Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !E-01 returns immediately after restart with no visible jam present.
- !The printer cannot reach ready or shows repeated fatal-error behavior.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Safe first step
Turn the printer off and back on once.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Consumable check
Check for visible paper jams before retrying the job.
- 3
Safe first step
If the printer returns ready, test with one page only.
Background
What this message usually means
Epson uses E-01 for a broad printer error on the ET-2980 series. The official first step is to turn the product off and then back on again. If the error continues, Epson says to check for a paper jam; if there is no jam, contact Epson support.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after the printer fails one of its normal startup, supply, or paper-path checks and cannot return to ready state cleanly.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
A serious internal printer fault was detected during startup or printing.
A paper jam or obstruction left the product in an unrecoverable state.
The printer could not clear an internal hardware or transport error.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is a restart-first, escalate-second fault rather than an ink or cartridge warning.
Avoid wrong turns
Common misreads of this message
- -Treating the message like a confirmed failed part instead of a support clue about which system has stopped the printer.
- -Assuming any supply-related wording means the next step is automatically to buy a cartridge, toner, drum, or printhead.
- -Assuming no physical path issue exists just because no full sheet is visible at first glance.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Epson printer families
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Helpful guides for this problem
Guide
When a printer says paper jam but there isn't one
What a false paper-jam warning usually points to, from hidden scraps and tray issues to faults that are no longer simple jams.
Guide
How to tell if a printer fault is a cartridge issue or a service issue
How to separate ordinary cartridge or toner trouble from the kind of printer fault that usually points to real service.
Guide
How to find the right printer model family before using error codes
How to match the right printer family or series before trusting an error page that might only be a near match.
Boundary
When to stop troubleshooting and move to support
If the same message returns immediately after one careful recovery attempt or the printer cannot reach ready state, stop there and use the family-specific support path.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
Source notes
Epson's ET-2980 status table identifies E-01 as a printer error and directs users to restart first, then check for a paper jam.
Built around Epson ET-2980 and ET-2980U support guidance plus the linked product status-message table. Panel wording can vary slightly by firmware or regional variant.
Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.
Known family variants: ET-2980, ET-2980U
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference