Cx6600 bad scans - Epson Stylus CX6600 All-In-One InkJet Printer

this may help...
Check that all the access doors and compartments are closed correctly.
Check paper isn't jammed.
Take out the all the ink cartilages and reset them in correctly
Make sure the rollers are set in place correctly, (if there removable)
Hope this helps a bit

Have you been to Epsons own site (http://www.epson.co.uk/Printers-and-All-In-Ones/Inkjet/Epson-Stylus-CX6600) and tried downloading the Epson Scan program?

have you installed all the scanning software that came with the scanner, Install them and go through these steps to scan a document using Twain;

Overview of the Basic Procedure
This section outlines the basic scanning procedure using a TWAIN-compliant application. For detailed procedure, see the Scanning an Image.
Make sure the CX6600's power cord is plugged in.
Place your materials on the document table.
Start a TWAIN-compliant application.
In the application, open EPSON Scan.
Full Auto Mode:
EPSON Scan automatically previews the images and recognizes the document source and type. images are automatically optimized and scanned.
Home Mode or Professional Mode:
Make settings to optimize images and click Scan.
The scanned images are sent to the application.
Save the scanned images in the application.

Scanning / How to Scan
Scanning an Image
Turning on the CX6600
Placing your materials on the document table
Starting the software and scanning an image
EPSON Scan provides three modes for you to make any scanning settings; Full Auto Mode, Home Mode, and Professional Mode. This section describes how to scan an image in the Full Auto Mode. The Full Auto Mode lets you scan images using automatically-adjusted settings. For more details, see Choosing a Scanning Mode.
Note:

You cannot scan an image with a size that exceeds the available memory or disk space. If you try to scan the image, an alert appears on the screen.
Note for Macintosh users:

Most illustrations shown in this section are for Windows, so they may vary in appearance from what actually appears on your screen. The instructions are the same, except as noted.
Caution:

Before starting the following steps, make sure that all the necessary software including EPSON Scan has been installed. For details about how to install the software, see the Start Here sheet.
Turning on the CX6600
Before turning on the CX6600, make sure it is connected to your computer.
Press the On button to turn on the CX6600. All mode lights flash, then the mode button for the mode you used last lights, meaning it has completed its initialization.

Placing your materials on the document table
You can scan reflective documents (like photos or paper). See Placing Photos and Documents on the Document Table.

Starting the software and scanning an image
You can start EPSON Scan in the following ways.
* Start EPSON Scan directly as a stand alone application
* Start EPSON Scan from a TWAIN-compliant application
This section provides information on how to start EPSON Scan from ArcSoft PhotoImpression. For details on starting EPSON Scan as a stand-alone application, see Starting EPSON Scan.
Note; if you are using Windows 98:

ArcSoft PhotoImpression 5 supports Windows 98 Second Edition or later. For version earlier than Windows 98 Second Edition, use EPSON Scan or other TWAIN compliant applications. See Starting EPSON Scan for details.
Start ArcSoft PhotoImpression.
For Windows users:
Click Start, point to All Programs (for Windows XP users) or Programs (for Windows 98, Me, or 2000 users), and select ArcSoft PhotoImpression 5. Click PhotoImpression 5.
For Macintosh users:
Double-click the Applications folder on your Macintosh HD, then double-click the PhotoImpression folder. Finally, double-click the PhotoImpression 5 icon.
Click the Camera/Scanner button.
Select a file format, location, and file name, then click Epson Stylus CX6600. EPSON Scan starts. See File formats for information on file formats.
Note for Windows XP users:

Do not choose WIA-Epson Stylus CX6600 from the menu to select the CX6600. If you select it, you cannot use the Epson scanner function fully.
EPSON Scan automatically previews the image, and recognizes the document source and type.
If you want to select more settings, click Pause, then click Options to open the Options dialog box. For more details on settings, click the Help button in the Option dialog box.
After EPSON Scan has previewed and recognized the document type, the following window appears. You can see the document type in the window.
EPSON Scan automatically locates the target images, modifies their skew, and starts scanning.
Caution:

Do not open the scanner unit during scanning or copying; otherwise, you may damage the CX6600.
Note:

Be aware that clicking Cancel on this screen closes EPSON Scan.
The scanned image is sent to ArcSoft PhotoImpression.
Note:

* Depending on the image you want to scan, you may not get the expected scanned image. In this case, scan the image in the Home Mode or Professional Mode.

* When you scan in the Full Auto Mode, black and white documents might be recognized as a color document. In this case, scan the image in the Home Mode or Professional Mode.
If you still experience problem scanning, un-install the entire software and re-install them all over. Install all the packages in the CD. Cheers!

The scanning software for your printer must be installed separately from the printer software on Vista systems. The following link will take you to the page to download the scanning software....just find your model number and select it:
http://www.epson.ca/cgi-bin/ceStore/support/supAdvice.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&noteoid=86150&type=highlights

The service life of a device also called a service cycle can amount to thousands of hours. So go ahead and scan them all, I doubt that you would scan enough to render the unit defective but if you are using a new unit dont worry since it is still under warranty. You can always have the store or the manufacturer replace it. Also, as long as you put the scanner on a stable and level base then there should not be a probelm. Be careful as well when moving the scanner from place to place use the lock under the scanner if you will move it

Message if you need further assistance.

As you have not mentioned your computer set up, I will have to assume you are using a PC and not a Mac and are running Windows XP.

Download Epson Scan (2.7u) from the Epson Web Site. This will enable you to control scanning via PC.

Download the Reference guide for your machine from th eEpson web site. It will inform you what you need to do to complete the scanning options. you can also download the Epson Scan utility to help with scanning to email etc.

Sorry, but you won't be able to do that with a CX6600. In order to scan film negatives, you need a printer that includes a transparency unit in the lid, that is, a panel that lights the film from behind. Also, the CX6600's scan resolution wasn't designed for detailed film scans. Try the online Epson Store at www.epsonstore.com where you can often find good deals on refurbished stand-alone scanners with transparency units.

Sounds like the printer has hit the "Ink Overflow Protection Limit Value" - sounds dreadful but it's not too bad.

The machine "counts" how much ink is pumped into the waste pads in the base of the machine. When the count reaches a predefined value the machine stops working. This is to prevent ink overflowing onto your desk and making a real mess.

In reality you can reset the counter without having the pads changed at least one time.

You will need to find a CX6600 rescue kit for your machine so you can get the counter reset. The software communicates with the main board and resets the counter to zero.

You can download a rescue kit from tradebit here

If you choose the setting to scan to memory it should function without problem. However, why not change the ink anyway. If the carts are empty and you leave it too long you will probably find that when you do change them you will loose ink output as the head/wicks will dry out.