Epson ActionLaser 1600 Reference Guide

®

EPSON

ActionLaser™ 1600

Reference Guide

Allrights

q&em,

or otherwise, without the prior written permission
liability is

y~bility

Neither Seiko Epson Corporation nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this
product or third parties

thirdpartiesasaresultdaccident,

modScations,

Seiko Epson Corporation and its affiliates shall not be liable against any damages or
problems arising from the use of any options or any

designated as Original Epson Products or Epson Approved Products by

Corporation.

ActionLaser, Epson Talk, and SelecType are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.

Epson Connection is a service mark of Epson America,
Epson and Epson

reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording,

assumd

with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Neither is

assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained

for

damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by pm-chaser or

misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized

repairs, or alterations to this product.

ESC/P

2 are registered

tradema&

of Seiko Epson Corporation. No patent

consumable products other than those

!Xko

Epson

Inc.

of Seiko Epson Corporation.

Hewlett-Packard, HP, LaserJet, HP-GL, and

Hewlett-Packard Company.

General Notice: Other product names used harein are for identification purposes only and
may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Copyright 0 1993 by Epson America, Inc., Torrance, California.

HPGL/Z

are registered trademarks of

ii

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

FOR AMERICAN 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

reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.

provide
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interfemnce
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:

0

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

0

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver

0

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected

0

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

Bmits

are designed to

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will
invalidate the KC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which
exceed the Emits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of
the

user to obtain and use

rAp;zore

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Epson America, Inc., could void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to

a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this

FOR CANADIAN USERS

‘MS

digital

digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian
Department of communications.

Le present appareil num&ique n’kmet pas de bruits
limites applicables
sur le brouillage radio6lecuique
Canada.

apparatus does not exceed the class B limits for radio noise emissions from

radio&ctriques d&passant

aux

appareils numkriques de Classe B prescritcs dans le r&glement

&ii& par le

Ministere des Communications

les

du

Contents

Where to Get Help

CompuServe On-line Support

safety Information

Laser safety
CDRH regulations
Internal laser radiation

Ozone emission
Laser Printer Precautions
Important Safety Instructions
About this Guide

Chapter 1 using Your printer

About Your Printer

Features
Controlling the Printer
Control Panel

SelecType mode..

Control panel components

Changing the language of display messages

Controlling the Printer with Software
Sharing the Printer

Sharing printer settings

Sharing emulations

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1
2

3
3
3
4
4

5
7

9

1-2
1-2
1-5
1-5
1-6

1-10
1-11
1-11
1-12
1-13

Chapter 2 Paper Handling

Standard and Optional Paper Trays

Choosing Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

iii

Loading Paper

Setting the paper tray’s paper size

selecting the Paper Source

Using Windows software
Using DOS software

Printing on Special Paper

Choosing special paper

using manual feed

Chapter 3 Fonts

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2-3
2-4
2-5
2-5
2-6
2-6
2-7

2-8

What You Need to Know about Fonts
Font Overview
Choosing a Font
Printer and Screen Fonts

When the printer and screen fonts don’t match

Bitmap and outline fonts

TrueType fonts
Available Fonts
Adding More Fonts

Installing a font cartridge

Removing the font cartridge

Downloading soft fonts
selecting Fonts
Font Samples

Chapter 4 SelecType

SelecType Overview

When to use SeIecType

SelecType menus and items

Using SeIecType

Changing and saving SelecType settings
Resetting SelecType settings to the factory defaults
SelecType tutorial

PRINTING MENU

LJ4 Emulation Menu
ESC/P2 MENU

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3-2
3-2

3-4
3-4

3-6
3-6

3-7
3-7

3-9
3-9

3-11
3-11
3-12
3-13

4-2
4-2
4-3

4-4

4-5
4-5
4-6
4-7
4-10
4-12

FX MENU
GL2 MENU
JOB MENU

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EMULATION MENU
TRAY SIZE MENU
CONFIG MENU

PARALLEL MENU
SERIAL MENU
TEST MENU

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4-12
4-12
4-13
4-14
4-15
4-16
4-21

4-21
4-24

Chapter 5

When to Use Other Emulations

Other Available Emulations

Changing the Emulation

Epson ESC/P2 and FX Emulations

Operating as an LQ or Fx printer

EscP2 and FX Menu items

Epson GL/2 Emulation

The two Epson GL/2 emulations
Operating in GL/2 emulation
GL2 MENU items

using Other Printer Emulation

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Chapter 6 Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Resetting and Initializing the Printer

Resetting the printer
Initializing the printer

General Problems

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Print Quality Problems
Option Problems

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Status and Error Messages
Data Dump Mode

..........................

optimizing Print Quality

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.....................

.......................

Adjusting the RITech setting

Adjusting print density

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5-2
5-2
5-3
5-4
5-4
5-5

5-10
5-10
5-12
5-12

6-2
6-2
6-3
6-3
6-7

6-12
6-14
6-20
6-21
6-21
6-23

V

Cleaning the Printer

Cleaning the inside of the printer
Removing spilled toner
Cleaning the printer case

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6-24
6-25

6-26
6-26

Appendix A

Paper

Printer

Interface

Options and Consumables

Appendix B Command Summary

Supported Emulations and Control Languages
LJ4 Emulation

Epson ESC/P 2 and FX Emulations

Epson GL/2 Emulation
PJL Mode
EJL Mode

..................................

Paper specifications
Paperfeed

General..

Environmental.
Mechanical
Electrical

Parallel interface
Serial interface

Lower paper cassette (C812301)
Imaging cartridge (S051016)

LJ4 emulation commands
GL/2 emulation context commands

Epson ESC/P 2 emulation
Epson FX emulation

Technical

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$N?CifkUfiOt?S

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.

....

A-2
A-2

. . A-3

A-4
A-4
A-4
A-5
A-5
A6
A-6

A-8
A-11
A-11
A-12

B-2
B-2

B-2
B-14
B-17
B-17
B-21
B-26

. . B-26

. B-27

Appendix C Option Installation

vii

Installing the Options
Lower Paper Cassette

Installing the lower paper cassette

........................

........................

..............

Loading paper into the lower paper cassette
Face-Up Output Tray
Optional Interface Card

Installing an interface board

Memory Module

Removing the controller board.
Installing the memory module
Reinserting the controller board

Checking the memory

Font Cartridges

Index

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........

C-2
C-2
C-2
C-4
C-6

C-7
C-7
C-10
C-11
C-13
C-15
C-17
C-18

Getting Started

Getting Started 1

The Epson® ActionLaser™ 1600 printer combines high
performance and reliability with a wide range of features.

To get started with your ActionLaser printer, please:

Lt

Read the safety information, laser printer precautions, and
important safety instructions in this introduction.

0

Use your
printer.

0

Refer to this Reference Guide for detailed information about
your printer.

If you require additional assistance, see “Where to Get Help”
below.

where to Get Help

Epson America provides local customer support and service
through a nationwide network of authorized Epson dealers
and Service Centers.

Read This First

guide to set up and test your new

If you need to call for technical assistance, please print a status

sheet and have it handy. See Chapter 4 for information on

printing a status sheet.

Epson also provides the following support services through

Epson Connectionsm at [phone]:

Cl

Assistance in locating your nearest Authorized Epson
Reseller or Service Center

P

Technical assistance with the installation, configuration,

and operation of Epson products

0

2 Getting Started

Epson technical information library fax service

Product literature with technical specifications on Epson’s

0

current and new products

0

Sales of supplies, parts, documentation, and accessories for

your Epson product

0

Customer Relations

CompuServe® On-line Support

The fastest way to access helpful tips, specifications, drivers,

application notes, and bulletins is through the Epson America
Forum on CompuServe.

If you are not currently a member of CompuServe, you are
eligible for a free introductory membership as an owner of an
Epson product. This membership entitles you to:

P

An introductory $15 credit on CompuServe

Q

Your own user ID and password

D

A complimentary subscription to CompuServe
CompuServe’s monthly publication

To take advantage of this offer, call [phone] in the United
States and Canada and ask for representative #529. In other
counties, call [phone] or your local CompuServe access

number.

If you are already a CompuServe member, simply type
GO EPSON at the menu prompt to reach the Epson America
Forum.

Magazine,

_

Safety

Getting Started 3

Information

laser safety

This printer is certified as a Class 1 laser product under the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Radiation
Performance Standard according to the Radiation Control for
Health and Safety Act of 1968. This means that the printer does
not produce hazardous laser radiation.

Since radiation emitted by the laser is completely confined
within protective housings and external covers, the laser beam
cannot escape from the machine during any phase of user
operation.

CDRH

regulations

The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration implemented regulations

for laser products on August 2, 1976. Compliance is mandatory

for products marketed in the United States. The label shown

below indicates compliance with the CDRH regulations and
must be attached to laser products marketed in the United

States.

Warning

4

Getting started

Use of controls, adjustments, or performance of procedures
other than those specified in this guide may result in
hazardous radiation exposure.

Your printer is a Class 1 laser product as defined in IEC 825

specifications. The label shown below is attached in countries
where required.

Max. Radiation Power

Wave Length

This is a Class IIIb Laser Diode Assembly that has an invisible
laser beam. The printer head unit is NOT A FIELD SERVICE
ITEM. Therefore, the printer head unit should not be opened
under any circumstance.

Ozone emission

During printer operation, a small amount of ozone is released.
This amount is not large enough to affect human beings
adversely.

However, it is best to make sure the room where you are using
the printer has adequate circulation, especially when you are
printing a high volume of materials or using the printer
continuously over a long period of time.

5.7 x 10-4 w

780nm

Laser printer Precautions

Gettiw

Stmted

5

This printer uses laser technology. The following list of
precautions applies whenever you open the printer cover.
Even if you are familiar with other types of printers, be sure
to follow these precautions carefully to ensure safe, efficient
operation.

Be careful not to touch the fuser, which is marked by a

0

CAUTION HOT SURFACE label. If the printer has been in
use, the fuser can be very hot.

Cl

Avoid touching the components inside the printer unless

instructed to do so in this guide.

0

Do not scratch the surface of the drum. Avoid touching the
drum, since oils from your skin can permanently damage
its surface and may affect print quality.

0

Avoid pressing on the top of the imaging cartridge.
Pressing directly on the cartridge may cause toner to spill
into the printer. If there is a spill, see Chapter 6 for cleaning
instructions.

0

Never force the printer’s components into place. Although
the printer is designed to be sturdy, rough handling can
damage it.

The imaging cartridge is the part of the printer mechanism that
forms the image and transfers it onto the paper. Keep the
following guidelines in mind whenever you handle the
imaging cartridge:

0

When removing the imaging cartridge, avoid exposing it to
room light any longer than necessary. If you need to keep
the cartridge out of the printer for long periods, cover it
with a cloth. The imaging cartridge contains a
light-sensitive drum, which is the green cylinder that can
be seen through the openings of the cartridge. Exposure to
light can damage the drum, causing dark or light areas to
appear on the printed page and reducing the service life of
the drum.

Do not turn the cartridge upside down or stand it on its

0

sides.

0

Do not attempt to modify or take apart the cartridge. It
Cannot be refilled.

0

Try not to touch the toner and avoid all contact with your
eyes.

0

Do not use a cartridge for at least one hour after moving it

from a cool to a warm environment.

To get the best print quality from your imaging cartridge, do
not store the cartridge in locations that are subject to direct
sunlight, dust, salty air, or corrosive gasses (such as ammonia).
Also avoid locations subject to high temperatures or humidity
or abrupt changes in temperature or humidity.

6

CMtino

Started

Important Safety Instructions

1.

Read all of these instructions.

2.

Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.

Unplug this printer from the wall outlet before cleaning. Use

3.
a damp cloth for cleaning and do not use liquid or aerosol
cleaners.

Do not use this printer near water.

4.

Do not place the printer on an unstable cart, stand, or table.

5.

Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are

6.
provided for ventilation. Do not block or cover them. Do
not put the printer on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar

surface or in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation

is provided.

7.

Use the type of power source indicated on the marking label.
If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult
your dealer or local power company.

8.

This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug.
This plug will only fit into a grounding-type outlet. This is
a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the
outlet, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete
outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the grounding-type

plug.

9.

Do not put your printer where the cord will be walked on.

10. If you use an extension cord, make sure that the total of the
ampere ratings on the products plugged into the extension

cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating.
Also, make sure that the total of all products plugged into
the wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.

Getting Started 7

11. Never push objects of any kind through cabinet slots as they

Started

may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that
could result in a risk of fire or electric shock. Never spill
liquid of any kind on the printer.

12.

Except as specifically explained in this Reference Guide, do

not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or
removing those covers that are marked “Do Not Remove”
may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks.
Refer all servicing in those compartments to service
personnel.

13. Unplug this printer from the wall outlet and refer servicing
to qualified service personnel under the following
conditions:

A.

When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed.

B.

If liquid has been spilled into it.

C.

If it has been exposed to rain or water.

D.

If it does not operate normally when the operating
instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls
that are covered by the operating instructions since
improper adjustment of other controls may result in
damage and will often require extensive work by a
qualified technician to restore the product to normal

operation.

8

Gettina

E.

If it has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged.

F.

If it exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating
a need for service.

About this Guide

Gettim

Started 9

This guide contains information for using, operating, and
maintaining the printer once it has been installed. For
information about installing and setting up the printer, see the

Read This First guide.

Chapter 1, “Using Your Printer,” describes the printer’s

features and the printer’s control panel, which allows you to

access the printer settings. This chapter also contains a section

that describes sharing the printer among multiple users.

Chapter 2, “Paper Handling,” contains information on loading

paper and setting up the printer for the type and size of paper

that is loaded.

Chapter 3, “Fonts,” provides basic information about fonts and

tells you how to select and add fonts.

Chapter 4, “SelecType,” describes the printer settings that can

be modified by using SelecType”’ in the control panel. Read this

chapter if you are not able to modify a printer setting from

your software.

Chapter 5, “Using Other Printer Emulations,” describes the

ESC/P2,™ FX, and GL/2 emulations. Read this chapter if you
need to print documents formatted for dot matrix printers or if

you are using a Hewlett-Packard® plotter application.

Chapter 6, “Troubleshooting and Maintenance,” gives helpful

information for what to do if you encounter a printer error.

Appendix A, “Technical Specifications,” contains the technical

specifications about the printer and the optional products that

can be used with the printer.

Appendix B, “Command Summary,” lists the commands that
can be embedded in print jobs to control the printer. This
appendix is intended for advanced users only.

Appendix C, “Option Installation,” gives step-by-step
installation instructions for the optional products that can be

used with the printer.

Chapter 1

Using Your Printer

About Your Printer

Features.
Controlling the Printer
Control Panel

SelecType mode

Control panel components

Changing the language of display messages
Controlling the Printer with Software
Sharing the Printer

Sharing printer settings

Sharing emulations

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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1-2
1-2

1-5
1-3

1-4
1-4
1-10

1-11
1-11

1-12
1-13

Using Your Printer 1-1

About Your Printer

1-2

Using Your Printer

The ActionLaser 1600 is the latest in Epson’s advanced line of
laser printers, giving you high-quality printing that is both fast
and quiet.

The imaging system is driven by a powerful RISC processor
that speeds up processing and gives you the ability to mix text
and graphics, create predefined forms, and print with a range
of fonts normally associated with typeset material.

The printer comes with a full set of features that contribute to
consistently highquality output. This section lists the main

features.

Energy Star Compliant

Your Epson ActionLaser 1600 printer complies with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program,
which promotes the manufacture of energy-efficient printers,
computers, and monitors. The ActionLaser 1600 conserves
electricity by automatically entering a low-power, standby
mode when not in use for fifteen minutes.

The EPA estimates that if all desktop computers, printers, and
other peripheral devices met Energy Star standards, energy
cost savings would exceed $1 billion annually and carbon
dioxide emissions would be reduced by 20 million tons.

All of Epson’s dot matrix and ink jet printers conform to
Energy Star standards, as do all ActionLaser printers produced
after June, 1993.

The Energy Star emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any

product or service.

High, 600-dpi resolution

The printer can run in one of two resolutions: 300 dpi or
600 dpi. both resolutions produce good-looking, crisp text and
graphics. At 600 dpi, the resolution is exceptionally sharp
because the dots that make up the text and graphics are smaller
and more numerous than those used in 300-dpi resolution.

Generally all text and graphics look better when printed at
600 dpi. This is especially true for grayscale images since
600-dpi resolution allows a finer halftone screen to be applied,
increasing the sharpness and clarity of the image. The higher

resolution of 600 dpi also means that more gray shades can be
represented, reducing the banding that is sometimes apparent
at lower resolutions.

HP® LaserJet®4 emulation and other emulation

The printer emulates the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4 (LJ4)

printer. This allows for easy access to the great variety of

software written for HP LaserJet printers.

Three other emulations are built in the printer: Epson ESC/P2,

Epson FX, and Epson GL/2. These emulations provide

compatibility with documents written for dot matrix printers

or for HPGL/2® plotters. For more information about these

emulations, see Chapter 5, “Using Other Printer Emulations.”

Wide selection of built-in fonts

The printer comes with a selection of 45 scalable fonts,

including 10 TrueType fonts, to provide you with the fonts

you need to create professional-looking documents and

publications.

Using Your Printer

1-3

Bi-Resolution Improvement Technology (Bi-RITech)

The RITech feature is an Epson printer technology that
produces smoother, crisper lines, text, and graphics. RITech is
available for both the 300- and 600-dpi resolutions. For more
information about RITech, see Chapter 6.

Two built-in interfaces and optional interfaces

The printer comes equipped with two built-in interfaces: a
Centronics® parallel interface and a serial interface that can be
set to RS-232C or RS-422.

A variety of optional interfaces can also be installed. See
Appendix C, “Option Installation.”

Optional accessories

In addition to the optional interfaces, you can add a wide range
of additional accessories to further customize your printer:

cl

Faceup tray for straight-through feeding of envelopes,
transparencies, and heavy paper stock.

P

Additional 250-page paper tray to increase the paper
capacity to 400 pages.

1-4

m

Additional memory modules to allow you to print more
complex text and graphics.

P

Font cartridges for increasing the selection of fonts. Most
HP-compatible cartridges work with your printer. For a list,

see “Font Cartridges,” in Appendix C.

Using Your Printer

Controlling the Printer

In general, there are three ways to control the settings of your

printer:

D

The Printer Setup menu in your software

Cl

The Printers icon in the Microsoft
Panel

P

The printer’s front control panel buttons

Which way you use depends on the type of printer settings you

want to change. The most commonly adjusted parameters,
such as the number of copies, resolution, and orientation, can

be

changed from your software or from the
Windows Control Panel. For more information about changing
printer settings from software, see the section “Controlling the
Printer with Software” later in this chapter.

Some settings cannot be changed from software and some

software might not allow you to control printer settings. In
these cases, you can use the printer’s control panel to adjust the
printer settings.

®

Windows™ Control

Printers

icon in the

Control Panel

The printer’s control panel is used most often for the following:

0

Viewing printer status and error messages

0

Taking the printer on and off line

Q

Resetting the printer to factory settings or initializing the
printer to clear print data

0

Changing the printer settings that cannot be changed
through software

Using Your Printer

1-5

SelecType mode

One of the functions of the control panel is to enable you to use
SelecType mode. In this mode you can access menus that allow
you to change printer settings such as the resolution, the
number of copies, and the printer’s communication and
protocol settings. For a full list of the printer settings available
through SelecType and for information about changing settings
using SelecType, see Chapter 4.

Note:

You will not normally need to use SelecType. Most software
programs allow you to change printer settings.

Control panel components

The main components of the control panel are the liquid crystal
display (LCD), indicator lights, and buttons.

1-6

UsinP

Your Printer

The display shows the printer’s current status, an error
message, or the current SelecType menu or item.

Indicator lights

On Line

On when the printer is on line, indicating

that the printer can receive and print data.
The light flashes as the printer switches
between on-line and off-line status.

Continue

Flashes when an error is detected or a
maintenance procedure is needed. The error

or maintenance message appears on the
display at the same time. To correct the
problem described on the display, see
Chapter 6, “Troubleshooting and

Maintenance.”

Form Feed

On when data is received and stored in the

printer’s buffer but not yet printed. Rapid

flashing indicates the printer is receiving

data from the computer.

Buttons

The buttons on the control panel allow you to access printer
functions. Most buttons have two functions, one listed on top
of the button and the other below the button. The top function
is accessible by simply pressing the button. The bottom
function is accessible by pressing the button while you are
holding down the

Alt

button.

Using

Your Printer

1-7

The buttons on the control panel function as follows:

1-8

Usina

Your Printer

On Line/
Manual

Menu/

Tray Select

Switches the printer between on-line and
off-line status. This switch is disabled when
the printer is in SelecType mode.

Pressing this button while holding down the

Alt

button turns on manual feed so you can
feed single sheets of special stock such as
envelopes, transparencies, and labels. See
Chapter 2, “Paper Handling,” for more
information about manual feed.

When manual feed is on, pressing this button
prints the next sheet.

The first time you press

Menu,

the printer
goes off line, and SelecType mode is turned
on. Each time you press

Menu,

you advance
to the next SelecType menu.

When the printer is on line, pressing this
button while holding down the

Alt

button
allows you to quickly change the selected
tray. For more information, see “Using the
control panel buttons” in Chapter 2.

Item/
Paper Size

In SelecType mode, advances through the list
of items available for the currently selected
menu. An asterisk indicates the current
setting.

When the printer is on line, pressing this
button while holding down the

Alt

button
allows you to quickly change the selected
paper size. For more information, see “Using
the control panel buttons” in Chapter 2.

+

(arrow>

Alt

Enter/
Form Feed

Continue/
Reset

Advances through the settings that are
available for the current SelecType item.

Modifies the function of other buttons.

In SelecType mode, accepts the setting
currently shown on the display as the new
value.

When the printer is on line and data is
remaining, pressing this button while

holding down the

Alt

button prints out the

data and clears the buffer.

Enables the printer to resume printing after
certain error or maintenance-required
conditions.

Pressing this button while holding down the

Alt

button resets the printer with new

SelecType settings.

Using

Your

Printer

1-9

Other common uses for these buttons are as follows:

1-10

Using

Your Printer

Q

On Line

P

Reset

P

Form Feed

Press to set the printer on line after you
reload paper. (The printer is off line when

the paper is out.)

Press to stop printing or to clear remaining
data.

Press to print out data in the printer’s

memory. (This button ejects the page even

though the printer has not received a form
feed command.)

Changing the language of display messages

By default, the display messages are in English as are the status
sheet and font sample printouts; however, you can change the
language to any one of the following: French, German, Italian,
Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Finnish, or
Portuguese.

To change the language of display messages:

1.

Turn off the printer.

2.

3. Press the arrow button to select the language you want to use.

4.

5. Hold down the

While

holding down the

Do

not release the

CONFIG LANGUAGE.

Once the language you want to use is displayed, press the

Enter

button to save the new setting.

Alt

printer for the new language.

Menu

button, turn on the printer.

Menu

button until the display shows

button and press

Reset

to update the

Controlling the Printer with Software

Most software programs have a Printer Setup menu that allows
you to adjust certain printer settings such as the number of
copies, orientation, and resolution. The settings you can change
depend on your particular software and the driver you are

using. See your software manual for specific information about
the Printer Setup menu.

If you are using Windows, you can control printer settings
through the
Double-clicking on the
allows you to do the following:

D

Install a new printer driver.

0

Change the type of printer interface port.

0

Modify certain printer settings.

See your Windows manual for specificinformation about
printer setup options.

Printers

icon in the Windows Control Panel.

Printers

icon brings up a dialog box that

Sharing the printer

Up to four computers can be connected directly to the printer if
you install optional interfaces and if each computer is
connected to a different interface port. If you need to connect
more than four computers or if you need to connect multiple
computers to the same port, you can indirectly connect the
computers to the printer by using a switch box.

usin~YourPriilter

1-11

When multiple users are

connected

to the printer, you need to
be aware of the potential configuration and emulation conflicts
that can occur when different users have different print
requirements. The following potential conflicts can occur:

0

Users might be using different SelecType settings.

0

Users might be using different drivers and thus require
different emulations.

The conflicts occur because SelecType settings are shared by all
users of the printer, and the emulation is shared by all users of
the same interface port. Each time the SelecType settings or the
emulation is changed, other users are affected.

Sharing printer settings

If you modify printer settings from your software, the changes
affect only your print job. Except for resolution and page
protect, changes made from your software application will not
affect other users.

However, the SelecType printer settings are shared among all

users of the printer. The only SelecType settings that are not
shared among all ports are the EMULATION, PARALLEL, and
SERIAL menu settings.

If you change settings using SelecType, you also change

settings for all other users, so it’s important to keep other users
informed of the changes you make. Also, if your printout is not
what you expect, check first whether any SelecType settings

have been changed by another user.

1-12

13sino

Your

Fvintl?r

Sharing emulations

Each interface port has an emulation assignment that is made
through SelecType. By default, the ports are configured for LJ4
emulation. However, you or other users might need to change
the emulation depending on your needs or the driver you are
using. See Chapter 5, “Using Other Printer Emulations,” for
more information about emulations.

Each time the emulation is changed, the printer reconfigures its
memory, erasing all printer settings stored in memory,
including downloaded fonts. Thus it is important to first warn
other users whenever you plan on changing the emulation.

Note:

when one user changes an emulation while the printer is in the

process of printing a job that has already been received, the printer

will not change the emulation until after the current job has finished
printing.

Usiq

Your Printer

1-13

Chapter 2

Paper Handling

Standard and Optional Paper Trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Choosing Paper
Loading Paper

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

............................

Setting the paper tray’s paper size

Selecting the Paper Source

Using Windows software.
Using DOS software.

Printing on Special Paper

Choosing special paper
Using manual feed

.....................

...................

......................

......................

.....................

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

..............

2-2

2-3
2-4

2-5
2-5
2-6

2-6
2-7
2-8

Paper Handling

2-1

Standard and Optional/Paper Trays

2-2 Paver Handling

The printer’s standard paper tray holds up to 150 sheets of
various standard-size papers, including letter, legal, A4, and
executive. For other sizes and exact specifications, see
Appendix A.

In addition, you can print on special stock such as heavy paper,
envelopes, labels, or transparencies. To do so, you need to
manually feed single sheets one at a time. See the section
“Printing on Special Paper” later in this chapter.

Two optional paper trays are available. An optional lower
paper cassette holds up to 250 letter-size sheets, increasing the
printer’s paper capacity so that up to 400 sheets can be printed
without having to reload. An optional faceup output tray can
be installed to receive pages that have been printed face up. For
more information about the optional paper cassette and faceup

output tray, see Appendix C.

Choosing Paper

For best results, use paper made especially for laser printers or
plain-paper copiers. Paper should be of good quality and
relatively smooth with a weight between 60 and 90 g/m

(16 and 24 lb). Because the printer is sensitive to moisture,

always store paper in a dry place.

2

You may use colored paper but not paper to which a clear or

colored coating has been added. When using preprinted paper
stock such as letterheads, use papers and inks designed for
laser printers. Ordinary inks or dyes may smear or come off
when subjected to the high temperature of the fuser. Always
test samples of paper stock before purchasing large amounts.

Note:

The quality of any particular brand or type of paper may be changed
by the manufacturer at any time, so Epson cannot guarantee any

particular one.

To print on heavy paper (greater than 90
print envelopes, labels, and transparencies, see “Printing on
Special Paper” later in this chapter.

g/m*

or 24 lb) or to

loading Paper

When the printer is out of paper, it goes off line so you can
reload paper in the tray.

To load a stack of paper in the printer’s paper tray, fan the
paper, open the paper cover, adjust the paper guides for the
proper width, and insert the paper into the tray. Then close the
cover.

Once you have loaded paper, put the printer back on line by
pressing the

On Line

button.

Paper Handling 2-3

For information about loading heavy paper, envelopes, labels,
or transparencies, see ‘Printing on Special Paper” later in this
chapter. For information about loading paper in the optional
lower cassette, see Appendix C.

Setting the paper tray's paper size

By default, the printer is set up to expect letter-size paper to be
loaded in both the standard tray and optional lower paper
cassette. If you load paper of a different sire, you need to use
the control panel to update the printer for the paper size loaded
in the tray. This cannot be done from your software.

1.

Hold down the
button. This displays the standard tray’s current setting.

STD SIZE = LTR

To display the lower paper cassette’s paper size, press the

Item

button.

2.

Press the arrow button to change the paper size. Keep
pressing until the correct paper size is displayed.

Alt

button while you press the

Paper See

STD SIZE = LGL

3.

Press the
new paper size. An asterisk (*) at the right of the display
that indicates the setting shown is selected.

4.

Press the

If you see the message RESET TO SAVE, the new setting
cannot take place immediately. Press the
while you hold down the
printer with the new setting.

2-4 Paper Handling

Enter

On Line

button. This saves the displayed value as the

button to put the printer back on line.

Reset

button

Alt

button. This updates the

Selecting the Paper Source

If you have installed the optional lower paper cassette, the
printer has two sources from which to print. Most software
applications have a Printer Setup menu which specifies the
paper source. The setup menu usually has an Auto Select

option that selects the tray based on paper availability and the

size of paper loaded in the tray. If paper is available in both
trays and is the same size, the printer’s standard tray is used.
However, you can also explicitly specify the tray from which
you want to print.

If you are using Windows, you can select the paper source

using the

paper source setting applies to all your Windows software. The

procedure to do so is discussed in the next section.

If for some reason you cannot choose the paper source from

your software, you can use the SelecType setting STD TRAY or

OPT TRAY in the TRAY SIZE MENU. For more information,

refer to Chapter 4.

Printers

icon in the Windows Control Panel so the

Using Windows software

1.

In the
icon.

2. Double-click on the

3.

Choose the

4. In the dialog box that appears, select the appropriate paper

source.

If you are using the HP LaserJet 4 driver, the dialog box
gives you several paper source options. These options
translate to the following paper sources available on your
printer.

Main

window, double-click on the

Setup

Printers

button.

icon.

Control Panel

Paper Handling 2-5

Paper source on tinter

Auto select. The software decides
which tray to select based on paper
size and availability.

Lower paper cassette (option)

Paper Cassette

Manual Feed

Lower Cassette (option)

Envelope Feeder

5.

Choose the

6.

Close the

Printers dialog

OK

button.

Standard paper tray

Manual mode for standard paper tray.

Use manual feed for heavy paper.
envelopes, transparencies. and other
special papers.

Lower paper cassette (option)

Not available (page will be ejected).

Use manual feed for printing envelopes.

box.

Using DOS software

Since each MS-dos® program differs in its setup capabilities,
there is no standard way to select the paper source. See your

software documentation for information.

Printing on Special Paper

The printer’s manual feed feature allows you to print on special
paper stock such as heavy (over 90
envelopes, labels, and transparencies. When selecting special
types of paper or other stock, follow the recommendations
given in the next section.

2-6 Paper

Handling

g/m*

or 24 lb) paper,

When printing on special paper, you might prefer to print face
up. To do so, set the paper path selector on the top left comer
of the printer to the faceup position. If you print on special
paper regularly, you might want to install the optional faceup
output tray. See Appendix C, “Option Installation.”

Choosing special paper

below are some recommendations for selecting paper and
other print media for the printer.

Envelopes

Load envelopes with the flap-side down. The printing quality
on envelopes may be irregular because different parts of an
envelope have different thicknesses. Print one or two
envelopes to check the print quality. If the printing is too light,
adjust the print density as described in Chapter 6. Using the
optional face-up output tray will keep envelopes from curling.

Do not use window envelopes unless they are specially
designed for laser printers. The plastic on most window
envelopes can melt when it comes in contact with the hot fuser.

Use only labels designed for laser printers or plain-paper
copiers. When printing labels, print in the face-up position; this
keeps the labels from curling or coming off the backing sheet.

To prevent the adhesive from coming into contact with printer
parts, always use labels that completely cover the backing
sheet, with no gaps between the individual labels.

You should test the label sheet for leaking adhesive by pressing
a sheet of paper on top of a sheet of labels. If the paper sticks,
do not use the labels.

Paper Handling 2-7

Transparencies

You can use overhead projector transparencies and adhesive

drafting film if they are made for use with laser printers or

plain-paper copiers. When printing on these materials, print in

the faceup position.

Using manual feed

1.

Select the paper size and select manual feed as the paper

source.

If possible, use your software to select the paper source and
enter manual feed. Then skip to step 7.

If you are not able to select the paper source and manual
feed through your software, use the control panel buttons

as described in steps 2 through 6.

2.

Use the printer’s control panel to select the page size as
described in “Setting the paper tray’s paper size” earlier in
this chapter.

3.

To use the control panel buttons to select manual feed, first
hold down the
The display shows the following: MANUAL FEED=OFF.

Alt

button and press the

Manual

button.

4.

Press the arrow button once so the display now shows
MANUAL FEED = ON.

5.

Press

the

Enter

setting shown is selected.

6.

Press

the

On Line

Note:

If the

RESET TO SAVE

button while you hold down the Alt button.

2-8 Paper Handling

button. An asterisk (*) indicates that the

button to put the printer back on line.

message appears, press the

Reset

7.

Open the paper cover and remove the paper currently loaded.

8.

Adjust the paper guides to match the width of the paper you
are using and insert a single sheet of paper into the paper
tray as far as it will go.

If you are printing envelopes, you can load up to ten

envelopes into the standard tray; the exact number
depends on the thickness of the envelopes.

9.

When the printer receives one page of data, the message

MANUAL FEED appears on the display followed by the
selected paper size.

10.

Press

the

Manual

button to print the sheet.

The printer stops after printing the single sheet. If you want to
print additional pages, load another sheet and press the

Manual

button. Repeat the above procedure for each sheet you

need to load manually.

Once you are finished manually printing sheets, replace the
paper in the paper tray and close the cover. To take the printer
out of manual feed, either use your software or the control
panel, depending on how you initially selected manual feed.

Paper

Handling

2-9

Chapter 3

Fonts

What You Need to Know about Fonts

Font Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Choosing a Font

Printer and Screen Fonts

When the printer and screen fonts don’t match

Bitmap and outline fonts

TrueType fonts
Available Fonts
Adding More Fonts

Installing a font cartridge

Removing the font cartridge

Downloading soft fonts.

Selecting Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Font Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

...........................

......................

....................

..........................

...........................

.........................

....................

....................

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

.......

..................

3-2

3-4

3-4
3-5
3-4
3-7

3-7
3-9

3-9
3-11
3-11

3-12

Fonts 3-1

What You Need to Know about Fonts

3-2 Fonts

This chapter provides basic information about fonts. If you are
new to fonts and desktop publishing, you might want to read
this chapter to understand fonts and the terminology used to
describe them.

However, an understanding of fonts is not necessary to use
fonts. To select a font, you simply make a selection from your

software’s Font menu. The font is then displayed on screen and

can be printed by using a software menu item.

The only time you might need to understand more about fonts

is if you are encountering font problems. The most common

font problems are the following:

0

The printer substitutes a font other than the one you
selected with your software.

0

The printed page does not exactly match what is on screen.

Such problems normally occur when you use an emulation
other than LJ4 or when you are trying to print fonts that are not

installed on the printer. If you are having font problems, read

the section “Printer and Screen Fonts” in this chapter to
understand how you can resolve and avoid font problems.

Font Overview

A font, or
a common typographic design and style. Popular fonts include
Times Roman, Times Roman Bold, Courier, and Arial.

The characters within a font come in a range of sizes, but they

share the same style. A style is a slight variation of a particular
font design, such as bold or
or phrases within a paragraph. Fonts with differing styles, such

typeface, is

a set of characters and symbols that share

italic, used

for emphasizing words

as Times Roman and Times Bold, are similar enough in design
that you can mix them easily while retaining the same basic
font design throughout your document.

The entire set of all styles sharing a font design makes up the
font family. When you select a font using your software’s Font
menu, you are actually selecting the font family. A font family
normally contains four fonts: Roman (or Medium), Italic, Bold,
and Bold Italic. Some font families, however, contain other

styles such as oblique (similar to italic) and demi and book,

which have slightly different line weights from Roman.

Note:
Although this manual uses the term font as described here, other
sources attach a

used to

rejkr

other times, it

and style

d@krent

to a set of characters

encompasses

ofa

certain typographical design.

meaning to

this

with

the same style and same size;

the entire set of characters

term. Font is sometimes

0fezwt-y

size

Although fonts come in hundreds of designs, all fonts can be
classified either as serif or sans serif. Serifs are the short
decorative strokes that come off the main lines of a character,

such as the curl at the bottom of the letter n. Serif fonts are

commonly used for text. The text you are reading is Palatino, a

serif font.

Sans serif fonts, such as Arial, have no serifs and are often used
for

titles

and heads (as in this manual) and within tables and

dii3gl7UflS.

Fonts 3-3

Choosing a Font

Although there are not many rules for choosing fonts, the
following guidelines will help you in creating attractive
documents that are easy to read:

a

Avoid using too many point sizes on one page. As a

general rule, use no more than three or four different point

sizes on one page.

a

Avoid using too many fonts. Having too many different

fonts on the page distracts the reader’s attention from the

meaning of the words.

a

Avoid using fonts that have designs similar to one another.
Generally a serif font is used for text and a sans serif font is
used for headings.

Printer and Screen Fonts

Fonts are installed on both the printer and the computer. The
printer fonts, which reside in printer memory or on a cartridge,
are used by the printer to print text. Screen fonts, which are
stored on your computer’s media, are used to display text on
screen to represent the fonts that will print. In most cases, each
printer font has a matching screen font, which ensures that the
screen display and the final printed output look exactly the
same.

Two separate sets of fonts are needed because the monitor and
printer have different requirements for producing fonts (for
more information, see “Bitmap and outline fonts” later in this
chapter).

3-4 Fonts

Note:

The distinction between printer and screen fonts is not as important
when you are using TrueType fonts, which are included with
Windows 3.1. See “TrueType fonts” later in this chapter.

Each font installed on your printer has a matching screen font
that is accessible when you are using the LJ4 driver. The screen

fonts are installed when you install the printer driver.

When the printer and screen fonts don’t match

In some cases, you may have a printer font that does not have a

matching screen font, or you may have a screen font but not a

corresponding printer font. Such situations occur for the
following reasons:

a

You install a font cartridge that contains printer fonts but
no screen fonts.

a

You install a screen font on the computer without installing
a printer font.

a

You use a driver other than the LJ4 driver.

a

You move the screen fonts to a different directory and your
computer cannot find them.

If you have a printer font but not a matching screen font, the
computer uses an available screen font to display text on the
screen. In this case, the screen display will not exactly match
the printed output.

If you have a screen font but not a printer font, you will be able
to select the font and view it on screen. However, when you
send the job to the printer, the printer will not be able to print
the font and will substitute another font (Courier).

Fonts 3-5

Bitmap and outline fonts

Fonts that are installed on the printer or computer are classified
in two groups according to the method used to create them:
bitmap fonts and outline (or scalable) fonts.

a

A bitmap font consists of a dot-by-dot representation of a
character or image. Bitmap fonts tell the printer or monitor

which dots or pixels to turn on and off to create a character.

Since a bitmap is a fixed pattern of pixels, a separate bitmap
font is needed for each point size. For example, 10-point
Times and 12-point Times require separate bitmap fonts.

If your computer does not have the correct bitmap size
installed, the system wilI substitute another font. The result
is often a jagged looking character.

P

An outline font is created from a mathematical formula that

describes the outline of each character. When the printer

needs a certain size of an outline font, it uses the formula to

render the character in the requested size, filling in the

outline. Only one outline is needed for each font since the

outline formula contains all the necessary information for

rendering at any size. Thus outline fonts always look

smooth and well-shaped, no matter the size.

3-6 Fonts

bibnap font outline font

Outline fonts are preferred for the printer because the printer
must be able to print any point size requested from the
software while maintaining high-quality output. Since many
software programs allow you to select anywhere from 4-point
to

%-point

fonts, it would be impractical to store all possible

bitmaps at the printer.

Screen fonts, however, are normally bitmap fonts that are
designed specifically for screen’s resolution. Not all sizes of
bitmap fonts are stored at the computer, but the poor quality
that results from substituting bitmaps is less of a problem on

the screen than it would be at the printer. Also, many users
now rely on software programs, such as Adobe” ATM,“’ to

redraw screen fonts to the requested size.

TrueType fonts

If you are running Windows 3.1, you can also use TrueType
fonts. TrueType is an outline font format that allows the
computer to create screen fonts. TrueType fonts were
developed jointly by Microsoft Corporation and Apple
Computer for use in the Windows 3.1 and Macintosh
System 7 environments.

®

®

With TrueType fonts there is no need to install screen fonts.
The same outline used to create the font to be printed is used to
create the font displayed on screen, thus ensuring that the

screen display always matches the printed output and

eliminating the need to maintain multiple screen fonts.

Available Fonts

The following table lists the fonts that are installed on your
printer. The names of all the font families appear on your
software’s Font menu if you are using the LJ4 driver. If you are
using a different driver, not all font families will be available.

Fonts 3-7

The fonts provided with the printer are shown in the following
table. For samples of each font family, see “Font Samples” at
the end of this chapter.

Font family

Flare Serif 821 SWC

Incised 901 SWC

Swll721

SWM

Fonts

Medium, Extra Bold

Medium, Eidd. italic

Medium. Bold, italic. Bold
Italic

Zapf Humanist 601
Demi SWC

Dutch 801 SWC

Medium, Bold, Italic, Bold
Italic

Medium, Bold, Italic. Bold
italic

Clarendon

Condensed

Condensed SWC

Ribbon 131 SWC

Courier SWC

Medium, Bold, italic. Bold Courier

Italic

Original Garamond
swc

Letter Gothic SWC

Antiqua, Halbfett. Kursiv.

Kursiv Halbfett

Medium, Bold, italic

Audrey Two SWC

Symbol Set

Dutch 801 SWM

SWA

Medium, Bold, italic. Bdd
Italic

Swiss742 SWC

Medium, Bold, Italic. Bold
Italic, Medium Condensed,
Bold Condensed, Medium
Condensed Italic. Bold
Condensed Italic

More Wingbats SWM

tine Printer (bitmao)

prestige (bitmap)

l

TrueType

l

*

Available only in ESC/P2 and FX emulations.

font

l

*

12cpi.2Ocpi

1 HPeauivalent 1

Albertus

I

Antique Olive

Aria1

l

CG Omega

CG

Time®

Clarendon

l

Garamond

I

Letter Gothic

Marigold

Symbol

l

Times New

l

Univer9

Wingdings

l

Line winter

F&tiae

I

I

I

1

When selecting fonts in your software program, choose the
font name listed in the HP equivalent column.

Adding More Fonts

You can install additional fonts by doing one or both of the

following:

P

Installing a font cartridge in the printer.

P

Installing fonts in your computer.

Font cartridges are easy to install and the printer can print
them quickly. However, not all font cartridges are compatible
with the printer, and you can’t mix fonts that are on different
cartridges.

Fonts that reside on your computer’s hard disk can be
transferred, or downloaded, to the printer so they can be
printed. Downloaded fonts, also called soft fonts, remain in the
printer memory until you turn off the printer or otherwise

re-initialize

it.

With soft fonts you can install any combination of fonts you
want and as many fonts as your computer memory supports.

However, downloading fonts adds to the time it takes to print,

which can be a problem if multiple users are sharing the

printer. Also, if you plan on downloading many fonts, you
must make sure your printer has sufficient memory.

Installing a font

You install font cartridges in the slot located at the front of the
printer.

ccwfrfdge

Fonts 3-9

Caution:

Do not touch the connectors on the cartridge or in the printer’s
cartridge slot; you could damage them.

1.

Make sure the printer is off or
light off.

2.

Hold the cartridge face up.

3.

Insert the cartridge into the slot and press firmly until it

snaps into place.

4.

Turn on the printer or set it on line. If READY appears, you

can use the font cartridge.

Caution:

e

A curt-ridge error occurred if you see one of the following

messages: REMOVE CART, ILLEGAL CART.

If the message REMOVE CART appears on the display, you

inserted the cartridge when the printer was on line or the

Form Feed

cartridge and press
If you see the message ILLEGAL CART, the cartridge you

installed is not compatible with the printer.

light was on. If you see this message, remove the

Continue;

off

line with the

then repeat steps 1 through 4.

Form Feed

Once the cartridge is installed, select the cartridge font with
your software. If you are using Windows, follow the procedure

below. For non-Windows software, see your software manual.

1.

In the

icon.

2.

Double-click on the

3.

In the

button.

3-10 Fonts

Main

window, double-click on the

Printers

Printers

dialog box that appears, choose the Setup

icon.

Control Panel

4. In the dialog box that appears, select the cartridge you

installed.

5.

Choose the

6.

Close the Printers dialog box.

OK

button.

Removing the font cartridge

Follow these steps to remove a font cartridge:

Caution:

R

Never remove a font cartridge when the printer is on line,

SelecType
CART or REMOVE CART message appears on the display.

You will also see one of these messages if you remove a
cartridge while the
is off line).

1.

Turn off the printer or take it off line. If the Form
is on, press the Form-feed button to print out any data
before you remove the cartridge.

mode, or

resetting itself: If you do,

Form Feed

a REINSERT

light is on (even if the printer

Feed

in

light

2.

Remove the cartridge by grasping firmly and slowly pulling
it straight out of the slot.

Downloading soft fonts

Most font packages make it easy to install fonts by providing

their own installer. Normally the installer gives you the option

of having the fonts automatically downloaded whenever you

start your computer or having fonts downloaded only when
you need to print a particular font.

Fonts 3-11

If you’re running Windows, you can also install soft fonts by
clicking on the

Fonts

dialog box. Once instalk& the fonts are available in all

Fonts

icon in the Control Panel to bring up the

your Windows applications.

Note:

The ActionLaser 1600 can print fonts generated by Bitstream

®

FaceLift® and Bitstream Fontware™ installation Kits using Bitstream
Fontware Typeface Packages for the PC, See your FaceLift or
Fontware User Guide for instructions on using Bitstream fonts with
HP LaserJet compatible printers.

Selecting Fonts

You almost always select fonts from the Font menu of your
software application. If you are unsure how to do this, check
the manual that comes with your software.

If you are sending unformatted text to the printer directly from
MS-DOS or if you are using a simple software package that
does not include font selection, you can select fonts by using
SelecType. For information on how to do this, see Chapter 4.

Note:

Selecting font using SelecType is not
from your software program is easier, and any font selection you make
from your software overrides the selection you make from SelecType.

recommended.

Selecting fonts

3-22 Fonts

Font Samples

Audrey Two SWC

CIarendon Condensed SWC

courier swc

Fonts 3-23

Fnnts

3-15

3-16 Fonts

Chapter 4

4-1

SeIecType Overview

When to use SeIecType

SelecType menus and items

Using SeIecType

Changing and saving SelecType settings
Resetting SelecType settings to the factory defaults

SelecType tutorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

PRINTING MENU

LJ4 Emulation Menu
ESCP2 MENU

FX MENU
GL2 MENU

JOB MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

EMULATION MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

TRAY SIZE MENU

CON-FIG MENU

............................

...............................

..............................

........................

.....................

..................

...........................

...........

....

.........................

........................

.........................

...........................

4-2
4-2
4-3

4-4
4-5
4-5

4-7
4-10

4-12
4-12
4-12

4-15

4-16

PARALLEL MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21

SERIAL MENU

TEST MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21

SelecTme

SelecType Overview

4-2

SelecTuve

If you are not able to change printer settings from your
software, use the printer’s SelecType mode as described in this
chapter. SelecType allows you to use the control panel buttons
to change printer settings, such as the print quantity, paper

size, and resolution. Other settings control the printer’s
configuration, including the protocol and communications
parameters. For a complete list of printer settings that are

accessed through SelecType, see the table later in this chapter.

When

to use SelecType

You do not normally need to use SelecType to change printer

settings. Most software programs allow you to change settings

that affect the final printed output, and any settings you make

from your software override the SelecType settings.

Some SelecType settings, including the printer’s configuration

parameters, cannot be controlled by software. However, such

settings do not normally have to be changed because they are
assigned default settings that are satisfactory for most
computer environments.

Normally the only times you need to use SelecType are the

following:

LI

To check the amount of toner remaining

P

To print a status sheet

D

To change the parallel or serial interface parameters

P

To change the emulation

SelecType menus and items

The following table lists the items available on the SelecType

menus. Each menu is described in its own section later in this

chapter.

Note:

This table does
emulations. For SelecType
Chapter 5, “Using Other Printer Emulations.”

rwt

list the

menusfor

settingsfh

the

these

ESC/P

emlations,

2, FX, and

see

GM

COPIES
PAGE SIZE
ORIENTATION
MANUAL FEED

Rfiech

FoNTQ?c

FONT NUMBER
PITCH

HElGHl
SYMSET

PAGE PROTECT

Rl3OLUTlON

TIMEOUT

PARALLEL
SERIAL

vr

STDQZE
OPTSIZE’

MunJ

CONFIG

PARAUEL

QXIAL SERlAL

TEST

Items
STD TRAY’

OPTTRAY

SIZE IGNORE
AUTO
STANDBY
DENQTY
AUTO SENSE
TOP OFFSET

LEFroFFsET

TONER
TONER LIFE
PAGE COUNT

SelecTYPE INIT

SPEED

Q-D

WORD LENGTH

BAUD

PARITY

SToPsiT

DTR

XON/XOFF
DQ?

STATUS

L.!d

FONT SAMPLE

ESCP2

FX FONT SAMPLE
FACT

Rflech

CONT

TYPE

RATE

SHEI

FONTSAMPLE

SHM

TEST PAGE

l

Available only with option.

SfdecTum

4-3

Using SelecType

The SelecType settings are organized as items on a series of
menus that are accessed by
buttons on the printer’s control panel.

The buttons have the following functions:

using the Menu, item,

and arrow

Menu

Item

4-4

Seleclbve

The first time you

goes off line, and SelecType mode is enabled.
The first menu in the series (PRINTING) is
then displayed. Each
you advance to the next menu.

Advances through the list of items available
for the currently selected menu.

Advances through the settings available for
the current item. The currently selected

setting is shown with an asterisk.

select Menu, the

time

you press

printer

Menu,

To move through the menus, items, and settings in the reverse

5elecTwe

4-5

order, hold down the
arrow button.

Alt

button and press the

Menu, Item,

or

Changing and saving SelecType settings

To change a SelecType setting, first
advance to the appropriate menu, and then use the
button to select the item you want to change. With the item

selected, use the arrow button to change settings.

To save a new

On Line

setting and updates the printer for the new setting.

If you see the message RESET TO SAVE, the new setting
cannot be used immediately. Press the
hold down the
RESET. The printer is then updated with the new setting.

Any SelecType settings you change remain in effect until you

again change them or until you reset all SelecType settings to

the factory defaults as described in the next section.

button to put the printer back on line. This saves the

setting,

Alt

press the

button until the display shows the message

use

the

Menu

button to

Item

Enter

button. Then press the

Reset

button while you

Resetting SelecType settings to the factory defaults

All SelecType settings have default settings that have been set
at the factory. When you change the printer settings by using
SelecType, you are overriding the factory-set defaults.

If, after you have changed SelecType settings, you wish to reset
all SelecType settings back to the factory defaults, press the

Menu

panel. Then press the
displayed. Now press

factory defaults and erases all user-defined settings.

button until CONFIG MENU is displayed in the control

Item

button until SelecType INIT is

Enter.

This resets the printer to the

SelecType tutorial

4-6

SelecTuve

This tutorial provides an example of how to use SelecType to
change the baud rate for the serial interface.

Press

the

Menu

1.
displays the PRINTING MENU, which is the first menu of
the series.

2.

Press

the

display.

button. This takes the printer off line and

Menu

button until SERIAL MENU appears in the

Press the

3.

Item

button until BAUD BATE item appears in the

display.

The display shows the current setting:

4.

BAUD RATE=

9600 *

The asterisk indicates that 9600 is the current setting.

5.

To change the baud rate to 19200, press the arrow button
until the display reads BAUD RATE=19200.

Press the

6.

7.

Press

If you see the message BESET TO SAVE, press the

Enter

the

On Line

button to add the value to printer memory.

button to put the printer back on line.

Reset

button while you hold down the Alt button.

The PRINTING MENU contains print settings that you change
most often, including the number of copies, the page size, the
orientation, manual feed, and RITech settings. Normally these
items are set from software, so you usually do not need to

access the PRINTING MENU.

COPES

The COPIES item selects the number of copies to be printed.
Normally you set the number of copies from your software.

Pressing the arrow button once increases the number in
increments of 1. If you press and hold the arrow button, you
increase the number in increments of 10.

COPIES=

1 (Default) - 999

SelecType 4-7

PAGE SIZE

SelecTme

The PAGE SIZE item selects the default paper size. You should
only change this item if you cannot change the paper size with
your software.

PAGE SIZE= LT (Default)

A4
AS
B5
HLT (Half letter)

LGL (Legal)
GLT (Government letter)
GLG (Government legal)

EXE (Executive)

F4

MON (Monarch)
C10 (Commercial 10)

::

I85

(International

85)

ORIENTATION

4-8

The ORIENTATION item selects whether the page is printed in
portrait or landscape orientation. In portrait orientation, the top

of the page is parallel to the short edge of the paper. In

landscape orientation, the top of the page is parallel to the long

edge of the paper. The pages in this manual are printed in

portrait orientation.

ORIENTATION=

PORT (Default)

LAND

MANUAL FEED

When

MANUAL FEED is on, the printer

waits

for the

Manual

button to be pressed before printing. For more information
about manually feeding paper and envelopes, see Chapter 2,
“Paper Handling.”

MANUAL FEED=

OFF (Default)
ON

R/Tech

The RITech (Resolution Improvement Technology) item allows
you to adjust the RITech setting or to turn if off. See Chapter 6
for more information about RITech. The RITech setting should
not normally have to be changed.

RlTech=

LIGHT
MEDIUM (Default)
DARK
OFF

SelecType 4-9

The LJ4 MENU configures settings that are relevant to

4-10

HP LaserJet 4 emulation, including the font source, font,
and symbol set. Usually you do not need to access the LJ4
emulation menu because most menu items are adjustable from
your software. The exception is the symbol set selection.

FONT SRC

The FONT SRC item specifies the font source.

FONT SRC=

RESIDENT (Default)
CARTRIDGE
DOWNLOAD

FONT NUMBER

The FONT NUMBER item selects a font from the selected font

source. Each font is associated with a number (the actual
number for each font differs from system to system). If you
don’t know the number of the font you want to use, you can
print a sample font sheet showing the fonts and their numbers.
See ‘TEST MENU” later in this chapter for more information.

FONT NUMBER=

0 (Default)-Available

PITCH

The PITCH item specifies the pitch of fixed-width, scalable

fonts (Courier and

Let&Gothic).

Pitch refers to the number of
characters that can be printed per inch. For example, if you set
the pitch to 12 cpi (characters per inch), 12 characters are
printed in one inch. Pitch can be specified from 0.44 to 99.99 cpi
in increments of 0.01 cpi.

PITCH= .44-10.00 (Default)-99.99

self?czin7e

HEIGHT

The HEIGHT item specifies the point size for proportional and

scalable fonts. The range of point sizes is 4.00 to 999.75, in

increments of 0.25.

HEIGHT=

4.00-12.00 (Default)-999.75

SYMSET

The SYMSET item specifies the symbol set to use. If the font
you selected in FONT SRC and FONT NUMBER is not
available in the new SYMSET setting, the FONT SRC and the
FONT NUMBER are automatically replaced with the default

value. The following table lists the symbol sets available for LJ4

emulation.

SYMSET=

Roman-8’ (Dofault) Roman Extension
ECY94-1

9869.2 180 PsMath
6959-S 180

UsPublIshIng VI&lath

DeskTop Math-9

WIE.Europs PcTk437
Wlndows

IBM-US IEM-DN

YCfOXt

Volntornatlonal VeUS

PlFont

Symbol WlAnsl

Yore Wlngdlngs

Logal

WlTurklrh

Psfrxt

PcYultlllngual

PcE.Europe

The Roman-8 includes the following: Norweg l, Italian,
Swedsh2, ANSI ASCII, UK, French2, German, and Spanish.

Symbol sets can also be changed using a command language.
See Appendix B.

FORM

SelecTme

The FORM item specifies the number of lines for the selected
paper size and orientation. This setting also determines the
spacing between lines.

FORM=

5-60 (Default)-128

ESCP2 MENU

The ESCP2 MENU configures settings that are relevant to
ESC/P2 emulation. The items on the ESCP2 MENU can be
changed only if you are

For more information about the ESCP2 MENU, see Chapter 5,
“Using other Printer Emulations.”

The FX MENU configures settings that are relevant to Epson

FX emulation. The items on the FX MENU can be changed only

if you are using FX emulation.

For more information about the FX MENU, see Chapter 5,
"Using other Printer Emulations.”

running ESC/P2 emulation.

GL2 MENU

The GL2 MENU configures settings that are relevant to Epson
GL/2 emulation. The items on the GL2 MENU can be changed
only if you are using GL/2 emulation.

For more information about the GL2 MENU, see Chapter 5,
“Using Other Printer Emulations.”

4-12

JOB MENU

The items on the JOB MENU configure how the printer
manages print data, including whether to print oversized
pages, the print resolution, and how long the printer waits
before it takes a timeout. The items on the JOB MENU can be
changed through your software if you are using the LJ4 driver.

PAGE PROTECT

The PAGE PROTECT item allows you to allocate additional
printer memory. You normally use PAGE PROTECT if you are
printing a highly complex page and do not have sufficient
memory. To ensure sufficient memory, use PAGE PROTECT to
select the paper size for your job.

Normally PAGE PROTECT should be OFF.

Note:

Changing the PAGE PROTECT setting reconfigures the printer’s

memory and erases any downloaded fonts.

PAGE PROTECT= OFF (Default)

LT (Letter)
LG (Legal)
A4

RESOLUTION

The RESOLUTION item switches the printer resolution
between 300 dpi and 600 dpi. Both resolutions produce

good-looking, crisp text and graphics. At 600 dpi, however, the

resolution is exceptionally sharp because the dots that make up

the text and graphics are smaller and more numerous than
those used in 300-dpi resolution. The higher resolution of
600 dpi also improves the quality of grayscale images. To
obtain 600-dpi resolution, you must use a driver that supports
600-dpi resolution.

Normally, you will want to run the printer in 600-dpi mode to

4-14

take advantage of the higher resolution. However, because
300-dpi uses less memory, you may sometimes want to use the
lower resolution if you encounter memory problems.

RESOLUTION=

TIMEOUT

The TIMEOUT item specifies how long the printer waits for
data from the active port before it terminates the print job. If
the printer waits the specified number of seconds without
receiving data, it switches automatically to another interface
port that has data ready to print. The timeout period is counted
only while the printer is on line.

TIMEOUT=

600 (Default)

300

5-60 (Default)-300

EMULATION MENU

The items on the EMULATION MENU specify which
emulation to use for the parallel, serial, L/T (LocalTalk”‘), and
AUX interfaces.

PARALLEL

The PARALLEL item specifies the emulation for print jobs
coming over the parallel interface.

PARALLEL=

SeZecTuve

LJ4 (Default)
FX
ESCP2
GL2

SERIAL

The SERIAL item specifies the emulation for print jobs coming
over the serial interface. The default setting depends on your
serial interface. Print a status sheet (see “TEST MENU” at the
end of this chapter) to see the current setting.

The L/T item, which is available only if the Epson Talk option

is installed, specifies the emulation for print jobs coming over

the LocalTalk interface.

The default setting depends on the option you have installed.
Print a status sheet (see “TEST MENU” at the end of this
chapter) to see the current setting.

AUX

The AUX item, which is available only if an optional interface

is installed, specifies the emulation for print jobs coming over

the optional interface.

The default setting depends on the option you have installed.

Print a status sheet (see “TEST MENU” at the end of this
chapter) to see the current setting.

TRAY SIZE MENU

The items on the TRAY SIZE MENU specify the size of the
paper loaded in each paper tray. The TRAY SIZE MENU items
can be accessed more easily as described in “Setting the paper
tray’s paper size” in Chapter 2.

SelecQ7e

4-15

STD SIZE

!MecTuve

The STD SIZE item sets the paper size for the standard tray.

STD SIZE=

OPT SIZE

The OPT SIZE item sets the paper size for the optional lower
paper

cassette.

OPT SIZE=

LT (Default)

A4

A5
B5
HLT (Half letter)
LGL (Legal)
GLT (Government letter)
GLG (Government legal)
EXE (Executive)

F4

MON

(Monarch)
C10 (Commercial 10)
DL
C5
IB5 (International B5)

LT (Default)
A4

CONFIG MENU

The items on the CONFIG MENU specify information needed
by the printer, including which paper source to use, how to

handle certain errors, how to use memory, what density setting
to use, where to begin printing on the page, and the lifetime

setting for the imaging cartridge.

4-16

STD TRAY, OPT TRAY

SelecType

The STD TRAY and OPT TRAY items, which are available only
if the optional lower cassette is installed, select the paper
source when the selection is not made by software.

If you do not wish one of the trays to be available as a paper

source, use LOCK. Only one paper source can be set to LOCK;
when you set one paper tray for LOCK, the other source is
automatically set to UNLOCK. For more information about

selecting the paper tray, see “selecting the Paper Source” in

chapter 2.

If both STD TRAY and OPT TRAY are set to UNLOCK (the

default), the software selects the tray based on paper

availability and size.

STD TRAY or OPT TRAY=

UNLOCK (Default)
LOCK

Note:

Any settings made from your software override the tray settings

made using the control panel.

SIZE IGNORE

When SIZE IGNORE is set to ON, the printer ignores the paper

size error (CHECK PAPER SIZE) and prints the page even if

the print data exceeds the printable area for the specified page

size. If printing exceeds the printable area, toner may smudge

on the printed sheet.

When SIZE IGNORE is OFF, the printer stops if the page size

exceeds the printable area and does a self-cleaning once it

recovers from the error.

SIZE IGNORE= OFF (Default)

ON

4-17

AUTO CONT

The AUTO CONT item permits the printer to automatically

continue printing after waiting five seconds when the
PAPER SET, PRINT OVERRUN, or MEM OVERFLOW error
occurs.

When AUTO CONT is OFF, you must press the

Continue

button to resume printing. In most cases, leave this option set
to OFF so you are aware of the error messages and can make
the necessary corrections. You might want to set AUTO CONT
to ON when printing long jobs or when you are away from the
printer for long periods.

AUTO CONT=

OFF (Default)
ON

STANDBY

STANDBY mode saves energy by reducing power to the
printer when it has received no data for 15 minutes. This

feature conforms to United States Environmental Protection
Agency guidelines for energy efficiency. The printer begins

warming up as soon as you send a print job or press the

On Line

button; warm-up takes approximately 30 seconds.

STANDBY=

ENABLE (Default)

DISABLE

DENSITY

The DENSITY item adjusts the print density to make it darker
or lighter.

DENSITY=

DARK
DARKEST
MIDDLE (Default)
LIGHT
LIGHTEST

4-18

SelecTwe

Note:

hxwasing

the density

increases

the rate of toner consumption.

AUTO SENSE

The AUTO SENSE item specifies whether the printer can
receive data through all available interfaces or only through the
selected interface. Use AUTO SENSE to restrict use of an
interface.

AUTOSENSE=

ON (Default)
PARALLEL
SERIAL
L/T
AUX

TOP OFFSET

The TOP OFFSET item specitks in millimeters how far from
the top edge of the

printable area

the printer can begin printing.

The options are 0-99, adjustable in l-mm increments.

TOP OFFSET=

0 (Default)-99

LEFT OFFSET

The LEFT OFFSET item specifies in millimeters how far from
the left side of the

printable

area the printer can begin printing.

The options are 0-99, adjustable in l-mm increments.

LEFT OFFSET= 0 (Default)-99

SelecType

4-19

TONER

The TONER item displays the amount of toner remaining in
the imaging cartridge; it does not allow you to make any
Selections.

TONER=

l ****F (80400%)

E
E”” F (60-60%)

l

** F (SO-SO%)

E

l

*F

E
E’

(20-40%)

F (O-20%)

If the TONER setting is between 0% and 20%, you must change
the imaging cartridge.

TONER LIFE

The TONER LIFE item specifies the lifetime in pages of the
imaging cartridge. This item is necessary only when you are
installing a cartridge whose lifetime is not 6000 pages. You do
not need to change this setting when you install the standard
imaging cartridge (S051016). The TONER LIFE setting is
adjustable in increments of 1000 pages.

TONER LIFE=

5000-6000 (Default)-9000

PAGE COUNT

When PAGE

COUNT is selected,

pressing the

Enter

button
displays the total number of pages printed by the printer since
it was installed.

SelecType INIT

When

SeIecType INIT is selected,

re4nitiaIizes

the printer, which erases all

pressing the

Enter

user-sekcted

and returns the printer to the default factory settings.

4-20

5elecTuve

button

settings

PARALLEL MENU

The PARALLEL MENU items allow you to adjust the speed
and bidirectional settings for the parallel interface.

SPEED

The SPEED item specifies transfer speed by specifying the
delay period from the STROBE to the ACKNLG signal.
Normally you do not need to change the SPEED item;
however, if your computer uses the ACKNLG signal, you
sometimes need to set SPEED to SLOW. For more information
on the parallel interface signal, see “Parallel interface” in
Appendix A.

SPEED=

BI-D

The BI-D item enables or disables bidirectional communication.
If BI-D is set to OFF, LJ4 emulation will work as PCL 5
emulation. This means that some advanced features of LJ4
emulation will not be available.

BI-D= ON (Default)

FAST (Default)
SLOW

OFF

SERIAL MENU

The items on the SERIAL MENU specify the settings for the

serial interface, including the type of serial interface (RS-232C
or RS-422) and the settings for word length, baud rate, parity,
stop bit, XON/XOFF, DTR, and DSR. If you are using the serial
interface, these settings must match your computer’s serial
settings.

SelecType

4-21

SERIAL

4-22

The SERIAL item selects between RS-232C and RS-422. This

option must match the serial interface of your computer.

SERIAL=

RS-232C (Default)

M-422

WORD LENGTH

The WORD LENGTH item specifies the number of bits
(excluding the parity bit) defining each character. The printer’s
word length setting must match the setting used by your
computer. See your computer manual and software
documentation for the proper setting.

WORD LENGTH= 8 (Default)

7

BAUD RATE

The BAUD RATE item sets the data transfer rate (baud) for
both the

R!X32C

and

RS422

serial interfaces. The baud rate is
measured in bits per second (bps). The printer’s baud rate
setting must match the baud rate of your computer. See your
computer manual and software documentation for

the correct

setting.

BAUD RATE=

300
800

1200
2400
4800
9800 (Default)
19200
38400
57800

115200

SelecTme

PARITY

The PARITY item specifies whether to use parity checking and
the type of parity checking to use. The parity bit, if used,
provides a basic form of error detection. The printer’s parity

setting must match the parity setting of your computer. See
your computer manual and software documentation for the
proper setting.

PARITY =

NONE (Default)
EVEN
ODD

STOP

B/l

The STOP BIT item sets the number of stop bits on each
character of information sent to the printer. Stop bits signal the
end of a character. This setting must match the stop bit setting
of your computer.

STOP BITS= 1 (Default)

2

DTR

The DTR (Data Terminal Ready) item enables and disables the
printer’s ready communications protocol. Check your
computer manual for the setting you should be using. If

XON/XOPP is OFF, DTR must be set ON.

DTR=

OFF (Default)
ON

SelecType

4-23

XON/XOFF

The XON/XOFF item specifies whether the printer uses
XON/XOFF communications protocol. Check your computer

manual for the setting you should be using. If DTR is OFF,

XON/XOFF must be set to ON.

XON/XOFF=

DSR

When the DSR (Data Set Ready) item is OFF, the signal level is
permanently set HIGH, allowing the printer to send data to the

computer. For most communications purposes, DSR should be
set OFF. When DSR is ON, data is sent to the computer only
when DSR is HIGH.

Check your computer manual for the setting you should be
using.

DSR=

ON (Default)
OFF

OFF (Default)
ON

TEST MENU

The items on the TEST MENU allow you to print sample pages
to test the printer or obtain information about the fonts and the
printer settings and features. To print a sample sheet, select the
item in the TEST MENU and

then

press the

Enter

button.

4-24 SelecType

STATUS SHEET

Press the
printer’s current settings. Use this item to check whether your
printer is working correctly. The following is a portion of a
sample sheet. Your status sheet might vary slightly.

Enter

button to print a status sheet describing the

SelecType

4-25

LJ4 FONT SAMPLE, ESCP2 FONT SAMPLE, FX FONT SAMPLE

Press the

Enter

button to print a sample of the fonts available in

the current emulation.

FACT SHEET

Press

the

Enter

button to print a demonstration page that
illustrates various printer features. FACT SHEET is available
only if the control panel language is set to one of the following:

English,

lTALJAN0, Espaiiol, SVENSKA, DANSK, SUOMI.

For

information about changing the language, see Chapter 1.

R/Tech TEST PAGE

Press

the

Enter

button to print a check pattern for the RITech
setting. RITech TEST PAGE is available only for 600-dpi
resolution. See Chapter 6 for more information.

4-26 SelecType

Chapter 5

Using Other Printer Emulations

When to Use Other Emulations
Other Available Emulations
Changing the Emulation

Epson ESC/P2 and FX Emulations

Operating as an LQ or FX printer

ESCP2 and FX Menu items

Epson GL/2 Emulation

The two Epson GL/2 emulations
Operating in GL/2 emulation
GL2 MENU items

......................

.......................

........................

..................

....................

................

...............

..................

...............

.................

5-2
5-2
5-3
5-4

5-4
5-5

5-10
5-10

5-12
5-12

Using Other Printer Emulations

5-1

When to Use Other Emulations

5-2

L?sinP

Other Printer Emulations

The printer is designed to work best using HP LaserJet 4 (LJ4)
emulation, so it is recommended that you use LJ4 emulation
whenever possible. However there may be some cases when
you want to use other emulations, including the following:

0

If you need to print documents already formatted for a dot
matrix printer.

Cl

If you are printing from software designed for an HP-GL/2

plotter.

P

If you need to use software programs that do not support
an HP LaserJet printer.

Other Available Emulations

In addition to the LJ4 emulation, the printer has three other

resident emulations:

Epson ESC/P 2
(LQ)

Epson FX

Epson GL/2

ESC/P 2 is an advanced version of the Epson
LQ mode available in previous Epson page
printers. It emulates Epson LQ-570 24-pin
dot matrix printers and features Epson
ESC/P 2 control codes. Use this emulation to
print data formatted for an Epson LQ series
printer.

FX mode emulates the Epson FX-870/1170
9-pin dot matrix printer. Use this emulation
to print data formatted for Epson FX or LX

series printers.

GL/2 mode features the HP-GL/2 plotter

commands. Use this emulation when
printing drawings created with plotter
applications.

Changing the Emulation

Normally you change the emulation using SelecType.
Advanced users may send printer commands specific to each
emulation directly to the printer. See Appendix B for a list of all
available commands.

When changing the LJ4 emulation to another emulation, you
might need to change some SelecType settings to account for
differences between the ActionLaser 1600 and dot matrix
printers or GL/2 plotters. Also, some printer settings are
interpreted differently, depending on the emulation. For more
specific information about possible changes to printer settings,
see “Epson ESC/P 2 and FX Emulations” and “Epson GL/2
Emulation.”

Note:

Emulation settings are stored in printer memory. Each time the
emulation is changed, the printer must reconfigure its memory
new emulation. Any other printer data being stored in memoy, such
as downloaded fonts, will be lost.

To change the emulation using SelecType:

for the

1.

Press the
MENU.

2.

Press the
to configure.

3. Press the arrow button to select the emulation to be used for
the specified interface.

4. Press

5. Hold down the
printer with the new settings.

Menu

Item

button to select the interface port you want

the Enter

button to save the emulation.

button until you reach the EMULATION

Alt

button and press

Using Other Printer Emulations

Reset to

update the

5-3

Epson ESC/P 2 and FX Emulations

The ESC/P 2 and FX em&&ions allow you to use the printer
with software that supports only Epson LQ or FX printers
without having to modify the software controlling your printer.

Operating as an LQ of

Before you can operate the printer as an LQ or FX printer, you
need to first select the appropriate driver. For ESC/P 2
emulation,
below in order of preference. If none of these drivers is
available, use any other LQ printer driver.

LQ570
LQ-510/550
LQ-500

LQ-860
LQ-850

For FX emulation, select one of the following drivers, which are
listed below in order of preference. If none of these drivers is

available, use any other FX or LX printer driver.

Fx870/1170
FX-850/1050
FX-8oo/looo
LX-100
LX-810/850
LX-800

sekct

one of the

Fx printer

following

drivers, which are

listed

Once you select the driver, you need to change the emulation
as described in “Changing the Emulation” earlier in this

chapter.

When you print documents formatted for dot matrix printers,

you might need to change some printer settings to account for
differences between the ActionLaser 1600 and dot matrix

5-4

U&p

Other Printer Emulations

printers. For example, some dot matrix printers allow you to
print on oversize sheets that cannot be accommodated by the

ActionLaser 1600; if this is the case, be sure to change the

PAGE SIZE setting. Check also that ORIENTATION is correct.

Note:
In ESC/P 2 and FX emulations, the COPIES settingfunctions

d@wntly

one page of data and printing it the requested number

than when you are in

LJ4

emulation. Rather than creating

of

times

(as

is

done in LJ4 emulation), the printer creates as many pages of data as

requested, thus increasing the length of time it takes to print multiple

COpit?S.

!3ee

Chapter 4 for specific information about each SelecType
setting. SelecType settings that are specific to the ESC/P 2, FX,
and GL/2 emulations are described in this chapter.

ESCP2 and FX Menu items

If you are not able to use your software program to change
printer settings when using ESC/P 2 or FX emulation, use the
SelecType ESCP2 MENU and FX MENU. See Chapter 4 for
details on using SelecType. Normally, however, you should
use your software to change printer settings.

Except where otherwise noted, the same items are available for
either emulation. Be sure to reset the printer after you have
changed any setting; otherwise the new setting will not be
valid.

Using Other Printer Emulations

5-5

Font

5-6

Usim

Other Printer Emulations

The Font item specifies the font to use.

Font=

Courier (Default)
Prestige
Orators (ESC/P 2 only)
RomanT (ESC/P 2 only)
SansH

(ESC/P 2 only)

After selecting the desired font, you can also adjust the
character spacing and size of the font with the Pitch and
Condensed items.

Pitch

The Pitch item allows you to select a character pitch of 10,12, or
15 characters per inch (cpi), or choose proportional spacing.

Pitch=

10 cpi (Default)

12

cpi

15

cpi

Prop

Condensed

The Condensed item changes the character spacing. Condensed
printing is useful for spreadsheets and other applications
where you need to fit a large amount of information on each
line. Fifteen cpi cannot be condensed.

Condensed=

OFF (Default)
ON

The

T.Margin

item specifies the distance from the top of the
sheet to the baseline of the first printable line. This is measured
in 0.05-inch increments.

T.Margin=

0.40-0.50 (Default) -1.50 (inch)

Text

The Text item sets the page length. The unit of measure for this
option is l/6 inch. The default is 62 (line spacing is 6 lines per
inch).

Text

1 - 62 LINES (Default) - available

If you change the ORIENTATION, PAGE SIZE, or TMARGIN

settings with

SelecType, the page length setting automatically

returns to the default setting for each paper size.

CGTable

The CG (character generator) Table item selects the graphics
character table or the italics table. The graphics table contains
graphic characters for printing lines, comers, and shaded areas;
international characters; Greek characters; and mathematical

symbols. Selecting the italics table defines the upper half of the

character table as italic characters.

CGTabie

PcUSA (Dofault)
ITALIC
PcYultlllng

PcP0rtugu.r
PcCanFnnch
PcNorway
PoTurklrh2
PcEa~lEurop
BrBRASCll
BrAblcomp

Usiq

Other Printer Emulations

5-7

Country

Use the Country item to select one of the fifteen international
symbol sets.

Country=

USA (Default)

Franc0

Germany

UK
Denmark

Swodrn

Italy

Spalnl

Japan
Norway

Denmark2
SpaIn

LatlnAmrrlc

Korea (ESCPZ only)

Legal

(ESCPI

only)

AutoCR

Use the AutoCR (automatic carriage return) item to perform a
carriage-return line-feed (CR-LF) operation whenever the print

position exceeds the right margin. If AutoCR is OFF, the printer

does not print characters beyond the right margin, and it does
not perform a linewrap until it receives a CR. Most software
programs take care of this function.

AutoCR= ON (Default)

OFF

AutoLF

Use the AutoLF (automatic line feed) item to perform an
automatic line feed (LF) command with each carriage return. If
AutoLF is OFF, the printer does not send an automatic line feed
with each carriage return. If your text lines overprint each
other, set AutoLF to ON.

5-8

AutoLF= OFF (Default)

ON

Using

Other Printer Emulations

ZeroChar

The ZeroChar item determines whether the printer prints a
slashed zero 0) or an unslashed zero (0). This feature is useful
for clearly distinguishing between an uppercase letter 0 and a
zero when printing documents such as programming lists.

ZeroChar=

0 (Default)

6

BitImage

With BitImage set to Dark or Light, your printer can correctly
emulate the graphics densities set with the printer commands.
When you select Dark, the bit image density is high. When you

select Light, the bit image density is low.

Bitimage=

Dark (Default)

Light

Barcode

The BarCode setting converts bitmaps to bar codes by
automatically filling in any vertical gaps between dots. This
produces unbroken vertical lines that can be read by a bar code
reader.

Note:

This mode reduces the size of the image being printed and may cause

some distortion when printing bitmap graphics.

Using Other Printer Emulations

5-9

Epson GL/2 Emulation

Epson GL/2 emulation features plotter commands that allow
you to use your printer with plotter software programs.

A list of the plotter

commands

that your printer supports is
included later in Appendix B. Unsupported commands are
ignored.

Epson GL/2 emulation is similar to the GL/2 mode included in
LJ4 emulation. The table below shows the differences between
the two emulations.

HP

PCL mode

Paper eject

Reduced printing

Switch

to PCL

(ESC % # A)

Reset (ESC

PJL and WL

Advance Full Page

(PG. Al3

E)

Epron GL/2

Does not exist

Supports PG. AF
commands

SelecType setting

Not supported

Ejects paper and

then initializes

SuDDorted

Supported

bmt.let

Exists as the initial
mode

Supported in PCL

Available in PCL

supported

Ejects paper,
switches to PCL, and
then initializes

Supported

Not supported

I

4

I

Using the SD and AD commands, you can select all the fonts
available in I-P LaserJet 4 emulation.

The two Epson GL/2 emulations

Epson GL/2 emulation has two operational emulations:
LJ4-GL/2 and GL-like.

5-10

Using Other Printer Emulations

LJ4-GL/2 emulation

LJ4-GL/2 emulates GL/2 mode of the HP LJ4 emulation. While
in this emulation you can enter GL/2 emulation without
sending the ESC %#B (Enter GL/2 mode) command. If your
software cannot send the ESC %#B command, use this
emulation.

If your software supports a LaserJet 4 printer, you do not need
to use this emulation.

GL-like emulation

GL-like emulates some of the HP-GL plotter commands. It

features all of the co

mmands of the LJ4-GL2 mode, plus two

additional commands.

The table below shows the differences of the two GL/2
emulations.

Usin,q

Other Printer Emulations

5-11

Operating in GL/2 emulation

When changing to GL/2 emulation from LJ4 emulation, check
that the SelecType settings are correct for GL/2 emulation.
Some settings, such as PAGE SIZE, ORIENTATION, and STD
TRAY, might have to be changed, depending on your
document. Check also that the printer settings specific to GL/2
emulation, which are located on the GL2 MENU, are set
correctly. Plotter-specific settings, such as PEN, JOIN, and

END, are described in this chapter.

For all other SelecType settings, see Chapter 4. Be aware,
however, that the descriptions in Chapter 4 assume you are in
LJ4 emulation. In some cases, the SelecType setting might
function differently, depending on the emulation.

Note:

Portrait orientation is

azx&ble

only in LI4-GLR emulation.

GL2 MENU items

If you are not able to use your software to control parameters
such as the number of pens, pen width, and plot origin, you
can use the SelecType

CL2

MEND.

Be sure to reset the printer after you have changed any setting,
otherwise the new setting will not be valid. See Chapter 4 for
details on using SelecType.

GLMODE

The GLMODE item selects the LJ4-GL2 or GL-like mode.

GLYODE= LJ4-GL2 (Default)

GL-LIKE

5-12

Using

Other Printer

EmuWions

SCALE

The SCALE item determines the reduction scale for reduced
printing. You can print the data originally created for the paper
size of the SCALE setting onto the paper size selected in the
PAGE SIZE setting.

SCALE=

The ORIGIN item sets the origin for the plotter-unit coordinate
system. The origin can be set either to the lower left comer

(CORNER) or to the center of the hard-clip limit (CENTER).

ORIGIN= CORNER (Default)

OFF (Default)
A0
A1
A2
A3

CENTER

PEN

The PEN item selects the default pen from the seven available
pens.

PEN=

Pens 2-6 are available only for GL-like mode. If you change the
mode from GL-like to LJ4-GL/2, pen 1 is automatically
reselected as the default.

0 (Default) - 6

Using

Other Printer Emulations

5-13

END

5-14

Usinp

Other Printer Emulations

The END item determines the type of line ending.

END=

BUTT (Default)
SQUARE
TRIANGULAR

ROUND

BUTT

SQUARE

TRIANGULAR

ROUND

The JOIN item defines the join shape.

JOIN=

MITERED (Default)
MITEREDBEVELED

TRIANGULAR

ROUND
BEVELED
NONE

MITERED

MITERED BEVELED

TRIANGULAR

ROUND

PENx

The PENx item specifies the pen width for each pen. You can

select the value in the range from 0.05 mm to 5.00 mm in
increments of 0.05 mm.

PENx=

.05 - .35 (Default) - 5.00

BEVELED

Chapter 6

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Resetting and Initializing the Printer

Resetting the printer
Initializing the printer

General Problems

Print Quality Problems
Option Problems
Status and Error Messages

Data Dump Mode
Optimizing Print Quality

Adjusting the RITech setting
Adjusting print density

Cleaning the Printer

Cleaning the inside of the printer
Removing spilled toner
Cleaning the printer case

..........................

...........................

......................

......................

.......................

.....................

..........................

......................

.....................

.........................

.....................

....................

...............

..................

...............

6-2
6-2

6-3
6-3

6-7
6-12
6-14
6-20

6-21
6-21
6-23

6-24
6-25
6-26

6-26

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

6-1

Resetting and Initializing the Printer

6-2

In many cases, you can eliminate a problem by resetting or

initialking

Resetting the printer clears the printer memory without
affecting SelecType settings. Normally you reset the printer for
a problem related to a single print job.

Initialking the printer clears the memory and also returns all

SelecType settings to their factory default settings. Normally
you initialize the printer when the printer settings are not what
you want.

Resetting the printer

When you reset the printer, you clear the printer’s memory.
The print job currently loaded in memory is erased and the
printer is ready to accept another print job. SelecType settings
and downloaded fonts are not affected.

You might want to reset the printer if you suspect the print job
itself is bad and the printer cannot print it.

the printer.

To reset the printer for the currently active interface, hold
down the Alt button while you press
the active interface by turning off the printer for ten seconds,
and then turning it back on; however, all downloaded fonts

will be erased.

To reset all interfaces, hold down both the

buttons until the message RESET ALL appears on the display.

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

R-t.

You

can also reset

Alt

and

Reset

Initializing the printer

When you initialize the printer, you clear the printer’s memory
and you reset all printer settings to the factory defaults. Any
downloaded fonts or SelecType settings that were changed

from the defaults are lost.

You might want to initialize the printer in the following cases:

LI

You have changed the SelecType settings, but you now
want to change everything back to the factory settings.

P

Another user has changed printer settings, but you prefer
to use the factory settings.

To initialize the printer:

1.

Press the

Menu

button until you reach the CONFIG MENU.

2. Press the

3.

Press
to the factory default settings.

4.

Press the
appears, press the

Item

button until you reach SelecType INIT.

the Enter

button. This resets the SelecType settings back

On Line

button. If the RESET TO SAVE message

Reset

button while holding down

Alt.

General Problems

Preventing paper feed and paper jam problems

If you have frequent paper feed or paper jam problems, use
this checklist of corrective measures:

P

Use a higher-quality paper that is not too thin or rough.
Some types of paper require single-sheet feeding. See
Chapter 2, “Paper Handling.”

Troubleshooting and

Maintenance

6-3

0

Fan the stack of paper and then tap it on the edge to align it
before you load it.

P

Be sure that you do not load too much paper in the tray.

P

Be sure to adjust the paper guides so that the paper can

slide in and out freely.

P

Never let more than 100 sheets accumulate in the standard

facedown output tray on top of the printer.

0

Try turning over the stack of paper in the tray. Most paper
packages indicate which side should be face up.

Display panel stays blank when you turn printer on

Turn off the printer and check the power cable connections
between the printer and the electrical outlet; then turn the
printer back on.

If the electrical outlet is controlled by an outside source such as

a wall switch, make sure the switch is turned on or plug
another electrical device into the outlet to check whether the
outlet is operating properly.

The

On Line

Your computer may not be properly

light is on but nothing prints

connected

to the printer.
Perform the procedure “Testing the computer-to-printer
connection” in the Read 7%

First

guide.

The interface cable may not be plugged in securely. Check both
ends of the cable between the printer and the computer. If you
are using a parallel interface, secure the connector using the
wire retaining clips.

6-4

Trauble~hootin~

and Maintenance