Epson FX-850 User Manual

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User’s Manual

EPSON

User’s Manual

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

FOR AMERICAN USERS

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

- Reorient the receiving antenna

- Relocate the printer with respect to the receiver

Plug the printer into a different outlet so that the printer and receiver are on different branch circuits.

If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal

Communications Commission helpful:

‘Television Interference Handbook.”

This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Stock

No. 004-000-00450-7.

WARNING

The connection of a nonshielded printer interface cable to this printer will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by

the FCC for this equipment. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave

cables connected to unused interfaces.

transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Seiko Epson Corporation. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, Seiko Epson Corporation assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Seiko Epson Corporation shall not be held liable for any damages or problems arising from the use of any options other than those designated as Original Epson Products by Seiko Epson Corporation.

Centronics is a registered trademark of Centronics Data Computer Corporation. Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

Nagano, Japan

Introduction Features

Options About This Guide

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer Choosing a Place for the Printer Assembling the Printer Testing the Printer

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

Paper Handling

Using Single Sheets Using Continuous Paper

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Adjusting the Loading Position

Using Micro-Adjustment Using Short Tear-Off Printing on Special Paper

Using the Printer

Operating the Control Panel

Setting the DIP Switches Selecting Typestyles Enhancing Your Printing

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1 1

1-1

1-2

1-5 1-6

1-12

1-18

2-1

.2-2

.2-4

2-10

2-14

2-14 2-15 2-17

3-1

3-2

3-5 3-10 3-13

Using Software and Graphics

Using the FX with Application Programs Computer-Printer Communication Dot Graphics User-Defined Characters

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4-1 4-2 4-5

4-8

4-19

iii

Maintenance

Cleaning the Printer Replacing the Ribbon Transporting the Printer

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.....................................5-2

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................................ 5-6

5-1

.5-3

Troubleshooting

Problems and Solutions Data Dump Mode

Using Printer Options The Cut Sheet Feeder The Pull Tractor Interface Boards

Command Summary

Commands in Numerical Order Epson (ESC/P) Commands IBM Emulation Mode Commands

Appendix Printer Specifications

Interface Specifications Initialization

A: Technical Specifications

Appendix B: Tables

Proportional Width Table Character Tables

Glossary

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A- 8

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GL-1

6-1

6-5

7-1

7-2 7-15 7-22

8-1

8-4

8-8

8-41

A-1

A-2 A-5

B-1

B-2

B-6

Index

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Index-1

Introduction

The FX-850 and FX-1050 printers combine all the well-known features of previous Epson® 9-pin printers with many features normally exclusive to costly 24-pin printers.

Features

In addition to the high-quality printing and ease of operation you’ve come to expect from Epson printers, the FX-850 and FX-1050 offer the following:

An advanced paper handling system that lets you use single sheets of paper without removing the continuous paper. This system allows you to use continuous paper even while the optional cut sheet feeder is attached.

A new short tear-off feature that saves paper. After you tear off the last sheet printed on continuous paper, the printer reverses the paper so that you can use all of the next sheet.

A micro-adjustment feature that allows you to feed the paper forward or backward to finely adjust the loading and short tear-off positions.

An improved control panel design that allows direct selection of character fonts and pitch, as well as a choice of draft or near letter quality (NLQ) printing.

Draft mode with fast printing of up to 264 characters per second at

12 cpi. The ability to handle a wide range of paper types, including

envelopes. Double-high and double-wide printing for headings and special

emphasis.

Introduction

options

A variety of printer options are available for use with FX printers. For detailed information on the installation and use of these options, see Chapter 7.

Single-bin cut sheet feeder

The cut sheet feeder gives you easier and more efficient handling of single

sheet paper. Up to 150 sheets of standard bond paper can be fed automatically into the printer without reloading. This unit also can automatically feed envelopes.

Pull tractor unit

This option improves the performance of continuous paper handling. It

is especially useful with continuous multi-part forms.

Optional interface boards

A number of optional interfaces can be used to supplement the FX’s built-

in parallel interface. Guidelines for choosing the right interface and

instructions on installing the boards are given in the section on interface

boards in Chapter 7.

About This Guide

This User’s Guide provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions for

setting up and operating the FX-850 and FX-1050 printers. The FX-850

and FX-1050 are basically the same printer except that the FX-1050 can

accept wider paper. The illustrations in this manual usually show the

FX-1050 printer.

Finding your way around

Chapter 1 contains information on unpacking, setting up, testing, and connecting the printer. Be sure to read and follow the instructions in this chapter first.

Chapters 2 and 3 include important information on paper handling and general printer operation. This information is necessary for the day-today operation of your printer.

Introduction

Chapter 4 contains information designed to help you get the most from your printer. This section includes advice on the use of software, printer commands, graphics, and user-defined characters. Also, see Chapter 8 for a summary of printer commands.

If the printer does not operate properly or the printed results are not what you expect, see Chapter 6 for a list of possible problems and recommended solutions.

Other chapters contain information on general maintenance, use of the printer options, and specifications. There is also a glossary of printer

terms and an index.

At the back of this guide is a Quick Reference card that contains information about commands and settings for your printer.

Conventions used in this guide

WARNINGS: must be followed carefully to avoid damage to your printer and computer.

Cautions: should be followed carefully to ensure that your printer operates correctly.

Notes: contain important information and useful tips on the operation

of your printer.

Introduction

Chapter 1

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer

Removing the protective materials

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Assembling the Printer

Installing the platen knob

Installing the ribbon cartridge

Attaching the paper guide Testing the Printer

Plugging in the printer Loading a sheet of paper Running the self test

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

Connecting the parallel interface cable

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

1-13

1-2

1-3 1-5

1-6

1-6 1-8

1-11 1-12

1-13

1-16

1-18 1-18

Setting Up the Printer

l-l

Unpacking the Printer

As you unpack the printer, check that you have all the parts shown below and

that

none has been damaged during transportation.

Printer

Cross-head screwdriver

Platen knob

Note: You’ll find the platen knob in a piece of the foam packing.

After removing

need to transport your printer.

1-2

the

parts, store

the

packaging materials in case you ever

Setting Up the Printer

Removing the protective materials

The printer is protected during shipping by two locking tabs and a print head protector. These protective items must be removed before you turn on the printer. After removing these items, store them with the other packaging material.

Remove the printer cover.

Remove the print head protector.

Setting Up the Printer

1-3

Remove the left and right locking tabs.

Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. Then, use the enclosed cross-head screwdriver to unscrew and remove the two transport locking brackets.

1-4

WARNING: Be sure to remove all protective materials before you turn on the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

Choosing a Place for the Printer

When you select a location for your printer, keep the following in mind:

Place the printer on a flat, stable surface.

Place the printer close enough to the computer for its cable to reach.

Leave adequate room around the printer to allow for easy operation and maintenance.

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

The illustration below shows a good printer setup.

Setting Up the Printer

1-5

WARNING:

Avoid locations that are subject to direct sunlight,

excessive heat, moisture, or dust.

Avoid using electrical outlets that are controlled by wall switches or automatic timers. Accidental disruption of power can wipe out information in both your computer’s memory and your printer’s memory.

Avoid using outlets on the same circuit with large motors or other appliances that might disturb the power supply.

Keep the entire computer system away from potential sources of interference such as loudspeakers or the base units of cordless telephones.

Assembling the Printer

To assemble the printer, you need only do the following:

Install the platen knob

Install the ribbon cartridge

Attach the paper guide.

Installing the platen knob

The first step in setting up the printer is to install the platen knob. You should never need to use this knob during the normal operation of your printer. However, in case of a paper jam, you can use this knob to manually feed paper. (Be sure the printer is turned off before using the platen knob.)

You’ll find the platen knob packed in an indentation in the white foam packing material.

1-6

Setting Up the Printer

Insert the knob into the hole on the printer’s side and rotate it until it

slips onto

Push firmly on the

the

shaft.

knob

until it fits against the printer

case.

Caution: Never use the platen knob to adjust the position of the paper except in the case of a paper jam. Only use the platen knob when the printer is turned off.

Setting Up the Printer

1-7

Installing the ribbon cartridge

Follow these steps to install the ribbon cartridge:

1. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer.

Caution: Never move the print head while the printer is turned on because this can damage the printer. Also, if you have been using the printer, the print head may be

hot;

let it cool for a few minutes before

touching it.

2. Remove the ribbon cartridge from its box and remove the plastic wrapper.

1-8

Setting Up the Printer

3. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow. This removes any excess slack in the ribbon and makes it easier to install.

Hold the ribbon cartridge by its handles and push it firmly down into position, making sure the plastic hooks fit into the printer. (The FX-850 has only one handle in the center of the ribbon cartridge.)

Press lightly on both sides of the cartridge to be sure the hooks are

properly inserted.

Setting Up the Printer

1-9

Use a pointed object, such as the tip of a pencil, to guide the ribbon

between the print head and ribbon guide while you turn the ribbontightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place.

6. Slide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves smoothly. Also make sure the ribbon is not twisted or creased.

1-10 Setting: Up the Printer

Attaching the paper guide

The paper guide functions to feed the paper smoothly and efficiently. Follow these steps to install the paper guide:

Place the paper guide on the printer.

Raise the paper guide until it locks into place.

Setting Up the Printer

1-11

Now reinstall the printer cover by fitting the legs of the cover into the notches at the front of the printer.

Close the printer cover.

Testing the Printer

Now that your printer is fully assembled, you can use the built-in self

test function to see that the printer is working correctly even though it is not connected to a computer. Be sure to perform this test to check that your printer is operating properly

Before running the self test, you need to connect your printer to an electrical outlet and load a sheet of paper.

1-12

Setting Up

the

Printer

Plugging in the printer

Follow these steps to plug in the printer:

1. Be sure the printer is turned off.

Plug the power cable into a properly grounded electrical outlet.

WARNING: Whenever you turn off the power, wait at least five seconds before turning it back on. Rapid switching on and off can damage the printer.

Loading a sheet of paper

Next, you need to load a sheet of paper FX-850) or 14 inches wide (if you have an FX-1050).

that

is letter size (if you have an

WARNING: Before turning on the printer, be absolutely sure you have removed all protective materials. Turning on the printer while the print head cannot move may seriously damage the print mechanism.

Turn on the printer. The green on.

POWER

and red

PAPER OUT

lights come

Setting Up the Printer

1-13

be sure that the paper release lever is pushed back to the single sheet

position.

Move the left edge guide so it locks in place

3. paper guide.

1-14

next to the arrow on the

setting Up the Printer

Adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper. Next, slide a sheet down between the edge guides until it meets resistance.

Press the

LOAD/EJECT

button once to automatically load the paper. If the platen turns without loading the paper, remove the paper completely and re-insert it more firmly; then press the

LOAD/EJECT

button again.

Setting Up the Printer

1-15

Running the self test

The self test can be run in draft mode or near letter quality (NLQ) mode. Follow the steps below.

Load a sheet of paper as described above.

WARNING: Never run the self test using paper that is narrower than 8¼ inches if you have an FX-850, or

if you have an FX-1050, because you may seriously damage

14 inches

the print head.

Turn off the printer.

While holding down the printing starts, release the

LINE FEED

button, turn on the printer. After

button.

1-16

Setting Up the

Printer

A list of your printer’s settings is printed first, followed by a series of characters. Here is part of a typical draft self test:

%‘( )*+,-.

’ t I*+,-

t I*+,--.

The self test continues until the paper runs out or until you press the

ON LINE

/t312345(5’7#9:

, ./(.,.j.;:345,5789: a. .

/ (:) J 2 3 4 5 6 7 $3 9 :.; c, -

button. To stop the test temporarily, press the

;

,:::=:.

~?@APCDEI=‘GH I J

..-...

,’ -‘s.?&APCDEF~GH I

‘--“.‘;:@!ABC;DEFGH 1 J

KLMNC)POI

KI....MNUF’GlK

&MNU/=QFtS

ON LINE

button to take the printer off line.

To end the self test, be sure

EJECT

button to eject any paper that is still loaded, and then turn off

the

printer is off line. Press the

LOAD/

the printer.

Note: When the cut sheet feeder is installed, the self test printout is

slightly

different. For details, see the section on the cut sheet feeder in

Chapter 7.

To run the self test in NLQ mode, follow these steps:

Load another

Turn off the printer, then turn it on again while holding down the

FORM FEED

sheet

of paper as described above.

button. After printing starts, release the

FORM FEED

button.

Setting Up the Printer

1-17

Part of a typical self test in NLQ mode is shown below:

a-()*+,-.

‘(I*+,-./0123456’789:;~=~?t@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR

(I*+,-./0123456789:;~=~?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS’

To end the self test, press line. Then press off the printer.

/0123456789:;<=>?BABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ

the ON LINE

the LOAD/EJECT

button to take the printer off

button to eject the paper, and turn

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

If the self test printed correctly and your printouts looked like the ones shown, you are now ready to connect your printer to the computer.

Your FX printer has a Centronics®-compatible parallel interface. If you have a suitable shielded cable, you should be able to connect your printer immediately. If your computer requires the use of another type of

interface, you need to install an optional interface board. If you are unsure whether your computer has a parallel interface, see

your computer’s operating manual. If the computer cannot use a parallel

interface, see the section

interface boards in Chapter

Connecting the parallel interface cable

Connect

the

parallel interface cable as described below:

Turn off both the printer and your computer.

1-18

Setting Up

the

Printer

Plug the cable connector securely into the printer.

Squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on either side of the connector.

Note: For your printer to work properly, this connection must be secure.

If your cable has a ground wire, connect it to the ground connector

beneath

Plug the other end of the cable into the computer. (If there is a ground wire at the computer end of the cable,

the

interface connector.

attach

it to the ground

connector at the back of the computer.)

1-20

Setting Up the Printer

Chapter 2

Paper Handling

Using Single Sheets

Reloading during printing

Using Continuous Paper

Positioning your continuous paper supply

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Switching back to continuous paper Adjusting the Loading Position Using Micro-Adjustment Using Short Tear-Off

Printing on Special Paper

The paper thickness lever Multi-part forms

Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Envelopes

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2-2

2-4 2-4

2-9

2-10

2-13

2-14

2-15 2-17

2-17 2-18

2-19

Paper Handling

2-1

Using Single Sheets

Your printer can handle a wide range of paper sizes up to a maximum width of

Always make sure that your printing is confined to the size of paper you are using. Never print on the platen (black roller).

If you do most of your printing on single sheets, you may find it more convenient to install the optional cut sheet feeder. This option automatically inserts a new sheet whenever required and can hold up to

150 pages or 25 envelopes. For more details, see Chapter 7.

To load a single sheet of paper follow these steps:

10.1

inches on the FX-850 or

14.4

inches on the FX-1050.

Note: If you

instructions on page

single sheets.

Turn on the printer.

1. Push the paper release lever back to the single sheet position.

already have

continuous

2-10

for switching between continuous

paper loaded, follow the

paper and

2-2

Paper Handling

Stand the paper guide in an upright position and align the left edge

guide with the arrow on the paper guide. (You may want to change

this position later, depending

application program.)

the margin settings of your

Adjust the

Slide the paper down between the edge guides until it meets

resistance. At this point,

Press the

loading position.

right

edge guide to fit the size of the paper.

the PAPER OUT

LOAD/EJECT

button to automatically feed the paper to the

light turns off.

WARNING: Never advance the paper using the platen knob while the printer is turned on.

Press the

ON LINE

button so that the

ON LINE

indicator lights up.

Paper Handling

2-3

If the platen (black roller) turns but the sheet does not load, remove the sheet completely from the printer. Then make sure the paper release lever is pushed back. Press the paper a bit more firmly into place and try again.

To eject the paper, press the and press

the LOAD/EJECT

ON LINE

button.

button to take the printer off line,

Reloading during printing

When you print a document more than one page long using single paper, the printer stops printing when it reaches the bottom of the paper and ejects the page. When this happens, either the automatically or it may remain on, depending on your application software. If the press the light is off, remove the sheet that has just been printed and load a new sheet as before. Press

ON LINE

light remains on, the first thing you should do is

button to take the printer off line. Once the

ON LINE

to start printing the next page.

ON LINE

sheet

light goes off

ON LINE

Using Continuous Paper

The tractor built into the FX is remarkably easy to load and operate. Its low-profile design takes up little space and can handle a wide variety of

paper widths.

To load continuous paper, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the printer.

Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper position.

2-4

Paper Handling

Release the sprocket lock

Slide the left sprocket unit all the way to the left and lock it in place.

levers

by pulling each lever forward.

Paper Handling

2-5

Next, slide the right sprocket unit to match roughly the width of your paper. (Do not lock it.)

Slide the paper support to a point midway between the sprocket

units.

Open both sprocket covers.

2-6

Paper Handling

8. Fit the first four

shown below. Then close the sprocket covers.

9. Slide the right sprocket unit to a position where the paper is straight and has no wrinkles, and then lock it in place.

10. Reattach the paper guide as shown below.

holes

in the paper over the pins of the sprocket units

Paper Handling

2-7

Caution:

edge guides are pushed together.

11.

12.

Press the

position. The printer remembers this position and advances each page to the same position.

13.

Press the

accept data.

When using continuous

the

printer cover and turn on

LOAD/EJECT

ON LINE

button to feed the paper to the loading

button to put the printer on line

paper, always make sure that the

the

printer.

so that

can

If you find prints too high or too low on the page or is printing on the perforations, check the loading position. If you need to adjust this position, you can use the micro-adjustment feature. This feature gives you precise control

over the position of your paper by allowing you to feed the paper forward or backward in 2/216-inch increments. For more information, see the section on micro-adjustment later in this chapter.

When using continuous paper, you can also choose

feature to give you added paper handling capabilities. This feature

automatically feeds the paper forward so that you can tear it off at its

perforation. The printer then reverses the paper feed so you can resume

printing at the loading position. Short tear-off makes it easier to detach

printed pages and saves the blank pages that are usually lost between

printing jobs. See the section on short tear-off later in this chapter for

details.

that

your word processing or other application program

the

short tear-off

WARNING:

If you need to adjust the loading position,

always use the micro-adjustment feature. Never advance the paper using the platen knob while the printer is turned on.

2-8

Paper Handling

Positioning your continuous paper supply

Three common ways of positioning your printer and continuous paper supply are shown below.

It’s important to keep your paper supply aligned with the tractor

so that

the paper feeds smoothly into the printer.

Paper Handling

2-9

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Even with continuous paper loaded in the printer, you can easily switch

to single sheet printing without removing

tractor. To switch from continuous paper to single steps below.

Open the printer cover and press printer off line.

the

continuous

the ON LINE

paper from the

sheets,

button to take the

follow the

Remove your printed document. If you are off function, press the to a

point where it

FORM FEED

can be

removed.

button to advance your document

not

using the short tear-

Note: To avoid feeding your continuous paper backward more than is necessary, always make sure that you tear off the printed document before removing paper with the

2-10

LOAD/EJECT

button.

Paper Handling

Press the out of the printer and into a standby position. The paper is still attached to the tractor, but is no longer in the paper path. The

PAPER OUT

paper path.

Note: back enough to reach a standby position. If the PAPER

LOAD/EJECT

light comes on when the paper is completely out of the

Pressing the

LOAD/EJECT

button to feed the continuous paper backward

button

once may not feed the paper

OUT light

does

not come on, press the LDAD/EJECT button again. With normal

continuous paper, you times. (With continuous paper narrower than six the LOAD/EJECT button only once.)

Push the paper release lever back to the single sheet position.

can press the LOAD/EJECT

button up to three

inches, you can

press

Paper Handling

2-11

Stand the paper guide upright, and adjust the edge guides to roughly

match the width of your paper.

Close the printer cover. Next, slide the paper between the edge guides until it meets resistance. At this point, the

PAPER OUT

light turns off.

Press the

loading position.

2-12

LOAD/EJECT

button to automatically feed the page to the

Paper Handling

Press the

ON LINE

button to put

the

printer on line.

Switching back to continuous paper

To switch back to printing with continuous paper, first eject the single

sheet of paper and take the printer off line.

Open the printer cover. Lower the paper guide onto the back of the printer.

2. Pull the paper release lever forward to

Press the position.

Press the

LOAD/EJECT

ON LINE

button to put

button to feed

the

paper to the loading

printer on line.

Paper Handling

continuous paper position.

2-13

Adjusting the Loading Position

The loading position is automatically loaded by determines where the printing begins on high or too low on the page, you need to change the loading position using the micro-adjustment feature described in the next section.

Until the loading position is reset, the printer remembers the position and uses it as a reference point for feeding the paper.

WARNING: If you need to adjust the loading position,

the

position of the paper when it has been

the

printer. This position is important because it

the

page. If the printing is too

always use the micro-adjustment feature. Never use the platen knob for paper feeding except in case of a paper feeding problem.

Once you continuous paper, the printer remembers turned off. However, when you use micro-adjustment to change the loading position of single position after the power is turned off. When on, the loading position returns to its factory setting.

have

used micro-adjustment to change the loading position of

that

position even after it is

sheet

paper, the printer does not remember this

the

power is turned back

Using Micro-Adjustment

The micro-adjustment feature moves the paper 2/216th of time to make fine adjustments to the loading or short tear-off positions. Micro-adjustment only works immediately after you load paper or use the short tear-off function. You can use micro-adjustment only when the printer is on line and

the ON LINE

indicator light is flashing.

inch at a

After you adjust the tear-off position or after you adjust the loading position for continuous paper, the printer remembers after it is turned off, reset, or initialized. However, when you adjust the loading position for single-sheet paper, the printer does not remember

new

position after the power is tuned off.

2-14

that

position even

Paper Handling

the

This section describes using micro-adjustment to change the loading position, but you can adjust the short tear-off position the same way. See the next section on using short tear-off for more information.

To perform micro-adjustment of the loading position, first load your paper, and then press the

ON LINE

use the

indicator light starts to flash. While this light is flashing, you can

FORM FEED

and

LINE FEED

ON LINE

button to put the printer on line. The

buttons for micro-adjustment.

Press the button to feed the paper backward.

Each time you press the button, the paper moves you hold the button down, the paper moves continuously in 2/216-inch increments.

When the paper reaches the factory-set loading position, the printer beeps and micro-adjustment feeding pauses for a moment before

continuing. You can use this factory setting as a reference point when adjusting the printer’s loading position. When the paper reaches either

the

stops moving.

FORM FEED

minimum or maximum top margin, the printer beeps and the paper

button to feed the paper forward or the

2/216

LINE FEED

of an inch. If

Using Short Tear-Off

When you are finished printing, the short tear-off feature automatically feeds the perforation of the continuous paper to the tear-off edge of the printer cover printing, the printer reverses the paper back to the loading position so

that you can use all of the next sheet.

so that

WARNING: Never use short tear-off with labels.

you can tear off the last sheet. When you resume

To use short tear-off, first turn off the printer and turn DIP switch off. (See the section on setting DIP switches in Chapter 3.) Then load continuous paper as usual, but leave the rear section of the printer cover open so that you can use the cover as a tear-off edge.

Paper Handling

1-5

2-15

The short tear-off function operates as follows:

1. The perforation at the end of the last printed page feeds to the tear-off edge of the printer cover.

2. Tear off

the

page using the printer cover’s tear-off edge.

3. If you need to adjust the position of the perforation to meet the tearoff edge, use micro-adjustment. This feature adjusts your tear-off position only when you use it immediately after short tear-off. First, make sure that the printer is on line and the flashing. by pressing the

LINE FEED

Then,

adjust the position in 2/216th-of-an-inch increments

FORM FEED

button to feed the paper forward or the

button to feed it backward.

ON LINE

indicator light is

After micro-adjustment,

valid

even

after the printer is turned off, reset, or initialized.

the

new tear-off position is reset and remains

4. When you resume printing after tearing off the sheet, the paper

automatically feeds backward to the loading position before printing begins.

2-16

Paper Handling

You can leave the short tear-off feature turned on (DIP switch 1-5 off) even when you are using single sheets. When you move the paper release lever to the single sheet position, short tear-off is disabled.

Printing on Special Paper

In addition to using single sheets and continuous paper, your printer can also print on a wide variety of paper types, including multi-part forms

and labels. You can even feed envelopes, either manually or with the

optional cut sheet feeder. Before printing on these special types of paper, however, you need to adjust the paper thickness setting.

The paper thickness lever

To accommodate various thicknesses of paper, the FX printer is equipped with a paper thickness lever that can be set to eight positions. These positions are identified by a scale on the printer frame next to the lever.

Before changing the paper thickness setting, first make sure the power is off and then remove the printer cover.

WARNING: If you’ve been using the printer just before opening the printer cover, be careful not to touch the print

head because it may be hot.

Select the paper thickness you want according to the figure below. For

normal use, the lever should always be set to position 2 on the scale.

Paper Handling

2-17

For printing on special types of paper, see the table below. It gives you general guidelines for selecting the right paper thickness lever position to match your paper.

Paper Type

Paper (single sheets or continuous)

Thin paper

Multi-part paper

3-sheet

4-sheet Labels Envelopes

Air mail

Plain Bond (20 lb.)

1 Bond (24 lb.)

Always return the lever to position 2 when you go back to printing on

ordinary paper. Continuous printing with the lever set at a position

higher than 2

can

shorten the life of the print head.

WARNING: Printing past the edge of envelopes, multi-part forms, labels, or thick paper can damage the print head.

Lever Position

4 3

3 or 4

When you print on anything thicker than normal paper, such as envelopes or multi-part forms, be absolutely sure that your printing stays within the printable area of the paper. See page 2-20 and Appendix A for more about the printable area of the paper.

Multi-part forms

Your printer can also use continuous multi-part forms. These multiple forms should have no more than four parts including the original.

Note: Multi-part forms should not be used with the single sheet

feeding system or the optional cut sheet feeder.

2-18

Paper Handling

You load continuous multi-part paper the same way that you load continuous paper. See the section on loading continuous paper in this

chapter for details. The only difference is that you need to adjust the

paper thickness lever to suit the thickness of your paper before loading.

See

the

table above for the correct paper thickness setting.

Labels

If you need to print labels, always choose the type mounted on a

continuous base sheet provided with sprocket holes for use with the tractor. If you attempt to print labels using the single-sheet feeding system, labels on a shiny base sheet almost always slip a little.

You load labels the same way that you load continuous paper. See section on loading continuous paper in this chapter for details. The only difference is that you need to adjust

the

thickness of your labels. See the table above for the correct paper

thickness setting. To remove labels, tear off at a perforation behind the push tractor. Then

take the printer off line and

use the FORM FEED

WARNING: Never feed the labels

the

paper thickness lever to match

button to eject the labels.

backward through the

the

printer. Labels can easily come off the backing and jam the

printer. Therefore,

never use the LOAD/EJECT

button to eject labels or to feed labels backward to the standby position. Also, never use the short tear-off feature with labels. If a

label does become stuck in the printer mechanism, take the printer to a qualified service person. Since labels are especially sensitive to temperature and humidity, always use them under normal operating conditions.

Envelopes

You can print on a variety of envelopes, including air mail, plain, or

bond. To feed envelopes individually, use the single First, set the paper thickness lever as indicated in follow the single sheet loading instructions at the beginning of this chapter.

sheet

loading feature.

the

table above. Then,

Paper Handling

2-19

You can also feed envelopes with the optional cut sheet feeder. See the section on the cut sheet feeder in Chapter 7. Before loading envelopes into the cut sheet feeder, you need to adjust the paper thickness lever. See

the

table showing envelope types and recommended lever positions on

page 2-18.

WARNING: When

application program settings keep the printing entirely within the printable area of the envelopes as

printing on envelopes, be sure that your

shown below.

10.33

-4

0.87” or mom

I 9

0.12” or more

To make sure that

print a test on a single sheet of paper before printing on envelopes.

the printing fits within this area, always

or more

2-20

Paper Handling

Chapter 3

Using the Printer

Operating the Control Panel

Lights Buttons

SelecType Other control panel features

Setting the DIP Switches

DIP switch functions

Selecting Typestyles

Using SelecType

Character fonts

Characters per inch

Condensed mode If SelecType does not work

Enhancing Your Printing

Character size

Emphasized and double-strike printing

Italic printing Underlining Superscripts and subscripts Selecting typestyles with Master Select

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3-2

3-2 3-3 3-4

.3-5

3-5 3-6

3-10

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

3-13 3-13

...................... .3-14

3-15

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

3-15

Using the Printer

3-1

Operating the Control Panel

The buttons on the control panel let you control many of the printer settings. The control panel also has indicator lights so you can check the current status of the printer’s various settings.

Lights

POWER

On when the power switch is on and power is supplied.

READY

On when the printer is ready to

accept input data. Flickers when receiving data.

PAPER OUT

On when the printer is out of paper

or when continuous paper is in the

standby position.

ON LINE

On when the printer is on line and ready to accept data. This light flashes immediately after you load paper or use short tear-off to indicate

that micro-adjustment can be used.

3-2

Using the Printer

Buttons

ON LINE

This button controls the printer’s on line/off line status. When the printer

is on line, the printer can receive and

print data from the computer.

FORM FEED

When the printer is off line, press this button to eject a single

or advance continuous paper to the, top of the next page. When the printer is on line, you can use the micro-adjustment feature by pressing this button to advance the paper.

LINE FEED

When the printer is off line, press this button to feed the paper one line, or

hold it down to f&d the paper continuously. When the printer is on line, you can use the microadjustment feature by pressing this

button to reverse the paper.

sheet

of paper

Using the Printer

LOAD/EJECT

When the printer is off line, press this button to load paper if paper is not

loaded, or to eject it if paper is loaded. (Single sheet paper is ejected forward and continuous paper is ejected backward.)

3-3

SelecType

The

settings

you turn off, reset, or initialize the printer.

you select using the SelecType panel remain valid even after

FONT

Press this button to select draft, near letter quality Roman, or near letter quality Sans Serif. The indicator light shows which font has been selected.

CHARACTERS PER INCH

Press this button to select the characters per inch (cpi). You can choose 10 CPI, 12 CPI, or PS (proportional spacing). The indicator light shows the selected character spacing.

CONDENSED

Press this button to select either condensed or normal printing. The light is on when the printer is in condensed mode. In this mode, all characters are approximately 60% of their normal width.

Note: Proportional spacing and condensed mode cannot be combined.

If you select both, only proportional spacing works.

3-4

Using the Printer

Other control panel features

The control panel of the FX also gives you access to several special functions.

Self test

Microadjustment

Data dump

By holding down the while you turn on the printer, you can start the printer’s self test. This prints out the DIP switch settings and the characters in the printer’s ROM (Read Only Memory). See

Chapter 1 for more information.

By pressing the

immediately after loading paper or using short tearoff, you can make fine adjustments to the loading and short tear-off positions. See the section on microadjustment in Chapter 2 for more information.

By holding down both buttons while you turn

the

data dump mode. This feature allows advanced users to diagnose many problems. See the section the data dump mode in Chapter 6 for more information.

FORM FEED

the

section on the self test in

FORM FEED

and

the FORM FEED

the printer, you can turn on

LINE FEED

buttons

and

LINE FEED

button

Setting the DIP Switches

By changing the settings of the two sets of DIP switches behind and below the platen knob, you the character set and page length. These new settings become valid whenever the printer is turned

can

control various printer features, such as

on,

reset, or initialized.

Before you set the DIP switches, turn off the printer. Then use a pointed instrument, such as the tip of a pen or pencil, to move the switch to either

the on

turn on the printer.

Using the Printer

or off position. The new settings become valid when you

3-5

DIP switch functions

The tables below describe the DIP switch functions. The page numbers

refer you to the page on which each printer feature is described. The

shaded settings are the preset factory settings.

DIP Switch 1

international character set

DIP Switch 2

SW Description

2-1

Page length

2-2

Cut sheet feeder mode

2-3

1 -inch skip over perforation

2-4

Automatic line feed

3-6

See table below

12 On On On

inch

OFF

11 inch Off Off Off

Page 3-9 3-10 3-10

3-10

Using the Printer

International character sets

Default character set

When DIP switch 1-1 is on, the user-defined character set is the default. User-defined characters are maintained in printer memory even when the power is turned off, so the user-defined character set can be selected simply by setting this switch to on. However, when this switch is on, new user-defined characters cannot be defined. See Chapter 4 for more information on user-defined characters. This switch is effective only in

the Epson ESC/P mode.

Zero character

When DIP switch 1-2 is on, the printer prints slashed zeroes (0). When

the DIP switch is off, the printer prints open zeroes (0). This is useful for

clearly distinguishing between uppercase 0 and zero when printing such

items as program lists.

Character table

When DIP switch 1-3 is on, the Epson Extended Graphics character table is selected. Extended Graphics character table contains international accented characters, Greek characters, and character graphics for printing lines, comers, and shaded areas. If you have an IBM® computer or an IBM compatible, select the Epson Extended Graphics table when you wish to print the character graphics as they are displayed on the screen. Since the character table setting affects only half of the character table, you can

Using the Printer

When

it is off, the italics character table is selected. The Epson

3-7

still print text if you can still print italics if you use the proper software command. If your printer is in IBM emulation mode (DIP switch characters are available no matter which character table you select.

The printouts below show which characters are printed in each table.

Italics

'"#g%~'(()t+,-./012345~789:;(=>?@C)BCIUEFGH

IJKLMNOPQffSTUVWXYZC\Il'abcdefghijklmnopq

qrstuvwxyz(;)

Epson Extended Graphics

have

selected the Extended Graphics set. Also, you

1-4

on),

the graphics

Note: You may need to use the ESC 6 command to print some of the Extended Graphics characters. See Appendix

Printer mode When

mode. When it is off, the printer operates in

the

return. When switch 1-3 is off, a carriage return is added to each line feed. The functions of DIP switches when using the printer in the IBM emulation mode. For details, see the section on international character sets on

DIP switch

IBM emulation mode, DIP

1-4

is on, the printer operates in the IBM emulation

switch

the

1-3

controls the automatic carriage

1-6, 1-7,

the next

Epson ESC/P mode. In

and

1-8

are also different

page.

Short tear-off mode

When DIP switch advances the paper so you can tear off the paper, and then reverses the paper so you can use all of the next sheet. See the section on using short

tear-off in Chapter 2.

3-8

1-5

is off, the short tear-off mode is on. This feature

Using the Printer

International character set

Selecting an international character set provides you with the characters used in other languages. To obtain the desired international character set, set switches 3-7. The following table shows the characters that differ in each

international character set.

International character sets

USA

1 France

2 Germany

4 Denmark I

Sweden

Italy 7 Spain I 8 Japan

Norway 10 Denmark II 11 Spain II 12 Latin America

1-6, 1-7,

and 1-8 according to the DIP switch table on page

35 36 64 91 92 93 94 96 123 124 125 126

#s@c\l-‘cI~-

# $ h o c § ^ - i!

#$~Auu...g6iiB

r;$@c\l-‘cII-

#$@fiOA-‘a?0A#nBXuAufski6ati #$@-\e-clab~i It $ @ i fi i

#$@[Yl-“iI-

#neiE0Auc5a?a~ii #$l2fE0AU~908t.i #$5 #$AiR~itiii66

iRii:‘ifiiti

* * ~ ii 3

III e!

The countries numbered 8 through 12 are available only through the

ESC R software command. See the Command Summary in Chapter 8. Also, in IBM emulation mode (DIP switch 1-4 on), a character set containing international characters (CG character table 2) is selected

whenever any one of DIP switches

1-6, 1-7,

or 1-8 is set to off. If all three

switches are on, CG character table 1 is selected. See Appendix B.

Page length

When DIP switch 2-1 is on, the page length is set to 12 inches. When it is off, the page length is 11 inches. Other page lengths can be set with the ESC C and ESC CO commands. See the Command Summary in Chapter 8.

Using the Printer

3-9

Cut sheet feeder mode

When DIP switch 2-2 is on, you can use your printer’s optional cut sheet feeder. See Chapter 7 for more information on using a cut sheet feeder with your printer.

Skip over perforation

When DIP switch last line printed on one page and the first line printed on the next page. When using continuous paper, this feature causes printing, skip over the perforation, and then resume printing. If you adjust your loading position correctly, you can get half of the margin at

the bottom of one page and half at the top of the next page. See the

section on adjusting the loading position later in this chapter.

2-3

is on, a one-inch margin is provided between the

the

printer to stop

Note: Most application programs take care of the top and bottom margins. Only use skip over perforation if your program does not provide these margins.

Automatic line feed

When DIP switch

automatic line feed. When it is off, line feeds occur only when the printer receives line feed codes (LF). Since some computers and application programs automatically add line feeds to carriage returns, the setting you use depends on your computer and application program.

2-4

is on, a carriage return code (CR) causes an

Selecting Typestyles

Your printer can produce a wide range of typestyles by combining different character fonts, pitches, widths, and other enhancements. These features can be selected by using the SelecType feature on your control panel or by using software commands. This section describes only the features controlled by SelecType. To use software commands, see the section on computer-printer communication in Chapter 4 and the

Command Summary in Chapter

3-10

Using the Printer

Using SelecType

You can use the SelecType control panel to choose fonts, pitches, and condensed printing. The settings you select using the SelecType panel

remain valid even after the printer is turned off, reset, or initialized. However, commands from your software application program temporarily override the SelecType settings.

Character fonts

The FX-850 and FX-1050

have

three built-in character fonts:

ROMAN

!“##$%&-( )*+,-

LMNCPQRSTUWXYZ[\]^-‘

WxYZC

t 1"

./0123456789:;<=>?6’ABCDEFGHIJK

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv

We've just seen your excellent ad for

miniature zebras in a recent back issue of

Trader's Times. What is the price of these

items for quantities of more than one gross?

SANS SERIF

‘“##9X&*()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@fiE?CDEFGHIJK

LMNoP~R~T~~WXY~C\~~_~ wxyzc:l”

We’ve just seen your excellent ad for

miniature zebras in a recent back issue of

Trader’s Times.

What is the price of these

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv

items for quantities of more than one gross?

Using the Printer

3-11

The draft mode uses fewer dots per character for high-speed printing. This makes draft ideal for rough drafts and editing work.

Roman and Sans Serif are near letter quality (NLQ) fonts. Near letter

quality takes a little longer to print but produces nicely formed characters suitable for most documentation requirements.

Characters per inch

For each of the three built-in fonts, you can choose a character size of 10 or 12 characters per inch (cpi), or proportional spacing.

The following printout compares the different types of spacing.

This is Roman printing in 10 cpi.

This is Roman printing in 12 cpi. This is Roman printing in proportional.

In the 10 and space. However, in the proportional mode, spacing varies from character to character. Therefore, a narrow letter like the lowercase i receives less space than a wide letter like the uppercase W.

cpi modes, each character is given the same amount of

Condensed mode

addition to the two pitches and proportional spacing, you can use condensed mode to change the character size. In the condensed mode, characters are approximately 60% of the width of normal characters. Condensed printing is very useful for spreadsheets and other applications where you need to print the maximum amount of information on a page. Both 10 and

The printout below compares normal

This is

This is condensed 10 cpi Roman printing.

3-12

cpi

can

be condensed, but proportional spacing

cpi with condensed

10 cpi Roman printing.

Using the Printer

the

cannot.

cpi.

Note: Proportional spacing and condensed mode cannot be combined. If you select both, only proportional spacing works.

If SelecType does not work

Some application programs are designed to control all typestyle functions. These programs cancel all previous typestyle settings by sending certain software commands before printing. Because these commands cancel SelecType settings, you should use the program’s print

options function instead of SelecType to select your typestyles. Therefore, if SelecType does not work with a particular application

program, consult the software manual for information on selecting

typestyles. Also, see the section on using the FX with application

software in Chapter 4.

Enhancing Your Printing

SelecType controls the printing style of a whole document. Software commands, on the other hand, can change anything from a single character to the entire document. By using software commands, you can obtain many different printing effects with the FX printer, from arranging

the text on the page to giving extra emphasis to particular words and phrases. This section shows you the features you may want to select with

your software. Once you have read about the features, you can find

their commands in the Command Summary in Chapter 8. Also, see the

section on computer-printer communication in Chapter 4 for more

information on sending commands to the printer.

Character size

Besides 10 and 12 cpi, condensed printing, and proportional spacing,

software commands also offer two other options: double-wide and

double-high printing.

Using

the Printer

3-13

The double-wide mode doubles the width of any size characters. This mode is useful for such purposes as emphasizing headings in reports and making displays, but is usually not suitable for large amounts of text.

This is double-wide-

Another mode for headings and other special uses is double-high:

This is double-high.

Because of its height, you must leave a blank line above a line of double- high printing. Otherwise, the double-high letters will overlap the letters on the previous line.

Double-wide and double-high can be combined to obtain even more impressive printing results:

Double-high double-wide

Widening or narrowing the characters also widens or narrows the spaces between words and letters. Because word processors usually create a left margin by printing spaces, you may need to change the number of characters on a line to keep the margins correct if you change widths.

For example, a left margin of space margin using double-wide characters.

characters at

cpi is the same as a five-

Emphasized and double-strike printing

Emphasized and double-strike printing give your documents added

emphasis. In emphasized mode, the FX prints each character twice as the

print head moves across the paper, with the second printed slightly to the right of the first. This process produces darker, more fully formed characters.

3-14

Using the Printer

In double-strike mode, the printer prints each character twice, the second

time slightly below the first, making the text bolder. For even greater boldness, you can combine emphasized and double-strike. (Double-strike cannot be combined with NLQ mode, however.)

Italic printing

You can use italic characters for special emphasis or as an alternative

typeface. ESC 4 turns on the italic mode even if the current DIP switch

setting is set to the Epson Extended Graphics character table.

This sentence is in italics.

Underlining

The underline mode automatically underlines any piece of text. It

underlines spaces, subscripts, and superscripts. (The printer does not,

however, underline horizontal tabs.)

Superscripts and subscripts

Superscripts and subscripts can be used for printing footnote numbers

and mathematical formulas. The example below combines underlining,

superscripts, and subscripts in a mathematical formula.

average = (a1+................+ an)

Selecting typestyles with Master Select

Your printer has a special command called Master Select that allows you

to choose many possible combinations of nine different modes. To send Master Select codes to the printer, you must first choose the mode combination you want. The modes you can choose from are cpi, proportional, condensed, emphasized, double-strike, double-wide, italics, and underline.

Using the Printer

cpi,

3-15

The format of the Master Select code is shown below:

ASCII: Decimal:

ESC 1 n

27 33 n

Hexadecimal: 1B 21 n

To send the Master Select codes to your printer in a decimal format, for example, you send the codes 27, 33, and then whatever value you choose for the variable n.

The variable n is a number that identifies the typestyle or combination of

typestyles. To find the value of n, look at the Master Select table below and add up either the decimal or hexadecimal numbers for the features you want.

Master Select Table

For example, if you want to print a title using double-wide 12 cpi characters in double-strike mode, you would add these three decimal numbers together to calculate the value of

12 cpi Double-strike Double-wide

n = 49

3-16

Using the Printer

After calculating the value of n, you use the Master Select command to send the value to the printer. To send the Master Select command for double-wide, 12 cpi, and double-strike, you would use the decimal codes 27, 33, and 49.

ASCII: Decimal:

ESC ! 1

27 33 49

Hexadecimal: 1B 21 31

Consider these things when you use the Master Select command:

Master Select cancels any of the listed features that you do not set. For example, if you have already set 12 cpi, and you try to use Master Select to set emphasized double-strike only, the character width is reset to

Proportional overrides 10 cpi, 12 cpi, and condensed.

Double-strike cannot be combined with NLQ mode.

cpi.

Print quality and font are not part of Master Select and must be set separately, using either SelecType or the ESC x and ESC k commands.

The method you use to send the Master Select codes to the printer is determined by your application software. For more information on

sending commands to your printer, see the Computer-Printer Communications section in Chapter 4 and the Command Summary in Chapter 8.

Using the Printer

3-17

Chapter 4

Using Software and Graphics

Using the FX with Application Programs

Using printer selection menus

A quick test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using word processors Using spreadsheets Using graphics software

Computer-Printer Communication

Escape sequences Printer commands Using the Command Summary Sending printer commands from within

your software program

Dot Graphics

The print head Pinlabels.. Graphics commands Graphics programming

User-Defined Characters

Defining your own characters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

................................... 4-5

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

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

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

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

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

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4-2 4-2

4- 3

4-3

4-5

4-6

.4-7

4-7

4-8

.4-9

..4-10

4-11

4-12

4-19

4-20

Using Software and Graphics

4-1

Using the FX with Application Programs

Now that you’ve set up and tested the printer, you need to start using it with your application programs.

Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you’re using so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s features. Many programs provide an installation or setup procedure that presents a list of printers to choose from. If your application program has a printer selection menu, use the instructions below.

Using printer selection menus

If your software has a printer selection menu, simply choose FX-850 or

FX-1050. If the menu does not list either of these printers, choose one of the following. They are listed in order of preference.

FX-850

FX-86e EX-800 FX-85 FX-80 +

FX-80 FX

MX Epson printer Draft printer

If you plan to use the IBM emulation mode, choose IBM Proprinter (if you have an FX-850), IBM Proprinter XL (if you have an FX-1050), IBM Graphics printer, or IBM printer, in that order of preference.

Fx-1050 FX-286e EX-1000 FX-286 FX-185 FX-100 + FX-100 FX LX MX Epson printer Draft printer

Note: If your application program does not list the FX-850 or FX-1050, you may want to contact the

software

manufacturer to see if an

update is available.

4-2

Using Software and Graphics

A quick test

After setting up your application program, print a sample document to make sure document doesn’t print correctly, recheck the program’s printer selection and installation procedure. If you’re still having trouble printing, consult the troubleshooting section in Chapter 6.

the

program and the FX are communicating properly. If the

Using word processors

Word processors usually let you use a fixed set of printer features by

placing markers around the text to be altered. When the document is printed, the markers are recognized and translated into suitable commands for your printer. On your screen markers; others display the text as it will appear-for example, in bold or italics. This method is normally restricted to features that can be found on almost all printers, such as bold and underlining.

Some word processing programs also let you insert printer commands in your text. These commands may or may not be visible on your screen. This method has command, not just a limited set. To make use of it, however, you need to

understand how to use your printer’s commands. Check the manual for

your word processor to see if you can place printer commands in your

text, and then see the section in this chapter on computer-printer communications.

the

advantage of allowing you to use any printer

some

programs show the

Using spreadsheets

Although spreadsheets seldom use as many printing styles as word processors, they do have some very specific requirements.

If your spreadsheet program provides a list of printers, use the list on page 4-2 to find the proper selection. If your spreadsheet doesn’t printer setup routine, read the program’s manual carefully for information on printing.

A major concern for printing spreadsheets is the width of the printer. The FX-850 is

You can, however, increase the number of characters on a line by

selecting 12 cpi, condensed mode, or both from the SelecType control

Using

80-column printer, and the FX-1050 is a 136-column printer.

Software and Graphics

have a

4-3

panel. The table below shows you many characters you can fit on a line using these options. If your spreadsheet asks the number of columns your printer can print, decide which mode you will use and supply the appropriate number from this table.

Unlike word processors, spreadsheet programs usually don’t let you

change printer commands within a spreadsheet. Instead, one style or mode of printing is used for the whole spreadsheet. With the FX, there are two main ways of sending commands to control the printing of a spreadsheet. The first method is to choose condensed from the SelecType control panel.

For the second method, look in the manual for your spreadsheet to find out how to send printer commands. Then look in the Command Summary in Chapter 8 to find the proper codes to send.

For example, your spreadsheet might use a “setup string” to send printer commands. To prepare a setup string for 12 cpi condensed, you would look up the proper command in the Command Summary. The command for

cpi is ESC M, and the command for condensed is SI. Because most spreadsheets use the decimal equivalent for the commands, (also given in the Command Summary), a setup string for 12 cpi condensed might look like this:

The number

(condensed).

027

4-4

/027/077/015

is for the escape code,

077

is for M, and

015

is for SI

Using Software and Graphics

Using graphics software

The FX is capable of producing finely detailed graphic images. Although the section on graphics later in this chapter gives specific information on the graphics commands, the easiest way to take advantage of the FX’s capabilities is with one of the many graphics programs available.

When buying graphics software, always make sure the program has an option to print on an FX printer. Any program with an option for an FX printer should give excellent results, using different dot densities to produce a realistic scale of grays.

Most graphics programs have a printer selection procedure, in which case you should check the lists on page

4-2

to find the proper selection.

Computer-Printer Communication

Your computer communicates with your printer using a standardized set

of numbered codes called ASCII codes (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). When you press the letter A on the keyboard, it is translated into the ASCII code for A, transmitted to a peripheral device such as your computer screen or your printer, and then converted back into the letter A.

There are ASCII codes for all the letters in the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase letters, and for the numbers 0 through 9. The ASCII set of codes also includes most punctuation marks and some codes that control printer functions.

In the Command Summary in Chapter 8, each code is expressed three different ways: as an ASCII character, as a decimal number, and as a hexadecimal (base represented as the ASCII character A, the decimal number 65, and the hexadecimal number 41. The numbering system you use depends on your software and your preferences.

All letters, numbers, and punctuation marks are assigned decimal numbers from

than

are called control codes, because they control the operation of

Using Software and Graphics

16)

number. For example, the uppercase letter A is

through

255.

ASCII codes with decimal values of less

4-5

your printer and other peripherals. These ASCII characters do not usually have corresponding keys on the keyboard and cannot be printed as characters by your printer.

Escape sequences

Although there are more than 30 control codes available to control the operation of your printer, many more codes are required to run today’s sophisticated printers. Therefore, ASCII codes are grouped in sequences to represent certain functions. These code sequences use the ASCII codes with decimal values of 32 through 255, normally reserved for characters and punctuation, to control printer functions. This is done by first sending a standard code to tell the printer that the codes that follow are to be used as control codes, not as characters or punctuation.

The standard code that is sent at the beginning of one of these code sequences is the Escape code, decimal value 27. Any sequence of codes starting with the Escape code is called an Escape sequence. You will probably see Escape written in different ways-such as ESC, ESC, and ESCape-in various manuals. In this manual it is in the form of ESC when used within a command.

Printer commands

In order for the printer to recognize the instructions it receives, ASCII

codes must be sent in a specific format, called a command. An Escape sequence is a command, as is any ASCII code or sequence of codes that instructs the printer to carry out a particular function. Your software continually sends commands to your printer and your computer screen.

These commands instruct the printer to perform such actions as print in

a particular typeface, feed the paper a certain amount after printing each line, and start printing on a particular spot on the page.

Some software programs let you send these commands yourself. This is a powerful feature because it allows you to enhance your text in ways that may not normally be available through the software. For example, many word processing programs do not offer italics. By inserting a command in your document, however, you can use italics anywhere you like. The

4-6

Using Software and Graphics

commands that your printer recognizes are listed in the Command Summary in Chapter 8 and on the Quick Reference card at the back of this manual.

Using the Command Summary

The commands listed in the Command Summary in Chapter 8 consist of various combinations of ASCII codes. You can use either the ASCII characters or their decimal or hexadecimal equivalents. For example, the command to turn on subscript is ESC S1 in ASCII characters. The

decimal format for this command is 27 83 01, and the hexadecimal

format is 1B 53 01.

In the Command Summary, commands are grouped by the printer functions they control, such as character pitch, print enhancement, and graphics. You can also look up commands in the list of software

commands in numerical order at the beginning of the Command

Summary. This list gives you page number references for the commands.

Some commands include a variable, such as the letter

the command for selecting

cancelling double-high mode is ESC w

When n = 1, double-high mode is turned on, and when

turned off. In the Command Summary, variables are printed in italics to

distinguish them from ASCII characters.

For example,

n = 0,

it is

Sending printer commands from within your software program

How you format commands depends on the software program you are

using. Some software programs accept only the decimal format, while

others require certain punctuation. Some programs don’t let you insert

printer commands at all.

If your software does allow you to send commands to the printer, use the

Command Summary to find the command you want to send. Your

software manual should explain exactly what format and punctuation

are required.

Using

Software and Graphics

4-7

Dot Graphics

The dot graphics mode allows your FX printer to produce pictures, graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial material you can devise. Because many commercial software programs use graphics, you may be

able to print pictures and graphs like the ones on this and the following

page simply by giving your software a few instructions.

4-8

Using Software and Graphics

The quickest and easiest way to print graphics on your printer is to use a commercial graphics program. With such programs you usually create an image on your monitor and then give a command to send the image to the printer.

If you use commercial software that produces graphics, all you need to know about dot graphics is how to use the software. If, on the other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to

understand how the FX prints graphics, read on.

The print head

To understand dot graphics you need to know a little about how the FX’s print head works.

The print head has nine pins. As the print head moves across the page, electrical impulses cause the pins to fire. Each time a pin fires, it strikes the inked ribbon and presses it against the paper to produce a small dot. As the head moves across the paper, the pins fire time after time in different patterns to produce letters, numbers, or symbols.

Using Software and Graphics

4-9

The print head is able to print graphics in addition to text because

graphic images are formed on the FX about the same way that pictures in

newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a

newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small

dots. The FX also forms its images with patterns of dots. The images

printed by the FX can be as finely detailed as the ones at the beginning of

this section. In its main graphics mode the FX prints one column of dots for each code

it receives, and it uses only the top eight of the nine pins. Therefore, your graphics program must send codes for dot patterns, one number for each column in a line. For each of those columns the print head prints the pattern of dots you have specified.

To print figures taller than eight dots, the print head makes more than

one pass. The printer prints one line, then advances the paper and prints another, just as it does with text.

To keep the print head from leaving gaps between the graphics lines as it does between the text lines, the line spacing must be changed to eliminate the space between lines. With a change in line spacing, the FX can print finely detailed graphic images made up of adjacent lines, each no more

than 8/72-inch tall.

Each pass of the print head prints one piece of the total pattern, which can be as tall or short and as wide or narrow as you desire. You don’t have to fill the whole page or even an entire line with your graphics figures. In fact, you can use as little or as much space as you like for a figure and put it anywhere on the page.

Pin labels

The graphics mode requires a method to tell the printer which pins to fire

in each column. Since there are 256 possible combinations of eight pins,

you need a numbering system that allows you to use a single number to

specify which of the

pin with its own number, you can use a numbering system that allows

you to specify exactly which pins should be fired.

To fire any one pin, you send its number, according to the numbering

system shown in the figure on the next page. To fire more than one pin at

4-10

256

possible patterns you want. By labelling each

Using Software and Graphics

the same time, add up the numbers of the pins and send the sum to the

printer. Therefore, with these labels for the pins, you fire the top pin by

sending 128. To fire the bottom pin, you send 1. If you want to fire only the top and bottom pins, you simply add

128

and 1, and send

129.

By adding the appropriate label numbers together, you can fire any combination of pins. The figure below shows three examples of how to calculate the number that fires a particular pattern of pins.

128

2 2

134

With this numbering system, any combination of the eight pins adds up

to a decimal number between 0 and

255,

and no numbers are duplicated. Before you can put these numbers in a graphics program, however, you need to know the format for graphics commands.

Graphics commands

Graphics commands are quite different from most other commands. For most of the other modes, such as emphasized and double-wide, one command turns the mode on and another turns it off. For graphics, the command is more complicated because the command that turns on a graphics mode also specifies how many columns of graphics will be

printed. After the printer receives this command, it interprets the next

numbers as pin patterns and prints them on the paper.

The graphics command format

There are several different graphics commands giving different horizontal dot densities and printing speeds. Because the format is almost the same for all the commands, however, the example here keeps things simple by using only the single-density graphics command, ESC K. In singledensity graphics, there are

dots per inch horizontally.

Using Software and Graphics

4-11

The command to enter single-density graphics mode is ESC K n1 n2. In

BASIC the command is given in this format:

LPRINT

In this command, ESC K selects single-density graphics, and n1 and n2 specify the number of columns to reserve for graphics.

CHR$(27);1tKf';CHR$(nZ);CHR$(

n2);

Column reservation numbers

The graphics command requires more than one number to specify how many columns to reserve because although one line can use thousands of columns, the FX does not use numbers larger than 255 (decimal). Therefore, the graphics mode command uses two numbers for reserving columns.

To figure n1 and n2, divide the total number of columns by 256. The result is n2; the remainder iS n1. Since the command is set up for two numbers, you must supply two numbers even if you need only one. When you need fewer than 256 columns, just make n1 the number of columns you are reserving and make n2 a zero.

For example, if you wish to send 1632 columns of graphics data, n1

should be 96 and n2 should be 6 because 1632 = 96 + (6 X 256).

Graphics data

After receiving a graphics command such as ESC K n1 n2, the printer prints the number of codes specified by n1 and n2 as graphics data, no matter what codes they are. This means that you must be sure to supply exactly the right amount of graphics data. If you supply too little, the printer stops and waits for more data and seems to be locked. The next data sent will then be printed as graphics, even if it is really text. On the other hand, if you supply too much graphics data, the excess will be printed as regular text.

Graphics programming

Here is an example that shows how a graphics command, column

reservation numbers, and data can be used to print a single line of

graphics. The example is a BASIC program. You can, of course, use another programming language. The principles are the same.

4-12

Using Software and Graphics

The first line of the program specifies single-density graphics for 40 columns:

100 LPRINT

The second line is the data that is printed as pin patterns. It uses the number loop sends 40 columns of data.

Here is the second line of data:

That is the whole program. In BASIC, semicolons at the ends of the lines

are very important; they prevent the computer from sending other codes after the ones you specify. In other languages you may have to use a special command to send a single code at a time. Run the program to see the result below. Although it is not as interesting as the examples at the beginning of this chapter, it shows exactly how the graphics mode works.

2@g

FOR

CHR$(27);"K";CHR$(@);CHR$(@;

to produce one of the patterns shown above. The FOR-NEXT

X=1

48:

LPRINT

CHR$(7L,);:

........

....

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

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

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

NEXT X

WIDTH statements

Some software programs (including most versions of BASIC) automatically insert carriage return and line feed codes after every 80 or 130 characters. This is usually no problem with text, but can spoil your graphics. Two extra columns of graphics are printed in the middle of the ones you send, and two data numbers are left over and printed as text.

In some versions of BASIC you can prevent unwanted control codes in graphics by putting a WIDTH statement at the beginning of all graphics programs. The format in many forms of BASIC is either WIDTH

“LPT1:“, 255 or WIDTH LPRINT 255. Check your software manual for the proper format.

Printing taller patterns

The next example shows how several lines of graphics can be formed

into a figure taller than eight dots. It uses programming techniques for producing textured or repetitive patterns.

Using Software and Graphics

4-13

The program is listed below. The lines inside each pair of FOR and NEXT statements have been indented so that you can see how the program works; the spaces are not needed for the program to run.

1Qp

WIDTH

ll@

LPRINT

12@

FOR R = 1 TO 6

138

LPRINT

14a

158

16P

17@

NEXT R

lSp!

LPRINT

If you run the program, you will see how it combines six print lines into a pattern.

"LPTl:",

255

CHR$(27);"A";CHR$(8);

CHR$(27);"K";CHR$(l@);CHR$(@);

FOR X = 1 to

LPRINT

CHR$(17@);CHR$(85);

NEXT X: LPRINT

CHR$(27);"@"

There are five basic steps that the program goes through to produce this kind of pattern.

The computer is prevented from adding any extra characters by the

WIDTH statement (line

2. The line spacing is changed to 8/72 of an inch-the height of the dot patterns used in the program (line

3. The program goes through the graphics commands the required number of times (lines 120 and

A new graphics command is used for each line printed (lines 130-160). This part of the program is similar to the last example, but two columns are printed each time through the loop making a total of

100).

110).

170).

100.

4-14

Using Software and Graphics

5. The last important thing to do is to reset the printer to its default settings, including the normal line spacing (line

180).

Notice that the graphics command (ESC K) can be in effect for only one print line. To print more than command must be issued before

one

line of graphics, the graphics

each

line.

Density varieties

Although all the examples so far in this section have been in the singledensity graphics mode, there are that use all nine pins.

Nine-pin graphics is not necessary for most uses, but you can find the command (ESC *) in the Command Summary in Chapter 8. The four most common eight-pin modes are ESC K, ESC L, ESC Y, and ESC Z. There is also a general purpose command for any of graphics modes: ESC *.

This command is used in the same way as the individual commands, except that before n1 and n2 you must send the code for

the

graphics mode required.

The different graphics modes are summarized in the following table:

seven

other eight-pin densities and two

the

eight-pin

Option

Alternate

Single-density Double-density

High-speed double-density* Quadruple-density* CRT I

Plotter (1:1) CRT II

Double-density plotter

*Adjacent dots cannot be printed in this mode.

Code

ESC K

ESC I

ESC Y ESC Z

none

none none

2 3 4

Horiz. density

(dots/in.)

120

240

144

Modes 4, 5, 6, and 7 are special modes that alter the horizontal density to give the proportions of a computer monitor (the CRT modes) or to match the vertical density so as to give round circles

In two modes, high-speed double-density and quadruple-density, print head

cannot

print two consecutive dots with

Using Software and Graphics

(the

plotter mode).

the same

the

pin, so it

4-15

prints dots in only half the possible dot positions in any one row. The higher density means that the resolution of the pattern is better than in single-density mode. When you design patterns in these two modes, however, you must make sure that no dots overlap.

Reassigning a graphics mode

Another graphics command lets you assign a different eight-pin graphics mode to one of the specific eight-pin graphics commands. You can use

this command with graphics software programs to quickly change the density and proportions of your printouts. Changing the graphics option changes the width without changing the height.

The command for reassigning a graphics mode is ESC ? c m. In this command, c is a letter designating one of the four alternate graphics codes (K, L, Y, or Z) and m is the mode number of the new mode, as listed in the table on page 4-15.

For example, to change the ESC K command to select the CRT I screen

graphics mode, the command in BASIC is’ the following:

LPRINT

A little experimentation should tell you whether the reassigning

command can improve your graphics printouts.

CHR$(27);"?K";CHR$(4);

Designing your own graphics

This section takes you through the development of a graphics program.

The example is not especially complicated, but it does include the same

steps you would use for a more complex figure.

You should plan your figure with dots on graph paper, but before beginning

to place the dots, you must decide which graphics density you want. The

figure on the next page shows the differences between three common

modes.

4-16

Using Software and Graphics

Single

High-speed

double

Double

In this figure you can see the main rules for graphic design in the three densities:

In single-density no dots can be placed on vertical lines.

In high-speed double-density, dots can be placed on vertical lines, but

no dots can overlap.

In double-density, dots can be placed on vertical lines, and they can overlap.

Now look at the high-speed double-density design below. It should point you in the right direction for your own work.

Using Software and Graphics

4-17

After plotting the dots on a grid, you calculate the numbers for each pin pattern by dividing the design grid into separate print lines. For the arrow design, the grid was divided into two lines, each seven dots high. Then each column was examined to calculate the graphics data. The results for the first line are shown below. The pin values are on the left and the sums at the bottom of each column.

128

64 32 16

8 4

2 1

00 66 64 64 04 64

32 6

I III I

32 1666 0

0 0 0 0 0

I I

6 6 616432 6 2

0 0 0 0 0 06416 4

The numbers for the second line were calculated in the same way. Once the numbers for the pin patterns are calculated, they are put in the program in DATA statements, separated by commas.

The program works in a similar way to the example before. This time it selects 7/72-inch line spacing because only seven pins are used. Because

the data is not repetitive, each column of graphics data is read from the

DATA statements and sent to the printer. The design is

dot positions

wide. Therefore both lines 130 and 140 use the number 41.

4-18

Using Software and Graphics

100

WIDTH

110

LPRINT

120

FOR ROW = 1 TO 2

;;;

LPRINT

150 160

170 180

LPRINT

190

NEXT ROW

200

END

210

DATA

220

DATA 64,0,64,0,32,0,16,0,8,0

230

DATA 8,0,8,0,8,0,8,0,8,0,8,0,8,0

240

DATA

250

DATA 8,16,40,64,136,0,8,0,8,0

260

DATA 8,0,8,0,16,0,32,0,64,0,64,0

270

DATA 64,0,64,0,64,0,64,0,64,0,64,0

280

DATA

When you run the program, it produces this printout:

"LPTl:",

255

CHR$(27);"A";CHR$(7);

CHR$(27);"Y";CHR$(4l);CHR$(0);

FOR COLUMN = 1 TO

READ N LPRINT

CHR$(N);

NEXT COLUMN

64,32,80,8,68,2,64,0,64,0

184,64,32,16,8,4,2

116,8,16,32,64,128,0

If you want to see the figure in other densities, change the Y in line to L or Z.

130

User-Defined Characters

The FX has several hundred different characters stored in its ROM (Read

Only Memory). Although this number includes draft, italic, international, Epson Extended Graphics, and NLQ (near letter quality)

characters, sometimes you may want to have a few more. For those

occasions when you need a special character or a few letters in a different typeface, the FX allows you to create your own characters and print them just as if they were ordinary letters.

You can make the task of defining characters easier by using a

commercial software program that either assists you in creating

Using Software and Graphics

4-19

characters or simply supplies you with sets of characters already created. Also, some popular commercial software programs take advantage of

the printer’s user-defined character function to

characters are sometimes called download characters.

enhance

printouts.

These

Defining your own characters

The printout below displays a few such characters to give you an idea of

what can be done, but remember

user-defined, you can create whatever you need or want.

DIP switch 1-1 must be off before you can create a user-defined character. The procedure for designing a character is a simple three-step process:

1. Plan your character.

2. Run a program to test your work and calculate the required DATA numbers.

3. Run another program to put the character in your printer’s memory for use whenever you need it.

that

since these characters are truly

Once you define a character, you can print it in either draft or NLQ. If you print it in NLQ, the printer adds dots to make the character more fully formed.

After you have created your own characters with these programs, certain

keys that you seldom use generate the user-defined characters. For

example, you You

can

characters you define must follow the same rules that govern the rest of the characters printed by the FX. They must fit into an 11 x 9 matrix, no dot can overlap another (in draft mode), and either the top or the bottom row must be empty.

4-20

can

press

the

( key to print!$ .

create any type of character. The only restriction is that the

Using Software and Graphics

Suppose you want to print the scientific symbol for the planet Mercury

Although the FX has a number of special symbols, that is not one of

them. First, use a grid like the one below to plan where to place the dots.

3 2

123456789

Because the last two columns are reserved for the space between characters, they are not included in the grid. And since most characters

do not use the bottom two rows, there is a heavy line to indicate the

usual lower limit for an FX character.

When you place your dots on this grid, remember that dots cannot go on horizontal lines, but they can go on vertical lines. If they overlap other dots, they will not be printed in draft, only in NLQ. As you design your characters, draw the dots as large as the circles you see in the example

below. (The printer prints dots, but it is best to use circles when planning

your characters.)

Using Software and Graphics

4-21

First definition program

The next few sections explain the steps used to create the symbol for Mercury. The figure below shows the grid used to design the character.

123456789

Once you have drawn your dots on the grid, type the following BASIC program.

l!$i3

DIM F(9)

110

FOR

I=1

TO 9

120

PRINT "WHICH ROWS HAVE DOTS IN

130

INPUT R: IF

R=@

THEN

150

COLUMN";1

140 F(I)=F(I)+2"(R-1) 150

R=jJ

THEN NEXT I ELSE GOT0

160

LPRINT

170

LPRINT

180

LPRINT

190

LPRINT

200

LPRINT

210

FOR

220

LPRINT CHR$(F(X));:NEXT X

230

LPRINT

240

LPRINT "YOUR CHARACTER IN

250

260

LPRINT

270

LPRINT

280

LPRINT

290

LPRINT

300 FOR ~=l 310

CHR$(27)

":"CHR$(0)CHR$(0)CHR$(0);

CHR$(27)~%nCHR$(1)cH$(0); CHR$(27)"&"CHR$(@)CHR$(60)CHR$(60); CHR$(128);

CHR$(27)"x$v';

X=1

TO 9

CHR$(~)CHR$(~);

RINT "IN DOUB

LE-WIDE EMPHASIZED 10

CHR$(27)"!*( ( ("

CHR$(27)"!"CHR$(@)"IN

CHR$(27)"xl( ( ("

RINT

: E

CHR$(27)

TO 9: LPR

"!"CHR$(rjl)

INT F(K

);: NEXT

130

CPI: ( (

CPI: '1;

NLQ:";

"YOUR DATA NUMBERS:"

4-22

Using Software and Graphics

Running the program

Now run the program. For each of the nine columns, the program asks for the numbers of the rows in which you want dots to appear. Enter the row numbers one at a time, pressing the

you have entered all the numbers for a column or when you want no

dots in a column, press

vertical lines in the grid are the even-numbered columns.

To see the program produce the Mercury symbol, run the program and follow these instructions:

When the screen message asks what rows have dots in column 1,

press

Enter

to indicate that no dots go in that column.

Enter

without a number. Remember that the

Enter

key after each one. When

2. For column 2 (the vertical line) press 7, indicate that you want dots in rows 7 and 5. Then press

to indicate that no more dots go in column 2.

3. For column 3 press 8, 6, 4, and 2, and

Enter

the directions assume that you

number and one extra time to end the entries for each column.)

4. For column 4 enter 6, 4, and 2.

5. For column 5 enter 6, 4, 3, 2, and

6. For column 6 enter 6, 4, and 2.

7. For column 7 enter 8, 6, 4, and 2.

8. For column 8 enter 7 and 5.

Now wait a moment for your computer to calculate the dot patterns and your printer to print the new character in two different typestyles and

to finish with column 3 and go on to column 4.

know

For column 9 press

Enter

only.

Enter,

Enter

to press

after each of them. Press

5, and

Enter

again to

Enter

(The rest of

after each

alone

Using Software and Graphics

4-23

NLQ. Your printout also gives you nine numbers, which you use in the next program. You should get the printout you see below:

When you get to this point with a character of your own, you see how it looks. If you want to make any changes, move the dots as needed and rerun the program.

If you

190

want

from

to put dots in

128

to 0. Then the usable rows are

the

bottom row, change the number in line

those shown

the

figure

below.

8 7 6

123456789

Second definition program

Once the character looks the way you want it to, you can enter, modify,. and run the next program. The program listed here creates character, but you can use it for any characters you create if you make one or two changes, as explained after the program listing.

the

Mercury

4-24

Using Software and Graphics

FOR

P=58

TO 63: LPRINT

CHR$(P);" "j:

NEXT P 95 LPRINT

100 K=l: 110 120 130 140

15a 160 170 180 190

200

210

290

To use this program for your own character or characters, change the DATA numbers in line 210 by substituting the numbers generated by the first program when you created your own character. If you have created more than one character, put the DATA numbers for each character on a

separate line as you see in the example below:

210 220

K)3

LPRINT LPRINT LPRINT FOR

Z=l

LPRINT

FOR

X=1

THEN A=58 ELSE

CHR$(27~:f'eCHR$(~)CHR$(~)CHR$(~); CHR$(27)"%"CHR$(l)CHR$(@); CHR$(27)"&"CHR$(~)CHR$(A)CHR$(A-l+K);

TO K

CHR$(128);

TO 9

A=60

READ R LPRINT CHR$(R);: NEXT X LPRINT

CHR$(@)CHR$(@);

NEXT Z

DATA 0,80,170,0,47,0,170,80,0

FOR

P=58

DATA DATA

TO 63: LPRINT

112,8,~,138,116,138,8,8,112 56,68,146,40,13jiY,40,130,68,56

CHR$(P);" "j:

NEXT P

Check your work by making sure that there are nine numbers in each line and that the numbers are separated by commas. Also make the change in line 100 explained below.

This program is designed for defining up to 6 characters. Line

K=l,

characters you are defining instead of the 1 in that line. You can actually define as many as 256 characters, but if you define more than six characters, you have to change a few lines in the program.

but to define more than one character, use the total number of

Using Software and Graphics

100

states

4-25

Running the program

When you run this second program, it prints six characters, then redefines some or all of them and prints them again, as in the example below.

When printed by your own program, these two lines provide you with a key to the characters your FX can now print. When you press the key for

one of the characters in the top row, the printer prints the corresponding character in the bottom row. In the example above, if you type < your FX prints

If you have designed a few characters and want to use them with your word processing program, for example, just run the second definition program before you start using your word processing program. Then use the two-line printout as your guide to tell you which keys to press for your new characters.

(although your screen continues to show the character < ).

;

.:., = ;.

;*a!$?

4-26

Using Software and Graphics

Chapter 5

Maintenance

Cleaning the Printer Replacing the Ribbon Transporting the Printer

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5-2

5-3

5-6

Maintenance

5-1

Cleaning the Printer

To keep your printer operating at its best, you should clean it thoroughly

several times a year.

Follow these steps to clean the printer:

1. Turn off the printer.

Remove the paper guide, tractor unit, and any installed options.

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

If the outer case or paper guide is dirty or dusty, clean it with a soft, clean cloth dampened with mild detergent dissolved in water. Keep the printer cover in place to prevent water from getting inside the printer.

5-2

Maintenance

WARNING:

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

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

Do not use a hard or abrasive brush.

Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants;

unsuitable oils can damage the mechanism. Contact your Epson dealer if you think lubrication is needed.

Replacing the Ribbon

When your printing becomes too faint you need to replace the ribbon. Use only the following Epson replacement ribbon cartridges: the #8750 ribbon cartridge for the FX-850 or the #8755 ribbon cartridge for the

FX-1050.

To replace the ribbon follow the procedure below:

Turn off the power to the printer and remove the printer cover.

WARNING: If the printer has been used recently, the print head may be hot. Let it cool before attempting to replace the

ribbon.

Maintenance

5-3

2. Remove the old ribbon cartridge by grasping the black fin-like handles (two on the FX-1050, and one on the FX-850) and lifting the

cartridge straight up and out of the printer.

Slide the print head to the middle of the printer.

5-4

Maintenance

Unwrap the new ribbon, and turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove excess slack.

5. Hold the new ribbon cartridge by the fin-like handle(s), and firmly insert it into place, making sure that the plastic hooks fit into the slots as shown below.

Maintenance

5-5

Use a pointed object, such as the tip of a pencil, to guide the ribbon between the print head and ribbon guide. At the same time, turn the

ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to help guide the ribbon into place.

Check to make sure that the ribbon is not twisted or creased. You can check the installation by sliding the print head from side to side along the carriage.

8. Reattach the printer cover.

Transporting the Printer

If you need to transport your printer some distance, carefully repack the printer using the original box and packing materials, as described below.

1. Turn off the printer.

Remove the paper guide, paper rest, and cut sheet feeder, if installed.

Unplug the power cable from the electrical outlet; then disconnect

the cable between the printer and the computer.

5-6

Maintenance

Remove the ribbon cartridge and platen knob.

Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. Then, using a cross-head screw driver, reattach the two transport locking brackets.

Maintenance

5-7

6. Attach the left and right locking tabs.

Slide the head all the way to the left, and insert the print head

7. protector between the paper bail and platen as shown below.

8. Attach the printer cover. After replacing the packing material, put the printer in its box and

prepare it for transportation.

5-8

Maintenance

Chapter 6

Troubleshooting

Problems and Solutions

The printer does not print

The printer stops printing The printout is spaced incorrectly The print out is faint or uneven The printout is not what you expect

Single sheets do not feed properly

Continuous paper does not feed properly

Cut sheet feeder does not load paper correctly

Data Dump Mode

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.6-2 .6-2

6-2

6-3 6-3

6-3 6-4 6-4 6-5

6-5

Troubleshooting

6-1

Epson FX-850 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction

Features

options

About This Guide

Unpacking the Printer

Removing the protective materials

Choosing a Place for the Printer

Assembling the Printer

Installing the platen knob

Installing the ribbon cartridge

Attaching the paper guide

Testing the Printer

Plugging in the printer

Loading a sheet of paper

Running the self test

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

Connecting the parallel interface cable

Using Single Sheets

Reloading during printing

Using Continuous Paper

Positioning your continuous paper supply

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Switching back to continuous paper

Adjusting the Loading Position

Using Micro-Adjustment

Using Short Tear-Off

Printing on Special Paper

The paper thickness lever

Multi-part forms

Labels

Envelopes

Operating the Control Panel

Lights

Buttons

SelecType

Other control panel features

Setting the DIP Switches

DIP switch functions

Selecting Typestyles

Using SelecType

Character fonts

Characters per inch

Condensed mode

If SelecType does not work

Enhancing Your Printing

Character size

Emphasized and double-strike printing

Italic printing

Underlining

Superscripts and subscripts

Selecting typestyles with Master Select

Using the FX with Application Programs

Using printer selection menus

A quick test

Using word processors

Using spreadsheets

Using graphics software

Computer-Printer Communication

Escape sequences

Printer commands

Using the Command Summary

Sending printer commands from within your software program

Dot Graphics

The print head

Pin labels

Graphics commands

Graphics programming

User-Defined Characters

Defining your own characters

Cleaning the Printer

Replacing the Ribbon

Transporting the Printer