Epson LQ-2080 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.

Condensed bu tton

Turns on the condensed mode.

Condensed light

Lights up when the condensed mode is on.

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.

Pause but t on

Stops printing temporarily, and resumes printing when pressed again.

Pause light

On when the printer

●

is paused. Flashes when the

●

printer is in the micro adjust mode.

LF/FF button

Feeds paper line by

●

line. Ejects a single sheet

●

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

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.

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.

n = On f = Flashing o = Off

Micro Adjust

When you hold down the Pause button for three seconds, the printer enters the micro adjust m ode. In this mode, you can pre ss the D and U buttons to adjust the top-of-form or tear-off position. See Chapter 2.

24-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 RPOR AT ION ’s op era ting and mainte na nce inst ruct ion s.

SEIKO EPSON CORPORAT ION shall not be liable for any damages or problems arisi ng 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 regis t e red trademarks and EPSON ESC/P 2 is a trade mark of SEI KO EP SON CORPORA TION.

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 o r a Cl as s 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 m e nt generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instr uctions, may cause harmful interference to radio or televisi on recepti o n. 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 that 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 norme NMB- 00 3 du Ca n a da.

Declaration of Conformity

According to I SO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer: Address: 3-5, Owa 3-chome, 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: P911B

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

Direc t i ve 73 /23/EEC :

Directive 89/336/E EC:

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

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIO

Nagano- ken 392-8502 Japan

AT Amstelveen The Netherlands

EN 60950

EN 55022 Clas s 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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3

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

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

Attaching the Paper Guide and P a per Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-11

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-12

Connecting the Printer to Your C o mputer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 - 1 3

Installing the Printer Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-15

Installing the printer software in Windows 95, 98,

or NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-15

Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1 or NT 3.5x .1-17

For DOS programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-18

iii

Chapter 2 Printing on Continuous Paper

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

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

Using the Rear Push Tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2- 5

Loading paper onto the rear pus h tra ctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Removing the printed document fro m the rear

push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Using the Front Push Tr actor (o ptional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Installing the tractor in the front push position . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

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

Removing the printed document fro m the front

push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

Removing the front push tractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Installing the tractor in the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Loading paper onto the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Removing paper from the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27

Using two tractors in a push and pull combination. . . . . . . 2-27

Removing the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30

Loading Multipart Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32

Loading Continuous Paper Wi th La bels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32

Removing continuous paper with labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34

Switching Between Printing on Continuous Paper

and Printing on Single Sheets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2- 3 5

Switching to printing on single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 5

Switching to printing on continuous pa per. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -37

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40

Using the Tear Off/Bin button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40

Advancing paper to the tear-off position automatically . . . 2-41

Adjusting the tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 -41

Chapter 3 Printing on Single Sheets

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

Available paper types and paper slots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Loading single-sheet multipart 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10

Chapter 4 Using the Printer Software

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

Using the Printer Driver With W indows 95/98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-8

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications. .4-8

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . .4-10

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-10

Using the Printer Driver With W indows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-12

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications. .4-12

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu. . . . . . . . .4-14

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-14

Using the Printer Driver With W indows NT 3.5x . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-17

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications. .4-17

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . .4-19

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-20

Using the EPSON Remo te! Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 2 2

Installing EPSON Remot e ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 -22

Accessing EPSON Remote! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-22

Chapter 5 Chang ing Prin ter Setti ngs From the Printer’s Control Panel

Selecting a Built-In Font and Condensed Mo de . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2

About Your Printer’s Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Checking Printer Status Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Using the EPSON Status Monitor 2 window . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Using the Printer Status window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 -9

Making Monitoring Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 0

Turning on background mo nitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11

Using the background monitoring icon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

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 - 1 7

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 Feeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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-1 0

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

Using the C82305✽ or C82306✽ serial interface card . . . . . .A-1 8

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-5

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-5

Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-6

Paper alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C -9

Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-10

Safety approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-12

CE marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-12

Command Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-13

EPSON ESC/P 2 co ntr ol codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-13

IBM 2391 Plus emulation control codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-17

Character Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-18

International character sets for the Italic table. . . . . . . . . . . .C-2 9

Appendix D Customer Support Information

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

For North American Us ers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-2

vii

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® LQ-2080 24-pin dot matrix printer 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 plus up to five copies, labels, single sheets, envelopes, and postcards

❏ high-speed printing of up to 400 characters per second at

10 characters per inch

Your printer also com e s with printer driver software, the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility for Microsoft that lets you check the status of your printer quickly and easi ly, and other software. In addition, several options are available to help suit your individual needs.

Window s® 95/98

Easy-to-Use Features

This section highlights some easy-to-use features that you ’ll find hel p ful.

❏ Use the tear-off feature

to save paper.

Getting to Know Your Printer

If you load paper o n the rear of fr ont ( optio nal ) push tr actor , you can use the tear-off fea ture to advanc e your printed document to the printe r’s tear-of f edge when you finish printing. Then you can easily tear off the printed sheets and save the paper normall y lost between documents. For more information, see Chapter 2.

❏ Use the paper release lever

without removing the paper.

Using the paper release lever, you can easily switch to printing on single sheets without r emoving the co ntinuous paper loaded o n the rear or fr ont (op tional) push t ractor. 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

to change the paper path

paper rel ease lever

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

tear-off positions. (See t he 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 1/180-inch increments so that you can ma ke prec ise adjus tment s to the to p-of- for m and te ar- off positions. For more information, see Chapter 2.

Available Paper Paths

Your printer prov i des a vari ety of paper paths for pri nting on continuous and single-sheet paper. As described below, paper can be fed into the print e r from the top, front, bottom, or rear. You select the paper pat h that best su its your current printing needs.

Note:

When using continu ous paper, the rear push tractor only can be used as standard. To use the tractor in the front push and pull positions, you need to purchase the optional tracto r unit .

Getting to Know Your Printer

Printing on continuous paper

You can choose from th ree tractor p os itions (front push, rear push, and pull) and three paper entry slots (front, rea r, and bottom) fo r continuous paper printi ng. This secti on helps you determin e which pape r paths and tractor positio ns are best for your continuous paper printing needs. See 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 ord ers o r sales slips), it is best to use a push tractor. This allows you to use the printer’s tearoff 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 co ntinuous paper.

There are two push tractor positions: front and rear. The tractor can be used only in the rear push position as standard. To use the tractor in the front push position, y ou need to purchase the optional tra ctor unit. See the table below for details about the push posi tions and the corresponding paper-feeding paths.

Note:

The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Tractor position Description

To use this tractor, load paper in the rear slot.

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

rear pu sh

front push

slot; the labels may come off th eir backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

To use the front push tractor, you need to purchase the optiona l tracto r uni t (C80 03 2✽) and install it in the front push position.

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, load it in the front paper slot because the paper path from this slot is almost straight. This reduces the chance of paper jams.

Using a pull tractor (optio nal)

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 po sition. The pul l tractor provide s 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 tractor.

Note:

If you plan to use a pull tractor, you can purchase the optional pull tractor (C80032✽) and install it in the pull position. See Chapter 2 for instructions.

Getting to Know Your Printer

As shown in the table below, three paper entry slots are available for use with the pull tractor: front, bottom, and rear.

Paper sl o t Descrip t io n

If you print on thick paper such as multi part forms or continuous paper with labels, load it using the front paper slot because the paper path from this slot is almost straight. This reduces the chance of paper jams.

front

Because the bottom paper slot has the straightest paper path, it is ideal for p rinting on thick paper, such as multipart forms or contin uous paper with labels.

Note:

When loading paper in the bottom slot, be sure to use a printer stand with an opening large enough

bottom

so that the paper can feed through it without obstruction

You can also load continuous pa per onto the pull tractor using the rear slot.

Note:

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

rear

Getting to Know Your Printer

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.

Using the push and pu ll tractor s in combination

To improve continuous paper feeding and reduce paper jams, you can use two tractors at the same time. This is especially helpful for printing on continuous pre-printed forms, multipart forms, or labels, and for printing high-quality graphics. When using two tractors in combination, yo u can load p aper either in the front pa pe r slot onto the front push tractor and the pul l tractor, or in the rear paper slot onto the rear push tractor and the pull tractor.

Combination Description

To use the rear push tractor with the pull tractor, you need to purc hase the optional pull tractor (C80032✽) and install it in the pull position.

Note:

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

rear pu sh

and pull

Caution:

Do not load continuous paper with labels onto the rear push tractor even when it is used in combination with the pull trac tor. If you load continuou s paper with labels ont o the 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 two optional pull tractors (C80032✽). Mount the two tractors in the front push and pull positions.

front push

and pull

Note:

For more informatio n on using two tractors in a push and pull combination, see page 2-27.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Printing on single sheets

As shown be l ow, your printe r has two paper e ntry slots for printing on single sheets: top and front. When continuous paper is loaded on the front o r re ar push tractor, you can load single sheets in the top or fro nt slot without remo vi ng the continuous paper.

This section helps you det ermine which paper slot best suits y our 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 multipart forms, envelop es, or postc ards in the to p slot.

Note:

Load envelopes only in the top slot.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Loading paper in t he front slot

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

Note:

Always use the front paper slot to load single-sheet multipart forms that are bound by line gluein g only at the side.

Options

Your printe r comes with everything necessary to print on continuou s pa per and single she e ts using a variety o f paper paths. By addin g o ptions, such as a cut-sheet f eeder , pu ll t ract or unit, or roll paper holder, you can further expand your printer’s versatility. Optional interface cards are also available to supplem e nt your printer’s bui lt-in parallel interface. For m ore informatio n on options for your printer, see Appendix A, “Enhancing Your Printer With Options”.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Ribbon Cartridge

Your printe r uses the fol lowing ribbo n cartridge:

EPSON black ribbon cartridge S015086

When printi ng becomes f aint, you need to replace the ribbon cartridge. Genuine EPSON ribbon cartridges are designed and manufactured to work properly with your EPSON printer. They ensure proper o peration an d long life of the print head and other printer parts.

To replace a used ribbon cartridge, follow the instructions under “Installing or R e pl acing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 1-5.

Important Safety Instructions

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

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

radiator or heat source.

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

properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

❏ Do not block or cover the op e nings in the print er’s cabinet.

Do not insert objects through the slots.

❏ Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s

label.

❏ Connect all equipment to properly groun ded power outlets.

Avoid using out lets on the s ame circuit as ph otocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch on and off.

❏ Do not use a da maged or fray ed power cord.

Getting to Know Your Printer

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

total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the extension cord doe s not exceed th e cord’s ampere rating. Als o, 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 specifi cally explai ned in t his guide, do no t attempt

to servic e the printer y ourself.

❏ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

personnel under the following conditions:

If the power cord or plug is da maged; if liqui d has entered the printer; if the printer has been dropped or the cabinet damaged; or if the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a disti nct change in perf ormance. Adju st onl y th ose controls that are covere d by the operating instru cti ons.

❏ Printer parts marke d with this sym bol may be hot.

Turn off the printer and let it cool for a few minutes before you touch any pri nte r part marked with this symbol.

❏ If you plan to us e the printer in Ge rmany, observ e the

following:

To provide adequate short-circuit protection and overcurrent pro tection for thi s printer, th e building installation must be protected by a 16 Amp circuit breaker.

Note for German-speaking users:

Bei Anschluß des Druckers an die Stro m v 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 symbol on the print head indicates 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 fe w minutes befo re touching it.

ENERGY STAR Compliance

As an

determined that this product meets the

NERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has

TAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

NERGY

The International

is a volun tary partnership with the computer and office 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 i o n.

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 EP SON App r oved Produ c ts by Ep son (UK) Limited.

Getting to Know Your Printer

Safety information

Warning:

If you have to fit a plug:

As the colour s of the mains lead of this app liance 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 rat ing 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 your printer. The comes wit h th e printer summar izes basic information on h ow to use the printer.

provides detailed information on setting up

Quick Reference Guide

that also

Warnings , Cautions, and Notes

This guide uses the following conventions:

Warnings

must be followed to avoid bodily injury.

Cautions

must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment

contain important information and useful tips on the operation

Notes

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

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

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

Attaching the Paper Guide and P a per Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Connecting the Printer to Your C o mputer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Installing the Printer Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 -15

Installing the printer software in Windows 95, 98,

or NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1

or NT 3.5x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-17

For DOS programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-18

Setting Up the Printer

1-1

Unpacking the Printer

Besid es this guid e, your printer box should include EPSON printer software disk, a Notice Sheet, and the fol lowing items:

paper guide

printer

paper separator

power cord

screwdriver 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 in which you bought your printer; be sure the plug you have is the right one for your location.

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 (packe d with the

printer) to remove these materials. A screwdriver has been

provided for removing the transpo rtation screw.

Save all packing and protective materials, including 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

equival e nt materials.

There are several models of the printer design ed for different voltages, and it is not possible to adjust the printer for use with another voltage. If the label on t h e bac k of the printer does not show the correct voltage for your country, contact your dealer.

Choosing a Place for the Printer

Follow the guidelines below when selecting a location for your

printer.

❏ Place the printer on a flat, stable s urface. The prin ter will not

operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

❏ Place the printe r where you can easily connec t it to a network

interface c able, if necessary.

❏ Leave adequate room around the printer for easy operation

and maintenance.

❏ Avoid using or storing the printer in places subject to rapid

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

❏ Avoid places subject to shocks and vibrations.

Setting Up the Printer

1-3

❏ Place the printer near a wall outlet where you can easily

unplug the po wer cord.

Note for French-speaki ng use rs:

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

❏ Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or

automatic timers. An interruption in power can e rase information in the memory of your pr inter or c o mputer. Also avoid outlets on the same circuit as la rge motors or other appliances that can cause voltage fluctuations.

❏ Keep the entire computer system away from potential

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

❏ Use a grounded power outlet; do not use an adapter plug. ❏ Make sure the paper path is cl e ar and unobstructed before

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

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

❏ Use a stand that supports at least 26 kg (57.8 lb). ❏ Never use a stand that tilts the printer. The printer should

always be kept lev e l.

❏ Position your printer’s power cord and interface cable so they

do not interfere with paper feeding. I f possible, se cure the cables to a leg of the printer stand.

1-4

Setting U p the Pr inter

Positioning the continuous paper supply

Before using continuous paper, make sure you line up your paper

supply with the tractor feeder so the paper feeds smoothly into

the printer, as shown be low.

When using the option When using the option

Installing or Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge

This section describes how to install or re place the ribbon

cartridge. The installation and replacement procedures are the

same exc e pt that you need to remove the u sed ribbon cart ridge

before you replace it with a new one.

EPSON recommends using genuine EPSON ribbon cartridges

(S015086). Products not manufactured by EPSON may cause

damage to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.

Warning:

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 co ol fo r a few minutes before touching it.

Setting Up the Printer

1-5

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

Caution:

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

Moving the print head while the printer is on may dam ag e the printer.

Operate

button is even with the button

3. Lift the pri nter cover by its ba ck edge and the n pull it straight up and off.

1-6

Setting U p the Pr inter

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 instal led , you c an replace the ribbon cartridge when the print head is not in the ribbon insta llat ion position.

5. If a used cartridge is installed, grasp 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

Setting Up the Printer

1-7

6. Re move th e ne w rib bon ca rtri dge f rom th e pack age . Remo ve the separato r from the middle of the ribbon cartridge and discard the separator. Then turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon.

separator

ribbon-ti gh tening knob

7. Hold the ca rtridge with the ribbon-tightening knob up. Fit the two front notches o f the ribbon ca rtridge over the small pegs on each side of the printer as shown below. Then lay the cartridg e flat.

1-8

Setting U p the Pr inter

8. Make s ure that the tw o rear notches of the cartridge fit ov er the small pegs on each side of the printer. Then gentl y press down the cartridge until both ends click into place.

9. Lift the cartr idge’s ribbon g uide (①) and insert it firmly over the metal pi ns behind the pri nt 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-tightening knob

ribbon guide

Setting Up the Printer

1-9

10. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in th e ribbon, as shown above. Then sl ide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves smoothly.

11. Replace the printer cover by first inserting the front tabs into the slots on the printer a nd then low ering the cove r until it clicks into place.

1-10

Setting Up the Printer

Attaching the Paper Guide and Paper Separator

To install the paper guide and paper separator, follow these steps:

1. Turn over the paper guid e and insert the paper separator’s tabs into the slots on the paper guide .

paper separator

paper guide

2. Make sure the paper guide cover is open as shown below. Attach the paper guide by sliding the slots on the bottom of the paper guide over the pegs behind the paper tension unit.

paper guide cover

paper tension unit

Setting Up the Printer

1-11

3. Close the paper guide cover.

Plugging in the Printer

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

Operate

button is even with the button

1-12

Setting Up the Printer

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

Caution:

3. If the power cord is not attached to the printer, plug the appropria te end into the AC inlet on the ba ck o f the printer .

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

It is not possible to change the printer’s voltage. If the rated voltage and your outlet voltage do not match, contact your dealer for assistance. Do not plug in the power cord.

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

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

-compati ble connector for the printer.

If your computer requires a different type of printer interface, you should be able to use one of the opt ion al int erfac es des cribed on page A-3.

Follow the s te p s below to conne ct the printe r to your computer using the built-in parallel interface.

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

Operate

Setting Up the Printer

button is even

1-13

2. Plug the cable connector securely into the printer’s interface connector, and squeeze t he wire clips to gether until they loc k in place on both sides of the connector.

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

4. Plug the other end o f the cable into the c omputer. (If the cable has a ground wire at the computer end, attach it to the ground connect or at the back of the computer.)

After you connect the printer to your computer, install the printer softw are as described in the next section.

1-14

Setting Up the Printer

Installing the Printer Software

After you co nnect the printer to your computer, you need to install the sof tware included on the EPSON printer s oftware CDROM shipped with your printer.

Your printer software includes: ❏ Printer driver

The printer driver is the software that runs, or "drives," your printer. W it h it, you can ma ke printer settings such as print quality, resolution, and paper size.

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

The EPSON Status Mon it or 2 notifies you o f printer errors and displays printer status information.

❏ EPSON Re mote! (a Dos- based printer setup utility)

The EPSON Remote! utility allows you to easily change the printer’s default settings from the co mputer screen. To use the EPSON R e mote! utility with DOS, see pa ge 4-22

To install the printer software, see "Installing the printer software in Windows 95, 98, or NT4.0" or "Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1 or NT3.5x" below. If you are using DOS, see “For DOS programs” on page 1-18.

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

Follow s the steps below to install the printe r software for Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0.

Setting Up the Printer

1-15

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 diskestte version of the p rinter software on your CD-ROM, insert the CD and run EPSETUP program. In the dialog box that appears, click the

Driver disk creation utility

button and follow the on-screen instructions.

❏

If you are using the diskeette version of the EPSON software, make a backup copy of the EPSO N p rinter software disk or disks before you begin installation.

1. Insert th e printer software CD-ROM shipped with yo ur printer in the CD- ROM drive. The Instal l dialog box appear s. (If you are using di skesttes, insert the diskette in a disk drive, then doub le-click the

Setup.exe

icon.)

drive

icon and double-click the

2. Click

Install

to start the printer so ftware insta llation.

Note:

❏

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

Cancel

and follow the

steps above.

❏

Installation time varies de p ending on your compute r.

For information on opening and usi ng the software, see "Usi ng the Printer Software" in Chapter 4. Also see "Using EPSON Status Monitor 2" in Chapter 6.

1-16

Setting Up the Printer

Installing the printer software in Windows 3.1 or NT 3.5x

Follow s the steps below to install the printe r software for Windows 3.1 or NT 3.5x.

Note:

Installing the printer software for Windows NT 3.5x may require network administration privileges. Ask your network administrator for more information.

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

2. Insert th e printer software CD-ROM shipped with yo ur printer in the CD-ROM drive. (If you are using diskettes, insert it in a disk drive.)

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

Run

from the File menu. You see th e Run dialog box.

D:SETUP

, (If your CD-ROM

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

on your CD-ROM, type dialog box that appears, c lick the button and follow the on-screen instructions.

4. The install ation program begins copying the pr inter software files.

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

EPSETUP

instead o f

Driver disk creation utility

Setting Up the Printer

SETUP

. In the

1-17

The installat ion program automaticall y selects the LQ-2080 as the default prin ter for Windows applicatio ns.

For information on opening and usi ng the software, see "Usi ng the Print er Software" in Chapter 4.

For DOS programs

To control the printer from DOS application programs, you need to select the printer you are using or another available printer from the printer list of your application.

Choose the EPSON LQ-2080 printer at the appropriate step in the setup or installa tion procedure of your DOS applic ation program. If the list in your application does not include the LQ-2080 printer, choose the first available printer from this list:

LQ-2180 LQ-2170/LQ-2070 LQ-1070/1070+ LQ-870/1170 LQ-850+/1050+ LQ-850/1050 LQ-510/550/1010 LQ-200 LQ-500 LQ-860+/1060+ LQ-2550 LQ-2500 LQ-800/1000 LQ-1500

Note:

If your application does not list a suitable alternative, con ta ct the software manufacturer t o see if an update is available.

1-18

Setting Up the Printer

Chapter 2

Printing on Continuous Paper

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

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

Using the Rear Push Tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5

Loading paper onto the rear pus h t ractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Removing the printed document from the rear

push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Using the Front Push Tra ctor (o ptional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Installing the tractor in the front push po sition. . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 0

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

Removing the printed document from the front

push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 6

Removing the front push tract or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position (optional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Installing the tractor in the pull position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-20

Loading paper onto the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Removing paper from th e pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27

Using two tractors in a push and pull combination . . . . . . . 2-27

Removing the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 3 0

Loading Multipart Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 2

Loading Continuous Paper With Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32

Removing continuous p ape r with lab els . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34

Switching Between Printing on Continuous Paper

and Printing on Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35

Switching to printing on single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-35

Switching to printing on continuous pa per . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 6

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-37

Advancing the Paper to the Tear-O ff Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 4 0

Using the Tear Off/Bin butt on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40

Advancing paper to the tear-off position automatica lly . . . 2-41

Adjusting the tear-off position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-41

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-1

Setting the Paper Release Lever

You can l oad paper in the printer from variou s paper sources, such as the rear push tractor or the paper guide. You set the paper release lever to indicate the paper source you want to us e . The table below describes each paper release lever position.

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

2-2

Paper release lever position

Description

Single-sheet position

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

Rear push tractor position

For loading con tinuous paper from the trac tor 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 continuous paper from the optional t ractor installed in the front push position. Also se t the lever to this posi tion when using t he front push and pu ll tracto rs in combination.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Paper release lever position

Description

Pull tractor position

For loading continuous paper from the optional t ractor installed o n top of the prin ter in t he pull pos ition . When the tractor is in the pull position, you can load paper in the front, rear, or bottom slot.

Note:

By installing the optional tractor in the front push position, 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 r elease lever, always press the

Load/Eject

button to feed the paper in the p aper p ath backward to the standby

position.

Setting the Paper Thickness Lever

Setting the paper thickn e ss lever allows the printer to

accommodate various thicknesses of paper. The paper thickness

lever is located under the printer cover. You can select one of nine

positions identified by the scale next to the lever.

paper thickness lever

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-3

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 continuous paper -1 or 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)

Continuo us paper with labels*** 2

* See Appendix C for complete paper specificat ions. ** It is recommended that multi-part forms be used with the optional

tractor uni t installed in the fr ont push or pull position.

*** Continuous paper with labe ls cannot be used with the rear push

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

or pull position.

1 2 3 5

Note:

❏

If the printed image is smeared , you m ay need to set the paper thickness lever one position higher to improve print quality.

❏

2-4

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

Using the Rear Push Tractor

To use the re ar push tracto r, load continuous paper in the re ar

slot. For information on when to use the rear push tractor, see

“Available Paper Paths” on page 3.

Loading paper onto the rear push tractor

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 2-31 before

using the rear push tracto r.

Note:

To avoid paper jam s, it is best to load thick multipart forms using the

front or bottom slot a nd the p ull or front push tractor (optiona l).

Caution:

To load paper onto the rear push tractor, follow these steps:

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.

1. Open the paper guide cover and remove th e p a per guide.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-5

2. Set the pa per release leve r to the rear push tractor pos it ion. Also set the paper thic kness lever (located under the printer cover) to the proper pos ition for your paper’s thickness.

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

2-6

front of the printer

Printing on Continuous Paper

4. 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 Appendix C for more information on the left margin position.

5. 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.

6. Open both sprocket covers. Ma ke sure your pa per has a clean, straight edge and fit the first four holes of the paper, printable side down, over the tractor pins. Then close the sprocket covers.

front of the printer

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

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-7

8. Attach the paper guide as described on page 1-11.

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

Note:

Always close the printer cover before printing. The printer does not print when the cover is open.

10. Make sure the pr in te r is on. You may need to check and change 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.

11. 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 high or low, you can fix this using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-37.

Caution:

2-8

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.

Printing on Continuous Paper

Removing the printed document from the rear push tractor

To remove the printed document, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the Tear Off/ Bin lights are flash ing. (This indic ates your paper is at the current tear-off position). You may need to press the tear-off position.

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 2-41.

Tear Off/Bin

button to ad va nce the paper to the

Caution:

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.

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.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-9

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

Using the Front Push Tractor (optional)

To use the front push tra ctor, you nee d to purchase t he optional tractor un it and install i t in the front pu sh position . For information on when to use the front p ush trac tor, see “Available Paper Path s” on page 3.

Note:

The tractor is installed in the rear push p osition only when the printer is shipped. For the front push tractor, purchase the optional tractor unit (C80032✽).

Load/

Installing the tractor in the front push position

If a tractor is installed in the front push position, skip to “Loading paper onto the front push tractor“ on the next page.

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 2-31 before using the front push tra ctor.

To install the tractor in the front push posi tion, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off.

2-10

Printing on Continuous Paper

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 slo ts and press down both ends of the tractor to ma ke 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 remove the tractor, see page 2-17.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-11

Loading paper onto the front push tractor

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

1. 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. Set the pa per release leve r to the front push tractor position. Also set the paper thic kness lever (located under the printer cover) to the proper pos ition for your paper’s thickness.

2-12

Printing on Continuous Paper

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

4. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin o f your paper u sing the arrow mark inside the printer. (Printing starts at the arrow mark.) Then pull the lever forward to lock it in place.

Note:

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

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-13

5. 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.

6. Open both sprocket covers. M ake su re yo ur paper has a clean, straight edge and fit the first four holes of the paper, printable side up, over the tractor pins. Then close the sprock et covers.

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

8. Attach the front paper guide by sliding it along the printer’s mounting slots as shown below. Then close the front paper guide.

2-14

Printing on Continuous Paper

9. Slide the edge guides to the middle of the top paper guide. Make sure that the prin te r cover and the paper guide cover are closed.

Note:

Always close the printer cover before printing.

10. Make sure the printer i s on. You ma y need to check and change the printer driver settings as described in Chapter 4. When the printer receives data , it a utomatically loads th e paper and starts print ing. Th e pr inted p age s are fed over the paper guide toward the back of the printer.

11. After you finish printing, follow the steps in the next section to tear off your printed d ocument.

If the first printed line on your page appears too high or low, you can fix this using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-37.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-15

Caution:

Removing the printed document from the front push tractor

To remove the printed document, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the Tear/ Off Bin lights are flas hing. (This indicat es

2. Open the paper guide cover, a nd tear off the pr in te d

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.

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

document using the te ar-off edge of the printer.

Tear Off/Bin

button to ad va nce the paper to the

2-16

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 2-41.

Caution:

Printing on Continuous Paper

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.

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 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 ex pl an ation of the standby position.) T hen open the sprocket covers of the tractor and remove the paper.

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

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 off 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 str aight out of the printer.

Load/

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-17

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

5. Replace the fr ont paper gu ide by slid ing it along the printer’s mounting slots until it locks in place. Then close the front paper guide.

2-18

Printing on Continuous Paper

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position (optional)

Using the tractor in the pull position is ideal for printing on thick and heavy continuous paper, such as multipart 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, it is best to load paper in the front or botto m slot when using the pull tractor. You can also load paper onto the pull tractor from the rear slot. However, doing so is not recommended because the paper path from the rear sl ot is curved.

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, you load your 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 and pull combination” on page 2-27.

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.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-19

Installing the tractor in the pull position

To install a tractor in the pull position, you must install the optional pull tractor (C80032✽

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. Lift the printer co ver up and off the printer.

2. Push up the tabs on ea ch side of th e p aper tension unit and lift the unit up and off the printer. Store the paper tension unit in a safe place.

2-20

Printing on Continuous Paper

3. Lower the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press down both ends of the tractor to ma ke sure that it is fi rmly seated.

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 page 2-30.

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:

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.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-21

To load pa per onto the p u l l tractor, follow these ste ps:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off, an d the printer cove r i s removed . Also check that a tractor is installed in the p ull position.

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

3. Set the pa per release leve r to the pull trac tor position. Also set the p aper thickness lever to the proper positio n for your paper’s thickness.

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

2-22

Printing on Continuous Paper

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 “Paper alignment” and “Printable area” in Appendix 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. Then open both sprocket covers.

7. Make sure your pape r has a clean, straight edg e .

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-23

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 p a per until the perfora tion 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 t he bottom sl ot printable side up (forward).

Before you load paper in the rear slot, remove the paper guide. Then load paper in the rear slot printable side down.

9. Fit four h oles of the paper o ver the tracto r pi ns 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.

2-24

Printing on Continuous Paper

11. If you use th e front slot , attach the f ront paper guide w ith the continuous paper positioned as shown below. Then close it.

If you use the rear slot, replace the paper guide and make sure the edge guides are together in th e middle of t he paper guide.

12. Turn on th e printer.

13. Remove any slack in the paper and adjust the top-of-form positi on ( the po siti on wher e the prin ter wi ll st art pr inti ng) b y pressing the (To use the micro adjust feature, see “Adjusting the Top-ofForm Position” on page 2-37.) The printer will start printing at the cu rrent position without adv ancing the pape r.

LF/FF

button or using the micro adjust feature.

Caution:

❏

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

2-25

14. Attach the printer cov e r and close the paper guide cover.

Note:

Always close the printer cover before pr int ing .

15. 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.

16. After you finish prin ti ng, open the paper guide cov e r; then tear off th e printed docu ment at the perforation nearest the paper exit slot.

2-26

Printing on Continuous Paper

Removing paper from the pull tractor

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

2. Hold down the printer.

LF/FF

button to ejec t the paper from the

Using two tractors in a push and 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 re a r push tractor with the pull tra ctor, you need to purchase the optional pull tractor (C80032✽). To use the front push tractor and pu ll t ractor , you need to purchase two optional pull tractors (C80032✽). Install the optional pull tractor as described in “Installing the tractor in the pull position” on page 2-20 and “In stalling the tractor in the front push posi tion” on page 2-10.

Note:

The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-27

To load paper onto two tractors, follow these s te ps:

1. Remove the printer cov er and paper gui de.

2. Make sure one tractor is in the front or rear push pos ition and one tracto r is in the pull position. Set the paper release lever to either the front push or rear push tra ctor position, depending on which push tractor you are usin g. Also, set the paper thickness lever to the proper position for your paper’s thickness.

3. Load paper onto the fr ont or rear push tractor as described earlier in this chapte r.

4. Turn on the printer. Press the the paper to the top-of-form position. T he n press the button unti l the perforation betwee n the first and se cond pages is even with the top of the pri nter’s ribbon.

Caution:

5. Attach the paper to the pull tractor’s sprockets as describe d in “Loading paper onto the pull tractor” on page 2-21.

6. 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 page 2-37) if necessary.

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

8. Adjust the top-of-form position (the position where the printer will start printing) using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-37. The printer w ill start printi ng at the current position wi thout advancing 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

2-28

Printing on Continuous Paper

Caution

❏

9. Attach the paper guide. Then slide the edge guides to the middle of the paper guide.

10. Attach the pri nter cover and close the pa per guide cover.

Note:

Always close the printer cover before printing.

11. You may need to check and change the pri nter 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.

12. After you fi ni sh printing, open the paper guide cover; then 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 paper from the pull tractor” on page 2-27.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-29

Removing the pull tractor

To remove the tractor from the pull position, follow these steps:

1. Remove any paper loaded on the pull tra ctor as describ ed on page 2-27.

2. Turn o ff the printer. Then remove the printer co ve r and lift the paper guide up and off the printer.

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 2-10.

2-30

Printing on Continuous Paper

5. To repla ce the paper tens ion unit, lower it onto the printer ’s mounting pegs. Then press down both ends of the unit until it clicks into place.

6. Replace the paper guide and printer cover. Then close the paper guid e co ver.

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-31

Loading Mul tipart Forms

You can us e carbonless multipart forms of up to fi ve parts (four copies in a dd i tion to the origi nal). Make su re you set the paper thickness lever to the pro per position based on th e number of layers in your form.

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

❏ the front slot and the front push tractor (optional) ❏ the front or bottom slot and the pull tractor (optional)

Except for setting the paper thickness lever, you load multipart forms the same way you loa d ordinary conti nuous paper. For details, see the sections on loading continuous paper earl ier in this chapter.

Note:

❏

Be sure your multi par t f or ms do not e x ce ed 0. 39 mm ( 0.015 i n .) in thickness for the printable area and 0.9 mm (0.035 in.) for the perforated edges.

❏

Use multipart 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.

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.

2-32

Printing on Continuous Paper

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) pape r 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 set the paper th i ckness lever to 2 before printing on labels. See “Loading paper onto the pull tractor” on page 2-21 for more information.

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: Temperature15 to 25°C (59 to 77°F) Humidity30 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

2-33

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. After you finish printing, tear off the fresh su ppl y of continuous labels at the perforation nearest the paper entry slot.

2. Hold down the the printer .

Caution:

2-34

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 paper.

Switching to printing on single sheets

To switch from printing on cont inuo us paper with the rear or front p ush tractor to printin g on single sheets, fol lo w the steps below.

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 2-34.

❏

If a tractor is in the pull position, remove any continuous paper from it before switching to single-sheet printing. See “Removing pa per from the pull tractor” on page 2-27.

1. If any printed pages of continuous paper remain in the printer, press the pages to the tear-off po sition, and th en tear them off.

Tear Off/Bin

button to advance the printed

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

2-35

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 which you plan to use. To install the tractor in the front position, see page 2-10.

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

2-36

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 will st art printing. If yo ur printing appears too hi gh or low on the page, you can use the mi cro adjust feature to adjust t he topof-form position as described below.

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 using 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

adjust mode.

light starts flashing an d the printer enters the micro

Pause

button for about three se conds. The

Printing on Continuous Paper

2-37

5. Press the

on the page, or press the top-of-form position dow n on th e 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.

2-38

❏

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 in.) 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 in.) margin on the next page, meaning the printer starts printing 8.5 mm (0.33 in.) below the perforation. If you mark a point 5.5 mm (0.22 in.) above the perforation, you get a 9.5 mm (0.37 in.) 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

2-39

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 feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-37.

Caution:

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

button. The printer advances the paper to the tear-off edge.

Note:

Tear Off/Bin

If the position. If you press the paper to the next top-of-form position.

2-40

Printing on Continuous Paper

lights are not flashing. Then press the

lights are flashing, th e pa p er is in the tear-off

Tear Off/Bin

button, the printer feeds you r

Tear Off/Bin

Advancing 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 “About Your Printer’s Default Settings” on page 5-4.

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-off position. Follow the steps belo w.

Caution:

Note:

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

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.

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

adjust mode.

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

light begins f lashing and the printer enter s the micro

Tear Off/Bin

Pause

button for about three se conds. The

lights are flashing (the paper is at

Printing on Continuous Paper

Tear

2-41

4. Press the

the paper perforation is aligned with the tear-off edge.

LF/FF

Load/Eject

button to feed the paper backward, or press

button to feed the paper forward, until the

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 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.

2-42

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 multipart 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10

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 multipart forms, postcards, and envelopes. Your single-sheet paper may be from 100 to 420 mm (3.9 to 16.5 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 Si ngle Sheets in the Top Paper Slot

To load paper in the top s l ot, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the paper guide is installed properly. If not, attach it as described on page 1-11.

2. Open the paper guide cover. Slide the left edge guide until it locks in pla ce ne xt to the arrow on the paper guide. Next adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

3. Set the pa per release leve r to the single-sheet position. Also set the paper thickness lever (located under the printer cover) to the prope r position fo r yo ur paper’s thic kness. (See the table on page 3-3.)

3-8

Printing on Single Sheets

4. Close the paper guide cover.

5. Pre ss the

6. Insert a sheet of paper printable side down between the edge guides until it meets resistance. T he printer feeds the paper automati ca lly and is ready to print.

Note:

Always close the printer cover before p r int ing .

Operate

button to turn on the printer, if necessary.

Printing on Single Sheets

3-9

7. Check the printer driver settings as described in Chapter 4, and cha nge them if neccessary. Then send a print job to the printer.

When the printer receives data, it prints the page and ejects it back onto the paper guide. To continue printing your document, remove the printed page and insert a new sheet of paper. If you need to eject a sheet, press the

If the first printed li ne on your page appears too high or low, you can fix this using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-37.

Caution:

Never use the knob to adjust the top- of-form position or eject a sheet when the printer is on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

Load/Eject

button.

Loading Single Sheets in the Front Paper Slot

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

1. Make sure the paper guide is installed properly. If not, attach it as described on page 1-11.

2. Make sure the paper guide co ver is closed.

3-10

Printing on Single Sheets

3. Open the front paper guide by pulling the tab at the center of the guide. Slide the left edge guide as shown below. (Printing starts at the arrow mark.) Next adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

4. Set the pa per release leve r to the single-sheet position. Also set the paper thickness lever (located under the printer cover) to the prope r position fo r yo ur paper’s thic kness. (See the table on page 3-3.)

5. Pre ss the

Operate

button to turn on the printer, if necessary.

Printing on Single Sheets

3-11

6. Insert a sheet of paper printable side up between the edge guides until it meets resistance. T he printer feeds the paper automati ca lly and is ready to print.

Note:

Always close the printer cover before p r int ing .

7. You may need to check and change the printer driver settings as described in Chapter 4. Then send a print job to the printer.

When the printer receives data, it prints the page and ejects it onto the paper guide on top of the printer. To continue printing your document, remove the printed page and insert a new s he et of paper in the front paper guide. If you need to ej ect a sheet, press

Load/Eject

the

button.

If the first printed li ne on your page appears too high or low, you can fix this using the micro adjust feature. See “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on page 2-37.

Caution:

3-12

Never use the knob to adjust the top- of-form position or eject a sheet when the printer is on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

Printing on Single Sheets

Chapter 4

Using the Pr int e r So ftwa r e

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

Using the Printer Driver With W indows 95/98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-8

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications. . 4-8

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . . 4-10

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-10

Using the Printer Driver With W indows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications. . 4-12

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu. . . . . . . . . 4-14

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-14

Using the Printer Driver With W indows NT 3.5x . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications. . 4-17

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . . 4-19

Printer driver settings overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-20

Using the EPSON Remo te! Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 2

Installing EPSON Remot e ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 2

Accessing EPSON Remote! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22

Using th e Printer So ft w are

4-1

About Your Printer Software

The EPSON printer software that comes with your pri nter includes the printer driver software, the EPSON Remote! utility, and the EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility for Windows 95/98.

As described in Chapter 1, a prin ter driver is softwar e that allows your computer to con trol the printer. You need to install the printer driver so your Windows software app lica tions can take full advantage of the printer’s capabilities.

Note:

Before proceeding, make sure you have installed the prin ter driver on your PC as described in Cha pter 1.

EPSON Remote! is a DOS-bas ed printer setup utility that allows you to easily change the printer’s default setti ngs from the computer screen. To use the EPSON Remote! utility with DOS, see page 4-22.

The EPSON Status Monitor 2 utilit y program is available only for Window s 95. It monitors the status of your printer, alerts you when errors occur, and provides you with troubleshooting tips. To install and use the Status Monitor, see Chapter 6, “Using EPSON Status Monitor 2”.

To use the printer driver, see the appropriate page below, depending on your Windows version.

Windows 95/98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Wndows 3.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-8

Windows NT 4.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

Windows NT 3.5x. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

4-2

Using the Printer Software

Epson LQ-2080 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

Important Safety Instructions

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 and Paper Separator

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 (optional)

Using the Tractor in the Pull Position (optional)

Loading Mul tipart 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 Si ngle Sheets in the Top Paper Slot

Loading Single Sheets in the Front Paper Slot

Using the Pr int e r So ftwa r e

About Your Printer Software