Reset the Epson L120 waste ink pad counter
The L120 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 L120 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.
Where the L120 has been reset
20 L120 printers have been reset with VNIT Reset Tool between 27 August 2026 and 29 October 2026, in 5 countries. Counted by printer serial from the reports the app sends after a reset; we publish no serial numbers or personal data.
Countries, most first: the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, Russia.
Connection used: USB cable · computers: Windows and Mac.
Waste ink counters on the L120
VNIT Reset Tool reads and resets these counters on the L120. The printer stops when a counter reaches its limit.
| Counter | What it is | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Main pad | The main absorber pad inside the printer body | 6,207 points |
The tool shows each counter as a percentage of its limit. 100% means full.
How the L120 tells you
The L120 is a simple printer with only two lights: power and error. When its waste ink pad counter is full, Epson's L120 guide says both lights flash at the same time. The same pair of lights can also mean a paper jam, so remove any paper first. The L120 has one counter, the Main pad, and connects by USB.
What the L120 lights mean
Not every blinking light is the ink pads. Only the rows marked “Yes” are fixed by resetting the counter.
| Lights | What Epson says it means | Fixed by a reset? |
|---|---|---|
| Power and error lights flash at the same time | An ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life | Yes |
| Power and error lights flash | Paper may be jammed. Remove it and press the cancel button | No |
| Power flashes, error on | No paper, or several sheets fed at once | No |
| Power on, error on | Initial ink charging may not be complete | No |
| Power off, error on | A firmware update failed. Update again over USB | No |
| Power light flashes (alone) | The printer is busy. After first filling the ink it flashes for about 20 minutes | No |
Source: Epson L120 User's Guide: product light status. Reading the counter for free tells you which counter is full.
Use a USB cable for the L120
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 L120 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 L120 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.
Measured, not assumed: by 1 November 2026, the reset reports our app sends back show the L120 reset over USB on a Mac.
Looking for the Epson L120 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the L120 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 L120 stops with the ink pad error, you only need its waste ink counter set back (Main 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 L120 reset key
A reset key is the code that takes the L120's waste ink counter 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 L120 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 L120 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 L120 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.
What you will see
Screens from the tool's demo mode for the L120. 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 L120 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
L120 questions
Why are both lights blinking on my Epson L120?
It can be the ink pads or a paper jam, because Epson uses the same two lights for both. Remove any paper and press the cancel button first. If the lights still flash, read the counter for free: at or near 100%, it is the ink pads.
Which counter does the L120 have?
One: the Main pad. The tool shows it as a percentage and resets it to 0% with a key, or to 80% with the free trial.
Does the L120 have Wi-Fi?
No. Connect it with a USB cable to read and reset the counter.
Is this the Epson L120 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 L120'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 L120 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 L120?
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.