Epson 875DC User Manual

0 (0)
Printer Basics
Printed on recycled paper with at least 15% post-consumer content.
Copyright Notice
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 CORPORATION. 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 CORPORATION 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 CORPORATION’s operating and maintenance instructions.
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 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 CORPORATION.
Trademarks
EPSON and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
Micro Piezo and PhotoEnhance are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.
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.
The E
NERGY STAR
emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.
ii
CPD-9809
Copyright © 2000 by Epson America, Inc. 4/00

Contents

WELCOME! 1
About Your Software
About Your Documentation
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips
Windows System Requirements
Macintosh System Requirements
ENERGY STAR Compliance
Important Safety Instructions
Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions
VIEWING YOUR ELECTRONIC PRINTER MANUAL 9
Accessing Your Electronic Printer Manual
Navigating Your Electronic Printer Manual
10
PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH 13
Printing with Windows
Loading Paper
Opening the Printer Software
14 14 15
2 3 3 4 5 6 6 7
9
Selecting Printer Software Settings
Controlling Printing
Printing on a Macintosh
Loading Paper
Opening the Printer Software
Selecting Printer Software Settings
Controlling Printing
16 18 19 19 20 21 22
iii
Using PhotoEnhance,™ Custom, and Advanced Settings 23
Using PhotoEnhance 23 Using Custom Settings 24 Using Advanced Settings 24
Using Advanced Color Management 25
Printing CMYK Format Files 25 Using Color Management Profiles 25
Using Special Papers 26
EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper 26 EPSON Photo Paper 30 Matte Paper - Heavyweight 33
Envelopes 33 Selecting Your Paper Type 34 Taking Care of Your Photographs 35
WORKING WITH YOUR MEMORY CARD 37
Inserting and Removing Your Card 38
iv
Inserting a Memory Card 38
Removing a Memory Card 40
If You Don’t Want to Start Image Expert Automatically. . . 41 Using Image Expert with Your Card 42
Viewing Photos on Your Memory Card 42
What to Do If You See an Error Message 44
Copying Photos to Your Computer 45
Printing Photos on 4-Inch Wide Roll Paper 47
Printing Photos on 4 x 6-Inch Photo Paper 50 Using Adobe PhotoDeluxe with Your Memory Card 53 Uploading Photos to Your Memory Card 55
MAINTAINING YOUR PRINTER 59
Cleaning the Print Head 59
Using the Head Cleaning Utility 60
Using the Control Panel to Clean the Print Head 61
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern 62 Replacing an Ink Cartridge 63
Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges 64 Aligning the Print Head 66 Cleaning the Printer 67 Transporting the Printer 68
PROBLEM SOLVING 69
Diagnosing Printer Problems 69
Checking the Control Panel Lights 69
Running a Printer Check 71 Identifying Printer Parts 72 Problems and Solutions 73
Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Software 73
Problems with Printing 74
Problems Getting Good Print Quality 75
Problems with the Memory Card 78
Problems with Paper Feeding 80
Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems 81 Uninstalling Printer Software 82
Uninstalling Windows 98 Software 82
Uninstalling Windows 2000 Software 83
Uninstalling Macintosh Software 84
Reinstalling Printer Software 85
v
Where To Get Help 86
EPSON Technical Support 86
EPSON Accessories 87
Bonus Photo Software Technical Support 87
INDEX 89
vi

Welcome!

The EPSON Stylus®
Photo 875DC makes it quick and easy to go from digital image capture to brilliant digital image printing. Instead of connecting your digital camera to your computer, just insert your PCMCIA memory card into the printer’s built-in card reader—your bonus photo software starts automatically and lets you view the images on your card. And your digital card reader is compatible with virtually any PCMCIA memory card that comes with an adapter.
Whether you get your photos with a digital camera, scanner, or digital photo processing service, or download them off the World Wide Web, you’ll get real photo lab results. Using EPSON’s specially formulated inks and lightfast Premium Glossy Photo or Matte Heavyweight paper, you can cherish your digital photographs for years to come, just like your traditionally printed photos.
Here’s what you get:
Resolutions up to 1440 by 720 dpi (dots per inch), even on plain paper
Six-color printing for PRQ
®
(photo reproduction quality) color and incredibly
smooth gradations
Exclusive print technology to print continuous edge-to-edge 4 × 6-inch photos
(plus a roll paper holder kit with a roll of 4-inch Premium Glossy Photo Paper to get you started)
EPSON’s exclusive Micro Piezo
ink jet technology for virtually invisible dots as
small as 4 picoliters
Fast photo print speeds: approximately 48 seconds for a 4 × 6-inch photo, or one
minute and 50 seconds for an 8 × 10-inch photo in
Great results on a variety of paper sizes, from 3.5 × 3.5-inch up to 8.5 × 44-inch—
Fine
mode
including letter, legal, envelope, card, and panoramic
Specially designed print engine for whisper-quiet operation
1

About Your Software

The printer software CD-ROM includes all the software you need for printing:
Your printer driver runs your printer and lets you control how your documents
look. You can’t use your printer without it.
Your electronic Reference Guide gives you complete information about your
printer. (You need an HTML browser—such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer or Netscape® Navigator,® version 3.0 or later—to view the guide.)
Your bonus photo software:
Sierra Imaging Image Expert and Macintosh)
View, organize, edit, and print pictures with ease.
Adobe® PhotoDeluxe® (version 3.1 for Windows® or version 2.0 for Macintosh
Easily bring photos into your computer, organize them in albums, and make repairs and improvements—then share them with friends via the World Wide Web.
It’s a good idea to check EPSON’s support web site periodically for possible updates to your printer driver. Visit http://support.epson.com and check the section for your product to see if there is a new driver available, free of charge, for downloading to your computer. Download instructions are posted for your convenience.
(version 1.8.3 for Windows
®
)
2

About Your Documentation

To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here poster. This book contains system requirements, important safety information, and instructions on:
viewing your electronic printer manual
printing with Windows or on a Macintosh
using special papers
using your memory card
maintaining the printer
solving basic problems
For more details about printing with, maintaining, or troubleshooting your printer, see your electronic Reference Guide. For instructions on viewing it, see page 9.

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Please follow these guidelines:
Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
Notes contain important information about your printer.
Tips contain additional hints for better printing.
3

Windows System Requirements

To use your printer and its software, your system should have:
A Microsoft Windows
®
compatible PC with a Pentium® processor (200 MHz or
faster recommended)
Windows 98 or Windows 2000
64MB of RAM (128MB or more recommended)
100MB of free hard disk space (200MB or more recommended)
CD-ROM or DVD drive for installing the printer software
SVGA or better display adapter and monitor
A Windows-compliant USB port and a shielded USB “AB” cable up to 9.8 feet
(3 meters) long.
Using an improperly shielded USB cable—especially a cable more than 9.8 feet (3 meters) long—may cause the printer to malfunction.
4

Macintosh System Requirements

To use your printer and its software, your system should have:
An Apple
USB port
Mac OS 8.5 or later
64MB of available RAM (128MB recommended)
150MB of free hard disk space (200MB recommended)
CD-ROM or DVD drive for installing the printer software
SVGA or better display adapter and monitor
®
iMac™ series computer or Power Macintosh®
If you have an iMac and you’re running OS 8.5 or 8.5.1, Apple recommends that you install iMac Update 1.1.
Download the update for your system from Apple at http://asu.info.apple.com. Contact Apple if you have problems installing the update.
To find out which operating system your iMac is running, select About This Computer from the Apple menu.
G3 or G4 with
A shielded USB “AB” cable up to 9.8 feet (3 meters) long.
Using an improperly shielded USB cable—especially a cable more than 9.8 feet (3 meters) long—may cause the printer to malfunction.
5
NERGY STAR
E
Compliance
As an E
NERGY STAR
this product meets the E efficiency. The EPA E
Partner, EPSON has determined that
NERGY STAR
NERGY STAR
guidelines for energy
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.

Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure you use the printer safely and effectively:
Be sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.
Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a radiator or heating vent
or in direct sunlight.
Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s label.
6
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.
Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be easily unplugged.
Placez l’imprimante près d’une prise de contacte où la fiche peut être débranchée facilement.
Do not let the power cord become damaged or frayed.
If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the total ampere rating of
the 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.
Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp cloth only.
Do not spill liquid on the printer.
Always turn the printer off using the off the power strip or unplug the printer until the
Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s case or insert objects through
Ppower button. Don’t switch
Ppower light is off.
the slots.
Except as specifically explained in this manual, 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 case 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.

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and do not drink the ink.
Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.
If ink gets on your skin, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets
in your eyes, flush them immediately with water.
Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it from its foil package. If
you leave a cartridge unpacked for a long time before using it, normal printing may not be possible.
Do not dismantle the ink cartridges. This could damage the print head.
Do not touch the green chip on the back of the cartridge. This may inhibit
normal operation and printing.
In these ink cartridges, the IC chip retains a variety of cartridge-related
information (such as the amount of ink remaining) so that a cartridge may be removed and reinserted freely. However, each time the cartridge is inserted, some ink is consumed because the printer automatically performs a reliability check.
7
If you remove an ink cartridge for later use, be sure to protect the ink supply area
from dirt and dust, and store it in the same environment as the printer. Note that there is a valve in the ink supply port, making covers or plugs unnecessary, but care is needed to prevent the ink from staining items that the cartridge touches. Do not touch the ink cartridge ink supply port or the surrounding area.
Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the cartridge carton;
otherwise it may result in reduced print quality. For best results, use up the ink cartridges within six months of first installing them.
Store ink cartridges in a cool, dark place.
After bringing an ink cartridge inside from a cold storage site, allow it to warm up
at room temperature for at least three hours before using it.
Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the cartridge during printing.
Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may damage the printer.
Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is capped in the far right
position and the ink cartridges are in place.
8

Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual

Your printer software CD-ROM includes an electronic Reference Guide for your printer. The manual is in HTML format, so you need a browser—such as Internet Explorer 3.0 or later, or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later—to view it. If you are using a different browser, the pages may not display correctly. (A browser is not included on the printer software CD-ROM.)

Accessing Your Electronic Printer Manual

You can view your electronic Reference Guide from the CD-ROM or copy it to your hard drive and view it from there. Follow these steps:
1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM.
2. Windows: Double-click My Computer, double-click your CD-ROM or
DVD drive icon, then double-click the EPSON icon.
Macintosh: Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM icon, then double-click the
EPSON icon.
The Main Menu appears:
9
3. Click View Electronic
Documentation
. The online
documentation menu appears:
4. You can either view the manual
from the CD-ROM (View
Reference Guide
) or copy the manual to your hard drive (Install Reference Guide) and view it from there. For details on viewing the manual, see the next section.
If you copied the manual to your hard drive, you can access it at any time, as follows:
Windows: Select Start, Programs, EPSON, and double-click ESP875DC Guide.
Macintosh: Open the EPSON Stylus Photo 875DC folder and double-click View
Reference Guide
.
10

Navigating Your Electronic Printer Manual

When you first open the Reference Guide, you see this screen:
Click here to expand the table of contents
Click a topic on the left to expand the table of contents.
After expanding the table of contents, you can click on the topic you want to view.
If there’s a right arrow , click it to view subtopics, then click on a topic to go to it.
Click the down arrow to close a subtopic list.
Closed list, click to expand
Click to go to topic
11
12

Printing from Start to Finish

Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a photograph, newsletter, or memo—from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling the print job. Follow the instructions in these sections:
“Printing with Windows” on page 14
“Printing on a Macintosh” on page 19
If you’re already familiar with EPSON ink jet printing, you can skip ahead to these sections:
“Using PhotoEnhance,™ Custom, and Advanced Settings”
on page 23
“Using Advanced Color Management” on page 25
“Using Special Papers” on page 26
“Selecting Your Paper Type” on page 34
“Taking Care of Your Photographs” on page 35
If you want information about using your memory card with the printer, go to “Working with Your Memory Card” on page 37.
13

Printing with Windows

This section describes the basic steps for printing with Windows. (To print on a Macintosh, see page 19.)

Loading Paper

Load paper only up to this arrow
Slide paper against the right edge guide
Make sure your printer and computer are turned on.
Place your paper against the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide against the paper.
Keep the following in mind when loading paper:
Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other side.
Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first.
Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.
If you’re printing on roll paper, envelopes, or other special paper sizes or types, see page 26 for loading instructions.
14

Opening the Printer Software

After you open your application program and create your document, you’re ready to select your printer software settings.
From the File menu, click Print. You see your application’s Print window:
Click here to open your printer software
Make the following selections on the Print window (your window may look slightly different):
Make sure your EPSON Stylus Photo 875DC printer model is selected.
Click the Properties button. (If you see a Setup, Printer, or Options button, click
it. Then click Properties on the next screen.)
If you click the print icon on your application’s toolbar instead of selecting Print from the File menu, you may not get the option to change the printer software settings before printing.
15

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Once you click Properties, you see your printer software Properties window.
The most important thing to remember is to select the type of paper you’re using. If necessary, click the Main tab to display the settings shown below:
Select the type of paper you loaded
Select the ink color
Select Automatic mode
Select higher-quality or faster printing
Click OK
16
Make the following settings on the Properties window:
Choose the paper you’re printing on (click the arrow
to scroll through the Media Type list). If you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 34.
Set the Ink option to
Color
to print a color
document. To print a black text document, click
Black
.
Set the Mode option to
Automatic
. It’s the easiest
way to get good printing results on all types of paper.
Set the slider in the Mode box to
Quality
or
Speed
to select high resolution or
faster printing. (The slider may not be available for your paper type.)
Click OK to return to your application’s Print dialog box.
For more information about printer settings, click the Help button. Or you can right-click any item on the screen and then click What’s This?.
Selecting Windows Default Settings
The printer settings you make apply only to the application you’re currently using. If you usually print one type of document in different applications—for example, black ink on legal size paper—you can change the default printer settings for all your programs. You do this using the Windows Printers utility:
1. Click
Start
then select
, point to
Printers
2. Right-click the
875DC
3. Select
4. Click the
printer icon.
Properties
Main
Settings
, and
.
EPSON Stylus Photo
.
tab.
Right-click your printer icon . . .
5. Select the default settings you want to use for all your applications. Click OK when you’re finished.
then click Properties
Remember, you can always change the default settings in your application when you want to print different types of documents.
Another way to select a group of settings quickly is to save them as a group; see your electronic Reference Guide (described on page 9) for details.
17

Controlling Printing

At the Print dialog box, click OK (or maybe Print) to start printing.
Click OK to start printing
After a moment, the Progress Meter appears and shows the progress of your print job. You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart printing. You can also see how much ink you have left and view printing tips.
18
Click to cancel printing
Click to pause or resume
Does not appear if you are printing over a network
printing
The color of ink with the least amount left determines the level for all the colors shown
For more advanced printer settings, see pages 23 through 24. For more information on printing—for example, previewing your printout, changing the paper size, or adding a watermark—see your electronic Reference Guide (described on page 9).

Printing on a Macintosh

This section describes the basic steps for printing on a Macintosh. (To print with Windows, see page 14.)

Loading Paper

Make sure your printer and
Load paper only up to this arrow
Slide paper against the right edge guide
computer are turned on.
Place your paper against the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide against the paper.
Keep the following in mind when loading paper:
Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other side.
Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first.
Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.
If you’re printing on roll paper, envelopes, or other special paper sizes or types, see page 26 for loading instructions.
19

Opening the Printer Software

After you open your application program and create your document, you’re ready to select your page setup and other printer software settings.
From the File menu, click Page Setup. You see your application’s page setup window:
Verify your printer model here Select your Paper Size,
Paper Source, Orientation, and Printable Area settings
Click OK
Make the following selections on the page setup window (your window may look slightly different):
20
Make sure your EPSON Stylus Photo 875DC printer (SP 875DC) is selected. (If
the printer model is incorrect, you need to select your printer in the Chooser; see the Start Here poster for instructions.)
Select the correct
Paper Size, Paper Source, Orientation
Printable Area
, and
settings for your document. See your electronic Reference Guide for details.
Click
OK
to close the page setup window and return to your application window.

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Now open the File menu and click Print. You see the main printer settings window for your application (your window may look slightly different):
Select the type of paper you loaded
Select the Ink color
Select Automatic mode
Select higher-quality or faster printing
The most important thing to remember is to select the type of paper you’re using.
Make the following settings:
Choose the paper you’re printing on (click the
arrow to scroll through the Media Type list). If you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 34.
Set the Ink option to Color to print a color
document. To print a black text document,
Black
click
Set the Mode option to
.
Automatic
. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results
on all types of paper.
Set the slider in the Mode box to
Quality
or
Speed
to select a high resolution or
faster printing. (The slider may not be available for your paper type.)
Click
Print
to print your document.
21

Controlling Printing

Once you’ve clicked Print, your document begins printing.
If you turned on background printing in the Chooser, you can select EPSON
Monitor3
progress of your print job. You see the EPSON Monitor3 dialog box:
from the Application menu at the right side of the menu bar to check the
Click to restart your print job
Click to cancel printingClick to pause printing
Click on the current print job or a waiting print job . . .
Then click here to view details and control print job priorities
22
If you’re not using background printing, but you need to cancel the current print job, hold down the J key and press the .(period) key.
For more advanced printer settings, see pages 23 through 24. For more information on printing—for example, previewing your printout, changing the paper size, or adding a watermark—see your electronic Reference Guide (described on page 9).
Using PhotoEnhance,™ Custom, and Advanced Settings
When you’re printing special projects, you can customize your printer software settings, as described in these sections:
“Using PhotoEnhance” below
“Using Custom Settings” on the next page
“Using Advanced Settings” on the next page
For additional information on these settings, see the electronic Reference Guide, as described on page 9.

Using PhotoEnhance

The printer software includes PhotoEnhance options that increase image brightness and contrast to improve the appearance of photos that are under- or over-exposed. You can also add special effects, such as Soft Focus.
If you’re printing high-resolution images, you may want to use the Automatic setting instead; see page 16 (Windows) or page 21 (Macintosh).
PhotoEnhance does not affect your original image; it only affects your printout. Printing with PhotoEnhance may take longer on some systems and images.
To use PhotoEnhance, you must select with
Black
ink selected.
If your photograph was taken with a digital camera, you can select
Correction
to give your printed images the appearance of photographs taken with a
ink; you cannot turn on PhotoEnhance
Color
Digital Camera
film camera. For more fine-tuning, you can select from a list of specialized settings for photographs, such as
Don’t select Roll Paper or Roll Paper (Zero Margins) as your Paper Source setting; you can’t use these options with the PhotoEnhance setting.
People
or
Nature
, or special filters, such as
Soft Focus
or
Sepia
.
23

Using Custom Settings

Your printer software includes custom project types with preset printing options. This lets you quickly select the best settings for your particular type of document, or select a color-matching method for your project. You can select from these project types:
Text/Graph: For printing graphics-intensive documents like presentations with
charts and graphs.
Economy: For printing rough drafts of text on plain paper. Saves ink.
ICM (Image Color Matching): For printing documents created in an ICM
compatible application.
sRGB (standard Red Green Blue): For printing documents created in an sRGB
compatible application using sRGB colors, such as those designed for the World Wide Web. See your Windows online help for details.
ColorSync (Macintosh only): For printing documents in conjunction with
ColorSync® compatible devices and applications.

Using Advanced Settings

For maximum control over your project, you can customize your print settings—such as Print Quality, Halftoning, and Gamma—and use special effects.
24
To access these settings in your printer software, click Custom and then click the
Advanced button.
After you customize your print settings, you can save them as a group so you can reuse them whenever you print a similar project.
The default Gamma setting of 1.8 provides the optimum contrast quality for your photos. However, you can change it to either 1.5 (for decreased contrast) or 2.2 (for increased contrast; recommended for matching colors with sRGB devices).
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