Acer 300P User Manual
FotoPrisa 300P/U Photo Printer
User’s Manual
Copyright
K
Disclaimer
Copyright 1999 by Acer Peripherals, Incorporated (Acer
Peripherals). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system or translated into any language or computer language,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic,
optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of Acer Peripherals.
Brands and product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
Acer Peripherals, Incorporated (Acer Peripherals) makes no
warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but
not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose. Acer Peripherals assumes no
responsibility for any error that may appear in this document.
Acer Peripherals makes no commitment to update nor to keep
current the information contained in this document.
Safety Information
This device is designed to provide safe and convenient
operation. However, in order to prevent possible personal
injuries or property loss; please pay attention to the following
O
safety cautions before or during the operation of this device:
Connect the power cord to power outlet firmly before use. Loose
connection may cause short circuit.
Do not cut, bend the power cord or put heavy objects on it. Do
not place power cord near heat source.
There is no user serviceable part inside the device. Do not try to
disassembly or fix the device. Contact your dealer if problem
occurs.
Do not block the ventilation holes on the device. Keep away
from liquid, heat, dust and direct exposure to sunlight or strong
electromagnetic field.
Before you move the device, make sure that all power or cable
connections are disconnected.
Place the device on a flat and stable surface. Avoid moving the
device during operation.
Do not clean the device with thinner or other corrosive liquid.
Use only damp soft cloth to clean this device. When cleaning,
avoid dropping water into the device.
Regulatory Information
This device complies with the following regulatory certifications:
Safety Certifications:
UL, CSA, TÜV, SEMKO, DEMKO, FIMKO, NEMKO
EMI Certifications:
FCC Class B computing device (USA), EMC Directive 89/336/EEC
(European Community), VCCI (Japan), C-tick (Australia)
FCC Compliance Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio
and television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CE Declaration
This device complies with the requirements of the EMC directive
89/336/EEC
EN55022 (Class B, 1994) EN-50081-1 (1992)
EN61000-3-2 (1995) IEC801-2 (1984)
EN61000-3-3 (1995) IEC801-3 (1984)
EN50082-1 (1992) IEC801-4 (1988)
Canadian Department of Communications Regulatory Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed Class B limits for radio
noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio
Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications.
Notice on using copyrighted materials
Before you print and redistribute a copyrighted material
(whether an image file, photo copy or any other intellectual
properties), make sure you have obtained the permission from
the copyright holder in advance. Reproduction of copyrighted
material without prior permission can be illegal and lead to
lawsuit in most countries.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED.......................................................................1
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO FOTOPRISA PRINTER..................................................................1
1.2 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH FOTOPRISA PRINTER ..................................................... 2
Front View................................................................................................ 2
Rear View (FotoPrisa 300P)......................................................................... 4
Rear View (FotoPrisa 300U)......................................................................... 5
1.3 SOFTWARE INTRODUCTION.................................................................................. 6
FotoPrisa driver ......................................................................................... 6
Photo Express ........................................................................................... 6
1.4 PREPARE TO PRINT...........................................................................................7
Step 1- Turn on the printer power................................................................ 7
Step 2- Replace ribbon cartridge (when necessary)......................................... 7
Step 3- Load Paper .................................................................................... 8
Step 4- Print ............................................................................................10
CHAPTER 2. FOTOPRISA DRIVER...................................................................11
2.1 INTRODUCTION TO FOTOPRISA DRIVER ..................................................................11
2.2 PROPERTY WINDOW........................................................................................12
2.2.1 The "Setting" tab..................................................................................12
About...................................................................................................... 12
Help........................................................................................................12
Orientation ..............................................................................................13
Tile.........................................................................................................13
Preview...................................................................................................13
Copies..................................................................................................... 13
Media Type..............................................................................................14
Source .................................................................................................... 14
Resolution ...............................................................................................14
2.2.2 The "Print Area" tab..............................................................................15
2.3 PREVIEW WINDOW .........................................................................................16
Preview Area............................................................................................16
Ruler and Unit Button................................................................................16
Scaling Box..............................................................................................16
“Print” button...........................................................................................17
“Cancel” button........................................................................................17
“Help” button........................................................................................... 17
“Information” button................................................................................. 17
"Setting" tab............................................................................................17
"Reload" button........................................................................................17
“Center” Button........................................................................................ 17
"Image Quality" tab ..................................................................................18
CHAPTER 3. PHOTO EXPRESS ........................................................................ 19
3.1 GETTING STARTED..........................................................................................19
3.2 APPLICATIONS...............................................................................................22
Create a personalized greeting card ................................................................22
Make a unique invitation for your friends ......................................................... 24
Prepare an amazing postcard for your relatives................................................. 26
Create stickers.............................................................................................27
Create a special name card............................................................................28
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CHAPTER 4. SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR PRINTING ............................................29
4.1 CAUTIONS ON USING RIBBON CARTRIDGES AND PAPER..................................................29
4.2 CHOOSING THE RIGHT FILE FORMATS FOR THE PRINTING OUTPUT .....................................31
*.bmp (Bitmap)............................................................................................31
*.gif (Graphics Interchange Format)................................................................31
*.jpg (JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group) .............................................. 31
*.tga (Targa)...............................................................................................32
*.tif (Tagged Image File Format)....................................................................32
4.3 CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE IMAGE SOURCE FOR THE FILE TO BE PRINTED.............................33
Image size .................................................................................................. 33
Aspect ratio.................................................................................................34
Image dimension and resolution.....................................................................35
How to check the image dimension before you print ......................................35
How to adjust the resolution and dimension of an image................................37
Quality of original image................................................................................38
4.4 PRINTING STICKERS.........................................................................................38
4.5 CHOOSE APPROPRIATE WEB PAGE IMAGE FOR FULL-SIZE PRINTING .................................... 38
4.6 MAKE YOUR OWN ID PHOTOS .............................................................................39
1. Get the right image...................................................................................40
If you are using a digital still camera ...........................................................40
If you are using a scanner (you already have a 2” x 1.5” photo on hand)..........40
2. Arrange the 6 tiled ID photos on one photo paper......................................... 40
CHAPTER 5. TROUBLESHOOTING AND FAQ....................................................41
5.1 TROUBLESHOOTING.........................................................................................41
5.1.1 Paper Jam...........................................................................................41
5.1.2 LED Messages......................................................................................42
Non-Error Messages..................................................................................42
Error Messages......................................................................................... 42
5.1.3 Printer (parallel) port settings (For FotoPrisa 300P) ................................... 43
How to check and change the parallel port mode of your computer..................43
5.1.4 USB port settings (For FotoPrisa 300U)...................................................44
5.2 FAQ..........................................................................................................45
1. What is dye sublimation printing? ............................................................... 45
2. What is the difference between dye-sublimation printing and inkjet printing? ....45
3. What type of printing material is used?........................................................46
4. Can I print on both sides of the paper?........................................................46
5. What kind of paper should I use?................................................................46
6. Why does the paper go in and out of the printer while printing?......................46
7. What is the difference between a YMC ribbon cartridge and a YMCO ribbon
cartridge?....................................................................................................47
5.3 SERVICE AND INFORMATION ...............................................................................48
CHAPTER 6. APPENDIX................................................................................... 49
ACER PERIPHERALS GENUINE PRINTING MEDIA SERIES......................................................49
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................................... 50
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Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.1 Introduction to FotoPrisa Printer
Thank you for choosing the true photo-quality FotoPrisa Printer
by Acer Peripherals, Inc. Designed to bring you excellent photo
printing quality and high printout durability, FotoPrisa Printer is
bound to be the best partner to turn your masterpieces into
beautiful photos, postcards and stickers. It is equipped with the
following key features:
Cool in style and compact in size
You will no longer need bulky printers to print real photo-quality
pictures. You can use FotoPrisa Printer with a computer as
"personal digital darkroom" to create your masterpiece at home.
Daisy-chain solution (Parallel port model)
You can connect and operate most parallel devices (such as a
second printer) through the “Other Device” port on the
FotoPrisa Printer.
FotoPrisa
Convenient USB connection (USB port model)
The USB connection design allows you to have more flexibility in
connecting and using your printer and other peripheral devices.
Real photo quality with great resolution and durability
Unlike common inkjet printers, FotoPrisa Printer delivers real
photo-quality printouts by employing the Dye-Sublimation
printing technology. With its capability of producing images with
16.77 million colors with 300dpi (dots per inch) on various
printing media, FotoPrisa Printer can achieve real photo-like
printing result on a durable, waterproof photo paper or sticker.
You can always keep your memory fresh and vivid with
FotoPrisa Printer.
Powerful software tools
FotoPrisa Printer comes together with two powerful software
tools that help to turn your creativity into excellent works easily
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FotoPrisa
Ribbon cartridge cover
Paper cassette slot
LED panel
Ribbon cartridge
Paper cassette
Ribbon cartridge hook
and quickly. The Photo Express image editing software allows
you to get and edit image from various sources, such as from
the web, through the digital camera or from scanner. You can
also open image files that are already stored in your computer.
After you finish getting and editing images in Photo Express, you
can adjust and print the edited images through the FotoPrisa
driver and share your idea and creativity on photo printouts,
stickers or postcards with your family, relatives or loved ones.
1.2 Familiarize Yourself with FotoPrisa Printer
To fully understand the function of each part on FotoPrisa
Printer, please refer to the following figures and description:
Front View
socket
Ventilation holes
Manual paper feeding slot
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FotoPrisa
Manual paper feeding slot
The FotoPrisa Printer provides two paper-feeding methods:
manual feeding and paper cassette feeding. You can feed photo
paper manually through this slot. While the FotoPrisa Printer is
in printing process, the paper will go back and forth in the paper
feeding slot for 3 or 4 times.
LED panel
The LED panel consists of two LED indicators: “READY” and
“STATUS”. “READY” LED indicator blinks when the printer is
powered on and under self-test. When self-test is successful, the
“READY” LED remains on indicating that the printer is ready to
print. The “STATUS” LED indicator is used to display error
messages if the printer detects problems under self-test or
during operation. Please refer to Chapter 5 for more information
on the error messages.
Ribbon cartridge socket
This is where you insert the ribbon print cartridge. Pay attention
to the direction of ribbon cartridge when you insert.
Ribbon cartridge cover
This cover keeps dust or other objects from contaminating the
thermal printing head and ribbon inside the printer. Remember
to close the ribbon cartridge cover as soon as you remove or
insert the ribbon cartridge.
Paper cassette slot
You can insert the paper cassette here when you feed paper
with paper cassette. Pay attention to the direction of paper
cassette when you insert.
Paper cassette
The paper cassette can contain up to 25 sheets of photo paper.
When the printer is not in use, please also leave the paper
cassette in the paper cassette slot to keep dust away from the
inside of the printer.
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Other device
Power inlet
Power switch
FotoPrisa
Ventilation holes
These holes are designed to carry heat out of the machine. Do
not block these holes while using the printer.
Rear View (FotoPrisa 300P)
Connector to PC
Power inlet
Connect the power cord here. This power inlet accepts AC
power 100-240V, 50/60Hz.
Power switch
Turns the printer power on or off.
Connector to PC
This connector is marked "PC" on the rear panel. Use this
connector to connect to your computer.
Connector to other peripheral devices
This connector marked “Other device” is a pass-through parallel
connector. If you need to connect another parallel device (such
as a second printer or ZIP drive) to your computer, use this
connector to connect them.
Specification label
The specification label describes printer specifications and is
located at the bottom of the printer.
Connector to other
peripheral devices
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Power inlet
Power switch
USB connector
FotoPrisa
Rear View (FotoPrisa 300U)
Power inlet
Connect the power cord here. This power inlet accepts AC
power 100-240V, 50/60Hz.
Power switch
Turns the printer power on or off.
USB Connector
Use this connector to connect the FotoPrisa 300U Printer to the
USB port of your computer with a USB cable.
Specification label
The specification label describes printer specifications and is
located at the bottom of the printer.
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1.3 Software introduction
Your FotoPrisa Printer comes with two powerful software tools:
FotoPrisa driver
FotoPrisa driver is designed specifically for making it
easier and more efficient to print images in various
formats with FotoPrisa Printer. Its multifunctional
capability and easy-to-use interface allows you to
adjust print settings and image easily and intuitively.
For more detailed information on how to use the
FotoPrisa driver, please refer to the descriptions in
Chapter 2.
FotoPrisa
Photo Express
Photo Express is a powerful image editing software.
With Photo Express, you can open, edit and save
images in various formats from different image
sources and create birthday cards, greeting cards
easily and quickly with its built-in templates. Its userfriendly interface makes it easy and efficient for you
to edit images even if you are a novice in image
editing. For more information on how to use Photo
Express, please see Chapter 3.
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Ribbon cartridge hook
“READY” LED
“STATUS” LED
Do not replace the ribbon cartridge while
FotoPrisa
1.4 Prepare to print
This section shows you how to prepare the printer for printing
images. Follow these steps when you use the FotoPrisa Printer
to print images.
Step 1- Turn on the printer power
Turn the power switch ON and wait until the printer completes
its self-test. The “READY” LED indicator will first blink for a few
seconds then remain on. If you find the “STATUS” LED indicator
blinking red intermittently after the self-test, go to Chapter 5 to
check if problem occurs within your printer.
Step 2- Replace ribbon cartridge (when necessary)
If the print ribbon cartridge is used up, you can replace the old
cartridge with a new one after the printer is powered on. Refer
to the following steps to change ribbon cartridge:
the READY LED indicator blinks.
1. Open the ribbon cartridge cover. Lift the ribbon cartridge
hook to release the ribbon cartridge.
2. Gently pull the ribbon cartridge out by holding the handle on
the cartridge.
3. Before loading the new ribbon cartridge into the printer,
take up the slack by rotating the ribbon roller as shown in
the figure. When doing so, keep away from dust and do not
touch the ribbon.
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FotoPrisa
Printing side
Marked side
Do NOT touch the printing side of the
4. Push the new ribbon cartridge all the way into the ribbon
cartridge socket. When the cartridge goes into its place, you
will hear a click from the ribbon cartridge hook. Close the
ribbon cartridge cover.
Step 3- Load Paper
Load photo paper and postcards
Please note that photo paper and postcards are two-sided and
only one side can be used for printing. You can either load
paper through the manual paper-feeding slot or into the paper
cassette:
paper when you load. Fingerprints on the
printing surface will spoil the image
printout.
Load paper through manual paper feeding slot
Insert photo paper horizontally into the manual paperfeeding slot one by one with the marked side face
down.
Align the position of the paper so it can be inserted
straightly into the slot by the center. Push the paper
all the way into the slot. The paper will first be
stopped by the mechanism inside and then rolled into
the printer. Do not insert more than one sheet each
time.
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FotoPrisa
Sticker (4x4)
Sticker (single)
Load paper through paper cassette
Before you load the paper into the paper cassette,
ruffle the paper to separate each sheet.
Open the paper cassette cover and load photo paper
with the marked side face down into the paper
cassette. You can load up to 25 sheets of photo paper
into the paper cassette.
Insert your finger into the opening at the back of the
paper cassette to hold the paper inside the cassette,
then insert the paper cassette into the paper cassette
slot. You will hear a click when the paper cassette is
pushed into its place.
Load stickers
Load stickers only through the manual paper-feeding slot. Do
not load the stickers with paper cassette, as it will cause
malfunction to the printer. Make sure that the marked side of
the sticker faces down when you load.
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FotoPrisa
Step 4- Print
Print images from your image editing software. The FotoPrisa
driver Preview Window will pop up if you have checked
“Preview” in the Property Window (please see Chapter 2 for
details). You can adjust the print settings from the Preview
Window. When FotoPrisa Printer is printing, the paper will go
back and forth for several times. When printing job is
completed, the FotoPrisa Printer stops printing and you can take
the printout out of the printer.
DO NOT remove the paper cassette or open the
ribbon cartridge cover while printing.
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