Epson printers are known for their high-quality printing performance. However, technical glitches are common with all printers. If you notice your Epson printer not printing color, it can put printing of any urgent work-related document on a halt. Users generally find that their printer has abruptly stopped after thy have replaced all or one of its empty ink cartridges. This problem has a lot of reasons behind it. In this article, you’ll learn in detail about the issue.
Why Is My Epson Printer Not Printing Color?
As mentioned above, there are multiple causes for this issue. They include the following:
- Blocked nozzles – Sometimes, if you run more than three cycles of print cleaning at a single time, it can result in ink build-up in the nozzles.
- Dust accumulation inside the printer – The build-up of dust inside the printing machine is another reason for Epson not printing color. That’s why it’s advised to always dust the printer regularly.
- Dried ink accumulation – Another common issue is when the ink cartridge is filled with accumulated dried ink. Sometimes, removing dried ink build-up can be difficult because of the specific Epson printer model.
- You are not using your printer regularly – A regular printer usage will keep the clogging issues at bay. So, if you don’t use your printer regularly, it’s possible that it is accumulating dust and negative air pressure.
- Your printer is always kept on – Many people habitually keep their printers on even when they aren’t using them. It affects the printer negatively, as it does not get an opportunity to run a cleaning cycle.
How to Fix Epson Printer Not Printing Color Problem
You can conduct various checks to ensure that your printer prints color. Here are some effective techniques to follow.
Check the Nozzles
Checking nozzles through the control panel of the printer is the first measure you can take to fix color issues. Turn off your printer and follow these points.
- Load the paper into the tray.
- Find the ‘Paper/Cancel‘ and ‘Power‘ buttons on the control panel.
- Next, press and hold these two buttons.
- When the power light begins blinking, release these buttons.
- Let the printer print the nozzle check pattern. Then verify it.
- If there are gaps in the pattern, the printhead nozzles are clogged.
- You must clean the printhead.
Clean the Printhead through the Control Panel
This is the obvious next step after you have followed the first technique. To clean the printhead to fix the Epson not printing color problem, follow these steps.
- Your paper tray should have sufficient paper.
- Hold down the ink button on the printer’s panel for three seconds.
- The cleaning cycle will start.
- Once it completes, print the nozzle pattern to find if the printhead is clean.
Check the Ink Level
When you find the Epson printer not printing color correctly, inspect the ink level on your device. To check it, follow these points.
- Power on your printing machine.
- Now push the ‘Menu‘ button.
- Head over to ‘Setup‘ and then choose ‘Ink volume.’
- Hit ‘OK.’
- Replace the cartridge if it’s low on ink or fill the ink tank.
Update the Epson Printer Driver
Updating your driver can help you fix the Epson printer not printing color correctly problem. Follow these steps to update the printer driver.
- Navigate to the ‘Start‘ menu and input ‘Device Manager.’
- Hit Enter and tap on your printing machine.
- Now, right-tap on your Epson printer and choose ‘Update driver.’
- Next, choose the option’ Search automatically for updated driver software.’
- Adhere to the instructions on the screen to finish the process.
Modify Printer Settings
Printer settings are crucial for a printer to print properly. These settings indicate to the printer what and how to print. If you find your Epson printer not printing color, you must take a look at its settings.
- Go to the Print dialog box, and select ‘Printer Settings.’
- Choose the ‘Basic settings’ tab.
- In this section, you’ll view ‘Black‘ on the right and ‘Color‘ on the left. Choose the’ Color’ option if you wish to print in color.
- Now, at the dialog box’s bottom, tap ‘Print.’ It will begin the process of test printing and save your applied settings.
Flush the Ink
This is for those who don’t use their Epson printer for long periods. Your printer may have dried ink particles on the nozzles. If you are wondering how to fix Epson printer not printing color, the answer for you is to flush the ink.
- Launch ‘Settings‘ and tap on ‘Printers and Scanners’.
- Hit ‘Printing Preferences.’
- Now click ‘Maintenance.’
- Next, tap the ‘Power Ink Flush’ followed by ‘OK.’
Check the Grayscale/Black Print Settings
Is your Epson printer printing only black and not color prints? In this case, you must examine the grayscale/black print only settings. If they are activated, your Epson printer will print documents will black and white format.
- Launch the control panel.
- Next, hit ‘Devices and Printers.’
- Right-tap on your printer and navigate to ‘Printing Preferences.’
- Disable the mode ‘Grayscale/Black print-only.’
- Now press ‘OK.’
Port Your Printer Correctly
An improper port can halt the printing of your Epson printer. So, you need to be careful of it while installing the printer. However, if you have installed the port incorrectly, follow these steps to change the port without reinstalling your printer.
- Open your system and tap ‘Control Panel’.
- Choose ‘Devices and Printers‘ and select your printer.
- Right-tap on your printer to open ‘Printer Properties’.
- Tap the ‘Ports’ tab and hit ‘Add port’.
- Choose ‘Standard TTCP/IP Port,’ followed by clicking on ‘New Port.’
- On the subsequent page, tap ‘Next’.
- Now, hit the ‘Apply‘ button.
- Lastly, restart your system and Epson printer.
Now you are aware of exactly what to do when you find your Epson printer not printing color. There’s no need to think that you cannot use your device properly again. Just use these fixes and see your Epson printer printing color efficiently.
I Hope this Epson Printer Troubleshooting Guide will definitely help you to rectify this printing problem.