Waste ink counter - Revision history

Sojourna: Clean-up.

2026-02-21T00:16:44Z

Clean-up.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:16, 21 February 2026
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	A Waste Ink Counter (WIC) is a firmware-based lockout that causes printers to cease to function when a counter has been incremented above a certain value.		A '''Waste Ink Counter''' (WIC) is a firmware-based lockout that causes printers to cease to function when a counter has been incremented above a certain value. <!-- Can't find an exact source, but this seems to primarily affect Canon and Epson printers. -Sojourna -->

	==How it works==		==How it works==
	Embedded software inside of a printer tracks how many times the print head has been flushed into an absorbent 'ink pad'. Print operations commonly cause flushing to ensure optimum print quality by preventing the print head from clogging and leaving unprinted (white) streaks on paper.		Embedded software inside of a printer tracks how many times the print head has been flushed into an absorbent 'ink pad'. Print operations commonly cause flushing to ensure optimum print quality by preventing the print head from clogging and leaving unprinted (white) streaks on paper.

	The explanation for the lockout being given is that an ink pad may get soaked and could possibly overflow. Replacement of the ink pad does not reset the waste ink counter as this is simply a counter in the firmware of the device.		The explanation for the lockout being given is that an ink pad may get soaked and could possibly overflow. Replacement of the ink pad does not reset the waste ink counter as this is simply a counter in the firmware of the device.

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==
	WICs cannot be easily reset from regular driver software or open source software. Even though ink pads can be replaced, the printer's firmware will still cease to operate the printer as normal unless the WIC ~~counter~~ has been reset or decremented. Proprietary and undocumented commands must be sent to the printer for this to work.		WICs cannot be easily reset from regular driver software or open source software. Even though ink pads can be replaced, the printer's firmware will still cease to operate the printer as normal unless the WIC has been reset or decremented. Proprietary and undocumented commands must be sent to the printer for this to work.<ref>{{Cite web \|author= \|title=Epson Printer Parts "Service Required" Message \|url=https://epson.com/Support/wa00369 \|website=[[Epson]] \|date= \|access-date=20 Feb 2026 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260115013308/https://epson.com/Support/wa00369 \|archive-date=15 Jan 2026}}</ref>

	==Examples==		==Examples==

	*Item 1		*Item 1

	==References==		==References==
	~~<!--~~ https://~~epson~~.com/~~Support~~/~~wa00369~~ -->		{{Reflist}}
	<!-- https://vocal.media/lifehack/how-i-fixed-my-epson-printer-error-with-wic-reset-tool -->
	~~<!-- https://github.com/Ircama/epson_print_conf~~ -->		==External links==
			* [https://github.com/Ircama/epson_print_conf GitHub - Epson Printer Configuration tool and waste ink counter resetter]
			<!-- https://vocal.media/lifehack/how-i-fixed-my-epson-printer-error-with-wic-reset-tool --This reads too much like an advert in my opinion. -Sojourna -->
			-->

	~~<references />~~
	[[Category:Common terms]]		[[Category:Common terms]]
			[[Category:Canon]]
			[[Category:Epson]]

Sojourna: /* Why it is a problem */

2026-01-25T20:55:23Z

Why it is a problem

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:55, 25 January 2026
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	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==
	~~WIC counters~~ cannot be easily reset from regular driver software or open source software. Even though ink pads can be replaced, the printer's firmware will still cease to operate the printer as normal unless the WIC counter has been reset or decremented. Proprietary and undocumented commands must be sent to the printer for this to work.		WICs cannot be easily reset from regular driver software or open source software. Even though ink pads can be replaced, the printer's firmware will still cease to operate the printer as normal unless the WIC counter has been reset or decremented. Proprietary and undocumented commands must be sent to the printer for this to work.

	==Examples==		==Examples==

Drakeula: Drakeula moved page Waste Ink Counter to Waste ink counter: Misspelled title: Not in sentence case

2025-10-12T03:38:51Z

Drakeula moved page Waste Ink Counter to Waste ink counter: Misspelled title: Not in sentence case

← Older revision	Revision as of 03:38, 12 October 2025
(No difference)

Mr Pollo at 16:20, 12 September 2025

2025-09-12T16:20:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:20, 12 September 2025
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	<references />		<references />
			[[Category:Common terms]]

Marauder at 11:34, 12 September 2025

2025-09-12T11:34:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:34, 12 September 2025
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	*Item 1		*Item 1

	==References<!-- https://epson.com/Support/wa00369 -->==		==References==
			<!-- https://epson.com/Support/wa00369 -->
			<!-- https://vocal.media/lifehack/how-i-fixed-my-epson-printer-error-with-wic-reset-tool -->
			<!-- https://github.com/Ircama/epson_print_conf -->

	<references />		<references />

Marauder at 11:29, 12 September 2025

2025-09-12T11:29:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:29, 12 September 2025
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	==How it works==		==How it works==
	Embedded software inside of a printer tracks how many times the print head has been flushed into an absorbent 'ink pad'. Print operations commonly cause flushing to ensure optimum print quality by preventing print head 'clogging~~' that would leave~~ unprinted streaks on paper.		Embedded software inside of a printer tracks how many times the print head has been flushed into an absorbent 'ink pad'. Print operations commonly cause flushing to ensure optimum print quality by preventing the print head from clogging and leaving unprinted (white) streaks on paper.

	The explanation being given that an ink pad may get soaked and could possibly overflow is ~~one~~ of the ~~explanations given by manufacturers to disable printing all together~~.		The explanation for the lockout being given is that an ink pad may get soaked and could possibly overflow. Replacement of the ink pad does not reset the waste ink counter as this is simply a counter in the firmware of the device.

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==
	WIC counters cannot be easily reset from software. Even though ink pads can be replaced, the printer's firmware will still cease to operate the printer as normal unless the WIC counter has been reset or decremented. Proprietary and undocumented commands must be sent to the printer for this to work.		WIC counters cannot be easily reset from regular driver software or open source software. Even though ink pads can be replaced, the printer's firmware will still cease to operate the printer as normal unless the WIC counter has been reset or decremented. Proprietary and undocumented commands must be sent to the printer for this to work.

	==Examples==		==Examples==

Beanie Bo: Typo

2025-09-11T17:01:51Z

Typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:01, 11 September 2025
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	A ~~Wate~~ Ink Counter (WIC) is a firmware-based lockout that causes printers to cease to function when a counter has been incremented above a certain value.		A Waste Ink Counter (WIC) is a firmware-based lockout that causes printers to cease to function when a counter has been incremented above a certain value.

	==How it works==		==How it works==
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	==Examples==		==Examples==

	* Item 1		*Item 1

	==References<!-- https://epson.com/Support/wa00369 -->==		==References<!-- https://epson.com/Support/wa00369 -->==
	<references />		<references />

Keith: typo

2025-09-11T15:03:07Z

typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 11 September 2025
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	A WIC ~~or Waste In Counter~~ is a firmware-based lockout that causes printers to cease to function when a counter has been incremented above a certain value.		A Wate Ink Counter (WIC) is a firmware-based lockout that causes printers to cease to function when a counter has been incremented above a certain value.

	==How it works==		==How it works==

JamesTDG: JamesTDG moved page Waste In Counter to Waste Ink Counter: typo

2025-09-11T14:16:44Z

JamesTDG moved page Waste In Counter to Waste Ink Counter: typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:16, 11 September 2025
(No difference)

JamesTDG: JamesTDG moved page WIC to Waste In Counter: Former title was acronym; best served for search bar but not main article name

2025-09-11T14:02:19Z

JamesTDG moved page WIC to Waste In Counter: Former title was acronym; best served for search bar but not main article name

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:02, 11 September 2025
(No difference)