How to Fix Epson Printer Not Printing Black Ink Error

Sometimes your Epson device may not print in black ink. This can result in the printer printing blank pages. The issue of the Epson printer not printing black ink can show up because of a dirty printer head. You can fix this printing problem by cleaning the printer head via your system’s Control Panel.

We have found some more simple fixes for you that can be implemented to solve this problem. You will also know about the Epson printer models to which you can apply our fixes for troubleshooting this error. If you wish to know these fixes in detail, then please read this article till the very end.

Why is My Epson Printer Not Printing Black?

Epson devices may suddenly stop printing in black ink due to numerous reasons. One of the main causes behind this particular error can be the improper connection between your computer and printer.

Let us now look at some other reasons that may be causing the Epson printer to not print in black:

• You may have forgotten to turn on the spooler services of your printing machine.
• Clogging in the printer head may also be the cause behind your Epson printer not printing black ink.
• There may be a chance that you are still using an older version of the printer’s drivers.
• You may not have selected your printer as the default printing device.
• Another reason for the occurrence of this problem might be an issue in the printer’s firmware.
• Your Epson device may be in an offline state. 
• There may be low ink levels or any kind of blockage in the toner cartridges.

What are the Fixes for Epson Printer Not Printing in Black?

The issue of black ink not printing in your Epson device can be fixed by cleaning the printhead. This printing issue can also be cleared by updating the printer’s drivers, turning on the spooler services, and selecting your Epson device as your default printer on your computer. You can also ensure that there is enough ink left in the ink cartridges of your printer. 

The detailed explanation of the above-mentioned fixes can be found in the following sections.

Fix 1:

Switch on the Spooler Services of Your Epson Printer

Turning on the spooler services can be one of the simplest fixes to solve the issue of your Epson device not printing in black. The main operation of the spooler service is to ensure proper communication between your printer and the system. When this operation fails, you may find printing errors. You can turn on this service by going to the Print Spooler menu.

To execute this method, you can go through the steps mentioned here:

• Click on the “Start Menu”.
• Press the “Windows” and the “R” buttons simultaneously in order to open the “Run” window.
• In the blank space provided, write “services.msc” and hit the “Ok” option.
• A new window will now open. Keep scrolling through all the options till you see the option of “Print Spooler”.
• Double-click on the “Print Spooler” option.
• Set the “Startup Type” option to “Automatic”.
• Ensure the “Service Status” option is set to “Running”.
• Click on the “Start” button.
• Finally, choose the “Ok” option.

When you have made the necessary changes, you can take out a test print job. After executing all the steps in this fix, your printer should be printing normally and the issue you were facing earlier should not be there.

Fix 2:

Update the Epson Printer’s Drivers

Installing the latest version of the Epson printer’s drivers can help you in troubleshooting the issue of the Epson printer not printing in black ink. You may be using the older version of the printer’s drivers which may be resulting in this problem. 

The latest version of the drivers can be downloaded by following the directions given here:

• Open “Start Menu” and then go to the “Control Panel”.
• Right-click on the option of “Device Manager”.
• Scroll to find your Epson device and click on it.
• Choose the “Update Drivers” option. Your system will begin searching for the latest version of the printer’s drivers.
• Follow the instructions on your screen to correctly install the updated version of the drivers.

After you have installed the latest version of the drivers, print a sample page. You should not be facing the same issue now.

Fix 3:

Set Your Epson Printer as Your Default Printer

Epson printer needs to be set to default before you start printing any document through it. If you have not set it as your default printer, then you may find trouble printing black. To set it as your default printer, you will have to go to the Control Panel of your system. 

• Click on the option of “Start Menu”.
• Move to the “Control Panel” of your system.
• Pick the option of “Devices and Printers”.
• You will see all the available printers here. Right-click on your Epson printing machine.
• Then, choose the “Set as Default Printer” option.

When the Epson printer has been selected as the default printer, you will be able to see a green-colored tick mark at the bottom of the printer’s icon. 

Fix 4:

Clean the Printhead from Your PC

Another fix that you can execute to clear the Epson printing issue includes cleaning the printhead through your desktop. In order to do so, you need to go to the Control Panel of your system. You will have to right-click on your Epson device and select the Printing Preference option.

• Click on the “Start Menu” option.
• Go to the “Control Panel” of your desktop.
• Choose the option of “Devices and Printers”.
• Select your Epson printer by right-clicking on it.
• Here, you will see a drop-down menu. Choose “Printing Preferences”.
• A new dialog box will open. Click on the “Maintenance” tab.
• Choose the option of “Head Cleaning”.
• Click on the “Start” button. 

In case the issue in your printer has still not been cleared, perform the above-mentioned steps once again. Sometimes cleaning the printer head might take several attempts. After you have cleaned the printhead, give a sample print command. 

Fix 5:

Uncheck the Use Printer Offline Option

To fix the issue of the Epson printer not printing black, you can disable the Use Printer Offline option. The printer may encounter some issues while printing if you have enabled this option. To disable it, you will have to go to the Control Panel of your PC. Then click on Devices and Printers. As you do it, a new window will open where you will see all the available printers.

• Open the “Run” window by pressing the “Windows” and the “R” keys together.
• Type “Control Panel” in the blank text field.
• Click on the “Devices and Printers” section.
• A new window will then pop up. Select your Epson device from all the available printers.
• Right-click on the device and a new list will open.
• Uncheck “Use Printer Offline” by right-clicking on it.

As you uncheck the Use Printer Offline option, the tick mark in front of the option will disappear. A sample page can be printed now to check how effective this fix has been.

Fix 6:

Check the Ink Levels of Your Epson Printer

Refilling the ink cartridges with low ink levels can come in handy in solving a printing problem on your Epson printer. Many of you may have already refilled the black ink when it is not getting printed. However, if your Epson printer is not printing black ink even after refilling it, then there may be a blockage in the ink cartridge. You can clear it with the help of a sharp object.

• Open the lid of your Epson printer.
• Slowly pull out the ink cartridges from their respective slots.
• Look out for any kind of blockage in the cartridges. If found, then you can remove it using sharp objects such as stapler pins, pens, etc.
• If there is a cartridge running low on ink, then replace it immediately. 
• Properly insert the new cartridge into its place.

Important: Make sure you have completely removed the plastic covering from the new ink cartridge. 

Fix 7:

Printing Unsupported File for Epson InkJet Printers

A problem in which your Epson printer fails to print the black ink can be seen on InkJet series too. There may be a chance that the file you are trying to print might not be suitable for Epson InkJet printing devices which may result in the Epson printer not printing in black. If you have downloaded the file from the internet or from an unreliable source, then you should ensure that it supports inkjet printing. In case it doesn’t, you may try printing it from a laser printer. This should help in resolving the Epson printer error.

Epson Printer Models on which You can Perform these Fixes

The fixes we have mentioned in this article are compatible with the following printer models of the Epson Printer L Series:

You can execute the fixes shown in this blog to clear the black ink printing issue from the following Epson Workforce Printer models:

The fixes written in this blog to fix the printing problem of black ink are compatible with the below-mentioned models of the Epson XP Printer series:

On the other models of Epson printers on which the same issue is arising, you can try using our fixes. Some of these models have been shown here:

Conclusion

After reading this blog, you came to know about the reasons and fixes for the issue of the Epson not printing black ink. We also told you about the different Epson printer models on which you can perform the fixes written in this blog. While implementing any of these fixes, always keep in mind the cause of the problem. On some Epson printers, black ink may not get printed when the printhead is not clean. On other models of this brand, the printer may not have been set to default on the computer. Thus, printing problems like this one may be coming up. When you apply the fixes as per the cause, you will quickly see effective results.