What I've done in the past with good success is to spray a little Windex on
the spot where the print head parks. Dab up the excess with a paper towel
and let sit for a while. They say up to 24 hours. I've waited about an hour
with great success.

Hope this helps
Jack Brooks


Good day all,

I have an Epson Stylus Color 600 printer (circa. 1997) that, until recently,
has printed very nicely. It still
does - except for black. Whenever black is required, there are gaps,
streaks, and faint areas. It's mostly
noticeable when printing black-only text, but the quality of text or
pictures seems to be directly related to the
amount of black ink required.

I know that Epson printers do this if left idle for long periods, but the
built-in cleaning utility usually solves
it - not this time, however. Multiple cleanings have made very little
difference. Other than using the cleaning
utility, I have done the following in my attempt to solve this, with minimal
results...

- Replaced all cartridges with new Epson brand cartridges (el-cheapo brands
have been used in the past).
- Realigned the print heads, which did appear to be 'out' by one number
pattern - minimal success.
- Changed print speed from 'faster' to 'better quality' (360dpi to
720dpi)...again with some, but minimal change.

I'm using what I believe(?) to be the last and latest drivers (SC622EES)
I know printers are cheap, but this has been a great little unit and I'm
reluctant to give up on it. Should I
concede that this is normal wear and tear, and that the color ink will
probably do the same soon? Or is there a
reasonable fix that will help it limp on a little longer? Thanks in advance
for any suggestions.

Al Thompson

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