manual or Electronic Reference Guide for detailed information.

What are the system requirements for using this printer with a PC?

The system requirements are:

• Microsoft Windows compatible PC with a Pentium processor, 200 MHz or faster, recommended
• Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000
• 64MB of RAM (128MB or more recommended)
• 150MB of free hard disk space (200MB or more recommended)
• VGA or better display adapter and monitor
• CD-ROM or DVD drive for installing the printer software
• Bi-directional parallel port, 6 - 10 ft. IEEE 1284 compliant parallel cable (not included)
• USB connection: a computer running Windows 98 with a Windows 98 compliant USB port and a shielded USB "AB" cable up to 6.5 ft (2 meters).

Caution: Using an improperly shielded USB cable - especially more than 6.5 feet (2 meters) long - may cause the printer to malfunction.

What are the system requirements for using this printer on a Macintosh?

The system requirements are:

• An Apple iMac series, Power Macintosh, G3, or G4 with USB port
• Mac OS 8.5.1 or later. Contact Apple for updates.
• 64MB of available RAM (more recommended)
• 150MB of free hard disk space (200MB recommended)
• CD-ROM or DVD drive for installing the printer software
• VGA display or better
• A shielded USB "AB" cable up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) long.

Caution: Using an improperly shielded USB cable - especially more than 6.5 feet (2 meters) long - may cause the printer to malfunction.

What do I do if I see a "New Hardware Found" window before I install my printer software in Windows?

Cancel the window by clicking on "Do not install a driver" and then "OK". You cannot install the printer driver software by using the "New Hardware Found" window. The driver must be installed from the Epson driver install program on the Epson CD-ROM or from a downloaded driver file from Epson. Please see your Start Here Guide for detailed information.

How do I install the driver from the EPSON Stylus Photo 1280 CD-ROM in Windows?

Turn off your printer. Then turn on your computer and wait until you see your desktop icons and the cursor is no longer an hourglass style.

• Now turn on your printer. You may see a screen informing you that Windows has detected your printer (except on Windows NT). If so, click Cancel. You can't install your printer software that way.
• Insert your printer software CD-ROM in a CD-ROM or DVD drive.
• Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.
• Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM or DVD icon.
• Double-click the EPSON icon to start the installer. (Don't select any other icon in the folder.)
• Read the license agreement and click Agree. You see the Main Menu.
• Click Install Printer Driver. You see the printer driver installation screen.
• Make sure your printer model is highlighted, then click OK. The installer copies files to your computer and displays a series of windows on your screen.
• When it's finished, click OK. You see the EPSON Product Registration screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to register your printer with EPSON.
• At the last screen, click Done.
• At the Main Menu, click Exit and restart your computer.

Your printer software icons will appear in the EPSON folder, your shortcuts will appear on your desktop and the EPSON Stylus Photo 1280 will be set as your default Windows printer.

How do I remove the printer driver from Windows?

• Double-click My Computer, then double-click the Control Panel icon.
• Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click EPSON Printer Software in the program list, and click the Add/Remove button (Change/Remove button on Windows 2000).
• In the next window, make sure your EPSON Stylus Photo printer icon is selected and click OK. Then follow the on-screen instructions.
• If you're using the USB port, click EPSON USB Printer Devices in the program list; then click the Add/Remove (or Change/Remove) button.
• Restart your computer when you're done.

How do I install a printer driver from the EPSON Stylus Photo 1280 CD-ROM on a Macintosh?

• Turn on your printer, if necessary.
• Turn on your Macintosh and wait until you see your desktop icons.
• If you see a message telling you that you need to install software for a USB device, click OK.
• Insert your printer software CD-ROM in a CD-ROM or DVD drive.
• Double-click the EPSON icon in the CD-ROM folder. (If your CD-ROM folder doesn't open automatically, double-click the EPSON icon on your desktop.)
• Read the license agreement and click Agree. You see the Main Menu.
• Click Install Printer Driver.
• At the next screen, click Install. Follow the instructions to install your printer driver, select a default paper size, and restart your Macintosh.
• Open the Chooser from the Apple menu.
• Click the SP 1280 icon, then click your USB port icon.
• Turn on background printing, if you want.
• Close the Chooser.

How do I uninstall the printer driver from my Macintosh?

• Insert your printer software CD-ROM.
• Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM icon if necessary. Then double-click the EPSON icon in the CD-ROM folder. You see the Main Menu.
• Click Install Printer Driver, then click Continue.
• On the installer screen, click the arrow in the Easy Install list at the top and select Uninstall. Then click the Uninstall button at the bottom and follow the instructions. When you're finished, click Quit.
• Restart your Macintosh.

How do I install my ink cartridge for the first time?

First ink cartridge installation takes approximately three minutes. Turn the printer on. The power light will flash and the Maintenance light will come on. The ink cartridge holders will move left to the installation position. Unwrap the ink cartridges being careful not to touch the green chip on the back of the cartridge, then remove ONLY the yellow tape seals from the black and color ink cartridge. Do not remove the blue label from the top of either ink cartridge. The ink in a cartridge missing the blue label will be exposed to air and will thicken such that print head clogging and possible print head failure can occur. If the blue label has been removed from an ink cartridge, the cartridge will not function correctly and it will need to be replaced. More importantly, to avoid potential damage to the printer, do not install a cartridge from which the blue label has been removed. Install the cartridges into the printer. The black ink cartridge goes on the left and the color ink cartridge goes on the right. After the ink cartridges have been inserted into their holders, push down the ink cartridge clamps until they lock in place. Press the yellow ink cartridge replacement button, located under the top cover, to begin charging the ink delivery system. Charging can take up to three minutes and is complete when the power light stops flashing. Do not turn off the printer power during charging.

What is the Epson part number for replacement ink cartridges?

This printer uses the following EPSON ink cartridges:

Black ink cartridge: T007201 (U.S.)
Color ink cartridge: T009201 (U.S.)

How do I know when the ink cartridges need to be replaced?

To find out which ink cartridge is low or empty, do one of the following:

1. Check the information in the EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows) or EPSON StatusMonitor (Macintosh) window that automatically appears on your screen when you print.

2. Press the Ink Cartridge Replacement button and check the flash pattern of the control panel lights:
ERROR and POWER lights flash at the same speed = replace black cartridge
ERROR light flashes twice as fast as the POWER light = replace color cartridge

How do I replace an ink cartridge when an ink low or out condition occurs?

Make sure the printer is on but not printing. Raise the printer cover, then press down the yellow ink cartridge replacement button, the print heads move to the left. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp all the way. The empty cartridge rises up from its holder and should be disposed. Don't touch the green chip on the back of the new cartridge; you may inhibit normal operation and printing. Remove the yellow tape seal from the ink cartridge. Do not remove the blue label from the top of the ink cartridge or the clear seal underneath the cartridge. The ink in a cartridge missing the seals will be exposed to air and will thicken such that print head clogging and possible print head failure can occur. To install the new cartridge, tilt the ink cartridge forward slightly as you lower it into its holder. Hang the tabs at the back of the cartridge on the hooks on the holder clamps. Don't place the cartridge tabs under the hooks on the holder clamp; you may damage the clamp when you close it. Install the ink cartridge and press the yellow ink cartridge replacement button to begin charging the ink delivery system. Charging takes about a minute and is complete when the power light stops flashing.

I installed new ink cartridges and the printer is now doing continuous cleaning cycles. Is there something wrong with my printer?

When an ink cartridge is installed into the printer, it will take approximately two minutes to charge the ink system and initialize the printer. While the ink is charging the power light will flash. Never turn off the printer while the power light is flashing (unless the power light is flashing AND the printer has not moved or made noise for over 5 minutes). This initialization is a normal and necessary process.

The colors of my image on my monitor do not match the output from my printer. What is wrong?

First you must have an understanding of how color is produced. A monitor displays color by transmitting Red, Green and Blue (RGB) light into your eyes. A printer uses existing light to reflect Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black (CYMK) light into your eyes. It is virtually impossible to have these two different color types (transmissive and reflective) to match perfectly. Also, due to its transmissive nature, the monitor is able to display a much wider range of colors than a reflective product, such as a piece of paper with ink on it.

Secondly, most monitors are not calibrated for correct color display out of the box, they have to be calibrated to produce accurate colors. Adobe PhotoShop includes a basic monitor calibrator to do this; it is the Adobe Gamma utility. This utility is contained in the Control Panel in Windows and on the Macintosh. Some of the higher-end monitor calibrators use a suction cup device that sticks on the monitor and reads a range of colors displayed on the monitor. These hardware/software combination devices create much more accurate color profiles than the strictly software solutions.

Also, what type of color matching system (CMS) are you using when printing your image? The color matching system can greatly affect the output color of your image. For information on how to use the various color management system available, please check the CMS user documentation or the website of the manufacturer.

To ensure that the images your Epson Color printer produces are as close as possible to the images displayed on your monitor you should do the following:

• Calibrate your monitor
• Experiment with various Color Management Systems
• Try using the ICM (Windows 95 or 98) or ColorSync (Macintosh) setting

To print a file saved in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) format with accurate colors, you first need to convert the file to RGB format. Your printer software automatically converts RGB files to your printer's 6-color CMYKcm format (including light cyan and light magenta). To print with the correct colors, convert any CMYK-format input files to RGB format before printing. For the best results, create your original print files in the RGB color space.

How should I preserve my pictures?

For optimum image quality and longer print life, print your photos with EPSON Photo Ink and EPSON's light-resistant Matte Paper - Heavyweight (S041257). EPSON Premium Glossy paper also offers improved lightfastness but is more susceptible to atmospheric contamination than Matte Paper - Heavyweight or EPSON Photo paper. Prints with other EPSON media are less fade-resistant but can be preserved if kept in a photo album. As with all photos, care should be taken to preserve the long life of all your prints. All color dyes change over time. For storage in photo albums, we recommend acid-free, archival sleeves that are commonly available from camera shops and other retailers. For indoor display, we recommend avoiding direct sunlight and mounting prints under glass to help protect them from humidity, cigarette smoke, and other atmospheric contaminants. Color stability varies based on lighting conditions, color intensity, color range, and print media.

The quality of my printed output is unacceptable. What can I do to improve this?

First verify that you are using the correct printer driver for your printer model. Make sure that the printer's paper thickness lever is set to 0 for regular paper and + for envelopes or thicker media. If MicroWeave is off, turn this feature on. If High Speed is on, turn it off. Make sure the Media Type setting matches the paper or media loaded. Also, the Halftoning and Color Adjustment Mode options may be set incorrectly for your document type. Let the printer driver automatically select the settings for the best Quality.

Secondly verify that the printable side of the paper is face up, and check the type of paper being used. EPSON brand paper, which is specifically designed for the Stylus ink jet series of printers, delivers the best-printed output. If your output is faint, check the printer driver to make sure you have selected a print resolution other than Economy. The resolution of your image may also be set too low. Increase the image resolution using your image-editing software, or decrease the size of the image.

Also, try testing the printer with another computer. This will eliminate the possibility of a defective printer cable, parallel port, or software issue. If you're still experiencing a problem, try replacing the ink cartridge and make sure you are using genuine EPSON ink cartridges.

Only garbled text is printing with my PC or Mac. Why?

The interface cable may not be securely connected. Turn off the printer and computer. Disconnect and reconnect the cable on both the printer and computer. Make sure the printer is directly connected to the computer and not through a pass through device such as a switchbox. Make sure the printer cable is fully-shielded and meets the printer's specifications.

If you are using a PC, try printing a screen from a DOS prompt. If the DOS print screen is garbled, try using a different printer cable. If you are only experiencing the issue when trying to print from Windows (but the DOS print screen prints OK), make sure you are using the correct driver. Select the Stylus Photo 1280 as your default printer driver. Check for and delete any stalled print jobs. If you are using a Macintosh make sure you always leave the printer turned off until the Macintosh is fully booted.

Vertical lines are not aligned or vertical banding appears. How can I correct this?

First make sure you are using the most current version of the printer driver which is available on the EPSON web site. Align the print head as described in your Printer Basics Guide. If you have already tried to align the print head and did not have any success, try turning high speed off in the printer driver settings. Also, the print head nozzles may be clogged. From the head cleaning section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check pattern must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check pattern, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 3 cycles if necessary.

I installed the printer driver on my Macintosh, but it isn't showing up in the Chooser. What should I check?

Make sure the "SP 1280" and "EPSON Status Monitor3" extensions are enabled. Then, restart your Macintosh.

I am getting the message "Sorry SP 1280 cannot be used" when I try to select the "SP 1280" icon in the Chooser. What should I do?

This message indicates that there is something wrong with the driver or the way it was installed, and you will need to remove and reinstall the driver. To remove the driver, trash the "SP 1280", "EPSON Monitor3", and "EPSON" extensions from your "Extensions" folder (the "Extensions" folder is located in your "System Folder" in your hard drive). Then, restart your Macintosh and reinstall the driver. If you have printer drivers of other EPSON printers installed on your system, you may need to reinstall them after removing the Stylus Photo 1280 driver.

Whenever I try to print from my Macintosh, I get a type 11 error, my system locks up or a portion of my image doesn't print. What's wrong?

These issues are typically memory related errors. Check the available memory and its allocation. You may need to increase the memory allocation for your application, the EPSON Monitor3, or both. Insure that the needed system resources are available. If you have background printing enabled, you may want to try disabling it. Some printing issues can also be caused by conflicts with Extensions and Control Panels. Turn off all third party Extensions and Control Panels that have been added to the system and restart.

Why am I getting a memory error message when I try to print from my Macintosh?

You may need to increase the memory allocation for your application, EPSON Status Monitor3, or both. If you have background printing enabled, you may want to try disabling it.

A portion of my image doesn't print when I'm printing from my Macintosh.

Your system may not have enough available memory. Close any other applications you are running and turn off background printing. You may need to increase the memory allocation for your application, the EPSON Status Monitor3, or both.

How can I increase my print speed from my PC?

Verify that your system meets the system requirements. The print speed is dependent upon the amount of RAM in your system, the type and speed of your computer's processor, and the amount of free hard drive space and degree of fragmentation of hard drive space in your computer. Verify that you are using the EPSON Stylus Photo 1280 driver. If you're using a USB port, too many active USB devices may slow the printer. Disconnect USB devices that you're not using. Close any background applications that are running. If you're using the parallel port, enable ECP/DMA mode in your computer's setup program. See your computer documentation or contact the manufacturer for help.

Why can't I print from a particular Windows application in color?

Make sure the correct driver is selected and the Color option is enabled in the printer driver. Try printing again. If the image comes out monochrome, print from a resident program within Windows, such as Paintbrush. If the results are successful from Paintbrush, contact the software manufacturer of the application for assistance. If the results are not successful, troubleshoot the pertinent areas within Windows, such as the video driver.

When I try to print in Windows 95 or 98, the message "The printer is out of paper" or "The printer is off-line" appears in the despooler. What do I do?

Examine the printer's control panel to make sure the printer does not show a paper out error. Also, the interface cable may not be securely connected. Turn off the printer and computer. Disconnect and reconnect the cable on both the printer and computer. Make sure the printer cable is fully shielded and meets the printer's specifications. Try printing a screen from a DOS prompt. If the DOS print screen does not print or is garbled, try using a different printer cable (a Belkin cable with a length of 6 feet or less is recommended).

The printer won't feed paper. What should I do?

Power the printer on and press the Maintenance button to see if paper will load. If the paper does not load, make sure the paper isn't curled or creased, isn't loaded above the arrow on the left edge guide, and that the paper isn't jammed in the printer. If the Paper Out light is on solid, reload the paper, making sure the paper edge guide is adjusted to fit the paper's width, and then press the Maintenance button again to see if the paper will now load. If the Paper Out light is flashing, turn the printer off, reload the paper, turn the printer back on, and try pressing Maintenance again to see if the printer will now successfully load the paper. If the printer still will not load paper, power the printer off, remove the printer cable, and make sure all of the packing materials are removed. If the problem persists, the printer may need to be sent in for a service.

The power light is on, but nothing prints. What should I do?

Turn off the printer and computer. Make sure the printer cable is securely connected to the printer and computer ports. Turn on the printer and computer and try printing again. If the cable was not the issue, turn off the printer and computer, disconnect the interface cable and run a nozzle check. If the nozzle check works, try checking for and deleting any stalled print jobs.

The printer sounds like it is printing, but no ink is on the paper. What's wrong?

The print head nozzles may be clogged. From the Utility section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 3 cycles if necessary. If the nozzle check is not printing completely, and if the head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, try replacing the ink cartridge. Any ink cartridge installed into the printer must have a blue label on top of it. If the blue label has been removed from the ink cartridge, do not install the cartridge. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the blue label on it may damage the printer. Caution: If you have already installed a cartridge which is missing the blue label, or if a previously installed ink cartridge was missing its blue label at the time it was installed, and now head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, your printer may require a service.

My printouts are missing color and/or black print. How can I resolve this issue?

A: If the printer is printing blank pages, make sure you are using the correct printer driver and make sure the paper size is correctly selected in the driver. If the printer is printing black only, the "Ink" option in the printer driver may be set to "Black" instead of "Color" or a setting in the software may be set to print black only. Also, the print head nozzles may be clogged. From the Utility section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 3 cycles if necessary. If the nozzle check is not printing completely, and if the head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, try replacing the ink cartridge. Also, make sure you are using a genuine EPSON ink cartridge which has a blue label on top of it. If the blue label has been removed from the ink cartridge, do not install the cartridge. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the blue label on it may damage the printer. If you have already installed a cartridge which is missing the blue label, or if a previously installed ink cartridge was missing its blue label at the time it was installed, and now head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, your printer may require a service.

How do I align the print head on my printer?

To align the print head, make sure that paper is loaded and the printer has power. Access the "Utility" tab (if you are using Windows) or click the "Utility" button (if you are using a Macintosh) located in your printer driver settings. Click the Print Head Alignment icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Sometimes the paper doesn't eject all the way or is wrinkled. What should I do?

Make sure the correct paper size is selected in your application and/or printer software. If the paper doesn't eject fully, it may be too long for the printer. If the paper is wrinkled, the paper may be damp or too thin. Check the paper specifications in the Appendix of your Printer Basics manual for ranges of paper size and thickness you can print with, as well as environmental requirements for storage.

Why are my margins incorrect?

The paper may be loaded incorrectly. Make sure that the left and right edge guides are flush against both sides of the paper. Make sure the margins are set correctly in your software application (margins are not adjustable via the printer driver), and make sure you are not trying to print outside of the printable area of the page for your paper size (printable area of the page specifications are available in the Printer Basics Manual). Make sure the correct paper size is selected in the printer driver settings.

The printer does not have a Data light. How do I know when the printer is receiving information?

The Power light functions as the Data light. When the Power light flashes, the printer is receiving information from the computer. When the Power light remains solid, the printer has completed the print job and is ready to receive another.

If I want to clear the printer's buffer, what should I do?

Make sure that you cancel the print job from the computer before you try to clear the printer's buffer. Also, make sure the printer is no longer printing. After canceling the print job from the computer, turn the printer off, wait 10 seconds, and then turn on the printer again.

How can I stop the printer from feeding multiple pages at the same time?

Make sure the paper you are using is not too thin (see paper specifications in the Appendix of your Printer Basics Manual). Remove the stack of paper and fan the edges to separate the sheets. Reload the paper, making sure the edge guides are snug against both sides of the paper, then press the Maintenance button to see if it feeds the paper correctly.

Are there any tips on the best way to load roll paper?

If necessary, use the uncurling sheet that comes with the printer to straighten the paper before inserting it in the printer. To load paper correctly, gently hold the paper in place with your hand while you press the Roll Paper feed button. Don't force the paper to feed into the printer. Allow the paper to feed automatically. Use a triangle to make sure the end of the roll is cut perpendicular to the edges. If the end is cut on a diagonal, the paper may not feed smoothly. If you see a paper jam error message, press the Roll Paper button for four seconds to clear the jam. Always press the Roll Paper button to feed roll paper. If you press the Maintenance button instead and then turn either the printer or your computer off and on again, paper will feed unnecessarily and you'll see a paper jam error message.

How can I use my roll paper if it is curled and difficult to insert in the printer?

If paper is curled, roll the paper inside the uncurling sheet in the direction opposite to the paper's curl. Please refer to your Printer Basics manual for detailed instructions.

Why does my roll paper start feeding through my printer after each print job or when I turn the printer and computer on.

This is usually the result of loading roll paper with the maintanence button. Remove and reload the paper using the Paper Feed button. Always select Roll Paper as the Paper Source setting. If Sheet Feeder (or Auto Sheet Feeder) is selected, paper will feed unnecessarily after each print job. In addition, a great deal of paper may feed unnecessarily when you turn your computer off and then on again. If extra paper feeds after a print job or after you turn on the printer, press the Roll Paper button for three seconds to rewind the paper. (You may need to repeat this step to rewind the paper completely.) Then press the Maintenance button to turn off the Maintenance light. Finally, reload the paper and press the roll paper button again to resume printing.

Why does the image look inverted, as if viewed in a mirror?

You may have accidentally used the "Flip Horizontal" option in the printer driver or a similar feature in your application. Turn off the setting in the printer driver and/or software application and try printing again.

The paper out light is flashing. What's wrong?

This indicates a paper jam. Remove all paper from the printer, and then reload the paper. Make sure the paper is pushed against the right edge guide, and slide the left edge guide against the other side of the paper. Then, press the Maintenance button.

Why are all the lights on the printer flashing?

When all the lights flash, your printer may have an internal error. Verify that all packing material has been removed. Instructions for removing the packing material will be found on a notice in the box. If the printer has not made any noises for more than five minutes, turn off the printer. Open the cover and check for any obstructions. Power on the printer to see if the error still occurs.

All lights are off. Why won't the printer initialize?

The printer may not be receiving any power. Press the Operate button a second time. If the printer still fails to power up, remove the interface cable from the back of the printer, unplug the power cord, plug it back into the outlet, and try turning the power on again. If you still do not get power to the printer, try another outlet. Make sure the outlets you are connecting to are not controlled by a switch or timer and are able to operate other equipment.

The Ink Out light is flashing or on solid.

If the light is flashing, the ink supply is getting low and you will need to replace the cartridge soon. If the light is on solid, the ink cartridge is completely empty and will need to be replaced in order to continue printing. To determine which ink cartridge needs replacement, refer to your printer driver or your Printer Basics manual. Make sure you only remove the yellow tape seal from the top of any ink cartridge you install into the printer.

Caution: If the blue label has been removed from the ink cartridge, the cartridge will not function correctly and it needs to be replaced. More importantly, to avoid potential damage to the printer, do not install the cartridge if the blue label has been removed.