Epson printer flashing two lights (L3110, L3210, L1210…): cause and fix

Updated 2026-06-27 · VNIT — 10 years repairing printers & laptops · Nationwide support

Your Epson L3110, L3210 or L1210 was printing fine and is now flashing two lights alternately, and nothing prints? Don't rush it to a shop — in most cases this can be fixed on the spot. These are three of the most common EcoTank models in Vietnamese homes and offices, so they are also the ones VNIT handles most. This guide helps you understand exactly what the printer is signalling and how to fix it correctly.

What do two blinking lights on an Epson mean?

On screenless EcoTank models such as L3110, L3210, L1210, L1110, L805, L360, T60…, the pattern of two lights blinking alternately (the paper light and ink light flashing in turn) almost always means one thing: the waste ink pad counter is full (“ink pad is at the end of its service life”).

Epson inkjets have a waste ink pad that catches surplus ink during initial charging and head cleaning. The firmware keeps an estimated count of ink pushed into the pad; once it passes the threshold the printer locks and flashes the lights. To print again you must reset the counter to 0% with software.

Which light pattern means which problem?

Not every blinking light is the waste ink pad. Watch the pattern to rule things out first:

• Two lights blinking alternately (paper + ink) → this is the waste ink pad counter, needs a reset.
• Paper light only (red) → paper jam or out of paper / mis-feed — clear the jam, reload paper.
• Ink light only (ink drop) red/blinking → out of ink or ink not recognised — check ink and reset ink, unrelated to the counter.
• Both lights on steady with the power light flashing fast → possibly a hardware (fatal) error — needs a technician.

If it is the alternating two-light pattern, read on.

Why are L3110, L3210, L1210 affected most?

These three are the most common home/office inkjets in Vietnam — they print a lot and are often left idle. Each power-on or long idle triggers automatic head cleaning that flushes a little ink into the pad, so the counter rises and eventually fills. This is normal wear, not a fault.

The good news: all three use a chipless waste-ink box/reservoir, so a software counter reset gets them printing again immediately — no parts to replace.

The correct fix for L3110, L3210, L1210

Because the waste-ink box has no chip, the fix is to reset the counter to 0%:

1. Step 1 — Identify the exact model (printed on the body): L3110/L3210/L1210/L1110…
2. Step 2 — Use the right reset tool. L3110, L1210, T60… can usually run the model-specific Adjustment Program. Newer screen models like L3250, L3260 have no public AdjProg, so doing it yourself means a reset tool with a key — either WIC, or VNIT Reset Tool, which has a free trial reset so you can test it first. VNIT also resets them for you directly, with no key to buy.
3. Step 3 — Reset, then switch the printer off and on again. The reset only takes effect after a restart — skipping this is the most common reason people think it failed. Then test print: counter back to 0%, lights stop flashing.
4. Step 4 — Check the pad. If it has been reset many times before, check the waste ink pad to avoid future overflow onto the board.

⚠️ Note: cracked AdjProg / “100% free reset” tools are both copyright infringement and often carry malware, and the wrong build for your model can cause worse errors. Let VNIT handle it with its own licensed tool — safe and legal.

Does a reset change print quality?

A reset only sets the waste ink pad counter back to 0% so the printer unlocks and prints again — it does not improve print quality. However the printer printed before the reset, it will print exactly the same afterwards, because print quality depends on the print head (nozzles), not on the counter.

⚠️ If a test print shows missing lines, white streaks or wrong colours, that is a print-head problem, not a counter problem — it needs head cleaning/unclogging, which a counter reset cannot fix.

Frequently asked questions