Laser and inkjet printers do not have built-in hardware to measure the amount of ink remaining. Instead, software techniques for estimating ink consumption are used. The printer calculates the coverage of each sheet sent to print. Based on this parameter, the approximate amount of liquid ink or toner powder used is calculated. The information is written to a chip, which is usually found on a cartridge. After refilling most models with toner or ink, it becomes necessary to reset the printer.
During zeroing, information is erased not on the printer itself, but on the chip. Some refueling kits also include a separate microcircuit that is installed in place of the old one, the counter of which has been exceeded. Color models may have several such chips. Each of them stores information about the remaining amount of paint of a certain color. Normal use of the device will be impossible until zeroing or replacing all the microcircuits that are exhausted.
How to reset any printer model
When refueling a cartridge at a service center, zeroing or replacing the chip is usually performed by a service technician. It is recommended to clarify in advance whether this service is included in the refueling price. Otherwise, you risk being left with a refilled but non-working cartridge. If the printer is not reset, to restore the correct operation of the device, you will have to contact the wizard again or find the instructions yourself.
Standard user manuals usually do not contain information on how to reset the chip counter. This is because the manufacturers of printing equipment are not interested in providing such data. Most companies recommend not refilling old consumables, but purchasing new ones. Moreover, their cost in some cases may even exceed the price of a new printer with a set of starter cartridges.
Try looking for the service manual for your printer model. This document contains detailed steps, diagrams, and step-by-step troubleshooting instructions. It is not intended for distribution to general users, so there is no such manual on the included disc. The availability of the service instructions depends on the manufacturer of the device. Some companies provide it only to authorized service centers, others publish it for everyone in a separate section of the official website.
However, whatever the manufacturer's policy regarding the protection of proprietary information, you can find repair manuals for most popular models on thematic forums. When you find the document, open it and skip to the chapter on refilling and maintaining ink cartridges. Follow these steps in the order required to reset the printer. Typically, this will require a device reboot.
Note! On some models of printers, you can reset the counter programmatically using a special utility. Other devices can only be reset by hardware, by manipulating the chip.
How to reset a refillable Epson cartridge
Multiple refills is the recommended scenario for servicing Epson cartridges. The chip installed on them is used not in the interests of the manufacturer, complicating the refueling process, but in the interests of the user. Its main purpose is to display information about the current level of ink in the tanks. You can reset the microcircuit on printers of different models in different ways:
- If the chip does not have a button or two contacts at the top, remove the ink reservoir and insert it back.
- If there is a button, press it and hold it for 5-7 seconds.
- If there are two separate contacts located side by side - take out the cartridge and close the contacts with any metal object.
Important advice! Confirm your intention to reset the printer when a window appears with the appropriate question. The confirmation prompt can be displayed both in the operating system and on the LCD screen, if available on the device.
Canon Printer Zeroing Features
There are many more ways to reset the chip on Canon devices than on equipment from other manufacturers. The recommended sequence of actions differs depending on the specific model, while for some devices it is indicated directly in the instructions. The most common methods are:
- Reset the printer by gluing the desired contact on the contact pad of the cartridge.
- Disable ink level control in device properties.
- Press and hold the cancel button (usually red) for 10 seconds.
- Completely disable bi-directional data exchange via hardware properties.
Important! In order to directly reset the information on the chip, you must use a special device - a programmer.
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Often, when printing a document on the printer, the device stops and displays a warning or error. In most cases, "The following cartridges are not recognized ...", "replace cartridge" or other warning appears on the product display or monitor screen. The problem is most likely related to zeroing, information about which I found in the online store, where it is written that this warning appears even when there is still enough ink in the Epson CISS (continuous ink supply system), or when the cartridge has just been installed ... The printer requires replacing the cartridge, that is, zeroing the CISS, since it cannot set the remaining ink itself and does not even notice that a non-original cartridge is installed in it. All CISS cartridges are equipped with electronic chips, which, as it were, "deceive" the printers and issue the cartridges as original. Meanwhile, original cartridges have a certain resource, at the end of which the printer begins to demand a new cartridge. When you reset the CISS, you simulate the installation of a new original cartridge, thereby fulfilling the aforementioned requirement of the printer.
What is zeroing?
CISS for Epson or Canon can be reset in different ways, depending on the model or multifunctionality of the device, as well as on the CISS manufacturer.
The first, common method, allows zeroing by simply pressing the button on the CISS cartridges. The method works on Epson series printers. The zeroing process is similar to the procedure for replacing the original cartridge, which is described in any manual for the printer. However, in this case, instead of replacing the cartridge, you must press and hold the button on the CISS cartridge for 3-5 seconds. Then release and continue strictly according to the instructions, otherwise zeroing will not occur, and the process can be repeated again.
Due to the absence of a button on Epson CISS cartridges, zeroing, in this case, occurs somewhat differently. Instead of pressing a button, you need to remove the cartridge from the printer and put it back, and then again according to the instructions.
The other zeroing method is practically no different from the first one associated with the button on the cartridges. It is rather related to the outdated version of the Epson CISS series. The button you need to press is on the blue CISS block with batteries.
Meanwhile, the most convenient zeroing process is considered to be pressing a button on the chips of Epson CISS cartridges. The convenient location of the button allows its comfortable pressing, and the absence of the need to periodically remove the cartridge from the printer greatly speeds up the zeroing process. By the way, after zeroing, you cannot turn off the printer, otherwise the chip will not be zeroed.
Almost every printer owner sooner or later has a question - how to reset an Epson cartridge? They are not asked unless those who do not spare money to buy new cartridges.
Obviously, every company that manufactures printers and consumables for them is trying to eliminate the possibility of self-refilling the cartridge.To this end, the chips installed on the printheads are pre-programmed to perform a certain number of printing procedures. Accordingly, after this number is reached, the printer begins to require replacement of the cartridge. Even refueling the consumable will not save you from the problem.
How to reset chips on Epson cartridges?
Before starting work, you should read an important note:
- Disabling ink level tracking will void your printer manufacturer's warranty.
- Such a manipulation does not reset the ink counter: the printer simply stops blocking printing, without displaying the indication of the fullness of the cartridge.
- In several printer models, the ink level is also determined by a photo sensor, and if the ink in the cartridge really runs out, printing will be blocked even if the digital counter is turned off. So the cartridge needs to be refilled in time.
Zeroing Epson Cartridges - Basic Steps
If your printer's slam-shut device has a dedicated zeroing button, simply slide out the replacement carriage and press this button without releasing it for 5-7 seconds.
- If your cartridge is not equipped with such a button, but has two small round contacts on the chip, located at a distance of about a millimeter from each other, the zeroing procedure will be slightly different. Start by removing the slam-shut selected for zeroing according to the instructions for the printer. Then take a flathead screwdriver and close these contacts.
- If the slam-shut on your printing device does not have either a reset button or two contacts on the top of the chip, you can reset it as follows. Take it out of the printer and put it back in place immediately. Thus, zeroing will occur automatically.
- Regardless of how you zeroed the cartridge, the final step should be confirmation of the cartridge replacement process on the printer panel and the refilling itself. This will help avoid head bloating, which can occur if the actual ink level in a cartridge runs out before you decide to reset it to zero.
For CISS (continuous ink supply systems), the ideal solution to the problem of zeroing chips is to replace them with self-zeroing auto chips - they are inserted instead of the original cartridges and each time the printer is turned off and on, the ink level is reset to 100%. The first such chips appeared at the beginning of 2003 in the USA, and now they can be found in the CIS as well.
Many users of Epson printers are faced with a situation where the printer stops printing the started page and stops working, requiring to replace the cartridge. Considering that there can be more than four cartridges, and ink is consumed unevenly in them, such messages can arrive in a chaotic manner on the monitor screen.
The situation can be corrected by a continuous ink supply system. However, the printer may continue to report that the ink is out of ink while the ink tanks are still full. Experienced users know the printer is fine. Those who have recently installed the CISS system are completely bewildered. In fact, everything is in perfect order with the printer and the ink supply system. In order to continue working, you only need to spend a few minutes if you know how to zero the ink level.
Why does the printer warn of low ink when the cartridges are full enough?
The reason for this behavior of the printer is quite understandable. The printer may not realize that it has a continuous ink supply system, continuing to "think" that it uses small cartridges with a volume not exceeding 7 ml for work. That is why, as soon as you use up 7 ml of ink for printing, the printer notifies you of the complete end of ink, requiring you to replace the cartridge. In this case, accordingly, the “droplet” indicator on the instrument panel will light up, and a reminder message will be displayed on the computer monitor.
Resetting Ink Levels on Epson Printers
How do I clear the ink counters and continue with my Epson printer? Here is one of the simplest methods suggested by experts to zero ink in a short time.
If printers with built-in CISS run out of ink counter, do not despair: there are several proven ways to zero the levels. For the first L-series software, it was necessary to enter the reset codes that were on the original ink cans into the printer's print control program. Now you can find the codes you need on the Internet.
On devices without a screen, a drop indicator on the control panel lights up when the ink is low.
To reset the level, simply press the print cancel button. You can also use this helpful program to organize and improve your printer. Print Help... Having installed it on your computer, in addition to resetting, you can see the remaining ink, and also reset the working counter. In order to do this you need to purchase a special key.
Before resetting the counters, be sure to add ink to the donor tanks to avoid airborne airflow and damage to the printhead. The printer will be ready for use in just a few seconds. In this case, printing will resume from the point of stopping, which will avoid rejects during work.
The described algorithm is applicable to the absolute majority of Epson printers. The printer will continue to operate until the next 7 ml of ink is used up. You can then repeat the operation and your printer will print properly again.
Zeroing video instruction
Almost every printer owner sooner or later has a question - how to reset an Epson cartridge? They are not asked unless those who do not spare money to buy new cartridges. Obviously, every company that manufactures printers and consumables for them is trying to eliminate the possibility of self-refilling the cartridge.
To this end, the chips installed on the printheads are pre-programmed to perform a certain number of printing procedures. Accordingly, after this number is reached, the printer begins to require replacement of the cartridge. Even refueling the consumable will not save you from the problem.
How to reset chips on Epson cartridges?
Before starting work, you should read an important note:
- Disabling ink level tracking will void your printer manufacturer's warranty.
- Such a manipulation does not reset the ink counter: the printer simply stops blocking printing, without displaying the indication of the fullness of the cartridge.
- In several printer models, the ink level is also determined by a photo sensor, and if the ink in the cartridge really runs out, printing will be blocked even if the digital counter is turned off. So the cartridge needs to be refilled in time.
Zeroing Epson Cartridges - Basic Steps
If your printer's slam-shut device has a dedicated zeroing button, simply slide out the replacement carriage and press this button without releasing it for 5-7 seconds.
- If your cartridge is not equipped with such a button, but has two small round contacts on the chip, located at a distance of about a millimeter from each other, the zeroing procedure will be slightly different. Start by removing the slam-shut selected for zeroing according to the instructions for the printer. Then take a flathead screwdriver and close these contacts.
- If the slam-shut on your printing device does not have either a reset button or two contacts on the top of the chip, you can reset it as follows. Take it out of the printer and put it back in place immediately. Thus, zeroing will occur automatically.
- Regardless of how you zeroed the cartridge, the final step should be confirmation of the cartridge replacement process on the printer panel and the refilling itself. This will help avoid head bloating, which can occur if the actual ink level in a cartridge runs out before you decide to reset it to zero.
For CISS (continuous ink supply systems), the ideal solution to the problem of zeroing chips is to replace them with self-zeroing auto chips - they are inserted instead of the original cartridges and each time the printer is turned off and on, the ink level is reset to 100%. The first such chips appeared at the beginning of 2003 in the USA, and now they can be found in the CIS as well.
How to reset the chip on the cartridge on Epson?
For zeroing, special devices, programmers are used. Otherwise, they are called nullifiers. For specific brands, a certain type of programmer is suitable, this must be taken into account. They independently determine the type of device.
- Step 1. To use the zeroer, you need to bring it to the chip; this should be done without removing the latter from the printer. The connection must be at the point of contacts.
- Step 2. Wait until the cartridge is zeroed, this will be indicated by a lit green light on the zeroing panel.
- Step 3. The printer will now register the device as new.
The programmer is used only for performing such actions, the battery must be charged, the contacts must fit snugly on the chip plates. Then the expected effect will be provided.
