What is the “Printer ink pad is reaching the end of its service life” and how can I clear the error?

Error in Epson printers about the expiration of the absorbent pad service life

On modern Epson printers with a continuous ink supply system, sooner or later, every user encounters the error “The printer's ink-absorbing pad is reaching the end of its service life” or “The printer's ink-absorbing pad has reached the end of its service life.” At the same time, the drop and page indicators on the printer panel blink. The printer may or may not print.

In this article, you will learn what an absorbent pad is and what you need to do to return the printer to working condition.

What is an absorbent pad (diaper)?

The fact is that when using a printer, not all the ink gets onto the paper. Some of them may leak from the printing nozzles, for example, when cleaning them or when parking cartridges. To prevent them from spilling onto the table, an absorbent pad or, as it is also called, a diaper, was invented.

This is what diaper looks like in Epson printers

The diaper is usually located at the bottom of the printer and is a highly absorbent seal in a plastic case.

It is he who absorbs all the remaining ink that the printer produces. In order to prevent this diaper from overfilling, there is a special counter in printers that keeps track of printed pages so that when a certain number is reached, it will give you the message “The service life of the ink-absorbing lining of the printer is ending.”

How can I clear the message “The printer's ink pad is nearing its end of life”?

For this there is special program— Adjustment Program, which resets the counter for the number of printed pages and, as a result, a message about the diaper being full.

Selecting a printer model in the epson adjustment program

There are two versions of the Adjustment Program available on our website.

We will very briefly and concisely consider the most frequently asked questions on the topic - resetting diapers inkjet printers, or printer absorbent pads. So, here is a list of errors that stop the printer from working:

Let's figure it out what is a diaper in a printer? ?

On the vast expanses of the Internet there are many articles about absorber, or, to put it in simple language, inkjet printer diaper(by analogy with a baby diaper, yes, yes! since the function of both is to absorb waste products). The waste product of an inkjet printer is waste ink, which is dumped into this very ink-absorbing lining when the print head is cleaned.

The Epson diaper itself, as well as the diaper of printers of other brands (Canon, HP, Brother), is a container with a hygroscopic filler (something like felt), or it is simply a set of filler plates that are located below the printer bed, or closer to the back of the printer. To avoid leaks of overfilled diapers, the manufacturer provided a special program counter that signals in advance (sometimes repeatedly) that the diaper is about to overflow. Therefore, if an inscription in the style " Attention! The ink absorbent pad is reaching the end of its lifespan" - this is the first signal that very soon you will need to get ready to go to the Econom Print Service Center at the address: Kiev, Les Kurbas Avenue, 5B (the old name is 50th Anniversary of October Avenue).

Resetting the Epson diaper is a five-minute procedure. But in addition to the digital counter, there is also the level of physical filling of the diaper. So that you can be sure that the diaper will not physically overflow and the printer will not be filled with waste ink, you need to replace the original absorber with a new one from time to time. These absorbent pad sets can be found in our price lists. They are usually ordered and purchased after the absorbent pad has expired.

However, there is an easier way. Less aesthetically pleasing, but cheaper and practical. The essence of the method is that waste ink is diverted from the drainage system of the printing device into a special reservoir. The withdrawal is done through a thin and soft tube. The reservoir is attached to the back wall of the printer or MFP and has a sufficient degree of transparency so that you can visually control the degree of filling of the reservoir. So, as the tank fills, it is necessary to periodically drain it. And no hassles with the original absorber, no costs for purchasing them every six months. All waste will be dumped into a special compartment. And when the depressing message flashes on the device screen again: “The ink pad has reached the end of its service life. Contact Epson support” - all you need to do is reset the diaper. Profit

"When actively using an inkjet printer, there comes a time when the printer refuses to work and displays an error message, requiring you to contact service center. Depending on the printer model, notification of this error occurs in different ways, but the most standard way The error message is displayed by alternating blinking of two red LEDs under the printer buttons, and an error window pops up on the computer monitor.

Moreover, a warning about the imminent end of the service life of the absorbent pad (diaper) also appears in the form system message on the computer monitor.

After the warning message appears, you have the opportunity to print another 15-20 A4 images (photos), after which the printer will refuse to print until the waste ink counter is reset.

All inkjet printers use a special container to collect waste ink (Waste Ink), which is often called a “diaper”. This “diaper” is a container containing absorbent material that absorbs waste ink well.

Where does waste ink come from in an inkjet printer? Every time you turn it on, the print head is automatically cleaned - a small amount of ink is pumped from the cartridges into the print head, which at this moment is in the extreme right (left) position of the printer, and the ink is “dumped” into the “diaper”. Also, when standard cleaning is started through the printer driver, ink is pumped from the cartridges through the print head into the absorber.

Since the volume of the ink collection container, with the absorber located in it, has a certain limitation, sooner or later, there comes a time when the containers overflow and the ink begins to flow out, which causes contamination of both the printer itself and everything that surrounds it. .

To avoid such an extremely unpleasant situation, absolutely all inkjet printers are equipped with a system for monitoring the amount of waste ink. In reality, this system is nothing more than a program counter that counts the number of all printer starts and all head cleaning procedures performed. Since the volume of ink pumped out of the head during cleaning procedures is approximately known, and the capacity of the sump is also known, it is not difficult to calculate when it will fill.

When the value of the counter for the amount of waste ink supposedly drained into the sump reaches the value preset in control program printer, the printer first issues a warning that the absorbent pad is about to expire, and soon completely blocks the ability to send a print job.

If the “diaper” of an inkjet printer is overfilled, the service technician must take the following actions:

• replace absorbers - “diapers”
• reset (zero) the Waste Ink Counter."

You can reset the used diaper ink counter using the special PrintHelp service program from the SuperPrint development team (Resetters). PrintHelp- universal service program for Epson printers, Canon.

The program can perform the following functions for Epson printers (not for all models):

- checking the current value of the waste ink counter
- reset the waste ink counter (some models require a RESET CODE)
- cleaning the print head
- enhanced cleaning of the print head during initial refilling
- read and write serial number printer
- reading and USB recording ID
- read and write HEAD ID
- creating an EEPROM backup dump
- paper feed test
- nozzle check and test
- printing of color fills
- initialize (disable) PF deterioration offset
- obtaining status about the printer status
- ink level reading
- reset Ink Level and reset Diaper in printers L100, L200, L800 free

List of supported Epson printer models:

Models for which diaper reset is carried out WITHOUT a Reset Code are highlighted in green. Resetting diapers WITHOUT Reset Codes is possible only for countries: Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia

Artisan: Artisan 50, Artisan 1430, Artisan 700, Artisan 710, Artisan 725, Artisan 730, Artisan 800, Artisan 810, Artisan 835, Artisan 837

B: B40W, B42WD, B1100, B1110
BX: BX300F, BX305, BX310FN, BX320FW, BX525WD, BX600FW, BX610FW, BX620FWD, BX625FWD, BX925, BX935

C: C58, C59, C62, C63, C64, C65, C67, C68, C76, C77, C78, C79, C82, C83, C84, C85, C86, C87, C88, C90, C91, C92, C93, C94, C95, C97, C98, C99, C110, C120
CX: CX2800, CX2900, CX3100, CX3200, CX3300, CX3400, CX3500, CX3600, CX3650, CX3700, CX3800, CX3900, CX4000, CX4080, CX4100, CX4500, CX4600, , CX4700, CX4800, CX4900, CX5000, CX5700F, CX5900, CX6300, CX6400, CX6500, CX6600, CX7300, CX7700, CX7800, CX8300, CX8400, CX9300F, CX9400Fax, CX9500F

D: D68, D78, D88, D92, D120

DX: DX3800, DX4000, DX4200, DX4800, DX5000, DX5050, DX6000, DX7400, DX7450, DX8400, DX9400F

EP: E-600, EP-302, E-600, EP-702A, EP-703A, EP-705A, EP-706A, EP-775A, EP-801A, EP-802A, EP-804A, EP-804F, EP- 901F, EP-902A, EP-903
K: K100, K101, K200, K201, K300, K301

L: L100, L110, L120, L200, L210, L300, L350, L351, L355, L550, L555, L800, L1300, L1800

M: M100, M105, M200, M205

ME: ME2, ME-10, ME-20, ME-30, ME-32, ME-70, ME-80, ME-82WD, ME-100, ME-101, ME-200, ME-300, ME-301, ME-303, ME-320, ME-330, ME-340, ME-360, ME-401, ME-403, ME-510, ME-520, ME-530, ME-535, ME-560, ME- 570, ME-600F, ME-620F, ME-650, ME-900WD, ME-940FW, ME-960FWD, ME-1100

NX: NX110, NX125, NX127, NX130, NX200, NX210, NX215, NX220, NX230, NX300, NX305, NX330, NX400, NX410, NX415, NX420W, NX430, NX510, NX515, NX530, 620, NX625

P: P50, P60
PX: PX610FW, PX650, PX659, PX660, PX700W, PX710W, PX720WD, PX730FWD, PX800FW, PX810FW, PX820WD, PX830FWD, PX-203A, PX-V600, PX-V630
Photo: Photo 820, 830U, 890, 900, 950, 960, 1280, 1290, 1390, 1400, 1410, Photo 1430, Photo 1500, 2100, 2200
PictureMate: PM100, PM210, PM215, PM225 PM235, PM240, PM250, PM260, PM270, PM280, PM290, PM310. Diaper reset is NOT available. Reading is available.
PM: PM-3500C, PM-4000px, PM-G800, PM-G4500, PM-G5000, PM-A820, PM-A890

R: R200, R210, R220, R230, R240, R245, R250, R260, R265, R270, R280, R285, R290, R295, R300, R310, R320, R330, R340, R350, R360, R380, R390, R800, R1800, R1900, R2000, R2400, R2880, R3000
RX: RX420, RX425, RX430, RX500, RX510, RX520, RX530, RX560, RX580, RX585, RX590, RX595, RX600, RX610, RX615, RX620, RX630, RX640, RX650, 0, RX685, RX690, RX700

S: S20, S21, S22
SX: SX100, SX105, SX110, SX115, SX117, SX125, SX130, SX200, SX205, SX210, SX215, SX218, SX230, SX235, SX400, SX405, SX410, SX415, SX420W, SX430, SX435, SX510, SX515, SX525WD, SX600FW, SX610FW, SX620

T: T10, T11, T13, T20, T21, T22, T23, T24, T25, T26, T27, T30, T33, T40W, T42WD, T50, T59, T60, T1100, T1110
TX: TX100, TX101, TX102, TX103, TX105, TX106, TX109, TX110, TX111, TX115, TX116, TX117, TX119, TX120, TX121, TX125, TX130
TX200, TX209, TX210, TX219, TX220, TX230, TX300F, TX320F
TX400, TX405, TX408, TX409, TX410, TX419, TX420W
TX510FN, TX515FN, TX525, TX550W, TX560WD, TX600FW, TX610FW, TX620FWD, TX650, TX659
TX700W, TX710W, TX720WD, TX800FW, TX810FW, TX820FWD, TX830FWD

WorkForce: WorkForce 30, 40, 42, 310, 315, 320, 323, 325, 500, 520, 600, 610, 615, 630, 635, 840, 1100
WorkForce WF-7010, WF-7011, WF-7012, WF-7015, WF-7018, WF-7510, WF-7511, WF-7515, WF-7520, WF-7521, WF-7525
WorkForce WF-2010, WF-2510, WF-2520, WF-2528, WF-2530, WF-2538, WF-2540, WF-2548
WorkForce WP-4011, WPM-4011, WP-4015DN, WP-4020, WP-4022, WP-4025DW, WP-4092, WP-4095DN,
WP-4511, WP-4515, WP-4520, WP-4521, WPM-4521, WP-4525, WP-4530, WP-4531, WP-4532, WP-4533, WP-4535, WP-4540, WP- 4545, WP-4590, WP-4592, WP-4595 - Diaper reset is NOT available. Reading is available.

XP: XP-20, XP-30, XP-33,
XP-100, XP102, XP-103, XP-111,
XP-200, XP-201, XP-202, XP-203, XP-204, XP-205, XP-206, XP-207, XP-208, XP-211, XP-212, XP-214, XP- 215, XP-216, XP-217
XP-300, XP-302, XP-303, XP-305, XP-306, XP-311, XP-312, XP-313, XP-315,
XP-400, XP-402, XP-403, XP-405, XP-406, XP-411, XP-412, XP-413, XP-415, XP-510,
XP-600, XP-610, XP-605, XP-615, XP-700, XP-710, XP-750, XP-800, XP-810, XP-850, XP-950

For those printers in which the diaper is made in the form of a separate cartridge with a separate chip, it can only be reset using chip programmers.

Using the program free. All functions are supported incl. and diaper reset function. For some models this function works after entering

This unpleasant message in the printer driver status usually pops up at the most inopportune moment. Especially if you print a lot on an inkjet printer. To avoid being caught off guard, we recommend reading this quick guide.

So, let's get to the bottom of the problem. If you already have an inkjet printer, or you have just read information about this type of device, then you are probably already familiar with the phrase printhead cleaning.

What is behind this phrase? To put it simply, this procedure is used to remove ink clumps from the print head nozzles. Clots form for various reasons: long periods of downtime, poor-quality ink, dry climate, etc. In addition, there are preventative cleanings after a certain number of printed copies.

Where does this ink go? In household devices, directly to the bottom of the printer, into a lining of absorbent material. This printer unit is popularly called “diaper”.

The lining is designed for a certain number of cleanings. Typically, the more powerful the printer, the more larger number This unit is designed for cleaning. On professional models, this pad is removable, in the form of a maintenance cartridge, for quick replacement after the service life of the ink-absorbing pad has expired.

But why this question It is often discussed whether the manufacturers are stupider than a steam locomotive and did not foresee basic problems. It's all about the famous Russian mentality (well, we're not alone here). The essence of the problem is that they are starting to print on household printers 24 hours a day, turning household devices into mini-printing houses. It is clear that all this is not a good life, but the inkjet printer is not used in the modes for which it was designed.

And if during normal household use the gasket is actually designed for the entire service life of the printer (several years), then in the hands of skilled printers the printer asks to replace it after just a few weeks of operation. The problem that the ink-absorbing pad has expired is especially pressing for Epson. These printers, due to their omnivorous use of ink, are used for printing huge amount prints at low cost.

To avoid ink draining to the bottom of the printer, when using household printers in this way, the waste drain is discharged into an external container.

But the printer knows nothing about such “upgrades” and continues to count the number of cleanings, blocking the operation and displaying a message about the “service life of the ink-absorbing lining” so as not to drown in “waste” ink.

It is actually the removal of the blocking that is the main problem. In most cases, this is carried out using special service programs for printers and MFPs Epson programs usually called an "adjustment program". These programs are supplied only to authorized services and are the intellectual property of Epson.

Therefore, these programs are not freely available for all printer models. In addition, there are a lot of ineffective versions of “adjustment program” programs in the public domain, especially for new models of printers and multifunction devices. At best, such a program simply won’t work; at worst, it will turn the printer into a “brick.” I would like to think that such programs do not appear intentionally.

There are also commercial projects that, for a fee, “reset” this counter to different models printers. An example of one such program is PrintHelp. By the way, with this program you can see the percentage of the diaper counter completely free of charge, so that you don’t get blocked at the most inopportune moment.

Inkjet printers Epson series L have a limited service life due to wear and tear of components during normal use. There comes a point when the fault indicators come on and the error message “End of Life” is displayed. Read below for tips on how to extend the life of your printer before purchasing a new one.

The message may refer to the waste ink collection, which is made in the form of a plastic container with absorbent pads (diapers). They collect, distribute, and absorb ink that is not used on printed pages. Ink collects during initial setup product, during cleaning cycles, and when printing borderless photos. If the printer performs a large volume of printing, then the counter takes them into account, including the number of printed ones and even blank pages. When a critical number is reached, a warning is triggered.

Resetting the Epson printer diaper saturation counter

You can temporarily remove the end of life message using the program maintenance. The Maintenance Reset utility can only be used once and will allow printing for a short period of time. Then the printer is blocked and you will not be able to work on it, even if you replace the ink collection unit.

The problem is not hardware; it's just a small page counter in the printer that will cause your computer to display this message after reaching a certain number of pages printed. Once this happens, you will no longer be able to use the equipment and you will be tempted to buy another one.

But here useful advice on how to save money and get your printer working again:

Download the SSC Service Utility for Epson printers. It is available for free on several websites. The program allows you to reset the diaper oversaturation protection counter.

1. Click on the file and select Unzip or Unzip. Double click "Install File" to install the software.
2. Select the Start button on your desktop. Click "Program Files".
3. Go to the configuration tab and select your printer from the list of available printers.
4. Click "Program Files".
5. Find "SSC Service Utility" and double click on it to open the program.
6. Go to the configuration tab and select your printer from the list.
7. Exit the program. The icon for this program should appear as a small printer icon in your "taskbar" on your desktop.
8. Click on the program icon in your taskbar.
9. Click "Protection Counter" in the list of options.
10. Click Reset Security Counter to reset the printer. If you kept printing past the printer's maintenance alerts, you may have been locked out. In this case, instead of selecting "Protection Counter", select "Extra" from the list of options under the program icon. Select Soft Reset. This eliminates blocking. Select Security Counter and Reset Security Counter to reset the printer.

Learn more about Epson Diaper Change Counter

You can simply type in your browser specific model printer, for example, “diaper counter reset program for Epson L110.” There is a choice of both free and paid programs for any inkjet printer. This program is necessary because it allows you to monitor the condition of diapers and change them in a timely manner.

On some models, the absorbent pad unit is easily accessible. They are taken out of the container, washed, dried and put back. Some system administrators the drain tube is directed into a separate container located outside the printer. But the counter will work in this case too, because it counts the number of printing operations.

Epson is committed to ensuring that all products operate properly to minimize the risk of property damage or personal injury during the life of the product. Printers are designed to stop operating at a point where continued use without replacing the ink pads could create a risk of property damage from ink spills or safety issues associated with excess ink coming into contact with an electrical component.

Epson offers optional, cost-effective, one- or two-year service contracts for inkjet printers in addition to the standard one-year warranty. Under a warranty or service contract, all hardware failures and service reports are covered by repair. With one of these options, you can ensure continuous operation even with heavy use for up to 3 years.

Another option for dealing with high volume printing is to consider a printer high level with a more reliable duty cycle, such as a line of printers Epson Stylus Pro with larger ink cartridges and lower operating costs.