Epson DFX-5000+, FX-1050, FX-1170, FX-1180+, FX-2170 Technical Brief

Contents

This technical brief provides detailed information on the following topics, related to all EPSON impact printers:

Functionality ▼ Printing technology

▼Control code/emulation

▼Paper handling

▼SmartPark™ settings

Versatility

▼ Flexible interfacing

▼Built-in fonts

▼Computer-based set-up

Reliability

▼ Ribbon quality

▼Ribbon cartridge reliability

▼Total Print Volume vs. MTBF

▼Off-carriage motor assembly

Functionality—Printing technology

Why buy an impact printer? An impact printer has several advantages over any other type of printer:

▲	Low cost — both in purchase price and low cost of ownership
▲	Flexible paper handling — only impact printers can handle multi-part forms and multiple paper paths
	that can all have paper loaded and waiting.
▲	Reliability — EPSON impact printers are renowned for their reliability with tireless printheads and
	superior quality ribbons.

Impact printers are either 9- or 24-pin, which determines the type of printing and the number of multi-part forms that the printer are capable of printing.

Nine-pin impact printers — These printers have the sturdiest printhead pins which:

▲ ▲ ▲

Hit the paper hard to make impressions through the thickest multi-part forms Offer the fastest print speeds

Print from High Speed Draft up to Near Letter Quality

Twenty-four-pin impact printers — These printers have finer printhead pins which:

▲ ▲ ▲

Hit the paper less hard to make impressions through most multi-part forms Offer finer Letter Quality printing

Print from High Speed Draft up to Letter Quality

The name of an EPSON's impact printer tells you if it is a 9- or a 24-pin printer, and whether it has a narrow or wide carriage:

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Nine-pin printers all begin with FX, LX, or DFX Twenty-four pin printers all begin with LQ

Wide carriage printers have 4 number in their names Narrow carriage printers have 3 numbers in their names

FX-980—Nine- narrow carriage

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Functionality—Control code/emulation

All EPSON impact printers utilize EPSON Standard Code (ESC/P and ESC/P 2) printer control language, which is the industry standard for simple, efficient operation of impact printers.

EPSON 9-pin impact printers utilize ESC/P, the original printer control language.

EPSON 24-pin impact printers utilize ESC/P 2, which includes these additional features:

▲ ▲

Proportionally-spaced scalable fonts

Enhanced graphics printing which prints with 360 dpi in a single pass of the print head and enhances printing with Windows applications.

Most EPSON impact printers also offer an IBM emulation, which allows more connectivity compatibility.

Functionality—Paper handling

Versatile paper handling allows EPSON impact printers to handle several different types of paper — many at the same time.

Tractor paper paths:

EPSON impact printers all include a rear tractor. In some models this tractor is moveable, and in some it is fixed. Some EPSON impact printers also include additional tractor units, and all of EPSON's impact printers have optional tractor units available.

The following chart explains the best use for the push tractor, pull tractor, and push/pull tractor combinations:

	Push tractor	Pull tractor	Push/Pull tractor
	Best for reports, forms, etc.,	Gives you better control	Gives you the greatest control
	and allows you to achieve	when printing on multi-part	when printing on multi-part
	zero tear-off and top of form	forms by ensuring that the	forms by ensuring that the
	adjustment (which allows you	forms stay properly aligned.	forms stay properly aligned
	to tear off the printed	Available in front, bottom and	and do not get jammed or
	document or form without	rear paper paths.	misfed.
	wasting a sheet.)	Bottom pull paper path	Two tractors hold the forms
	Available in front and rear
			securely.
	paper paths.
	Front push paper path
			Rear push/pull

Front push/pull

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Single sheet paper paths:

EPSON impact printers all can handle single sheet paper and single sheet multi-part forms, many EPSON impact printers have both front and top paper paths:

Front paper path

The front paper path has an almost straight-through paper path, which helps eliminate paper jams and minimizes misfeeds, especially

when printing on multi-part forms.

Paper feed method	Type of paper
Front Paper Guide	Single sheets, single
	sheet labels, topor
	side-bound single
	sheet multi-part
	forms

Top paper path

The top paper path accommodates single sheets, envelopes or postcards and optional cut sheet feeders.

Paper feed method	Type of paper
Top friction feed (standard	Single sheets,
paper guide)	envelopes, or
Optional high-capacity cut-	postcards.
sheet feeder
Optional second-bin cut-
sheet feeder

Paper thickness adjustment:

▲	Most EPSON impact printers have a Paper Thickness Lever
	that allows the printer to accommodate various thicknesses
	of paper.
▲	The DFX series EPSON impact printers have an Automatic
	Platten Gap Adjustment which automatically adjusts the
	platten to the thickness of the paper.
Paper release lever positions:
▲	You can load continuous paper in the printer from various
	paper sources, such as the rear or front push tractors and
	use the paper release lever to indicate the paper source you
	want to use.
Sample paper release lever chart
Paper release		Description
lever position
	CUT	Single-sheet position
		For loading single sheets from the top or front slot.
	FF	Rear push tractor position
	PUSH	For loading continuous paper from the tractor in the read push position. Set the
		lever to this position when using the rear push and pull tractor in combination.
		Front push tractor position
		For loading continuous paper from the tractor in the front push position. Set the
		lever to this position when using the front push and pull tractors in combination.
	FF	Pull tractor position
	PULL	For loading continuous paper from the tractor on top of the printer in the pull
		position. When the tractor is in the pull position, you can load paper in the front,
		rear, or bottom slot.

Paper

Thickness

Lever

						1	0	-1
				3	2
			4
		5
	6
7

Paper

Release

Lever

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