Reset the Epson ET-4700 waste ink pad counter
The ET-4700 can be reset in software. VNIT Reset Tool reads its counters for free over a USB cable, runs one free trial reset, and resets to 0% with a US$6 key.
Windows or Mac · reading the counter is free · one free trial per printer
We'll email you the download link, so you can open it on your Windows PC or Mac later. Reading the counter is free.
Sent. Open the email on your computer.
Too many requests. Please try again in a few minutes.
That does not look like an email address.
We could not send the email just now. Please try again later.
On Windows, install the ET-4700 with Epson's driver, not Microsoft's. Download it from Epson's website for this 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.
Waste ink counters on the ET-4700
VNIT Reset Tool reads and resets these counters on the ET-4700. The printer stops when a counter reaches its limit.
| Counter | What it is | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Main pad | The main absorber pad inside the printer body | 6,346 points |
| Platen pad | The pad near the paper path, used by borderless printing | 3,416 points |
The tool shows each counter as a percentage of its limit. 100% means full.
How the ET-4700 tells you
The ET-4700 is an EcoTank that shows ink pad problems as codes on its screen: W-11 and E-11 for the main pad, W-14 and E-12 for the borderless pad. With E-11 printing stops, but Epson says scanning still works. Connect it with a USB cable to read and reset the counter.
On EcoTank models with a screen, the warning shows as code W-11 or W-14, and the stop as E-11 or E-12. What the EcoTank ink pad codes mean.
What the ET-4700 screen codes mean
Not every code is the ink pads. Only the rows marked “Yes” are fixed by resetting the counter.
| Code | What Epson says it means | Fixed by a reset? |
|---|---|---|
| W-11 | An ink pad is nearing the end of its service life. Press the start button to keep printing | Yes |
| E-11 | An ink pad needs to be replaced. Scanning still works | Yes |
| W-14 | A borderless printing ink pad is nearing the end of its service life. Press the start button to keep printing | Yes |
| E-12 | A borderless printing ink pad needs to be replaced. Printing with a border still works | Yes |
| E-01 | A printer error. Turn the product off and on. If it continues, check for a paper jam. No jam: contact Epson | No |
| E-02 | A scanner error. Turn the product off and on | No |
| W-01 | A paper jam. Remove the paper, then press the button shown on the screen | No |
| Recovery Mode | A firmware update failed. Connect by USB and try the update again | No |
Source: Epson ET-4700 User's Guide: product status messages. Reading the counter for free tells you which counter is full.
Use a USB cable for the ET-4700
Reading and resetting over Wi-Fi works on a few models only. Connect it with a USB cable. If the tool finds the printer on Wi-Fi but cannot read the counter, the tool is not broken: plug in the cable and press Check Printer again.
Reset the ET-4700 on a Mac
The same app runs natively on macOS 11 or newer, on Intel Macs and Apple silicon (M1 and later), so you do not need Windows, Boot Camp or a virtual machine. Connect the ET-4700 with a USB cable (MacBooks with only USB-C ports need an adapter). The first time, macOS asks you to confirm in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. Mac guide with screenshots · Which Epson reset tools run on a Mac.
Looking for the Epson ET-4700 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the ET-4700 is Epson's service software for repair technicians: one program per model, Windows only, with many functions besides the counter (EEPROM settings, head ID, alignment). Copies passed around online come from unknown sources and may be for the wrong model or region. If the ET-4700 stops with the ink pad error, you only need its waste ink counters set back (Main pad, Platen pad). VNIT Reset Tool does that one job, on Windows and Mac, and reading the counter is free. What the Adjustment Program is · How to spot an unsafe download.
Epson ET-4700 reset key
A reset key is the code that takes the ET-4700's waste ink counters to 0% in VNIT Reset Tool. It costs US$6, arrives by email in about a minute and does not expire. One key is one full reset on one printer, and it is used only when the reset has been written. Try the free check and the free trial first, so you know the tool can reach your ET-4700 before you pay. Keys for other tools, such as WIC Reset Utility, do not work here. Buy a key · How reset keys work.
How to reset the Epson ET-4700 ink pad counter
- 01Download VNIT Reset Tool and unzip itWindows 7–11 or macOS 11+. Unzip it first: running it from inside the zip causes errors. Screenshots of every step: on Windows · on a Mac.
- 02Connect the ET-4700 and press Check PrinterPlug in the USB cable. Wi-Fi works on a few models only, so use the cable. Switch the printer on. The tool shows the model, serial and each counter. The computer needs internet.
- 03Run the free trial, or enter your keyThe trial drops a 90%+ counter to 80%. A US$6 reset key takes it to 0%.
- 04Switch the printer off and on againSkip this and the printer still shows the old error.
Video: reset the ET-4700 step by step
48 seconds, no sound. Recorded in the tool's demo mode for the ET-4700: the example key and serial number are not real. Connect your printer with a USB cable.
What you will see
Screens from the tool's demo mode for the ET-4700. The serial number and counter values on your printer will be different.
After the reset: deal with the pads
The reset changes the counter, not the pads. If the ET-4700 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
ET-4700 questions
My ET-4700 shows E-12. Do I have to stop printing?
No, not everything. Epson says borderless printing is not available, but printing with a border still works. E-11 is the code that stops printing.
Does Epson cover the ET-4700 ink pads under warranty?
Epson's guide says replacing the pads, or exchanging the product, is covered during the standard warranty. Out of warranty, any Epson authorized service provider can replace them. Epson also says they are not a user-replaceable part. If your printer is still under warranty, contact Epson first.
Does a reset empty the ink pads?
No. A reset only clears the counter. The ink already in the pads stays there, so check them before you keep printing for a long time.
Is this the Epson ET-4700 Adjustment Program?
No. The Adjustment Program is Epson's Windows service software for technicians, one per model, with many service functions. VNIT Reset Tool only reads and resets the ET-4700's waste ink counters, on Windows and Mac, which is all the ink pad error needs.
The free trial worked. Do I still need a key?
Not straight away. The trial leaves the counter at 80%, so the error comes back sooner than after a full reset to 0% with a key.
My Epson ET-4700 stopped printing. Is it the ink pads?
It can be. When a waste ink counter reaches its limit, the printer stops printing until the counter is reset. Press Check Printer in VNIT Reset Tool to read the counter for free: if it is at or near 100%, that is the cause. If the counters are low, look elsewhere, such as the driver, the print queue or the print head.
Is this the same as "reset ink levels" or a factory reset on the ET-4700?
No. Resetting ink levels is about the ink tanks, and a factory reset puts settings such as the network back to default. Neither clears the waste ink counter. This page is about the waste ink counter only.
Same reset family as the ET-4700
These models share the ET-4700's counters and reset the same way (58 models).
Also in this family: ET-2722, ET-2723, ET-2724, ET-2725, ET-2726, ET-2728, L1110, L1118, L1119, L3100, L3101, L3104, L3105, L3106, L3107, L3108, L3109, L3110, L3111, L3114, L3115, L3116, L3117, L3118, L3119, L3150, L3151, L3152, L3153, L3156, L3158, L3160, L3161, L3163, L3165, L3166, L3168, L5190, L5196, L5198. All supported printers.