Epson FX-2190 Reference Manual page 150

The ribbon has too much slack,
the ribbon has come loose, or
the ribbon cartridge is not
installed properly.
The ribbon is worn out.
Lines of dots are missing in the printout.
Cause
The print head is damaged.
Caution:
c
Never replace the print head yourself; you may damage the printer. Also,
other parts of the printer must be checked when the print head is replaced.
All the text is printed on the same line.
Cause
No line feed command is sent
at the end of each line of text.
144 Problem Solver
Remove any slack in the ribbon by
turning the ribbon-tightening knob, or
reinstall the ribbon cartridge as
described in "Replacing the ribbon
cartridge" on page 164.
Replace the ribbon cartridge as
described in "Replacing the ribbon
cartridge" on page 164.
What to do
Stop printing and contact your dealer to
have the print head replaced.
What to do
Turn on the auto line feed setting using
the printer's default-setting mode so
that the printer automatically adds a line
feed code to each carriage return. See
"Changing default settings" on page
122.