Why is My Epson Printer Not Printing When Ink is Full? 6 Reasons

So you just changed the ink in your Epson printer. And it isn’t printing. Why is my Epson printer not printing when the ink is full? Here are six easy fixes to get you back printing.

There are 6 reasons your Epson printer might not be printing after changing ink cartridges. You might need to reset your ink levels, remove the protective tape from the cartridge, clean the print heads, get back online, and check for bubbles.

If all else fails, you should do a hard reset of your printer.

Here are the details for each printer fix.

1. Reset Your Epson Printer: Ink Levels

After you change the ink in your Epson printer, you’ll need to tell it that it has been refilled.

Depending on your model, it might not work – because it thinks that it is still out of ink.

Here’s how to reset the ink levels on your Epson printer.

Reset ink levels: On the printer menu, go to Maintenance > Reset Ink Levels. Press OK. You’ll then indicate which ink colors you refilled.

2. Reset Your Epson Printer: Hard Reset

You might also need to perform a hard reset on your printer. This can fix many issues.

Here are four methods to reset your Epson printer.

3. Remove the Protective Tape

When you install a new ink cartridge in your Epson printer, be sure to remove the clear tape. It ships in a variety of colors and removes easily. Often the color is clear with a translucent color tape.

If you install ink without removing this tape, your printer will not print – even with a full cartridge. The plastic film will prevent the ink from getting to your document.

Here’s a quick video showing how to do this.

4. Clean the Printheads

If your Epson printer is printing blank pages with no ink, you should check the print heads.

There are two easy ways to clean the print heads – automatic and manual.

1. Automatic Cleaning: Use the in-printer “Print Head Cleaning” function. You won’t get your hands dirty with this method. Allow the printer to clean itself.
2. Manual Cleaning: For more in-depth cleaning, you can use a cleaning solution and manually remove the buildup from the printer head. Sometimes you can clean the print heads without removing them. But often you’ll need to remove the printer heads for a thorough cleaning.

Here’s our full guide to cleaning Epson printer heads.

5. Refilled Ink Problems: Bubbles

Bubbles can form when refilling ink cartridges.

1. Sometimes you can fix the problem by waiting. Simply remove the cartridge and allow it to sit. The bubbles will often rise and the problem will resolve itself.
2. Or if you’re a little more impatient (like me) you can gently tap on the side of the cartridge to accelerate the bubble movement.

This is an uncommon problem and refilling ink cartridges is still a good idea. And while bubbles can cause some print quality issues, they shouldn’t fully stop your printer from printing.

6. Is Your Printer Online?

If your printer has gone offline, you won’t be able to print wirelessly. Here’s why your Epson printer is offline, with how to fix them.

Still not printing? Check out our 8 solutions in our Epson Printer Troubleshooting Guide

These guides might also help.

• 6 Causes of Faded Text and How to Fix Them
• Is My Printer an InkJet or Laser?
• How to Print Without Black Ink

Your Turn

How did this go for you? Please share your experience to help other readers.