152
152 |Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
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.
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.
Tip: To properly align the
print head, you can also
use Epson Doubleweight
Matte Paper or Ultra
Premium Photo Paper
Luster.