Epson Stylus Photo Stylus Photo

How to Identify and Fix Common Problems ?

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Epson ink cartridges come with a “Best If Used By” date. This date appears to be approximately two years after the date of manufacture. Epson recommends replacing your installed ink cartridges after six months, whether they`re empty or not, to ensure high-quality prints.
Depending on the type and intensity of the light your print is exposed to, a print on EPSON Photo Paper may last two or more years before noticeable fading occurs. Fade resistance could decrease in intense light conditions or increase if your print is protected by glass or special laminates.
Store your inks upright. Store them in a cool, dark, and dry place, out of reach of children. Store cartridges in a sealed bag and optionally in a closed box to prevent light and humidity from influencing their lifespan. You may place a damp cloth or paper in the sealed bag to prevent inks from drying out.
So, to review, some of the reasons why your printer cartridge is prematurely running low vary. Your team may be printing ink-rich or toner-heavy documents in high quantity. You may be printing off unnecessary graphics or imagery. Your cartridges or printer may be defective.
The shelf life for an original printer cartridge is 24 months and the shelf life for a compatible cartridge is 36 months. Over time, ink dries out and settles inside the cartridge, which can cause your printer to clog.
An original printer cartridge that comes with your printer is likely closer to 24 months, while a compatible cartridge may come closer to 36 months. Check the expiration dates so you can prioritize use of cartridges with earlier dates. Think of the expiration date more in terms of a dry good than a carton of milk.
As print quality goes down over time, this will be a reason to replace the color printer. We find a black and white printer can sometimes last 10 years or more and most color laser printers are replaced every 3 to 5 years.
Fortunately, ink jet colorants (dye and pigment) are very stable and typically can last 100+ years at room temperature, so dark fade is usually not a limiting permanence factor for ink jet photo prints as long as high-quality paper is used.
You may need to replace an ink cartridge before it is expended if it has been installed in your printer for more than six months and print quality declines.
Once the expiration date has passed, the ink no longer produces the same way it was designed to. With air working its way into the cartridge, it can dissolve into the ink carrier or the ink itself can become sludgy which goes on to clog your printer and print head and produce crappy prints.
No, it is recommended that ink cartridges be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Fridges have low humidity which can dry out ink cartridges. The best place to store your printer ink is the back of your drawers or cupboards.
Because the modern print head has to print at very high resolutions there are literally tens of thousands of small holes from which the ink is sprayed from to produce the high quality images which we all demand.
While ink does not have an expiration date, it will eventually become unusable. Whether this is in 5 years or 50 years depends on how the ink has been stored and used. With proper care, a bottle of fountain pen ink should be safe to use until the very last drop.
If you do not care about the print quality and are one of those who replace the printer every two years, you can go for a refill. But make sure after every two to three refills you buy an original ink cartridge and throw the old one away.
After all, printer ink is a liquid and liquids, especially small quantities stored inside an ink cartridge will eventually dry out. If you buy ink from a reputable supplier and look after it as we describe below unused ink will be good for 12 months, and possibly much longer.
Poor print quality

Missing colours, streaky prints, smudges and ink blotches are all signs that your printer ink or toner cartridge may be damaged. Some printers will actually warn you if a cartridge is damaged and will refuse to print. This includes HP ink cartridges, Samsung toner cartridges and Canon ink cartridges.

According to PCMag, a standard ink cartridge will print an average of 220 pages, (with 11 ml of ink). A high capacity cartridge prints an average of 350 pages, (its tank holds 16 ml of ink).
All cartridges must be installed with ink for printing and printer maintenance. For print quality, some ink remains in replaced cartridges. Designed for EPSON cartridges only: Other brands of ink supplies are not compatible and, if described as compatible, may not function properly or continuously.
Do all Epson printers use the same cartridge? No. It`s important to check the compatibility lists on our website so you can be sure you`re buying the right ink or toner for your Epson printer.
Temperature. Ink dries faster on warm stock than on cold. The drying time improves by about 25% for each 42°F (6°C) increase in temperature.
One of the worst ways to damage your printer is to leave an empty ink cartridge sitting in it, or to allow a cartridge to go dry while you`re printing. An empty cartridge can damage and clog a printer`s print heads.
Just above the circuit board on most printer cartridges, you`ll find a small button. You`ve seen these tiny buttons before on cell phones, phone chargers, etc. This is your reset button, and the only way to get in there is either with a paper clip or the tip of a pen (which will leave a tiny ink smudge on the button).
If opened supplies must be stored outside of the product, place them (nozzles up) in a plastic tub with an airtight lid. Some cartridges have an orange cap that is twisted off to open. If these supplies have been opened, replace the orange cap before it is stored.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Epson printer can't recognize Epson ink cartridge
ANSWER : Hi, my name is Jim.

Epson, sudden cannot recognise cartridges error
ANSWER : Hi, I have exactly the same problem than you, I’ve been trying to solve it since 6 months. I have an Artisan PX730 WD, and the genuine cartridge can’t be recognized all together. And status monitor indicates same thing than you.

Tell me the best aleternative option of Epson Expression XP-400 ink cartridges ?
ANSWER : I’ve had good success with www.ccs-digital.com products

Epson ink cartridge leaking?
ANSWER : Posting this cause it worked for me. I have an Artisan 837 that was leaving pools of blue on the page. I tried Epson’s recommendation of cleaning the print path by pressing the copy button on the control panel (with nothing on the flatbed). Printed 5 pages and the last 2 were clean. Did a test print and the problem was back. Repeated a few times with the problem reocccuring. Switched out the cartridge. no better and now the printer doesn’t recognize its own brand cartridge. Yet, it accepts the 3rd party one.

Epson R300 ink cartridge cannot be recognized HELP
ANSWER : Hi Donna

Epson R3000 Inkjets Clogged
ANSWER : If you haven’t yet destroyed your printer or turned it into a paper weight, check this out:

Lexmark Using Inkjet Cartridge Chips AND Spyware?
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Epson RX620 Ink cartridges cannot be recognized
ANSWER : Hd snapping the ink cartridges in better, as per other people’s instructions, and no go. I got all frustrated, banged the printer’s side, and reposed in and out the dang cartridges and nada. Got all pissy and told the printer to Proceed with low Levels. I clicked Print and then when the epson printer icon came on, I clicked on settings and Ink supply levels. In here, it said my YELLOW ink was low, and yet on my epson printer screen, it kept saying my black levels were low. wtf. i had an extra yellow as I hadn’t changed it out with the cyan and blue and yep, all working now. geez. try your computer instead of the printer!!