My Epson CX4600 Is Not Printing Out Black Ink
The Epson Stylus CX4600 All-in-One printer, part of the DURABrite Photo Series, allows you to print in bright color and deep, rich black. The printer uses four separate ink cartridges for yellow, red, blue and black ink. If the printer stops printing black ink, the cartridge is usually dirty, empty or expired.
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Ink Cartridge Empty or Expired
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If your Epson printer stops printing black ink, the most likely cause is an empty or expired cartridge. To check the cartridge's expiration date, remove it from the printer. The date is usually printed on the side or back of the cartridge. If the cartridge is expired, it may not work properly. Expired or infrequently used ink often dries up or hardens. To check the cartridge's ink level, open the Epson Status Monitor and look at the bars under the Ink Level heading. The bar on the far right side of the window represents the black ink level. If the bar is empty or very low, you cannot print with black ink, and you must replace the cartridge.
Change the Ink Cartridge
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To replace an empty black ink cartridge, power on the printer. Close the document cover and open the scanner lid. Press the "Ink" button to move the print head into the open position. Grasp the empty black ink cartridge by the sides and lift it out of the print head. Shake the new black ink cartridge several times, and then remove it from its package. Slide the cartridge into the print head slot with the label facing up. Shut the cartridge cover and press the "Ink" button. The printer loads the new ink. The "Ink" light turns off when loading completes.
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Clean the Print Head
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If the cartridge is not expired and the ink levels are not low, you may need to clean the print head. To find out whether your should clean the print head, perform a nozzle test. Insert a sheet of paper into the printer, and then hold down the "Ink" and "Power" buttons together for five seconds. The printer prints a test pattern. If the pattern looks faded or jagged, clean the print head. To start cleaning the print head, hold the "Ink" button for three seconds. The "On" light begins flashing. The printer cleans the head and unclogs nozzles. Do not turn off the printer during this process; doing so may damage it. After cleaning the print head, run another nozzle test. If the results are unsatisfactory, clean the print head again.
Draft Option
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Using the Epson printer's Draft option causes the printer to mix black ink with other ink colors. This allows you to save some black ink, but the result is somewhat lighter than black. Images may appear dark purple or blue instead. To correct this, open the Epson printer manager. In the Settings menu, under the "Quality Option" heading, change "Draft" to a different stetting. The printer stops mixing black ink with other colors.
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References
- Photo Credit George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images
