Epson FX-880 User Guide

Control Panel Buttons and Lights

Font lights

Indicate wh ich font is
selected. To select a font,
see Chapter 5.

Tear Off/Bin button

•

Feeds continuous
paper backward to
the tear-off position.

•

Advances continuous
paper from the tear-off
position to the
top-of-form position.

•

Selects a cut-sheet
feeder bin when the
cut-sheet feeder is
installed.

Tear Off/Bin light

•

Flashes when
continuous paper is in
the tear-off position.

•

On when bin 1 of the
optional cut-sheet
feeder is selected.

•

Off when bin 2 of the
optional cut-sheet
feeder is selected.

Micro Adjust

Using the micro adjust
feature, you can press the
and U buttons to ad just the
top-of-form or tear-off
position. See Chapter 3.

LF/FF button

•

Feeds paper li ne by
line.

•

Ejects a single sheet
or advances
continuous paper to
the next top-of-form
position when held
down.

Paper Out light

•

D

•

Load/Eject button

•

Loads a single sheet
of paper.

•

Ejects a single sheet
of paper if a sheet is
loaded.

•

Loads continuous
paper from the
standby position.

•

Feeds continuous
paper backward to
the standby po sition.

On when no paper is loaded in
the selected paper source or
paper is not loaded correctly.
Flashes when paper has not
been fully ejected or a paper
jam has occurred.

Operate button

Turns the pri nter on
and off. The printer
is off when the top
of this button is even
with the button
protectors.

Pause button

•

Stops printing
temporarily, and
resumes printing
when pressed again.

•

When held down for
three seconds,
enters the micro
adjust mode. When
pressed again, exits
the micro adjust
mode.

Pause light

On when the printer is
paused.

®

1

9-Pin Dot Matrix Pr inter

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

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

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

EPSON and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

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

Copyright © 1997 by SEIKO EPSON CORP ORATIO N, Nagano, Japan.

User’s Guide

FCC Compliance Statement

For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Cla s s B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to pr o vide r easonable
protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio or television
reception. However, there i s no gua r antee that
interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause
interference to radio and television reception,
which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encour ag ed to
try to correct the interference by one or more of
the followin g measures.

❑ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
❑ Increase the separati o n between th e

equipment and receiver

❑ Connect the equipment into an ou tlet on a

circuit diffe r ent from that to which the
receiver is connected

❑ Consult the dealer or an experien ced

radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment
interface cable to this equipment will invalidate
the FCC Ce rtificatio n of thi s device and may
cause interference levels which exceed the limits
established by the FCC for thi s equipment. It is
the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a
shielded equipment interface cable with this
device. If this equipment has more than on e
interface conn ecto r , do not leave cables
connected to unused interfa ces.

Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the manufactur er co uld vo id the
user’s authority to perate the equipment.n

For Canadian Users

This Class B digital apparatus meets all
requirements of the Canadian Interference­Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte
toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le
matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Declaration of Conformity

According to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Address: 3-5, Owa 3-chome, Suwa-shi,

Nagano-ken 392 Japan
Representative: EPSON EUROPE B.V.
Address: Prof. J. H. Bavincklaan 5 1183

AT Amstelveen

The Netherlands
Declares that the Product:

Product Name: Dot Matrix Printer
Type Name: FX-880
Model: P980A

Conforms to the following Directive(s) and
Norm(s):

Directi ve 73/23/EEC:

EN 60950

Directive 89/336/EEC:

EN 55022 Class B

EN 61000-3-2

EN 61000-3-3

EN 50082-1

IEC 801-2

IEC 801-3

IEC 801-4
August 19 97
Y. Ishii

President of EPSON EUROPE B.V.

ii

Contents

Getting to Know Your Printer

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1

Available Paper Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-3

Printing on continuous paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-3

Printing on single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-5

Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-6

Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-6

Consumable products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-7

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-8

Print Head Caution Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-10

ENERGY STAR Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-10

For United Kingdom Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-10

Use of options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-10

Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-11

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-12

How To Use Your Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-12

Chapter 1

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Positioning the continuous paper supply . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Setting Up the Printer

iii

Chapter 2

About Your Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

For Windows 95 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Installing the printer driver using My Computer . . . . . . 2-3

Installing the printer driver using plug-and-play . . . . . . 2-3

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Installing the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility . . . . . . . . 2-7

For Windows 3.1 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

For Windows NT 4.0 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

For Windows NT 3.5x Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

For DOS Program Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Using the EPSON Remote! utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Setting Up Your Software

Chapter 3

Selecting a Paper Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Loading Multi-Part Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Removing continuous paper with labels . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Using the Tractor in the Front Push Position . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Installing the tractor in the front push position . . . . . . . 3-6

Loading paper with the front push tractor . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Removing paper from the front push tractor . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Using the Tractor in the Rear Push Position . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Installing the tractor in the rear push position . . . . . . . . 3-12

Loading paper with the rear push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

Removing paper from the rear push tractor . . . . . . . . . 3-17

Printing on Continuous Paper

iv

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Removing the paper tension unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Installing the tractor in the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

Removing the tractor from the pull position . . . . . . . . 3-20

Loading paper with the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

Removing paper from the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27

Using the Tear Off/Bin button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27

Advancing paper to the tear-off position automatically . . 3-28

Adjusting the tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

Switching to Printing on Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32

Improving Continuous Paper Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33

Tractor positions and paper paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34

Using two tractor units in combination . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35

Printing on Roll Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36

Assembling the roll paper holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Installing the roll paper holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Loading a roll of paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39

Removing roll paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42

Chapter 4

Printing on Single Sheets

Using the Paper Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Installing the paper guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Loading paper in the paper guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Using the Optional Cut-Sheet Feeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Installing an optional cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Loading paper in the single-bin cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . 4-7

Loading paper in the high-capacity cut-sheet feeder . . . . 4-11

Assembling the double-bin cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . . . 4-14

Selecting your paper path (bin 1 or bin 2) . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Using an Optional Front Sheet or Front Paper Guide . . . . . 4-17

Installing the front sheet or front paper guide . . . . . . . . 4-17

Loading paper in the front sheet or front paper guide . . . 4-19

Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22

Switching to Printing on Continuous Paper . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23

v

Chapter 5

Selecting a Built-In Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Making Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Understanding default settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Changing default settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Chang ing Printer Se ttings From the Printer’ s Control Pane l

Chapter 6

About EPSON Status Monitor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Accessing EPSON Status Monitor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Status Monitor Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Toolbar and Status bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Installed Printers list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Printer Status window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Using the Background Monitoring Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Setting monitoring preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Using the background monitoring icon . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10

Chapter 7

Installing an Interface Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Using a Serial Interface Card (C82305✽or 82306

Selecting a baud rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Handshake timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Using EPSON Status Monitor 2

Installing an Optional Interface Card

✽

. . . . . . . 7-4

)

vi

Chapter 8

Troubleshooting

Using the Error Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Power supply problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Paper loading or feeding problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Wrong top-of-form position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Wrong tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8

Printing or printout quality problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Clearing Paper Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13

Aligning Vertical Lines in Your Printout . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14

Printing a Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15

Printing a Hex Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16

Appendix A

Cleaning and Transporting the Printer

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Appendix B

Specifications

Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

Safety approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

CE marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

Command Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11

EPSON ESC/P Control Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11

IBM 2380 Plus emulation control codes . . . . . . . . . . . B-15

Character Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-16

vii

Appendix C

Contacting Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2

For United States Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2

Electronic support services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3

For United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland

Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

Enquiry Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

Faxon EPSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-5

EPtec - Bulletin Board Service for latest drivers and utilities C-5

World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-5

For Australian Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-6

EPSON FAXBACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-6

EPSON Bulletin Board System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-6

Internet URL http://www.epson.com.au . . . . . . . . . . . C-6

Your dealer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-6

EPSON Helpdesk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-7

For Singapore Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-7

For Hong Kong Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-7

Internet home page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-8

Electronic bulletin board system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-8

Technical Support Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-8

For Philippines Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-8

Customer Support Information

Glossary

Index

viii

Getting to Know Your Printer

Your new EPSON® FX-880 9-pin dot matrix printer provides
high-quality printing and great performance in a compact design.
Features include a variety of paper paths to suit your printing
needs, the ability to handle a wide range of paper types
(including continuous paper, multi-part forms w ith one original
plus up to five copies, labels, single sheets, and envelopes), and
high-speed draft mode printing of up to 455 characters per second
at 12 characters per inch. Your printer also offers a full line of
options and comes with printer driver software, the EPSON
Status Monitor 2 utility for Windows 95 that lets you check the
status of your printer quickly and easily, and other software.

Features

This section highlights some additional easy-to-use features
that you’ll find helpful.

Use the tear-off feature to save paper.

❑

If you are using the tractor in the front or rear push position, you
can use the tear-off feature to advance your continuous paper
to the printer’s tear-off edge when y ou fini sh p rinting. Then
you can easily tear off the printed sheets and save the paper
normally lost between documents. For more information, see
Chapter 3.

Getting to Know Your Printer

1

❑

Use the

paper release lever

to change the paper path

without removing the paper.

Using the paper release lever, you can easily switch to printing on
single sheets without removing the continuous paper loa ded
in the printer. You can switch to single-sheet printing this way
whenever the tractor unit is installed in the front or the rear
push position. F or mo re infor mation, see Chapter 3.

g02-2

❑

Use the

micro adjust feature

tear-off positions.

The micro adjust featur e allows you to move the paper forwar d
or backward in 1/216- inch incr emen ts so that you ca n ma ke
precise adjustmen ts to t he top -of -form and tear-off posit i on s.
For more information, see Ch apt er 3.

2

Getting to Know Your Printer

to adjust the top-of-form and

Available Paper Paths

Your printer comes with all the parts necessary to print on single
sheets and continuous paper using a variety of paper paths. As
described below, paper can be fed into the printer from the top,
front, bottom, or rear. You select the paper path that best suits
your current printing needs. If you purchase an optional cut-sheet
feeder, additional tractor unit, front sheet guide, or front paper
guide, you can choose from an even wider variety of paper paths.
For information on these options, see page 6.

Printing on continuous paper

Three tractor positions (front push, rear push, and pull) and
three paper slots (front, rear, and bottom) are available for
continuous paper printing, as described below.

Tractor positions

front and rear pu sh tr actor positions

If you often need to tear off sheets of continuous paper (for
example, if you are printing purchase orders or sales slips), it is
best to use the tractor in the front or rear push position. When
the tractor is in one of these positions, you can use the printer’s
tear-off edge to easily tear off sheets of continuous paper at the
perforation. Also, when the tractor is in the front or rear push
position, you can load single sheets of paper from the paper
guide without removing the continuous paper.

pull trac to r position

If you often need to use thick or heavy continuous paper, such
as multi-part forms or continuous paper with labels, it is best to
use the tractor in the pull position. The pull tractor position
provides you with the best paper jam prevention, and allows
you to load continuous paper from the front, rear, or bottom of
the printer. However, you cannot use the tear-off feature when
the tractor is in the pull position.

Getting to Know Your Printer

3

Paper slots

front slot (available for use with the push or pull tractor)

For information on loading paper from the front slot, see
“Using the Tractor in the Front Push Position” or “Using the
Tractor in the Pull Position” in Chapter 3.

Note:

Because the front paper slot has an almost straight paper pa th, yo u
should use it when printing on thick paper, such as multi-part forms
(especialy if there are five or six parts) or continuous paper with labels.

botto m sl o t (availa ble for us e w i th the pull tractor only)

For information on loading paper from the bottom slot, see
“Using the Tractor in the Pull Position” in Chapter 3.

Note:

❑

The bottom paper slot has the straightest paper path, so it is best
for printing on thick paper, such as multi-part forms or continuous
paper with labels.

❑

When loading paper from the bottom slot, be sure to use a printer
stand with an opening large enough for the paper to feed through it
witho u t obs t ruction .

4

Getting to Know Your Printer

rear slot (available for use with the push or pull tractor)

Caution:

Do not load continuous paper with labels from the rear slot. Labels

c

requir e a straigh t paper p ath; o t h erwise the la bels m ay co m e off their
backing paper inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

Note:

Thick paper, such as multi-part forms with five or six parts, requires a
straight paper pa th to a void paper jams. Lo ad thick paper in the front s lot
as described in Chap te r 3.

For information on loading paper from the rear slot, see “Using
the Tractor in the Rear Push Position” or “Using the Tractor in
the Pull Position” in Chapter 3.

Printing on single sheets

As show n be low , yo u ca n lo ad or d in ar y si ng le sh e ets (not
single-sheet multi-part forms) and envelopes one at a time
from the top of the printer, using the paper guide that comes
wit h th e pr inter.

Getting to Know Your Printer

5

You can also load single-sheet paper using an optional
cut-sheet feeder, front sheet guide, or front paper guide. For
information on single sheets, see Chapter 4.

Options and Consumable P roducts

Options

The following options are available to enhance your printer’s
paper handling and interface capabilities:

Single-bin cut-sheet feeder (C80637✽)

This economical cut-sheet feeder automatically feeds up to 50
sheets of paper into your printer without reloading. Also you
can use the paper guide to manually load single sheets or
envelopes without removing the cut-sheet feeder.

High-capacity cut-sheet feeder (C80638✽)

This cut-sheet feeder automatically feeds up to 150 sheets of
paper or 25 plain bond envelopes into your printer without
reloading. You can also create a double-bin cut-sheet feeder by
connecting this feeder to the single-bin feeder.

Additional tractor unit (C80020✽)

This option is available because using two tractors in
combination improves continuous paper handling and reduces
the chances of paper jams. This printing method is especially
useful for printing on continuous multi-part forms or labels.
Also, if you have two tractors, you can load two types of
continuous paper at the same time and easily switch between
them.

Roll paper holder (#8310)

This option allows you to use the many types of 8.5-inch wide
roll paper sold for telexes and similar machines.

6

Getting to Know Your Printer

Interface cards

Optional interface cards are available to supplement the
printer’s built-in parallel interface. Chapter 7 provides
guidelines for choosing the right interface card and instructions
on installing an interface card.

Front sheet guide (C81400✽)

The front sheet guide allows you to load single sheets from the
front paper slot. (This option may not be available in some
countries.)

Front paper guide (C81402✽)

The front paper guide allows you to load single-sheet
multi-part forms as well as ordinary single-sheet paper from
the front paper slot. (This option is available only in North
and South American countries.)

The last digit in the option part numbers, represented by an
asterisk ( ), varies by country. Contact your local EPSON
dealer for the part number in your country.

Consumable products

Ribbon cartridge (#8750)

Genuine EPSON ribbon cartridges are designed and
manufactured to work properly with your EPSON printer.
They ensure proper operation and long life of the print
head and other printer parts.

Getting to Know Your Printer

7

Important Safety Instructions

Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference.
Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.

Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a

❑

radiator or heat source.

Place the printer on a flat surface. The printer will not

❑

operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet.

❑

Do not insert objects through the slots.

Use only the type of power source indicated on the

❑

printer’s label.

Connect all equipment to properly grounded power

❑

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

Do not use a damaged or frayed power cord.

❑

If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure

❑

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

Unplug the printer before cleaning, and clean it with a

❑

damp cloth only.

Do not spill liquid on the printer.

❑

Except as specifically explained in this guide, do not

❑

attempt to service the printer yourself.

8

Getting to Know Your Printer

Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

❑

personnel under the following conditions:

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

❑

K

❑

Do not touch any printer parts marked with this symbol.
The part may be hot. Turn off the printer and let it
cool for a few minutes before you touch a printer part
marked with this symbol.

If you plan to use the printer in Germany, observe the
following:

To provide adeq u ate short-circui t p r otec tion and over-current
protection for this printer, the building installation must be
protected by a 16 Amp circu it break er.

Note for German-speaking users:

Bei Anschluß des Druckers an die Stromversorgung muß
sichergestellt werden, daß die Gebäudeinstallation mit einem 16
A-Überstromschalter abgesiche rt ist.

Getting to Know Your Printer

9

Print Head Caution Symbol

The symbol on the print head indicates that this

K

after the printer has been used. Let the print head cool for a
few minutes before touching it.

NERGY STAR Compliance

E

part may be hot. Never touch the print head just

As an ENERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has
determined that this product meets the

TAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

S

NERGY

E

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

NERGY STAR Office Equipment program

E

For United Kingdom Users

Use of options

Epson (UK) Limited shall not be liable against any damages
or problems arising from the use of any options or consumable
products other than those designated as Original EPSON
Products or EPSON Approved Products by Epson (UK)
Limited.

10

Getting to Know Your Printer

Safety information

Warning:

for voltage an d check that the applia nc e vo lta ge co r respo n ds to the

w

supply voltage.

Important:

are coloured in accordance with the following code:

Green and yellow — Earth
Blue — Neutral
Brown — Live

If you have to fit a plug:

As the colours of the mains lead of this appliance may not
match coloured markings used to identify the terminals in a
plug, please proceed as follows:

The green and yellow wire must be connected to the terminal
in the plug which is marked with the letter E or the Earth
symbo l (

The blue wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug
marked with the letter N.

The brown wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug
marked with the letter L.

G

This appliance must be earthed. Refer to rating plate

The wires in the mains lead fitted to this appliance

).

If damage occurs to the plug, replace the cord set or consult a
qualified electrician.

Replace fuses only with a fuse of the correct size and rating.

Getting to Know Your Printer

11

Warnings , Cautions, and Notes

This guide uses the following conventions:

Warnings

must be followed to avoid bodily injury.

w

Cautions

must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

c

contain important information and useful tips on the operation

Notes

of your printer.

How To Use Your Manual s

This

User’s Guide

and using your printer. The
with the printer summarizes basic information on how to use
the printer.

provides detailed information on setting up

Quick Reference

that also comes

12

Getting to Know Your Printer

Chapter 1

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Positioning the continuous paper supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

1

Setting Up the Printer

1-1

Unpacking the Printer

Besides this guide, your printer box should include EPSON
printer software disks, a Notice Sheet, and the following items:

paper guide

printer

g-new1

ribbon cartridge

Note:

Depending on yo u r pri nte r mo de l, the po w er co rd ma y b e perm a n ent ly
attached to the printer. Also, the shape of the power cord plug varies
depending on the country in which you bought your printer; be sure the
plug you have is th e rig ht o ne for your location.

You must remove all protective materials packed around and
inside your printer before you set it up and turn on the power.
Follow the directions on the Notice Sheet (packed with the
printer) to remove these materials.

Save all packing and protective materials in case you need to
ship the printer in the future. It should always be transported
in its original packaging or equivalent materials.

Cautio n:

There are several models of the printer designed for different

c

voltages, and it is not possible to adjust the printer for use with
another volta ge . If the la bel on the back of the printe r does n ot
show the correct voltage for your country, contact your dealer.

1-2

Setting Up the Printer

power cord

Choosing a Place for the Printer

Follow the guidelines below when selecting a location for your
printer.

Place the printer on a flat, stable surface. The printer will

❑

not operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

Place the printer where you can easily connect it to a

❑

network interface cable, if necessary.

Leave adequate room around the printer for easy operation

❑

and maintenance.

Avoid using or storing the printer in places subject to rapid

❑

changes in temperature and humidity. Also keep it away
from direct sunlight, strong light, heat sources, or excessive
moisture or dust.

Avoid places subject to shocks and vibrations.

❑

Place the printer near a wall outlet where you can easily

❑

unplug the power cord.

Note for French-speaking users:

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

1

Avoid electrical outlets controll ed by wall switches or

❑

automatic timers. An interruption in power can erase
information in the memory of your printer or computer.
Also avoid outlets on the same circuit as large motors or
other appliances that can cause voltage fluctuations.

Keep the entire computer system away from potential

❑

sources of electromagnetic interference, such as
loudspeakers or the base units of cordless telephones.

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

❑

Make sure the paper path is clear and unobstructed before

❑

you print on continuous paper. (See the next page.)

Setting Up the Printer

1-3

If you plan to use a printer stand, follow these guidelines:

Use a stand that supports at least 20 kg (44 lb).

❑

Never use a stand that tilts the printer. The printer should

❑

always be kept level.

Position your printer’s power cord and interface cable so

❑

they do not interfere with paper feeding. If possible, secure
the cables to a leg of the printer stand.

Positioning the continuous paper supply

Before using continuous paper, make sure you line up your
paper supply with the tractor feeder so the paper feeds
smoothly into the printer, as shown below.

g2-8aa

1-4

Setting Up the Printer

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge

This section describes how to install or replace the ribbon
cartridge. The installation and replacement procedures are the
same except that you need to remove the used ribbon cartridge
before replacing it with a new one.

EPSON recommends the use of genuine EPSON ribbon
cartridges (#8750). Products not manufactured by EPSON may
cause damage to your printer not covered by EPSON’s
warranties.

Warning:

You need to mov e the pri n t head by hand to instal l o r replace the

w

ribbon cartridge. If you have used the printer, the print head may
be hot; let it cool bef ore to u chi n g it.

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. The printer is off when the
surface of the
protectors as shown.

Operate

button is even with the button

1

Cautio n:

Moving the print head while the printer is on may damage

c

the printer.

2. If the printer is connected to an electrical outlet, unplug it from
the outlet.

Setting Up the Printer

1-5

3. Lift the printer cover by its back edge and then pull it straight up
and off.

4. Press up the tabs on each side of the paper tension unit, then lift
the front of the unit and pull it up and out of the printer.

g1-6-1

g1-6-2a

5. Make sure that the print head is not hot; if it is, let it cool for a
few minutes before touching it. Then slide the print head to
the middle of the printer by hand.

1-6

Setting Up the Printer

g1-7

6. If a used ribbon cartridge is installed, grasp the cartridge by its
handle and pull it up and out of the printer.

handle

7. Remove the new ribbon cartridge from the package an d turn the
ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove
any slack in the ribbon.

1

8. Hold the ribbon cartridge by its handle and push it firmly down
into pos i ti on; then p re ss down on b o th e n ds of the c artridge to
fit the plastic hooks into the slots.

Setting Up the Printer

1-7

9. Use a pointed object, such as a ball point pen, to guide the ribbon
between the print head and ribbon guide while you turn the
ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place.

ribbon-tightening

knob

10. Slide the pri nt head from side to side to make sure i t mo ve s
smoothly. Also check that the ribbon is not twisted or creased.

g1-8-1

g1-8-2

1-8

Setting Up the Printer

11. Install the paper tension unit by placing it on the printer’s
mounting pegs and lowering it into place. Press down on
both ends of the unit until it clicks into place.

12. Replace the printer cover by inserting the front tabs into the
slots on the printer and lowering the cover into place. Then
push it down until it clicks.

1

Setting Up the Printer

1-9

Plugging in th e Printer

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. The printer is off when
the surface of the
protectors as shown below.

2. Check the label on the back of the printer to make sure its
voltage matches that of your electrical outlet. Also make s u re
the plug on your printer’s power cord matches your electrical
outlet.

Caution:

It is not possible to cha n ge the prin te r’s voltage. If the rated

c

voltage and yo ur outl e t vo lta ge do not match, con ta ct your
dealer for assistance. Do not plug in the power cord.

Operate

button is even with the button

g1-10

3. If the power cord is not attached to the pr i nter, plug the
appropriate end into the AC inlet on the back of the printer.

4. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical outlet.

1-10

Setting Up the Printer

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

To connect your computer to your printer’s built-in parallel
interface, you need a shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable with
a D-SUB, 25-pin, male connector for your computer and a
36-pin Centronics

If your computer requires a different type of printer interface,
you should be able to use one of the optional interfaces
described on page 7-2 .

Follow the steps below to connect the printer to your computer
using the built-in parallel interface.

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. The
printer is off when the surface of the
with the butt on protectors.

2. Plug the cable connector securely into the printer’s interface
connector.

®

compatible connector for the printer.

Operate

button is even

1

Setting Up the Printer

1-11

3. Squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on both
sides of the connector.

4. If your cable has a ground wire, connect it to the printer’s
grou nd connect o r a s shown bel o w.

g1-12-1

g1-12-2

5. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer. (If the cable
has a ground wire at the computer end, attach it to the ground
connector at the back of the computer.)

Now see Chapter 2 for instructions on installing and using the
printer driver.

1-12

Setting Up the Printer

Chapter 2

Setting Up Your Software

About Your Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

For Windows 95 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Installing the printer driver using My Computer . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Installing the printer driver using plug-and-play . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Installing the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

For Windows 3.1 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

For Windows NT 4.0 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

For Windows NT 3.5x Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Using the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

2

For DOS Program Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Using the EPSON Remote! utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Setting Up Your Software

2-1

About Your Printer Software

The EPSON printer software that comes with your printer
includes the printer driver software, the EPSON Status Monitor
2 utility for use with Microsoft
Remote! utility for use with DOS programs.

A printer driver is software that allows your computer to
control the printer. You need to install the printer driver so
your Windows software applications can take full advantage of
the printer’s capabilities.

The EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility program allows you
(Windows 95 users) to monitor the status of your printer, alerts
you when errors occur, and provides you with troubleshooting
tips. EPSON Remote! is a DOS-based printer setup utility that
allows you to easily change the printer’s default settings.

For instructions on installing the printer software, see the next
section if you are using Windows 95, page 2-8 for Windo ws 3.1,
page 2-12 for Windows NT 4.0, or page 2-15 for Windows NT

3.5x. See page 2-19 for DOS programs.

Note:

Before you install the printer software, it is best to make backup copies of
the EPSON printe r sof tw a re disks .

®

Windows® 95, and the EPSON

For Windows 95 Users

Follow the steps below to install the printer driver for
Windows 95. For instructions on installing the EPSON Status
Monitor 2 utility, see page 2-7.

2-2

Setting Up Your Software

Installing the printer driver using My Computer

1. Make sure W indows 95 is running and the printer is off .

2. Insert Disk 1 of your printer driver software in a disk drive.
Double-click the
the drive in which you inserted the disk.

My Co mput er

icon, and then double-click

2

3. Double-click the
in the EPSON Printer Driver Setup dialog box shown below.
Click

After you install your printer driver for Windows 95, you can
install the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility program.

and follow the on-screen instructions.

OK

Setup.exe

icon, then select your printer icon

Installing the printer driver using plug-and-play

Note:

You can install the printer driver using plug-and-play only if your
computer has an IEEE-1284 compatible, bidirectional parallel port. See
your computer documentation for more information.

1. Make sure the printer is connected to your computer as
described on page 1-11.

2. Turn off your pr inter and co mpu ter, if necessary.

3. Fi rst turn o n y ou r printe r and then turn o n the computer.
Your computer st art s loa ding Win d ows 95.

Setting Up Your Software

2-3

4. If you use a password, enter it at the prompt. The New
Hardware Found screen appears and displays your printer’s
model name.

Note:

If you do not see the New Hardware Found screen, or if you run into
any other problem, click
“Installin g the p rinte r driver usin g My Com pute r” on p age 2-3.

Cancel

and follow the instructions under

5. Click the

manufacturer

Note:

Windows 95 may display the New Hardware Found screen again the
next time you turn on your computer. If this happens, select the

not install a dri ver

will not appear again.

6. Click

7. Insert Disk 1 of your printer driver software in a disk drive.

8. If you inserted the disk in drive A, type
manufacturer’s files from box and click
disk in a drive other than drive A, replace the letter
appropriate letter, and then click

9. You can type a unique n ame for the printer in the Printer name
box in the Add Printer Wizard dialog box. However we
recommend that you keep the default model name as shown.

If this is your only printer or you want to use this printer as the
default printer for Windows 95 applications, select
the default setting.)

Driver from disk provided by hardware

radio bu tton.

radio button and then click OK. This screen

OK

. You see the Install From Disk screen.

A:\Win95

OK

. If you inserted the

OK

.

Do

in the Copy

A

with the

Yes

. (No is

10. Click the
hard disk and adds an icon to the Printers folder using the
printer model name or the name you sel e cted.

Finish

button. The program copies the files to your

After you install your printer driver for Windows 95, you can
install the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility program.

2-4

Setting Up Your Software

Using the printer driver

Before you start printing, you should make sure that the
printer driver settings match your document requirements.
While many Windows applications override the printer
settings made with the driver, some do not.

See this section for instructions on how to access the printer
driver, check the printer driver settings, and change the
settings if necessary.

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

When you access the printer driver from within a Windows
application, any settings you make apply only to the
application you are using. The access method explained below
is typical for many Windows applications, but the way you
access your printer driver may differ depending on your
application. See your application manual for details.

2

To access the printer driver settings, select
from the File menu of yo ur appl ic atio n sof twa re. The Pr i nt or
Print Setup dialog box appears. Make sure that your printer is
selected and then click
You may need to click a combination of these buttons. The
Properties window appears and you see the Paper and
Graphics menus. Click the tab at the top of the window to open
the corresponding menu. See page 2-6 for detailed information
about the settings on the menus.

Printer, Setup, Properties

Setting Up Your Software

Print Setup

, or

Print

or

Options

.

2-5

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu

When you access the printer driver from the Windows 95 Start
menu, the settings you make apply to all Windows
applications you use afterward. To access the printer driver
from the Start menu, follow these steps:

1. Click the

2. Click

3. Right-click your printer icon, and click
displays the Properties window, which contains the Paper and
Graphi cs menus. Click the tabs at the top of th e w indow to
open these menus.

Start

Printers

button , and then point to

.

Settings

Properties

Checking and changing printer driver settings

Before printing, check that the printer driver settings on the
Paper and Graphics menus are appropriate for the kind of
document you want to print, and change settings as needed.
When you are finished making changes, click OK to apply the
settin g s, or cli ck

Restore Defaults

to return the settings to

their factory defaults.

Paper menu

Paper size Select the size of the paper you want

❑

to use. If you don’t see your paper size,
use the scroll bar to scroll through the
list. If your paper size is not included
in the list, click

Custom

paper size in the dialog box that
appears.

.

. The screen

and enter the

2-6

Orientation

❑

Paper source Click the paper source you want to use.

❑

Setting Up Your Software

Select

Portrait

Landscape

or

.

Graphics menu

Resolution Click the printing resolution you want.

❑

Dithering Y ou can leave this option set to Fine,

❑

Intensity Move the slider to make your printout

❑

Device Options menu

Print Quality Select the print quality from the Print

❑

The higher the resolution you select,
the more detailed your printout will
be, but increasing the resolution also
slow s printin g .

which is the default setting, or select
another dithering pattern depending
on the kind of printout you want. The
display to the left of the dithering
options shows the effect of your
setting.

lighter or darker.

Quality list. Selecting a higher quality
setting provides more detailed
printouts, but also slows printing.

2

Once you’ve checked your printer driver settings, you are
ready to print with continuous paper, as described in Chapter 3,
or with single sheets, as described in Chapter 4.

Installing the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility

After you have installed the printer driver for Windows 95,
follow the steps below to install the EPSON Status Monitor 2
utility program.

Note:

Install the printer driver before installing the Status Monitor utility. If
you installed the Status Monitor before the driver, install the Status
Monitor agai n af ter com pleting the driver inst al lati on.

Setting Up Your Software

2-7

1. Insert Disk 1 of t he EP SON Status Monitor 2 soft war e in a
floppy disk drive.

2. Click

3. Type

4. Follow the on-screen instructions, then click

START
A:\Setup

drive A, substitute the appropriate letter) and click

the installation procedure.

Run

and

.

(if you inserted the disk in a drive other than

FINISH

See Chapter 6 for instructions on using the EPSON Status
Monitor 2 utility.

For Windows 3.1 Users

Installing the printer driver

Follow the steps below to install the printer driver for
Windows 3.1.

1. Make sure Windows 3.1 is running and the Program Manager
window is open.

2. Insert Disk 1 of your printer driver software in a disk drive.

OK

.

to com p l e te

2-8

3. Choose
appears:

Setting Up Your Software

Run

from the File menu. The following dialog box

31run

4. Type

5. Select your printer and click OK. The installation program

A:\SETUP

than “A ,” subs ti t ute the appropriate lette r.) Click
EPSON Printer Driver Setup dialog box appears.

begins installing the printer driver.

After a fe w m oments, th e i n stallation program creates the
EPSON program group in Windows.

. (If you inserted the driver disk in a drive other

OK

. The

setup1

2

6. When the installation is complete, click
installation program.

Windows will now use the EPSON FX-880 printer as its default
printer on port LPT1. If you need to change the default printer
or the port assignment, use the Control Panel Printers utility.
See your Windows manual for more information on using the
Windows Control Panel.

OK

to exit the

Using the printer driver

Before you start printing, you should make sure that the
printer driver settings match your document requirements.
While many Windows applications override the printer
settings made with the driver, some do not.

See this section for instructions on how to access the printer
driver, check the printer driver settings, and change the
settings if necessary.

Setting Up Your Software

2-9

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

When you access the printer driver settings from within a
Windows application, any settings you make apply only to the
application you are using. The access method explained below
is typical for many Windows applications, but the way you
access your printer driver may differ depending on your
application. See your application manual for details.

To access the printer driver settings, select

Print Setup

from the File menu of yo ur appl ic atio n sof twa re. The Pr i nt or
Print Setup dialog box appears. Make sure that your printer is
selected and then click

Printer, Setup

, or

Options

. You may
need to click a combination of these buttons to display the
printer driver settings window.

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel

When you access the printer driver from the Windows 3.1
Contr o l Pa n e l, th e s ett ings you mak e a pp l y to all Wi n do w s
applications you use afterward. To access the printer driver
from the Control Panel, follow these steps:

1. In the Main window, double-click the

2. Double-click the

3. Make sure your printer is highlighted, then click

printer driver settings window appears. To access all of the
settings, you may need to click
settings window.

Printers

icon. The Printers dialog box appears.

Options

Control Panel

Setup

in the printer driver

Checking and changing printer driver settings

or

icon.

. The

Print

Before printing, check that the printer driver settings are
appropriate for the kind of document you want to print, and
change settings as needed. When you are finished making
changes, click OK to apply the settings, or click

Cancel

cancel your changes.

2-10

Setting Up Your Software

to

Resolution Click the printing resolution you

❑

want. The higher the resolution you
select, the more detailed your printout
will be, but increasing the resolution
also slows printing.

Paper Size Select the size of the paper you want

❑

to use. If you don’t see your paper
size, use the scroll bar to scroll
through the list. If your paper size is
not included in the list, click

Define d Size

in the dialog box that appears.

Paper Source Click the paper source you want to

❑

use.

Orientation

❑

Dithering

❑

Portrait

Select
diagram on the screen changes
according to the orientation you select.

You can leave this option set to
which is the default setting, or select
another dithering pattern depending
on the kind of printout you want.

and enter the paper size

Landscape

or

User

. The

Fine

2

,

Intensity Control Move the slider to make your printout

❑

lighter or darker.

Print Quality Select the print quality from the Print

❑

Quality list. Selecting a higher quality
setting provides more detailed
printouts, but also slows printing.

Once you’ve checked your printer driver settings, you are
ready to print with continuous paper, as described in Chapter 3,
or with single sheets, as described in Chapter 4.

Setting Up Your Software

2-11

For Windows NT 4.0 Users

Installing the printer driver

Note:

Printer driver installation may require network administration
privileges. Ask your network administrator for more details.

1. Make sure W indows NT 4.0 is running an d the printe r is off.

2. Insert Disk 1 of your printer driver software in a disk drive.

Double-click the
the drive in which you inserted the driver disk.

My Co mput er

icon, and then double-click

3. Double-click the

in the EPSON Printer Driver Setup dialog box shown below.
Click OK and follow the on-screen instructions.

Setup.exe

icon, then select your printer icon

Using the printer driver

Before you start printing, you should make sure that the
printer driver settings match your document requirements.
While many Windows applications override the printer
settings made with the driver, some do not.

See this section for instructions on how to access the printer
driver, check the printer driver settings, and change the
settings if necessary.

Ntsetup

2-12

Setting Up Your Software

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

When you access the printer driver from within a Windows
application, any settings you make apply only to the
application you are using. The access method explained below
is typical for many Windows applications, but the way you
access your printer driver may differ depending on your
application. See your application manual for details.

2

To access the printer driver, select
the File menu of your application software. The Print or Print
Setup dialog box appears. Make sure that your printer is
selected and then click
You may need to click a combination of these buttons. The
Document Properties window appea rs and you see the Page
Setup and Advanced menus. Click a tab at the top of the
window to open the corresponding menu. See the next page
for de t a i l ed info rmat ion ab ou t the sett ings on the me nu s.

Printer, Setup, Properties

Print Setup

or

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu

If you access the printer driver from the Windows NT Start
menu, the settings you make apply to all Windows
applications you use afterward. To access the printer driver
from the Start menu, follow these steps:

1. Click the

2. Click

3. Right-click your printer icon, and click
The screen displays the Default Documen t Properties wind ow,
which contains the Page Setup and Advanced menus. Click
the tabs at the top of the window to open these menus .

Start

Printers

button , and then point to

.

Settings

Document Defaults

Print

, or

.

from

Options

.

.

Setting Up Your Software

2-13

Checking and changing printer driver settings

Before printing, check that the printer driver settings on the
Page Setup and Advanced menus are appropriate for the kind
of document you want to print, and change settings as needed.
When you are finished making changes, click OK to apply the
settin g s, or cli ck

Cancel

to retu r n th e se tt i ngs to th eir pre vious

values.

Page Setup menu

Paper Size Select the size of the paper you want

❑

to use. If you don’t see your paper
size, select it from the Paper Size list.

Paper Source Click the paper source you want to

❑

use. If you don’t see your paper
source, select it from the Paper Source
list.

Orientation

❑

Select

Portrait

Landscape

or

Advanced menu

.

❑

❑

2-14

Paper/Output

Graphic

Setting Up Your Software

Check the
and

Paper Size, Orientation

Paper Source

settings you made

,

on the Page Setup menu and change
them if necessary. Select the paper
source and then choose the paper size
for that paper source from the Change
Setting list box.

Resolution

Select

and then choose the
printing resolution from the Change
Setting list box

.

Document

❑

Options

Once you’ve verified your printer driver settings, you are
ready to print with continuous paper, as described in Chapter 3,
or with single sheets, as described in Chapter 4.

Double-click

Adjustment

Color Adj ust ment di alo g box. Clic k

Print Text as Graphics
Spoolin g

list box.

Halftone Color

to open the Halftone

or

and select On or

For Windows NT 3.5x Users

Installing the printer driver

Note:

Printer driver installation may require network administration
privileges. Ask your network administrator for more details.

1. Make sure Windows NT 3.5x is running and the Progr am
Manager window is open.

Metafile

Off

in each

2

2. Insert Disk 1 of your printer driver software in a disk drive.

3. From the File menu, select
the command line box, type
driver disk in a drive other than drive A, substitute the
appropriate letter.) Click OK.

Run

. You see the Run dialog box. In

A:\SETUP

Setting Up Your Software

. (If you inserted the

2-15

4. Select your printer icon in the EPSON Printer Driver Setup
dialog box. Click

OK

and follow the on-screen instructions.

Using the printer driver

Before you start printing, you should make sure that the
printer driver settings match your document requirements.
While many Windows applications override the printer
settings made with the driver, some do not.

See the following for instructions on how to access the printer
driver, check the printer driver settings, and make the settings
if necessary.

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

Ntsetup

When you access the printer driver settings from within a
Windows application, any settings you make apply only to the
application you are using. The access method explained below
is typical for many Windows applications, but the way you
access your printer driver may differ depending on your
application. See your application manual for details.

2-16

Setting Up Your Software

To access the printer driver, select
the File menu of your application software. The Print or Print
Setup dialog box appears. Make sure that your printer is
selected and then click
You may need to click a combination of these buttons. You see
the Document Properties dialog box, which contains the Form
and Orientation settings. To open the Advanced Document
Properties dialog box, you may need to click
Advanced Document Properties dialog box includes the
Graphics Resolution, Color, and Optimization settings. (See
page 2-18 for details on these settings.)

Printer, Setup, Properties

Print Setup

Print

or

, or

Options

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel

When you access the printer driver from the Windows NT 3.5x
Control Panel, the settings you make apply to all applications
you use afterward. To access the printer driver from the
Control Panel, follow the steps below:

from

Options

. The

.

2

1. In the Main window, double-click the
The Print Manager window opens.

2. Make sure your printer is highlighted, then click

Properties

select

3. Click the
Document Properties dialog box, which includes the Form
and Orientation settings described below.

4. Click
dialog box, which contains the Graphics Resolution, Color,
and Op ti mi zatio n settings.

Details

Options

. The Printer Properties dialog box appears.

button, then click

to open the Advanced Document Properties

Print Manager

Job Default

Checking and changing printer driver settings

Before printing, check that the printer driver settings are
appropriate for the kind of document you want to print, and
change settings as needed. When you are finished making
changes, click OK to apply the settings, or click
cancel your settings.

Setting Up Your Software

Cancel

icon.

Printer

. You see the

, and

to

2-17

Document Properties dialog box

Form Select the type of form you want to

❑

use. If you don’t see your form type,
select it from the Form list.

Orientation

❑

Select

Portrait

or
diagram on the screen changes
according to the orientation you select.

Advanced Document Properties dialog box

Landscape

. The

Graphics

❑

Resolution

Click the printing resolution you want.
If you don’t see the resolution you
want, select it from the Graphics
Resolution list. The higher the
resolution you select, the more
detailed your printout wil be, but
increasing the resolution also slows
printing.

Color Only monochrome is available

❑

Optimization Turn the Print Text as Graphics

❑

setting on or off.

To set the brightness and contrast, input the RGB gamma, or
make other settings, and click
Adjustment dialog box appears. For details, click

Halftone

. The Halftone Color

Help

in this

dialog box.

Once you’ve verified your printer driver settings, you are
ready to print with continuous paper, as described in Chapter 3,
or with single sheets, as described in Chapter 4.

2-18

Setting Up Your Software

For DOS Program Users

Installing the printer driver

To install a printer driver in most DOS applications, you
should select the printer you are using during the installation
or setup procedure.

Choose the EPSON FX-880 printer at the appropriate step in
the procedure. If the list in your application does not include
the FX-880 printer, choose the first available printer from this
list:

FX-850
FX-800
FX-85
FX-80+
FX-80

If none of these printers is listed, choose the first one available
from the fo l lo wi ng :

FX
LX
RX
MX
EPSON printer
Standard printer
Draft printer
ASCII printer

2

Note:

If your application does not list a suitable alternative, contact the
software manufacturer to see if an update is available.

Setting Up Your Software

2-19

Using the EPSON Remote! utility

The EPSON Remote! utility allows you to easily change the
printer’s default settings from your computer.

Installing EPSON Remote!

Follow the steps below to install EPSON Remote!.

1. Insert Disk 1 of your printer driver software in a disk drive.

2. From the DOS prompt, type
driver disk in a drive other than drive A, substitute the
appropriate letter.

3. Select your printer’s name in the Printer Model window and

Enter. C:\EPUTIL

press

4. Press

Enter

C:\EP UTIL.

)

Then press

again. The EPSON Remote! utility is copied to

A:\SETUP. (

Enter

appears as the defa ul t d irec to ry.

If you inserted the

.

Accessing EPSON Remote!

To access EPSON Remote!, type
and press

Enter

. Then follow the on-screen instructions to use

C:\PRNSET

at the DOS prompt

this utility.

2-20

Setting Up Your Software

Chapter 3

Printing on Continu o us Paper

Selecting a Paper Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Loading Multi-Part Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Removing continuous paper with labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Using the Tractor in the Front Push Position . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Installing the tractor in the front push position . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Loading paper with the front push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Removing paper from the front push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Using the Tractor in the Rear Push Position . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Installing the tractor in the rear push position . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Loading paper with the rear push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

Removing paper from the rear push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Removing the paper tension unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Installing the tractor in the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

Removing the tractor from the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20

Loading paper with the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

Removing paper from the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27

Using the Tear Off/Bin butto n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27

Advancing paper to the tear-off position automatically . . . . . 3-28

Adjusting the tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

3

Switching to Printing on Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32

Improving Continuous Paper Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33

Tractor positions and paper paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34

Using two tractor units in combination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35

Printing on Roll Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36

Assembling the roll paper holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Installing the roll paper holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Loading a roll of paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39

Removing roll paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-1

Selecting a Paper Path

Your printer can print on ordinary continuous paper,
continuous multi-part forms, or continuous paper with labels
using the tractor unit that comes with your printer.

Note:

The tractor unit is installed in the rear push position when the printer is
shipped.

You can load paper through the front, rear, or bottom paper
slot, depending on where you install the tractor unit and where
you place your paper supply. For information on the paper
paths, see “Available Paper Paths” on page 3. For information
on installing the tractor unit in various positions, see the
relevant sections in this chapter.

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever

Setting the paper thickness lever allows the printer to
accommodate various thicknesses of paper. The paper
thickness lever is located under the printer cover. You can
select one of eight positions identified by the scale next to
the lever.

3-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Printing on Continuous Paper

G3-5

Use the following table to set the paper thickness lever to
match the thickness of your paper.

Paper type* Lever position

Ordinary (single sheets or c o ntinuous paper) 0
Thin paper -1
Carbonless multi-part forms with:

2 parts (original + 1 copy)
3 parts (original + 2 copies)
4 parts (original + 3 copies)
5 parts (original + 4 copies)
6 parts (original + 5 copies)

Continuous paper with labels 2
Envelopes 2 to 6

* See Appendix B for complete paper spe cificat ions.

1
2
3
4
5

Loading Multi-Part Forms

You can use carbonless multi-part forms of up to six parts (five
copies on top of the original). Make sure you set the paper
thickness lever to the proper position based on the number of
layers in your form.

3

Except for setting the paper thickness lever, you load
multi-part forms the same way as ordinary paper. For details,
see the sections on loading continuous paper later in this
chapter.

Cautio n:

Be sure your multi-part forms do not exceed 0.46 mm (0.018

c

inches) in thickness.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-3

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels

When printing on labels, use only the type of labels that are
mounted on continuous backing sheets with sprocket holes for
use with a tractor feeder. Do not try to print on single sheets
with labels because the printer may not feed labels on a shiny
backing sheet properly.

You can load labels from the front (push tractor or pull tractor)
or bottom (pull tractor) paper slot; however, for best results,
use the tractor in the front or bottom pull position. You load
labels the same way you load continuous paper, except you
must set the paper thickness lever to 2 before printing on labels.

See “Loading paper with the pull tractor” later in this chapter
for more information.

Caution:

c

❑

Never feed labels backward using the

Tear Off/Bin

backing sheet and cause a paper jam.

❑

Because labels are sensitive to temperature and humidity,
use them only under normal operating conditions (listed
on page B-5).

button. Labels can easily peel off the

Load/Eject

or

3-4

❑

Do not leave labels loaded in the printer between jobs; they
may curl around the platen and jam when you resume
printing.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Removing continuous paper with labels

To avoid peeling labels off the backing sheet and jamming the
printer, follow the steps below when you remove continuous
paper with labels from the printer.

1. Tear off the fresh supply of continuous labels at the perforation
nearest the paper entry slot.

3

2. Hold down the
the printer.

Caution:

Never feed labels backward using the

c

Off/Bin

cause a paper jam.

button. Labels can easily come off the backing sheet and

LF/FF

button to eject the remaining labels from

Load/Eject

Printing on Continuous Paper

or

Tear

3-5

Using the Tractor in the Front Push Position

Installing the tractor in the front push position

Before installing the tractor in the front push position, remove
it from its current position. If the tractor is in the rear push
position, remove the paper guide and then press the lock tab
while lifting it out. If the tractor is in the pull position, remove
it as described on page 3-20.

Note:

The tractor is installed in the rear push position when the printer is
shipped.

1. Make sure the printer is turned off.

2. Open the front cover.

If the optional front sheet guide is installed, remove it by grasping
the fins on both sides and pulling it slightly up and away from
the printer.

G4-18

3-6

Printing on Continuous Paper

3. Ins e rt the tra c tor into the p ri nter’s m ounting slots an d p ress
down both ends of the tractor to make sure that it is firmly
seated.

2

1

See the next section for instructions on loading continuous
paper with the front push tractor.

To remove the tractor, first remove any paper from it as
described on page 3-11. Then press the tractor’s lock tabs and
tilt the tractor up and out of the printer.

3

Loading paper with the front push tractor

1. Make sure the printer is turned off, and open the front cover.
Also make sure the tracto r is installe d in the fr ont push
position.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-7

2. Set the paper rel e a se lever to th e front push tr a ctor pos i ti on.

3. Release the left and right sprockets by pushing the sprocket lock
levers backward.

G3-9-2

G3-9-3

4. Slide the left sprocket appr ox imat ely 12 mm (0. 5 in c hes) fr om
the far left position and pull the lever forward to lock it in
place. Then slide the right sprocket to match the width of your
paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway
between the two sprocket units.

12 mm (0.5 inches)

10

5

3-8

0

Printing on Continuous Paper

The triangle mark on the inside
the fron t cover indicates the
point furthest to th e left from
which printing can begin.

G3-10-1

5. Remove the front cover by pushing it straight down as shown
below.

6. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight edge. Then open
both sprocket covers an d fit the firs t fo u r holes of the pap er,
printable side up, over the tractor pins.

3

7. Close the sproc ket c overs.

8. Slide the right sprocket to remove any slack in the paper; then
lock it in place by pushing the sprocket lock down.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-9

9. At tach the front cove r w i th the con ti nuous p a p e r p ositione d as
shown below.

10. Make sure that the paper guide is ly in g flat on the printer and
the edge guides are open all the way to the left and right. Then
raise the continuous paper support.

G3-10

g3-12-1

11. Turn on the printer. When the printer receives data, it
automatically load s t he paper an d s tarts printin g.

12. After you finish printing, press the
advance the paper to the printe r’s tea r-o ff ed g e, and tear off
your printout.

If your paper’s perforation is not aligned wit h the tear- off edg e,
you can use the micro adjust feature to move the perforation
to the corr e ct te a r- off position as described in “Adjus ting the
tear-off posi tion ” on pag e 3-28.

3-10

Printing on Continuous Paper

Tear Off/Bin

button to

If the first line on your page appears too high or low, you can
fix this by using the micro adjust feature as described in
“Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 3-30.

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust the top-of -f orm position; this may

c

damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

Removing paper from the front push tractor

3

1. To remove continuous paper, press the
feed the paper’s perforation to the tear-off edge of the printer
cover.

Note:

If your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned with the tear-off
edge, you can adjust the tear-off position using the micro adjust
feature as described in “Adjusting the tear-off position” on pa ge 3-28.

2. Tear off the printed document using the tear-off edge of the
printer cover.

3. Press the
backward out of the printer and into the standby position.

c

Load/Eject

Caution:

Make sure you tear off your printed document before pressing the

Load/Eject

cause a paper jam.

button to f e ed the continuou s paper

button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may

Tear Off/Bin

button to

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-11

Using the Tractor in the Rear Push Position

Installing the tractor in the rear push position

Before installing the tractor in the rear push position, remove
it from its current position. If the tractor is in the front push
position, remove it by pressing the lock tabs while lifting it out.
If the tractor is in the pull position, remove it as described on
page 3-20.

Note:

❑

The tractor is installed in the rear push position when the printer
is shipped.

❑

Thick paper, such as multi-part forms with five or six parts,
requires a straight paper path to avoid paper jams. When printing
on thick continuous paper, use the tractor in the front push
position.

1. Make sure the printer is turned off.

2. Lift the paper guid e u p an d of f the p rinter.

3-12

Printing on Continuous Paper

3. Lower the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press
down both ends of the tractor to make sure that it is firmly
seated.

See the next section for instructions on loading continuous
paper with the rear push tractor.

To remove the tractor, first remove any paper from it as
described on page 3-17. Then remove the paper guide, and
press the tractor’s lock tabs and tilt the tractor up and off
the printer.

3

Loading paper with the rear push tractor

1. Make sure the printer is turned off and the paper guide is
removed. Also make sure the tractor is installed in the rear
push position.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-13

2. Set the paper releas e l e ver to the rear push tr a ctor position.

3. Release the left and right sprockets by pulling the sprocket lock
levers forward.

G3-13-1

G3-13-2

3-14

Printing on Continuous Paper

4. Slide the left sprocket appr ox imat ely 12 mm (0.5 in c hes) fr om the
far left position and push the lever back to lock it in place.
Then slide the right sprocket unit to match the width of your
paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway
between the two sprocket units.

The triangle mark on
the top of the printer
indicates the point
furthest to the left from
which printing can begin.

12 mm (0.5 inches)

10

5

0

5. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight edge. Then open
the sprocket covers and fit the first four holes of the paper,
printable side down , over the tractor pins.

G3-14-1

3

6. Close the sproc ket c overs.

7. Slide the right sprocket to remove any slack in the paper; then
lock it in place by pushing the sprocket lock down.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-15

8. Attach the paper guid e and lay it flat on the printer. Open the
edge guides all the way to the left and right, then raise the
continuous paper support.

9. Turn on the printer. When the printer receives data, it
automatically load s t he paper an d s tarts printin g.

g3-17

10. After you finish printing, press the
advance the paper to the printe r’s tea r-o ff ed g e, and tear off
your printout.

If your paper’s perforation is not aligned wit h the tear- off edg e,
you can use the micro adjust feature to move the perforation
to the corr e ct te a r- off position as described in “Adjus ting the
tear-off posi tion ” on pag e 3-28.

If the first line on your page appears too high or low, you
can fix this using the micro adjust feature as described in
“Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 3-30.

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust the top-of -f orm position; this may

c

damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

Tear Off/Bin

button to

3-16

Printing on Continuous Paper

Removing paper from the rear push tractor

1. To remove continuous paper, press the
feed the paper’s perforation to the tear-off edge of the printer
cover.

Note:

If the your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned with the
tear-off edge, you can adjust the tear-off position using the micro
adjust feature. See “Adjusting the tear-off position” on page 3-28.

2. Tear off the printed document using the tear-off edge of the
printer cover.

3. Press the
backward out of the printer and into the standby position.

c

Load/Eject

Caution:

Make sure you tear off your printed document before pressing the

Load/Eject

cause a paper jam.

button to f e ed the continuou s paper

button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may

Tear Off/Bin

button to

3

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-17

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position

To install the tractor in the pull position, you need to remove
the paper tension unit and install the tractor in its place. Follow
the steps below.

Removing the paper tension unit

1. Make sure that the printer is off, and remove the printer cover.

2. Press up the tabs on each side of the paper tension unit and lift
the unit up and off the printer. Store the paper tension unit in
a safe place.

G1-6

3-18

G1-6-2

Printing on Continuous Paper

Installing the tractor in the pull position

Before installing the tractor in the pull position, remove it from
its current position. If the tractor is in the front push position,
remove it by pressing the lock tabs while lifting it out. If the
tractor is in the rear position, remove the paper guide and then
press the lock tabs while lifting it out.

Note:

The tractor is installed in the rear push position when the printer is
shipped.

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Also make sure that the
printer cover and paper tension unit are removed.

Note:

If you plan to load paper from the rear, you need to first insert the
paper into the pa per path before installing the paper guide and
tractor.

2. At tach the paper gu i de if ne ce ssary, and lay i t flat on the prin ter.

2

1

3

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-19

3. Lower the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press
down both ends of the tractor to make sure that it is firmly
seated.

See page 3-21 for instructions on loading continuous paper
with the pull tractor.

Removing the tractor from the pull position

1. Make sure that the printer is off and continuous paper is not
loaded on the pull tractor. Lift the printer cover by its back
edge and then pull it straight up and off the printer.

G3-20

2. To remove the tractor from the pull position, press the tractor’s
lock tabs, tilt the unit toward you, and lift it off the printer.

3-20

Printing on Continuous Paper

G3-17-3

3. Store the tractor unit in a safe place, or install it in the front or
rear push position. (You need to remove the paper guide.)

4. To replace the paper tension unit, lower it onto the printer’s
mounting pegs. Then press down on both ends of the unit
until it clicks into place.

5. Replace the paper guide.

Loading paper with the pull tractor

Note:

If you plan to load paper from the rear, you need to first insert the paper
into the paper pa th b efo re insta l li n g the paper guide and tractor.

G1-9-1

3

1. Make sure the printer is turned off, and the printer cover is
removed. Also make sure the tractor is installed in the pull
position and the paper guide is lying flat on the printer.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-21

2. Set the paper rel e a se lever to th e p u l l tr a ctor posit i on.

3. Release the sprockets by pulling the sprocket lock levers forward.

G3-21-2

G3-22

3-22

Printing on Continuous Paper

4. Slide the left sprock et appr ox imately 12 mm (0.5 inches) from
the far left position and push the lever back to lock it in place.
Then slide the right sprocket to match the width of your
paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway
between the two sprocket units.

12 mm (0.5 inches)

5. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight edge. Then open the
sprocket covers.

Note:

Make sure the printer is off before loading paper. If you insert the
paper while it is on, pa pe r ma y ja m in the printer.

3

6. Insert the paper into th e front or bottom paper sl ot as descr ibed
below until it emerges between the platen and the ribbon guide.
Then pull up the paper until the perforation between the first
and second page s is even wi th the top of the printer’ s ribb on.

Before you load paper in the
front slot, remove the front
cover. Then load paper
printable side up.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-23

Load paper in the bottom
slot printable side up.

7. Fit the four holes of the paper over the pins. Then close the
sprocket covers.

G3-19-2

G3-19-4

8. Slide the right sprocket to remove any slack in the paper, then
lock it in place by pushing the sprocket lock backward.

9. Open the edge guides all the way to the left and right, then raise
the continuous paper support.

3-24

Printing on Continuous Paper

!g3-26-1

10. If you are loading paper into the front slot, attach the front
cover with the continuous paper positioned as shown below.

11. Turn on the printer.

12. Remove any slack in the paper, and adjus t t he t op-of-form
positi on ( the posi ti on where y o u wa nt prin ti n g to start) using
the micro adjust feature. The printer will start printing at the
current position without advancing the paper. To use the
micro adjust feature and change the top-of-form positi on , se e
“Adjusting the Top-of-Form Positio n” on page 3-30.

G3-19-A A

3

Caution:

❑

c

13. Attach the p ri n ter cover.

Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position;
this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the
top-of-form position.

❑

Always remove any slack from the paper; otherwise
print quality may decline.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-25

14. Send a print job to the printer. The printer starts printing from
the top-of-form position. After you finish printing, tear off the
printed document at the perforation nearest the paper exit slot.

Removing paper from the pull tractor

1. After you finish printing, tear off the fresh supply at the
perforation nearest the paper entry slot.

!G05

G05-1

2. Hold down the
paper forward and eject it.

Caution:

Never press the

c

are using the pull tra cto r ; the paper could come off the pull tractor
and jam the printer.

3-26

Printing on Continuous Paper

LF/FF

button to f e ed the prin te d continuous

Load/Eject

Tear off/Bin

or

button when you

Advancing the Paper t o the Tear-Off Edge

If you are using the tractor in the front or rear push position,
you can use the tear-off feature to advance your continuous
paper to the printer’s tear-off edge when you finish printing.
You can then easily tear off the printed document. When you
resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the paper back
to the top-of-form position so that you can save the paper
normally lost between documents.

As described below, you can use the tear-off feature in two
ways: manually by pressing the printer’s
or automatically by turning on auto tear-off mode.

If the perforation between pages is not aligned with the tear-off
edge, you can adjust the position of the perforation using the
micro adjust feature, as described on page 3-28.

Caution:

❑

c

Never use the tear-off feature with the pull tractor; the
paper could come off the pull tractor and jam the printer.
After you finish printing, tear off the printed document at
the perforation nearest the paper exit slot.

Tear Off/Bin

3

button

❑

Never use the tear-off feature to feed labels backward; they
may come off their backing sheet and jam the printer.

Using the Tear Off/Bin button

After the printer finishes printing your document, press the

Tear Off/Bin

button to advance the paper to the tear-off edge.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-27

Advancing paper to the tear-off position
automatically

To automatically advance your printed documents to the
tear-off position, turn on the auto tear-off mode and select the
appropriate page length for continuous paper in the default
setting mode. When auto tear-off is on, the printer
automatically advances the paper to the tear-off position
whenever it receives a full page of data or a form feed
command followed by no more data. To enter the default-setting
mode, see “Making Default Settings” on page 5-3.

Adjusting the tear-off position

If your paper’s perforation is not aligned with the tear-off edge,
you can use the micro adjust feature to move the perforation to
the tear-off position. Follow the steps below.

Note:

Your tear-off position setting remains in effect until you change it, even
if you turn off the pr inter .

1. Make sure the
is at the current tear-off position). You may n eed t o pres s
the
position.

3-28

Printing on Continuous Paper

Tear Off/Bin

Tear Off/Bin

light is flashing (the paper

button to advance the paper to the tear- off

g3-22aa

2. Hold down the

Pause

The
the micro adjust mode.

3. Press the

Load/Eject

the
the paper perforation is al i g n e d with the te ar-off edg e of the
printer cover.

Pause

light begins flashing and the printer enters

LF/FF

D

button fo r ab out thr e e se c o n ds.

button to feed paper backward, or press

U button to fee d pape r forward, until

3

Note:

The printer has a mi n imu m and a ma xi mum tear-off posi tio n . If you
try to adjust the tea r- of f pos it io n beyo n d these limits, the printe r
beeps and stops moving the paper.

4. Tear off the print ed pa ge s.

5. Press the

When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the
paper back to the top-of-form position and begins printing.

c

Pause

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust the tear-o ff position; otherwis e you
may damage the pr inter or los e the tear -o ff po siti on.

button to tu rn off mi cro adjust mod e.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-29

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position

If your printing appears too high or low on the page, you can
use the micro adjust feature to adjust the top-of-form position
as described in the steps below.

The top-of-form position is where the printer will start printing.

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust the top-of -f orm position; you may

c

damage the prin te r or lo se the to p-o f-form position .

Note:

❏

Your top-of-form position setting remains in effect until you
change it, even if you turn off the printer.

❏

The top margin setting made in some application software
overrides the top-of-form position setting you make with the
micro adjust feature. If necessary, adjust the top-of-form position
in your software.

1. Make sure the printer is turned on. If necessary, lift up the
printer cover so you can see the paper position.

2. Load paper. (When the tractor is in a push position, press the

Load/Eject

top-of-form position . )

button to load continuous paper to the current

3. Hold down the

Pause

adjust mode.

3-30

Printing on Continuous Paper

Pause

light starts flashing and the printer enters the micro

button for about three seconds. The

LF/FF

4. Press the
on the page, or press the
top-of-for m posi t i on do wn on th e pag e.

Note:

❏

The printer has a minimum and a maximum top-of-form
position. If you try to adjust it beyond these limits, the
printer beeps and stops moving the paper.

❏

When the paper reaches the default top-of-form position,
the printer also beeps and stops moving the paper briefly. You
can use the default setting as a reference point when
adjusting the top-of-form position.

D

button to move the top-of-form positio n up

Load/Eject

U

button to m ove the

3

5. Af te r you set the top-of-f orm posi ti on , p re ss the
to exit micro adjust mode.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Pause

button

3-31

Switching to Printing on Single Sheets

When using the tractor in the front or rear push position, you
can easily switch to single-sheet printing without removing the
continuous paper from the tractor.

Note:

❏

If continuous labels are loaded in the printer, you need to remove
them before switching to single sheets. See “Removing
continuous paper with labels” on page 3-5.

❏

If the tractor is in the pull position, you need to remove any
continuous paper from the printer before switching to single-sheet
printing. See “Removing paper from the pull tractor” on page 3-26.

To switch from printing on continuous paper from a push
tractor to printing on single sheets, follow the steps below.

1. If any printed sheets remain in the printer, press the

Off/Bin

Then tear off the printed pages.

c

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

3. Lower the continuous paper support on the paper guide until
it clicks into place, then move the paper guide to the upright
position.

button to advance the paper to the tear-off position.

Caution:

Make sure you tear off your printed document before
pressing the
feeding several pages at a time may cause a paper jam.

Load/Eject

Load/Eject

button to f e ed the continuou s paper

button in the next step. Reverse

Tear

3-32

Printing on Continuous Paper

4. Set the paper release lever to the single-sheet pos ition.

5. Load sin gle sheet s as describ e d in Chapter 4.

Improving Continuous Pape r Handling

To reduce the chances of paper jams and improve the
performance of continuous paper, you can install the optional
additional tractor and then use two tractor units at the same
time. Using two tractors at once is recommended for printing
on continuous pre-printed forms, multi-part forms, and labels,
and for printing the highest quality graphics.

3

Also, if you install the tractors in the front and rear push
positions, you can load two types of continuous paper at the
same time and switch between them by moving the paper
release lever. To load two types of continuous paper, see
“Loading paper with the front push tractor” on page 3-7, and
“Loading paper with the rear push tractor” on page 3-13.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-33

Tractor positions and paper paths

The table below summarizes are the various methods of
feeding continuous paper with two tractors and shows which
paper release lever setting to use for each method.

Tractor
positions

Pull + front
push

Pull + rear
push

Front push
+
rear push

Paper release lever
position

Front push tractor

Rear push tractor

Front push tractor

or rear push tractor

Paper path

3-34

Printing on Continuous Paper

Using two tractor units in combination

To load paper using two tractors, follow these steps:

1. Install one tractor in the front or rear pus h positio n as des c ribed
earlier in this chapter.

2. Load continuous paper with the front or rear push tractor as
described earlier in this chapter.

3. Set the paper release lever to the fron t or rear pus h po sit ion ,
depending on the position of your push tractor.

3

4. Turn on the printer. Press the
paper to the top-of-form position. Then press the
until the perforation between the first and second pages is
even with the top of the printer’s ribbon.

Caution:

Never use the knob to move the paper; this m ay dam a ge the

c

printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

5. Install the other tractor in the pull position as described earlier
in this chapter.

6. Fi t th e h ol e s of the pap e r over the pul l tractor p i ns of th e
sprocke t u nit.

Caution:

Do not pull up the pa pe r by han d to fi t it on the pu l l tractor;

c

this may damage the printer. Press the
the paper.

7. Set the paper release lever to the pull tractor position. Then press

LF/FF

the
push and pull tractors.

button to remove any slack in the paper between the

Load/Eject

button to advance the

LF/FF

button

LF/FF

button to move

8. Move the paper release lever back to the position you set in
step 3.

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-35

9. Adjust the top-of-form position (the position where the printer
will start printing) if necessary. The printer will start printing
from the current position without advancing the paper. See
“Adjusting the Top-of-Form Positio n” on page 3- 30.

10. Install the printer cover. Make sure that the paper guide is
installed and lying flat on the printer, and that the continuous
paper support is in the upright position.

11. Send a print job to the printer. The printer starts printing from
the current position without advancing paper.

12. After you finish printing, tear off the printe d doc umen t at the
perforation nearest the paper exit slot.

!g05

Printing on Roll Paper

The optional roll paper holder (#8310) allows you to use

8.5-inch roll paper like that used with telex machines. This

provides an inexpensive alternative to using continuous paper
for applications requiring variable paper lengths. Before you
install and use the roll paper holder, you need to assemble it.

3-36

Printing on Continuous Paper

Assembling the roll paper holder

1. Fit the arc bearings into the stand as shown.

2. Place the base plate on the stand and fa st en the two t ogether
with the plastic spacing clips. Make sure you orient the stand
and base plate as shown below.

3. Hook the tens ion lever onto both e nds of the stand as shown
below. While pulling up on the tension lever, fit the wire ends
of the tension lever into the holes in the stand. The roll paper
holder is assembled.

3

G3-30-2

tension lever

Printing on Continuous Paper

G3-30-3

3-37

Installing the roll paper holder

1. Make sure the printer is turned off.

2. Remove the paper guide, then remove the tractor if it is installed
in the pull or rear push position. Reinstall the paper tension
unit if necessary.

3. Position the roll paper holder underneath the printer as shown
below. Fit the two positioning pegs on the bottom of the
printer into the two holes in the base plate.

g3-35

G3-31-1

roll paper

holder

3-38

Caution:

The roll paper holder is not fastened to the printer; only the

c

printer’s weight a nd the tw o posi tio n i n g pegs hol d the r ol l
paper holder in place. If you pick up the printer, be careful
not to drop the ro ll paper holder.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Loading a roll of paper

After you install the roll paper holder, follow these steps to
load a roll of paper:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off and the paper guide is
removed. Also m ak e sure that the tra ctor is no t i n stalled i n the
pull or rear push position, and that the paper tension unit is
installed.

2. Set the paper release lever to the single-sheet pos ition.

3. Cut the leading edge of the roll paper straight across.

4. Insert the roll paper holder shaft into the center of the paper
roll as shown.

3

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-39

5. Place the shaft and paper roll on the roll paper holder so the
paper feeds from the bottom of the roll. Then turn on the
printer.

6. Bring the leading edge of the paper up over the paper path
guide and insert it into the printer until it meets resistance.
The printer loads the paper automatically.

G3-32-2

G3-32-3

3-40

paper path guide

Printing on Continuous Paper

7. Install the paper guide as a separator to separate the printout
from the unused paper. Slide the edge guides to the middle of
the paper guide.

You are now ready to print. When you finish printing, press

LF/FF

the
using the tear-off edge of the printer cover (pull it towards
you for a clean cut).

button to advance the paper; then tear off the paper

3

Printing on Continuous Paper

3-41

Removing roll paper

Roll paper cannot be fed backward. To remove roll paper,
remove the paper guide, cut the roll paper behind where it
feeds into the printer; then press the
eject the remaining paper.

Load/Eject

button to

G3-32

3-42

Printing on Continuous Paper

Chapter 4

Printing on Single Sheets

Using the Paper Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Installing the paper guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Loading paper in the paper guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Using the Optional Cut-Sheet Feeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Installing an optional cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Loading paper in the single-bin cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Loading paper in the high-capacity cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . 4-11

Assembling the double-bin cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Selecting your paper path (bin 1 or bin 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Using an Optional Front Sheet or Front Paper Guide . . . . . 4-17

Installing the front sheet or front paper guide . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Loading paper in the front sheet or front paper guide . . . . . . 4-19

Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22

Switching to Printing on Continuous Paper . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23

4

Printing on Single Sheets

4-1

Using th e Paper Gu ide

Using the paper guide that comes with your printer, you can
load one single sheet or envelope at a time from the top of the
printer. Your single-sheet paper may be up to 257 mm (10.1
inches) wide. (For detailed paper specifications, see
Appendix B.)

Caution:

Do not load multi-part forms, carbon paper, or labels in the paper

c

guide.

Installing the paper guide

If the paper guide is not installed on your printer, attach it by
inserting the tabs on the paper guide straight down into the
mounting slots on the printer. Then place the paper guide in
the upright position.

Note:

You can use the paper guide only when the tractor unit is installed in the
front or rear push position. To switch from printing on single sheets from
the paper guide to printing on continuous paper from a tractor, see page
4-23.

4-2

G4-2

Printing on Single Sheets

When you are not using the paper guide, lay it flat on the
printer to prevent it from obstructing your paper or being
damaged. To lay the paper guide down, lift the paper guide up
slightly, then lower it until it is lying flat on top of the printer.

2

1

Loading paper in the paper guide

1. Make sure the paper guide is in the upright position. Also make
sure the paper thickness lever (located inside the printer
cover) is set to 0 if you are using ordinary single-sheet paper.
(If you are using envelopes, see “Loading Envelopes” on page
4-22 for instructions on setting the paper thickness lever.)

4

2. Move the paper release lever to the single-s heet positi on.

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Printing on Single Sheets

4-3

3. Press the

4. Slide the left edge guide until it locks in place next to the triangle
mark on the paper guide. Next adjust the right edge guide to
match the width of your paper.

5. Load a sheet of paper printable side up between the edge
guides until it meets resistance. The printer feeds the paper
automatically and is ready to print.

Operate

button to turn on th e pr i n te r , i f necess a ry.

G4-4-1

4-4

G4-4-2

If the first line on your page appears too high or low, you can
fix this by adjusting the top-of-form position using the micro
adjust featu r e. See “Adjusting th e Top-of-Form Po sition” on
page 3-30.

Printing on Single Sheets