Printer printing blank pages...?

I've just been given an Epson Stylus CX660 from a friend who was using it regularly.  It's been sitting for less than a month, and though it acts as though it's printing (all seems to be working/connected), all I get are blank pages coming out...?
I've checked the level of the cartridges, cleaned the heads, basically done everything I can see I can do... blank pages.
Any ideas?

(I read somewhere that possibly something may have 'dried out' - but I don't see how that's possible given that my friend was using it; it wasn't sitting for a long period of time unused.)

I've just been given an Epson Stylus CX660 from a friend who was using it regularly.  It's been sitting for less than a month, and though it acts as though it's printing (all seems to be working/connected), all I get are blank pages coming out...?
I've checked the level of the cartridges, cleaned the heads, basically done everything I can see I can do... blank pages.
Any ideas?

(I read somewhere that possibly something may have 'dried out' - but I don't see how that's possible given that my friend was using it; it wasn't sitting for a long period of time unused.)

Hello!  Did you clean using the printer software or physically clean it?  If so did you run a selftest on the printer to see that it is printing a demo page?  The other thing is that the driver could be at fault.  Make sure you reinstall the driver and make sure it is the correct driver.

Thank you for replying; I appreciate it.

I used the software; it seems to me that I've installed everything correctly.  I was given the cd that comes with it, chose the mac OS folder in which there was a driver, and all installations seem to go accordingly.  I go to print as usual, and again, it 'acts' as though all is normal and it will print - it feeds a page, I hear the cartridges moving line by line... and out comes a blank page.
The one thing I have not seen is a 'test' page print - though it does offer checking if there are other issues, such as faded printing, or uneven printing, etc.

Are they new cartridges? If so, did you remember to pull off the little plastic strip things before using?

Hi there,

The printer 'was' working on your friends machine. It now 'doesn't work on yours. The 'change' is computers have changed. Sounds like you have a MAC. I've not used a mac before but I'll list stuff here to try

1. Can you check the printer driver is certified for use under the version of MAC operating system that you have on your machine.

2. If it's not certified - visit the Epson website to get a compatible driver.

3. If it is certified - see if there's any known issues with the printer, it's driver and your operating system version by checking Epson's website.

4. Do the above but on independant websites (Google or Yahoo search)

5. Follow any known resolutions you come across.

6. Try uninstalling and re- installing the driver using the procedure outlined on Epsons website - it may be that certain other software needs to be installed as well.

7. If none of the above works, have a look at other software you may have installed over time on your mac - ensure they're all certified for use on your OS - conflicts can and do occur at anytime, you need to minimise as best you can any potential issues.

8. Is there another PC or MAC you could test the printer on? - I say that because it's entirely possible that the configuration you have on your mac just 'might' have conflicts with the driver(s) for the printer you have. Slightly remote chance of this, but yet, can and often does exist - at that point - it could be time to go buy a new printer, get that hooked up and let this current one go elsewhere.

Cheers, hope some of this helps

DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Is this a color printer?  If so, and if it has separate black and color cartridges, is it just the black or just the colors which aren't printing?  (Try a simple monochrome text document for the black and an image or color text for the color cartridge.)

It is colour; all cartridges have ink, they are not new cartridges.  The disk had a 'Mac OS' folder that contained the driver and the other components (for scanning, printing from a photo card, etc.).  Nothing at all comes out on the page.

If it were not compatible, would it still 'act' as though all is fine, per se?  Wouldn't something say 'this is not compatible with a mac'? or just not do anything?

I'll uninstall and reinstall and go from there.

Thanks for the suggestions!

It is colour; all cartridges have ink, they are not new cartridges. 

So no cartridges are printing, even when trying to send black and color?  That would eliminate a problem with one cartridge or carrier.

If it were not compatible, would it still 'act' as though all is fine, per se?  Wouldn't something say 'this is not compatible with a mac'? or just not do anything?

[/quote]

It depends upon the driver software and where any incompatibility lies.  Like Dennis, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Mac OS, so I can't offer any specifics on it. 

So no cartridges are printing, even when trying to send black and color?  That would eliminate a problem with one cartridge or carrier.

Correct.

It depends upon the driver software and where any incompatibility lies.  Like Dennis, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Mac OS, so I can't offer any specifics on it.

Okay; thank you again... I'll keep checking!

I've just never had an issue like this; usually it's glaringly obvious what the problem is.  But this is weird.  I can hear the cartridges going as if they are indeed printing what I've sent!

It is possible that the ink dried up, I only print once in a blue moon and it used to happen to me all the time.

I could sometime get some more use out of the cartridge by dabbing the ends with a damp sponge to clear the blockage but they were never really the same again.

I don't think so; I took a couple of them out and dabbed them on my hand, and ink certainly came out!