Note: You must use at least a 10× eye loupe to check the pattern.

Maintaining and Transporting the Printer 107

7.When cleaning is finished and the Pause 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 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.

Tip: To properly align the print head, you can use letter-size Epson Enhanced Matte Paper or Premium Luster Photo Paper.

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 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 104). 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 or the paper that came with the printer.

2.Press the Menu button.

3.Press the button so you see HEAD ALIGNMENT, then press

Menu . You see PAPER THKNS.

4.Press the Menu button again so that *STD appears on the display. This is the correct thickness setting for most Epson papers, including Enhanced Matte paper.

5.Press the Menu button to register the value, then press the button to display PAPER THKNS again.

6.Press the button to display ALIGNMENT.