# Epson printing magenta instead of blue
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 13, 2000, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306 "2000-04-13T19:05:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sharkboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharkboy)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/1 "2000-04-13T19:05:00Z")
Why does my Ep[son print like this? I followed athread along the lines of “my printer is clogged” and the suggestion was to get it to print stuff over and over. This I did and the black loosened up and started to work. I then bought a new colour cartridge and installed it but still no blue. I created a word document and filled it with blue M’s for two pages. When I print this, it comes out Magenta. Any idea why? Can anyone help?
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/2 "2000-04-13T19:16:00Z")
Try printing a full color image or a color wheel or something so see what’s really going on. Print some text in cyan to see if that color section is putting ink on the paper at all.
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### Author:  [@sharkboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharkboy)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/3 "2000-04-13T19:30:00Z")
I just printed the Straight Dope page like you suggested and everything that was supposed to be blue came out pink! It’s got me beat. Also, how do you print a colour wheel? is it like a print test page?
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### Author:  [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/4 "2000-04-13T19:41:00Z")
OH! I thought you were trying to print a Blue’s Clues coloring page or something. Nevermind. 😃
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### Author:  [@StrTrkr777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrTrkr777)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/5 "2000-04-13T20:03:00Z")
Depending on the model of Epson printer you have, some have a program that cleans the print heads and then does a test print so that you can see if you are firing on all cylinders so to speak.
Try this. If your printer does not have this check the Epson support page for a similar utility. Or, do a test print if you can.
All of the newer Epson printers have this ability (I have the 700 and the 1200).
Jeffery
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/6 "2000-04-13T20:10:00Z")
Your printer software may have a self test page that prints several colors. From the sound of it your cyan cartridge is not putting any ink on the page.
Here’s a color chart from Windows control panel that I captured with \PrtScn and pasted into a paint program.
[http://members.home.net/spad1/images/colors.jpg](http://members.home.net/spad1/images/colors.jpg)
Print that bad boy and see how it looks.
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### Author:  [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/7 "2000-04-13T20:35:00Z")
Also, check Control Panel/Printers/Properties and be sure that your settings are correct. Experiment with the intensity control.
**The SDMB Smoke-out continues**
_Delta-9 Stats_
3 days, 17 hours, 33 minutes, 17 seconds
74 cigs not smoked, saving $14.93
Life saved: 6 hours, 10 minutes
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### Author:  [@allanadale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/allanadale)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/8 "2000-04-13T22:50:00Z")
Finally, if none of this works…
Do you have a printer that uses black, cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges (All four)?
If so…make sure the magenta and blue carts aren’t switched…
(AKA the “When in doubt, check the power” rule)
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2000, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/9 "2000-04-14T00:19:00Z")
Hey, run the printer self test. It prints a line of each color.
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epson-printing-magenta-instead-of-blue/10306/10 "2000-04-14T04:19:00Z")
As allanadale said, printers usually use cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink. Blue is agenta plus cyan, so it sounds like the cyan is not working. I’m not sure what can cause this, besides running out of cyan ink. Maybe the jets are blocked, or something is clogged, or the ink cartridge is not inserted properly.