EPSON LQ-2180
paper guide
cover
printer cover
front paper guide
(closed)
control panel
shield plate
parallel interface
edge guides
paper thickness
lever
tractor
paper guide
paper
separator
paper release
lever
knob
ribbon cartridge
paper tension
unit
User Replaceable Part Parts Price List Name Part Number
Paper guide cover Rear printer cover 1028340
Paper separator Paper separator n/a
Paper tension unit Paper eject assembly 1039457
Paper thickness lever cap Lever cap 1039412
Printer cover Printer cover assembly 1025024
Rear edge guides Rear edge guides 1039459
Rear push tractor Rear tractor assembly 1039012
Ribbon cartridge Ribbon cartridge S015086
Tractor (pull or front push) Front tractor assembly 1039013
Options
Paper Handling Options
High-capacity cut-sheet feeder (C80673✽)
Feeds up to 150 sheets of paper, 25 plain bond envelopes, or
30 postcards into the printer without reloading. You can also
load a stack of single-sheet multi-part forms up to 0.59 inch
(15 mm) thick in this feeder.
Second-bin cut-sheet feeder (C80674✽)
Connects to the high-capacity cut-sheet feeder to create a
double-bin cut-sheet feeder. You can load up to 50 sheets of
ordinary single-sheet paper in the second-bin cut-sheet feeder.
Pull tractor (C80032✽)
Improves continuous paper handling and reduces the chance
of paper jams. Using a pull tractor in combination with a
push tractor is especially useful for printing on continuous
preprinted forms, multi-part forms, and labels, and also for
printing high-quality graphics.
(open)
front edge guidesfront paper guide
User Replaceable Parts
User Replaceable Part Parts Price List Name Part Number
Bottom cover Bottom cover 1039404
Connector cover Upper connector cover 1037223
Connector cover screws (2) C.B. S-tite screw 1002674
Front edge guides Front edge guides 1039456
Front paper guide Front cover 1039403
Knob Knob 1039462
Logo plate Logo plate 1039774
Roll paper holder (#8310)
Allows you to use your printer with 8.5-inch roll paper like
that used with telex machines.
Note:
The asterisk (✽) is a substitute for the last digit of the product
number, which varies by country.
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EPSON LQ-2180
Optional Interface Cards
You can install an optional interface card to supplement your
printer’s built-in parallel interface and provide added network
compatibility. The EPSON interface cards in the table below
are compatible with your printer. (Not all interfaces are
available in all countries.)
Model number Name
C82305✽ / C82306
C82307
C82310✽ / C82311
C82312
C82313
C82314
C82315
C82345
C82357✽ / C82362✽ /
C82363✽ / C82364
The asterisk (✽) is a substitute for the last digit, which varies by country.
/ C82308
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
✽
Serial interface card
32KB serial interface card
32KB parallel interface card
LocalTalk interface card
32KB IEEE-488 interface card
Coax interface card
Twinax interface card
IEEE-1284 parallel interface card
Ethernet interface card
Printer Specifications
Mechanical
Printing method 24-pin impact dot matrix
Printing speed High-speed draft
480 cps at 10 cpi maximum
Draft
360 cps at 10 cpi
Letter-quality
120 cps at 10 cpi
Printing direction Bidirectional logic seeking for text and
graphics printing. Unidirectional text
or graphics printing can be selected
using software commands.
Interfaces One standard bidirectional, 8-bit,
parallel interface with IEEE 1284
nibble mode support and one optional
interface slot
Paper feed methods Friction (front or top paper entry)
Push tractor (front or rear paper entry)
Pull tractor (front, bottom, or rear
paper entry)
Push and pull tractor (additional
tractor is required for front push and
pull tractor combination)
Cut-sheet feeder (optional)
Roll paper holder (optional)
Paper feed speed Continuous
5 inches/second
Intermittent
45 ms/line at 1/6-inch line spacing
Paper capacity High-capacity cut-sheet feeder
up to 150 sheets of 22 lb
(82 g/m
2
) paper
up to 25 plain or bond envelopes
up to 30 airmail envelopes
up to 30 postcards
a stack of multi-part forms up to
0.59 inch (15 mm) thick
Note:
The total thickness of the paper stack
can be up to 0.59 inch (15 mm).
Second-bin cut-sheet feeder
up to 30 airmail envelopes
up to 30 postcards
Note:
The total thickness of the paper stack
can be up to 0.20 inch (5 mm).
Line spacing 1/6-inch or programmable in
1/360-inch increments
Printable columns 136 columns (at 10 cpi)
Resolution Maximum
360 × 180 dpi (letter quality)
360 × 360 dpi (raster graphics)
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Buffer 64KB or 0KB (selectable in the
default-setting mode or the EPSON
Remote! utility)
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EPSON LQ-2180
Built-in fonts
Bitmap fonts
EPSON Draft 10, 12, 15 cpi
EPSON Roman 10, 12, 15 cpi, proportional
EPSON Sans Serif 10, 12, 15 cpi, proportional
EPSON Courier 10, 12, 15 cpi
EPSON Prestige 10, 12 cpi
EPSON Script 10 cpi
EPSON OCR-B 10 cpi
EPSON Orator 10 cpi
EPSON Orator-S 10 cpi
EPSON Script C proportional
Scalable fonts (selectable in 2-point increments)
EPSON Roman 10.5, 8–32 pt
EPSON Sans Serif 10.5, 8–32 pt
EPSON Roman T 10.5, 8–32 pt
EPSON Sans Serif H 10.5, 8–32 pt
Barcode fonts
EAN-13, EAN-8, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC-A,
UPC-E, Code 39, Code 128, POSTNET
Character tables 1 Italic table and 12 graphical
character tables (34 graphical
character tables are available in
some countries)
Character sets 14 international character sets and
1 legal character set
Reliability Total print volume
24 million lines (except print head)
MTBF 10,000 POH (25% duty)
Print head life
400 million strokes/wire
Dimensions and
weight
Height
10.1 inches (257 mm)
Width
25.2 inches (639 mm)
Depth
15.8 inches (402 mm)
Weight
28.8 lb (13 kg)
Ribbon Black ribbon cartridge (S015086)
Ribbon life
8 million characters
(LQ, 10 cpi, 48 dots/character)
Electrical
120 V Model 220 to 240 V Model
Input voltage range 99 to 132 V 198 to 264 V
Rated frequency range 50 to 60 Hz
Input frequency range 49.5 to 60.5 Hz
Rated current 1.0 A (maximum 4 A
depending on the
character type)
Power consumption Approx. 52 W (ISO/IEC 10561 letter pattern)
0.5 A (maximum 2 A
depending on the
character type)
This product is also designed for IT power systems with Phase
to Phase voltage 220 to 240 V.
Note:
Check the label on the back of the printer for the printer’s voltage.
Environmental
Temperature
Operation 41 to 95 °F (5 to 35 °C) 10 to 80% RH
Storage
–
22 to 140 °F (–30 to 60 °C) 0 to 85% RH
Paper
Note:
Use recycled paper and envelopes only under normal temperature
and humidity conditions, as follows:
Temperature 59 to 77 °F (15 to 25 °C)
Humidity 30 to 60% RH
Do not load paper that has been folded or is damaged, wrinkled, or curled.
Ordinary single sheets: front, top, and cut-sheet feeder entry
Width Front and Top
3.9 to 16.5 inches (100 to 420 mm)
High capacity cut-sheet feeder
3.9 to 16.5 inches (100 to 420 mm)
Second bin cut-sheet feeder
7.2 to 16.5 inches (182 to 420 mm)
Length Front
5.8 to 16.5 inches (148 to 420 mm)
Top
3.9 to 16.5 inches (100 to 420 mm)
High capacity cut-sheet feeder
3.9 to 16.5 inches (100 to 420 mm)
Second bin cut-sheet feeder
8.3 to 16.5 inches (210 to 420 mm)
Humidity
(without condensation)
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EPSON LQ-2180
Thickness 0.0025 to 0.0055 inch (0.065 to 0.14 mm)
2
Weight 14 to 24 lb (52 to 90 g/m
Single-sheet multi-part forms: front, top, and cut-sheet feeder entry
)
Width Front and Top
3.9 to 16.5 inches (100 to 420 mm)
High-capacity cut-sheet feeder
3.9 to 11.7 inches (100 to 297 mm)
Length Front
5.8 to 16.5 inches (148 to 420 mm)
Top
3.9 to 16.5 inches (100 to 420 mm)
High-capacity cut-sheet feeder
3.9 to 11.7 inches (100 to 297 mm)
Copies 1 original + up to 5 copies
Thickness 0.0047 to 0.018 inch (0.12 to 0.46 mm)
Weight 12 to 15 lb (40 to 58 g/m
2
)
Binding Line glue at the top of form
(both front and top entry)
Single side line glue (front entry only)
Envelopes: top entry only
Size No. 6: 6.5 × 3.6 inches (165 × 92 mm)
No. 10: 9.5 × 4.1 inches (241 × 105 mm)
Thickness 0.0063 to 0.0197 inch (0.16 to 0.52 mm)
Weight 12 to 24 lb (45 to 90 g/m
Postcards: front and top entry
2
)
Width 3.9 to 5.8 inches (100 to 148 mm)
Length Front
5.8 inches (148 mm)
Top
3.9 to 5.8 inches (100 to 148 mm)
Thickness 0.0087 inch (0.22 mm)
Weight 51 lb (192 g/m
2
)
Continuous paper (standard and multi-part): front, rear, and bottom entry
Width 4.0 to 16.0 inches (101 to 406 mm)
Length 4.0 to 22.0 inches (101 to 558 mm)
Copies 1 original + up to 5 copies
Thickness Printable area
0.0025 to 0.018 inch (0.065 to 0.46 mm)
Perforated edges
up to 0.035 inch (0.9 mm)
Weight (not multi-part)
14 to 22 lb (52 to 82 g/m
2)
Weight (one sheet of multi-part)
12 to 15 lb (40 to 58 g/m
2
)
Binding Point glue or paper staples on both sides
(front, bottom, or rear entry)
Note:
Because thick multi-part forms require a straight paper path, load
them in the front slot.
Continuous paper with labels: front and bottom entry
Label size (minimum)
0.938 × 2.5 inches (23.8 × 63.5 mm)
0.1 inch (2.5 mm) corner radius
Backing sheet width
4.0 to 16.0 inches (101 to 406 mm)
Backing sheet length (one page)
4.0 to 22.0 inches (101 to 558 mm)
Backing sheet thickness
0.0028 to 0.0035 inch (0.07 to 0.09 mm)
Total thickness
0.0063 to 0.0075 inch (0.16 to 0.19 mm)
Label weight 17 lb (68 g/m
Roll paper: rear entry with optional roll paper holder only
2
)
Width 8.5 ± 0.12 inch (216 ± 3 mm)
Thickness 0.0028 to 0.0035 inch (0.07 to 0.09 mm)
Weight 14 to 22 lb (52 to 82 g/m
2
)
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EPSON LQ-2180
Paper Alignment
Front entry
Printing starts at the arrow mark. The unprintable area is to
the left of the arrow mark.
Rear entry
Printing starts at “0” on the scale. The unprintable area is to
the left of the “0.”
Printable Area
Single sheets, envelopes, and postcards
A
printable
area
A The minimum top and bottom margins are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm).
B The minimum left and right margins are 0.12 inch (3 mm).
The maximum width is 16.5 inches (420 mm).
The maximum printable width is 13.6 inches (345 mm).
For paper wider than 13.8 inches (351 mm), the side margins
increase to match the width of the paper.
Continuous paper
B
A
B
printable area
A
printable
area
A
B
A
printable area
B
A The minimum top and bottom margins (above and below the
perforation) are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm).
B The minimum left and right margins are 0.51 inch (13 mm).
The maximum width is 16.5 inches (420 mm).
The maximum printable width is 13.6 inches (345 mm).
For paper wider than 13.8 inches (351 mm), the side margins
increase to match the width of the paper.
A
B
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EPSON LQ-2180
Roll paper
A
B
printable area
A
A The minimum top and bottom margins are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm).
B The minimum left and right margins are 0.12 inch (3 mm).
The maximum printable width is 8 inches (203 mm).
B
Safety Approvals
120 V model:
Safety standards UL1950
CSA C22.2 No. 950
EMI FCC part 15 subpart B class B
CSA C108.8 class B
230 V model:
Safety standards EN 60950 (TÜV)
EMI EN 55022 (CISPR pub. 22) class B
AS/NZS 3548 class B
Acoustic noise Approx. 54 dB (A) (ISO 7779 pattern)
CE Marking
230 V model:
Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC EN 60950
EMC Directive 89/336/EEC EN 55022 Class B
EN 61000-3-2
EN 61000-3-3
EN 50082-1
IEC 801-2
IEC 801-3
IEC 801-4
Control Panel Buttons and Lights
Font button
Selects the font.
Font lights
Indicate which font is selected.
Pitch button
Selects the font size.
Pitch lights
Indicate what font size is selected.
Pause button
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.
Paper Out light
❏ On when no paper is loaded in the selected paper source or
paper is not loaded correctly.
❏ Flashes when paper has not been fully ejected or a paper jam
has occurred.
Tear Off/Bin button
❏ Advances continuous paper to the tear-off position.
❏ Feeds continuous paper backward from the tear-off position
to the top-of-form position.
❏ Selects a cut-sheet feeder bin when the cut-sheet feeder is
installed.
❏ Enters the card mode to print on postcards and envelopes.
Tear Off/Bin lights
❏
f f when continuous paper is in the tear-off position.
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2/99
❏
o n when bin 1 of the optional cut-sheet feeder is selected.
❏
n o when bin 2 of the optional cut-sheet feeder is selected.
n n when the printer is in the card mode.
❏
n = on, o = off, f = flashing
EPSON LQ-2180
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.
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.
Micro Adjust
When the Pause button is held down for three seconds, the
printer enters the micro adjust mode. Using the micro adjust
feature, you can adjust the top-of-form or tear-off position
with the
Operate button
D and
U buttons.
Turns the printer on and off. The printer is off when the top
of this button is even with the button protectors.
Error Indicators
You can identify many common printer problems using the
lights on the control panel. If your printer stops working and
one or more control panel lights are on or flashing or the
printer beeps, use the following table to diagnose and fix the
problem. If you can’t fix your printer problem using this table,
go to the next section.
State of
panel lights
n
Pause – The printer is paused.
Beep
pattern
••• The printer cover is open.
••••• Paper from another paper source
Problem
Solution
Press the Pause button to resume
printing.
Close the printer cover and press the
Pause button to resume printing.
is currently in the paper path.
Move the paper release lever back to
the appropriate position and press
the Load/Eject button to feed the
paper out of the paper path. Then set
the lever to the position you want to
use. Press the Pause button to turn
off the Pause light, if necessary.
State of
panel lights
n
Paper Out
n
Pause
f
Paper Out
n
Pause
f
Pause – The print head is overheated.
f
Paper Out
f
Pause
f f
Tear Off/Bin
f f
Font
= on,
n
•••
•••••
Note:
The printer beeps once if you press a control panel button when the
corresponding function is not available.
= flashing
f
= short series of beeps (three beeps)
= long series of beeps (five beeps)
Beep
pattern
••• No paper is loaded in the selected
••• The paper is not loaded correctly.
••• Paper is jammed in the printer.
••• Continuous paper is not fed to the
••• A single sheet of paper is not fully
••• Paper is jammed in the printer.
– An unknown printer error has
Problem
Solution
paper source.
Load paper in the printer. Then press
the Pause button to turn off the
Pause light, if necessary.
Remove your paper and reload it
correctly. Then press the Pause
button to turn off the Pause light, if
necessary.
Clear the paper jam.
standby position.
Tear off the printed document at the
perforation; then press the Load/
Eject button. The printer feeds the
paper to the standby position. Press
the Pause button to turn off the
Pause light.
ejected.
Press the Load/Eject button to eject
the sheet. Then press the Pause
button to turn off the Pause light, if
necessary.
Clear the paper jam.
Wait a few minutes; the printer
resumes printing automatically once
the print head cools.
occurred.
Turn off the printer and leave it off
for several minutes; then turn on the
printer again. If the error recurs,
contact your dealer.
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EPSON LQ-2180
Status Monitor
The EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility comes with your printer
but is available only for use with Microsoft
and 98. It allows you to monitor your printer’s status, alerts
you when printer errors occur, and provides troubleshooting
instructions when needed.
®
Windows 95
Paper Positions
Top-of-Form Position
The top-of-form position is the position where the printer
starts printing on a page of single-sheet or continuous paper.
The letters ABC above are printed at the top-of-form position.
Tear-off Position
Your continuous paper is in the tear-off position when the
perforation is aligned with the printer’s tear-off edge. You can
easily tear off your printed document when your paper is in
this position.
Standby Position
Your continuous paper is in the standby position when it is
attached to the tractor but not loaded in the printer.
Available Paper Paths
Your printer provides a variety of paper paths for printing on
continuous and single-sheet paper. As described in this
section, paper can be fed into the printer from the top, front,
bottom, or rear. You select the paper path that best suits your
current printing needs.
Printing on Continuous Paper
You can choose from three tractor positions (front push, rear
push, and pull) and three paper entry slots (front, rear, and
bottom) for continuous paper printing. This section helps you
determine which paper paths and tractor positions are best for
your continuous paper printing needs.
Using a push tractor
If you often need to tear off sheets of continuous paper (for
example, if you are printing purchase orders or sales slips), it is
best to use a push tractor. This allows you to use the printer’s
tear-off edge to easily tear off printed sheets of continuous
paper at the perforation. Also, when continuous paper is
loaded on a push tractor, you can load single sheets of paper
from the paper guide without removing the continuous paper.
There are two push tractor positions: front and rear. The
tractors are installed in the front push and rear push
positions when the printer is shipped. See the table below for
details about the push positions and the corresponding
paper-feeding paths.
Note:
The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.
Tractor position Description
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 the
paper in the front paper slot because the paper
path from this slot is almost straight. This
reduces the chance of paper jams.
front push
To use this tractor, load paper in the rear slot.
8 - EPSON LQ-2180
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rear push
Note:
Because thick multi-part forms require a
straight paper path, load them in the front slot.
Caution:
Do not load continuous paper with labels in the
rear slot. The labels may come off their backing
sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.
EPSON LQ-2180
Using a pull tractor
If you often print on thick or heavy continuous paper, such as
multi-part forms or continuous paper with labels, use a tractor
in the pull position. The pull tractor provides 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 remove the tractor from the
front push position and install it in the pull position, or you can
purchase the optional pull tractor (C80032✽) and install it in the pull
position.
As shown in the table below, three paper entry slots are
available for use with the pull tractor: front, bottom, and rear.
Paper slot Description
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
Paper slot Description
Because the bottom paper slot has the
straightest paper path, it is ideal for printing on
thick paper, such as multi-part forms or
continuous paper with labels.
Note:
bottom
When loading paper in the bottom slot, be sure
to use a printer stand with an opening large
enough so that the paper can feed through it
without obstruction.
You can also load continuous paper onto the
pull tractor using the rear slot.
Using the push and pull tractors 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 preprinted forms, multipart forms, or labels, and for printing high-quality graphics.
When using two tractors in combination, you can load paper
in the front paper slot onto the front push and the pull
tractors, or load paper in the rear paper slot onto the rear push
and the pull tractors.
Combination Description
To use the front push tractor with the pull
tractor, you need to purchase the optional pull
tractor (C80032✽) and install it in the pull
position.
front push and pull
To use the rear push tractor with the pull
tractor, you need to remove the standard
tractor that comes in the front push position
and install it in the pull position.
Note:
Because thick multi-part forms require a
rear push and pull
straight paper path, load them in the front slot.
Caution:
Do not load continuous paper with labels onto
the rear push tractor even when it is used in
combination with the pull tractor. If you load
continuous paper with labels onto the rear
push/pull tractor, the labels may come off their
backing sheet inside the printer and cause a
paper jam.
Printing on Single Sheets
rear
Note:
Because thick multi-part forms require a
straight paper path, load them in the front slot.
Caution:
Do not load continuous paper with labels in the
rear slot. The labels may come off their backing
sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.
Your printer has two paper entry slots for printing on single
sheets: top and front. When continuous paper is loaded on the
front or rear push tractor, you can load single sheets in the top
or front slot without removing the continuous paper.
This section helps you determine which paper slot best suits
your single-sheet printing needs.
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EPSON LQ-2180
paper release
lever
Loading paper in the top slot
You can load ordinary single sheets, single-sheet multi-part
forms, envelopes, or postcards in the top slot.
Note:
Load envelopes only in the top slot.
Loading paper in the front slot
You can load ordinary single sheets, single-sheet multi-part
forms, or postcards in the front slot.
Paper Release Lever Positions
You can load paper in the printer from various paper sources,
such as the front push tractor or the paper guide. You set the
paper release lever to indicate the paper source you want to
use. The table below describes each paper release lever
position.
Paper release
lever position Description
Single-sheet position
For loading single-sheet paper from the top or front
slot.
Note:
Always use the front paper slot to load single-sheet multi-part forms
that are bound by line gluing only at the side.
Rear push tractor position
For loading continuous paper from the tractor installed
in the rear push position. Also set the lever to this
position when using the rear push and pull tractors in
combination.
Front push tractor position
For loading continuous paper from the tractor installed
in the front push position. Also set the lever to this
position when using the front push and pull tractors in
combination.
Pull tractor position
For loading continuous paper from the tractor installed
on top of the printer in the pull position. When the
tractor is in the pull position, you can load paper in the
front, rear, or bottom slot.
Note:
You can load two different types of continuous paper onto the front
and rear push tractors, and easily switch between them using the
paper release lever. Before moving the paper release lever, always
press the
backward to the standby position.
Load/Eject button to feed the paper in the paper path
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EPSON LQ-2180
Paper Thickness Lever Positions
Setting the paper thickness lever allows the printer to
accommodate various thicknesses of paper. The paper
thickness lever is located under the printer cover. You can
select one of nine positions identified by the scale next to
the lever.
paper thickness
lever
-
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Use the following table to set the paper thickness lever to
match the thickness of your paper.
Paper type Lever position
Ordinary (single sheets or continuous paper) 0
Thin paper -1 or 0
Carbonless multi-part forms with:
2 parts (original + 1 copy)
3 parts (original + 2 copies)
4 parts (original + 3 copies)
5 parts (original + 4 copies)
6 parts (original + 5 copies)
Continuous paper with labels 2
Envelopes 2 through 6
Postcards 2
Note:
If the printed image is smeared, you may need to set the paper
thickness lever one position higher to improve print quality.
If the printed image is faint or has many gaps, you may need to set
the paper thickness lever one position lower to improve print quality.
1
2
3
5
7
Paper Handling
Loading Multi-Part Forms
You can use carbonless multi-part forms of up to six parts (five
copies in addition to the original). Make sure you set the
paper thickness lever to the proper position based on the
number of layers in your form.
For best results with thick paper such as multi-part forms,
select a straight or almost straight paper path. It is best to load
multi-part forms using:
❏ the front slot and the front push tractor
❏ the front or bottom slot and the pull tractor
Except for setting the paper thickness lever, you load multipart forms the same way you load ordinary continuous paper.
For details, see the sections on loading continuous paper later
in this chapter.
Note:
Be sure your multi-part forms do not exceed 0.018 inch (0.46 mm) in
thickness for the printable area and up to 0.035 inch (0.9 mm) for the
perforated edges.
Use multi-part forms only under normal temperature and humidity
conditions, as follows:
Temperature 59 to 77 °F (15 to 25 °C)
Humidity 30 to 60% RH
Do not load paper that is damaged, curled, or wrinkled.
Loading Continuous Paper with Labels
When printing on labels, use only the type of labels that are
mounted on continuous backing sheets with sprocket holes for
use with a tractor feeder. Do not try to print on single sheets
with labels because the printer may not feed labels on a shiny
backing sheet properly.
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 tractor) or bottom (pull tractor)
paper slot; however, for best results, use the tractor in the pull
position and load paper in the front or bottom paper slot.
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tab
You load labels the same way you load ordinary continuous
paper, except you must set the paper thickness lever to 2
before printing.
Caution:
Do not load continuous paper 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
Off/Bin button or turning on the auto tear-off mode) to
feed continuous paper with labels backward; they may
come off their backing sheet and jam the printer.
Because labels are sensitive to temperature and
humidity, use them only under normal operating
conditions, as follows:
Temperature 59 to 77 °F (15 to 25 °C)
Humidity 30 to 60%RH
Do not load continuous paper with labels that is
damaged, curled, or wrinkled.
Do not leave labels loaded in the printer between jobs;
they may curl around the platen and jam when you
resume printing.
Removing continuous paper with labels
Tear
To avoid peeling labels off the backing sheet and jamming the
printer, follow the steps below when you remove continuous
paper with labels from the printer.
Using the Front Push Tractor
To use the front push tractor, load continuous paper in the
front slot. For more information on when to use the front
push tractor, see “Available Paper Paths” on page 8.
Note:
The tractors are installed in the front push and rear push
positions when the printer is shipped. The rear push tractor
cannot be removed.
Installing the tractor in the front push position
If a tractor is installed in the front push position, skip to the
next section, “Loading paper onto the front push tractor.”
If a tractor is installed in the pull position, you need to remove
it, and replace the paper tension unit before using the front
push tractor.
To install the tractor in the front push position, follow these
steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off.
2. Open the front paper guide by pulling the tab at the center
of the guide. Then remove the guide by grasping both sides
and pulling it straight out of the printer.
1. After you finish printing, tear off the fresh supply of
continuous labels at the perforation nearest the paper
entry slot.
2. Hold down the
LF/FF button to eject the remaining labels
from the printer.
Caution:
Never press the
When fed backward, labels can easily come off the
backing sheet and cause a paper jam.
Load/Eject or Tear Off/Bin button.
3. Insert the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press
down both ends of the tractor to make sure that it is firmly
seated.
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You are now ready to load continuous paper onto the front
push tractor as described in the next section.
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Loading paper onto the front push tractor
To load paper onto the front 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 in the front push position.
2. Set the paper release lever to the front push tractor position.
Also set the paper thickness lever (located under the printer
cover) to the proper position for your paper’s thickness.
4. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin of your paper using
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” on page 5 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 in step 4.
6. Open both sprocket covers. Make sure your 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
sprocket covers.
3. Release the left and right sprockets by pushing the sprocket
lock levers backward.
7. Slide the right sprocket to remove any slack in the paper;
then lock it in place by pulling the sprocket lock forward.
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8. Attach the front paper guide by sliding it along the
printer’s mounting slots as shown below. Then close the
front paper guide.
9. Slide the edge guides to the middle of the top paper guide.
Make sure that the printer cover and the paper guide cover
are closed.
edge guides
11. After you finish printing, follow the steps in the next section
to tear off your printed document.
If the first printed line on your page appears too high or
low, you can fix this using the micro adjust feature as
described in “Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position” on
page 22.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position
while the printer is turned on; this may damage the
printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.
The knob can be used when the printer is turned
off only.
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 flashing. (This
indicates that your paper is at the current tear-off position.)
You may need to press the
Tear Off/Bin button to advance
the paper to the tear-off position.
2. Open the paper guide cover, and tear off the printed
document using the tear-off edge of the printer.
Note:
Always close the printer cover before printing. The printer does
not print when the cover is open.
10. Turn on the printer. You may need to check and change the
printer driver settings. 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.
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Note:
If your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned with the tear-off
edge, you can adjust the tear-off position using the micro adjust
feature. See “Adjusting the tear-off position” on page 23.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the tear-off position while
the printer is turned on; this may damage the printer or
cause it to lose the tear-off position. The knob can be
used when the printer is turned off only.
3. Close the paper guide cover.
When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the
paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing.
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paper guide
cover
paper guide
To remove the remaining paper from the printer, press the
Load/Eject button to feed the paper backward to the standby
position. Then open the sprocket covers of the tractor and
remove the paper.
Caution:
Always tear off your printed document before you press
the
Load/Eject
at a time may cause a paper jam.
Removing the front push tractor
button. Reverse feeding several pages
To remove the tractor from the front push position, 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 straight out of the printer.
4. Press the tractor’s lock tabs, tilt the tractor up, and lift it out
of the printer.
Using the Rear Push Tractor
To use the rear push tractor, load continuous paper in the rear
slot. For information on when to use the rear push tractor, see
“Available Paper Paths” on page 8.
Loading paper onto the rear push tractor
If a tractor is installed in the pull position, you need to remove
it and replace the paper tension unit before using the rear push
tractor.
Note:
To avoid paper jams, it is best to load thick multi-part forms using the
front or bottom slot and pull or front push tractor.
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.
To load paper onto the rear push tractor, follow these steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off.
2. Open the paper guide cover and remove the paper guide.
5. Replace the front paper guide by sliding it along the
printer’s mounting slots until it locks in place. Then close
the front paper guide.
3. Set the paper release lever to the rear push tractor position.
Also set the paper thickness lever (located under the printer
cover) to the proper position for your paper’s thickness.
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4. Release the left and right sprockets by pulling the sprocket
lock levers forward.
front of the printer
5. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin of the paper using
the scale on the printer. (Printing starts at the “0” mark.)
Then push the lever back to lock it in place.
paper support
9. Attach the paper guide and slide the edge guides (c)
to the middle of the paper guides. Then close the paper
guide cover (d).
Note:
Always close the printer cover before printing. The printer does
not print when the cover is open.
10. Turn on the printer. You may need to check and change the
printer driver settings. 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.
front of the printer
Note:
For more information on the left margin position, see “Paper
Alignment” and “Printable Area” on page 5.
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.
7. Open both sprocket covers. Make sure your paper 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
11. After you finish printing, follow the steps in the next section
to tear off your printed document. If the first printed line
on your page appears too high or low, you can fix this by
using the micro adjust feature as described on page 22,
“Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position.”
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position
while the printer is turned on; this may damage the
printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.
The knob can be used when the printer is turned off
only.
8. Slide the right sprocket to remove any slack in the paper;
then lock it in place by pushing the sprocket lock back.
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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 flashing. (This
indicates your paper is at the current tear-off position.) You
may need to press the
Tear Off/Bin button to advance the
paper to the tear-off position.
2. Open the paper guide cover, and tear off the printed
document using the tear-off edge of the printer.
Note:
If your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned with the tear-off
edge, you can adjust the tear-off position using the micro adjust
feature. For more information, see “Adjusting the tear-off
position” on page 23.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the tear-off position while
the printer is turned on; this may damage the printer or
cause it to lose the tear-off position. The knob can be
used when the printer is turned off only.
3. Close the paper guide cover.
4. To remove the remaining paper from the printer, press the
Load/Eject button to feed the paper backward to the
standby position. Then open the sprocket covers of the
tractor and remove the paper.
Using the Tractor in the Pull Position
Using the tractor in the pull position is ideal for printing on
thick and heavy continuous paper, such as multi-part forms or
continuous paper with labels. However, you cannot use the
tear-off feature with 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 slot is curved. Because thick paper
requires a straight paper path to avoid paper jams, it is best to
load paper in the front or bottom slot when using the pull
tractor.
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.
To further reduce the chance of paper jams and improve the
performance of continuous paper, you can use 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. For
more information, see “Using two tractors in a push and pull
combination” on page 20.
Installing the tractor in the pull position
To install a tractor in the pull position you must either remove
the front push tractor or install the optional pull tractor
(C80032✽). To remove the front push tractor, see “Removing
the front push tractor” on page 15.
Note:
The tractors are installed in the front push and rear push
positions when the printer is shipped. The rear push tractor
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 cover up
and off the printer.
When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the
paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing.
Caution:
Always tear off your printed document before you press
Load/Eject
the
at a time may cause a paper jam.
button. Reverse feeding several pages
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EPSON LQ-2180
2. Push up the tabs on each side of the paper tension unit and
lift the unit up and off the printer. Store the paper tension
unit in a safe place.
3. Lower the tractor into the printer’s mounting slots and press
down both ends of the tractor to make sure that it is firmly
seated.
3. Set the paper release lever to the pull tractor position. Also
set the paper thickness lever to the proper position for your
paper’s thickness.
4. Release the left and right sprockets by pulling the sprocket
lock levers forward.
You are now ready to load continuous paper onto the pull
tractor as described in the next section.
Loading paper onto the pull tractor
When using the pull tractor, load continuous paper 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.
To load paper onto the pull tractor, follow these steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off, and the printer cover is
removed. Also check that a tractor is installed in the pull
position.
2. Slide the edge guides to the middle of the paper guide.
5. Slide the left sprocket to the left margin of the paper using
the scale on the paper guide. (Printing starts at the arrow
mark.) Then push the lever back to lock it in place.
Note:
See “Paper Alignment” and “Printable Area” on page 5 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 paper has a clean, straight edge.
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front paper
guide
edge guides
8. Insert the paper into the front, bottom, or rear paper slot as
described below until it emerges between the platen and the
ribbon guide. Then pull up the paper until the perforation
between the first and second pages is even with the top of
the printer’s ribbon.
Before you load paper
in the front slot,
remove the front paper
guide. Then load paper
printable side up.
Load paper in the
bottom slot printable
side up (forward).
Before you load paper
in the rear slot, remove
the paper guide. Then
load paper in the rear
slot printable side down.
9. Fit four holes of the paper over the tractor pins on both
sprockets. Then close the sprocket covers.
10. Slide the right sprocket to remove any slack in the paper;
then lock it in place by pushing the sprocket lock back.
11. If you use the front slot, attach the front paper guide with
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 the middle of the
paper guide.
12. Turn on the printer.
13. Remove any slack in the paper and adjust the top-of-form
position (the position where the printer will start printing)
by pressing the
LF/FF button or using the micro adjust
feature. (To use the micro adjust feature, see “Adjusting
the Top-of-Form Position” on page 22.) The printer will
start printing at the current position without advancing
the paper.
Caution:
Never use the knob to remove slack in the paper or to
adjust the top-of-form position while the printer is turned
on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the
top-of-form position. The knob can be used when the
the printer is turned off only.
Always remove any slack from the paper; otherwise
print quality may be reduced.
14. Attach the printer cover and close the paper guide cover.
Note:
Always close the printer cover before printing. The printer does
not print when the cover is open.
15. You may need to check and change the printer driver
settings. When the printer receives data, it automatically
loads the paper and starts printing. As shown below, the
printed pages are fed over the paper guide toward the back
of the printer.
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16. After you finish printing, open the paper guide cover; then
tear off the printed document at the perforation nearest the
paper exit slot.
tear off here
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.
tear off
here
To load paper onto two tractors, follow these steps:
1. Remove the printer cover and paper guide.
2. Make sure one tractor is in the front or rear push position
and one tractor is in the pull position. Set the paper release
lever to either the front push or rear push tractor position,
depending on which push tractor you are using. Also, set
the paper thickness lever to the proper position for your
paper’s thickness.
3. Load paper onto the front or rear push tractor as described
earlier in this chapter.
4. Turn on the printer.
5. Press the
top-of-form position. Then press the
Load/Eject button to advance the paper to the
LF/FF button until the
perforation between the first and second pages is even with
the top of the printer’s ribbon.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position
while the printer is turned on; this may damage the
printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.
The knob can be used when the printer is turned off
only.
6. Attach the paper to the pull tractor’s sprockets as described
in “Loading paper onto the pull tractor” on page 18.
7. Set the paper release lever to the pull tractor position. Then
remove any slack in the paper between the push and pull
tractors using the micro adjust feature, if necessary.
2. Hold down the
LF/FF button to eject the paper from
the printer.
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 and the pull tractors, or in the
rear paper slot onto both the rear push and the pull tractors.
To use the front push tractor with the pull tractor, you need
to purchase the optional pull tractor (C80032✽). Install the
optional pull tractor as described on page 17, “Installing the
tractor in the pull position.”
To use the rear push tractor with the pull tractor, you can
remove the tractor from the front push position, and install it
in the pull position.
Note:
The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.
8. Move the paper release lever back to the push tractor
position you set in step 2.
9. Adjust the top-of-form position using the micro adjust
feature as described in “Adjusting the Top-of-Form
Position” on page 22. The printer will start printing at the
current position without advancing the paper.
Caution:
Never use the knob to remove slack in the paper or to
adjust the top-of-form position while the printer is turned
on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the
top-of-form position. The knob can be used when the
printer is turned off only.
Always remove any slack from the paper; otherwise
print quality may be reduced.
10. Attach the paper guide. Then slide the edge guides to the
middle of the paper guide.
11. Attach the printer cover and close the paper guide cover.
Note:
Always close the printer cover before printing. The printer does
not print when the cover is open.
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12. You may need to check and change the printer driver
settings. When the printer receives data, it automatically
loads the paper and starts printing. As shown below, the
printed pages are fed over the paper guide toward the back
of the printer.
13. After you finish printing, open the paper guide cover; then
tear off the printed document at the perforation nearest the
paper exit slot.
Removing the pull tractor
To remove the tractor from the pull position, follow
these steps:
1. Remove any paper loaded on the pull tractor.
2. Turn off the printer. Then remove the printer cover and lift
the paper guide up and off the printer.
3. Press the tractor’s lock tabs, tilt the tractor toward you, and
lift it off the printer.
lock tab
4. Store the tractor in a safe place, or install it in the front push
position.
5. To replace the paper tension 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 guide cover.
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 and printing on single
sheets without having to remove or reload paper.
Switching to printing on single sheets
To switch from printing on continuous paper with the front
or rear push tractor to printing on single sheets, follow the
steps below.
Note:
If continuous paper with labels is loaded in the printer, remove it
before switching to single-sheet printing. See “Removing continuous
paper with labels” on page 12.
If a tractor is in the pull position, remove any continuous paper from it
before switching to single-sheet printing. See “Removing paper from
the pull tractor” on page 20.
1. If any printed pages of continuous paper remain in the
printer, press the
pages to the tear-off position, and tear them off.
Caution:
Tear off your printed document before you press the
Load/Eject button in the next step. Reverse feeding
several pages at a time may cause a paper jam.
Never use the knob to eject paper while the printer is
on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the
tear-off position.
2. Press the Load/Eject button to feed the continuous paper
backward to the standby position. The paper is still attached
to the push tractor but is no longer in the paper path.
Tear Off/Bin button to advance printed
3. Load single sheets in the top or front paper guide.
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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 printer, press the
Load/Eject
button to eject it.
Caution:
Never use the knob to eject paper while the printer is
turned on; this may damage the printer. The knob can be
used when the printer is turned off only.
2. Make sure that the tractor is installed in the front or rear
push position that you want to use.
3. Load continuous paper onto the front or rear push tractor as
described earlier.
The printer loads your continuous paper automatically when
you begin printing.
Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position
The top-of-form position is the position on the page where
the printer will start printing. If your printing appears too
high or low on the page, follow the steps below to use the
micro adjust feature to adjust the top-of-form position.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position
while the printer is turned on; this may damage the
printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position. The
knob can be used when the printer is turned off only.
Note:
Your top-of-form position setting remains in effect until you change it,
even if you turn off the printer.
The top margin setting made in some application software overrides
the top-of-form position setting you make with the micro adjust
feature. If necessary, adjust the top-of-form position using your
software.
1. Make sure the printer is turned on.
2. If necessary, load paper as described earlier in this chapter. If
you load paper onto a push tractor, press the
button to advance the paper to the current top-of-form
position.
Load/Eject
5. Press the
up on the page, or press the
LF/FF
D button to move the top-of-form position
Load/Eject
U button to move
the top-of-form position down on the page.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position
while the printer is turned on; this may damage the
printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position. The
knob can be used when the printer is turned off only.
plastic ribbon
cover
Note:
The printer has a minimum and a maximum top-of-form position.
If you try to adjust it beyond these limits, the printer beeps and
stops moving the paper.
When the paper reaches the default top-of-form position, the
printer also beeps and stops moving the paper briefly. You can
use the default setting as a reference point when adjusting the
top-of-form position.
To adjust the top-of-form position for continuous paper
loaded on the pull tractor, see the following example:
First mark a point 0.26 inch (6.5 mm) above the paper’s
perforation; then position the paper so that the mark is even
with the top edge of the plastic ribbon cover. This gives you
a 0.33 inch (8.5 mm) margin on the next page, which
means the printer starts printing 0.33 inch (8.5 mm) below
the perforation. If you mark a point 0.22 inch (5.5 mm)
above the perforation, you get a 0.37 inch (9.5 mm) margin
on the next page.
3. Lift the printer cover up and off the printer.
4. Hold down the
Pause light starts flashing and the printer enters the micro
Pause button for about three seconds. The
adjust mode.
22 - EPSON LQ-2180
6. After you set the top-of-form position, press the
button to exit micro adjust mode.
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tear-off-edge
EPSON LQ-2180
Advancing the Paper to the Tear-Off Edge
If you use the front or rear push tractor, you can use the tearoff feature to advance your continuous paper to the printer’s
tear-off edge when you finish printing. You can then easily
tear off the printed document. When you resume printing, the
printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form
position so that you can save the paper normally lost between
documents.
As described below, you can use the tear-off feature in two
ways: manually by pressing the printer’s
or automatically by turning on the auto tear-off mode.
If the perforation between pages is not aligned with the tearoff edge, you can adjust the position of the perforation using
the micro adjust feature. For instructions, see “Adjusting the
tear-off position” on this page.
Caution:
Never use the tear-off feature (by pressing the Tear Off/
Bin button or turning on the auto tear-off mode as
described below) to feed continuous paper with labels
backward; they may come off their backing sheet and
jam the printer.
Using the Tear Off/Bin button
After the printer finishes printing your document, check that
the
Tear Off/Bin lights are not flashing. Then press the Tear
Off/Bin
button. The printer advances the paper to the tear-off
edge.
Note:
If the Tear Off/Bin lights are flashing, the paper is in the tear-off
position. If you press the Tear Off/Bin button, the printer feeds your
paper to the next top-of-form position.
Tear Off/Bin button,
Adjusting the tear-off position
If your paper’s perforation is not aligned with the tear-off
edge, you can use the micro adjust feature to move the
perforation to the tear-off position. Follow the steps below.
Caution:
Never use the knob to adjust the tear-off position while
the printer is turned on; this may damage the printer or
cause it to lose the tear-off position. The knob can be
used when the printer is turned off only.
Note: Your tear-off position setting remains in effect
until you change it, even if you turn off the printer.
1. Make sure the Tear Off/Bin lights are flashing (the paper is
at the current tear-off position). You may need to press the
Tear Off/Bin button to advance the paper to the tear-off
position.
2. Open the paper guide cover.
3. Hold down the
Pause light begins flashing and the printer enters the micro
Pause button for about three seconds. The
adjust mode.
4. Press the
press the
D button to feed the paper backward, or
LF/FF
Load/Eject
U button to feed the paper forward
until the paper perforation is aligned with the tear-off edge.
Advancing paper to the tear-off position automatically
To automatically advance your printed documents to the tearoff position, you need to turn on the auto tear-off mode and
select the appropriate page length for continuous paper in the
default-setting mode. For instructions, see “About Your
Printer’s Default Settings” on page 26.
When auto tear-off is on, the printer automatically advances
the paper to the tear-off position whenever it receives a
full page of data or a form feed command followed by no
more data.
Note:
The printer has a minimum and a maximum tear-off position. If
you try to adjust the tear-off position beyond these limits, the
printer beeps and stops moving the paper.
5. After you set the tear-off position, press the Pause button
to turn off the micro adjust mode.
6. Tear off the printed pages.
When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the
paper back to the top-of-form position and begins printing.
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Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge
Warning:
If you just used the printer, the print head may be hot;
let it cool before you replace the ribbon cartridge.
Caution:
Make sure the printer is off and unplugged from the
electrical outlet. Moving the print head while the printer
is on may damage 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
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 you use the pull tractor, you can replace the ribbon
cartridge even though the print head is not in the ribbon
installation position.
ribbon installation
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.
2. If the printer is connected to an electrical outlet, unplug it
from the outlet.
3. Lift the printer cover by its back edge and then pull it
straight up and off.
ribbon guide
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6. After you remove the new ribbon cartridge from the
package, remove the separator 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-tightening knob
7. Hold the cartridge with the ribbon-tightening knob up. Fit
the two front notches (c) of the ribbon cartridge over the
small pegs on each side of the printer as shown below. Then
lay the cartridge flat so that the rear notches (d) fit over the
corresponding pegs.
9. Lift the ribbon guide of the ribbon cartridge (c) and insert
it firmly over the metal pins behind the print head (d).
Make sure the ribbon is not twisted or creased and that it is
in place behind the print head. Press down the guide until it
clicks into place.
ribbon guide
ribbon-tightening
knob
10. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the
arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon as shown in step 9.
Then slide the print head from side to side to make sure it
moves smoothly.
8. Gently press down the cartridge until both ends click
into place.
11. Replace the printer cover by first inserting the front tabs
into the slots on the printer (c) and then lowering the
cover until it clicks into place (d).
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Clearing Paper Jams
To clear a paper jam, follow these steps:
1. Press the
Operate button to turn off the printer.
2. If a single-sheet of paper is stuck on the paper guide, gently
remove it.
3. Remove the printer cover. If you are loading continuous
paper from the rear slot, remove the paper guide.
4. If continuous paper is jammed in the printer, tear off the
fresh supply at the perforation nearest the paper entry slot.
5. Turn the knob on the right side of the printer away from
you to eject the paper in the printer. Remove any remaining
pieces of paper.
Caution:
Use the knob on the right side of the printer only to clear
paper jams when the printer is off. Otherwise, you may
damage the printer or lose the top-of-form or tear-off
position.
6. Replace the printer cover, and the paper guide if necessary.
Then close the paper guide cover.
7. Press the
the
Operate button to turn on the printer. Make sure
Paper Out and Pause lights are off.
About Your Printer’s Default Settings
Settings Options
Character table Standard model:
International character set
for Italic table
0 slash On, Off
High-speed draft On, Off
Input buffer On, Off
Buzzer On, Off
Auto CR (IBM 2391Plus)** On, Off
A.G.M. (IBM 2391Plus) ** On, Off
Font OCR-B, Orator, Orator-S, Script C,
Roll paper On, Off
* The options available vary depending on the country.
** These settings take effect only when IBM 2391 Plus
emulation is selected.
Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 860, PC 863,
PC 865, PC 861, BRASCII, Abicomp,
Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858,
ISO 8859-15
All other models:
Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 437 Greek,
PC 853, PC 855, PC 852, PC 857, PC 864,
PC 866, PC 869, MAZOWIA, Code MJK,
ISO 8859-7, ISO Latin 1T, Bulgaria, PC 774,
Estonia, ISO 8859-2, PC 866 LAT,
PC 866 UKR, PC APTEC, PC 708, PC 720,
PC AR864, PC 860, PC 865, PC 861, PC
863, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO
Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15
Italic U.S.A, Italic France, Italic Germany,
Italic U.K., Italic Denmark1, Italic Sweden,
Italic Italy, Italic Spain1
Roman T, Sans Serif H
The printer’s default settings control many printer functions.
While you can often set these functions through your software
or printer driver, you may sometimes need to change a default
setting from the printer’s control panel using the defaultsetting mode.
The following table lists the default settings and the options
you can select in the default-setting mode. To change the
default settings, see “Changing Default Settings” on this page.
Settings Options
Page length for front
tractor*
Page length for rear
tractor*
Skip over perforation On, Off
Auto tear off On, Off
Auto line feed On, Off
Print direction Auto, Bi-D, Uni-D
I/F mode Auto, Parallel, Optional
Auto I/F wait time 10 seconds, 30 seconds
Software ESC/P2, IBM 2391 Plus
Length in inches: 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5,
11, 70/6, 12, 14, 17
Length in inches: 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5,
11, 70/6, 12, 14, 17
Changing Default Settings
Follow the steps below to enter the default-setting mode and
change the printer’s default settings.
Note:
To print the language selection and default-setting mode instructions,
you need three sheets of letter- or A4-size single-sheet paper or three
pages of continuous paper that is at least 11 inches (279 mm) long
and 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide.
If you use single sheets, you need to load a new sheet of paper each
time the printer ejects a printed sheet.
1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.
Caution:
Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five
seconds before turning it back on; otherwise you may
damage the printer.
2. Hold down the Pitch button while you press the Operate
button to turn on the printer. The printer enters the
default-setting mode and prints the language selection
instructions (one page).
3. Press the
language you want, as described in the language selection
instructions.
Pitch button until the Pitch lights indicate the
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4. Press the Font button to print the default-setting mode
instructions (two pages) in the language you selected.
The printed instructions list the default settings you can
change, describe how to change them, and show you how
the control panel lights help you make settings. Follow these
instructions to change the default settings using the buttons
on the printer’s control panel.
Note:
The arrows on the instruction sheets indicate the printer’s
current settings.
5. When you finish making your settings, press the Operate
button to turn off the printer and exit the default-setting
mode. Any settings you make remain in effect until you
change them again.
Note:
You may exit the default-setting mode by turning off the printer
while the printer is not printing.
Aligning Vertical Lines in Your Printout
If you notice that the vertical lines in your printout are not
properly aligned, you can use the printer’s bidirectional
adjustment mode to correct this problem.
Note:
To complete the steps below, you need four sheets of A3-size singlesheet paper or four pages of continuous paper that are at least 11
inches (279 mm) long and 14.8 inches (376 mm) wide.
If you use single sheets, you need to load a new sheet of paper each
time the printer ejects a printed sheet onto the paper guide.
Follow these steps to perform the bidirectional adjustment:
1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.
Caution:
Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five
seconds before turning it back on; otherwise you may
damage the printer.
2. While holding down the Pause button, press the Operate
button to turn on the printer. The printer enters the
bidirectional adjustment mode and then prints instructions
and the first set of alignment patterns.
3. As described in the instructions, compare the alignment
patterns and select the pattern with the best alignment.
4. Follow the instructions to print the remaining sets of
alignment patterns and select the pattern with the best
alignment in each set.
Printing a Self Test
Running the printer’s self test helps you determine whether
the printer or the computer is the cause of a printing problem.
You can print the self test using either single sheets or
continuous paper.
Note:
Use paper that is at least 14.8 inches (376 mm) wide, such as
A3-size paper.
To perform a self test, follow these steps:
1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.
Caution:
Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five
seconds before turning it back on; otherwise you may
damage the printer.
2. To run the test using the Draft font, hold down the LF/FF
button while you press the
printer. To run the test using the printer’s letter-quality
fonts, hold down the
the printer. Either self test can help you determine the
source of your printing problem; however, the draft test
prints faster than the letter-quality test.
After a few seconds, the printer loads the paper
automatically and begins printing the self test. A series of
characters is printed.
Note:
To temporarily stop the self test, press the
resume the test, press the
If the self test results are satisfactory, the printer is working
properly and the problem probably results from your
printer driver settings, application settings, computer, or
interface cable. (Be sure to use a shielded interface cable.)
If the self test does not print properly, there is a problem
with the printer. See “Problems and Solutions” in your
User’s Guide for possible causes and solutions to the
problem.
3. To end the self test, press the
and the
Load/Eject button to eject the printed page. Then
turn off the printer.
Operate button to turn on the
Load/Eject button while you turn on
Pause button. To
Pause button again.
Pause button to stop printing
5. After you select the best pattern in the final set of alignment
patterns, press the
Operate button to turn off the printer
and exit the bidirectional adjustment mode. Your selections
are saved automatically.
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Printing a Hex Dump
If you are an experienced user or a programmer, you can print
a hexadecimal dump to isolate communication problems
between the printer and your software program. In hex dump
mode, the printer prints all data received from the computer
as hexadecimal values.
You can print a hex dump using either single sheets or
continuous paper.
Note:
Use paper that is at least 8.3 inches (210 mm) wide, such as letter- or
A4-size paper.
To print a hex dump, follow these steps:
1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.
Caution:
Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five
seconds before turning it back on; otherwise you may
damage the printer.
2. To enter hex dump mode, hold down both the LF/FF and
Load/Eject buttons while you press the Operate button to
turn on the printer.
3. Open a software program and send a print job to the
printer. Your printer prints all the codes it receives in
hexadecimal format.
Cleaning the Printer
To keep your printer operating at its best, you should clean it
thoroughly several times a year. Follow these steps:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Then remove any paper
loaded in the printer.
2. Remove the paper guide. If a pull tractor or an optional cutsheet feeder is installed, remove it.
3. Use a soft brush to carefully brush away all dust and dirt
from the outer case and paper guide.
4. If the outer case or paper guide is still dirty, clean it with a
soft, clean cloth dampened with mild detergent dissolved in
water. Keep the printer cover in place and lower the paper
guide cover until it lies flat on the top of the printer to
prevent water from getting inside the printer.
Caution:
Never use alcohols or thinners to clean the printer; these
chemicals can damage the printer components as well
as the case.
Be careful not to get water on the printer mechanism or
electronic components.
Do not use a hard or abrasive brush.
Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants;
unsuitable lubricants can damage the printer
mechanism. Contact an EPSON dealer if you think
lubrication is needed.
If characters are printable, they appear in the right column
as ASCII characters. Nonprintable codes, such as control
codes, are represented by dots. By comparing the characters
printed in the right column with the printout of the
hexadecimal codes, you can check the codes the printer is
receiving.
4. To exit hex dump mode, press the
printing and the
Load/Eject button to eject the printed
Pause button to stop
page(s). Then turn off the printer.
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Transporting the Printer
If you need to transport your printer some distance, carefully
repack it using the original box and packing materials, as
described below.
Warning:
You will need to move the print head by hand to
remove the ribbon cartridge. If you have just used the
printer, the print head may be hot; let it cool for a few
minutes before touching it.
1. Turn off the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet; then
disconnect the interface cable from the printer.
3. Remove any paper loaded in the printer, and remove the
paper guide. Pull out the paper separator from the paper
guide.
4. If a pull tractor is installed, remove it. If any options are
installed, remove them and pack them in their original
boxes.
5. Make sure that the print head is not hot. Then remove the
ribbon cartridge.
6. Remove the paper tension unit. Attach the protective
locking clips on both sides of the printer roller. Then install
the paper tension unit.
Related Documentation
4009592 EPSON LQ-2180 User’s Guide
4009593 EPSON LQ-2180 Quick Reference Guide
4009602 EPSON LQ-2180 Unpacking sheet
TM-LQ2180 EPSON LQ-2180 Service Manual
PL-LQ2180 EPSON LQ-2180 Parts Price List
7. Make sure the tractor that comes with your printer is
installed in the front push position.
8. Replace the transportation screw using the screwdriver that
came with the printer.
9. Repack the printer, ribbon cartridge, paper guide, paper
separator, and power cord in the original packing materials
and place them in the printer’s original box.
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