Epson 870 w/Horizontal Red Lines

[craig_sinclair1]

My Epson 870 prints with horizontal red lines about .03mm thick ,

aproximately every millimeter across everything I print. I have run

the cleaning cycle, replaced the cartridges. And have found no

solutions anywhere. I have samples fo show but no idea how to

post images in this message. Any ideas would be greatly

appreciated.<div></div>

[lwg]

It looks like you have a fiber stuck in the head and dragging across the paper. I don't know how to clean this, but maybe look at Epson's help pages. Good luck, Larry

[elliot_n]

Your printer's dead. My last two Epsons (a 750 and an 870) went the same

way (except the lines were cyan not red).

 

I initially suspected a stray fibre was laying down the lines, and I went

through all the cleaning options that I could find on the internet. And for a

moment it seemed that I had fixed the problem - but the following morning it

returned.

 

I think the problem is down to bad electronics in the printhead.

 

I wouldn't waste time (and ink) trying to fix it. Here in the UK you can get an

Epson 890 for under a 100 quid (at www.dabs.com).

[raymond_mckinley]

Craig

 

My 1270 was doing the same thing, I was able to cope with it for a while by wiping clean the inkpad, which is to your left when you open the printer, but the problem kept recurring. I took the printer in to the Epson service center and they replaced the printhead at a cost of $200. This seems to have cured the problem.

 

 

Raymond

[des_crofton1]

I also had this problem with my 1270. I took it into the Epson repair centre and had the print head replaced. Unfortunately, the new head gave out after only a few prints. It was replaced free of charge, but the experience left me wondering about Epson's quality control. If I were you, I'd follow Elliot's advice above and just replace the printer as the warranty has probably run out.

[twmeyer]

Replace it. The C82 for $150 (4 colors) or the 960 with 7 separate inks for $350.00. I use my old 875 for text. The little <a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/epson_c80.shtml">C80</a> (review at Luminous Landscape) just blows away anything I ever got with the 875... t

[david_fisher]

My 870 has just started doing it too. The lines are red, horizontal, always

starting on the left (left justified) but they finish irregularly on the right. They

are 3mm apart. The problem started a few days ago and is just getting worse.

Seems a shame to think the printer is stuffed and can only be replaced by a

new one. I only use it for printing invoices! Such is life.

[michael_jenner1]

I've had some luck using either plain water, or water with photo-flo to moisten the pad to

the left side when you lift the lid. I use a syringe from my dog's medicine (no needle) and

put about 1/3 of syringe of liquid across the pad. Sometimes it works and I get a good

print right away, sometimes not so lucky. I love the way my 1270 prints, so I'm very

reluctant to give it up. I have a 2000P but the grayscale prints off the 1270 look better and

just the color range in general is so much nicer with the dyes vs pigment inks. Even if it

doesn't last forever, what's the good of a crummy looking print that does?

[stuart_ayling]

Epson 1290.

 

Had the exact same issue, but the tip about the sponge worked for me (fingers crossed it

stays that way).

 

The sponge on the 1290 is located on the right. I used some paper kitchen towel to soak up

any excess ink in the sponge, then dabbed it with some wet kitchen towel and bingo.