Reset the Epson L1210 waste ink pad counter
The L1210 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
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On Windows, install the L1210 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 L1210 has been reset
24 L1210 printers have been reset with VNIT Reset Tool between 24 August 2026 and 29 October 2026, in 4 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: Vietnam, Greece, Mexico, the Philippines.
Connection used: USB cable · computers: Windows and Mac.
Waste ink counters on the L1210
VNIT Reset Tool reads and resets these counters on the L1210. 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 |
| Ink system pad | A further pad counter found on newer ink tank models | 1,300 points |
The tool shows each counter as a percentage of its limit. 100% means full.
How the L1210 tells you
The L1210 is a printer only (no scanner) with no screen and no Wi-Fi. When a waste ink pad counter is full, its ink and paper lights flash together and printing stops. It uses the stop button, not a copy button, to clear errors. Connect it with a USB cable to read and reset the counter.
What the L1210 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? |
|---|---|---|
| Ink and paper lights flash at the same time | An ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life. If your computer offers to continue printing, press the stop button | Yes |
| Ink and paper lights flash one after the other (alternately) | A borderless printing ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life. Borderless printing stops | Yes |
| Paper light flashes (on its own) | Paper is jammed. Remove it and press the stop button | No |
| Paper light on | No paper, or several sheets fed at once | No |
| All lights flash | Paper or protective material is stuck inside. Open the front cover and remove it | No |
| Ink light on | Initial ink charging may not be complete | No |
| Power light flashes | The printer is busy. Wait | No |
Source: Epson L1210 User's Guide (PDF): product light status. Reading the counter for free tells you which counter is full.
Use a USB cable for the L1210
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 L1210 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 L1210 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 L1210 reset over USB on a Mac.
Looking for the Epson L1210 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the L1210 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 L1210 stops with the ink pad error, you only need its waste ink counters set back (Main pad, Platen pad, Ink system 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 L1210 reset key
A reset key is the code that takes the L1210'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 L1210 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 L1210 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 L1210 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 L1210 step by step
48 seconds, no sound. Recorded in the tool's demo mode for the L1210: 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 L1210. 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 L1210 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
L1210 questions
Why are the ink and paper lights blinking on my Epson L1210?
Flashing together, or one after the other, they point to the ink pads, which this tool resets. The paper light alone means a paper jam, and all lights flashing means something is stuck inside. Reading the counter for free tells you for sure.
Is the L1210 the same as the L3210?
For the counters, yes: the same three counters (Main pad, Platen pad, Ink system pad), reset the same way. The L1210 is a printer only and uses the stop button where the L3210 uses a copy button.
Can I reset the L1210 over Wi-Fi?
No. The L1210 has no Wi-Fi. Connect it with a USB cable.
Is this the Epson L1210 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 L1210'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 L1210 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 L1210?
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 L1210
These models share the L1210's counters and reset the same way (126 models).
Also in this family: ET-2802, ET-2803, ET-2804, ET-2805, ET-2806, ET-2808, ET-2810, ET-2811, ET-2812, ET-2813, ET-2814, ET-2815, ET-2816, ET-2818, ET-2820, ET-2821, ET-2822, ET-2823, ET-2824, ET-2825, ET-2826, ET-2828, ET-2860, ET-2861, ET-2863, ET-2865, ET-2870, ET-2871, ET-2873, ET-2875, ET-4800, L1216, L1218, L1219, L1230, L1236, L1238, L1239, L1250, L1256, L1258, L1259, L1270, L1276, L1278, L1279, L3200, L3201, L3203, L3205, L3206, L3207, L3208, L3209, L3210, L3211, L3213, L3215, L3216, L3217, L3218, L3219, L3230, L3231, L3233, L3235, L3236, L3237, L3238, L3239, L3250, L3251, L3253, L3255, L3256, L3257, L3258, L3259, L3260, L3261, L3263, L3265, L3266, L3267, L3268, L3269, L3270, L3271, L3273, L3275, L3276, L3277, L3278, L3279, L3280, L3281, L3283, L3285, L3286, L3287, L3288, L3289, L5290, L5296, L5298, L5310, L5316, L5318. All supported printers.