How to Perform an Epson Cartridge Head Clean Using Windows XP

From time to time your printers print heads will require cleaning, this is an automatic process that attempts to clean off any dried on ink particles that are attached to the printer print heads, performing a head clean will improve the quality of your printing. There are a couple of ways in which you can perform a head clean, this step by step guide covers the most easily followed method by using the Windows printer properties within Windows XP.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In Spain, because of the high temperatures we expierience in the summer it’s not unusual to find that it is necessary to perform a printer head clean after the printer has not been used for a couple of weeks.

1. Click the Windows start button (located in the bottom left hand corner of the screen, or press the Windows button on the keyboard) 2. Click Settings 3. Click Control Panel 4. Ensure that the Control Panel is in “category view” – if it is not then click on the Switch To Category View in the image below. 5. Double Click on Printers and Other Hardware 6. Double Click on Printers and Faxes 7. Right hand click on the printer that has the problem. 8. Click on Properties and a screen similar to the following will be shown. 9. Click on the Maintenance tab and the following screen is displayed. 10. Click the “Head Cleaning” button and follow the instructions to perform a head clean. 11. After performing a head clean its advisable to print a nozzle check – this process will print a test page that shows whether any of the nozzels are fully or partially blocked -further head cleans may be advised if the nozzle check is unsatisfactory.