Epson COLOR 860 User Manual

EPSON Stylus COLOR 760

EPSON Stylus COLOR 860

Printer Basics

Printed on recycled paper with at least 10% post-consumer content.

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

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

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

Trademarks

EPSON and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

SoundAdvice is a service mark and EPSON FaxAdvice, Micro Piezo, EPSON Software, Film Factory, and PhotoEnhance are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.

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

The E

NERGY STAR

emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.

CPD-8991R1

WELCOME! 1

About Your Software

About Your Documentation

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Windows System Requirements

Macintosh System Requirements

ENERGY STAR Compliance

Year 2000 Ready

Important Safety Instructions

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

VIEWING YOUR ELECTRONIC PRINTER MANUAL 9

Accessing Your Electronic Printer Manual

Navigating Your Electronic Printer Manual

PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH 13

Using the EPSON Guided Printing Exercise

Printing with Windows

13 14

2 3 3 4 5 6 6 6 7

Loading Paper

Opening the Printer Software

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Controlling Printing

Printing on a Macintosh

Loading Paper

Opening the Printer Software

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Controlling Printing

14 15 16 18 19 19 20 21 22

iii

Printing with PhotoEnhance 23 Using Custom Project Types 26 Using Advanced Settings 28 Using Special Papers 31

EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper 31 Matte Paper - Heavyweight 31 EPSON Photo Paper 31 Envelopes 34

Selecting the Correct Media Type 35

MAINTAINING YOUR PRINTER 37

Cleaning the Print Head 37

Using the Head Cleaning Utility 38 Using the Control Panel to Clean the Print Head 39 Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern 40

Replacing an Ink Cartridge 41

Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges 42

Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge 44 Aligning the Print Head 46 Cleaning the Printer 47 Transporting the Printer 48

PROBLEM SOLVING 49

Diagnosing Printer Problems 49

Checking the Control Panel Lights 49

Running a Printer Check 51 Identifying Printer Parts 52 Problems and Solutions 53

Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Software 53

Problems with Printing 54

Problems Getting Good Print Quality 55

Problems with Paper Feeding 58

Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems 59

Uninstalling Printer Software 60

Reinstalling Printer Software 60 Where To Get Help 61

EPSON Technical Support 61

Creative Software Technical Support 62

INDEX 63

Welcome!

Your EPSON Stylus® COLOR printer is the ideal output device for small office or business printing. You can print anything from reports and resumes to photos and overhead transparencies with great results.

The printer comes with these features:

■ Resolutions up to 1440 by 720 dpi (dots per inch), even on plain paper

■ Fast print speeds: EPSON Stylus COLOR 760 prints approximately 7 ppm

(pages per minute) for black text and 6 ppm for color; EPSON Stylus

COLOR 860 prints approximately 9.5 ppm for black text and 7 ppm for color

■ EPSON’s exclusive Micro Piezo

™

ink jet technology for cleaner dots as small as

4 picoliters

■ Specially-designed print engine for whisper-quiet operation

■ Four-color printing for photo-quality color and sharp black text on plain paper or

a variety of special media

■ Great results on any paper size, including letter, legal, envelope, card, and

panoramic paper

■ Creative software for implementing all your print projects

About Your Software

The printer software CD-ROM includes all the software you need for printing:

■ Your printer driver runs your printer and lets you control how your documents

look. You can’t use your printer without it.

■ The EPSON

Guided Printing Exercise, a quick step-by-step guide to changing

your printer software settings

■ Your creative software, including:

■ Polaroid

■ ArcSoft

■ eFax,

PhotoMAX™ Pro, a full-featured image editing program

™

PhotoPrinter™ SE, a photo layout program

™

a program that allows you to send and receive faxes directly from your

PC (trial version; Windows only)

■ EPSON Software

™

Film Factory,™ a photo printing and organizing program

(trial version; Windows only)

■ Your electronic Reference Guide gives you complete information about your

printer. (You need an HTML browser—such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0

or later, or Netscape® Navigator® 3.0 or later—to view the guide.)

If you haven’t yet installed your printer software or creative software from your CD-ROM, see the Start Here poster for instructions.

About Your Documentation

To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here poster. This book contains system requirements, important safety information, and instructions on:

■ viewing your electronic printer manual

■ printing with Windows

■ using special papers

■ maintaining the printer

■ solving basic problems

or on a Macintosh

For more details about printing with, maintaining, or troubleshooting your printer, see your electronic Reference Guide. For instructions on viewing it, see page 9.

(The illustrations in this book show the EPSON Stylus COLOR 860; the EPSON Stylus COLOR 760 has a solid color cover.)

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Please follow these guidelines:

Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

Notes contain important information about your printer.

Tips contain additional hints for better printing.

Windows System Requirements

To use your printer and its software, your system should have:

■ An IBM

compatible PC with at least a 486/66 MHz (for Windows 98) or 486/25 MHz (for Windows 95 or Windows NT® 4.0) processor (Pentium® processor recommended)

■ Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0

■ At least 16MB of RAM (32MB for Windows 95 or 98, or 64MB for

Windows NT 4.0 recommended)

■ At least 50MB of free hard disk space (100MB recommended)

■ VGA, Super VGA, or better display adapter and monitor

■ Double-speed (2x) CD-ROM drive (quad-speed [4x] or faster recommended) for

installing the printer software

■ For parallel connection: a high-speed, bidirectional, IEEE-1284 compliant

parallel cable (6 to 10 feet long); the cable must have a D-SUB, 25-pin, male connector for your computer and a 36-pin, Centronics® compatible connector for the printer

For USB connection: a computer running Windows 98 with a Windows 98 compliant USB port and a shielded USB “AB” cable from Series A (computer) to Series B (printer), up to 6.5 ft. (2 meters) long.

Using an improperly shielded USB cable—especially a cable more than 6.5 ft. (2 meters) long—may cause the printer to malfunction.

Macintosh System Requirements

To use your printer and its software, your system should have:

■ An Apple

■ For iMac: Mac

iMac™ series or Power Macintosh® G3 with USB port

OS 8.1 or later

For Power Macintosh G3: Mac OS 8.5.1 or later

If your iMac is running OS 8.1, you’ll need to update your operating system before installing your printer software. Download and install iMac Update 1.0 or later from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. Contact Apple if you have problems installing the update.

If your iMac is running OS 8.5 or 8.5.1, do not install iMac Update 1.0. Instead, Apple recommends that you download and install iMac Update 1.1.

To find out which operating system your iMac is running, select About This Computer from the Apple menu.

■ At least 16MB of available RAM (32MB recommended)

■ At least 50MB of free hard disk space (100MB recommended)

■ VGA, Super VGA, or better display adapter and monitor

■ Double-speed (2x) CD-ROM drive (quad-speed [4x] or faster recommended) for

installing the printer software

■ A shielded USB “AB” cable from Series A (computer) to Series B (printer), up to

6.5 ft. (2 meters) long.

Using an improperly shielded USB cable—especially a cable more than 6.5 ft. (2 meters) long—may cause the printer to malfunction.

NERGY STAR

Compliance

As an E this product meets the E efficiency. The EPA E program is a voluntary partnership with the computer and office equipment industry to promote the introduction of energy-efficient personal computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers in an effort to reduce air pollution caused by power generation.

NERGY STAR

Partner, EPSON has determined that

NERGY STAR

guidelines for energy

office equipment

Year 2000 Ready

Your EPSON printer is Year 2000 Ready. However, be sure the other parts of your computer system are also ready for the year 2000.

Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure you use the printer safely and effectively:

■ Be sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.

■ Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp cloth only.

Do not spill liquid on the printer.

Always turn the printer off using the switch off the power strip, or unplug the printer until the Ppower light is off.

■ Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a radiator or heating vent

or in direct sunlight.

■ Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s case or insert objects through

the slots.

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

Ppower button. Don’t

■ Connect all equipment to properly grounded power outlets. Avoid using outlets

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

■ Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be easily unplugged.

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

■ Do not let the power cord become damaged or frayed.

■ If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the total ampere rating of

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

■ Except as specifically explained in this manual, do not attempt to service the

printer yourself.

■ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the

following conditions:

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

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

■ Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it from its foil package.

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

■ Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the cartridge during printing.

■ Under normal circumstances, ink will not come out of the cartridge. If it does get

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

■ Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children.

■ Do not dismantle the ink cartridges or try to refill them. This could result in

damage to the print head.

■ Once you install an ink cartridge, do not open the clamp or remove the cartridge

except to replace it with a new one. The cartridge may become unusable otherwise.

■ Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the cartridge package. For

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

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

■ Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may damage the printer.

■ Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is capped in the far right

position and the ink cartridges are in place.

Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual

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

A browser is not included on the printer software CD-ROM.

Accessing Your Electronic Printer Manual

You can view your electronic Reference Guide from the CD-ROM or copy it to your hard drive and view it from there. Follow these steps:

1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM.

2. Windows: Double-click My Computer, double-click your CD-ROM

drive icon, then double-click the EPSON icon.

Macintosh: Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM icon, then double-click the

EPSON

The Main Menu appears:

icon.

Click here

3. Click View Electronic Documentation. The main screen for your printer appears:

4. You can either view the manual from the CD-ROM (View Reference Guide) or copy the manual to your hard drive (Install

Reference Guide

) and view it from there. For details on viewing the manual, see the next section.

If you copied the manual to your hard drive, you can access it at any time, as follows:

Windows: Select Start, Programs, EPSON, and double-click ESC760 Guide or

ESC860 Guide.

Macintosh: Open the EPSON Stylus COLOR 760 or EPSON Stylus COLOR 860 folder and double-click View Reference Guide.

Navigating Your Electronic Printer Manual

When you first open the Reference Guide, you see this screen:

Click here to expand the table of contents

Click a topic on the left to expand the table of contents.

After expanding the table of contents, you can click on the topic you want to view.

If there’s a right arrow , click it to view subtopics, then click on a topic to go to it.

Click the down arrow to close a subtopic list.

Closed list, click to expand

Click to go to topic

Printing from Start to Finish

Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a memo, newsletter, or photograph—from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling the print job. Follow the instructions in these sections:

■ “Printing with Windows” on page 14

■ “Printing on a Macintosh” on page 19

You can even practice selecting settings using the EPSON Guided Printing Exercise, as described below.

If you’re already familiar with ink jet printing, you can skip ahead to these sections:

■ Improving the quality of low-resolution photos and adding special effects with

PhotoEnhance,™ on page 23

■ Selecting a preset project type or a color-matching method, on page 26

■ Fine-tuning your settings for maximum control of your printouts, on page 28

■ Using special papers such as EPSON Photo Paper or envelopes, on page 31

Using the EPSON Guided Printing Exercise

Your printer software CD-ROM includes a Guided Printing Exercise with step-by-step printing instructions showing you how to access your printer software and make changes to the settings.

To run the exercise, do the following:

Windows: Double-click the desktop.

Macintosh: Double-click the

EPSON Guided Printing Exercise

Follow the on-screen instructions to use your printer software and print a full-color image.

EPSON Guided Printing Exercise

folder.

icon on your

icon in the

If you didn’t install the Guided Printing Exercise when you set up your printer, follow these steps to install it:

1. Insert the printer software CD-ROM.

2. Windows: Double-click My Computer, double-click your CD-ROM

drive icon, then double-click the EPSON icon. The Main Menu appears.

Macintosh: Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM drive icon, then double-click the

EPSON icon. The Main Menu appears.

3. Click Install Creative Software, then click EPSON Guided Printing Exercise. The exercise is installed on your system.

Printing with Windows

This section describes these basic steps for printing with Windows:

■ loading paper

■ opening the printer software

■ selecting printer software settings

■ controlling printing

(To print on a Macintosh, see page 19.)

Loading Paper

Load paper only up to this arrow

Make sure your printer and computer are turned on.

Place your paper against the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide against the paper.

Slide paper against the right edge guide

Keep the following in mind when loading paper:

■ Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other side.

■ Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first.

■ Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.

If you’re printing on envelopes or other special paper sizes or types, see page 31 for loading instructions.

Opening the Printer Software

After you open your application program and create your document, you’re ready to select your printer software settings.

From the File menu, click Print. You see your application’s Print dialog box (your dialog box may look slightly different):

Select your printer here

Make the following selections on the Print dialog box:

■ Make sure your

■ If the Print dialog box contains a

Printer, or Options button, click it. Then click

EPSON Stylus COLOR

Properties

printer model is selected.

button, click it. (If you see a Setup,

Properties

Click here to open your printer software

on the next screen.)

If you click the print icon on your application’s tool bar instead of selecting Print from the File menu, you may not get the option to change the printer software settings before printing.

Selecting Printer Software Settings

Once you click Properties, you see your printer software Properties dialog box.

The most important thing to remember is to set the correct Media Type for the paper you’re using. The Media Type setting affects the other options you can choose. If necessary, click the Main tab to display the settings shown below:

Select the type of paper you loaded

Select the Ink color

Select Automatic mode

Select faster or higher-quality printing, or in-between

Click OK

Make the following settings on the Properties dialog box:

■ Choose the

Media Type

you’re printing on (click the arrow button to scroll through the list). If you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 35.

■ Set the Ink option to

Color

to print a color

document. To print a black text document, click

Black

■ Set the Mode option to Automatic. This lets the printer software determine the

best settings for your print job. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results on all types of paper.

■ Set the slider in the Mode box to Quality or Speed. This lets you choose between

a higher resolution or faster printing (or an in-between setting) for the paper you’re using. (The slider is not available when certain media types are selected.)

■ When you’ve selected your settings, click OK to return to your application’s Print

dialog box.

For more information about printer settings, click the Help button. Or you can right-click any item on the screen and then click What’s This?.

Selecting Windows Default Settings

The printer settings you make apply only to the application you’re currently using. If you usually print one type of document in different applications—for example, black ink on legal size paper—you can change the default printer settings for all your programs. You do this using the Windows Printer utility:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then select Printers.

2. Right-click the EPSON Stylus COLOR 760 or 860 icon.

3. Select Properties (Document Defaults in Windows NT). Then click the Main tab.

4. Select the default settings you want to use for all your applications. Click OK when you’re finished.

Remember, you can always change the default settings in your application when you want to print different types of documents. Another way to select a group of settings quickly is to save them as a group; see page 28 for details.

+ 51 hidden pages

Epson COLOR 860 User Manual

Contents

Welcome!

About Your Software

About Your Documentation

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Windows System Requirements

Macintosh System Requirements

Year 2000 Ready

Important Safety Instructions

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual

Accessing Your Electronic Printer Manual

Navigating Your Electronic Printer Manual

Printing from Start to Finish

Using the EPSON Guided Printing Exercise

Printing with Windows

Loading Paper

Opening the Printer Software

Selecting Printer Software Settings