text: Printer Parts Control panel EPSON ® Action Printer™ 3250. Copyright © 1991 by Seiko Epson Corporation Nagano, Japan User’s Guide digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.. ii Important Safety Instructions . Read all of these instructions before you set up your printer. . Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer. . Unplug the printer from the wall outlet before you clean it, and use a damp cloth for cleaning, not liquid or aerosol cleaners. . Do not use your printer near water or spill any liquid on it. . Do not place the printer on an unstable cart, stand, table or other surface that may allow the printer to fall. .. . Never place the printer near or over a radiator or heat register. . Use the type of power source indicated on the label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company. .. . Do not put your printer where the cord will be walked on. .. . Never push objects of any kind into your printer because they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a risk of fire or electric shock. . Except as specifically explained in the user’s manual, do not attempt to repair the printer yourself. This could expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing in those compartments to service personnel. iii . does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the printer to normal operation. If it has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged If it exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for service Where United States Users Can Get Help Epson America provides local customer support and service through a nationwide network of authorized Epson dealers and Service Centers. Epson also provides the following support services through the Epson Consumer Resource Center at (800) 922-8911: Assistance in locating your nearest Authorized Epson Reseller or Service Center Technical assistance with the installation, configuration, and operation of Epson products Information on ESC/P 2 drivers for your software Sales of the ESC/P Reference manual, which contains comprehensive information on ESC/P 2 Epson technical information library fax service Product literature with technical specifications on our current and new products Sales of ribbons, supplies, parts, documentation, and accessories for your Epson product Customer Relations iv user malfunction of the equipment, but specifically excludes: wear and tear, consumables, physical damage due to incorrect use or misuse and damage or faulty operation specifications: The green and yellow wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or with the earth symbol. vi. 1/2 x 11-inch paper, set the lines per page to 61; for A4, try 65. Note: To find the right lines-per-page setting for paper that is not 8 1/2page setting. 3. If your program doesn’t have a lines-per-page setting, try decreasing the top margin or increasing the bottom margin, or both, until you get the results you want. 4. You can also try adjusting the form length setting. For a 8 l/2 x 11-inch page, try setting the form length at 10 inches (10.5 inches for A4). 5. Some programs also let you indicate whether you are using single sheets or continuous paper. Make sure you choose single sheets. vii Contents Introduction 1 Features ........................................................................................... 1 Finding Your Way Around .......................................................... 2 Warnings, Cautions, and Notes .................................................. 2 Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer 1-1 Unpacking the Printer ............................................................... 1-2 Choosing a Place for the Printer ............................................. 1-4 Installing the Ribbon Cartridge .............................................. 1-5 Attaching the Output Guide .................................................... 1-7 Plugging in the Printer .............................................................. 1-8 Running the Self Test ................................................................. 1-8 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer ............................. 1-11 Setting Up Your Application Software ................................... 1 -13 Chapter 2 Paper Handling 2-1 Printing on Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 Using Continuous Paper with the Optional Push Tractor . . . 2-5 Switching Between Continuous Paper and Single Sheets . . . . 2-13 Printing on Special Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Chapter 3 Using the Printer 3-1 Operating the Control Panel.. .................................................. Selecting Character Fonts.. ....................................................... Using the Default-Setting Mode ............................................. Maintenance and Transportation ........................................... Troubleshooting ........................................................................ 3-2 3-4 3-6 3-14 3-16 viii Contents Appendix A-1 Technical Specifications ........................................................... A-1 Command Summary ................................................................ A-12 Character Tables ........................................................................ A-21 Glossary GL-1 Index IN-l Contents ix Introduction Your new Epson® printer is an advanced 24-pin dot matrix printer that combines high performance with a wide range of features. Features These features give your Epson printer outstanding value: Fast printing speed. You can print up to 200 characters per second in 12 cpi draft mode. Easy paper handling. The built-in paper cassette holds up to 50 single sheets of paper. You can also insert pages manually without removing your paper cassette. Epson ESC/P 2. Along with font sizes scalable from 8 to 32 points, this powerful printer control language has enhanced graphics for sharp, 360 x 360 dots-per-inch output. Compatibility. The printer supports the Epson ESC/P® commands widely used in application programs written for other Epson LQ and SQ printers. Two printer positions. You can set the printer upright or flat, whichever you prefer. A range of popular fonts. You can choose from two draft fonts and five letter-quality fonts for professional results. Unique control-panel design. The sleek, two-button panel makes it easy to customize the printer’s default settings. In addition, you can install an optional push tractor (C80026*) to print on continuous paper, multi-part forms, and labels. Also you can switch between single-sheet and continuous printing without removing either paper supply. * This number varies by country. See your Epson dealer for the correct number for your country. Introduction 1 Introduction Finding Your Way Around Here’s what you’ll find in this book: Chapter 1 contains step-by-step instructions for unpacking, setting up, testing, and connecting your printer. Be sure to read and follow these instructions. Chapter 2 is a detailed discussion of paper handling. Chapter 3 describes how to use the control panel to customize your printer settings. It also contains maintenance and troubleshooting information. The Appendix includes the printer specifications, commands, and character tables. A glossary of printer terms and an index are at the end. Warnings, Cautions, and Notes WARNING S must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury. CAUTION S must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment. Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation of your printer. 2 Introduction Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Removing the protective materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 Installing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 Attaching the Output Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7 Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Running the Self Test ................................................................ 1-8 Loading paper into the paper cassette.. ............................. 1-9 Running the test .................................................................... 1-10 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11 Setting Up Your Application Software ................................... 1-13 Printing a test file .................................................................. 1-14 Setting Up the Printer l-l Unpacking the Printer Your printer box should include these items. printer output guide power cord** cable clip push tractor*** * The ribbon cartridge is attached near the parallel interface connector with a piece of tape. ** In some locations, the power cord is attached to the printer. *** In some countries, the push tractor is an option (part number C80026*). CAUTION: There are several versions of this printer designed for different voltages, and it is not possible to change the voltage. If the label on the back of the printer does not show the correct voltage for your country, contact your dealer. 1-2 Setting Up the Printer Unpacking the Printer Removing the protective materials During shipping, a print head protector and a piece of tape protect the printer and paper cassette. Before you use the printer, you must “remove these protective items. 1. Use the tabs on both sides of the printer cover to lift it off the printer. First remove the protective cover. Then remove the two protectors from inside the printer. 2. Pull the paper cassette out of the printer. Remove the tape that holds down the metal plate in the cassette during shipping. Note: Store these protective items with the other packing materials. Setting Up the Printer 1-3 Choosing a Place for the Printer The printer works flat or upright, as shown below. You can set it whichever way fits your preference or working space. When selecting a place for your printer, follow these guidelines: Place the printer on a flat, stable surface. Do not slide the printer on rough surfaces; you may damage the flap on the bottom otherwise. Place the printer close enough to the computer for its interface cable to reach the computer. Leave adequate room for easy operation and maintenance. Avoid locations that are subject to direct sunlight, excessive heat, moisture, or dust. Use a grounded outlet; do not use an adapter plug. Place the printer where you can easily unplug the power cord. Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or automatic timers. And avoid outlets on the same circuit as large motors or other appliances that can cause fluctuations in line voltage. Keep the entire computer system away from potential sources of electromagnetic interference, such as loudspeakers or the base units of cordless telephones. 1-4 Setting Up the Printer Choosing a Place for the Printer If you plan to use a printer stand, follow these guidelines: l l l l l Use a stand that supports at least 9 kg (20 lbs). Never use a stand that tilts the printer. It should always be kept level. Make sure to provide enough clearance below the stand and between the legs so your continuous paper feeds smoothly. Place cables so they do not interfere with paper feeding; secure them to a leg of the stand if possible. Align the continuous paper stack so the paper feeds straight into the optional tractor’s sprocket units. Installing the Ribbon Cartridge Before you install the ribbon cartridge, make sure the power cord is not plugged into an electrical outlet. 1. Use the tabs on both sides of the printer cover to lift it off the printer. Then slide the print head to the middle of the printer. CAUTION: Never move the print head while the printer is turned on; this can damage the printer. Also, if you have just used the printer, let the print head cool for a few minutes before you touch it. Setting Up the Printer 1-5 Installing the Ribbon Cartridge 2. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon. 3. Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then press both sides of the cartridge firmly to fit the plastic posts into the slots. 4. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob to feed the ribbon into place. Make sure it is not twisted or creased. 1-6 Setting Up the Printer Installing the Ribbon Cartridge 5. Replace the printer cover by inserting its tabs into the the printer as shown below; then close the cover. holes on Attaching the Output Guide You can install the output guide to support printed pages as they come out of the printer. To install it, insert the tabs on the guide into the mounting slots on the printer case as shown below. Be sure to turn the guide over and install it in the opposite direction when you use the printer in the upright position. Setting Up the Printer 1-7 Plugging in the Printer 1. Make sure the power switch on the printer is turned off. It is off when the side of the switch is pressed down.. 4. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical outlet. Running the Self Test You can run the self test with either continuous paper or single sheets; this section describes the easier way, with single sheets. 1-8 Setting Up the Printer Running the Self Test Loading paper into the paper cassette 1. Pull the paper cassette out of the printer. 2. Fan a stack of A4- or letter-size paper and then tap it on a flat surface to even the edges. Note: The US version uses letter-size paper; all others use A4 paper. The paper size (letter or A4) is shown the inside of the paper cassette. The cassette holds up to 50 sheets (70 kg or 22 lb maximum). 3. Pull out the paper support. Setting Up the Printer 1-9 Running the Self Test 4. While holding down the metal plate in the paper cassette, put the paper in the cassette. Make sure the paper is underneath all five tabs, especially the small ones on the top edge of the cassette. 5. Insert the paper cassette into the printer as far as it will go. The edge of the paper stack extends beyond the front of the printer. l-10 Setting Up the Printer Running the Self Test Running the test 1. Make sure the printer is turned off. 2. While holding down the FORM FEED (m) button, turn on the printer. It loads the paper automatically and begins the self test. The printer prints characters in the current font and character table. Here is part of a typical self test: !"#$%&I()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKL !'I#$%&'( )*+,-. /0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLM "#$%&I()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMN #$%&I()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNCJ $%&I ()*+,-. /0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEl?GHIJKLMNOP %a'()*+,-. /0123456789:; <=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ %I()*+,-. 10123456789:; <=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR Note: If the paper cassette is empty when you turn the power on, the printer beeps three times and the light flashes. Load paper as described above and press the FORM FEED button to start the self test. 3. To stop the self test, turn off the printer. Connecting the Printer to Your Computer If the self test prints correctly, you’re ready to connect your printer to the computer. You need a shielded twisted-pair parallel cable to connect your computer to the printer’s built-in parallel interface. Follow these steps to connect the parallel interface cable: 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off; then plug the cable connector securely into the printer’s interface connector. Setting Up the Printer l-11 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer 2. Squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on either side. Note: If your cable has a ground wire, connect it to the ground connector below the interface connector. 3. Put the cable through the cable clip; then insert the clip in the slot on the bottom of the printer. l-12 Setting Up the Printer Connecting the Printer to Your Computer 4. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer. If there is a ground wire at the computer end of the cable, attach it to the ground connector at the back of the computer. Note: If you want the power cord or interface cable to be on the opposite side, route it through the slot on the back. Setting Up Your Application Software Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you use so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s features. Many programs provide an installation or setup menu that presents a list of printers. Setting Up the Printer 1-13 Setting Up Your Application Software TO take full advantage at your printer’s features, including ESC/P 2, choose one of the first four printers on the list below. If none of these is listed, contact your software manufacturer for an update that includes one of the four. Until you receive an update, choose another printer as close to the top of the list as possible. LQ-100 ActionPrinter 3250 LQ-570 LQ-870 LQ-510/550 LQ-860 LQ-850 LQ-200 LQ-500 LQ-2550 LQ-2500 LQ-800 LQ-1500 ESC/P2 ESC/P If none of these printers is listed among your program’s options, select the first available of the following: EX, FX, LX, RX, MX, Epson printer, Standard printer, Draft printer. Because these are 9-pin printers, however, your graphics printing may not be correct. Printing a test file After you select the most appropriate printer as described above, create and print a test file using the fonts, symbols, features, and formats that you use most often. Printing the test file shows you how the printer works with your application program. If the printing results are not what you expect, see Troubleshooting in Chapter 3, or consult your computer or software manual. Note: When you print full resolution graphics (360 x 360 dpi), the result may have a slightly smudged appearance. If this occurs, choose a lower resolution in your application software. 1-14 Setting Up the Printer Chapter 2 Paper Handling Printing on Single Sheets ......................................................... 2-2 Tips for using the paper cassette ....................................... 2-2 Loading paper manually.. ................................................... 2-3 Using Continuous Paper with the Optional Push Tractor.. Installing the push tractor ................................................... Loading continuous paper .................................................. Tips for using continuous paper ........................................ Using the tear-off feature .................................................... Removing the push tractor ................................................. 2-5 2-5 2-7 2-10 2-11 2-11 Switching Between Continuous Paper and Single Sheets . . . 2-13 Switching to single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 Switching to continuous paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14 Printing on Special Paper ......................................................... Adjusting the paper-thickness lever ................................. Envelopes .............................................................................. Multi-part forms ................................................................... Labels ..................................................................................... 2-15 2-15 2-16 2-17 2-17 Paper Handling 2-l Printing on Single Sheets You can load standard-sized single sheets with the paper cassette and you can load single sheets of paper from 148 mm (5.8 inches) to 257 mm (10.1 inches) wide with the manual insertion slot. Tips for using the paper cassette To review the steps for loading paper in the paper cassette, see “Loading paper into the paper cassette” on page 1-9. The tips below help you get the best performance when printing with the cassette. Load paper in the paper cassette before you turn on the printer and send data. When the printer receives data from the computer, it loads a single sheet automatically and begins to print. If the printer runs out of paper during a print job, reload the paper cassette and press the FORM FEED button to load the paper. Press the FORM FEED button to eject a sheet of loaded paper. You can adjust the top-of-form position with the gear under the printer cover. It is marked by + and - signs. Open the printer cover and turn the gear to adjust the position. The notches on the ribbon mask indicate the base line of printed characters. The gear adjustment affects only the loaded page. If you want to change the top-of-form position permanently, you can adjust it in the default-setting mode described in Chapter 3. However, most application software programs take care of the top and bottom margins. You usually don’t need to set the top-of-form position on the printer. 2-2 Paper Handling Printing on Single Sheets l l l When you want to push the paper support back into the paper cassette, first remove paper from the paper cassette. Then push the paper support in while pushing down on the locking tab. The default page length for the paper cassette is 65 lines (A4-size paper) or 61 lines (letter-size paper). You can change it using your application software or printer commands, if necessary. See the Appendix for more about printer commands. You can switch to manual insertion or to the optional push tractor without removing the paper cassette. For instructions, see “Loading paper manually” or “Switching Between Continuous Paper and Single Sheets” later in this chapter. Loading paper manually You can load single sheets of paper from the rear manual insertion slot. (If you’ve installed the optional push tractor, remove it before loading paper manually.) 1. Place the printer in the upright position and turn it on. Paper Handling 2-3 Printing on Single Sheets 2. Next, lower the flap on the rear slot. Then insert a single sheet into the slot, aligning the paper edge with the arrow mark on the printer case. The page loads automatically. When the printer receives data, it begins printing. Be sure to raise the flap when not using manual insertion. CAUTION: Be sure to turn on the printer before you insert the page into the slot. If you turn on the printer after paper insertion, the printer prints on the platen without loading the paper. l l 2-4 You can adjust the top-of-form position in the same way that you do for paper loaded from the cassette. When you want to switch to the paper cassette, press the FORM FEED button without inserting a page into the rear slot. The printer loads a page from the cassette. Paper Handling Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor You can use the optional push tractor to print on continuous paper from 101 mm (4 inches) to 254 mm (10 inches) wide. Installing the push tractor 1. Make sure the printer is turned off and is in the flat position. Remove the paper guide. 2. Make sure the paper-release lever is lowered to the single-sheet position. Paper Handling 2-5 Using Continuous Paper with Optional Pushz Tractor 3. Hold the tractor as shown and fit the edges of both sides into the slots at the back of the printer. Then lift it straight up until you hear the unit snap into place. 4. Raise the paper-release lever to the continuous-paper position. 2-6 Paper Handling Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor Loading continuous paper 1. Place the continuous paper supply below the printer so the paper feeds smoothly into the printer as shown. (You can also use a printer stand. ) 2. Make sure the paper-release lever is in the upper position. 3. Release the sprocket units by pushing the lock levers up. Paper Handling 2-7 Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor 4. Adjust the right sprocket unit using the arrow mark on the case and push down the lock lever to lock in place. (The arrow mark indicates the first printable position.) Then slide the left sprocket unit to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. 5. Position the paper support midway between the two sprocket units. Open both sprocket covers. 2-8 Paper Handling Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor 6. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight edge. Fit the first four holes of the paper over the sprocket pins, and then close the sprocket covers. Slide the left sprocket unit to remove any slack in the paper. Then push the lock lever down to lock it in place. Note that this printer prints on the underside of the paper. 7. Turn on the printer. It advances the paper to the loading position automatically when it receives data. Note: If the printer runs out of paper during a print job, attach I additional paper to the push tractor and press the FORM FEED button. Paper Handling 2-9 Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor Tips for using continuous paper You can adjust the top-of-form position temporarily. Open the printer cover and turn the gear marked by + and - signs to adjust the position. This adjustment is lost when you turn off the printer or feed the paper backward to the paper-park position by pressing the FORM FEED and FONT buttons at the same time. paper-park position If you want to change the top-of-form position permanently, adjust it with the default-setting mode as described in Chapter 3. Each time you turn on the printer with paper loaded, it reverses the continuous paper to the paper-park position and then advances it to the next top-of-form. Always remove your printed sheets before you turn off the printer to keep the top-of-form position accurate. 2-10 Paper Handling Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor Using the tear-off feature When you use continuous paper, the tear-off feature makes it easier to tear off the last printed sheet and saves the paper normally lost between documents. Note: You can tell the printer to feed the perforation of your paper to either the edge of the printer cover or approximately eight centimeters (three inches) beyond, by setting the tear-off option as described in Chapter 3. Here’s how the tear-off feature works: 1. When the printer finishes printing the last page, and the print head locates on the top-of-form position on the next page, it automatically advances the paper to the tear-off position. 2. The READY light ( m ) blinks to indicate the printer is in tear-off -9 You can then easily tear off the page along the perforation. mode. 3. 4. When the printer receives data, it feeds the paper backward to the top-of-form position and the printer begins printing. Removing the push tractor 1. Tear off any printed pages. Press the FORM FEED and FONT buttons at the same time to feed the remaining paper backward to the paper-park position. Remove the paper from the push tractor. CAUTION: Always tear off the printed document and excess paper before feeding paper backward. Never feed more than one page backward through the printer. Paper Handling 2-11 Using Continuous Paper with Optional Push Tractor 2. Turn off the printer. 3. Lower the paper-release lever to the single-sheet position. Then pull the push tractor straight down and out of the printer. 4. Replace the paper guide. 2-12 Paper Handling Switching Between Continuous Paper and Single Sheets When you use the push tractor, you can easily switch to single-sheet printing without removing the continuous paper supply. Switching to single sheets Here’s how to switch from continuous paper to single sheets: 1. If you have a printed document still in the printer, tear off the printed pages and then press the FORM FEED and FONT buttons at the same time to reverse the remaining paper back to the paperpark position. CAUTION: l l Always tear off printed pages before feeding paper backward; feeding too many sheets backward can cause a paper jam. Never feed labels backward. They can easily peel off of their backing and jam the printer. See “Labels” later in this chapter for information on removing labels. 2. Lower the paper-release lever to the single-sheet position. Paper Handling 2-13 Switching Between Continuous Paper and Single Sheets CAUTION: If you lower the paper-release lever while continuous paper is still loaded, the printer beeps and the READY light goes off. If this happens, raise the paperrelease lever and press the FORM FEED and FONT buttons at the same time to reverse the paper to the paper-park position. You can then lower the lever again. 3. The printer is ready to print. When it receives data, it automatically loads a single sheet from the paper cassette and begins to print. Switching to continuous paper To switch from single sheets back to continuous paper, follow these steps: 1. If a single sheet is in the paper path, press the FORM FEED button to eject it. 2. Raise the paper-release lever to the push-tractor position. 3. The printer is ready. When the printer receives data, it loads continuous paper from the push tractor automatically and begins to print. 2-14 Paper Handling Printing on Special Paper In addition to printing on single sheets and continuous paper, your printer can print on a wide variety of other paper types, such as envelopes, labels, and multi-part forms. Adjusting the paper-thickness lever Before you print on special paper, you may need to change the paper-thickness setting for the paper you are using. 1. Remove the printer cover and set the paper-thickness lever to match the thickness of your paper. Choose the setting from the table below. -PaperType Lever Position Ordinary (single sheets or continuous) 0 Multi-part forms (carbonless) 2 sheets (original + 1 copy) 0 Labels Envelopes I 1 I 1 I Note: Setting the paper-thickness lever to 1 reduces the printing sneed. 2. Replace the cover. Paper Handling 2-15 Printing on Special Paper Envelopes You can use the manual insertion slot to print on individual envelopes. Always load envelopes manually through the rear slot. To load an envelope, follow the steps described in “Loading paper manually” earlier in this chapter. l Before loading an envelope, set the paper-thickness lever to position 1 and lower the flap on the printer’s rear. l Always feed envelopes by inserting the wide edge into the printer first, as shown. l l l Use envelopes under normal operating conditions only. Printing on the edge of an envelope can damage the print head. Make sure your application program keeps the printing entirely within the printable area of the envelope. For more information on the printable area, see the Appendix. 2-16 Paper Handling Printing on Special Paper Multi-part forms You can use carbonless continuous multi-part forms of two parts (one original plus one copy). Set the paper-thickness lever to position 0 when printing on multi-part forms. Load multi-part forms with the optional push tractor only. You load multi-part continuous paper the same way as ordinary continuous paper. For details, see “Loading continuous paper” on page 2-7. Use only multi-part forms joined with spot-gluing that is free of wrinkles and waves. Never print on multi-part forms joined with metal staples, tape, or continuous gluing. If you need to adjust the top-of-form position, use your application software or change the default top-of-form position as described in Chapter 3. You may have to experiment to get the setting you want. Labels You can use the push tractor to print on labels. For best results, pay attention to these special considerations: Always choose labels mounted on a continuous backing sheet with sprocket holes for use with a tractor. Do not try to print labels on single sheets because labels on a shiny backing sheet almost always slip a little. Always set the paper-thickness lever to position 1. Never feed labels backward. They can easily peel off the backing and jam the printer. Because labels are especially sensitive to temperature and humidity, use them under normal operating conditions only. Paper Handling 2-17 Printing on Special Paper l l Make sure the printing stays entirely within the printable area of labels. For more information on the printable area, see the Appendix. Never leave labels loaded in the printer between jobs; if you turn on the printer with labels loaded, the printer feeds them backward to the paper-park position, possibly resulting in a jam. Here’s the correct way to remove labels from the printer: 1. Tear off the fresh supply of labels at the rear of the printer. 2. Press the FORM FEED button to advance the remaining labels out of the printer. 2-18 Paper Handling Chapter 3 Using the Printer Operating the Control Panel.. .................................................. Lights ..................................................................................... Buttons ................................................................................... Other control-panel features . ............................................ 3-2 3-2 3-3 3-4 Selecting Character Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Using the Default-Setting Mode ............................................. 3-6 Changing the default settings ............................................ 3-7 Default setting features ....................................................... 3-11 Maintenance and Transportation ........................................... Cleaning the printer.. ........................................................... Replacing the ribbon cartridge.. ......................................... Transporting the printer ..................................................... 3-14 3-14 3-14 3-15 Troubleshooting ........................................................................ Power supply ........................................................................ Printing .................................................................................. Paper handling ..................................................................... 3-16 3-17 3-17 3-21 Using the Printer 3-1 Operating the Control Panel You can control the basic printer operations-form feeding, paper loading and ejecting, and font selection-with the buttons on the control panel. The indicator lights help you monitor the status of the printer. Lights The two panel lights provide information on certain printer conditions and settings. READY The READY light is on when the printer is ready to receive data from the computer. It flashes briefly each time you turn on the printer. The READY light also flashes under the following conditions: . l l The printer is out of paper. The printer is in the tear-off mode (when the optional push tractor is installed). The printer is overheated. (In this case, the printer waits until the print head cools and then resumes printing.) When an error occurs, the READY light goes off. 3-2 Using the Printer Operating the Control Panel FONT The two FONT lights indicate the current font setting. These lights change when you press the FONT button. Look at the font menu on the control panel to determine which font is selected. For instructions on selecting fonts with the FONT button, see page 3-5. Buttons The two buttons on the control panel perform different functions, depending on the printer mode. FONT/YES Press the FONT button during normal operation to cycle through the font choices on the font menu. The two FONT lights indicate the current selections. For more about choosing a font with this button, see page 3-5. When you are in the default-setting mode, use this button to enter a positive response to a printer question or to select a new default setting. For more information about the default-setting mode, see page 3-6. FORM FEED/NO Press the FORM FEED button during normal operation to load a single sheet of paper or to advance continuous paper to the next top-ofform. You can also press FORM FEED to eject a page. When you are in the default-setting mode, use this button to enter a negative response to a printer question or to skip to the next setting. For more information about the default-setting mode, see page 3-6. Using the Printer 3-3 Operating the Control Panel PAPER PARK If you are using continuous paper, you can press the FORM FEED and FONT buttons at the same time to move the paper back to the paperpark position. CAUTION: Never feed labels backward through the printer; they may peel off their backing sheet and damage it. Use the FORM FEED button to feed them forward. Other control-panel features The control panel also gives you access to three special features: Self Test The self test lets you check whether your printer is operating properly. To run the self test, see page 1-8. Hex dump The hex dump allows advanced users to pinpoint communications problems between the printer and computer. For instructions on running a hex dump, see page 3-13. Demonstration The demonstration page is a printout of text and type enhancements that show2 you the unique capabilities of your printer. To print the demonstration page, see page 3-13. Selecting Character Fonts To choose one of the fonts available with your printer, press the FONT button. FONT Y E S 3-4 Using the Printer Selecting Character Fonts The two FONT lights come on (O), go off (0), and flash (6) to indicate the current selection. The table below lists the fonts and shows how the FONT lights appear for each selection. FONT Lights Font Sample Epson Roman ABCDEFGhijklm0123456789 Epson Sans Serif ABCDEFGhijklm0123456789 Epson Courier ABCDEFGhijklm0123456789 Epson Prestige ABCDEFGhijklm0123456789 Epson Script I I ABCDEFGhijklm0123456789 Epson Draft ABCDEFGhijklm0123456789 Draft condensed ABCDEFGHIJKLM0123456789 on off flashing The Roman and Sans Serif fonts can be scaled (or sized) from 8 to 32 points in 2-point increments, using your application software or ESC/P 2 commands. If you need information about controlling font size with your application software, see your software user’s guide. For a list of printer commands available with this printer, see the Appendix. Using the Printer 3-5 Using the Default-Setting Mode Your printer comes with a series of internal settings that control a variety of printer functions, such as page length and top of form position. Because these settings take effect each time you turn on the printer, they are called default settings. The factory default settings are designed to meet the needs of most users, so you may not need to change them. The table below lists all the features you can set in the default-setting mode. Options Setting Character table Non-European version: 437,850,860,863,865 European version: 437,850,860,863,865,437 Greek, 851, 852, 053, 855, 857, 864, 866, 869, or USSR GOST Page length (for continuous paper) 11 in., 12 in., 8.5 in., or 70/6 in. (A4) Skip-over-perforation On or Off Tear-off position On cutter or Above cutter TOF position -3, -2, -1, +O, +l, +2, or +3 Graphic print direction Unidirectional or Bidirectional Download On or Off Auto line feed On or Off Hex dump/demonstration Hex dump or Demonstration Note: Most application programs control the printer features listed here. If you can use your application program to control the printer, you may never need to use the default-setting mode. In fact, you may find that your program settings override your printer’s default settings. See your application program documentation for more information. 3-6 Using the Printer Using the Defaulf-Setting Mode If you find that you do need to change a default setting, you can make your changes with the YES and NO buttons on the control panel. - - YES NO Here’s a quick overview of how you change your printer settings: 1. Enter the default-setting mode. 2. Use the YES and NO buttons to respond to printed questions. 3. Turn off the printer to exit the default-setting mode. See the next section for step-by-step instructions. For a short summary of each printer feature, turn to page 3-11. Changing the default settings 1. Make sure the printer is turned off and paper is loaded in the paper cassette. If you installed the optional push tractor, you can use continuous paper. 2. Slide the narrow cover off of the printer cover as shown. This makes it easier to read the printed messages. Using the Printer 3-7 Using the Default-Seffing Mode 3. To enter the default-setting mode, hold down the YES button while you turn on the printer. The printer loads a sheet of paper automatically and prints a message: English? YES/NO You can print the messages in the default-setting mode in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. 4. To choose English, press YES. To choose another language, press NO. The printer prints another selection. Continue to press the NO button until the language you want to select appears; then press YES. Once you press the YES button, the printer saves the setting and uses your selected language to print a list of the current default settings and instructions for changing them. Here’s a sample of what you’ll see: Current Settinss; Meesage Language Character Table Skip Over Perforation TOF Position Download Hex Dump/Demonstration Message Direction Tear+ff Position Graphic Print Direction Auto Line Feed :Normal :ll inch :On cutter :Uni-D :Off Each of the features you can change appears on this list. 5. Next, the printer prints the first question. Message Direction: Normal. Upside-down Change? YES/NO Note: If you are using the push tractor, the printer skips this question. You cannot change the message direction for the push tractor. 3-8 Using the Printer Using the Default-Setting Mode The steps for changing all settings are identical. Look at the underlined setting. If it is correct and you do not want to change it, press NO; the printer goes on to the next feature. If you want to make a change, press YES. When you press YES, the printer prints the next option available for the current setting, followed by OK? YES/NO. You can continue to press NO until the option you want to select appears; or press YES to select it. When you press YES, the printer saves the new setting and goes on to the next feature. For example, you might want to press YES to change the message direction to upside down if you are using the printer in the upright position. If you press YES, the printer adds a new message line: Message Direction: Normal. Upside-down Upside-down Change? YES/NO OK? YES/NO If you press YES, the printer changes the print direction and goes on to the next feature. If you press NO, the printer adds a third line: Message Direction: Normal, Upside-down Change? YES/NO Upside-down OK? YES/NO Normal OK? YES/NO Press YES to choose the normal print direction. The printer saves the setting and goes on to the next feature. If you make a mistake and press NO, don’t worry. The printer repeats the available options until you make your choice with the YES button. Using the Printer 3-9 Using the Default-Setting Mode 6. Continue answering the questions with the YES and NO buttons to change as many default settings as you like. Your settings are saved automatically and remain in effect until you change them again. Note: Press the NO button quickly several times to skip over features that you do not wish to change. 7. After you reach the last feature (Hex Dump/Demonstration) and make your selection, the printer prints a list of the new default settings. 8. To exit the default-setting mode, at any time, turn off the printer. Any changes you make remain in effect until you change them again. 9. After you exit the default-setting mode, slide the narrow cover back on the printer. 3-10 Using the Printer Using the Default-Setting Mode Default setting features This section describes all the features in the default-setting mode. Character table Character tables contain the characters and symbols used in different languages. Your printer includes a wide variety of character tables. You can choose from these options: Non-European version: l PC 437 (USA, standard Europe) l PC 860 (Portuguese) l PC 865 (Nordic) European version: l PC 437 (USA, standard Europe) l PC 860 (Portuguese) l PC 865 (Nordic) l PC 851 (Greek) l PC 853 (Turkish) l PC 857 (Turkish) l PC 866 (Russian) l USSR GOST (Russian) l l l l l l l l l PC 850 (Multilingual) PC 863 (Canadian-French) PC 850 (Multilingual) PC 863 (Canadian-French) PC 437 Greek (Greek) PC 852 (East Europe) PC 855 (Cyrillic) PC 864 (Arabic) PC 869 (Greek) For specific characters, see “Character Tables” in the Appendix. Page length This option is only available when you use continuous paper with the optional push tractor. You can set the page length to 8.5,11,12, or 70/6 (A4) inches. Using the Printer 3-11 Using the Default-Setting Mode Skip-over-perforation When this option is set to on, the printer skips over the perforations of continuous paper, so that it provides a l-inch margin between the last line printed on one page and the first line printed on the next. Since most application programs insert their own top and bottom margins, you should use this feature only if your program does not provide them. This feature is active only if you install the optional push tractor. Tear-off position When you use continuous paper with the optional push tractor, this feature advances the paper so you can tear off the printed page and then reverses the paper so you can use all of the next sheet. You can choose from two tear-off positions with this printer. If you select On cutter, the printer feeds the paper perforation to the edge of the printer cover. If you select Above cutter, the printer feeds the perforation about 80 mm (3 inches) beyond the printer cover’s edge. TOF (top-of-form) position Whenever you press the FORM FEED button or send the form feed command, the printer loads paper to the top-of-form (TOF) position. The TOF position is factory set to the ±0 position (8.5 mm .33 inches - from the top edge of paper). You can set this position from -3 to +3 in l-mm (.04 inches) increments. Graphic print direction Printing is normally bidirectional. However, unidirectional printing allows for precise vertical alignment of print dots. If you select unidirectional printing, the printer prints graphics unidirectionally even if you select bidirectional with the ESC UO software command. 3-12 Using the Printer Using the Default-Setting Mode Download You must turn on the download function before you download fonts or other user-defined characters to the printer memory. If you are not using user-defined characters, you can turn it off to increase the printer’s memory capacity. Auto line feed When the auto line feed feature is on, each carriage return (CR) code is accompanied by a line feed (LF) code. If your printed text is unexpectedly double-spaced, set this option off. If text lines print on top of each other, set it on. Hex dump/Demonstration The hex dump/demonstration feature lets you print a hexadecimal dump or a demonstration page. If you choose Hex dump, the printer prints the exact codes (in hexadecimal format) reaching it from the computer. You can analyze this information to isolate communication problems. If you select Demonstration, the printer prints a page describing and demonstrating many of the features available with your printer. Once you select hex dump or demonstration, turn off the printer and wait five seconds. Then hold down both the FORM FEED and FONT buttons while you turn on the printer to enter the hex dump mode or print the demonstration page. Using the Printer 3-13 Maintenance and Transportation Cleaning the printer To keep your printer operating at its best, you should clean it thoroughly several times a year. 1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Remove any paper as well as the paper cassette and output guide. 2. Use a soft brush to carefully brush away all dust and dirt. 3. If the outer case or paper cassette is dirty or dusty, clean it with a soft, clean cloth dampened with mild detergent. Keep the printer cover in place to prevent water from getting inside the printer. CAUTION: l l l l Never use alcohol or thinners to clean the printer; these chemicals can damage the components as well as the case. Do not use a hard or abrasive brush. Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants; unsuitable oils can damage the mechanism. Contact your dealer or a qualified service person if you think lubrication is needed. Be careful not to get water on the printer mechanism or electronic components. Replacing the ribbon cartridge When the printing becomes faint, you need to replace the ribbon cartridge. Epson recommends the SO15032 ribbon cartridge. CAUTION: If you have just used the printer, let the print head cool for a few minutes before you touch it. 3-14 Using the Printer Maintenance and Transportation To remove the old ribbon cartridge, first move the print head to the center of the printer. Then remove the cartridge by lifting the posts on either side of the unit. To replace the ribbon cartridge, follow the steps in “Installing the Ribbon Cartridge” in Chapter 1. output guide. 4. Remove the optional push tractor, if installed. 5. Remove the ribbon cartridge. 6. Attach the protective materials to the printer and paper cassette. See page l-3. 7. Repack the printer, ribbon cartridge, output guide, and power cord in the original packing materials and place them in the printer’s original box. Using the Printer 3-15 Troubleshooting Most problems you may encounter while operating your printer have simple solutions. If you have a printer problem, find it in the list below and then see the appropriate page for help. Power supply l Power is not being supplied. See 3-17. Printing l l l l l The printer does not print. The print is faint or uneven. Dots are missing in printed characters or graphics. Printed characters are not what you expected. The print position is not what you expected. See See See See See 3-17. 3-18. 3-19. 3-19. 3-20. Paper handling l l l Single sheets do not feed properly from the paper cassette. Single sheets do not feed properly from the manual insertion slot. Continuous paper does not feed properly. See 3-21. See 3-22. See 3-22. You can check the operation of your printer using the self test. See “Running the Self Test” in Chapter 1. If the self test works properly, the problem probably lies in the computer, the software, or the interface cable. If the self test does not work, contact your dealer or a qualified service person for assistance. 3-16 Using the Printer Troubleshooting Power supply Power is not being supplied. l The lights on the control panel do not go on. Check that the power cord is plugged into the electrical outlet properly. If the electrical outlet is controlled by an outside switch or automatic timer, use a different outlet. Plug another electrical device into the outlet to determine whether the outlet is operating properly. l The lights come on briefly and then go off. The lights stay off even when the power is turned on again. Check that the printer’s voltage rating matches the voltage of your electrical outlet. If the voltages do not match, unplug the printer and contact your dealer immediately. Do not reconnect the power cord to an electrical outlet. Printing The printer does not print. l The READY light is on but nothing is printed. Check that the software is installed properly for your printer. Check the software’s printer settings. Check both ends of the interface cable between the printer and the computer. Make sure this cable is a shielded twistedpair parallel cable that meets both the printer and computer specifications. l The READY light is-flashing. The printer may be out of paper. Load paper in the printer. Using the Printer 3-17 Troubleshooting l The printer sounds like it is printing, but nothing is printed. The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See the section on ribbon installation in Chapter 1. The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge as described earlier in this chapter. l The printer makes a strange noise, the beeper sounds several times, and the printer stops abruptly. Turn off the printer and check for a paper jam, a ribbon jam, or other problems. If the printer still does not print correctly, contact your dealer. l The READY light is flashing but the printer does not print printing abruptly. or it stops The print head is overheated. Wait a few minutes; the printer will resume printing automatically when the print head cools. l The beeper sounds several times and the READY light goes off, An error has occurred. Turn off the printer and turn it on again. If the READY light stays off, contact your dealer or a qualified service person. (If an error occurs when you try to switch between single sheets and continuous paper, see page 3-23.) The print is faint or uneven. l Printed characters have parts missing at the bottom. The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See the section on ribbon installation in Chapter 1. 3-18 Using the Printer Troubleshooting l The printout is faint. The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge as described earlier in this chapter. Check that the paper-thickness lever is set correctly for the paper you are using. See “Adjusting the paper-thickness lever” in Chapter 2. Dots are missing in printed characters or graphics. l A line of dots is missing in the printout. The print head is damaged. Stop printing and contact your dealer to replace it. l Dots are missing in random positions. Either there is too much slack in the ribbon or the ribbon has come loose. Re-install the ribbon cartridge as described in Chapter 1. Printed characters are not what you expected. l The typestyles or characters you sent with your software are not printed. Check that the software is correctly configured for your printer. For instructions, see Chapter 1. l The font selected on the control panel does not print. Your software may be overriding your control panel setting. Check the font setting in your application program. l The wrong characters are printed. The wrong character table is selected. Check the default character table setting as described in “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. Using the Printer 3-19 Troubleshooting The print position is not what you expected. l Printing starts too high or too low on the page, or the bottom part of one page is printed at the top of the next page. Reduce or eliminate the top margin with your application software. Use your application software to specify the type of paper you are using (single sheet or continuous) and to set the lines-per-page setting. These settings take into account the different requirements of the two printing methods. Change the TOF position in the default-setting mode. See “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. Also, it is possible to open the printer cover and turn the gear to make minor adjustments to the loading position for the current page only. See Chapter 2. l All the text is printed on the same line. Set the auto line feed to on in the default-setting mode so the printer adds a line-feed code to each carriage return. See “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. l The text is printed with extra blank lines between the lines of text. Two line-feed signals are being sent. Set the auto line feed to off in the default-setting mode. See “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. Line spacing is incorrect. Adjust the line-space setting with your application software. l Page length does not match the length of the paper. Check the page length set by your application software and adjust if necessary. If you are using continuous paper, change the page length in the default-setting mode. See “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. 3-20 Using the Printer Troubleshooting Regular gaps occur in the printout. l One-inch skip-over-perforation may be set. Set skip-overperforation to off in the default-setting mode. See “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. Vertical printed lines do not align. l Set the graphic print direction to Uni-D for unidirectional printing in the default-setting mode. For instructions, see “Changing the default settings” on page 3-7. Note: l l You can use hex dump mode to find the cause of communication problems between the printer and your application programs. See page 3-13. If the printer still does not print correctly, try the self test described in Chapter 1. If the self test works properly, the printer is all right, and the problem probably lies in the computer, the software, or the cable. If the self test does not work, contact your dealer or a qualified service person. Paper handling Single sheets do not feed properly from the paper cassette. l When the optional push tractor is installed, the platen does not rotate and paper does not feed. Check that the paper-release lever is in the lower, singlesheet position. l The platen rotates but paper does not feed and the READY light flashes. The paper cassette is out of paper. Load paper in the cassette. Using the Printer 3-21 Troubleshooting l Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. Turn off the printer and pull out the paper. Remove the paper cassette and make sure the paper is properly loaded in the paper cassette. l Pages do not fully eject. Use the FORM FEED button to eject the pages. Single sheets do not feed properly from the manual insertion slot. l Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. Turn off the printer and pull out the paper. Insert a new sheet straight into the paper slot. Make sure you’re using the right type of paper. See the paper specifications in the Appendix. l The paper may be too far to the right. Move the paper a little to the left. l The paper does not eject completely. The paper may be too long. Use paper that is within the specified range. See the paper specifications in the Appendix. Continuous paper does not feed properly. l When you send data or press the FORM FEED button, the push tractor does not feed the paper. Check that the paper-release lever is in the raised, continuous-paper position. The paper has come off the push tractor. Reattach the paper to the push tractor. 3-22 Using the Printer Troubleshooting l Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. The position of your paper supply may be preventing it from feeding straight. Make sure the paper supply is not obstructed by a cable or some other object. Make sure that your paper supply is positioned within 1 meter (3 feet) of the printer. Check that the holes on the sides of the paper are aligned with each other. Also, make sure the sprocket units are locked and their covers are closed. Check that the paper-thickness lever is set correctly for the paper you are using. See “Adjusting the paper-thickness lever” in Chapter 2. Check that the paper size and thickness are within the specified range. See the paper specifications in the Appendix. l The paper does not eject properly. The page may be too long. Tear off the fresh supply of paper and eject the page from the printer. Use only paper that is within the specified length range described in the Appendix. l When you switch between single skeets and continuous paper, the beeper sounds several times and the READY light goes 0ff. You may have tried to change the paper-release lever position while paper remained in the printer. Return the paper-release lever to the previous position and eject paper (or feed paper to the paper-park position). Then change the paper-release lever position. Using the Printer 3-23 Appendix Technical Specifications .......................................................... Printer specifications ......................................................... Interface specifications ...................................................... Initialization ........................................................................ A-l A-l A-8 A-11 Command Summary ............................................................... Using the command summary ......................................... General operation .............................................................. Paper feeding ...................................................................... Page format ......................................................................... Print position motion ........................................................ Font selection ...................................................................... Font enhancement .............................................................. Spacing ................................................................................ Character handling ............................................................ Bit image.. ............................................................................ Graphics .............................................................................. A-12 A-12 A-12 A-12 A-13 A-13 A-14 A-16 A-17 A-17 A-19 A-20 Character Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-21 Appendix A-l Technical Specifications Printer specifications Printing Printing method: 24-pin impact dot matrix Printing speed: Quality Characters/inch Draft LQ Characters/second/line IO 167 12 200 10 60 12 72 Printing direction: Bidirectional logic-seeking for text and graphics. (Unidirectional for graphics can be selected with the default-setting mode or the proper software command.) Line spacing: l/6 inch, l/8 inch, or programmable in l/360-inch increments Paper feed speed: 91 ms per l/6-inch line; 2.22 inches/second with continuous feed Input buffer: 1l KB when download default setting OFF 1.75KB when download default setting ON Printable columns: Character sizes IO cpi IO cpi condensed 12 cpi A-2 Appendix Maximum printed characters 80 137 96 12 cpi condensed 160 15 cpi 120 Technical Specifications Resident fonts: T10e cpi xt Font 12 cpi 15 cpi Proportional Epson Draft Epson Roman Epson Sans Serif Epson Courier Epson Prestige Epson Script You can also select other font/pitch combinations using ESC/P 2 commands. See the command summary later in this chapter for details. Scalable fonts: Min pt max pt Epson Roman 8 32 2 pt Epson Sans Serif 8 32 2 pt Font Increments Character tables: One italic and 15 graphics character tables for European version One italic and 5 graphics character tables for nonEuropean version Character sets: 14 international character sets and one legal character set Paper Single sheets (Paper cassette): Size Thickness Weight Input paper supply US model: Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) Other models: A4 (210 x 297 mm) 0.065 to 0.14 mm (0.0026 to 0.0055 inches) 64 to 90 g/m2 (17 to 24 lb) l Use 90 g/m2 (24 lb) paper under normal conditions. 50 sheets for 82 g/m2 (22 lb) 60 sheets for 64 g/m2 (17 lb) Total thickness of paper stack should be less than 5 mm (0.2 inches). Appendix A-3 Technical Specifications Single sheets (Manual insertion): 148 to 257 mm (5.8 to 10.1 inches) Width 92 to 364 mm (3.6 to 14.3 inches) Length 0.065 to 0.14 mm (0.0026 to 0.0055 inches) Thickness 52 to 90 g/m2 (14 to 24 lb) Weight Continuous paper: Width Copies Thickness Weight 101 to 254 mm (4 to 10 inches) Two sheets (one original plus one copy) 0.065 to 0.18 mm (0.0026 to 0.0071 inches) total 52 to 82 g/m2 (14 to 22 lb) for one sheet 40 to 58 g/m2 (12 to 15 lb) per sheet in multi-part forms Use only two-part carbonless multi-part forms and l use them only with the optional push tractor. Note: You can use recycled paper under normal conditions. If you notice increases in ribbon consumption and paper jamming, use a higher grade of paper. Labels: Size Thickness Weight Envelopes: Size No. 6 No. 10 Thickness Weight A-4 Appendix 101 to 254 mm (4 to 10 inches) width for backing sheet 63.5 x 23.8 mm (2 1/2x 15/16 inches) minimum for a label 0.07 to 0.09 mm (0.0028 to 0.0035 inches) for backing sheet 0.16 to 0.19 mm (0.0063 to 0.0075 inches) total 68 g/m2 (17 lb) Use continuous type labels only with the optional l push tractor. Use labels only under normal temperature and l humidity conditions. 166 x 92 mm (6.5 x 3.6 inches) 240 x 104 mm (9.4 x 4.1 inches) 0.16 to 0.48 mm (0.0063 to 0.0197 inches) 45 to 75 g/m2 (12 to 20 lb) Use envelopes only under normal temperature l and humidity conditions. Load envelopes with the longer side inserted into l the rear slot by manual insertion only. Technical Specifications Printable area: Single sheets (paper cassette and manual insertion) and envelopes A The minimum top margin is 8.5 mm (0.33 inches). B The minimum left margin is 3 mm (0.12 inches). The minimum right margin is: 3.8 mm (0.15 inches) for the A4-size paper cassette 9.7 mm (0.38 inches) for the letter-size paper cassette 3 mm (0.12 inches) for manual insertion However, the maximum printable width is 203 mm (8 inches). C The minimum bottom margin is 13.5 mm (0.53 inches). Appendix A-5 Technical Specifications Continuous paper B B A The minimum top and bottom margins above and below the perforation are 9 mm (0.35 inches). B The minimum left and right margins are 13 mm (0.51 inches). The maximum printable width is 203 mm (8 inches). Mechanical Paper-feed methods: Friction (paper cassette and manual insertion) Push tractor (optional) Ribbon: Black ribbon cartridge SO15032 Life expectancy: 2 million characters at 48 dots/character MTBF: 4000 power-on hours (10% duty) Print head life: 100 million strokes/wire Dimensions and weight: Height Width Depth Weight A-6 Appendix 130 mm (5.1 inches) 375 mm (14.8 inches) 252 mm (9.9 inches) 4.5 kg (10 lb) Technical Specrfications Electrical 220 V model: Rated voltage: Input voltage range: Rated frequency range: Input frequency range: Rated current: Power consumption: Dielectric strength: 220-230V model: Rated voltage: Input voltage range: Rated frequency range: Input frequency range: Rated current: Power consumption: Dielectric strength: 240 V model: Rated voltage: Input voltage range: Rated frequency range: Input frequency range: Rated current: Power consumption: Dielectric strength: AC 120 V AC 103.5 to 132 V 50 to 60 Hz 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 1.1 A 30 W (during self-test printing in draft mode at 10 cpi) AC 1 kV rms, 1 second (between AC line and chassis) AC 220-230 V AC 198 to 244 V 50 to 60 Hz 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 0.6 A 30 W (during self-test printing in draft mode at 10 cpi) AC 1.5 kV rms, 1 second (between AC line and chassis) AC 240 V AC 216 to 264 V 50 to 60 Hz 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 0.6 A 30 W (during self-test printing in draft mode at 10 cpi) AC 1.5 kV rms, 1 second (between AC line and chassis) Note: Check the label on the back of the printer for the voltage of your printer. Appendix A-7 Technical Specifications Environmental Temperature: Operation: Storage: 5 to 35°C (41 to 95°F) -20 to 55°C (4 to 131°F) Humidity (withouf condensation): 30 to 80 %RH Operation: 5 to 85 %RH Storage: Safety approvals Safety standards: US model: European model: US model: European model: RFI: UL1950 with D3, CSA22.2 #220 EN 60950 (TUV), IEC 950 (SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, SETI) FCC class B VDE0871, CISPR PUB.22 Interface specifications Your printer is equipped with an S-bit A-8 Appendix Technical Specifications8 IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN These signals represent information of the 1st to 8th bits of parallel data, respectively. Each signal is at HIGH level when data is logical 1 and LOW when it is logical 0. 10 28 ACKNLG OUT About a IO-microsecond pulse. LOW indicates that data has been received and that the printer is ready to accept more data. 11 29 BUSY OUT A HIGH signal indicates the printer cannot receive data. The signal goes HIGH in the following cases: 1) During data entry (ea. char. time) 2) During printing 3) During an error state 12 30 PE OUT A HIGH signal indicates that the printer is in a paper-out state or in an error state. 13 - SLCT OUT Pulled up to 5V through 1 .O KQ resistance. 14 - AUTO FEED XT IN When this signal is LOW, the paper is automatically fed one line after printing. (The signal level can be fixed to this by setting Auto Line Feed to on in the default-setting mode.) Appendix A-9 Technical Specifications Signal Pin 15 Return Pin - 16 18 16 32 Signal NC Not used GND Logic ground level CHASSIS GND Printer’s chassis ground, which is isolated from the logic ground NC Not used GND Twisted-pair return signal ground level INIT ERROR 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - Description Direction IN) in an error state GND - Same as for pins 19-30 NC - Not used OUT NC Pulled up to 5V through 1 .O KQ resistance. Not used Note: l The column heading “Direction” refers to the direction of signal flow as viewed from the printer. l “Return” denotes the twisted-pair return, to be connected at signal ground level. For the interface wiring, be sure to use a twisted-pair cable for each signal and to complete the connection on the return side. l All interface conditions are based on the TTL level. Both the rise and fall times of each signal must be less than 0.2 microseconds. l Data transfer must be carried out by observing the ACKNLG or BUSY signal. Data transfer to this printer can be carried out only after receipt of the ACKNLG signal or when the BUSY signal is LOW. A-10 Appendix Technical Specifications Interface timing The figure below shows the timing for the parallel interface. BUSY ACKNLG DATA STROBE Initialization The printer can be initialized (returned to a fixed set of conditions) in three ways: The printer receives an INIT signal from the parallel Software sends the ESC @ (initialize the printer) Appendix A-11 Technical Specifications Default settings The table below shows the default settings that take effect when the printer is initialized. Item Default setting Top of form position Current paper position or setting in the defaultsetting mode. Page length Single sheets: 65 lines for A4-size paper, 61 lines for letter-size paper, 22 inches for manual insertion Continuous paper: Subject to control panel setting in the default-setting mode Left and right margins Cancelled Line spacing 1/6-inch line spacing Character size 10.5 point Horizontal tab positions Every eight characters Font selection Last font selected on control panel Special printing effects Cancelled (except condensed printing) Download character set Hardware initialization: cleared Software initialization: deselected only In addition, hardware initialization clears the data buffer. A-12 Appendix Command Summary Using the command summary l/O is a command that uses 1 to turn the feature on and 0 to turn it off. ESC $ nl n2 is a command with two parameters. ESC D nn is a command with a variable number of parameters. General operation ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC@ 64 40 Initialize Printer ESCUl/O 85 55 Turn Unidirectional Mode On/Off ESCEMn 25 19 Control Paper Loading/Ejecting n = “R” Eject a sheet Paper feeding ASCII Dec. Hex. Description CR 13 OD Carriage Return FF 12 OC Form Feed LF 10 OA Line Feed ESC 0 48 30 Select 1 /8-inch Line Spacing ESC 2 50 32 Select 1 /6-inch Line Spacing ESC3 n 51 33 Set n/180-inch Line Spacing ESC+n 43 2B Set n/360-inch Line Spacing Appendix A-13 Command Summa y Page format ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC(cnn 40 99 28 63 Set Page Format ESC(c4OmZm2nln2 m=ml + m2 x256 m: Top margin in defined units n=nl+n2x256 ESCO 79 4F Cancel Top/Bottom Margin for Continuous Paper ESCln 108 6C Set Left Margin n = Left margin column ESCQn 81 51 Set Right Margin n = Right margin column Print position motion ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC $ nl n2 36 24 Set Absolute Horizontal Print Position n = nl + n2 x 256 n: Specifies print position from left margin in defined units l Before you define the unit, the default is l/60-inch for this command. A-14 Appendix Command Summary ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC \ nl n2 92 5C Set Relative Horizontal Print Position n = nl + n2 x 256 n: Moves current print position in defined units l Before you define the unit, the default is 1 / 120-inch in draft and 1 / 180- inch in LQ for this command. ESC(Vnn 40 86 28 56 Set Absolute Vertical Print Position ESC(V20nln2 n = nl + n2 x 256 n: Specifies print position from top margin in defined units ESC ( v nn 40 118 28 76 ESC D nn 68 44 Set Horizontal Tabs Up to 32 tabs entered in ascending order Terminated by 0 HT 9 09 Tab Horizontally ESC B nn 66 42 Set Vertical Tabs Up to 16 tabs; last n should be 0 VT 11 OB Tab Vertically ESC J n 74 4A Advance paper n/180-inch Set Relative Vertical Print Position ESC(v20nln2 n= nl +n2 x 256 n: Moves current print position in defined units Font selection ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC k n 107 6B Select Typeface n = 0: Roman 1: Sans Serif 2: Courier 3: Prestige 4: Script Appendix A-15 Command Summa y G 71 47 Select Double-Strike Printing ESC H 72 48 Cancel Double-Strike Printing ESC S O 83 53 Select Superscript Printing ESC S l 83 53 Select Subscript Printing ESC T 84 54 Cancel Superscript/Subscript Printing ESC ( - nn 40 45 28 2D ESC - l/O 45 2D Turn Underline On/Off ESC q n 113 71 Select Character Style 1: Outline n = 0: Normal style 3: Outline with shadow 2: Shadow Select Line/Score ESC ( - 301 n1 n2 nl = 1: Underline 2: Strikethrough 3: Overscore n2 = 0: Cancel score line selected by nl 1: Single continuous line 2: Double continuous line 5: Single broken line 6: Double broken line Appendix A-17 Command Summa y Spacing ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC SP n 32 20 Set Intercharacter Space n = Number of units of space added to the space between characters Units are l/120 inch (draft) and l/180 inch (LQ and proportional) ESC (U nn Character handling ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC (tnn 40 116 28 74 Assign Character Table ESC (t 3O dl d2 d3 Assign Character Table set with d2 and d3 to table dl dl = 0, 1, 2, 3, 48, 49, 50, or 51 d2 d3 Character Table 0 0 Italic 1 0 PC 437 (USA) 3 0 PC 850 (Multilingual) 4 0 PC 851 (Greek)* 5 0 PC 853 (Turkish)* 6 0 PC 855 (Cyrillic)* 7 0 PC 860 (Portuguese) 8 0 PC 863 (Canada-French) 9 0 PC 865 (Norway) 10 0 PC 852 (East Europe)* 11 0 PC 857 (Turkish)* 13 0 PC 864 (Arabic)* 14 0 PC 866 (Russian)* 15 0 PC 869 (Greek)* 16 0 USSR GOST (Russian)* 1 16 PC 437 Greek (Greek)* * available for European version A-18 Appendix Command Summary ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC t n 116 74 Select Character Table Select character table n assigned by ESC ( t n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 48, 49, 50, or 51 n = 2: Remaps download characters from O-127 to 128-255 (unless a character table has been assigned to 2 with the ESC (+ command) ESC R n 82 52 Select an International Character Set ESC & nn n Country 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 64 U.S.A. France Germany U.K. Denmark I Sweden Italy Spain I Japan Norway Denmark II Spain II Latin America Korea Legal 38 26 Define User-Defined Character ESC & 0 nl n2 d0 dl d2 data nl = First character number n2 = Last character number d0 = Left space of character dl = Body width of character d2 = Right space of character data: 3 bytes required for each column; super/subscript requires only 2 bytes per column Appendix A-19 Command Summa y ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC: 0 n 0 58 3A Copy ROM to RAM n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 9 7 55 37 Enable Upper Control Codes Cancels ESC 6 ESC ( ˆ nn 40 94 28 5E Print Data as Characters ESC ( ˆ nl n2 data n = nl + n2 x 256 n: Amount of data data: The following n bytes of data printed as characters ASCII Dec. Hex. Description ESC * nn 42 2A Select Bit Image ESC * m nl n2 data Bit image n = nl + n2 x 256 n: Total columns Total data = (nl + n2 x 256) x t t = Number of data bytes per column A-20 Appendix Command Summary m Horizontal density (dpi) Vertical density (dpi) Pins Adjacent dots print t 60 120 120 240 80 90 60 120 90 180 360 60 60 60 60 60 60 180 180 180 180 180 8 8 8 8 8 8 24 24 24 24 24 Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 1 2 3 4 6 32 33 38 39 40 Graphics Hex. Description ASCII Dec. ESC ( G nn 40 71 28 47 Select Graphics Mode ESC(GlOn n = 1 or 49 l Cancel Graphics mode with ESC @ ESC . nn 46 Print Raster Graphics ESC.cvhmnln2 data c = 0: Full graphics mode 1: Compressed mode u = 10,20: Dot density for vertical in 3600/v DPI h = 10,20: Dot density for horizontal in 3600/h DPI m: Number of vertical dots 2E n: l Number of horizontal dots Total dots = nl + n2 x 256 The following combination is not allowed: u = l0 and h = 2 0 Appendix A-21 Character Tables These character tables are selected with the default-setting mode or by using a software command. All the tables are the same for hex codes 00 through 7F. Therefore, only first table is shown completely. The rest of the tables show only the characters for hex codes 80 through FF. For all character tables except the italic character table, the ESC 6 and ESC 7 software commands let you select whether hex codes 80 to 9F are characters (ESC 6) or control codes (ESC 7). The tables with * after the table name are available in the European version only. PC 437 (USA, standard Europe) A-22 Appendix Character Tables PC 850 (Multilingual) PC 860 (Portuguese) CODE CODE 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 9 A B C D E F 0 PC 863 (Canadian-French) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 A B C D F 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F PC 865 (Nordic) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F Appendix A-23 Character Tables PC 437 Greek (Greek)” PC 851 (Greek)* CODE 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F PC 852 (East Europe)” PC 853 (Turkish)* CODE 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F F A-24 Appendix Character TablesCharacter Tables PC 857 (Turkish)* PC 855 (Cyrillic)” CODE 8 9 A B 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 C D E F CODE 8 9 A B C D E F 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 A B C D A B C D E E F F PC 864 (Arabic)” PC 866 (Russian)” 0 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F A B C D E F Appendix A-25 Character Tables USSR GOST (Russian)* PC 869 (Greek)” B S A B C D E 8 F 9 A B C D E F 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F Italic CODE 8 9 A B 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F A-26 Appendix C D E F No character is available for hex code 15 in the italic character table. Character Tables Character available with ESC ( ˆ To print the characters in the table below, you must first send the ESC ( ˆ command. CODE 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 0 0 1 1 7 0 The following characters are available with PC 864 (Arabic) only. Appendix A-27 Character Tables A-28 Appendix Glossary The following definitions apply specifically to printers. If a word is italicized, see that topic for more information.. byte A unit of information consisting of eight bits. characters per inch (cpi) A measure of the size of text characters, sometimes referred to as pitch. The printer’s default setting is 10 cpi. character table A collection of letters, numbers, and symbols that provides you with the characters used in a particular language. condensed printing Printing in which the width of each character is approximately 60% of the width of standard characters. Useful for fitting wide tables or spreadsheets onto a page. continuous paper Paper that has sprocket-feed holes on each side, is perforated between pages, and is supplied in a folded stack. Also called fanfold paper. Glossary GL-1 control code Special codes used to control printer functions (such as a carriage return or line feed) instead of printing characters. cpi See characters per inch. default A value or setting that takes effect when the equipment is turned on, reset, or initialized. printing One of two print qualities available on your printer. Draft uses a minimum number of dots per character for high-speed printing. See also LQ printing. ESC/P Abbreviation for Epson Standard Code for Printers. This system of commands gives you software control of your printer from your computer. It is standard for all Epson printers and supported by most application software for personal computers. ESC/P 2 The enhanced version of the ESC/P printer command language. Commands in this language give laser-like features, such as scalable fonts and enhanced graphics printing. font A font is a style of type designated by a family name. form feed A control code and control panel button that advances the paper to the next topmargin position. GL-2 Glossary). interface The connection between the computer and the printer. A parallel interface transmits data one character or code at a time, and a serial interface transmits data one bit at a time. italic A typestyle in which the characters slant. This sentence is italicized. line feed A control code that advances the paper one line space. LQ printing One of two print qualities available on your printer. Letter quality provides better readability and appearance at a reduced print speed. See also draft printing. paper-park position The position in which the paper is backed out of the paper path, but is still attached to the optional push tractor. parallel interface See interface.. Glossary GL. self test A method for checking the operation of the printer. When you run the self test, the printer prints the characters stored in its ROM. paper feed operation that automatically feeds the perforation of continuous paper to the tear-off position and then feeds the paper back to the loading position. tear-off position The position the printer feeds the paper to at the end of print job. You can change the position in the default-setting mode so that the paper’s perforation meets the printer’s tear-off edge or passes approximately 8 centimeters (3 inches) beyond the edge. top-of-form The position on the paper that the printer recognizes as the first printable line. This is the default top-margin position. downloaded characters. GL-4 Glossary Index Command descriptions are not indexed here. A E Application program, 1-13 Auto line feed, 3-6, 3-13, 3-20 Envelopes, 2-16, A4 loading, 2-16 specifications, A-4 ESC/P 2, 1, 3-5, A-13-21 B Bidirectional printing, 3-6, 3-12, A-2 Buffer, A-2 Buttons, 3-2, 3-3 C Cable parallel interface, 1-11-13 Cable clip, 1-2, 1-12 Cassette, paper, 1-3, 1-9-10 Character fonts, 3-2, 3-4 - 5, A-3 tables, 3-6, 3-11, A-3, A-22-27 Cleaning the printer, 3-14 Clip, cable, l-2, 1-12 Connecting the printer, 1-11-13 Continuous paper, 2-5-14, A-4, A-6 loading, 2-7-10 top-of-form, 2-10, 3-6, 3-12 Control panel, 3-2-4 Copy capacity, 2-15, 2-17, A-4 D Data dump, see Hex dump Default settings, 3-6-13, A-12 setting mode, 3-6-13 Demonstration, 3-4, 3-6, 3-13 Download, 3-6, 3-13, A-2 Draft, 3-5, A-2, A-3 F Fonts, 3-2, button, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4-5 draft, 3-5, A-3 draft condensed, 3-5 Epson Courier, 3-5, A-3 Epson Prestige, 3-5, A-3 Epson Roman, 3-5, A-3 Epson Sans Serif, 3-5, A-3 Epson Script, 3-5, A-3 lights, 3-2, 3-4-5 selecting, 3-4-5 FORM FEED button, 3-2, 3-3 Form length, continuous paper, 3-6, 3-11, A-6 Forms, multi-part, 2-17, A-4 G Gear, 2-2, 2-10 Graphics print direction, 3-6, 3-12, A-2 Guide, output, l-7 H Help, where to get for USA users, iv Hex dump, 3-4, 3-6, 3-13 Index IN-1 I Initialization, A-11 Input buffer, A-2 Interface connecting, 1-11-13 specifications, A-8-10 L Labels, 2-17-18, A-4 Lever paper-release, 2-5, 2-6, 2-12, 2-13, 2-14 paper-thickness, 2-15 Loading paper continuous paper, 2-7-9 envelopes, 2-16 labels, 2-17-18 manually, 2-3-4 single sheets, 1-9-10 LQ printing, 3-5, A-2, A-3 M Maintenance, 3-14-15 Manual loading, 2-3-4 Moving the printer, 3-15 Multi-part forms, 2-17, A-4 Paper continuous, A-4 single sheet, A-3, A-4 Paper cassette, 1-3, 1-9-10 Paper guide, 2-5, 2-12 Paper-park position, 2-10, 2-13, 3-3 Paper-release lever, 2-5, 2-6, 2-12, 2-13, 2-14 Paper support, 1-9 Paper-thickness lever, 2-15 Parallel interface, 1-11-13, A-8-10 Plugging in the printer, l-8 Printable area, A-5-6 Print direction, 3-6, 3-12, A-2 Printer stand, 1-5 Problems, see Troubleshooting Protective materials replacing, 3-15 removing, 1-3 Push tractor, 2-5-14 installing, 2-5 loading paper, 2-7-9 R NO button, 3-2, 3-3, 3-7 READY light, 3-2 Ribbon cartridge installing, 1-5-7 replacing, 3-14-15 specifications, A-6 0 S Optional push tractor, 2-5-14 Output guide, 1-7 Safety approvals, A-8 Safety information for UK users, vi Safety instructions, iii - iv Scalable fonts, 3-5, A-16 Self test, 1-8-11, 3-4 Single sheets, tips for, vii, 2-2-3 see also Loading paper Skip-over-perforation, 3-6, 3-12 N P Page length continuous paper, 3-6, 3-11, A-6 manual insertion, A-4 single sheets, A-3 IN-2 Index Special paper, 2-15-18 Specifications, A-2-12 Stand, printer, 1-5 Switching between continuous and single sheet, 2-13-14 T Tear off, 2-11, 3-6, 3-12 adjusting, 2-11 position, 3-6, 3-12 Testing the printer, 1-8-11 Toll-free number for USA users, iv Top-of-form position, 2-10, 3-6, 3-12 Tractor, push, 2-5-14 installing, 2-5 loading paper, 2-7-9 Transporting the printer, 3-15 Troubleshooting, 3-16-23 Typestyles, 3-4-5, A-3 U Unidirectional printing, 3-6, 3-12, A-2 Unpacking the printer, 1-2-3 V Voltage, 1-2, A-7 power supply, A-7 w Weight, 1-5, A-6 Where USA users can get help, iv Y YES button, 3-2, 3-3, 3-7 Index IN-3 Epson America, Inc. 20770 Madrona Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 Printed in Japan 92.01-60