Dell 540 User Manual

Dell™ Photo Printer 540 User's Guide

Click the links to the left for information on the features and operation of your printer. For information on
other documentation included with your printer, see Finding Information.

To order supplies from Dell, double-click the icon on your desktop, visit Dell's website

(www.dell.com/supplies), or order by phone.

For the best service, make sure you have the Dell printer Service Tag available. See Express Service Code.

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your printer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to

avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2004 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft and Windows are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or
their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Model 540
March 2004 P/N 4J1412 Rev. A00

CAUTION: SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect your Dell™
Photo Printer 540 and working environment from potential damage.

CAUTION: Do not set up this product or make any electrical or cabling connections, such as

the power supply cord, during a lightning storm.

CAUTION: Do not expose this product to liquid, moisture, or extreme temperatures. Power

supplies and battery chargers are intended for indoor use only. The use of controls,
adjustments, or procedures other than those specified herein may result in exposure to
shock and/or electrical or mechanical hazards.

NOTICE: Do not disassemble this product; there are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing

to qualified service personnel.

Use only the power supply provided with this product or the manufacturer's authorized replacement
power supply.

Connect the power cable to an electrical outlet that is near the product and easily accessible.
Refer service or repairs, other than those described in the user documentation, to a professional

service person.
Read and follow these instructions before using Dell products. Always follow basic safety procedures.
The use of an accessory attachment that is not recommended by Dell, such as an AC adapter, may

cause fire, electric shock, or injury.
Do not allow chemicals, such as suntan lotion, to come into contact with the painted surface of the

printer.
If the printer has been subjected to inclement weather or you suspect water has gotten inside the

printer, turn off the printer and remove the paper tray and photo cartridge. Allow all components to
air-dry for at least 24 hours before using the printer again.

The printer and the power supply contain a small amount of lead in the circuit board. Disposal of this
material may be regulated due to environmental considerations.

Disposal of the photo cartridge is not regulated and should not be subject to state or local landfill,
incineration, or recycling requirements.

For more disposal or recycling information, contact your local authorities. In the US, visit the
Electronics Industry Alliance website at www.eaie.org.

Finding Information

What Are You Looking For?

Find It Here

Drivers for my printer
My printer documentation

Drivers and Utilities CD

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You
can use the CD to reinstall drivers or access your documentation.

Readme files may be included on your CD to provide last-minute
updates about technical changes to your printer or advanced technical­reference material for technicians or experienced users.

NOTE: The latest drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

Safety information
How to set up and use my
printer
How to care for my printer
Troubleshooting
information
How to contact Dell
Warranty Information

Owner's Manual

NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at support.dell.com.

How to set up my printer

Setup Diagram

Service Tag and Express
Service Code

Service Tag and Express Service Code

This label is located on the bottom of the printer near the serial
number. Use the Service Tag to identify your printer when you use
support.dell.com or contact technical support.

Latest drivers for my
printer
Answers to technical
service and support
questions
Online discussions with
other users and technical
support
Documentation for my
printer

Dell Support Website - support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support site.

The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:

Solutions - Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from
technicians, and online courses
Community - Online discussion with other Dell customers
Upgrades - Upgrade information for components
Customer Care - Contact information, order status, warranty,
and repair information
Downloads - Drivers
Reference - Printer documentation and product specifications

Getting Started

Understanding the Printer Parts
Setting Up Your Printer
Loading the Photo Cartridge
Loading the Photo Paper
Changing Settings-Press Menu

Understanding the Printer Parts

Lights and Buttons

Description

1

Error indicator light

Glows amber when an error condition exists.

2

Power button

Turn your printer on or off; button is lit when power is on.

3

Save to PC

Establishes a connection with your computer that allows you to save photos
from your memory card, USB storage device, or camera directly to the
computer.

4

Rotate

Rotates a photo 90 degrees each time button is pressed. (For display
purposes only. Does not change orientation of a printed photo.)

5

Menu

Change settings and customize printing options. (See Changing

Settings-Press Menu.)

6

Memory card light

Light blinks while checking card, then glows steady green.

7

Navigation (Arrow)
buttons

Navigate through photos and menus.

8

Select

Choose the photo or option that appears on the Liquid Crystal Display
(LCD).

9

Cancel

Cancel the current print job or back out of the menus.

10

Print Color

Print color copy of the selected photo(s).

11

Print Black & White

Print black and white copy of the selected photo(s).

Part

Description

1

LCD

Display photos, printer status, messages, menu options, or settings.

2

Power connector

Supply power to the printer.

3

USB connector to PC

Connect your printer to a computer.

4

Camera or USB storage device
connector

Connect a PictBridge-enabled or other compatible camera or USB
storage device.

5

Memory card slot

Memory card slot for Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), MMC
(MultiMedia Card), and Smart Media (SM) cards.

6

Memory card slot

Memory card slot for CompactFlash (CF).

7

Paper tray door

Provides access to insert the paper tray

Part

Description

1

Paper stop

Maintains orderly stack of finished prints.

2

Top paper tray cover

Finished prints are stacked here.

3

Bottom paper tray cover

Keeps dust off photo paper.

4

Photo cartridge door

Provides access to load photo cartridge.

Part

Description

1

Slot for photo
paper path

Photo paper exits here during printing passes. Do not block the slot. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
clearance is required.

2

Air vents

Provide ventilation and cooling to the printer. Do not block the vents.

3

Express Service
Code

Located on the bottom of the printer. This is used to identify your printer when you
use support.dell.com or contact technical support.

Setting Up Your Printer

NOTE: The Dell Photo Printer 540 supports Microsoft® Windows® 2000 and Windows XP.

Follow the instructions on your Setting Up Your Printer poster to install the hardware (and software, if using
your printer with a computer). For setup troubleshooting, see Setup Problems.

Loading the Photo Cartridge

NOTE: Use only the photo cartridge from a Dell Photo Print Pack. Do not use any other type of photo

cartridge in your printer. Do not expose your photo cartridge to extreme temperatures. (See
information on photo print pack packaging.)

If there is slack in the print ribbon, remove it by pushing in on the spool, then rotating the spool
clockwise a maximum of one half turn.

1.

NOTE: Be careful not to rotate the spool more than necessary. Doing so could reduce the number of

prints you are able to make.

Open the photo cartridge door.2.

Slide the photo cartridge in, label side up, with the arrow pointing toward the printer. Push the photo
cartridge until it clicks into place.

3.

Close the photo cartridge door.4.
To remove the photo cartridge, push up on the green lever and slide the photo cartridge out.5.

NOTE: The photo cartridge may lock in place if there is a paper jam. Do not attempt to remove the

photo cartridge without first clearing the paper jam.

NOTE: Warning messages and reorder instructions are displayed on the LCD when the photo cartridge

is low. When there are 5 or fewer prints remaining, the error light blinks

Loading the Photo Paper

NOTE: Use only the perforated photo paper from a Dell Photo Print Pack. Do not use inkjet paper or

any other photo paper. Do not remove perforated tabs from the photo paper until a photo is printed.

If the paper tray is in the printer, pull it out.1.
Open the top paper tray cover.2.

Open the bottom paper tray cover by grasping the sides as indicated by the arrows. Do not insert your
fingers under the cover to open it.

3.

Fan the photo paper to keep the sheets from sticking together.4.

Load the photo paper into the paper tray, with the glossy side up and the Dell logo side down.5.

NOTE: Do not load more than 20 sheets of photo paper in the paper tray. Do not load photo paper

that is missing perforated tabs. To avoid fingerprints, hold the photo paper by the edges and do not
touch the glossy side of the paper.

Close the bottom paper tray cover. The top paper tray cover must remain open; it catches finished
prints.

6.

6.

Open the paper tray door.7.

With the top paper tray cover open, insert the paper tray into the printer.8.

Changing Settings-Press Menu

Press the Menu button to customize your photo and printer settings.

Select Menu Items

Press the Menu button.1.

Press until the menu heading you want appears on the display, then press Select ( ).2.
Continue scrolling until the option you want is highlighted.3.

Press Select ( ) and follow the directions on the LCD.4.

NOTE: The option currently selected is noted with a checkmark.

Print Options Menu

From the Print Options sub­menu:

You can:

PRINT

Specify a print mode:

Color (default)
Black and White

LAYOUT

Specify a print layout for an entire print job:

1 4x6 (10 x 15 cm) photo/sheet (default)
1 3.5x5 (9 x 13 cm) photo/sheet
2 photos/sheet (54 x 85 mm)
4 photos/sheet (wallet setting, 51 x 76 mm)
9 photos/sheet (34 x 50.7 mm)

PRINT INDEX

Prints an index (thumbnail) of all photos on your card (maximum 25
thumbnails per sheet).

PRINT ALL

Print all photos on your memory card.

Photo Quality Menu

From the Photo Quality sub-menu:

You can:

AUTO BRIGHTNESS

Specify automatic brightness control for all your photos:

On (default)
Off

PHOTO BRIGHTNESS

Change the brightness level (for the current photo only).
Press :

Brightest
Brighter
Normal (default)
Darker
Darkest

COLOR MODE

Specify natural or vivid colors:

Natural (default)
Vivid

Photo Display Menu

From the Photo
Display sub-menu:

You can:

SLIDE SHOW

Sequentially display all photos on the installed card. Specify how long each photo is
displayed. The slide show begins with the photo most recently displayed

3 seconds (default)
5 seconds
10 seconds

Press Cancel to stop the slide show.

NOTE: To print any photo while it is displayed, press Print Color or Print Black and

White. Follow the directions on the display to cancel or resume the slide show.

ROTATE

Press to rotate the current photo counterclockwise.
Press to rotate the current photo clockwise.

NOTE: The Rotate feature changes the orientation of the photo on the screen, not

in print.

Photo Management Menu

From the Photo
Management sub­menu:

You can:

PHOTO NAVIGATION

Specify what is displayed on the LCD when you install a card or camera: the main
photo view or your card/camera folder structure.

Photo View (default)-display individual photos on the installed card or
camera, starting with the current or most recent photo.
Folder View-displays the folder structure on the installed card, if present.
Navigate as you would on a computer. If there are no folders, navigation
defaults to Photo View.

ERASE ALL PHOTOS

NOTE: This function permanently erases all photos from your card.

Erase All Photos from Memory
Cancel

SAVE TO PC

Establishes a connection with your computer that allows you to save photos from
your memory card, USB storage device, or camera directly to the computer. Same
functionality as pressing the Save to PC button. For details, see Saving and

Copying Photos to Your Computer.

Printer Settings Menu

From the Printer Settings sub­menu:

You can:

RESTORE DEFAULTS

Reset all photo and printer settings to the defaults.

Yes
No

LANGUAGE

Select a language for the display.

COUNTRY

Select your country; this provides a number to order Dell photo print
packs.

POWER SAVE

Specify how long the printer remains inactive before entering auto
sleep mode.

1 Minute
5 Minutes
10 Minutes (default)
15 Minutes

Maintenance Menu

From the sub-menu:

You can:

PRINTS REMAINING

Check if the photo cartridge is low; if so, directions are displayed.

6-15 prints remaining

1-5 prints remaining

0 prints remaining

CHANGE CARTRIDGE

Display directions for changing the photo cartridge.

ADD PHOTO PAPER

Display directions for adding photo paper.

PRINTER DIAGNOSTICS

Help diagnose print quality problems and provide printer identification information.

Test Print
Service Tag-display your printer's service tag identification information.