Why is My Epson Printer Not Printing and How to Fix It

Troubleshooting Guide to Fix Epson Printer Not Printing

Epson printer not printing error can occur due to various reasons such as printer being offline, printer not set as default etc. Henceforth, in this article we will explain your the process to easily rectify this issue. 

 

Why My Epson Printer is Not Printing? Get List Of Reasons-

Printers can be exceptionally unpredictable at times. While they usually work very well, at times they stop printing. Here is why your Epson printer may not be printing properly or at all.

  • Printer is not connected properly– Maybe your wireless printer is not properly connected to the computer. If you have a wired printer, then you need to check the cables.
  • Empty Print Cartridge- When your ink cartridge is empty or dried up, then you may face the Epson printer not printing anything issue.
  • Low Ink- Is your Epson printer not printing black or any other colour ? Your cartridge is most probably low on ink.
  • Software Glitches- Often due to minor bugs or software errors, you may face printer related issues.
  • Improper Pinter Installation- Is your Epson printer installed correctly? If not, then you may face printing related issues.
  • Blocked Print Head- If you do not use the printer frequently, then you may have to clean the print head.
  • Wrong Alignment- When your printer is misaligned, you may be unable to print. If your Epson printer has an alignment problem, then the printer will not print correctly

 

Common Fixes for Epson Printer Not Printing Issue

Apply these basic solutions to fix the Epson printer is not printing error-

  1. Turn off and Reboot your Epson Printer

Some times, power cycling the device works wonders. In case your Epson printer is not printing due to minor glitches and issues, then a simple reboot may fix this issue.

  • Hence, you need to first power off your Epson printer and unplug it.
  • After waiting for a minute or two, reattach it to your computer and power it back on.
  • Turn on the printer and run a test print to see if my Epson printer is not printing issue has been resolved or not.

2. Verify the Connection

The printer may be unable to generate prints if the wires or cables are loose or damaged. Therefore you need to check if the printer is properly connected to your computer.

  • Make sure that the USB cable is properly and firmly attached on both sides.
  • If the cable is damaged, then get another one.

3.Check your Wireless Network Connection

Do you have a wireless (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabled) Epson printer? Well, in that case, you need to check if the following things are in place or not.

  • Firstly, you need to make sure that the Wifi or Bluetooth feature of your Epson printer is turned on.
  • After that, check the availability of the feature. Certain Epson printers have a dedicated button that displays the wireless icon. Check that button to see if the feature is available or not.
  • You may also attempt a wireless connection test for your Epson printer. For this, you need to access the printer’s menu and then test the device’s wireless connection status.
  • Do you have a Bluetooth-enabled Epson printer? If yes, then try switching the Bluetooth off and then switch it back on. Try connecting your printer to your computer once again.

4. Uninstall and Reinstall the Epson Printer

When my Epson printer is not printing, I try to remove and reinstall it. Sometimes, it resolves the issue. Here is how you can uninstall and reinstall your printer.

Uninstall the Printer

  • Press the Windows key.
  • Click on Settings(gear icon).
  • Scroll and find ‘Devices & Printers’ and click on it.
  • Find and select the ‘Printers and scanners’ option.
  • Click on the settings for ‘Printers and scanners’.
  • Find your Epson printer and click on it. 
  • From the drop-down menu, choose the ‘Remove device’ option.

Reinstall wireless printer

  • Open the Start menu on your Windows computer or access your Mac’s Dock.
  • Open the ‘Settings’ page.
  • Click on ‘Devices’ from a range of options.
  • Select ‘Printers and scanners’ (Mac) or ‘Devices and Printers’ (Windows).
  • After that, click on ‘Add a printer or scanner’ option.
  • Now the device will start locating nearby devices.
  • Click on your Epson printer.
  • Thereafter, click on the ‘Add device’ button.

Reinstall a wired Epson printer

Do you have a wired Epson printer? Make sure you have the compatible USB cord to connect it with your computer.

  • Attach one end of the USB cable to the USB port of your computer.
  • Connect the other end to your printer.
  • Open Settings on your computer.
  • Click on the Device option.
  • Move to the Printers and Scanners option.
  • Locate your printer from the list of devices.
  • Hit the ‘Add a printer’ button.
  • Now, the computer will start locating nearby or connected devices.
  • Once detected, click on your Epson Printer.
  • After that, click on ‘Add Device’.

5. Clear the Print Spooler

You may face the Epson printer not printing issue when the print job gets stuck. To resolve this, you should try clearing and restarting the print spooler.

Follow the directions mentioned below to clear and reset the print spooler-

  • In the search bar, you need to type ‘Services’ and hit Enter.
  • Go to the ‘Standards’ section.
  • Click twice on the ‘Printer Spooler’ option.
  • Now, you need to hit the ‘Stop’ button.
  • When the confirmation prompt appears, click ‘OK’.
  • Go back to search and enter %WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers.
  • Click on the top search result.
  • Now, a folder will open.
  • You need to empty the folder by deleting all files.
  • Return to the search bar again. 
  • Enter ‘Service’ and click on the first option.
  • Tap on ‘Standards’ from the top.
  • Double-click on ‘Print Spooler’.
  • Go to the ‘Start’ menu.
  • Click on ‘Startup’ type.
  • Select the ‘Automatic’ option.
  • When prompted, click on OK.

 

6. Clean the Epson PrintHead

Is your Epson printer not printing black or the printed documents are coming faint or poor? If yes, then you might be able to solve this issue by cleaning the print head.

At times, the nozzles fail to deliver the ink properly. In this case, the cleaning of the print head becomes necessary. Epson printer users can clean the print head using the Head Cleaning tool that comes as a part of the printer software.

Via the Head Cleaning utility

Steps for Windows:

Here are the steps that need to be followed by Windows computer users.

  • First, ensure that your Epson printer is powered on.
  • Make sure that the ink out light is turned off.
  • In case the ink out light is turned ON, then you can’t clean the Epson printer’s print head. You will first have to replace the ink toner cartridge.
  • Now, you need to open your printer software.
  • Click on the Utility option.
  • Then, tap on the ‘Head Cleaning’ button.
  • Follow the directions given on the screen.
  • Wait for the power light to stop flashing.
  • Click on the print Nozzle check pattern option.

 

Directions for Mac users

If you have a Mac device, then here is what you need to do to clean the print head.

  • First and foremost, turn on your Epson printer.
  • Check that the ink out light is turned off.
  • Go to the ‘Page Setup’ screen.
  • Click on the Utility option.
  • Now, you need to press the ‘Head Cleaning’ button.
  • Just follow the directions given on the screen.
  • Once the power light stops flashing, click on the ‘Confirmation’ button.

 

How to Fix Epson Printer Not Printing Black Problem?

Epson printer not printing black? Do not worry. We have listed possible solutions to fix this issue in no time.

1. Run the Printer Troubleshooter:

If you are a Windows user, then you can use the inbuilt Printer troubleshooter to fix issues such as Epson printer not printing black.

Follow the steps to learn how to run the printer troubleshooter to fix basic issues.

  • Click on the ‘Cortana’ search or the regular search bar.
  • After that, type ‘Troubleshoot’ and hit enter.
  • Click on the first option.
  • Now, the ‘Setting’s window will open on the screen.
  • Here, select the ‘Printer’ option.
  • After that, click on ‘Run the troubleshooter’.
  • A new window will open on the screen.
  • Click on your Epson printer model displayed on the screen.
  • Now, tap on the ‘Next’ button to proceed with the process.
  • After that, press Windows and R keys at the same time.
  • Type ‘Control Panel’ in the text box and hit enter.
  • Tap on the OK button.
  • Select the ‘Troubleshooting’ option.
  • Click on the ‘View all’ button.
  • Right-click on the Printer option.
  • From the context menu, select R’un as administrator’.

2. Align the Print Head

At times, due to the misalignment of the print head, the Epson printer is unable to print black. You can align the print head automatically.

Steps for Windows Users

  • Load an A4 or Letter size regular paper in the tray.
  • Open the Epson Printer software.
  • Click on the ‘Maintenance’ tab.
  • After that, hit the ‘Print Head Alignment’ button.
  • Follow the directions given on the screen and align the print head.

Steps for Mac Users:

Mac users can use the Print Head Alignment utility tool. Here are the steps to do the same-

  • Ensure that you have loaded an A4 paper in printer.
  • After that, you need to open the Epson Printer Utility window.
  • Choose your Epson printer from the list of options.
  • Click on the OK button when the prompt comes.
  • Hit the ‘Print Head Alignment’ option when the prompt appears.

Follow the guidelines shown on the screen for aligning the print head

3. Change the Print Cartridge

Try removing and reinstalling the ink cartridge to resolve the Epson printer not printing anything issue. Moreover, after removing the old ink cartridge, immediately install the new one.

Here are the steps for removing and installing the print cartridge.

  • Power on your Epson printer.
  • Raise the scanner unit of the printer.
  • Now, hit the Stop button.
  • Press the cartridge tab and gently lift it upwards for removing it.
  • Now, before you unpack the new ink cartridge, shake it a couple of times.
  • Take the ink cartridge out of the packaging.
  • Then, take out the Yellow-coloured tape that is stuck at the side of the print cartridge.
  • Place the print cartridge in its holder and gently push it downwards.
  • Wait until you hear a click.
  • Now, place the scanner unit back to its original position.
  • Click on the stop button.

Wait for a few minutes and then check if your printer is working properly or not

 

How to fix Epson printer not printing after changing ink ? 

Some users face the issues regarding  Epson printer not printing after changing ink. Even when you replace the printer’s empty cartridge, the printer may not print properly. This usually occurs when the device does not recognise the new cartridge.

Here are some possible solutions to the problem.

1. Try removing the protective tape:

  • Epson print cartridges come with a tiny strip of tape that covers the print nozzle.
  • This tape prevents ink from getting leaked by blocking the nozzle.
  • You may have forgotten to remove the tape. Take out the cartridge and then check if the tape is still there or not.
  • Carefully remove the tape, however, you should not remove any other stuff from the cartridge.

2. Resetting Ink Cartridge Counter

Is your Epson printer not printing after changing ink? Well, perhaps your printer does not recognise the cartridge.

  • Epson printers come with a cartridge reset option. Enable this to force your printer to recognise the new print cartridge.
  • Long press the Cleaning button.
  • Alternatively, long-press the Load or Eject button.
  • After that, lift up the clamp that secures the ink cartridge.
  • Place the clamp down and long-press the Load or Eject button.

 

Additional Tips To Fix Epson Printer Not Printing After Changing Ink

Wondering why my Epson printer is not printing? Try these additional tips to resolve the issue.

  • Check that the print cartridge is inserted correctly or not.
  • Make sure that the lever of the print cartridge is in its original position.
  • Clean the print head.
  • Check for and troubleshoot software errors.
  • Make sure that the print cartridge is compatible with your printer.
  • Check the indicator lights.

Wrapping it up

Epson printers are one of the most popular printers across the globe. Often due to software errors or improper usage, users face issues such as Epson printer not printing.

However, these errors can be easily fixed. To prevent such errors from cropping up, make sure that you conduct proper printer maintenance from time to time. Do not keep the printer idle for long durations, and keep taking prints every now and then to ensure that the nozzle doesn’t get dried up.

Moreover, use compatible and original ink cartridges to get the best performance.

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