Epson 300 User Manual

Color Ink Jet Printer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORP.
The information contained herein is designed only for use with this EPSON printer.
EPSON is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.

Neither SEIKO EPSON CORP. nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this
product or third parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or
third parties as a result of: accident, misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized
modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the U.S.) failure to
strictly comply with SEIKO EPSON CORP.’s operating and maintenance instructions.

SEIKO EPSON CORP. shall not be liable for any damages or problems arising from the
use of any options or any consumable products other than those designated as Original
EPSON Products or EPSON Approved Products by SEIKO EPSON CORP.

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may
be trademarks of their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

Copyright © 1998 by Epson America, Inc. CPD-6707

Printed on recycled paper.

User’s Guide

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

For United States Users

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 try 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 the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will
invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which
exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the
user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this
equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused
interfaces. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le
materiel brouilleur du Canada.

ii

Contents

Safety Information

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1

A few precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-2

Chapter 1

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

NERGY STAR C

E

Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Chapter 2

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Attaching the Paper Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Using a printer stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Installing the Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Installing the Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Installing the software for Windows 95 or Windows 98 . . 2-12

Installing the software for Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Making diskettes of the printer software . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Getting to Know Your Printer

ompliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Setting Up the Printer

iii

Chapter 3 Starting to Print

Loading Plain Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Accessing the Printer Driver and Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

From Windows 95 or Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Getting Information Through Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

From Windows 95 or Windows 98 Start menu . . . . . . . . 3-7

From Windows 3.1 Program Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Chapter 4 Printing on Special Paper

Setting the Paper Thickness and Adjust Levers . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Setting the paper thickness lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Setting the adjust lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Loading Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

About special media cleaning sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Chapter 5 Maintenance and Transportation

Replacing the Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Aligning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

iv

Chapter 6 Troubleshooting

Diagnosing the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Error indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Printer operation check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Paper handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Printing quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15

Increasing the Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21

Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22

Appendix Printer Specifications

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

Ink Cartridge (S020138) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Safety Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Glossary

Index

v

Safety Information

Important Safety Instructions

Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference.
Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.

Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a

❑

radiator or heat source.

Place the printer on a flat surface. The printer will not

❑

operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet.

❑

Do not insert objects through the slots.

Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s

❑

label.

Connect all equipment to properly grounded power

❑

outlets. Avoid using outlets on the same circuit as
photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch
on and off.

Do not use a damaged or frayed power cord.

❑

If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure

❑

the total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the
extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating.
Also, make sure the total ampere rating of all devices
plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall
outlet’s ampere rating.

Unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp

❑

cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer.

Safety Information

1

Except as specifically explained in this guide do not

❑

attempt to service the printer yourself.

Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

❑

personnel under the following conditions:

If the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered
the printer; if the printer has been dropped or the cabinet
damaged; if the printer does not operate normally or
exhibits a distinct change in performance. Adjust only those
controls that are covered by the operating instructions.

If you plan to use the printer in Germany, observe the

❑

following:

To provide adequate short-circuit protection and over­current protection for this printer, the building installation
must be protected by a 16 Amp circuit breaker.

Bei Anschluß des Druckers an die Stromversorgung muß
sichergestellt werden, daß die Gebäudeinstallation mit
einem 16 A-Überstromschalter abgesichert ist.

A few precautions

Even if you are familiar with other types of printers, be sure to
read through the following list of precautions before operating
your ink jet printer.

Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the ink

❑

cartridge during printing.

Do not move the print head by hand; this may damage the

❑

printer.

Safety Information

2

Under normal circumstances, ink will not come out of ink

❑

cartridges. If ink gets on your skin, wash it off with soap
and water. If it gets in your eyes, flush them immediately
with water.

Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children.

❑

Do not dismantle ink cartridges or try to refill them. This

❑

could damage the print head.

Once you install an ink cartridge, do not open the ink

❑

cartridge clamp or remove the cartridge except to replace it
with a new one. The cartridge may become unusable
otherwise.

Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it

❑

from its package. Leaving the cartridge unpacked for a long
time before use may result in reduced print quality.

Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the

❑

cartridge carton. For best results, use up the ink cartridges
within six months of installing them.

Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.

❑

Always turn the printer off using the power switch. The

❑

power light flashes until the print head is capped, which

P

means it is at rest in the far right position. Do not unplug
the printer or turn off the power to the outlet until the

power light stops flashing. The printer caps the print

P

head when no data is received for several seconds.

Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is

❑

in the far right position and the ink cartridge is in place.

Safety Information

3

Chapter 1

Getting to Know Your Printer

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

NERGY STAR C

E

Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

ompliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

1

Getting to Know Your Printer

1-1

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions

paper support

edge guides

left edge guide

lock lever

sheet feeder

power

light

ink out

light

paper out

light

paper thickness

lever

power

switch

control

panel

printer cover

cleaning

button

load/eject

button

adjust lever

1-2

ink cartridge clamp

Getting to Know Your Printer

Buttons

Button Function

Loads or ejects paper if pressed and released

E

Load/Eject

T

Cleaning

within 2 seconds.
Resumes printing if pressed after a paper out
error.

Moves the print head to the ink cartridge
replacement position if pressed for 3 seconds

V

while the
Returns the print head to its home position after
ink cartridge replacement.
Performs print head cleaning if pressed for
3 seconds when the

ink out light is flashing or on.

V

ink out light is off.

Lights

The lights turn on or flash to indicate the printer status.

1

V

P

N

——

F

——

——

——

F

—

N

—

= on, F = flashing, — = irrelevant

N

Printer Status

S

Printer is on.
Receiving data, replacing an ink cartridge,

charging ink, or cleaning the print head.
Paper is out. Load paper in the sheet feeder;

then press the

N

printing.
Paper jam. Take all the paper out of the feeder,

and reload the paper. If the light continues to

F

flash, turn off the printer and gently pull all the
paper out of the printer.

Ink low. The ink cartridge is nearly empty. Obtain

—

an ink cartridge (S020138).
Ink out. The ink cartridge is not installed or is

empty. Install or replace the ink cartridge

—

(S020138).

E

load/eject button to resume

Getting to Know Your Printer

1-3

System Requirements

To use your printer with a PC, you need Microsoft® Windows

3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Window 95, or Windows 98;
and a shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable.

The following table shows the system requirements for using
just the printer software (printer driver and utilities) included
on the CD-ROM packed with your printer.

Minimum system Recommended system

80386/25 MHz processor Pentium or higher processor

16MB RAM 32MB RAM or more

20MB hard disk space 50MB or more free hard disk space

VGA monitor VGA or better monitor

NERGY STAR Compliance

E

As an ENERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has
determined that this product meets the

S

TAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

The International

E

NERGY STAR Office Equipment Program
is a voluntary partnership with the computer and office
equipment industry to promote the introduction of
energy-efficient personal computers, monitors, printers, fax
machines, and copiers in an effort to reduce air pollution
caused by power generation.

E

NERGY

®

1-4

Getting to Know Your Printer

Options and Consumable Products

Interface cables

EPSON supplies several types of interface cables. You can use
any interface cable that meets the specifications listed below.
See your computer manual for any additional requirements.

Parallel Interface Cable (shielded) C83602✽ from D-SUB

25-pin (computer) to 36-pin Amphenol 57 Series (printer)

Note:

The asterisk (✽) is a substitute for the last digit of the product
number, which varies by country.

Ink cartridge

Color ink cartridge S020138

EPSON special media

Paper specifically designed for ink jet printers will meet most
high-quality printing needs.

EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper (A4) S041025

S041059

EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper (Letter) S041060

1

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper (A4) S041026

S041061
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper (Letter) S041062
EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper (Legal) S041067

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Card (A6) S041054

EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film (A4) S041071
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film (Letter) S041072
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film (A6) S041107

Getting to Know Your Printer

1-5

EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper (A4) S041126
EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper (Letter) S041124

EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies (A4) S041063
EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies (Letter) S041064

EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheet (A4) S041106

EPSON Photo Paper (4 x 6 in.) S041134

Note:

Ink jet printers are particularly sensitive to the condition of your
paper. Keep unused paper in its original packaging and store it in a
cool, dry place.

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes

Observe the Warnings, Cautions, and Notes in this manual as
follows:

Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

w

Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

c

Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation
of your printer.

1-6

Getting to Know Your Printer

Where to Get Help

EPSON provides technical assistance through electronic
support services and automated telephone services 24 hours a
day. The following tables list the contact information:

Electronic support services

Service Access

World Wide Web From the Internet, you can reach EPSON’s

Home Page at http://www.epson.com.

EPSON Internet FTP
Site

EPSON Download
Service

EPSON Forum on
CompuServe

®

If you have Internet FTP capability, use your
Web browser (or other software for FTP
downloading) to log onto ftp.epson.com with
the user name anonymous and your e-mail
address as the password.

You can call the EPSON Download Service at
[phone]. Set your communications
software to 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity.
Modem speed can be up to 28.8 Kbps.

Members of CompuServe can type GO EPSON
at the menu prompt to reach the Epson
America Forum. For a free introductory
CompuServe membership, call [phone]
and ask for representative #529.

1

Automated telephone services

Service Access

EPSON
SoundAdvice

EPSON FaxAdvice

EPSON Referral
Service

SM

For pre-recorded answers to commonly asked
questions about EPSON products 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, call [phone].

TM

Access EPSON’s technical information library
by calling [phone]. You must provide a
return fax number to use this service.

For the location of your nearest Authorized
EPSON Reseller or Customer Care Center, call
[phone].

Getting to Know Your Printer

1-7

To speak to a technical support representative, dial
[phone] (U.S.) or [phone] (Canada), 6 am to 6 pm,
Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Toll or long distance
charges may apply.

Before you call, please have the following information ready:

Product name

❑

Product serial number

❑

Computer configuration

❑

Description of the problem

❑

You can purchase ink cartridges, paper, manuals, accessories,
and parts from EPSON Accessories at [phone] (U.S. sales
only). In Canada, please call [phone] for dealer referral.

Note:

If you need help using another manufacturer’s software with an
EPSON product, see the documentation for that program for technical
support information.

1-8

Getting to Know Your Printer

Chapter 2

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Attaching the Paper Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Using a printer stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Installing the Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Installing the Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Installing the software for Windows 95 or Window 98 . . . 2-12

Installing the software for Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Making diskettes of the printer software . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

2

Setting Up the Printer

2-1

This chapter explains how to set up your printer. If you did not
already do this as described in the Start Here guide, follow the
procedures here. (If you did set up your printer, skip to
Chapter 3.)

Unpacking the Printer

Your printer box should include a CD-ROM, which includes
the printer software that runs your printer, and the following
items:

paper support

printer

User’s Guide

ink

cartridge

(printer software)

Remove all protective materials packed with your printer
before you set it up and turn on the power. Follow the
instructions on the NOTICE sheet packed with the printer to
remove these materials. Save all packaging and protective
materials in case you need to transport the printer later.

2-2

Setting Up the Printer

CD-ROM

Attaching the Paper Support

Insert the paper support into the central slot at the rear of the
printer as shown below.

Choosing a Place for the Printer

2

Follow the guidelines listed below when selecting a location for
your printer.

Place the printer on a flat, stable surface. The printer will

❑

not operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

Place the printer close enough to the computer for the

❑

interface cable to reach it easily.

Leave enough room on the table at the front of the printer

❑

for the paper to flow freely out of it.

Leave adequate room for easy operation and maintenance.

❑

Setting Up the Printer

2-3

Avoid using or storing the printer in places subject to rapid

❑

changes in temperature and humidity. Also keep it away
from direct sunlight, strong light, or heat sources.

Avoid places subject to shocks and vibrations.

❑

Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be

❑

easily unplugged.

Note for French-speaking users:

Placez l’imprimante près d’une prise de contacte où la fiche peut
être débranchée facilement.

Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or

❑

automatic timers. Also, 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.

Use a grounded power outlet; do not use an adapter plug.

❑

Using a printer stand

When using a printer stand, note the following:

Use a stand that can support at least 10.0 kg (22.1 lb).

❑

Never use a stand that tilts the printer. The printer should

❑

always be kept level.

2-4

Setting Up the Printer

Plugging in the Printer

1. Make sure that the printer is turned off.

2. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical

outlet.

2

Installing the Ink Cartridge

Warning:
The ink cartridge is a self-contained unit. Under ordinary use,

w

ink will not leak from a cartridge. If ink does get on your
hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets
into your eyes, flush them immediately with water.

Follow the steps below to install the ink cartridge in your
printer.

Note:

Do not open the ink cartridge package until just before you install the
cartridge, or the ink may dry up.

Setting Up the Printer

2-5

1. Turn on the printer. The P power light and the V ink out
light come on.

T

2. Hold down the

power light begins flashing, and the print head moves

P

slightly left to the ink cartridge replacement position.

cleaning button for three seconds. The

2-6

Caution:

c

Setting Up the Printer

Do not move the print head by hand. Always use the

T

cleaning button to move it. Otherwise you may

damage the printer.

3. Open the printer cover.

4. Lift up the ink cartridge clamp as far as it will go. Remove
the protective material from the cartridge holder.

2

5. Open the ink cartridge package. Next, remove only the
yellow tape seal from the top of the cartridge as shown
below.

Setting Up the Printer

2-7

Caution:

❑

c

6. Lower the ink cartridge into the holder with the label face up
and the arrow mark pointing to the rear. Do not push down
on the ink cartridge.

You must remove the yellow tape seal from the
cartridge. Installing the cartridge with the yellow tape
still attached will permanently damage it.

❑

Do not remove the whole tape seal (especially the
white portion) from the top of the cartridge. Remove
only the yellow portion.

❑

Do not remove the tape seal from the bottom of the
cartridge; otherwise, ink will leak.

(S020138)

2-8

arrow mark

Setting Up the Printer

7. Press the ink cartridge clamp down until it locks in place.

Caution:

c

Once you install the ink cartridge, do not open the clamp
again until you replace the ink cartridge. Otherwise, the
cartridge may become unusable.

2

8. Press the
head to its home (far right) position.

Note:

Even if you do not press the
moves the print head unit back to its home position about
60 seconds after you install the ink cartridge.

The printer charges the ink delivery system. This operation
takes a few minutes the first time you install the ink
cartridge.

c

cleaning button. The printer moves the print

T

cleaning button, the printer

T

Caution:

During the ink charging process, the
flashes. Never turn off the printer while the
is flashing; this can result in incomplete charging of
printer ink.

Setting Up the Printer

power light

P

P

power light

2-9

9. Close the printer cover.

The life of a cartridge depends on the amount of text and color
graphics you print or the number of colors you use in your
document.

Note:

When ink runs out, see “Replacing the Ink Cartridge” in Chapter 5.

Connecting the Printer to Your PC

To connect the printer to your computer using the built-in
parallel interface, you need a shielded, twisted-pair parallel
cable.

Connect the printer to the computer as follows:

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off.

2. Plug the cable connector securely into the printer’s interface
connector. Then squeeze the wire clips together until they
lock in place on both sides. If your cable has a ground wire,
connect it to the ground connector below the interface
connector.

2-10

Setting Up the Printer

3. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer’s parallel
interface. If there is a ground wire at the computer end of
the cable, connect it to the ground connector at the back of
the computer.

See the next section for instructions on installing the printer
software. You must install the printer software before using
your printer.

Installing the Printer Software

After connecting the printer to your computer, install the
printer software as described in this section. The printer
software on your CD-ROM includes:

EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 printer driver.

❑

The printer driver is software that runs, or “drives”, your
printer. With it, you can select settings such as print
quality, media type, and paper size.

Utilities.

❑

The Status Monitor utility helps you check the current
status of your printer. The Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning,
and Print Head Alignment utilities help you keep your
printer in top operating condition.

Online help.

❑

Online help gives you instant on-screen access to detailed
information and instructions on how to use your printer.

2

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98, follow the
instructions below. If you are using Windows 3.1, see page 2-13.

Setting Up the Printer

2-11

Installing the software for Windows 95 or Windows 98

Follow these steps to install the printer software for
Windows 95 or Windows 98:

1. Make sure Windows is running and the printer is off.

2. Insert the Printer Software CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3. Click Start, then Run.

4. In the Run dialog box, type D:\SETUP (substituting the

correct drive letter if your CD-ROM drive is not D).

You can also click the Browse button to select your
CD-ROM drive and the file “Setup.exe” in the root
directory.

5. Click OK. You see the EPSON Printer Utility Setup screen:

6. Make sure EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 is selected, and click
OK to start the installation.

7. When the installation is complete, click OK. You see the
EPSON window.

Your printer software is now installed and the EPSON Stylus
COLOR 300 printer is selected as the default printer for your
Windows applications. For information on using the printer
driver and utilities, see Chapter 3.

2-12

Setting Up the Printer

Installing the software for Windows 3.1

Follow these steps to install the printer software using
Windows 3.1:

1. Make sure Windows 3.1 is running and the Program
Manager window is open.

2. Insert the Printer Software CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3. From the File menu, choose Run. You see the Run dialog
box.

4. In the Command Line box, type D:\SETUP and click OK.
(Substitute the correct drive letter if your CD-ROM is not
drive D.)

5. Select the Stylus COLOR 300 in the EPSON Printer Utility
Setup dialog box. Then click OK to start the installation.

2

6. When the installation is complete, click OK.

Your printer software is now installed and the EPSON Stylus
COLOR 300 is selected as the default printer for your Windows
applications. For information on using the printer driver and
utilities, see Chapter 3.

Setting Up the Printer

2-13

Making diskettes of the printer software

You can make a diskette version of the printer software (driver,
utilities, and online help) on your CD-ROM if desired. You’ll
need two 1.44 MB, high-density diskettes. Follow the same
steps above for installing the printer software, but when you
get to the Run dialog box, type EPSETUP instead of SETUP.
When you see the Install screen, click Driver disk creation
utility. Then follow the instructions on the screen.

2-14

Setting Up the Printer

Chapter 3

Starting to Print

Loading Plain Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Accessing the Printer Driver and Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

From Windows 95 or Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Getting Information Through Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

From Windows 95 or Windows 98 Start menu . . . . . . . 3-7

From Windows 3.1 Program Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

3

Starting to Print

3-1

Loading Plain Paper

This section describes how to load plain paper in the printer.
You can also print on ink jet paper, transparencies, index cards,
photo-quality glossy paper/film, photo paper, envelopes, and
adhesive sheets. For instructions on using special media, see
Chapter 4, “Printing on Special Paper.”

1. Make sure the paper thickness lever is set to the plain paper
position.

plain paper position

3-2

Starting to Print

2. Push down the left edge guide lock lever and slide the left
edge guide to the left as far as it will go.

3. Load a stack of paper with the printable surface up and the
right edge of the paper resting against the right side of the
sheet feeder.

3

Note:
The sheet feeder can hold up to 100 sheets of 17-lb or 64 g/m
plain paper. Do not load paper above the arrow mark, which is
located on the inside surface of the edge guide.

Starting to Print

2

3-3

4. Slide the left edge guide against the left edge of the paper;
then push up the lock lever to secure the left edge guide.

5. Remove the stack of paper and fan it. Then tap it on a flat
surface to even the edges. While holding the printable side
of the paper toward you, insert it gently straight up and
down into the printer.

Then rest the paper against the paper support. This step
ensures that the paper is properly loaded in the paper path
and will prevent it from getting jammed in the printer.

3-4

Starting to Print

Accessing the Printer Driver and Utilities

There are two ways to access the printer driver: from the
Windows Start menu or Program Manager, or from your
applications. The method you choose depends on how you
want the settings to take effect:

If you want the settings to apply only to the document(s)

❑

you will print in a particular Windows application, see
“From Windows applications” below.

If you want the settings to become the default settings for

❑

all your Windows applications, see “From Windows 95 or
Windows 98” or “From Windows 3.1.”

Note:

Any settings you make in your application override the Windows
default settings, so in most cases you should access the driver from
your application to make sure that the printer driver settings are
appropriate for your document.

From Windows applications

3

To change the driver settings from within your application,
click the File menu, and choose Print or Print Setup. In the
dialog box that appears click Printer, Setup, Properties, or
Options. You may need to click a combination of these buttons,
depending on the application you are using.

The Main and Paper menus contain the printer driver settings.
The Utility menu contains the printer utilities. Click the tabs at
the top of the menus to open them.

For information on the printer driver settings, click the Help
button to use online help (described on page 3-7).

Starting to Print

3-5

From Windows 95 or Windows 98

Follow these steps to access the printer driver and utilities from
the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Start menu:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and click Printers.

2. Right-click the EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 icon, and click
Properties. The Properties window appears.

3. The Main and Paper menus contain the printer driver
settings. For information about the printer driver settings,
click the Help button at the bottom of these menus to use
the online help. See page 3-7 for more information.

The Utility menu contains the printer utilities (Status
Monitor, Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning, and Print Head
Alignment). See Chapter 5 for instructions on using the
utilities.

From Windows 3.1

Follow these steps to access the printer driver and utilities from
the Windows 3.1 Program Manager:

1. Open the Main program group and double-click the
Control Panel icon.

2. Double-click the Printers icon.

3. Select the Stylus COLOR 300 from the Installed Printers list.

4. Choose Setup. You see the Main menu of the printer driver
window. The Main and Paper menus contain the printer
driver settings. The Utility menu contains the printer
utilities. Click the tabs at the top of the menus to open them.

For information on the printer driver settings, click the Help
button to use online help (described below).

3-6

Starting to Print

Getting Information Through Online Help

Your printer software includes extensive online help with
detailed information and instructions about printer driver
settings and the printer utilities. Online help will answer most
of your questions about the printer driver settings and the
utilities.

From Windows applications

To access online help from your application, open the File
menu and choose Print or Print Setup. Then click Printer,
Setup, Options, or Properties (you may need to click a
combination of these buttons) depending on the software you
are using. Click the Help button at the bottom of the Main,
Paper, and Utility menus for help related to the items on that
menu.

3

If you are running Windows 95 or Windows 98, you can get
specific help related to any item on a menu by right-clicking
the item, then clicking the What’s This? prompt.

From Windows 95 or Windows 98 Start menu

To access online help directly from Start, click the Start button,
point to Programs and Epson, and then click EPSON Stylus
COLOR 300 Help. You see the help contents window.

Starting to Print

3-7

From Windows 3.1 Program Manager

To access online help directly from Program Manager, open the
EPSON program group and click the EPSON Stylus COLOR
300 Help icon. You see the help contents window.

3-8

Starting to Print

Chapter 4

Printing on Special Paper

Setting the Paper Thickness and Adjust Levers . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Setting the paper thickness lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Setting the adjust lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Loading Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

About special media cleaning sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4

Printing on Special Paper

4-1

Setting the Paper Thickness and Adjust Levers

Before you start printing on special paper, you may need to
change the paper thickness lever and the adjust lever settings.

Note:

When changing these settings, make sure the printer is paused and no
paper is in the sheet feeder or the paper path.

Setting the paper thickness lever

The paper thickness lever has two settings: plain paper and
thick paper. You should set the lever to the position that best
suits the media you plan to use for printing, as shown in the
table below.

thick paper

4-2

plain paper

Lever Position Paper Type

Plain paper Standard paper, coated paper,

transparencies, glossy paper/film

Thick paper Envelopes, index cards, self adhesive sheets,

photo paper

Printing on Special Paper

Setting the adjust lever

When you print on thick paper such as envelopes or if ink
smears on your documents, set the adjust lever to the “+”
position. To change the setting, open the printer cover and
position the lever as shown below.

Lever Position Paper Type

0

+

Standard paper, coated paper, index cards,
transparencies, glossy paper/film

Envelopes

4

Note:

If the ink on your printout smears, set the adjust lever to the “+” position.

Printing on Special Paper

4-3

Loading Special Paper and Other Media

You can achieve good results on most plain bond paper. For
better results, EPSON provides special media such as coated
papers and glossy paper/film. For a list of EPSON special
media, see page 1-6 or “Printing Supplies” in online help.

When loading special paper, read the instruction sheet packed
with your special media first, and keep the following in mind:

The printable surface must be facing up when loading

❑

media into the sheet feeder.

cut corner*

*Some media features cut corners
to help identify the correct loading
direction

printable surface

4-4

The paper thickness and adjust levers must be set according

❑

to the type of paper you use. See “Setting the Paper
Thickness and Adjust Levers,” on page 4-2.

The loading capacity for EPSON special media is explained

❑

below.

360 dpi Ink Jet Paper
and Photo Quality
Ink Jet Paper

Printing on Special Paper

Up to the arrow mark on the left
edge guide. For legal-size, halfway
up to the arrow mark.

Photo Quality Ink Jet
Cards

Up to 30 index cards.
Always place the support sheet*
beneath the cards.

Photo Quality Glossy
Paper

Photo Quality Glossy
Film

Ink Jet Transparencies Up to 30 transparencies. Always

Photo Quality Self
Adhesive Sheets

Photo Paper Up to 20 sheets. Always put a

*If a support sheet is packed with the paper, load it underneath the paper,
but do not print on it.

One sheet at a time.
Always place the support sheet*
under the glossy paper.

One sheet at a time for best results.
If you wish to load multiple sheets,
load up to 30 sheets and set the
minimum top margin of the page
to 30 mm. For A6 size, one sheet at
a time. Always put a support
sheet* or a sheet of plain paper
under the glossy film.

put a sheet of plain paper under
the stack of transparencies.

One sheet at a time.

support sheet* under the stack of
Photo Paper.

4

About special media cleaning sheets

Some EPSON special media, such as Photo Quality Glossy Film
and Transparencies, have a cleaning sheet packed with the
media. Every time you finish printing a package of paper that
includes a cleaning sheet, feed the cleaning sheet through the
printer or you may experience paper loading problems. Follow
the instuctions for Type 1 printers on the cleaning sheet.

Printing on Special Paper

4-5

Loading Envelopes

You can load up to 10 envelopes into the sheet feeder.

❑

Set the paper thickness lever to “thick paper”, and the

❑

adjust lever to “+” position.

Do not use envelopes that are curled or folded. Also avoid

❑

using envelopes that are too thin; they may curl during
printing.

Load envelopes top edge
first with the flap side down.

4-6

Select Plain Paper as the Media Type setting in the printer

❑

driver.

Printing on Special Paper

Chapter 5

Maintenance and Transportation

Replacing the Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Aligning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

5

Maintenance and Transportation

5-1

Replacing the Ink Cartridge

Your printer’s V ink out light tells you when it’s time to
replace the ink cartridge. A flashing
that the cartridge is low on ink. When the ink cartridge is
empty, the printer stops automatically and the
is lit continuously.

Note:

❑

If you need to replace the ink cartridge with a new one before the

V ink out light flashes, see “Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems” on

page 6-22.

❑

EPSON recommends the use of genuine EPSON ink cartridges.
Other products not manufactured by EPSON may cause damage
to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.

Caution:

❑

c

Leave the old cartridge installed in the printer until you

are ready to replace it with a new one.

❑

Once you remove an ink cartridge, it becomes unusable
and cannot be reinstalled even if ink remains. Otherwise,
it may damage the printer or cause the ink level sensor to
malfunction.

ink out light indicates

V

ink out light

V

To replace the ink cartridge, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the
is flashing or on.

2. Open the printer cover.

5-2

Maintenance and Transportation

power light is on and the V ink out light

P

3. Hold down the T cleaning button for three seconds. The
power light begins flashing, and the print head moves

P

left slightly to the cartridge replacement position.

Caution:

c

Note:

❑

Do not move the print head by hand. Always use the

cleaning button to move it. Otherwise you may damage

T

the printer.

If you press the T cleaning button for three seconds when

ink out light is off, the printer starts cleaning the print

the

V

head.

❑

The print head automatically returns to the home (far right)
position after about 60 seconds if you don’t begin the
installation procedure.

4. Lift up the ink cartridge clamp as far as it will go. When

you do, the cartridge will rise partly out of the ink cartridge
holder.

clamp

Caution:

c

Once you open the ink cartridge clamp, the ink cartridge
becomes unusable and cannot be reinstalled even if ink
remains. Otherwise, it may damage the printer or cause
the ink level sensor to malfunction.

5

Maintenance and Transportation

5-3

5. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it properly.
Do not take the used cartridge apart or try to refill it.

Warning:

w

6. Open the ink cartridge package. Next, remove only the yellow
tape seal from the top of the cartridge as shown below.

If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap
and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them
immediately with water.

5-4

Caution:

❑

c

Maintenance and Transportation

You must remove the yellow tape seal from the
cartridge. Installing the cartridge with the yellow tape
still attached will permanently damage it.

❑

Do not remove the whole tape seal (especially the
white portion) from the top of the cartridge. Only
remove the yellow portion.

❑

Do not remove the tape seal from the bottom of the
cartridge; otherwise, ink will leak.

(S020138)

7. Lower the ink cartridge into the holder with the label face up
and the arrow mark pointing to the rear. Do not push down
on the ink cartridge.

8. Press the ink cartridge clamp down until it locks in place.

5

9. Press the
head to the far right position. The printer charges the ink
delivery system for about one minute.

c

Note:

Even if you do not press the
moves the print head back to its home position about 60 seconds
after you replace the ink cartridge.

10. Close the printer cover.

cleaning button again to return the print

T

Caution:

power light continues to flash while the printer

The

P

performs the ink charging operation. Never turn off the
printer while the
incomplete charging of printer ink.

power light is flashing; this can cause

P

cleaning button, the printer

T

Maintenance and Transportation

5-5

Cleaning the Print Head

If you find that printed images are unexpectedly faint or dots
are missing, you may be able to solve these problems by
cleaning the print head. This ensures that the nozzles are
delivering ink properly.

You can clean the print head from your computer with the
Head Cleaning utility in the printer software, or from the
printer itself by using the printer’s control panel buttons.

Note:

❑

Print head cleaning uses ink. To avoid wasting ink, clean the
print head only if print quality declines.

❑

Use the Nozzle Check utility to confirm that the print head needs
to be cleaned. This saves ink. See “Utility menu” in online help
for more information.

❑

Do not start the Head Cleaning or Nozzle Check utility while
printing is in progress; otherwise your printout may be marred.

❑

When the V ink out light is flashing or on, you cannot clean the
print head. Replace the ink cartridge first.

Using the Head Cleaning utility

To use the Head Cleaning utility, see “Utility menu” in online
help.

Using the control panel buttons

1. Make sure that the P power light is on and the V ink out
light is off.

5-6

Maintenance and Transportation

Note:

V ink out light is flashing or on, you cannot clean the head,

If the
and this operation will start the ink cartridge replacement
procedure. If you do not want to replace an ink cartridge at this
moment, press the
its home position.

T cleaning button to return the print head to

2. Hold down the

The printer starts cleaning the print head and the
light begins flashing.

Caution:

This operation takes about one minute to complete. Never

c

turn off the printer while the

3. When the
from a document to confirm that the head is clean and to
reset the cleaning cycle.

T

cleaning button for three seconds.

P power light is flashing.

power light stops flashing, print a few lines

P

power

P

5

If the print quality does not improve, repeat step 2 and then
print a few lines to check the output.

Maintenance and Transportation

5-7

Aligning the Print Head

If you notice a misalignment of vertical lines, you may be able
to solve this problem from your computer using the Print Head
Alignment utility.

1. Make sure paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.

Caution:

c

2. Access the printer driver as described in Chapter 3, then

click the Utility tab at the top of the printer software
window.

3. Click the Print Head Alignment button.

4. Follow the messages on your screen to align the print head.

Use paper at least 210 mm (8.27 inches) wide; for example,
A4 size paper loaded short edge first. Otherwise, the print
head will spray ink directly onto the platen.

5-8

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. Then unplug the power
cord.

2. Remove any paper from the sheet feeder.

3. Use a soft brush to carefully brush away all dust and dirt.

4. If the outer case or the inside of the sheet feeder is dirty,
clean it with a soft, clean cloth dampened with mild
detergent. Keep the printer cover closed to prevent water
from getting inside.

5. If the inside of the printer accidentally gets soiled with ink,
wipe it off with a damp cloth.

Warning:

Be careful not to touch the gears inside the printer.

w

Caution:

❑

c

Never use alcohol or thinners to clean the printer; these
chemicals can damage the components as well as the case.

5

❑

Be careful not to get water on the printer mechanism or
electronic components.

❑

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 lubrication is needed.

Maintenance and Transportation

5-9

Transporting the Printer

To transport your printer, carefully repack it using the original
box and packing materials as follows:

1. Open the printer cover and make sure the print head is
positioned at the far right of the printer. If not, turn on the
printer and wait until the print head returns to the far right
position. Turn off the printer and close the printer cover.

Caution:

c

2. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet; then
disconnect the interface cable from the printer.

3. Remove the paper from the sheet feeder and the paper path;
then remove the paper support.

4. Attach the protective materials to the printer.

5. Repack the printer in the original box.

Leave the ink cartridge installed when you transport the
printer. Removing the cartridge during transport can
damage the printer.

6. Keep the printer flat in the box during transport.

5-10

Maintenance and Transportation

Chapter 6

Troubleshooting

Diagnosing the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Error indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Printer operation check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Paper handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Printing quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15

Increasing the Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21

Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-1

Diagnosing the Problem

If you find something wrong with your printer, you may be
able to solve the problem by:

Checking the “Error indicators” (see below).

❑

Performing a “Printer operation check” (see the next page).

❑

Trying the recommended solutions in “Problems and

❑

Solutions” (see page 6-5).

Error indicators

If your printer stops working and the lights on the control
panel are on or flashing, use the following table to diagnose
and fix the problem.

P

——

No paper is loaded in the
printer.

The paper is not loaded
correctly.

——

Paper has jammed in the
printer.

—

The ink cartridge is not
installed or is empty.

FNN

Printer failed. Turn off the printer. After a few seconds turn it

FFF

An unknown printer error
has occurred.

= on, F = flashing, — = irrelevant

N

V

N

Problem and Solution

S

N

Paper Out

Load paper in the sheet feeder; then press

E

the

load/eject button to turn this light off.

The printer resumes printing.
Remove and reload the paper.

See “ Loading Paper” in Chapter 3.

F

Paper Jam

Take all the paper out of the feeder, and
reload the paper carefully as described in
Chapter 3. If the light continues to flash, turn
off the printer and gently pull all the paper out
of the printer. If it tears and pieces remain
inside the printer, open the printer cover and
remove the pieces of paper.

Ink Out

—

Install or replace the ink cartridge (S020138).
See page 5-2.

Carriage Error

on and try printing again. If the error is not
cleared, contact your dealer.

Unknown Printer Error

Turn off the printer, and contact your dealer.

6-2

Troubleshooting

Printer operation check

Performing a printer operation check (self test) can help you
determine whether the problem comes from the printer or the
computer. Follow these steps:

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off.

2. Unlock the wire clips on both sides of the interface connector
and remove the ground connector, if necessary. Then
disconnect the cable from the printer’s interface connector.

6

3. Make sure paper is loaded in the sheet feeder.

Caution:

Use paper at least 182 mm (7.17 inches) wide; otherwise,

c

the print head will spray ink directly onto the platen
during the self test and smear any documents you print
afterwards.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-3

4. Hold down the E load/eject button and turn on the printer;
then release the button.

The printer prints an operation check page including the
version of your printer’s ROM, the ink counter code, and a
nozzle check pattern. Here is a typical printout:

6-4

The above sample is in black and white, but the actual test prints
in color (CMYK).

Troubleshooting

5. Turn off the printer after it finishes printing one page.

If the operation check page results appear as shown in

❑

step 4, the printer is all right and the problem probably
lies in the printer software settings, application settings,
the interface cable, or the computer itself. See
“Problems and Solutions” below for possible causes
and solutions to the problem.

If any segment of the printed lines on the operation

❑

check page is missing, there is a problem with the
printer. This could be a clogged ink nozzle or a
misaligned print head. See “Cleaning the Print Head”
on page 5-6, or “Aligning the Print Head”on page 5-8.

Problems and Solutions

This section divides printer problems into four sections:

Power supply . . . . page 6-6

Operation . . . . . . . page 6-7

6

Paper handling . . . . page 6-12

Printing quality . . . . page 6-15

Go to the section that most likely contains the source of
the problem, and look for the description that matches the
problem. The causes and solutions are listed from the most
likely to the least likely, so try them in the order that they
are written until the problem is solved.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-5

Power supply

The lights come on briefly but then go off and stay off.

Cause What to do

The printer’s voltage rating
does not match the voltage of
your electrical outlet.

Check the printer and outlet voltage
ratings. If the voltages do not match,
unplug the printer immediately and
contact your dealer.

w

Warning:

Do not reconnect the power cord to an
electrical outlet that does not have
matching voltage.

The printer does not work and the control panel lights are off.

Cause What to do

The printer is turned off. Turn on the printer. The P power light

will come on.

The electrical outlet is
controlled by an outside
switch or automatic timer.

The electrical outlet is out of
order.

Use a different outlet.

Plug another electrical device into the
outlet to determine whether the outlet
is working. If it is not, use a different
outlet.

The power cord is not
properly plugged into the
electrical outlet.

6-6

Troubleshooting

Turn off the printer, make sure the
power cord is firmly plugged into the
electrical outlet, and turn the printer
back on. If the lights don’t come on,
contact your dealer.

Operation

The P power light is on but nothing prints.

Cause What to do

The interface cable is not
plugged in securely.

Your interface cable does not
meet both the printer and
computer specifications.

Your software is not properly
set up for your printer.

Confirm that the cable is securely
fastened to the printer and the
computer. If the cable is connected
correctly, perform a printer operation
check as described on page 6-3.

Use an interface cable that meets both
printer and computer specifications.
See page 1-5.

Make sure that your printer is selected
in your software.

If you cannot select your printer,
install or reinstall the printer software
as described in Chapter 2.

Nothing prints and several of the control panel lights are on or
flashing.

Cause What to do

Several common printer
errors have occurred at once.

Use the “Error indicators” table on
page 6-2 to determine what
combination of errors may have
occurred, and try the recommended
solutions.

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-7

The printer sounds like it is printing, but nothing prints.

Cause What to do

The print head nozzles are
clogged.

The ink cartridge is older
than six months or beyond
the date on the packaging.

Clean the print head. See page 5-6. If
this does not work after a few trials,
contact your dealer.

Clean the print head. If that does not
solve the problem, replace the ink
cartridge. If the V light is off, see “Fixing
Ink Cartridge Problems” on page 6-22.

The printer operation check page prints well, but nothing
prints from an application.

Cause What to do

Your printer is not selected in
your software.

The interface cable does not
meet both the printer and
computer requirements.

Your computer is not 100%

®

AT compatible.

IBM

Select your printer in the printer setup
section of your software.

Use a printer cable that meets the
requirements shown under “Interface
cables” on page 1-5.

Select Use Print Manager for this port in
the Queue Setup window. To access this
window, double-click the EPSON Spool
Manager4 icon in the EPSON folder and
select Setup from the Queue menu.

Your computer system’s
memory is insufficient to
handle the volume of data
in your document.

6-8

Troubleshooting

Try reducing the image resolution of
your document in your image-editing
software.

Install more memory in your computer
if you can.

Select lower resolution or less colors
for your display setting as described
below.

For Windows 95, choose a lower
resolution setting as the Color Palette
setting. To access the Color Palette,
click Start, point to Settings, and
choose Control Panel. Then
double-click the Display icon and click
the Settings tab. For detailed
information on making this setting, see
your Windows 95 user’s guide.

For Windows 3.1, double-click the
Windows Setup icon on the Main
menu; then click Options and choose
Change System Settings. Then choose
a lower resolution setting for your
display from the Display pop-up list.
For detailed information on making
this setting, see your Windows 3.1
user’s guide.

If you have a display adapter setting
utility, use it to set lower resolution.
For detailed information, see your
display adapter user’s guide.

6

Color documents print out in black and white.

Cause What to do

Your printer is not selected in
your software.

Color printing is not selected
in your application or in the
printer driver.

Select your printer in your software.

Select color printing in your
application and the printer driver. Try
to print again. If the image still comes
out in black and white, try printing
from another program. If this fixes the
problem, contact the manufacturer of
the application you had trouble with.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-9

Printing starts too high or too low on the page.

Cause What to do

Margins are set incorrectly in
your application.

The size of the paper loaded
in the printer does not match
the paper size setting within
your application.

Check that the margins are set
correctly in your program. See
“Printable area” in the Appendix.

Load the correct size of paper, or
change the paper size settings within
your application to match the size of
the paper you are using.

Print speed is not what you expect.

Cause What to do

The image resolution and the
amount of color used in the
document may be too high.

Carefully considering your use of color
and resolution can help you optimize
your printing times. For more details,
see “Increasing the Print Speed” later
in this chapter.

Note:

High resolution printing and color
printing significantly increase the amount
of data to be processed. These two factors
have the greatest effect on print speed.

The print head moved to the ink cartridge replacement
position unexpectedly.

Cause What to do

The T cleaning button was
pressed while the V ink out
light was flashing or on.

6-10

Troubleshooting

The ink cartridge is low or out of ink.
Replace the ink cartridge as described
on page 5-2.

The New Hardware Found screen appears even though the
printer software has already been installed.

Cause What to do

This error may occur in the
Windows 95 operating
system.

In the New Hardware Found screen,
click Do not install a driver

[Windows will not prompt you
again], then click OK.

The Status Monitor window does not appear (Windows 95
only).

Cause What to do

The Use Print Manager for
this port option is checked in

the Queue Setup window.

The Enable bi-directional

support for this printer

option is not selected in the
Spool Settings window.

Make sure Use Print Manager for this
port is not checked. Click the Start
button, point to Programs, point to
Epson, and click Spool Manager4.
Then click Setup on the Queue menu
in the EPSON Spool Manager
window.

You must select Enable

bi-directional support for this printer

in the Spool Settings window to use
the Status Monitor. To access the Spool
Settings window, click the Start
button, point to Settings, and click
Printers. Right-click the icon for your
printer and choose Properties from
the drop-down menu. Click the
Details tab; then click Spool Settings.
Select Enable bi-directional support
for this printer.

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-11

Paper handling

Paper does not feed properly from the sheet feeder.

Cause What to do

The paper may have been
loaded too deeply into the
printer.

Too many sheets are loaded
in the sheet feeder.

The edge guides are not set
correctly.

Paper is jammed in the paper
path.

The paper is curled or folded. Use flat, undamaged paper.

The paper is old or creased. Use only new, smooth sheets of paper.

The paper’s size is not
compatible with the printer.

Remove the paper and gently reinsert
it straight up and down into the
printer.

Take the paper stack out of the feeder,
remove some sheets, and reload the
stack. Load paper only up to the arrow
mark on the left edge guide.

Adjust the guides against the stack of
paper. See “Loading Plain Paper” on
page 3-2.

Turn off the printer and gently pull all
of the paper out of the printer. If it
tears and pieces remain inside the
printer, open the printer cover; then
remove any remaining pieces of paper.

Use paper that meets the paper
requirements for this printer. See
“Paper” in the Appendix.

The paper is too thin. Make sure the paper meets the paper

requirements for this printer. See
“Paper” in the Appendix.

6-12

Troubleshooting

The printer loads more than one sheet at a time.

Cause What to do

The paper may have been
loaded too deeply into the
printer.

Too many sheets are loaded
in the sheet feeder.

The edge guides are not set
correctly.

The paper thickness lever or
the adjust lever position may
not be set correctly.

The paper is too thin. Make sure the paper meets the paper

Remove the paper and gently reinsert
it straight up and down into the
printer.

Take the paper stack out of the feeder,
remove some sheets, and reload the
stack. Load paper only up to the arrow
mark on the left edge guide.

Adjust the guides against the stack of
paper. See “Loading Plain Paper” on
page 3-2.

Make sure the paper thickness lever
and adjust lever positions are set
correctly. See page 4-2.

requirements for this printer. See
“Paper” in the Appendix.

Ejected paper is wrinkled.

Cause What to do

The paper is too thin or damp. Do not store your paper in a damp or

humid environment. Store paper in its
original packaging.

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-13

Paper does not fully eject.

Cause What to do

The paper is too long. Press the E load/eject button to eject

the paper. Use paper that meets the
paper requirements for this printer.
See “Paper” in the Appendix.

Paper feed or paper jam problems occur frequently.

Cause What to do

Sheets of paper are stuck
together.

The edge guides are not set
correctly.

The paper is too thin or
rough.

Special media that should be
loaded one sheet at a time is
loaded more than one sheet
at a time.

Too many sheets are loaded
in the sheet feeder.

The printable side of the
paper is not loaded correctly.

Fan the stack of paper and straighten it
before loading.

Adjust the guides against the stack of
paper.

Make sure the paper meets the paper
requirements for this printer. See
“Paper” in the Appendix.

Check the loading capacity for special
media described on pages 4-4 and 4-5.

Load paper only up to the arrow mark
on the left edge guide.

Try turning the stack of paper over in
the sheet feeder. Most packages of
paper indicate the printable side with
an arrow on the end of the package.
Make sure the printable side is loaded
face up.

6-14

Troubleshooting

Printing quality

The printed image has gaps or faint areas.

Cause What to do

The paper thickness lever or
the adjust lever position may
not be set correctly.

The print head nozzles are
clogged.

The paper quality has been
reduced due to age.

The printer driver settings
may not be correct.

Make sure the paper thickness lever
and adjust lever positions are set
correctly. See page 4-2.

Clean the print head. See page 5-6.

Use new paper.

Select Automatic on the printer
driver’s Main menu and make sure the
Media Type setting is appropriate for
the type of paper loaded in the printer.
See online help. To access online help,
see page 3-7.

The printed image is blurred.

Cause What to do

Your paper is moist or damp. Do not store your paper in a damp or

humid environment. Store the paper
in its original packaging.

The printer driver settings
may not be correct.

Select Automatic on the printer
driver’s Main menu and make sure the
Media Type setting is appropriate for
the type of paper loaded in the printer.
See online help. To access online help,
see page 3-7.

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-15

Printed image is smeared.

Cause What to do

The paper thickness lever or
the adjust lever position may
not be set correctly.

Special paper was loaded
without the support sheet or
a regular sheet of paper
under it.

Multiple sheets of EPSON
Photo Quality Glossy Film
are loaded.

Ink has leaked on the platen. Wipe the inside of the printer with a

Make sure the paper thickness lever
and adjust lever positions are set
correctly. See page 4-2.

Load the support sheet or a piece of
plain paper under the special paper.

Load glossy film one sheet at a time
with the loading support sheet or a
piece of plain paper under the glossy
film.

If you need to load multiple sheets of
glossy film, load only up to 30 sheets
and set the top margin of the page to
30 mm or more.

soft, clean cloth.

6-16

Troubleshooting

w

Warning:

Be careful not to touch the gears inside the
printer.

White horizontal lines appear in the printed image.

Cause What to do

The print head nozzles are
clogged.

The ink cartridge is low on
ink.

The Media Type setting on
the Main menu of the printer
driver is incorrect.

Clean the print head. See page 5-6.

Check the control panel to confirm
that the V ink out light is flashing,
then replace the ink cartridge. See
page 5-2.

Make sure the Media Type setting
matches the type of paper loaded in
the printer. To access online help, see
page 3-7.

Vertical lines do not align.

Cause What to do

The print head is misaligned. Align the print head. See page 5-8.

The printing position is
misaligned.

Make sure the High Speed option in
your printer driver’s More Settings
dialog box is not selected.

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-17

Printing quality is not what you expect.

Cause What to do

The paper loaded is not the
paper selected in your
application or the printer
driver.

You are not printing on the
correct side of the paper.

The printer driver settings
are not correct.

Make sure you load the correct paper
in the printer and that you select the
same media type in your application
and/or the printer driver. For
information on Media Type settings in
the printer driver, see online help.

Make sure you are using paper that
meets the paper requirements for this
printer. See “Paper” in the Appendix.

Check the paper packaging for the
correct side for printing; then load the
printable side of the paper face up in
the sheet feeder.

Check the printer driver settings to
make sure they are appropriate. If
these settings are correct, check the
settings in your application, because
some driver settings are overridden by
application settings. Also, for more
information on making appropriate
printer driver settings, see online help.

Colors are different than what you expect.

Cause What to do

Black ink is selected in your
printer driver.

The paper is not loaded
printable side up.

6-18

Troubleshooting

Set the Ink setting to Color.

Make sure that the printable side of the
paper is facing up.

The Media Type setting does
not match the paper loaded.

Change the Media Type setting in
your printer driver to match the type
of media you have loaded, or load
media that matches the Media Type
setting. See online help.

The print head nozzles for a
particular color of ink are
clogged.

The ICM setting in your
driver is not appropriate for
your document.

Your printer and monitor are
not properly calibrated for
color matching.

Since monitors and printers
produce colors differently,
printed colors will not
always match on-screen
colors perfectly.

Clean the print head. See page 5-6.

Select Automatic on the printer
driver’s Main menu.

See the user’s guides of your
image-editing software and your
monitor for information on calibrating
your system for color matching.

See online help for color printing
information.

Colors are not very vibrant.

Cause What to do

The image was printed on the
wrong side of ink jet paper.

Make sure that you are printing on the
coated side of the paper. If necessary,
flip over the paper and try printing
again. If printing does not improve
clean the print head.

6

Troubleshooting

The Media Type setting does
not match the loaded paper.

Make sure the Media Type setting
matches the type of paper loaded in
the printer, or load media that matches
the Media Type setting. See online
help.

Troubleshooting

6-19

Color dots are missing in printed characters or graphics.
The printed color image has gaps or faint areas.

Cause What to do

The color print head nozzles
are clogged.

Clean the print head. See page 5-6.

Black dots are missing in printed characters or graphics.
The printed black image has gaps or faint areas.

Cause What to do

The black print head nozzles
are clogged.

Clean the print head. See page 5-6.

Photographic images look grainy or rough.

Cause What to do

The printing position is
misaligned.

The resolution of the original
image data or the resolution
setting for the image in your
image-editing software may
be too low.

Align the print head. See page 5-8.

Increase the image resolution in your
image-editing software. Keep in mind
that higher resolution images take
longer to print.

Even after using the Head Cleaning utility, the output quality
does not improve.

Cause What to do

You attempted to clean the
print head while the ink
cartridge was low or out of
ink.

6-20

Troubleshooting

Check the V ink out light.
If the light is on or flashing, the Head
Cleaning utility does not work.
Replace the ink cartridge. See page 5-2.

Increasing the Print Speed

Just as printing at a high resolution requires more processing
time, printing in color takes longer than printing in black
because the volume of data in a color document is much
greater. For this reason, it is important to be selective in your
use of color if you also require a faster print speed.

The following table shows the factors that inversely affect print
speed and print quality (increasing one will decrease the other).

Priority

Print speed Print quality

Printer driver settings

Print Quality Economy Fine - 720 dpi
High Speed On Off
Halftoning No Halftoning Error Diffusion

Data characteristics

Image size Small Large
Resolution Low High

The table below shows the factors related to print speed only.

6

Print speed

Faster Slower

Printer software settings

Ink Black Color
Collate* Off On
Flip Horizontal* Off On
Reverse Order* Off On
Page rotate* Off On

Data characteristics

Variety of colors Grayscale ** Full color

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-21

Print speed

Faster Slower

Hardware resources

System speed Fast Slow
HDD free space Large Small
Memory free space Large Small

Software status

Running applications One Many
Virtual memory Not in use In use

*Varies depending on the printer driver and application software

you are using.

**Grayscale means using black ink only to print varying shades of

gray, from pure black to pure white.

Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems

If output quality does not improve even after cleaning
(page 5-6) and aligning (page 5-8) the print head, you may need
to replace the ink cartridge.

Note:

Be sure to use up ink cartridges by the date marked on the cartridge
label; otherwise the ink may become unusable.

To replace an ink cartridge before the

ink out light flashes,

V

follow the steps below.

Caution:

c

Once you remove an ink cartridge, it becomes unusable and
cannot be reinstalled even if ink remains. Otherwise, it may
damage the printer or cause the ink level sensor to malfunction.

1. Make sure the printer is on, then open the printer cover.

6-22

Troubleshooting

2. Hold down the E load/eject button for three seconds, the
print head moves to the replace position. The
light begins flashing.

3. Lift the ink cartridge clamp. Dispose of the ink cartridge
properly.

4. Remove the yellow tape seal from the new cartridge and
lower the cartridge into the cartridge holder.

5. Press the ink cartridge clamp down until it locks in place.

Caution:

Once you install the cartridge, do not open the clamp

c

again until you replace the ink cartridge. Otherwise, the
cartridge may become unusable.

power

P

6. Press the
print head back to its home position and charges ink in the
system.

Caution:

The

c

performs the ink charging operation. Never turn off the printer
while the
incomplete charging of ink.

Note:

Even if you do not press the
print head back to its home position about 60 seconds after you replace
the cartridge.

load/eject button again. The printer moves the

E

power light continues to flash while the printer

P

power light is flashing. Doing so can result in

P

load/eject button, the printer moves the

E

6

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

6-23

Appendix

Printer Specifications

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

Ink Cartridge (S020138) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Safety Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Printer Specifications

A

A-1

Printing

Printing method: On-demand ink jet

Nozzle configuration: Monochrome (black) 31 nozzles

Color (cyan, magenta, yellow) 33 nozzles
(11 (each color) × 3 )

Resolution: EPSON 720 dpi mode*

360 × 360 dpi mode
180 × 180 dpi mode

* In EPSON 720 dpi mode, prints at 360 × 360 dpi on

a matrix of 720 dots per inch using smaller dots
than the 360 × 360 dpi mode. Dots are printed in
an alternating pattern in which horizontal and
vertical dots are non-contiguous. Contiguous
printing of dots is available only on the diagonal
plane. The result is a significantly denser dot
pattern, finer detail, and smoother edges than
output produced by 360 × 360 dpi printing.

Print direction: Bidirectional with logic seeking

Input buffer: 25KB

Paper

Note:

Since the quality of any particular brand or type of paper may be changed by
the manufacturer at any time, EPSON can not attest to the quality of any
non-EPSON brand or type of paper. Always test samples of paper stock before
purchasing large quantities or printing large jobs.

Single sheets:

A-2

Size

A4 210 mm × 297 mm
B5 182 mm × 257 mm
Letter 8.5 × 11 inches (216 × 279 mm)
Half letter 8.5 × 5.5 inches (216 × 139.7 mm)
Legal 8.5 × 14 inches (216 × 356 mm)
Executive 7.5 × 10 inches (184.2 × 266.7 mm)

Paper types Plain bond paper

Thickness 0.003 to 0.004 inch (0.08 mm to 0.11 mm)

Weight 17 lb (64 g/m

2

) to 24 lb (90 g/m2)

Printer Specifications

Envelopes:

Size

Paper types Plain bond paper, air mail

Thickness 0.006 to 0.02 inch (0.16 mm to 0.52 mm)

Weight 12 lb (45 g/m

Index cards:

Size

Paper types Special papers distributed by EPSON

Transparencies, glossy film, glossy paper:

Size

Paper types Special papers distributed by EPSON

Self adhesive sheets:

Size

Paper types Special papers distributed by EPSON

Photo paper:

Size

No. 10 9.5 × 4.1 inches (104 mm × 240 mm)
DL 8.7 × 4.3 inches (110 mm × 220 mm)

2

) to 24 lb (90 g/m2)

A6 (105 mm × 148 mm)

A4 210 mm × 297 mm
Letter 8.5 × 11 inches (216 mm × 279 mm)
A6 105 mm × 148 mm (Glossy film only)

A4 (210 mm × 297 mm)

4 x 6 inches (102 mm × 152 mm)

Paper types Special papers distributed by EPSON

Note:

❑ When printing on envelopes, index cards, and adhesive sheets you must set

the paper thickness lever to “Thick Paper” position.

❑ Poor quality paper may reduce print quality and cause paper jams or other

problems. If you encounter problems, switch to a higher grade of paper.

❑ Do not load curled or folded paper.
❑ Ink jet paper, envelopes, glossy film/paper, and transparencies are usable

only under normal conditions:

Temperature 59 to 77°F (15 to 25°C)
Humidity 40 to 60% RH

Printer Specifications

A-3

A

Printable area

Single sheets/index cards/adhesive sheets/transparencies

Envelopes

A

A

B-L

B-R

C

A-4

B-L

A: The minimum top margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).

When loading multiple sheets of EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film, the
minimum top margin is 1.2 inches (30 mm).

B: The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).

The minimum right margin for single sheet paper is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm)
except for letter and legal size paper. The minimum right margin for
letter and legal size paper is 0.35 inch (10.0 mm).

The minimum right margin for envelopes is as follows:

0.54 inch (13.8 mm) for DL envelopes.

1.32 inches (33.8 mm) for No. 10 envelopes.

C: The minimum bottom margin is 0.54 inch (14.0 mm).

B-R

C

Note:

Always load paper into the sheet feeder short edge first. Load envelopes top
edge first with the flap side down.

Printer Specifications

Ink Cartridge (S020138)

Colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black

Print capacity* 220 pages (A4, 360 dpi, 5% duty each color)

Cartridge life 2 years from production date if unopened;

Temperature Storage: –22 to 104°F (–30 to 40°C)

450 pages (A4, Text, monochrome printing
only)

6 months if opened at 25°C (77°F)

1 month at 104°F (40°C)

Transit: –22 to 140°F (–30 to 60°C)

1 month at 104°F (40°C)
120 hours at 140°F (60°C)

Freezing:**21.2°F ( –6°C)

Dimensions

* The print capacity may vary, depending on how often you use the print
head cleaning function and how often you use the printer.
** It thaws and is usable after approximately 3 hours at 77°F (25°C).

Caution:

❑ EPSON recommends the use of original EPSON ink cartridges

c

only. Other products not manufactured by EPSON may cause
damage to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.

❑ Do not use an ink cartridge if the date on the package has expired.

45.9 mm (W) × 56.5 mm (D) × 38.5 mm (H)

A

Printer Specifications

A-5

Mechanical

Paper feed method: Friction

Paper path: Sheet feeder, rear entry

Sheet feeder capacity: About 100 sheets at 17 lb (64 g/m

Dimensions: Storage

Weight: 8.6 lb (3.9 kg) without the ink cartridge

Electrical

Input voltage range 103.5 to 132V 198 to 264V
Rated frequency range 50 to 60 Hz
Input frequency range 49.5 to 60.5 Hz
Rated current 0.5 A 0.3 A
Power consumption Approx. 15W (ISO10561 Letter Pattern)

Width: 15.6 inches (396.7 mm)
Depth: 8.1 inches (205.6 mm)
Height: 6.4 inches (162.0 mm)

Printing
Width: 15.6 inches (396.7 mm)
Depth: 20.8 inches (321 mm)
Height: 10.5 inches (267.3 mm)

120V Model 220−240V Model

2

) paper

Note:

Check the label on the back of the printer for the voltage of your printer.

A-6

Printer Specifications

Environmental

Temperature: Operation: 50 to 95°F (10 to 35°C)

Storage:

Humidity: Operation: 20 to 80% RH

Storage:

* Stored in shipping container
**Without condensation

*

–4 to 140°F (–20 to 60°C)
1 month at 104°F (40°C)
120 hours at 140°F (60°C)

*,**

5 to 85% RH

Safety Approvals

Safety standards:

U.S. model UL 1950 with D3, CSA C22.2 No.950

with D3

European model EN60950 (TÜV and NEMKO)

EMI:

U.S. model FCC part 15 subpart B class B, CSA C108.8

class B

European model EN 55022 (CISPR Pub. 22) class B

EN 50082-1
EN 61000-3-2
EN 61000-3-3

Australian model AS/NZS 3548 class B

Printer Specifications

A

A-7

Glossary

The following definitions apply specifically to printers.

application

A software program that helps you perform a particular task, such as word
processing or financial planning.

banding

The horizontal lines that sometimes appear when printing graphics. This occurs
when the print head is misaligned.

bidirectional printing

Printing in which the print heads print in both directions. This increases the speed
of printing.

bit

A binary digit (0 or 1), which is the smallest unit of information used by a printer or
computer.

brightness

The lightness or darkness of an image.

buffer

The portion of the printer’s memory used to store data before printing it.

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.

CMYK

Cyan (blue-green), magenta, yellow, and black. These colored inks are used to
create the subtractive system array of printed colors.

cpi

See characters per inch.

default

A value or setting that takes effect when the equipment is turned on, reset, or
initialized.

dithering

A halftoning method in which dots are arranged in an orderly pattern. Dithering
works best for printing images with solid colors, such as charts and graphs. See also
halftoning.

dot matrix

A method of printing in which each letter or symbol is formed by a pattern (matrix)
of individual dots.

Glossary

1

dpi

Dots per inch. The dpi measures the resolution. See also resolution.

driver

A software program that sends instructions to a computer peripheral to tell it what
to do. For example, your printer driver accepts print data from your word processor
or graphics application and sends instructions to the printer on how to print this
data.

economy printing

Printing in which images are printed with fewer dots to save ink.

error diffusion

This halftoning setting smoothes out edges by blending dots of varying colors.

font

A style of type designated by a family name.

grayscale

A scale of shades of gray from black to white. Grayscale is used to represent colors
when printing with black ink only.

halftones

Patterns of black or colored dots used to reproduce an image.

halftoning

Method of using dot patterns to represent an image. Halftoning makes it possible to
produce varying shades of gray using only black dots, or a nearly infinite array of
colors using only a few colors of dots. See also halftones.

high speed printing

Printing in which images are printed in both directions. This provides faster
printing.

initialization

Returns the printer to its defaults (fixed set of conditions). This happens every time
you turn on or reset the printer.

ink jet

A method of printing in which each letter or symbol is formed by precisely
spraying ink onto paper.

interface

The connection between the computer and a peripheral such as a printer. Generally,
printers have two interfaces, parallel and serial. A parallel interface transmits data
one byte, or eight bits, at a time. A serial interface transmits data one bit at a time.

loading position

The position to which the paper is automatically loaded.

media

Materials upon which data is printed, such as envelopes, plain paper, special paper,
and transparencies.

2

Glossary

monochrome

This means printing with only one color of ink, which is generally black ink.

parallel interface

See interface.

printable area

The area of a page on which the printer can print. It is smaller than the physical size
of the page due to margins.

printer driver

A software program that sends commands for using the features of a particular
printer. See driver.

Printer Operation Check

A method for checking the operation of the printer. When you perform a printer
operation check, the printer prints the ROM version, ink counter code, and a nozzle
check pattern.

print head alignment

A maintenance procedure you should perform when the black and color inks on
your printout are misaligned or the printout seems fuzzy.

printing mode

The number of dots per inch used to represent an image. Your printer has three
printing mode settings: Fine (720 dpi), Normal (360 dpi), and Economy.

print queue

If your printer is connected to a network, print jobs that are sent to the printer while
it is busy are stored in a waiting line, or print queue, until they can be printed.

RAM

Random Access Memory. The portion of the printer’s memory used as a buffer and
for storing user-defined characters. All data stored in RAM is lost when the printer
is turned off.

reset

To reinitialize the printer, or return a printer to its defaults by turning the printer
off and then back on.

resolution

The number of dots per inch used to represent an image.

ROM

Read Only Memory. A portion of memory that can only be read and cannot be
used for data storage. ROM retains its contents when you turn off the printer.

RGB

Red, green, and blue. These colors, in phosphors irradiated by the computer
monitor’s electron gun, are used to create the additive array of screen colors.

Glossary

3

spool

The first step in printing. The printer driver converts the print data into codes that
your printer understands. This data is then sent to the printer directly or to the print
server.

spool manager

The software program that converts print data into codes that your printer
understands.

status monitor

The software program that allows you to check the amount of ink remaining before
printing. This is available for Windows 95 only.

subtractive colors

Colors produced by pigments that absorb some colors of light and reflect others.
See also CMYK.

4

Glossary

Index

A

Adjust lever, 1-2, 4-3
Alignment, print head, 5-8. See also

online help

B

Buttons

cleaning, 1-3, 5-2–5
load/eject, 1-3, 6-3–4, 6-22–23

C

Cables. See Interface cables
Calibration. See Print head alignment
Cartridge. See Ink cartridge
Cleaning

button, 1-3, 5-2–5
print head, 5-6–7

Collate option, 6-21. See also

online help

Computer requirements, 1-4
Consumable products, 1-5–6
Control panel, 1-2–3, 6-2
Customer support, 1-7–8

D

Driver. See Printer driver

E

Economy setting, 6-21. See also

online help

Edge guides, 1-2, 3-3–4

NERGY STAR

E
Envelopes,

loading, 4-2–3, 4-6
printable area, A-4
specification, A-3

EPSON special media, 1-5–6, 4-2–5.

See also online help

Error Diffusion, 6-21. See also

online help

Error indicators, 6-2

compliance, 1-4

F

Flip Horizontal setting, 6-21. See also

online help

H

Halftoning, 6-21. See also online help
Head

alignment, 5-8. See also online help
cleaning, 5-6–7. See also Nozzle

Check
Help, online, 3-7–8
High Speed setting, 6-21. See also

online help

IN-1

I

Index cards, 4-2–3, 4-5, A-3
Ink cartridge, 1-5

clamps, 1-2
installing, 2-6–10
problems, 6-22–23
replacing, 5-2–5, 6-22–23
specifications, A-5

Interface cables, 1-5, 2-10–11

L

Labels. See Self adhesive sheets
Lights

ink out, 1-2–3, 5-2–3, 6-2
paper out, 1-2–3, 6-2

power, 1-2–3, 6-2
Load/eject button, 1-3, 6-3–4, 6-22–23
Loading paper. See Paper

M

Maintenance, Chapter 5
Moving the printer, 5-10

N

Nozzle Check

pattern, 6-4

utility, 5-6. See also online help

O

Online help, 3-7–8
Operation check page, 6-3–5
Options, 1-5–6

P

Paper

envelopes, 4-6, A-2–4
EPSON special, 1-5–6, Chapter 4
loading, 3-2–4, 4-4–5
printable area, A-4
specifications, A-3–4
support, 1-2, 2-3
thickness lever, 4-2

Power button, 1-2–3
Precautions, 2, 3
Print

direction, A-2. See also High Speed

setting
head
alignment, 5-8. See also online help

cleaning, 5-6–7. See also Nozzle

Check
speed, 6-21–22

Printable area, A-4
Printer

cleaning, 5-9
control panel, 1-2–3, 6-2
driver, 2-11, 3-5–6
interface, 2-10
operation check, 6-3–5
parts, 1-2
problems, Chapter 6
software, 2-11–14, 3-5–6
specifications, A-1–7
speed, 6-21–22
stand, 2-4
transporting, 5-10

Printer driver settings

accessing, 3-5–6

Problems, Chapter 6

IN-2

R

Replacing an ink cartridge. See Ink

cartridge

Resolution, 6-21, A-2. See also

online help

Required system, 1-4
Reverse Order, 6-21. See also

online help

S

Safety

approvals, A-7
instructions, 1−3

Self adhesive sheets, 4-2–5, A-3
Self test. See Printer operation check
Settings

adjust lever, 1-2, 4-3
paper thickness lever, 1-2, 4-2
printer driver. See online help

Special media, 1-5–6

loading, 4-4–5
Specifications, A-1–7
Speed, 6-21–22
Status Monitor, 2-11. See also

online help

Support, technical, 1-7–8
System requirements, 1-4

T

Thick paper, 4-2–3
Transparencies, 4-5, A-3
Transporting the printer, 5-10
Troubleshooting, Chapter 6

U

Utilities, 2-11, 5-8. See also online help
Utility menu. See online help

W

Windows 3.1, 2-13
Windows 95/98, 2-12

IN-3