Epson FX-980 User Guide

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Control Panel Buttons and Lights

Font button

Selects the font. See Chapter 5.

Font lights

Indicate which font is selected.

Pitch button

Selects the font size. See Chapter 5.

Pitch lights

Indicate what font size is selected.

Tear Off/B in but ton

Advances continuous paper to the

●

tear-off position. Feeds continuous paper backward

●

from the tear-off po sition to the top-ofform position. Selects a cut-sheet feeder bin when the

●

cut-sheet feeder is installed. Turns on the card mode to print on

●

postcards and envelopes. See Chapt e r 3 .

Tear Off/Bin lights

when continuous paper is in the

●

f f

tear-off position.

when bin 1 of the optional cut-

●

o n

sheet feeder is selected.

when bin 2 of the optional cut-

●

n o

sheet feeder is selected.

when the printer is in the card

●

n n

mode.

n = On f = Flashing o = Off

Pause button

Stops printing

●

temporarily, and resumes printing when pressed again. When pressed for 3 seconds, turns on the *micro adjust mode. To turn off, press again.

Paper Out light

On when no paper is

●

loaded in the selected paper source or pa per is not loaded correctl y. Flashes when paper

●

has not been fully ejected or a paper jam has occurred.

Pause light

On when the printer is

●

LF/FF button

Feeds paper line by

●

line when pressing shortly. Ejects a single sheet

●

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

Operate button

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

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 position in micro adjust mode.

*Micro Adjust m ode

When you hold down the Pause button for three seconds, the printer enters the micro adjust m ode. In this mode, you can pres s the LF/FF buttons to adjust the top-of-form or tear-off position. See Chapter 2.

and Load/EjectU

9-Pin Dot Matrix Printer

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

Neither SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by 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 EPS ON CO RPORA T ION ’s ope ra ting and mainte nanc e in stru ct ions.

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, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

General Notice:

may be trademarks of their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and

User’s Guide

FCC Compliance Statement

For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits f or a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equip ment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instr u ctions, may cause harmful interferenc e to radio or televi sion reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures.

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

❑

Increase the separation between the

❑

equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a

❑

circuit different from tha t to which the receiver is connected

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/

❑

TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidat e the FCC Ce rtification of this dev ice and may cause interference levels which ex ceed the limits established by the FCC for this 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 one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This Cl ass B dig it a l ap p aratu s co mplies wi t h Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norm e NM B-003 du Ca n a da.

Declaration of Conformity

According to I SO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer: Address: 3-5, Owa 3-cho me, Suwa-shi,

Representative: EPSON EUROPE B.V. Address: Prof. J. H. B av inckl aan 5 1183

Declares that the Product :

Product Name: Dot Matrix Printer Model: P922A

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

Direc t i ve 73/23/ EE C :

Directive 89/336/E EC:

March 1999 H. Horiuchi President of EPSON EUROPE B.V.

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIO

Nagano- ke n 392-8502 Japan

AT Amstelveen The Netherlands

EN 60950

EN 55022 Class B EN 61000-3-2 EN 61000-3-3 EN 50082-1 IEC 801-2 IEC 801-3 IEC 801-4

iii

Getting to Know Your Printer

Easy-to-Use Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Available Paper Paths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Printing on continuous pape r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Printing on single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Print Head Caution Symbol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

ENERGY STAR C om pliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

For United Kingdom Us ers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Use of options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

How To Use Your Ma nuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Warnings, Cautions, and N o tes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer

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

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-4

Positioning the continuous paper s upply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-5

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6

Attaching the Paper Guide Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 - 12

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-13

Connecting the Printer to Your C o mputer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-14

Installing the Printer Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-17

Installing the printer software in Windows 98, 95,

or NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-18

Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1

or NT 3.5x. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-19

For DOS programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-21

iii

Chapter 2 Printing on Continuous Paper

Setting the Paper Release Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Using the Rear Push Tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Loading paper onto the rear pus h tra ctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Removing a printed document from the rear push

tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Using the Front Push Tr actor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -12

Loading paper onto the front push tr a ctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -12

Removing a printed docume nt from t he front push

tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Removing the front push tractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -18

Reinstalling the tractor in the front push position . . . . . . . 2-19

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Installing the tractor in the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Loading paper onto the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -23

Removing the paper from the pu ll tractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28

Using two tractors in a push/pull co mbination. . . . . . . . . 2-29

Removing the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31

Loading Multi-Part Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34

Removing continuous paper with labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36

Switching Between Printing on Continuous Paper

and Printing on Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37

Switching to printing on single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37

Switching to printing on continuous pa per. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -42

Using the Tear Off/Bin button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42

Advanci ng the paper to the tear-off position

automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43

Adjusting the tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43

Chapter 3 Printing on Single Sheets

Using Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2

Available paper types and paper slo ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2

Loading single-sheet multi-part forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-4

Loading envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6

Loading postcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-7

Loading Single Sheets in the Top Paper Slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8

Loading Single Sheets in the Front Paper Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11

Chapter 4 Using the Printer Software

About Your Printer Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4- 2

Using the Printer Driver With W indows 95 or 98 . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications.4-3

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu. . . . . . . .4-5

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Using the Printer Driver With W indows 3.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-9

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications.4-9

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . .4-11

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Using the Printer Driver With W indows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-13

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications.4-13

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu. . . . . . . .4-15

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Using the Printer Driver With W indows NT 3.5x . . . . . . . . . . . .4-18

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications.4-18

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . .4-20

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21

Using the EPSON Remo te! Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4- 23

Installing EPSON Remot e ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-23

Accessing EPSON Remote! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-23

Chapter 5 Changing Printer Settings From the Printer’s Control Panel

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

About Your Printer’s Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Changing default settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Chapter 6 Using EPSON Status Monitor 2

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

Installing EPSON Status Monitor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Accessing EPSON Status M o nitor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Checking Printer Status Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Using the EPSON Status Monitor 2 window . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Using the Printer Status window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11

Making Monitoring Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Turning on background mo nitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13

Background monitoring icon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting

Using the Error Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Problems and Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Power supply problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Single-sheet paper loading or feeding problems . . . . . . . . 7-6

Continuous paper loading or feedin g problems . . . . . . . . 7-8

Wrong top-of-form pos ition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 -9

Wrong tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10

Printing or printout quality problem s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11

Clearing Paper Jams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16

Aligning Vertical Lines in Your Print o ut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17

Printing a Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18

Printing a Hex Dump. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19

Appendix A Enhancing Your Printer With Options

Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

Paper handling options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

Optional interface cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Using the Optional Cut-Sheet Feed ers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A - 4

Installing the high-capacity or double-bin cut-sheet

feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-4

Loading paper in the high-capacity cut-sheet feeder . . . . .A-6

Selecting the paper source (bin 1 or bin 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-10

Switching between continuous paper and single-sheet

paper in the cut-sheet feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-11

Using the Roll Paper Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-12

Assembling the roll paper holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A- 12

Installing the roll paper holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A- 13

Loading roll paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-14

Removing roll paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-16

Installing an Interface Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-17

Appendix B Cleaning and Transporting the Printer

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Transporting the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-3

Appendix C Specifications

Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-2

Mechanical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-2

Electrical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-4

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-4

Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C- 5

Paper alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-8

Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-9

Safety approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-11

CE marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-11

vii

Command Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-12

EPSON ESC/P contr ol codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-12

IBM 2380 Plus emulation control codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C -16

Character Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-17

International character sets for the Italic table . . . . . . . . . . C-28

Appendix D Customer Support Information

Contacting Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2

For North American Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2

Electronic support services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2

Automated telephone services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3

For United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland Users . . . . . . D -4

Enquiry Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4

Customer Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4

Faxon EPSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D -5

EPtec - Bulletin Board Service for latest drivers and

utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5

World Wide Web. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5

For Australian Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-6

EPSON FAXBACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-6

EPSON Bulletin Board System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D -6

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

Your dealer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-6

EPSON Helpdesk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

For Singapore Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

For Hong Kong Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8

Internet home page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8

Electronic bulletin board system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8

Technical support hotline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8

For Philippines Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-9

Glossary

Index

viii

Getting to Know Your Printer

Your EPSON® FX-980 9-pi n dot matrix prin ter provides high-quality print ing and great performance in a compact design. Features in clude:

❏ a variety of paper paths to suit your prin ting needs ❏ the ability to handle a wide range of paper types, including

continuous paper, multi-part forms with one original and up to six copies, labels, single sheets, envelopes, and postcards

❏ high-speed printing of up to 569 characters per second at

12 characters per inch

❏ equipped with built-in parallel and serial interface board

Your printer also com e s with printer driver software, the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility for Microsoft 98 that lets you check the status of your print er quickly and easily, and other softw are. In addition, many options are available to suit your individual needs.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Window s® 95 or

Easy-to-Use Features

This section highlights some easy-to-use features that you’ ll

find helpful.

❏ Use the tear-off feature

If you load paper in th e rear or front push tractor , you can use the tear-off fe ature to advance your continuous paper to the printer’s t ear-off edg e when you finis h printing. Then you can easily tear off printed sheets and save paper normally lost between d ocuments. For more info rmation, see C hapter 2.

❏ Use the paper release lever to change the paper path

without r e moving continuous paper from the tractors.

to save paper

Using the paper release lever, you can easily switch to printing on single sheets without r emoving the co ntinuous paper loaded in the rear or front push tractor. You can also easily switch to printing on continuous paper on a different tractor. For more information, see Chapter 2.

Getting to Know Your Printer

paper rel ease lever

❏ Use the micro adjust feature to adjust the top-of-form and

tear-off positions. (See the Glossary for explanations of the top-of-form and tear-off positions.)

The micro adjust feature allows you to move the paper forward or backward in 1/216 inch increments so that you can make precis e a dju stme nt s to t he t op-o f-f or m a nd te a r-o ff p osi ti ons . Fo r more information, see Chapter 2.

Available Paper Paths

Your print er provides a variety of paper paths for prin ti ng on continuous and single-sheet paper. As described below, paper can be fed into the printer from the top, front, bottom, or rear. You can select the paper path that best suits your current printing needs.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Printing on continuous paper

You can choose from t hree tractor p ositions (front push, rear

push, an d pull) and three paper entry slots (front, rear, and

bottom) for continuous pa per printing. Th is section help s you

determin e which paper paths and tractor positi ons are best fo r

your continuous paper printing needs . S ee the appropriate

sections in Chapter 2 for tractor installation and paper loading

instructions.

Using a push tractor

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 a push tractor. This allows you to use the printer’s tear-

off edge to easily tear off printed sheets of continuous paper at

the perforation. Also, when continuous paper is loaded on a push

tractor, you can load single sheets of paper from the paper guide

without removing the continuous pa per from the tractor.

There are two push tractor positions: front and rear. The tractor

is installed in the front push and rear push positions when the

printer is shipped. See the table below for details about the push

positions and the corresponding paper-feeding paths.

Note:

❏

Always load multi-part forms with seven parts (one original plus six copies) from the front or bottom slot onto the pull tractor.

❏

The rear push tractor cannot be removed.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Tractor position Description

rear push

front push

Using a pull tractor

To use this t ractor, l oad paper in t he rear slot . When you print on multi-part forms that are bound on only one side by point gluing, load them i n the r ear paper slot; the front push tractor cannot feed this type of form.

Note:

Because thick multi part forms require a straight paper path, load them in the front slot.

Caution:

Do not load continuous paper with labels in the rear slot; the labels may come off th eir backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

To use this tractor, load paper in the front slot. If you print on thick paper such as multi- part forms or continuous paper with labels, use the f ront paper slot because t his pa per path fro m this slot is alm ost straight. This reduces the chan ce of paper jams.

If you often print on thick or heavy continuous paper, such as multi-part forms or continuous paper with labels, use a tractor in the pull position. The pul l tractor 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 with the pull tra ctor.

Note:

If you plan to use a tractor in the pull position, you can remove the tractor from the rear push positi on a nd reinstall it in the pull position, or you can purchase an op tional addition al tracto r unit (C80033✽) and install it in the pull positio n. See Ch apter 2 for instructions.

Getting to Know Your Printer

You can us e the front, bottom, or rear pape r slot with the pul l

tractor.

Paper sl o t De sc r i p t io n

If you print on thic k pape r such as mult i-pa rt for ms or continuous paper with labels, use the front paper slot because this paper path is almost straight. This reduces the chance of paper jams.

front

The bottom paper slot has the straightest paper path, so it is the best slot to use when printing on thick pape r, such as mu lti-par t forms or con tinuous paper wit h labels.

Note:

When loadin g pape r in th e bot tom slot, be su re to use a printer stand with an opening large enough

bottom

rear

for the paper to feed through it without obstruction

You can also load continuous paper from the rear pull tractor position.

Note:

Paper loaded from the rear s lot r esult s in a curved paper path, which may affect loading performance, so use the front or bottom slot whenever poss i bl e .

Caution:

Do not load con tinuous paper with labels in the rear slot; the labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Using the push and pu ll tractors in combination

You can improve paper feeding and reduce paper jams by using two tractors at the same time. This is especially helpfu l for printing on continuous pre-printed for ms, multi-part forms, or labels, and for printing high-quality graphics. When using two tractors in combination, you can load paper eith er in the front paper slo t bo th the front pus h tractor and the pull tractor, or in the rear pape r slot with both the rear pus h tractor and the pull tractor.

Combination Description

To use the rear push tractor with the pull tractor, you need to remove the standard tractor that comes in the front push pos ition and install it in the pull position.

Note:

Because thick multi-part forms require a straight paper path, load them in the front slot.

rear push

and pul l

Caution:

Do not load continuous paper with labels onto the rear push tractor even when it is used in combination with the pull tractor. If you load continuou s paper with labels onto t he rear push/pull tractor, the labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

To use the front push tractor with the pull tractor, you need to purchase the optional pull tractor (C80033✻) and install it in the pull posit ion.

front push

and pul l

Note:

For more informatio n on how to use two tractors in a push and pull combination, see “Using t wo tractors in a push/pull combination” on page 2-29.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Printing on single sheets

As shown below, you can load single sheets from the top or the

front of the printer. You can load ordinary single sheets from

either position, even with continuous paper already loaded in the

front or rear push tractor.

This section helps you determine which paper slot best suits your

single-sheet printing needs. See Chapter 3 for paper loading

instructions.

Loading paper in t he top slot

You can load ordinary single sheets, single-sheet multi-part

forms, envelopes, or postcards in the top slot.

Note:

Load envelopes in t he top slot only.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Loading paper in t he front slot

You can load ordinary single sheets, single-sheet multi-part forms, or postcards in the front slot.

Note:

Always use the front paper slot to load glue-fastened single-sheet multipart forms bound at the side of th e form.

Options

Your printer comes with everything necessar y to print on continuous paper and single sheets using a variety of paper paths. By adding opt ions, su ch as a cut-sheet f eeder, pu ll t ractor unit, or roll paper holder, you can further expan d y ou r printer’s versatility. Optional interface cards are also available to supplement your printer’s built-in parall el inter face and built-i n serial interface. For more information on options for your printer, see Appendix A, “Enha ncing Your Printer With Opti ons”.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Ribbon Cartridge

Your print er uses the follo wing ribbon car tridge:

EPSON black ribbon cartridge S015091

When printi ng becomes f aint, you need to replace the ribbo n

cartridge . Ge nuine EPSON ribbon cartrid ges are designed and

manufactured to work properly with your EPSON printer. They

ensure proper operation and long l ife of the pr int head and ot her

printer parts.

To replace a used ribbo n ca rtridge, follow the inst ructions in

“Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 1-6.

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 f lat surface. The printer w ill not operate

properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

❏ Do not block or cover the openings in the pri nter’s cabinet.

Do not insert objects through the slots.

❏ Use only th e ty pe 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 photocopie rs or air control systems that regularly switch on and off.

❏ Do not use a damaged or frayed power cord.

Getting to Know Your Printer

❏ If you use an e xtension cord with the printer, make sure t he

total ampere rating of all d evices plugged into the extensi on 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 specifica lly expl ained i n this gui de, do n ot at tempt

to service the printer yourself.

❏ Unplug th e pri nter and refe r servicing to qualified

personnel under the following conditions:

If t he po wer cord or plug i s d amage d; i f l iquid has en tered the printer; if t he printer has bee n 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.

❏ Printer parts marked with this symbol may be hot.

Turn of f the printer and let it cool for a few minutes before y ou touch any printer part marked with this symbol.

❏ If you plan to use the printer in Germany, observe the

following:

To provide adequate short-circuit protection and overcurrent protection for this printer, the building instal lati on must be protected by a 16 Amp circuit breaker.

Note for Germ an-speaking users:

Bei Anschluß des Druc kers a n d ie St romv ersorgung muß sichergestellt werden, daß d ie Gebäudeinstallation mit einem 1 6 A-Überstromschalter abgesichert ist.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Print Head Caution Symbol

The sym b ol on the print head indicate s that this part may be hot. Never touch the print hea d just

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

ENERGY STAR Compliance

As an

determined that this product meets the

TAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

NERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has

NERGY

The International

is a volun t ary partnership with the comput er and offic e

equipment industry to promote the introduction of

energy-efficient personal computers, monitors, printers, fax

machines, copiers, and scanners, in an effort to reduce air pollution

caused b y power genera t ion.

NERGY STAR Office Equipment program

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 EPSO N Appr oved P rod uct s b y Eps on (UK ) Lim it ed.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Safety information

Warning:

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 gree n a nd yellow wire must be connected to the term inal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or the Earth symbol (

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

The brown wire must be connected to the termi na l in the plug marked wi th the letter L.

This appliance must be earth e d . Re fer to the rating plate for voltage and check that the appliance voltage corresponds to the supply voltage.

Important: The wires in t h e mains lead fitted to this applia nc e are coloured in accorda nc e with the following code:

Green and yellow — Earth Blue — Neutral Brown — Live

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

Replac e f uses only with a fuse of the correct s iz e and rating.

Getting to Know Your Printer

How To Use Your Manuals

This

User’s Guide

and using you r printer. The

comes with the printer summarizes basic information on how

to use the p rinter.

provides detailed information on setting up

Quick Reference Gui de

that also

Warnings , Cautions, and Notes

This guide uses the following conventions:

Warnings

must be followe d to avoid bodily injury.

Cautions

must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment

Notes

contain importan t information and useful tips on the operation

of your printer.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Chapter 1

Setting Up the Printer

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

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Positioning the continuous paper s upply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-5

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Attaching the Paper Guide Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Connecting the Printer to Your C o mputer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

Installing the Printer Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 -17

Installing the printer software in Windows 98, 95, or NT 4.01-18

Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1 or NT 3.5x . 1-19

For DOS programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-21

Setting Up the Printer

1-1

Unpacking the Printer

Besid es this gu ide, your p r inter box should include an EPSON printer software disk, a Notice Sheet, and the fol lowing items:

printer

power cord

screwdriver

paper guide base

ribbon cartridge

Note:

Depending on your printer model, the power cord may be permanently attached to the printer. Also, the shape of the power cord plug v ari es depending on the country of purcha se; be sure the plug y ou have is the right one for your locati on.

1-2

Setting U p the Pr inter

Caution:

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 the se materials. A screwdrive r has been

provided for removing the transportation screw.

Save all pack ing an d protective materials , incl uding the

transportation screw and the protective locking clips on the paper

tension unit, in case you need to ship the printer in the future. It

should always be transported in its original packaging or

equivalent materials.

There are several models of the print er d esig ned for different voltages, and it is not possible to adjust the printer for use with another voltage. If the lab el on the back of the printer does not show the correct voltage for your country, contact your dealer.

Setting Up the Printer

1-3

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. T he prin ter w ill not

operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

❏ Place the prin ter where y ou can eas ily connect i t 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. Keep it away from direct sunlight, strong light, heat sour ces , or excessive moist ure 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-s peaking us ers:

Placez l'imprimante près d'une prise de contact où la fiche peut être débranchée facile ment.

❏ Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or

automatic timers. An interruption in power can erase informat ion in the mem or y of your printer o r computer. Also av oid outlets o n 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.

1-4

Setting U p the Pr inter

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

❏ Make sure the paper path is clear and uno bstructed before

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

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

❏ Use a stand that supports at least 22 kg (48.5 lb).

❏ Never use a stand that tilts the printer . The printer sho u ld

always be kept leve l .

❏ 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, a s shown below.

Setting Up the Printer

1-5

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge

EPSON recommends the use of genuine EPSON ribbon cartridges (S015091). Products not manufactured by EPSON may cause damage to your printer n ot covered by warranties.

Warning:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. The printer is off when

You will need to move the print head by hand to install or replace the ribbon cartridge. If you have just used the printer, the print head may be hot; let it cool for a few minutes before touching it.

the surface of the protectors as shown.

Operate

button is e ven with the button

Caution:

2. If the printer is connected to an elect rical outlet, unplug it from the outle t.

1-6

Setting U p the Pr inter

Moving the print head wh ile the pr inter is on may damage the printer.

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

4. 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 ribbon installation position (the indented portion of the paper tension unit) by hand.

Note:

When the pull tractor is installed, you can replace the ribbon cartridge when the print head is not in the ribbon installation position.

Setting Up the Printer

1-7

5. If a used ribbon cartridge is installed, grasp it the cartridge and pull it slightly forward and up; the ribbon guide snaps away from the metal pins behind the print head. Properly dispose of the used ribbon cartridge.

ribbon guide

6. Remove the new ribbon cartridge from the package. Then remove the separator from the middle of the ribbon cartridge and disca rd the sep arator. Turn the ribbon- tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon.

1-8

separator

ribbon-tigh te ni ng kn ob

Setting U p the Pr inter

7. Hold the cartridge with the ribbon-tightening knob up. Fit the two front notches of the ribbon cartridge over the small pegs on each side of the printer as shown below. Then lay the cartrid g e fl at.

8. Make sure that the two rear notches of the cartridge fit over the small pegs on each side of the printer. Then gently press down the cartridge unti l both ends click i nto place.

Setting Up the Printer

1-9

9. Lift the cartridge’s ribbon guide (①) and insert it firmly over the metal pins behind the print head (②). Make sure the ribbon is not twisted or creased and that it is in place behind the print head. Then press down the guide until it clicks into place.

ribbon guide

ribbon-tightening knob

10. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon as shown in step 9. Then slide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves smoothly.

1-10

Setting Up the Printer

11. Replace the printer cover by first inserting the front tabs into the slots on the printer and then lowering the cover into place. Push it down until it clicks.

Setting Up the Printer

1-11

Attaching the Paper Guide Base

To install the paper gu id e base follow these steps:

1. Make sure the paper guide cover is open as shown below. Attach the paper guide base by sliding the slots on the bottom over the pegs located behind the paper tension unit, then tilt the guide back until it stops.

paper guide cover

paper tension unit

1-12

Caution:

Make sure to slide the slots on the bottom of the paper guide over the pegs locate d behind the paper te nsion uni t on each si de of the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

2. Close the paper guide cover.

Plugging in the Printer

1. Make sure the printer i s turned off. The printer is off when the surfa ce of the protectors as shown below.

Operate

button is even with the butto n

Setting Up the Printer

1-13

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

Warni ng:

3. If the power cord is not at tached to the printer, plug th e

4. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical

It is not possible to change the p rinter’s voltage. If the rated voltage an d your outle t voltage do not mat ch, contact your deale r for assistance. Do not plug in t h e p ower cord.

appropria te end into the AC inlet on the back of the printer.

outlet.

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

Your printer has three s e parate interface connect ions: an IEEE1284 compatible parallel interface, an EIA-232D serial interface and Type B option al interfac e. See page A-3 fo r more informat ion.

If your computer requires a different type of printer interface, you should be able to use one of the optional interfaces described on page A-3.

Follow th e steps below to connect the printer to your computer using a parallel or serial interface connector, or a ground wire connector.

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. The

Operate

button is even

1-14

printer is off when the surface of the with the b utton protectors.

Setting Up the Printer

2. Plug the cable connector secure l y into the printe r’s interface connec tor as shown.

Parallel interface

Plug the cable connector securely i nto the parall e l interface connec tor.

parallel interface connector

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

Setting Up the Printer

1-15

Serial interface

Plug the c able connector securely into the serial i nte rface connec tor.

serial interface connector

Tighten the screws on the both sides of the connector.

1-16

Setting Up the Printer

3. If your cable has a ground wire, c onnect it to the printer’s ground connector as shown below.

4. Plug th e other end of the cable into the computer.

After you conne ct th e pr inte r to your compu ter, inst all the print er softwa re as describe d in the next section.

Installing the Printer Software

After you connect the printer to your computer, you need to install the software included on the EPSON printer software CDROM shipped wi th your printer.

Your printer softwa re includes: ❏ Printer driver

The printer driver is the software that runs, or "drives," your printer. With it, you ca n make printer settings such as print quality, resolution, and paper size.

❏ EPSON Status Monitor 2 (Windows 95 or 98 only)

The EPSON Status Monitor 2 notifies you of printer errors and displays printer status information.

Setting Up the Printer

1-17

❏ EPSON Remo te! (a DOS-based printer se tup utility)

The EPSON Remote! utility allows you to easily change the printer’s default settings from the computer screen. To use the EPSON Remote! utility with DOS, see page 4-23.

To install the printer software, see "Installing the printer software in Windows 98, 95, or NT 4.0" or "Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1 or NT 3 . 5x" i n th is sec tion. If y ou are u si ng DOS, see “For DOS programs” on page 1-21.

Installing the printer software in Windows 98, 95, or NT 4.0

Follow the steps below t o install the printer software in Windows 98, 95, or NT 4.0:

Note:

❏

Installing the printer software for Windows NT 4.0 may require network administration privileges. Ask your network administrator for more information.

❏

If you wish to make a diskette version of the printer software on your CD-ROM, insert the CD and run the EPSETUP program . In the dialog box that appears, click the button and follow the on-screen instructions.

Driver disk creation utility

❏

If you are using the diskette version of the EPSON software, make a backup copy of the EPSON printer software disk or disks before you begin installation.

1. Make sure Windows 98, 95, or NT 4.0 is running and the printer is of f.

2. Insert the printer sof tware CD-ROM in the CD-ROM driv e. The Install dialog box appears. (If you are using diskettes, insert the diskette in a disk drive, then double-click the

Setup.exe

icon.)

3. Click

1-18

icon and double-click the

Install

to start the printer software installation, a nd

follow the instructions.

Setting Up the Printer

drive

Note:

❏

If the New Hardware Found sc reen or any other wizard appears when you turn on your computer, click above.

❏

Installation time varies de p ending on your computer.

For information on opening and using the software, see "Using the Printe r Software" in Chapter 4. After you install the printer driver for Windows 98, 95, or NT 4.0, y ou can inst all the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utili ty program. S ee Chapter 6 for information on installing and using the Status Monitor.

Cancel

and follow the steps

Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1 or NT 3.5x

Follow the steps below to install the printer softwar e on Windows

3.1 or NT 3.5x systems.

Note:

Installing the pr inter software on Windo ws N T 3.5x may require network administration privileges. Ask your network administrator for more information.

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

2. Insert th e printer software CD-ROM shipped with your printer in t he CD-ROM drive. (If you are us i ng diskettes, insert Disk1 of your printer software in a disk drive.)

Setting Up the Printer

1-19

3. Choose In the Command Line box, type drive has a drive letter other than "D", or if you are using a diskette , substitute th e appropriate drive letter.) T hen click

❏ If you wish to make a diskette version of the printer software

on your CD-ROM, type dialog box that appe ars, cl ic k the button and follow the on-screen instructions.

4. The installation program begins copying the printer software files.

5. When the installation is complete, click OK to exit the installation program.

Run

from the File menu. T he Run dialog box ap pears.

D:SETUP

EPSETUP

instead o f

Driver disk creation utility

, (If your CD-ROM

SETUP

. In the

The installation program automatically selects the FX-980 as the default printer for Windows applications.

For information on opening and usi ng the softwa re, see "Using the Printe r S oftware" in Chapter 4.

1-20

Setting Up the Printer

For DOS programs

To cont rol the prin ter fr om DOS a ppli cati on prog rams, you mus t select the printer you are using or another available printer from the printer list of your application.

Choose the EPSON FX-980 printer at the appropriate step in the setup or instal lation procedure. I f the list in your applicati on does not includ e the FX-980 prin ter, choose the first available pri nter from this list:

FX-880 FX-870 FX-850 FX-800 FX-85 FX-80+ FX-80

If none of these printers is listed, choose the first one available from the following:

FX LX RX MX EPSON pri nter Standard printer Draft Pr inter ASCII printer

Note:

If your application does not list a suitable alternative, co nta c t the software manufactu rer to se e if an up date i s available.

Setting Up the Printer

1-21

1-22

Setting Up the Printer

Chapter 2

Printing on Continuous Paper

Setting the Paper Release Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-2

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Using the Rear Push Tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-6

Loading paper onto the rear pus h t ractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Removing a printed document from the rear push tractor . 2-10

Using the Front Push Tra ctor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Loading paper onto the front pus h t ractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -12

Removing a printed document from the front push tractor 2-17

Removing the front push tract or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

Reinstalling the tractor in the front push position. . . . . . . . . 2-19

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Installing the tractor in the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-21

Loading paper onto the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23

Removing the paper from the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-28

Using two tractors in a push/p ull combination . . . . . . . . . . 2-29

Removing the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 3 1

Loading Multi-Part Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34

Removing continuous p ape r with lab els . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36

Switching Between Printing on Continuous Paper

and Printing on Single Sheets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37

Switching to printing on single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-37

Switching to printing on continuous pa per . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 8

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-39

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-O ff Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 4 2

Using the Tear Off/Bin butt on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42

Advanci ng the paper to the tear-off position automatically 2- 43

Adjusting the tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-43

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-1

Setting the Paper Release Lever

You can load continuous paper in the printer from several paper sources, including the rear push tractor or the front push tractor. Use the paper release lever to indicate the paper source you want to use, as de scribed in the table below.

Note:

To decide which paper source and paper path best suits your printing needs, see “Available Paper Pat hs ” on page 3.

paper release lever

The table bel ow describes each paper release lever positio n.

2-2

Paper release lever position

Printing on Continuous Paper

Description

Single-sheet position

For loading single-sheet paper from the top or front slot. For information on loading single sheets, see Chapter 3.

Paper release lever position

Description

Rear push tractor position

For loading co ntinuous paper from t he tractor installed in the rear push position. Also set the lever to this position when using the rear push and pull tractors in combination .

Front push tractor position

For loading co ntinuous paper from t he tractor installed in the front push position. Also set the lever to this position when using the front pus h and pull tractors in combination .

Pull tractor position

For loading co ntinuous paper from t he tractor installed on top of the printer in the pull position. When the tractor i s in the pu ll posit ion, y ou can l oad pape r in t he front, rear, or bottom slot.

Note:

You can load two different types of continuous paper onto the front and

rear push tractors, and easily switch between them using the paper

release lever. Before moving the paper release lever, alw ays press the

Load/Eject

button to feed the paper in the paper path backward to the

standby position.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-3

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever

Setting the paper thickn e ss lever allows t he printer to accommodate various thicknesses of paper. The paper thi ckness lever is located under the printer cover. You can select one of nine positions identified by the scale next to the lever.

paper thickness lever

Use the fol l owing table to set the paper thickness lever to match the thick ne ss of your paper.

Paper type* Lever position

Ordinary (single sheets or continuous paper) 0 Thin paper -1 or 0 Carbonless multipart 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) 7 parts (original + 6 copies)****

Continuo us paper with labels*** 2 Postcard 3 Envelopes 4 or 5

2-4

Printing on Continuous Paper

1 3 4 5 6 6

* See Appendix C for complete paper specifications.

** It is recommended that multi-part forms be used in the front push

or pull position.

*** Continuous paper with labels cannot be used with the rear push

tractor. To use them, install the optional tractor unit in the front push or pull position.

**** Always load multi-part forms wi th 7 parts (one original plus 6

copies) from the front or bottom slot onto the pull tractor.

Note:

❏

If the printed image is smeared , y ou may need to set the paper thickness lever one positio n h ig h er to im p r ove p r int quality.

❏

If the printed image is faint or has many gaps, you may need to set the paper thickness lever one position lower to improve print quality.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-5

Using the Rear Push Tractor

To use the re ar push tractor, load continuous pa pe r in the rear slot. For information on when to use the rear push tractor, see “Available Paper Paths” on page 3.

Note:

The tractors are installed in the front push and rear push positions when the printer is shipped. The rear push tra c to r cannot be removed.

Loading paper onto the rear push tractor

If a tractor is in stall ed in the p ull pos ition , you need t o remove it and install the pa per tension unit as described on p age 2-32 before using the re ar push trac tor.

Note:

To avoid paper jams, it is best to load thick multi-part forms using the front or bottom slot an d the p ull or front push tractor.

Caution:

Do not load continuous pap er with labels in the rear paper slot; the labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

To load pa per onto the r e ar push tractor, follow thes e steps:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off.

2-6

Printing on Continuous Paper

2. Open the paper guide cover and remove the paper guide base by holding the both edges and lifting it up.

3. Set the pa per release leve r to the rear push tractor posit ion. Set the paper thickness lever (located under the printer cover) to the proper position fo r your paper’s thickness.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-7

4. Release the left and righ t sprockets by pulling the sprocket lock levers forward.

front of the pr inter

5. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin of the paper using the scale on the printer. (Printing starts at the “0” mark.) Then push the lever back to lock it in place.

front of the printer

Note:

See “Paper alignment ” and “ Printable area” in Appen dix C for more information on the left margin position.

6. Slide the right sprocket to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway between the two sprockets as shown above.

2-8

Printing on Continuous Paper

7. Make sure your paper has a clea n, straight edg e . Then open both sprocket covers and fit the first three holes of the paper, printable side down, over the tractor pins. Then close the sprocket covers.

front of the printer

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

9. Attach the paper g uide bas e as des cr ibed on page 1-12. After installing the paper guide, grab the center section of the paper guide, lift it up and lay it flat.

10. Slide the edge guides to the middle of the paper guide base. Then close the paper guide cover.

Note:

The printer cannot print w h en the cover is open.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-9

11. Turn on the printer. Yo u may need to check and cha nge the printer driver settings as described in Chapter 4. When the printer receives data, it automatically loads the paper and starts printing. The printed pages are fed over the paper guide toward the back of the printer.

12. After you finish printing, follow the steps in the next section to tear off your printed document. If the first pri nted line on your page appears too hig h or low, you can change its position by using the micro adjust feat ure. See “Adj ust ing th e Top-of Form Position” on page 2-39.

Caution:

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

Removing a printed document from the rear push tractor

To remove the printed document, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the Tear Off /Bin lights are flas hing. (This indicat es your paper is at the current tear-off position.) You may need

Tear Off/Bin

button.

2-10

to press the

Printing on Continuous Paper

2. Open the paper guide cover, and tear off the printed document using the tea r-off edge of th e p ri nte r.

Note:

If your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned with the tear-off edge, you can adjust t he tear- off position using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the tear-off position” on page 2-43.

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust th e tea r-o ff p osition; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position.

3. Close the paper guide cover.

When you re sume printi ng, the printer auto matically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing.

To feed continuous paper to the standby position where you can remove the paper, press the for an explanation of the standby position.) Then open the sprocke t covers of the tractor and remove the pape r.

Caution:

Always tear off yo ur p rinted document before you press t he

Load/Eject

cause a paper jam.

button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may

Load/Eject

Printing on Continuous Paper

button. (See the Glossary

2-11

Using the Front Push Tractor

To use the front push tractor, load continuous paper in the fro nt slot. For more information on when to use the front push tractor, see “Available Paper Paths” on page -3.

Note:

The tractors are installed in the front push and rear push positions when the printer is shipped. The rear tracto r cannot be removed.

If a tractor is not installed in the front push position, go to “Reinstalling th e t ract or in t he front p ush posi ti on” on page 2-19.

Loading paper onto the front push tractor

To load pa per onto the fro nt push tractor, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off.

2. Open the front paper guide by pulling the tab at the center of the guide. Then remove the guide by grasping both sides and pulling it straight out of the printer. Check that the tractor is installed i n the front push position.

2-12

Printing on Continuous Paper

3. Set the paper release lever to the front push tractor position. Also set the paper thi ckness lever (l ocated under the printer cover) to the proper position for your pa per’s thickness.

4. Release the left and right sprockets by pushing the sprocket lock leve rs backward .

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-13

5. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin o f your paper us i ng the arrow mark inside the printer. (Printing starts at the arrow mark.) Then pull th e leve r forward to lock it in plac e.

Note:

See “Paper alignment ” and “ Printable area” in Appen dix C for more information on the left margin position.

6. Slide the right sprocket to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway between the two sprockets as shown above.

2-14

Printing on Continuous Paper

7. Make sure your paper has a clea n, straight edg e . Then open both sprocket covers and fit the first three holes on each side of the paper, printable side up, over the tractor pins. Then close the sprocket co vers.

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

9. Attach the front paper guid e by sliding it along the p ri nte r’s mounting slots as shown below. Then close the front paper guide.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-15

10. Slide the edge guides to the middle of the top paper guide base. Lift the center section of the paper guide base up and lay it flat. Make sure that the printer cover and the paper guide cover are closed.

Note:

The printer cannot print w hen the printer cover is open.

12. After you finish printing, follow the steps in the next section to tear off your printed document.

2-16

Printing on Continuous Paper

If the first lin e on your pa ge appears too hi gh or low, you can change its position by using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-39.

Caution:

Removing a printed document from the front push tractor

To remove the printed document, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the Tear/Off Bin lights are flash ing. (This indicates

2. Open the paper guide cover, and tear off the printed

Never use the knob to adjust th e to p-of -form p osit ion ; this m ay damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

your paper is at the current tear-off position.) You may need to press the

document using the tea r-off edge of th e p ri nte r.

Tear Off/Bin

button.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-17

Note:

If your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned wit h the tear-off edge, you can adjust the te ar- off position using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjust ing the tear-off position” on page 2-43.

Caution:

3. Close the paper guide cover.

When yo u resume printing, the printer automati cally feeds the paper back to the top- o f-form position and sta rts printing.

Never use the knob to adjust the tear-of f p osition; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position.

To remove the remaining paper from the printer, press the

Eject

button to feed the paper backward to the standby position. (See the Glossary for an explanation of the standby position.) Th en open the sprocket cov e rs of the tract or and remove the paper.

Caution:

Always tear off you r p r inted document before you press t he

Load/Eject

cause a paper jam.

button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may

Removing the front push tractor

To remov e the tractor from the front push po sition, follow these steps:

1. Remove any paper from the tractor as described in the

previous section.

2. Turn o ff the printer.

3. Open the front paper guide by pulling the tab at the center of

the guide. Then remove the guide by grasping both sides and pulling it straight out of the printer.

Load/

2-18

Printing on Continuous Paper

4. Press the tractor’s lock tabs, tilt the tractor up , and lift it out of the printer.

5. Replace the fr ont paper gui de by slid ing it alon g the printer’s mounting slots until it locks in place. Then close the front paper guide .

Reinstalling the tractor in the front push position

If a tractor is inst all ed in the pull pos ition , you n eed t o remove it and install the paper tension unit as described on pa ge 2-32 before using the f ront push tracto r.

To reinstall the tracto r in the front push position, follow thes e steps:

1. Make sure the printe r is turned off.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-19

2. Open the front paper guide by pulling the tab at the center of the guide. Then remove the guide by grasping both sides and pulling it straight out of the printer.

tab

3. Insert the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press down bot h ends of the tra ctor to make sure that it is fi rmly seated.

You are now ready to load continuous paper onto the front push tractor as described in the next section. To remov e the tracto r, see“Removing the front push tractor” on page 2-18.

2-20

Printing on Continuous Paper

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position

Using the tractor in the pull position is ideal for printing on thick and heavy continuous paper, such as multi-part forms or continuous paper with labels. However, you cannot use the tearoff feature with the pull tra ctor.

Because thick paper requires a straight paper path to avoid paper jams, you should load paper in the front or bottom slot when using the pull tractor.

Caution:

To further reduce the chance of paper jams and improve the performance of continuou s paper, you can us e two tractors in combination. When using this printing method, load the paper onto both the front push tractor and the pull tractor, or both the rear push tractor and the pull tractor. See “Using two tractors in a push/pull combination” on page 2-29.

Do not load continuous paper with labels in the rear paper slot; the labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

Installing the tractor in the pull position

To install a tractor in the pull position, you must either remove the front push tractor or purchase the optional pull tractor (C80033✽ front push tractor” on page 2-18.

Note:

The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.

To install a tractor in the pull position, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Then lift the printer cover up and o ff the printer.

To remove the front push tractor, see “Removing the

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-21

2. Push 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.

3. Lower the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press down bot h ends of the tra ctor to make sure that it is fi rmly seated.

2-22

Printing on Continuous Paper

You are now ready to load continuous paper onto the pull tractor as describe d in the nex t se ction. To remove the pull tractor, see “Removing the pull tractor” on page 2-31.

Loading paper onto the pull tractor

When using the pull tractor, load continuous p aper in the front or bottom slot, if possible; loading paper in the rear slot may increase the chance of a paper jam.

Caution:

To load pape r onto the pul l tractor, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the printe r is turned off, and the prin te r cover is

2. Slide the edge guides to the middle of the paper guide. Lift

3. Set the paper release lever to the pull tractor position. Set the

Do not load continuous paper with labels in the rear paper slot; the labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

remov ed. Also check that the tr actor is installed in the pull position.

the center section of the paper guide up and lay it flat.

paper thickness lever to the proper position for your paper’s thickness.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-23

4. Release the left and righ t sprockets by pulling the sprocket lock levers forward.

5. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin of the paper using the scale on the paper guide as a guide. (Printing starts at the arrow mark.) Then push the lever back to lock it in place.

Note:

See Appendix C, “Paper alignment” and “Printable area” for more information on the left margin position.

6. Slide the right sprocket to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway between the two sprockets as shown above.

2-24

Printing on Continuous Paper

7. Make sure your paper has a clea n, straight edg e . Then open both sp rocket covers.

8. Insert th e paper into the front, bottom, or rear paper slo t as described below until it emerges between the platen and the ribbon guide. Then pull up th e paper until the perforation between the first and second pages is even with the top of the printer’s ribbon.

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

Load paper in the bottom slot printable side up (forward).

Before you load paper in the rear slot, remove the paper guide base. Th en lo ad paper in the rear slot, printable side down and attach the paper guide base.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-25

9. Fit three holes on eac h side of the p aper ove r the trac to r pins on both sprockets. Then close the sprocket covers.

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

11. If you use the front slot, attac h the front paper guide with the continuous paper positioned as shown below. Then close it.

12. If you use th e rear slot, replace the paper guid e base and make sure the edge guides are together in the middle of the paper guide base and lift the center section of the paper guide base up and lay it fl at.

13. Turn on th e printer.

14. Remove any slack in the paper and adjust the top-of-form position (the position where the printer will start printing) by

LF/FF

button or using the micro adjust feature.

2-26

pressing the (To use the micro adjust feature, see Appendix 2, “ Adj usti ng the Top-of-Form Position”.) The printer will start printing at the curre nt position without adva ncing the paper.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Caution:

❏

15. Attach the printer cover and close the p aper guide cover.

Note:

The printer cannot print when the printer cover is open.

16. You may need to check and change the printer driver settings as described in Chapter 4. Then send a print job to the printer. The printer starts printing from the current position without advancing the paper. The printed pages are fed over the paper guide toward the back of the printer.

Never use the knob to remove sla c k in the paper or to adjust the top-of-form positio n; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-fo rm position.

❏

Always remove any slack from the paper; otherwise print quality may be red uc ed.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-27

17. After you finish printing, open th e paper guide cover; then tear off th e printed docu ment at the perforation nearest the paper exit slot.

Removing the paper from the pull tractor

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

2. To eject the paper, hold down the

2-28

Printing on Continuous Paper

LF/FF

button.

Using two tractors in a push/pull combination

To improve continuous paper feeding and reduce paper jams, you can use two tractors at the same time. When using two tractors in combination, you can load paper in the front paper slot onto both the front push tractor and the pull tractor, or in the rear paper slot onto both the rear push tractor and the pull tractor.

To use the front push tra ctor with the pull tractor, you ne e d to purchase the optional pull tractor (C80033✽). The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed. Install the optional pull tractor as described in “Installing the tractor in the pull position” on page 2-21.

To use the rear push tractor with the pull tractor, you can remove the tractor fr om the front pu sh position as described o n page 2-18 and install it in the pull position as described on page 2-21.

Note:

The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.

To load paper onto two tractors, follow these steps:

1. Remove the printer cover and paper guide ba se.

2. Make sure one tractor is in t he front or rear push posi tion and one tracto r is in the pull position as de scribed earli er in this chapter.

3. Set the paper release lever to either the front push or rear push tractor position, depe nding on which push tractor you are using. Set the paper thickness lever to the proper position for your paper’s thi ckness.

4. Load continuous paper onto t he fron t or re ar push tract or as described earlier in this chapter.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-29

5. Turn on the printer. Press the the paper to the top-of-form position. T he n press the button until the perforation between the first and second page is even with the top of the printe r’s ribbon.

Caution:

6. Load the paper onto the pull tractor’s sprockets as described in “Loading paper onto the pull tractor” on page 2-23.

7. Set the pa per release leve r to the pull trac tor position. The n remove any slack in the paper between the push and p ull tractors using the micro adjust feature (described on “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-39.) if necessary.

8. Move the paper release lever back to the push tractor position you set in step 2.

9. When the printer receives data, it w ill start printi ng at the current po sition without advancing the paper. If necessary, follow the steps in “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-39 to adjust the current position of the paper.

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

Load/Eject

butto n to a dva nc e

LF/FF

Caution

❏

10. Attach the paper guide base. Then slide t he edge guides to the middle of the paper guide. Li ft the c enter section of the paper guide up and la y it flat.

2-30

Printing on Continuous Paper

Never use the knob to remove sla ck in t h e paper or 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 be reduced.

11. Attach the printer cover and close the p aper guide cover.

Note:

The printer cannot print when the printer cover is open.

12. You may need to check and change the printer driver settings as described in Chapter 4. Then send a print job to the printer. The printer starts printing from the current position without advancing the paper. The printed pages are fed over the paper guide toward the back of the printer.

13. After you finish printing , open the paper guide cover; the n tear off the printed document at the perforation nearest the paper exit slot.

To remov e the paper from the tractors , fo llow the steps under “Removing the paper from the pull tractor” on page 2-28.

Removing the pull tractor

To remove the tract or from the pul l position, fo llow these steps:

1. Remove any paper loaded on the pull tractor as described on page 2-28.

2. Turn off the printer. Then remove the printer cover and lift the paper g uide up and off th e p ri nter.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-31

3. Press the tractor’s lock tabs, tilt the tractor towa rd you, and lift it off the printer.

4. Store the tractor in a safe place, or install it in the front push position as described on page 2-12.

5. To repla ce the paper tensio n unit, lower it onto the printer’s mounting pegs . Then pres s do w n b o th e nds of the unit unti l it clicks into place.

2-32

Printing on Continuous Paper

6. Replace the paper guide base and the printer cover. Then close the paper guide cover.

Loading Multi-Part Forms

You can use carbonless multi-part forms of up to seven parts (six copies i n a ddition to the original). Make sure you se t the paper thickness lever to the proper position based on the number of layers in your form.

For best results with thick paper, such as multi-part forms, select a straight or almost straight paper path. It is best to load multipart forms using:

❏ the front slot and the front push tr actor ❏ the front o r bottom slot an d the pull tractor

Except fo r se tting the paper thickness lever, you load multi- part forms th e same way you loa d ordinary continuous paper. For details, see the sections on loading continuous paper earlier in this chapter.

Note:

❏

Be sure your multi-pa rt forms do not exceed 0.46 mm (0.018 i nches) in thickness for the printable area and 0.9 mm (0.035 inches) for the perforated edges.

❏

Use multi-part forms only under normal temperature and humidity conditions, as follows:

Temperature 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F) Humidity 30 to 60% RH

❏

Do not load paper that is dama ged, curled, or wrinkled.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-33

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels

When printing on labels, use only the type of labels that are mounted on continuous ba cking 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.

Thick paper, such as continuous paper with labels, requires a straight or almost straight paper path. You can load labels in the front (push tractor or pull tr actor) or bottom (pull tractor) paper slot; however, for best results, use the tractor in the pull position and load paper in the front or bottom paper slot.

You load labels the same way you load ordinary continuous paper, except you must s e t the paper thickness lever to 2 before printing on labels. See “Loading paper onto the pull tractor” on page 2-23 for more information.

2-34

Printing on Continuous Paper

Caution:

❏

Do not load continuo us p aper with labels in the rear paper slot because the paper path from the rear slot is curved; labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

❏

Never use the tear-off feature (by pressing the button or turning o n t he auto tear-off mode as described in “About Your Printer’s Default Settings” in Chapter 5) to feed continuous paper with labels backward; they may come off their backing sheet an d jam the printer.

❏

Because labels are sensitive to temperature and humidity, use them only under normal operating conditions, as fol lows:

Temperature 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F) Humidity 30 to 60% RH

❏

Do not load co ntinuous paper with labels that is damaged, curled, or wrinkled.

❏

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

Tear Off/Bin

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-35

Removing continuous paper with labels

To avoid peeling labels off the backing sheet and jamming the printer, f oll ow the steps below when you remove continuous paper with la be ls from the printe r.

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

2. Hold down the the printer .

Caution:

2-36

Never press the backward, labels can easily come off the backing sheet and cause a paper jam.

Printing on Continuous Paper

LF/F F

button to eject the remaining labels from

Load/Eject

Tear Off/Bi n

button. When fed

Switching Between Printing on Continuous Paper and Printing on Single Sheets

You can easily switch back and forth between printing on continuous paper with a push tractor an d printing on single sheets without having to remove or reload the continuous paper.

Switching to printing on single sheets

To switch from printing on cont inuo us paper with the rear or front push tractor to printing on single sheets, follow these steps:

Note:

❏

If continuous paper with labels is loaded in the prin ter, remove it before switching to sin gl e-sheet printing. See “Removing continuous paper with labels” on page 2-36.

❏

If a tractor is in the pull position, remove any continuous paper from it before switching to single-sheet printing. See “Removing th e paper from the pull tractor” on page 2-28.

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

Bin

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

tear off the printed pages.

Caution:

❏

Tear off your printed d ocument before you press the

Load/Eject

several pages at a time may cause a p aper jam.

❏

Never use the knob to eject paper while the printer is on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tearoff positi on.

button in the next step. Reverse feeding

Printing on Continuous Paper

Tear Off/

2-37

2. Press the backward to the standby position. The paper is still attached to the push tractor but is n o longer in the pape r path.

3. Load single sheet s in the top or front paper guide as described in Chapte r 3.

Load/Eject

button to feed the continuous paper

Switching to printing on continuous paper

To switch from printing on single sheets to printing on continuous paper with the front or rear push tractor, follow these steps:

1. If a single sheet remains in the pr inter, press th e button to eject it.

Caution:

2. Make sure that the tractor is installed in the front or rear push position. To install the tractor in the front position, see “Reinstalling the tractor in the front push position” on page 2-19 .

3. Load continuous pape r onto the front or rear push trac tor as describe d earlier in thi s chapter.

The printer loads your continuous paper automatically when you begi n pr i n ting.

Never use the knob to eject paper while the printer is on; this may damage the printer or ca use it to lose the top-of-form position.

Load/Eject

2-38

Printing on Continuous Paper

Adjusting the Top-of-For m Position

The top-of-form position is the position on the page where the printer sta rts printing. If your printing appears too high or low on the page, you can use the mi cro adjust feature to adjust t he topof-form position. Follow these steps:

Caution:

Note:

❏

1. Make sure the printer is turned on .

2. If necessary, load paper as described earlier in this chapter. If

Never use the knob to adjust th e to p-of -form p osit ion ; this m ay damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

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

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 p osition in your software.

you load paper onto a pus h tractor, press the button to ad vance the pap er to the current top-of-form position.

Load/Eject

3. Lift the printer cover up and off the printer.

4. Hold down the Pause lig ht starts flas hing and the printer enter s the micro adjust mode.

Pause

button for about three se conds. The

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-39

5. Press the on the page, or press the top-of-form position down on the page.

LF/FF

button to move the top-of-form position up

Load/Eject

button to move the

Caution

Note:

❏

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

plastic ribbon cover

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 pa p er.

2-40

❏

When the paper reaches the default to p -o f-form position, the printer also beeps and stops moving the paper briefly. You can use the default setting as a referenc e point when adjusting the top-of-form positio n .

Printing on Continuous Paper

To adjust the top-of-form position for continuous paper loaded on the pull tractor, see the following example:

First mark a point 6.5 mm ( 0.26 inches) above the paper’s perforation; then position the paper so that the mark is even with the top edge of the plastic ribbon co ver. This gives you an 8.5 mm (0.33 inches) m argin on the next page, meaning the printer sta rts printing 8.5 mm (0.33 inches) below the perforation. If you mark a point 5.5 mm (0.22 inches) above the perforation, you get a 9.5 mm (0.37i nches) margin on the next page.

6. After you set the top-of-form position, press the to exit micro adjust mode.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Pause

button

2-41

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge

If you use the front or rear push tractor, 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 pri nting, the printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position so that you c an save the pa per normally lost between documents.

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

If the perforation betwe en pages is not aligned with the tear-off edge, you can adjust the position of the perforation using the micro adjust featu re. See “Adjusting the tear-off position” on page 2-43.

Cauti on:

Never use the tear-off feature (by pressing the button or turning on th e auto tea r-o ff m od e as described below) to feed continuous paper with labels backward; they may come off their backing sheet and jam the printer.

Tear Off/Bin

button, or

Tear Off/Bin

Using the Tear Off/Bin button

After the printer finishes printing your document, check that the Tear Off/Bin lights are not flashing. Then press the button. The printer advances the paper to the tear-off edge.

Note:

If the Tear Off/Bin lights are flashing, the paper is in the tear-off position. If you press the to the next top-of-form position.

2-42

Printing on Continuous Paper

Tear Off/B in

button again, the printer feeds your paper

Tear Off/Bin

Advancing the paper to the tear-off position automatically

To automatically advance your printed documents to the tear-off position, you need to turn on the auto tear-off mode and select the appropriate page length for continuo us paper in th e de faultsetting mode. For instructions, see “Changing de fault settings” on page 5-9.

When au to tear-off is on, the printer au tomatically advances the paper to the tear-off position whenever it receives a full page of data or a form feed command fo llowed by no more data .

Adjusting the tear-off position

If your paper’s perfor ation is not ali gned with the tear-off edg e , you can use the micro adjust feature to move the perforation to the tear- of f position. F ollow these step s:

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust th e tea r-o ff p osition; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position.

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 the current tear-off position). You may need to press the

Off/Bin

2. Open the paper guide cover.

3. Hold down the Pause light begins flashi ng and the printer enters the micro adjust mode.

button to advance the paper to the te ar-off position.

Tear Off/Bin

Pause

button for about three se conds. The

light s are fl ash ing (t he pap er is a t

Tear

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-43

4. Press the the

LF/FF

Load/Eject

button to feed the paper backward, or press

button to feed the paper forward, until the

paper perf or ation is aligned with the tear-off edge.

tear-off edge

Note:

The printe r has a mi nimum and a maximum tea r-off po sition. If you try to adjust the tear-off position beyond these limits, the pri nter beeps and stops moving the pa p er.

5. After you set the tear-off position, press the

Pause

turn off the micro adjust mode.

6. Tear off the printed pages.

When yo u resume printing, the printer automati cally feeds the paper back to the top- o f-form position and begins printing.

2-44

Printing on Continuous Paper

button to

Chapter 3

Printing on S ing le S heets

Using Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Available paper types and paper slo ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Loading single-sheet multi-part forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Loading envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 -6

Loading postcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Loading Single Sheets in the Top Paper Slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Loading Single Sheets in the Front Paper Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11

Printing on Single Sheets

3-1

Using Sin gle Sheets

Available paper types and paper slots

As shown below, you can load single-sheet paper one sheet at a time using the paper guide on top of th e printer or the front paper guide. You can print on ordinary single s heets, single-sheet multi-part forms, postcards, and envelopes. Your single-sheet paper may be from 100 to 257 mm (3.9 to 10.1 in.) wide.

Note:

❏

To load a stack of single-sheet pa p er, use the o ptio nal cut-sheet feeder. See Appendix A, “Enhancing Your Printer With Options”.

❏

For detailed specifications on the types of single-sheet paper you can use, see Appendix C.

Loading Single Sheets in the Top Paper Slot

To load paper in the top slot, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the paper guide base is installed properly. If not, attach it as described on page 1-12.

2. Open the paper guide cover. Slide the left ed ge guide unti l it locks in place next to the arrow on the paper guide. Next adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

3-8

Printing on Single Sheets

Epson FX-980 User Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Control Panel Buttons and Lights

Contents

Getting to Know Your Printer

Easy-to-Use Features

Available Paper Paths

Options

Ribbon Cartridge

Print Head Caution Symbol

ENERGY STAR Compliance

For United Kingdom Users

How To Use Your Manuals

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer

Choosing a Place for the Printer

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge

Attaching the Paper Guide Base

Plugging in the Printer

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

Installing the Printer Software

Printing on Continuous Paper

Setting the Paper Release Lever

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever

Using the Rear Push Tractor

Using the Front Push Tractor

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position

Loading Multi-Part Forms

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels

Adjusting the Top-of-For m Position

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge

Printing on S ing le S heets

Using Sin gle Sheets

Loading Single Sheets in the Top Paper Slot