Epson SureColor F570 Printing Blank Pages, Wrong Magenta/Cyan After Cleaning: Safe Cleaning Steps, Capping Station Checks, and When to Avoid Power Cleaning

Question

Hello. My Epson ET / F570 started printing blank pages. I cleaned the pump/capping station, and it's printing again, but magenta and cyan are still not correct. Should I run another power cleaning? I'm nervous because I got blank pages immediately after cleaning last time.

Answer

From what you described, your printer went from printing blank pages to printing again but with incorrect magenta/cyan after you cleaned the pump/capping station. That pattern usually points to one (or a mix) of these conditions:

• Air introduced into the ink path during/after maintenance (very common after capping station work or if the cap seal isn't perfect).

• Cap top not sealing fully, so the printer can't pull ink properly during cleaning cycles (you'll get weak/incorrect colors even after a cleaning).

• Partial clogging or pigment separation (DTF ink is thicker and can dry faster than standard inks, so it's less forgiving).

• Over-cleaning risk: repeated power cleanings can temporarily make things worse by pulling more air, overfilling waste lines, overheating/overworking the head, or stressing dampers and seals.

1) Should you run another Power Cleaning?

In most cases like yours, I do NOT recommend jumping straight to another "Power Cleaning"-especially right after a previous event where you got blank pages. Power Cleaning is aggressive. If the underlying issue is air entry or a poor cap seal, power cleaning can pull more air, worsen channel stability, or push problems deeper into the ink delivery system.

Instead, the safer approach is to confirm the printhead is actually able to prime correctly at the cap, then use regular cleaning only (and with rest time between cycles).

2) The safest way to prime the head (your syringe method)

Here is the controlled method you outlined, with a bit more context so you know what each outcome means.

How to park the printhead correctly:

• To park the printhead on the capping station, turn the printer on and allow the printhead to settle naturally onto the capping station. It is safe to do this with the power on. The goal is to ensure the head is sealed on the cap the way it was designed to be during cleaning.

Use the waste line to draw gently (NOT hard suction):

• Connect a syringe with tube to the printer's waste line.

• Gently draw 2 ml of air, but do it in stages:

  • Start by drawing 4-6 ml (slowly). You should feel slight resistance.

What the syringe "feel" tells you:

• If you only draw free air with almost no resistance:

  • The printhead is likely not seated/parked correctly, or the capping station seal is leaking (cap top not sealing to the head, worn cap rubber, misalignment, or debris preventing a seal).

  • In this case, running Power Cleaning won't reliably fix it-because the printer can't create proper suction at the head.

• If you feel complete resistance and cannot draw anything:

  • The capping station / pump path may be clogged, which will prevent priming. This must be resolved first (blockage in cap top, waste path, or pump).

• If you feel slight resistance and then you hear/feel a crinkle (damper membrane crinkling):

  • That's usually a sign the system is opening/relieving and the nozzles are becoming responsive again.

Finish the prime carefully:

• After drawing 4-6 ml, continue slowly until the black rubber plunger passes the 2 ml mark, then hold for 10 seconds.

• After that, use the printer's regular cleaning routine.

3) Avoid back-to-back cleanings (this matters a lot)

This is where many printers get pushed into worse condition:

• Do not do strong cleaning within 12 hours after you prime/clean.

• Do not perform back-to-back cleanings without letting the printer rest.

• Give the printer time between normal cleanings so ink can re-stabilize and air bubbles can migrate out of the system.

A good pattern is:

1. Do the controlled syringe prime (only if you can confirm the head is properly sealed).

2. Run one regular cleaning.

3. Print a nozzle check.

4. If improvement is happening but not perfect, wait a bit, then repeat a single regular cleaning later-rather than stacking aggressive cycles.

4) Why magenta and cyan are "not correct" after blank pages

Magenta and cyan problems right after a blank-page event are commonly caused by:

• Air bubbles in those channels (they affect color first and can look like shifted tones, banding, missing segments, or wrong hues).

• Partial nozzle dropout that hasn't fully recovered yet.

• Cap seal not pulling evenly across the head (sometimes one side seals better than the other, and color channels on the "leaky" side stay weak).

• Ink consistency issues (DTF inks are thicker; if the printer sits, pigment can settle-so agitation/recirculation practices matter depending on your setup).

5) Quick checks before doing anything stronger

If you want the highest success rate with the least risk, check these before another cleaning cycle:

• Nozzle check: compare before/after each step so you're not guessing.

• Cap top condition: rubber lip not warped, swollen, cut, or crusted with ink.

• Wiper condition: if it's smeared with sludge, it can re-contaminate the head face.

• Waste line integrity: loose connections, cracks, or leaks reduce suction and can cause repeated "cleaning that doesn't clean."

6) If you must clean again

If you still choose to proceed, the safest escalation path is:

1. Controlled waste-line prime (as above) only if you confirm a good seal and proper resistance.

2. One regular cleaning.

3. Rest.

4. Re-test.

5. Only consider a stronger cleaning if you've verified the cap/pump can actually generate suction and you're seeing no improvement over time.

Addressing printer issues can be tricky because so many failures are hands-on and depend on what we can physically inspect (seals, flow, resistance, alignment, and the real condition of parts). Because of that, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic facility, Printer Repair Service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Due to high demand, we work on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take a few weeks before we can take your printer in for drop-off. Our services can be set up to repair the whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. That said, we also recognize our rates aren't the cheapest option-so we strongly encourage self-help through online research first. A great starting point is YouTube, especially our channel homepage: BCH Technologies YouTube (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). To find the most relevant content fast, use the search icon next to "About" on the right side of the menu bar. I get many messages every day asking for the right video, and after nine years of publishing, it's impossible to remember every single one-so YouTube search is the quickest way to locate the exact topic. You may also get helpful recommendations from other creators that match your specific symptoms.

Thanks again for reaching out and for supporting BCH Technologies. I really appreciate it, and I hope the step-by-step approach above helps you recover magenta/cyan safely without triggering another blank-page situation.