This is an informational message. Epson merely indicates that this cartridge is not an original. This does not affect the quality. Confirm the message and you can continue printing as usual.

It is possible that the chip on one of the cartridges makes little or no contact with the electrical contacts in the printer.

The cartridge holder needs to be placed in the replacement position. To do this, press the Ink / OK button on the printer to print or follow the step-by-step instructions in your printer maintenance menu.

Lift the flap over the cartridges and push the cartridge firmly in place with your hands. If this fails, lift the cartridge gently. Then firmly replace the cartridge back into position to ensure the chip makes proper contact with the connection points inside the printer.

When installing compatible Epson cartridges,  accurate positioning of the cartridges in the printer is required. Make sure the cartridge is installed correctly. You should be able to read the logo on the top of the cartridge!

It may happen that the chip reader gets loose when you replace the cartridge.

If this is the case, you can easily push back the chip into the printer.

Put the chip back into place and press firmly on. See photo for proper placement.

When the chip reader is placed back correctly, the cartridges can be installed again.

With Epson cartridges, accurate positioning of the cartridges is required in the printer. The error message could mean that the cartridges are not installed properly. Remove the cartridge from the printer. Clean the chip gently with a damp, lint-free cloth or paper towel. Press OK or reset the printer.

When you click on the link, Manual for Epson Stylus printers, you are redirected to the site with Epson printers. Here you can select your printer from the list and then download the manual. The manual describes how to clean the printheads, how to align the print heads and how you can check the ink levels.

As long as the cartridges are closed they have a minimal life time of 2 years.

The black colour can be slightly different (slightly less deep) from the original. This has to do with the ink, but does not harm the printer.

If the black really looks grey, it can also be due to the printer settings:

1. Check the paper settings. This should be set to “plain paper”. If the paper set is to “Glossy” the print turns to grey. To change the setting, click on Control Panel> Devices and Printers> Select the printer and click the right button> Printing Preferences> Tab: Paper / Quality> Media: Plain paper
2. If you are using the Epson Status Monitor software, it can also be that the printing settings is set as “draft” copy. You will see the following options in Printer Properties:

Perform a cleaning of the print heads. The cleaning can be found in the service menu of your printer.

When you click on the link, Manual for Epson Stylus printers, you are redirected to the site with Epson printers. Here you can select your printer from the list and then download the manual. The manual describes how to clean the printheads, how to align the printheads and how you can check the ink levels.

Print a test page to see if the nozzles are free from blockages. If the lines / stripes still appear on the printed page, repeat the steps. If two black lines appear on the printed test page, enter up to two cleaning cycles. When you see three black lines, enter up to three cleaning cycles: in most cases blocked spray channels are caused by trapped air inside the print head. If after the cleaning cycle the lines / stripes still do not disappear, allow the printer to rest for half an hour and then check the rollers.

Should there still be no improvement, it is a good idea to let the cartridge rest for another two hours. During this rest period, ink will flow through the cartridge and absorb the trapped air and / or by pressing the print head to the outside.

When the cartridges are permanently removed from the Epson printer, the printhead is subject to dehydration, which can stop the Epson from printing. So please replace the used cartridges only when you have replacement cartridges available. Never unplug the printer from the power supply while the printer is active, for instance during paper handling, cleaning cycles, and printing. When the printer is not in use, the print head is closed by the locking mechanism to prevent dehydration.

“Clean Printheads” consumes a lot of ink. It can also help to print a page with large areas of colour. This way, the spray nozzle can flow through well. Click here for an example: ColourTest-sheet.pdf

If the above solutions do not improve then you can apply for your cleaning cartridge through the page cleaning cartridge. Click here to request cleaning cartridges

First, check to make sure the yellow tape is removed from the cartridge. If the yellow tape has been removed and no error message appears, you can perform a cleaning program. You can find this program under “Printer content” (name may vary by printer).

You can also click on the link, Manual for Epson Stylus printers. You are then redirected to the site with Epson printers. Here you can select your printer from the list and then download the manual. The manual includes information on how to clean the print heads, how to align the print heads and how you can check the ink levels.

Remove the cartridge from the printer and gently wipe the chip on the cartridge with a clean, dry paper towel. Then insert the cartridge back into the printer.

This message on the cartridges means that it is (almost) empty and needs to be replaced. If this is a new cartridge, and therefore cannot be empty, remove the cartridge from the printer and clean the chip gently with a damp, lint-free cloth or paper towel.