The INK light should go out when all empty cartridges are replaced with new ones. Only the correct color cartridge can be inserted into its slot but if forced, an improper cartridge will cause an INK CARTRIDGE ERROR message to appear. Shake each new ink cartridge before installation to stir the ink inside it and then shove it into its proper position in the machine. Have an ink cartridge of the correct color for replacement on hand and open its packaging. When the release button is press, the cartridges will pop out slightly and can be pulled away from the machine for disposal. Find the cartridge or cartridges that need replacement and press the eject buttons found on the tops of the cartridges. Lift the unlocked cover to reveal the ink cartridges. To replace cartridges before one of them is completely out of ink, hold down the up arrow for three seconds to unlock the ink cover, otherwise just press it once. It is also a good idea to replace any low ink cartridges before a large print operation to avoid diminished print quality mid-operation. If the light is flashing on and off and the message on screen reads INK LOW, then the printer will continue to function for a while, but it is time to order new ink in preparation for replacement. REPLACE INK CARTRIDGE will appear on screen and a red droplet shaped INK light will turn on when a cartridge absolutely must be replaced before printing can continue.
I have an HP desktop printer at my office and if a printhead gets clogged I just order a new one and replace easily.The Epson Stylus Pro 3880 will alert users when one or more of its ink cartridges is running low with a message displayed on its LCD screen. Epson really needs to get their act together and provide printers that are easily serviced by the owners. Looks like this one will wind up being an e-mail printer from here on in. Time to log onto B&H website and order a new printer. Epson has instructed me to check to see if there was a certified repair shop nearby but with the closest almost an hour away and the information from others with the same problem stating the pump assembly replacement at $500 I doubt I will do that. What a waste of $$! A little over a month ago I was printing tons of fine art photographs with no problem. At $65 per cartridge I now have a printer that I cannot print photographs with and hundreds of dollars of ink cartridges that I have not used yet. It took me almost a month to get the print head cleaned with a solution of windex and alcohol (you tube video instructions) and then when I installed a new Photo Black cartridge thinking that might now get my Photo Black back (the previous cartridge still showed as having some ink) then the black streaks of ink started showing on the edges of my prints. Very frustrating! I have a 3 year old Stylus Pro 3880 and first the Photo Black stopped working. I love the Epson Pro 3800 & 3880, but we have seen enough of these printers with similar problems to know that sometime during the life of the unit, you will typically encounter this problem. You can contact us at the store for more information, and a quote on service prices.
The Ink System Assembly needs to be replaced to resolve this issue. Replacing the ink cartridge will only allow the new Photo black ink to leak out, until that new cartridge is also empty. The printer doesn't realize that the ink has leaked out of the cartridge. Of course if you reinstall the ink cartridge, and check the amount of ink the printer says is left in the cartridge, it will say there is ink still there. The black ink has slowly leaked from the bottom of the printhead, and only stops when the Photo black ink cartridge is empty. In most cases that ink cartridge is empty.
Remove the Photo black ink and give it a shake.
The real verification (for those that have had the problem long enough) is to open the ink bay on top of the unit, where you install your ink cartridges. You may be able to print with the Matte black ink, but when in Photo black mode and you do a nozzle check, a very small section if any at all will appear on the page.Īll of these problems are caused by a faulty part inside the unit.