On Windows, install your printer with Epson's driver, not Microsoft's. Download it from Epson's website for your model. If Windows set the printer up by itself with a Microsoft driver (Windows Ready Print or Microsoft IPP Class Driver), it may still print, but the tool often can't read or reset it over USB. How to get the Epson driver back.
The short answer
If the power and paper lights flash at the same time, an ink pad counter is nearly full or full. Nothing is broken. The printer counts the ink it sends to its waste pads and stops at a limit. You can read that counter for free and reset it.
If only the paper light flashes, it is a paper jam. If all the lights flash, paper or packing material is stuck inside. A reset does not fix those.
What each light pattern means
The L3110 has three lights: power, ink and paper. The L3150 adds a Wi-Fi light and a Wi-Fi Direct light. The meanings below come from Epson’s own user’s guides for these two models (links in Sources).
| Lights | What Epson says it means | Can VNIT Reset Tool fix it? | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power on | The printer is on and ready. | Not needed | Nothing. |
| Power flashing | The printer is busy. | Not needed | Wait. Do not switch off until it stops. |
| Ink light on | The first ink charge may not have finished. | No | Follow the setup sheet that came with the printer. |
| Paper light on | No paper, or several sheets went in at once. | No | Load paper, then press a copy button. |
| Paper light flashing | Paper jam. | No | Remove the paper, then press a copy button. |
| Power + paper flashing together | An ink pad is nearly at, or at, the end of its life. | Yes (main pad counter) | Read the counter. Reset it, then check the pads. |
| Power + paper flashing in turn | The borderless printing ink pad is nearly at, or at, the end of its life. Borderless printing stops. | Yes (platen pad counter) | Read the counter. Reset it, then check the pads. |
| All lights flashing | Paper or packing material is stuck inside. | No | Open the front cover, remove it, switch off and on. |
| Wi-Fi + Wi-Fi Direct flashing (L3150) | Wi-Fi connection error. | No | Press the Wi-Fi button and try again. |
| L3110: ink + paper on, power off | A firmware update failed. | No | Update the firmware again. |
| L3150: ink + paper + Wi-Fi + Wi-Fi Direct on | A firmware update failed. | No | Connect by USB and update the firmware again. |
| Ink + paper on, power on or flashing | The printer was not switched off properly. | No | Press a copy button, run a nozzle check, and always switch off with the power button. |
When the pad is only nearly full, Epson says a message may appear on your computer that lets you continue. Pressing a copy button then lets you keep printing for a while.
L1110: the same counters, different lights
The L1110 is a printer only, with no scanner. It uses the same ink pad counters as the L3110 in our tool, but Epson’s L1110 guide lists different lights:
- Ink + paper lights flashing together: an ink pad is nearly full or full.
- Ink + paper lights flashing in turn: the borderless printing ink pad is nearly full or full.
- Instead of a copy button, you press the stop button to continue or clear an error.
Is it the ink pads? Check for free
The lights only tell you that a pad counter is high. They do not tell you the number. To see it:
- Download VNIT Reset Tool and run it on a Windows computer.
- Connect the printer with a USB cable. Most models need USB. Reading over Wi-Fi works on a few models only.
- Press Check Printer. Reading is always free.
On this family the tool shows two counters:
- Main pad — the pad inside the body of the printer. This matches “flashing together”.
- Platen pad — the pad near the paper path, which catches ink from borderless printing. This matches “flashing in turn”.
If a counter is at 90% or more, you can run the free trial once per printer. It lowers the counter to 80%, which clears the error. A key costs US$6 and resets the counter to 0%.
After any reset, switch the printer off and on again. See the error is still there after a reset if the lights keep flashing.
A reset only changes the number. The pads themselves may still be wet. Read what to do with the ink pads after a reset before you print a lot again.
Errors a reset does not fix
- Paper jam (paper light flashing). Remove the paper gently. Look for torn pieces.
- Something stuck inside (all lights flashing). Look for tape, foam or packing parts, and small objects such as clips.
- Carriage problems. If the print head cannot move, clear the path first. A counter reset does not free a stuck carriage.
- Setup and ink charging (ink light on). Finish the first ink charge as the setup sheet says.
- Printers with a maintenance box. Some other Epson models collect waste ink in a box you can replace instead of fixed pads. This family uses fixed pads. See reset or replace a maintenance box if yours has a box.
Models in this family
These models use the same ink pad counters (Main pad and Platen pad) in VNIT Reset Tool. Their light panels may differ slightly. Printers without a copy button use the stop button instead.
- Epson L3110
- Epson L3150
- Epson L3100
- Epson L3101
- Epson L3111
- Epson L3115
- Epson L3116
- Epson L3151
- Epson L3152
- Epson L3156
- Epson L3158
- Epson L3160
- Epson L1110 (different lights, see above)
The L5190 also uses these counters, but it has a screen instead of error lights. See Epson L5190 / L5290 error codes.