Epson LQ-2500 User Manual

Page 1
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FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
FOR AMERICAN USERS
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used prop­erly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturers instructions. may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a resi­dential installation. However, there lar installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the Interference by one or more of the following measures:
-- Reorient the receiving antenna
-- Relocate the printer with respect to the receiver
-- Plug the printer into a different outlet so that the printer and receiver are on different branch circuits.
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful:
“How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems.”
This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Stock No. 004-000-003454.
The connection of a non-shielded printer interface cable to this printer will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits estab­lished by the FCC for this equipment. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces.
IS
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particu-
WARNING
All rights reserved. No part of this publicanon may be reproduced. stored in a retrieval system. or transmitted. in any form or by any means. mechanical. photocopying, recording or otherwise. with­out the prior written permission of Seiko Epson Corporation. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book. Seiko Epson Corporation Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer. Inc. Centronics Epson ESC/P is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of international Business Machines Corporation. Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
IS
a registered trademark of Centronics Data Computer Corporation.
is
a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
assumes no
responsibility for errors or omissions.
Copyright © 1986 by Seiko Epson Corporation Nagano, Japan
ii
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Contents
Introduction
Setting Up Your Printer
Chapter 1
Setting Up the Printer
1-1
Unpacking the Printer
1-3
Choosing a Place for the Printer
1-3
Installing the Ribbon
1-5
Turning On the Printer
1-6
Operating the Control Panel
1-9
Installing the Paper Guide
1-10
Loading Paper
1-13
Running the Self Test
1-15
Connecting the Printer to Your Computer
1-16
A Final Checklist
SelecType
Chapter 2
SelecType
2-1
The SelecType Panel
Entering SelecType
2-2
2-3
The SelecType Main Menu *LOAD MACRO
2-4
*CHANGE MACRO
2-8 2-13
*CHANGE DEFAULTS *PRINT OUT SETTINGS
2-18
Using Your Printer
Chapter 3
Choosing and
3-1
Choosing Paper
3-1
Loading Single Sheets
3-2
Loading Continuous-feed Paper
3-7
Loading Labels
3-8
The Paper Thickness Lever
Contents
Loading
Paper
iii
Page 5
Chapter 4
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
4-2
Choosing the Correct Printer
4-2
Computer- Printer Communication
4-3
Setting Up Application Programs
4-4
Word Processors
4-7
Spreadsheets
4-10
Setting Up Graphics Programs
Programming Languages
4-11
Chapter 5
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
5-1
Print Quality Selecting Fonts
5-2
5-4
Print Pitch and Character Width
5-7
Using Character Tables and Sets
Chapter 6
Graphics and User-defined Characters
6-2
The Print Head
6-4
Graphics Commands
6-11
User-defined Characters
6-13
Defining Your Own Characters
6-17
Printing User-defined Characters
Command Summary
Appendix A
Command Summary
A-4 Commands in Numerical Order A-7 Epson (ESC/P) Commands
iv
Contents
Page 6
Reference
Appendix B
ASCII Conversion Chart and Character Tables
B1 ASCII Conversion Chart B-3 International Character Sets-Draft B-3
international Character Sets-Letter Quality
B-4
How to Use the Charts
B-5
Epson Italics Character Set-Draft
B-5
Epson Italics Character Set-Letter Quality
B-6
Epson Graphics Character Set-Draft
B-6
Epson Graphics Character Set-Letter Quality
B-7
Epson Graphics Character Set
B-8 Proportional Width Tables
Appendix C
Typestyle Summary
C-3
Epson Draft
C-3
Selecting Typestyles with Master Select
Appendix D
Problem Solving and Maintenance
D-1
General Troubleshooting
D-4
Troubleshooting Graphics Problems
D-5
Troubleshooting for Serial Interface Communications
D-5
Hex Dump Mode
D-7
Solutions for IBM
D-7
IBM BASIC Solutions
D-7
Maintaining Your Printer
D-8
Transporting the Printer
and
Compatibles
Appendix E
Initialization
Contents
and Default Settings
v
Page 7
Appendix F
Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces
F-1
Compatible Interfaces
F-2
Choosing an Interface
F-4
Installing an Interface
F-6
Inserting the Interface Board
F-7
Serial Interface Settings
Appendix G
Technical Specifications
G-1
Printing
G-2
Paper
G-2
Mechanical
G-3
Electrical
G-3
Environment
Appendix H
Interface Specifications
H-1 The Parallel interface
H-3 The Serial Interface
Glossary
Index
vi
Contents
Page 8

Introduction

The Epson LQ-2500 introduces a new concept in dot matrix printing. In addition to the speed and sharpness of a 24-pin, dot matrix printer, the LQ now has SelecType with a Liquid Crystal Display SelecType lets you control your printing with a touch of a button, and the LCD tells you what’s happening. You can even create your own macros to save your most-used printer settings.
The LQ-2500 has five built-in Letter Quality fonts
to
choose from, so you don’t have to buy extra cartridges or options. The LQ is also capable of a wide variety of print enhancements, including:
LETTER QUALITY
Bold
Italic
Underlining
Subscript
Superscript
Double-width
Double-width
DRAFT
Bold
Italic
Underlinging
Subscript
Superscript
The LQ-2500 combines the versatility and reliability of Epson
products with a wide range of exciting features:
You can control all printing operations from the control panel with
SelecType,
and
know what’s happening by reading the LCD.
There are four preset macros you can use, or you can create your own.
You can select either draft or Letter Quality or one of the five built-in
fonts, with a touch of a control panel button. There are two built-in paper feeding systems: An automatic
single-sheet loading method, and an easy-to-load push tractor unit.
The LQ has built-in parallel and serial interfaces, so there’s no need
for extra options or modifications.
The Color Option kit transforms the LQ-2500 into a seven-color
printer, for finely detailed color printing.
Introduction
Intro-1
Page 9
Using this manual
To make it easier to set up your new LQ-2500, this manual includes a
10-step guide to setting up your printer. The outline on the
back
cover flap, and the numbered steps in the chapter take you from unpacking, through ribbon and paper loading, to a final printing checklist.
Five easy-to-find section dividers in the manual make it simple for beginners or experienced users to look up information. The five sections are: Setting Up Your Printer, SelecType, Using Your Printer, Command Summary and Reference. There is also a glossary after the appendixes, and a diagram on the Quick Reference card to help you with SelecType.
Intro-2
Introduction
Page 10
Chapter 1
Setting Up the Printer
Setting up your LQ-2500 printer is easy Simply follow the steps in
this chapter.
1 Unpacking the Printer
As you unpack the printer, make sure the box contains all of the parts
shown in Figure 1l. Check that none of the parts have been damaged
during transportation. (you’ll find the paper feed knob inserted in the foam packing material.)
Caution
Do not plug in the power steps before you plug in the printer and turn on the power.
Remove the tape that holds the dust cover in place during shipping
and take the cover off the printer. Simply tilt the dust cover up and lift it
Off.
cord
yet. You should perform the first three
Figure 1-1.
The printer parts
Setting Up the Printer
1-1
Page 11
Installing the paper feed knob
Install the paper feed knob on the right side of the printer, as shown
in Figure 1-2. tine up the flat side of the hole in the knob with the flat
side of the shaft, then push the knob firmly into place.
Now, that you’ve installed the paper feed knob, use it to remove the
sheet of paper that is behind the printers platen (the black roller).
Removing the print head protector
Remove the print head protector by opening the paper bail, then lifting the protector up and pulling it to the right as shown in Figure 1-3 below.
Figure 1-2.
Installing the paper feed knob
Figure 1-3.
Removing the print head protector
1-2
Setting Up the Printer
Page 12
When you are finished unpacking, put the packaging materials and the head protector in the box and keep them in case you need to transport the printer. Full details on transporting the printer are in Appendix D.
2 Choosing a Place for the Printer
The printer must be close enough to the computer for the cable to reach. Also keep the following tips in mind:
Place the printer on a flat, stable surface-never on a chair or any
other unstable support. Choose a place that is clean and free from excessive heat (including
direct sunlight), moisture, and dust.
Use a grounded outlet-one that has three holes to match the power
plug on the printer. Don’t use an adapter plug. Avoid sockets on the same circuit with large motors or other
appliances that might disturb the power supply Keep your entire computer system away from potential sources of
interference such as the base units of cordless telephones.
3 Installing the Ribbon
The LQ-2500 uses a simple cartridge ribbon for convenient and troublefree installation. With the color option kit, you can use a color
ribbon whenever
YOU
need one and a normal black ribbon for day-to-
day printing. You install both types of ribbon in the same way
1. Remove the dust cover.
2. If the printer is plugged in, be sure that it’s turned off.
Setting Up the Printer
1-3
Page 13
WARNING The power must be OFF when you move the print head. Otherwise, you may damage the printer mechanism. Also, if you’ve been using the printer just before changing the ribbon cartridge, be careful not to touch the print head because it becomes hot during use.
3. Move the print head carriage to about 25 on the ruler on the paper bail.
4. Remove the ribbon cartridge from its packaging and tighten the
ribbon by turning the knob in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figure 14.
5. Make sure the paper bail is against the platen.
6. Hold the cartridge, gently squeezing the two ridged plastic tabs together; then lower it (as shown in Figure 1-5) into the print head carriage. As you lower it, make sure the tab on the back of the cartridge rests
OR
the support ridge on the carriage and that the
ribbon passes between the print head and the silver ribbon guide.
7 Release the tabs so that the pins on the tabs click into the holes in
the sides of the print head carriage.
Figure 1-4.
Tightening the ribbon
1-4
Figure 1-5.
Installing the ribbon
Setting Up the Printer
Page 14
8. Turn the ribbon tightening knob again to make sure the ribbon moves freely
Replacing the ribbon . . .
The LQ-2500 uses a continuous-loop, inked fabric ribbon. When
your printing becomes too light, replace the whole ribbon cartridge.
Always use replacement ribbons #7756 (black) and #7757 (color) designed specifically for the Epson LQ-2500 printer. It is not possible to use ribbons for any other series of printer, and you should never try to re-ink the ribbon.
To remove the old ribbon, simply grip the cartridge by the two
plastic tabs and lift it up and out of the printer. You can then install a new cartridge as previously described.
4 Turning On the Printer
Before plugging in the power cord, make sure the power switch on the left side of the printer (see Figure 1-6) is turned off; then plug the power cord into a properly grounded socket.
WARNlNG
Before turning on the printer, be absolutely sure you have removed all
packing materials. Turning on the printer when the print head cannot
move may seriously damage the mechanism.
Setting Up the Printer
1-5
Page 15
Now, turn the power ON. When you turn on the printer, several
important things happen:
The print head moves back and forth and stops at about 40 on the
paper bail ruler. The ribbon carriage moves up and down to set the ribbon at the
correct level for printing.
The printer is
initialized
and set to certain
default
settings (which are
fully described in Chapter 2 and Appendix E).
The green POWER light on the control panel comes on. The red
PAPER
5
OUT
light also comes on, and the display reads [PAPER OUT].

Operating the Control Panel

The LQ-2500 control panel is made up of three elements: the buttons, indicator lights, and SelecType Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), as shown in Figure 1-7.
Figure 1-7
The control panel
1-6
Setting Up the Printer
Page 16
From this panel, you can control almost all printer functions. On the LQ-2500 there aren’t any DIP switches to set or reset as on most printers, because Se&Type controls these settings.
The four buttons on the panel have multiple names to control different functions. Generally however, they control four areas of printer operation:
On line/Off line
Paper feeding
Print quality/font selection
SelecType.
On line/off line
The
ON LINE
line
states. In the on line state the display reads [ON LINE], which
means:
button switches the printer between the on line and off
The printer can receive and print data, and the green ON
POWER,
You can enter the SelecType mode, using the
and
READY
lights are on.
two ENTER SelecType
LINE,
buttons.
You can use the
DRAFT
and
LQ
buttons to select between the two types of print quality: draft and Letter Quality (if you select Letter Quality you can also select among the LQ-2500’s five fonts-see Print quality/font selection.)
In the off line state, the display panel reads [OFF LINE], which
means:
l
The printer cannot receive any data, and the green ON
READY
l
You can use the LINE FEED button to advance the paper. Pressing the
lights are off.
LINE
and
button once advances the paper one line: holding the button down advances the paper continuously When the power is on, always use this button to advance the paper.
Setting Up the Printer
1-7
Page 17
l
You can use the FORM FEED button to eject a single sheet of paper or
advance continuous-feed paper to the next top of form.
Paper feeding
The LINE FEED and FORM FEED buttons on the panel control paper feeding. The printer must be off line, as indicated in the On line/off line section. When the power is on, you must use these buttons to feed the paper. Using the paper feed knob with the power on can damage the printer mechanism.
Print quality/font selection
When the printer is on line, the DRAFT and LQ buttons can be used to select between the two types of print quality: draft and Letter Quality
With SelecType you can set the LQ-2500 to print in either draft or Letter
Quality when you turn the printer on (see Chapter 2).
Whether you choose draft or Letter Quality however, you can still select the other quality setting with the panel buttons; you don’t have to go back into SelecType.
If the printer is set for Letter Quality pressing the DRAFT button displays [DRAFT] and selects draft printing.
If the printer is set for draft or Letter Quality pressing the LO button displays the name of the current Letter Quality font, such as [ROMAN], and selects Letter Quality printing in the displayed font. You can also select among the other Letter Quality fonts by pressing the LO button
while the current font
is displayed. See Chapter 5, Selecting fonts with
the LQ button, for more information.
When switching between draft and Letter Quality and the five LQ fonts, you may need to change the SelecType Pitch setting. See Chapter 5, Print Pitch and Character Width, for more information.
SelecType
To enter SelecType, the printer must be on line. Press the two buttons labeled ENTER SelecType
at the same time,
and the display reads
[SelecType MODE].
1-8
Setting Up the Printer
Page 18
After entering SelecType, the four buttons on the control panel function according to their SelecType assignments: SETTING, and
The indicator lights
In addition to the
OPTION.
ON LINE
See Chapter 2 for a full explanation of SelecType.
light, the LQ-2500 has three other lights.
EXIT, MENU,
POWER--This light indicates that the printer is turned on and receiving power.
READY--This light comes on when the printer is on line and ready to
print. It normally flickers during printing.
PAPER OUT--This
message
[PAPER
light indicates that the printer is out of paper. The
OUT] is also displayed.
6 Installing the Paper Guide
You can install the paper guide in two different positions. Right now you need to install it to support a single sheet. Before you begin, remove the dust cover so that you can see what you are doing.
The edge tab
First, put the edge tab into the guide. Squeeze it together as shown in Figure 1-8 and insert the tab into the groove. Then move the edge tab so that it is about 1/4-inch to the left of the widest ridged marking on
Figure 1-8.
Installing the edge tab
Setting Up the Printer
1-9
Page 19
the paper guide. This ridged marking corresponds to the extreme left printing position and is called the edge mark.
The paper guide
Second, install the guide itself. Hold the paper guide vertically and lower it so that the slots on either side fit onto the two pins as shown in Figure 1-9 below. Then tilt the paper guide back until it rests at an angle.
7

Loading Paper

Even if you normally use continuous-feed paper, it is simpler to test the printer using a single sheet of paper. Be sure to use 14-inch-wide paper so that none of the self test prints on the platen. See Chapter 3 for
instructions on loading continuous-feed paper, and information on paper widths and multiple copies.
Figure 1-9.
Installing the paper guide
1-10
Setting Up the Printer
Page 20
Paper loading icons . . .
Both levers on the LQ-2500 have icons (small pictures) beside them as shown in Figure 1-9. These icons (shown below) remind you whether to push the
lever
back
or pull it forward when you load
paper.
Paper release lever back-When loading single sheets
of paper, or using the automatic sheet loading feature, this lever should
Paper release lever forward-When using continuous-feed paper, this lever should always be forward.
Paper bail lever back-When preparing to use the automatic sheet loading printing, this lever should be back.
be back.
feature, and when actually
Paper bail lever forward-when loading the automatic sheet loading feature, pulling this lever forward loads the sheet.
paper
with
Now load a sheet of paper:
1. Remove the dust cover. Do not put paper in the printer before you turn it on. The automatic single-sheet loading won’t work if paper is loaded before turning the printer on.
2. Now turn the printer ON. The displays reads
printer beeps, and the
PAPER OUT
light comes on.
[PAPER OUT], the
3. Push the paper release and paper bail levers back. Note that the paper bail lever must be in the printing (back) position now. You will move it to the single-sheet loading (forward) position in step 5.
Setting Up the printer
1-11
Page 21
4. Place the paper on the paper guide with its left edge next to the edge tab as shown in Figure 1-10. Push the paper firmly into the printer, then let go of it. The display changes from
[PAPER OUT]
to [OFF
LINE].
5. Pull the paper bail lever forward to the single-sheet loading position (indicated by the icon). This feeds the paper into the printer until it is past the paper bail.
6. When the paper stops, push the paper bail lever back to the printing position. This feeds the paper backward until only its top edge is under the paper bail.
7. With the paper loaded, press the on line. The display reads [ON LINE],
READY
the printer; this is the
lights come on, and the print head moves to the left
home
ON LINE
button to place the printer
the
green
ON LINE
and
side
of
position. The LQ-2500 is ready to print.
If the platen (the black roller) turns but the paper does not load, remove the paper from the printer and try again, starting at step 3. This time press the paper a little more firmly into place.
If nothing happens at all, see that the printer is turned ON and that the display reads [OFF LINE]. Then remove the paper and try again.
Fiqure 1-10.
Aligning the paper
1-12
Setting Up the Printer
Page 22
8 Running the Self Test
The LQ-2500 has a built-in self test that prints out the characters in its
memory so that you can be sure the printer is working properly
WARNING
You must load 14-inch-wide paper lengthwise when running the self test. The character sets print in 14-inch lines; if the paper is too narrow, characters print on the platen.
Before running the self test, make sure paper is loaded in the printer
and that the power is OFF
To run the self test in Letter Quality hold down the LQ button while you turn the printer on. The display reads [SELF TEST]. When printing starts, release the button.
To run the self test in draft mode, hold down the DRAFT button while turning the printer on. The display reads [SELF TEST]. When printing starts, release the button.
As shown on the following page, the self test prints out the current SelecType settings, the default settings, and the version number. (See Chapter 2 for a full explanation of SelecType.)
If you’re testing in draft mode, the draft character set begins printing.
There is only one style of draft.
If you’re testing in Letter Quality mode, the self test prints the
character sets of ail five Letter Quality fonts. It begins by printing the
Roman character set, followed by Sans Serif, Courier, Prestige, and
Script.
The self test prints out according to the current settings, which are
contained in the default macro. If you change the default macro, the self
test prints out according to the new macro settings.
For example, the first time you run the self test, the settings should print out in 10 pitch, Letter Quality Roman font, and all the other settings shown under current settings. If you change the default macro to 12 pitch, Letter Quality, Prestige font, with margins of 20 and 60, the self test prints out accordingly
Setting Up the Printer
1-13
Page 23
The self test printout
Current setting
>QUALITY
>FONT
>PITCH
>CONDENSED
>FORM LENGTH >1"
SKIP Off
>LEFT MARGIN
>RIGHT MARGIN
>CG TABLE >COUNTRY >PRINT DIR. >HALF SPEED >SHEET FEEDER >DEFAULT BIN
Default setting
>INTERFACE
>BAUD RATE
>PARITY
>AUTO LINE FEED
>SLCT-IN
>DEFAULT MACRO
Draft Draft
10CPI
Off
11.0" 0
136
Italic
USA
Bi-D
Off Off
*1
Parallel
*9600BPS
*
None
Off
Valid
#l
1-14
Setting Up the Printer
Page 24
The self test continues until you turn the printer off, or until the
printer runs out of paper and displays [PAPER OUT].
9 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer
Your LQ-2500 has two separate interface connections. Therefore, you
must be sure to use the one that your computer requires.
The two interfaces are a Centronic® compatible parallel interface and an RS-232C compatible serial interface. If you have a suitable cable, you can connect most computers immediately
The SelecType Interface setting is set to Parallel at the factory If you’re using the serial interface, be sure to change this setting under
*Change Defaults, as explained in the following chapter on SelecType.
The few computers that require other interfaces can usually use one
of the optional interface boards described in Appendix F. Check your computer’s manual if don’t know which interface to use.
The parallel interface
Before connecting a parallel interface cable, see that both the printer
and computer are turned off. Then plug the connector into the printer
as shown in Figure 1-11. Nest squeeze the clips gently and click them
into place.
figure 1-11.
Connecting the parallel cable
Setting Up the Printer
1-15
Page 25
Some parallel cables have a ground wire. Connect this wire to the
ground screw on the printer to protect data from interference. Then
plug the other end of the cable into the computer and connect the
ground wire on the computer end of the cable if it has one.
Parallel interfaces require no further adjustment.
The serial interface
For the serial interface, you should use an Epson serial interface cable. Use #8239 for the Apple® IIc, #8297 for the IBM@ PC and compatibles, and #8293 for most other computers with a DB-25 socket,
including the Apple IIe with serial interface. (Although you can use the serial interface with an IBM or compatible computer, it is usually best to connect the LQ-2500 to the parallel port of an IBM or compatible computer.)
The serial interface also requires that you change the SelecType Interface setting under *Change Defaults, as well as two other settings, Baud Rate and Parity See the next chapter on SelecType for more information.
10 A Final Checklist
Now that you’ve completed the basic setup and self test, your
LQ-2500 is readv to print. If you’ve had any difficulties so far, run down
this brief checklist to be sure the printer is properly set up.
Were you able to run the self test successfully? If not, try reloading the paper, and check that all packing materials have been removed from the printer
Is the power source (power strip, etc.) turned on?
Is the ribbon properly installed? Check that the tab on the ribbon cartridge is resting on the support ridge on the carriage. Make sure the pins on the cartridge are in the holes on the carriage.
Before loading continuous-feed paper, read Chapter 3.
1-16
Setting
Up the Printer
Page 26
With a single sheet of paper loaded, are the POWER, ON LINE, and READY lights on, and does the display read [ON LINE]? If not, press the
ON
LINE button to place the printer on line. If the display
reads [PAPER 0UT] and the PAPER OUT light is on, check that
you’ve loaded the paper correctly
Is your printer properly connected to your computer? Are you using the correct interface (serial or parallel)? If you’re in doubt, check your computers documentation.
Before you actually print a document with an application program,
read the following chapter on SelecType.
SelecType separates the LQ-2500 from all printers that have gone before it. The SelecType panel lets you control almost all printer functions, while displaying exactly what’s going on.
After reading about SelecType, continue to Chapter 4 where Table 4-1 shows which printers you should select when setting up your application programs.
Additional chapters cover the LQ-2500’s many fonts, typestyles, and enhancements as well as the graphics and userdefined character features. The appendixes in the back of this manual include the LQ-2500 Command Summary (Appendix A), plus character tables and additional technical information.
Setting Up the Printer
1-17
Page 27
Chapter 2
SelecType
SelecType on the LQ-2500 brings a new dimension to printing. With SelecType you can now control almost every aspect of printer operation.
SelecType lets you:
Use four preset macros-stored groups of settings that you can recall
with the touch of a button
Replace the preset macros with your own custom-designed macros
Set up to 20 printer settings from the SelecType panel
Choose among the LQ-2500’s five built-in fonts
Print out the printers settings with a touch of a button
Monitor the LQ's settings with the LCD panel
Change the LQ’s default settings without DIP switches, and more.
The four preset macros cover general applications: Draft/word
processing, Letter Quality/word processing, Spreadsheets, and Graphics.
However, you can create your own macros with any of the LQ’s settings.
There are no switches to reset or commands to send, you simply
load
the macro you want, then print. In fact, the LQ-2500 has no DIP
switches. All of these functions can now
be
controlled through
SelecType.
Using SelecType
The easiest way to learn SelecType is to read this chapter. Then start pressing buttons. There is also a SelecType Quick Reference card in the
back of this manual which gives an overall diagram of SelecType.

The SelecType Panel

The SelecType panel is the part of the main control panel that deals with SelecType. The SelecType controls are shown in on the next page. They include the the four buttons labeled
EXIT, MENU, SETTING,
two ENTER SelecType
shows SelecType messages and settings.
blue in
and
OPTION.
Figure 2-1
buttons, and
The LCD
SelecType
2-1
Page 28
When you press the two ENTER
SelecType
buttons, the four control
panel buttons switch to their SelecType labels. The control panel buttons cannot be used for their other labeled functions until you exit
SelecType.

Entering SelecType

1. Make sure that the power is on, and that the printer is on line. (The
green ON LINE, POWER, and READY lights are on, and the display reads [ON LINE].)
2. To enter SelecType, press the two ENTER
same rime.
Figure 2-1.
The SelecType panel
The display reads [SelecType MODE].
SelecType
Enter SelecType
SelecType
MODE
buttons at the
2-2
SelecType
Page 29

The SelecType Main Menu

The SelecType main menu lists the four modes that let you control printer functions and operation. Whenever you exit from any of the modes, you the
mode
always return to the main menu.
An * next to the name of
indicates that you’re in the main menu.
1. After activating SelecType, press
MENU
to view the four modes on
the main menu. The four modes are:
*LOAD
MACRO-This mode lets you load one of the four macros to
accommodate your own printing needs.
*CHANGE
MACRO-This mode lets you change the current printer
settings, with the option of creating and saving your own macros.
*CHANGE
DEFAULTS-This mode lets you define the settings that
will be in effect each time you turn on the printer.
*PRINT
OUT SETTINGS--This mode prints out the current printer
settings, the settings for the four macros, and the default settings.
2. To enter any of the four modes, press
MENU
until the display shows the mode you want. Then proceed according to the instructions for that particular mode.
3. Pressing
EXIT
at any time while you’re in the main menu takes you out of the SelecType mode and returns the printer to the on line state, The display reads [ON
LINE].
Note
The *Print Out Settings mode is covered at the end of this chapter.
However, you may find it useful to learn this mode first, because it may help you in learning the other three modes.
SelecType
2-3
Page 30

* LOAD MACRO

The *Load Macro mode lets you load one of the preset macros, or a macro you’ve created. You can use the *Change Macro mode to create and save your own macro.
When you turn the printer on, one of the four macros is loaded automatically as the default macro. As described under *Change Defaults mode, the preset default macro is macro 1.
The preset macros
While you’re learning SelecType, you may want to use the four preset macros. These macros are set for use with general application programs.
The facing page shows samples printed out with these four macros, You can use the *Print Out Settings mode to see the specific settings contained in these macros.
Macro 1--Draft printing/word processing. This macro is set for high-
speed, draft quality printing. It can be used for word processing to print
rough drafts, or for any application where you need a job printed in a
hurry See Chapter 4 for more information on word processors. Macro 2--Letter Quality printing/word processing. This macro is set for
Letter Quality printing. It can be used for word processing to print a
final document, or for any application where you want a polished
result. Although the Roman font is installed for this macro, you can select any of the other Letter Quality fonts with the LQ button (see Chapters 1 and 5) or by selecting another font in the *Change Macro mode.
Macro 3--This macro is set specifically for printing spreadsheets. If your spreadsheet and paper is wide enough, it prints across the full width of the carriage (14 inches). This macro also calls for condensed printing which allows up to 233 columns across a page. See Chapter 4 for more information on spreadsheets.
Macro 4--This macro is set specifically for printing character graphics.
It takes advantage of the Epson Graphic character table to print lines, corners, and shaded areas as shown on the following page. See Chapters 4 and 6 for more information on graphics programs.
2-4
SelecType
Page 31
Macro #l
Preset macro #1 is set for draft
printing/word processing to produce high-
speed, draft quality printing. It can be
used for word processing to print rough
drafts, or for any job you need printed in
a hurry. You can also use enhancements and print styles, including italic, double--
Width, and emphasized.
Macro #2
Preset macro #2 is set for Letter Quality
printing/word processing in the Roman font.
It can be used for word processing or any
application where you want a polished
result. print styles,
width,
You can also use enhancements and
including italic, double-
and emphasized.
Macro #3
J.
T.
L.
Macro #4
Draw Boxes
SelecType
Smith
Jones Williams
V.P.
Finance
Jan
784 774 756
Feb Mar
548 475 648 874 758 655 754 789 752 852
Diagrams
SALES REPORT
Apr
841
President
and CEO
V.P.
Sales
May
740
V.P.
Planning
Jun
654 885 887
2-5
Page 32
When loading another macro, the new macro’s settings immediately become the printers current settings. (See *Change Macro for a full explanation of current settings.) The first macro isn’t lost, because it remains stored in the LQ’s memory-that’s the advantage of a macro.
After loading a macro, you can still change the current settings with the *Change Macro mode. You might load a macro that calls for a right margin of 79. If you decide you want to change the right margin to 135 for only one document, you could use *Change Macro to reset the current setting to 135. However, the next time
you recall the macro, it would still have the original setting of 79.
Loading a macro
1. From the SelecType main menu, press MENU until the display shows [*LOAD MACRO].
2. Press SETTING to display the five choices, as shown above. You can choose to load one of the four macros, or not load any macro.
2-6
SelecType
Page 33
3. To load a macro, press
SETTING
want to load.
to display the macro number you
4. Press
MENU
to load that macro. The display shows the macro number that is loaded [MACRO #n LOADED], then returns to the main menu.
Aborting or exiting
1. If you decide you don’t want to load a macro, you can choose the [DO NOT LOAD MACRO] option. Press
MENU
and the display shows
[LOAD MACRO ABORT], then returns to the main menu.
2. Pressing
EXIT
at any time while you’re in the *Load Macro mode
takes you back to the main menu without loading a macro. Pressing
EXIT does not display a message, it simply takes you back to the main menu.
SelecType
2-7
Page 34

*CHANGE MACRO

The 14 settings and their options shown in Table 2-1 control printing
and printer operation. These settings are the heart of the SelecType
system. (There are additional settings that can be changed in the
*Change Defaults mode.) If you are unfamiliar with any of the terms
the table, consult the Glossary in the
Table 2-1. Printer settings and options
back
of this manual.
in
Select with SETTING
PRINT QUALITY FONT PITCH
CONDENSED
FORM LENGTH
1" SKIP RIGHT MARGIN LEFT MARGIN
CG TABLE COUNTRY
PRINT DIR HALF SPEED On. Off
SHEET FEEDER
-DEFAULT BIN
‘Default bin IS displayed only when double-bin sheet feeder is selected,
Change with OPTION
Draft. LQ Roman, Sans Serif. Courier. Prestige, Script
10CPI, 12CPI, 15CPI. Proportional On. Off xx.x” (4"--22" in 1/2” steps) On. Off xxx (Left margin + 1-136)
xx (0--80)
Italic. Graphic. Download USA. France. Gem-any UK. Denmark 1, Sweden,
Italy. Spain 1, Japan, Norway, Denmark 2, Spain 2, L. America
Bi-D. Uni-D
Off. Single. Double
1, 2
I
I
The LQ-2500 uses a list of these settings, called the current printer settings, whenever it prints. This means there are actually six lists of settings stored in the printers memory-the current printer settings, the settings for each of the four macros, and the default settings (see the following section on *Change Defaults for more information).
2-8
SelecType
Page 35
These current settings can be printed out with the *Print Out Settings
mode, described later in this chapter. A sample printout appears below.
Current setting >QUALITY >FONT >PITCH >CONDENSED >FORM LENGTH
>1”
SKIP >LEFT MARGIN >RIGHT MARGIN >CG TABLE >COUNTRY >PRINT DIR.
Draft Draft
10CPI
Off
11.0” Off
0
136
Italic
USA
Bi-D >HALF SPEED Off >SHEET FEEDER >DEFAULT BIN
Off
*1
Whenever you current settings (although the macro remains then have the option of:
l
Changing only the current printer settings, or
l
Changing the current settings and saving them
Changing
settings for only one print
change
business correspondence in Letter Quality with the Courier font. If you
wanted
change to the more informal Sans Serif font, but not save the setting. This
you like the new settings more than the original macro settings. You could save the new settings as a macro, replacing the original settings.
effect until you change them again, or until you turn the printer off.
a macro.
to write a letter to a friend, you could use that same macro,
would preserve
On the
If you change only the current settings, the new settings remain in
other
load
a macro, the new macro settings become the
stored
only the current settings is useful when you want different
job,
but you don’t want to permanently
For example, you may have one macro set for
the original macro.
hand, you might change the current settings, then find
in memory). You
as a macro.
When you turn the printer off, the original macro remains stored in
memory, but any changes are lost. If you want to save the new settings,
you must save them as a macro.
SelecType
2-9
Page 36
With the *Change Macro mode you
settings. As soon as you choose and set a different option, that
always change
the current
new
choice becomes a current printer setting.
Changing
There
l
You can use the DRAFT and LQ buttons on the control panel to
the current settings
are two ways to change the current settings.
change print quality or font, as described in Step 5, Chapter 1.
l
Y
OU
can use the *Change Macro mode to change the current settings
without saving the settings to a macro.
To charge the current settings, follow these steps.
1. From the SelecType main menu, press
MENU
until the display
shows [*CHANGE MACRO].
2. Press
3. Select a setting you want to change, then press
SETTING
to see the printer settings listed in Table 2-1.
OPTION
options for that setting.
2-10
to display the
SelecType
Page 37
4 When you see the option you want, leave it displayed.
5. Now press SETTING again. When you press
SETTING
after
OPTION,
the displayed option becomes the current printer setting. The display then advances to the next setting according to Table 2-1.
Caution
When you change an option, It immediately changes the current setting, You can still choose whether or not to save the new setting as a macro, but you can’t undo the change without changing it again.
6. After changing the settings (you can change as few or as many as you want), press EXIT. SelecType returns to the main menu with the
current settings changed but not saved as a macro.
7. Use the *Print Out Settings mode to confirm the new settings.
Changing the current settings and saving them as a macro
SelecType
2-11
Page 38
1. Select the settings and options you want to change as described in the previous steps 1-5. Whether you’re just changing the current settings, or saving them as a macro, selecting the settings and options is the same.
2. After changing the settings (you can change as few or as many as you want), press MENU. The display shows [SAVE MACRO #1]. If you press MENU again, the display shows [MACRO #1 SAVED], then returns to the main menu.
3. To select another macro number for the new macro, press SETTING. As shown on the previous page, you can select macro 1 though 4, or choose not to save the macro.
Note
The LQ-2500 is delivered with four preset macros. A new macro will
always replace an old one, whether it’s a preset macro or one that you create. When replacing a macro, you may be replacing the
default
macro. See *Change Defaults mode for more information.
4. Leave the new macro number on the display and press MENU. The display reads [MACRO #n SAVED], then returns to the main menu.
5. Use the *Print Out Settings mode to confirm the new macro and current settings.
Aborting or exiting
1. If you decide you don’t want to save the settings as a macro, choose the [DO NOT SAVE MACRO] option. Press MENU and the display shows [SAVE MACRO ABORT], then returns to the main menu.
Note
Even if you choose not to save changes as a macro, you have still changed the current settings. Aborting or exiting from the Save Macro section does not abort any current settings you may have changed.
2. Pressing EXIT at any time while you’re in the Save Macro section takes you back to the main menu without loading a macro. Pressing
EXIT does not display a message, it simply takes you back to the main menu.
2-12
SelecType
Page 39

*CHANGE DEFAULTS

The
defaults
are the settings in effect when you turn the printer on.
Table 2-2 shows the default settings and options for the LQ-2500. If
there are any
terms
you don’t understand, consult the Glossary at the
back of this manual.
Table 2-2. Default Settings and Options
Select with
INTERFACE
*BAUD RATE
l
PARITY AUTO LINE FEED SLCT-IN
DEFAULT MACRO
*These settings.
setting IS selected.
Setting
and
Change with
Parallel, Serial 300BPS. 600BPS. 1200BPS. 2400BPS. 4800BPS.
9600BPS. 19200BPS
None. Even. Odd. Ignore On. Off VaIid. Invalid
#1, #2, #3, #4
their options. are displayed only when the Serial Interface
Option
The preset defaults
When you receive your LQ-2500, the defaults are already set for a parallel interface. The *Print Out Settings mode lists the default settings, as shown below.
Default setting >INTERFACE Parallel >BAUD RATE *9600BPS
*
>PARITY >AUTO LINE FEED >SLCT-IN >DEFAULT MACRO
None
Off
Valid
#l
Note
If you change the default settings, the printer does not recognize the new settings until you turn the power OFF then turn it back ON again.
SelecType
2-13
Page 40
Default macro
The preset defaults include a default macro. Each time you turn the
LQ-2500 on, it needs setup instructions. The LQ-2500 uses the settings
contained in the default macro to prepare for printing.
When you receive your LQ, the default macro is set for macro 1. This means that when you turn the printer on, it prints according to the settings listed in macro 1.
The Default Macro setting gives you the option of selecting any of the four macros as the default macro. For example, if you print spreadsheets most of the time, you could select the preset macro 3 as the default macro. Or you can create and save you own macro as the default macro.
Parallel interface systems
If your computer has a parallel interface, the preset defaults should work correctly Check your computer manual to confirm that it uses a parallel interface.
Although the list of defaults includes Baud Rate and Parity settings, these apply only to serial interfaces. As indicated on Table 2-2, the display does not show these settings if the parallel interface option is selected.
Serial interface systems
If your computer has a serial interface, you’ll need to change the defaults. When you select the serial interface option, you will then need to set both the baud rate and parity
Baud rate is the rate at which the printer receives data from the
computer. The LQ-2500 has seven baud rate settings from 300bps to
19200bps (bps means
bits
per second). You should check your
computer manual (or application program) for the correct baud rate setting. Your computer and printer should always be set to the same baud rate.
Parity is a method for a computer and printer to check the reliability of data transmission. Again, check your computer manual and make sure your computer and printer have the same parity setting.
2-14
SelecType
Page 41
Auto Line feed and
Most application programs send automatic line feeds at the end of every line, so this option should remain Off. However, if all of the lines are printing on top of each other, change this setting from Off to On.
For most application programs, and most uses, the SLCT-IN setting
should remain Valid. This means that the printer cannot be or reselected further explanation). If it’s set to invalid, the printer can be deselected or reselected by DC1 or DC3.
Changing the defaults
To change the default settings, follow these steps.
by
SLCT-IN
deselected
the DC1 or DC3 control codes (see Appendix A for
SelecType
2-15
Page 42
1. From the SelecType main menu, press MENU until the display shows [*CHANGE DEFAULTS].
2. Press SETTING to see the default settings listed in Table 2-2.
3. Select a setting you want to change, then press OPTION to display the options for that setting.
4. When you see the option you want, leave it displayed.
5. Now press SETTING again. When you press SETTI'NG after OPTION, the option is selected, but its not stored as a default setting until
you save the defaults.
Note
The *Change Defaults mode differs from the *Change Macro mode at
this point. If you change a default setting, it's not stored as a default setting until you save the defaults. In the *Change Macro mode, changing a setting
6. After changing the settings (you can change as few or as many as
you want), press MENU. The display shows [SAVE DEFAULTS]. If you press MENU again. the display shows [DEFAULTS SAVED],
then returns to the main menu.
immediate/y
changes the current setting.
7. Pressing SETTING gives you the option of either saving the defaults or not saving the defaults. as shown on the previous page. To save the defaults, leave [SAVE DEFAULTS] displayed.
8. Press MENU and the display reads [DEFAULTS SAVED], then returns to the main menu.
9. Turn the power OFF and then back ON again so the printer
recognizes the new defaults.
10. Use the *Print Out Settings mode to confirm the new default settings.
2-16
SelecType
Page 43
Aborting or exiting
1. If you decide you don’t want to change the default settings, choose the [DO NOT SAVE DEFAULTS option. Press MENU and the display shows SAVE DEFFlULTS ABOUT], then returns to the
main menu, leaving the defaults unchanged.
2. Pressing EXIT at any time while you’re in the *Change Defaults mode takes you back to the main menu, leaving the defaults unchanged. Pressing EXIT does not display a message, it simply
takes you back to the main menu.
3. Turn the power OFF and then back ON again so the printer recognizes the default settings.
4. Use the *Print Out Settings mode to confirm that the default settings are unchanged.
SelecType
2-17
Page 44

*PRINT OUT SETTINGS

The *Print Out Settings mode gives you an immediate printout of the six SelecType listings, as shown below. (Although the print quality calls for draft, this printout is in Letter Quality)
>QUALITY >FONT >PITCH >CONDENSED >FORH LENGTH >l" SKIP >LEFT MARGIN >RIGHT MARGIN >CG TABLE >COUNTRY USA >PRINT DIR. BI-D >HALF SPEED >SHEET FEEDER >DEFAULT BIN
>QLJALITY
>FONT Draft Roman
>PITCH
>CONDENSED
aFORM LENGTH >l" SKIP >LEFT MARGIN >RIGHT MARGIN >CG TABLE
,COUNTRY >PRINT DIR. >HALF SPEED
>SHEET FEEDER
>DEFAULT BIN
>INTERFACE >BAUD RATE ,PARITY >AUTO LINE FEED
>SLCT-IN
>DEFAULT MACRO
Current setting
Default setting
Draft
Draft
lOCP1
Off
11.0" Off
0
136
Italic
Off Off
*1
Macro #1 Macro X2
Parallel
* 9600BPS
*
.
Draft
1OCPI lOCP1
Off
11.0" 11.0"
Off Off
0 0
136
Italic
USA
Bi-D Bi-D
Off Off
'1 *1
None
Off
Valid
t1
1talic
LQ
Off
80
USA
Off
Off
Miacro #3
Draft
Draft
lOCP1
11.0 Off
0
136
Italic
USA
Bi-D
Off Off
*I
Macro X4
Sans Serif
LQ
lOCP1
Off
11.0"
Off
136
Graphics
USA
Bi-D
Off Off
*1
0
This mode is an invaluable tool for evaluating SelecType. You can check the macro settings and defaults to decide if theres anything you want to change. Or you can make a printout whenever you change settings, to make sure the changes are what you want.
The printout is eight inches wide, so it fits easily on standard letter-size paper.
2-18
SelecType
Page 45
Printing out the settings
MENU
*PRINT OUT SETTINGS
1. From the
Selecl Type
main menu, press
MENU
until the display
shows [*PRINT OUT SETTINGS].
2. Now press SETTING. The display shows [OK?-Option] for confirmation.
3. If you want to print, press reads I PRINT I NG OUT I,
OPTION
to begin printing. The display
and
automatically prints all the SelecType settings. When printing is complete, the display returns to the main menu.
Exiting
1. At any time during the printout, you can press EXIT or MENU to stop the printing and return to the main menu.
Selec Type
2-19
Page 46
Chapter 3
Choosing and Loading Paper
The LQ-2500 printer can accommodate many different sizes and types of paper, using either its automatic single-sheet loading feature or its built-in adjustable tractor.
The tractor is easy to use and can handle a wide range of paper widths. The automatic single-sheet loading feature handles individual sheets quickly and easily and for greater efficiency you can add an optional automatic sheet feeder.

Choosing Paper

Without installing any accessories, you can use single-sheet paper from 71/4 to 14% inches wide, and continuous-feed paper from 4 to 16 inches wide (including the perforated edge strips).
Carbon copies
If you use multi-part forms or carbon copies in the LQ, use no more than four sheets or parts at a time, with a total thickness of no more than 0.22 mm. . Also so change the paper thickness setting as described at the end of this chapter.

Loading Single Sheets

You have already loaded single-sheet paper using the automatic sheet loading feature in Step 7 of the setup chapter. This feature gives you short printing times by combining fast loading with fast printing.
If you print large amounts on single sheets of paper, however, you
may find it more convenient to use an automatic sheet feeder. This is
an optional device that holds a stack of paper and inserts a new sheet
Choosing and Loading Paper
3-1
Page 47
whenever required, making single sheets as easy and convenient to use as continuous-feed paper. The automatic sheet feeder has its own users manual.
Reloading during printing
When you print a document more than one page long using single sheets of paper, there are two different ways your application program can allow you to load a new sheet at the end of a page.
l
If the program sends characters in a continuous stream, the printer
stops printing when it reaches the bottom of the paper and sounds the beeper. When this happens, the
ON LINE
light goes off
automatically
l
If the program handles printing page by page, it probably stops
sending characters at the end of a page and prompts you to insert more paper. In this case the the first thing you should do is press the
ON LINE
light probably remains on, and
ON LINE
button once to turn
it off. Once the
ON LINE
light is off, remove the sheet that has just been
printed and load a new sheet in the same way as before.

Loading Continuous-feed Paper

The new push-feed tractor built into the LQ-2500 has several major advantages over other types. It combines the ability to handle a wide range of paper widths with an extremely low profile, and it is easy to load.
The push-feed tractor must be loaded in a slightly different way than the pin-feed system on Epson FX printers and the usual pull-through tractors. If you are used to other systems, follow these instructions carefully
Begin by making sure that the printer is turned off. If you have been using the printer with single sheets, remove the paper guide. You will install it in a different way
3-2
Choosing and Loading Paper
Page 48
Clear enough space around the printer so that the paper has an unobstructed path in and out of the printer. There are three common methods of arranging a printer and continuous-feed paper:
l
Using a printer stand with the paper stacked underneath it.
l
Using a desk or table as a stand, with the printer near the rear edge
and the paper on the floor or on a shelf.
l
Putting the printer on a desk or table and stacking the paper behind
the printer. Now follow these steps to load continuous-feed paper in your
LQ-2500.
1. Install the paper rest by fitting its hooks into the notches at the back of the printer, as shown in Figure 3-1. This prevents incoming paper from catching on the cable.
2. Release the sprocket units by pushing the locking levers back, as shown in Figure 3-2.
3. Remove the dust cover and move the print head to about 40 on the ruler on the paper bail.
4. Pull the paper bail and paper release levers forward.
Figure
3-1.
installing the paper rest
Choosing and Loading Paper
I
figure
3-2.
Releasing the sprocket units
Sorocket
3-3
Page 49
5. Move the left sprocket unit all the way to the left and pull the locking lever forward to hold it in position.
Note
With the sprocket unit in this position, you always have a margin at the
left side. If you want to print without a left margin, or if your program creates a margin, move the left sprocket unit about 3/4-inch from the left side, so that the perforated edge of the paper lines up with the number 1 on the ruler on the paper bail. Check the exact position
when you finish loading.
6. Open the covers on the sprocket units as shown in Figure 3-3, then move the right sprocket unit to its approximate position, using your
paper as a guide. Space the paper support between the sprocket
units.
7. Make sure that the first sheet of paper has a clean edge and that the perforated edges are still attached.
8. Fit the first four holes in the left side of the paper over the pins of the left sprocket unit, as shown in Figure 3-4; then close the cover.
9. Now move the right sprocket unit so that you can fit the holes in the paper over the pins and close the cover.
Figure 3-3.
Opening the sprocket units
Figure 34.
Positioning the paper
Choosing and Loading Paper
Page 50
10. If the paper is straight and has no wrinkles,
lock
the right sprocket
unit in place.
11. Turn the paper feed knob slowly to feed the paper under the metal plate in front of the tractor. (The diagram on the metal plate shows
how the paper should go through.) Make sure the paper does not
wrinkle after it reaches the platen.
12. Turn the knob until the paper is past the paper bail. Then push back the paper bail lever (the lever on the right side). The paper bail lever must be back at all times when you are printing with continuous-feed paper.
Installing the paper guide
lnstall the paper guide to prevent the outgoing paper from being pulled back into the printer- This is the same part that supports the paper when you print on single sheets, but with continuous-feed paper,
it is installed horizontally
The paper guide has notches at either side that fit over two pins
located at the
sides
of the tractor.
1. Hold the paper guide vertically above the printer, with the curved end down, as shown in Figure 3-5.
2. Lower the notches onto the pins as shown below, then tilt the paper guide
back
until it lies horizontally over the paper.
figure 3-5. Installing the paper guide
Choosing and Loading Paper
3-5
Page 51
Setting the top of form position
Finally you need to establish a top of form position so that the printer does not print on the perforations. The top of form position is the position of the paper when the power is turned on. This position is also reset whenever a program initializes the printer or sets the page length.
Setting the top of form position is a simple three-step process:
1. See that the printer is turned off.
2. Use the paper feed knob to advance the paper until the first row of
perforations is just above the paper bail as shown in Figure 3-6.
3. Turn the printer on.
The printer remembers this position and keeps track of how far the paper has been advanced. This way when you want to move to the top of a new page, it always knows how far to advance the paper.
For some programs, it is more convenient to set the top of form at the top of the print head. Try this if the setting above the paper bail does not work correctly with your program.
figure 3-6.
The top of form setting
3-6
Choosing and Loading Paper
Page 52
Remember that you should never advance the paper using the paper feed knob while the power is turned on. You can damage the mechanism of the printer, and the printer will lose track of the top of form position.

Loading Labels

You can use labels on a continuous-feed backing, with a perforated backing sheet for use with the tractor. The minimum width of a tractor­fed label is four inches, including the full width of the backing paper.
The procedure for loading labels with the tractor is the same as for loading continuous-feed paper, except for two points. Labels on a backing sheet are thicker than normal paper. Therefore, you must adjust the paper thickness lever, which is described at the end of this chapter. Also, if you don’t want a left margin on the labels, move the left sprocket unit about 3/4-inch from the left side before locking it in
position.
WARNING
Never turn labels backward with the paper feed knob. Labels can peel off the backing and jam the printer. If a label does become stuck in the printer, see your authorized Epson dealer. Do not attempt to remove the labels yourself.
When you are through printing on labels, tear them off at a perforation behind the platen: then feed the remainder through. It is better to waste a few labels than to risk damaging the printer.
It is also possible to buy labels on a matte backing in single sheets.
(Labels on a shiny backing sheet will almost always slip a little if fed by
friction alone.) Single-sheet labels must be a minimum of 7.15 inches
wide.
There are normally no gaps between individual labels on the sheet,
so that the labels are less likely to catch on the platen. You can load these with the automatic single-sheet loading feature.
Choosing and Loading Paper
3-7
Page 53

The Paper Thickness Lever

You can adjust the LQ-2500 to accommodate different thicknesses of
paper. You need to
do
this when you print labels or carbon copies. Before moving the paper thickness lever, always turn off the power and open the dust cover.
The paper thickness lever has four positions. You can identify these by looking at the catch positions in the metal plate, as shown in Figure 3-7.
For normal use the lever should be in the second position away from the platen as shown in Figure 3-7. For printing labels, carbon, or carbon-less copies, move the lever to the third or fourth position away from the platen. This slows down the print head to increase the impact, which gives clearer, darker copies.
Always return the lever to the normal position when you resume printing on normal paper
Figure 3-7. Paper thickness lever
Catch positions
3-8
Choosing and Loading Paper
Page 54
Always return the lever to the normal position when you resume
printing on normal
paper.
Choosing and Loading Paper
3-9
Page 55
Chapter 4
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
Now that you’ve set up and tested the printer, you should make sure
the LQ-2500 works with the application programs you want to use. If
you’re familiar with application programs and printer selection routines,
simply consult the following table.
if you need more information on selecting a printer or sending
commands from your application program, continue with this chapter.
The last half of the chapter covers specific information on word
processors, spreadsheets, graphics programs, and programming languages.
Table 4 I. LQ-2.500 Printer Selection
First choice If the LO-2500 IS not Iisted. select one of the
other LQs In the order shown.
Note:
If the program does not list any of the LQseries of pninters, contact the manufacturer to find whether an update is available.
If an LO IS not listed. select one of the printers in the order listed.
If you’ve installed the color optlon kit, choose:
LQ-2500 LQ-1000
LQ-800 LQ1500
EX FX Lx RX
MX Epson printer Standard or
Draft printer
LQ-2500
"Ex800
l JX-80
*Although you can print color text with the EX or JX drivers. graohrc pnntouts
may be lengthened due
to
the difference between 9- and 24-pin printers.
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
4-1
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Choosing the Correct Printer

Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you’re using, so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s features. Many programs provide an installation or setup section that presents a list of printers from which to choose. Table 4-1 lists the
printers in order of preference.
A quick test
After setting up your application program, you should print a sample document to be sure the program and the printer are communicating properly If the document doesn’t print the way you feel it should, recheck the program’s printer selection and installation routine. If you’re still having trouble printing, check the SelecType settings. Also consult the troubleshooting section in Appendix D.

Computer-Printer Communication

Computers and printers communicate by using numerical codes to represent characters and commands. To be sure the two devices translate the characters in the same way, a standard code has been developed-the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code. Many application programs, in fact, specifically ask for ASCII codes to send printer commands.
The ASCII table. listed in Appendix B, includes codes for printable characters (letters, punctuation marks, numerals, and mathematical symbols). It also includes 33 other codes called control codes, that
perform functions such as sounding the beeper and performing carriage
returns. The 33 control codes. numbered from O-31 and 127, are not enough to control all possible printer functions. So, most printer commands are actually a sequence of two
or
more codes.
The escape code, one of the 33 control codes (027), signals the beginning of a sequence of codes. This manual uses the ASCII abbreviation ESC for this code.
4-2
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programms
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If you’re using control codes to select printer functions for an
application program or programming language, check the documentation. Different programs and languages use different methods of sending printer commands. The second half of this chapter covers this process more thoroughly
Naming and using commands
In order to use printer commands, you should know how they are recognized by your application program. The most common way of naming codes or commands is with one of two numbering systems, decimal or hexadecimal.
The decimal system is the standard numbering system based on units
of ten, using the numbers O-9.
The hexadecimal, or hex, system is based on units of 16, and is often used by programmers. Instead of using only the numerals 0 through 9, the hex system also uses the fetters A through E For example, the decimal numbers 9, 10, 11, and 12 are 09, O9, OA, and OC in hex.
The most frequently used hexadecimal numbers lie in the range 0 to
FF hex (0 to 255 in decimal). Its common to write hexadecimal
numbers that are less than 16 with a zero in front.
In this book, hex numbers are distinguished from decimal numbers by the word hex after them (for example, 1B hex). Other common ways of denoting a hexadecimal number are:
1BH
$lB &lB
&HlB
<(1B>H
The Command Summary and the Quick Reference Card give both
the decimal and hex numbers for each command.

Setting Up Application Programs

Some application programs require nothing more than selecting the correct printer. Other programs, however, require specific information to take full advantage of a printers features.
Because there are literally thousands of application programs
available, only three general categories are addressed here: Word
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
4-3
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Processors, Spreadsheets, and Graphics programs. In addition, a brief explanation of programming languages is also included at the end of the chapter.

Word Processors

In many ways, word processors demand the most from your printer.
When you create and print a document, you may change print styles
and fonts, reformat pages, add headers and footers, and use bold, italic,
and other effects.
The LQ-2500 is capable of producing a vast array of different print
styles and effects, as shown in Chapter 5. However, you may have to
spend some time working with your word processor to
take
full
advantage of the LQ’s capabilities.
Installation or setup
The most important step in preparing your word processor is selecting the correct printer from Table 4-1. When you select a printer from a programs list of printers, you’re actually selecting a printer
driver.
A printer driver contains specific commands and instructions that let your word processor use all of your printer’s features and capabilities.
If
your
program doesn’t have a selection (or driver) for the LQ-2500 (or another LQ), then you might have to select FX Your LQ would still print, but because the FX has fewer features than the LQ program could not take full advantage of the LQ.
series,
(For
this reason, you
your
should consider contacting the program manufacturer if the program doesn’t list the LQ-2500 or another LQ.)
In the same installation section where you select a printer driver, some word processors also let you choose among various options. These options may include method of paper feed, type of interface,
availability of graphics characters, and others. If you’re having specific problems with printing, you may be able to solve them
by
checking
these custom options.
4-4
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
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Initialization
Whenever you turn the power on for the LQ, an
initialization
sequence is performed that sets the printer to its default values (see Chapter 2 and Appendix E). Many word processors also send out an initialization command to reset the printer before printing.
This initialization, or reset command, is sent to ensure that unknown settings do not influence the information the program sends to the printer. Usually this shouldn’t cause any problems. However, some programs may send a command that also resets any SelecType settings
you’ve made (or settings made with a programming language).
For example, you may load a SelecType macro to print a document in Letter Quality Courier, on 14-inch paper. However, when you begin printing, the program reinitializes the printer, canceling the macro and resetting the printer to the program’s default values.
Many word processors that send an initialization command also provide a way to either change it or take it out altogether. Check the program’s installation or setup section to find whether you can modify the initialization command.
SelecType
You have the choice of using the four preset SelecType macros, or creating your own. Two of the preset macros (1 and 2) for word processing.
Macro 1 is for producing documents in draft form, primarily because
draft printing is quick. The macro prints in 10 pitch (pica) draft quality
The draft quality makes it fast, and 10 pitch makes it easy to read and
edit.
After editing a document in draft, you could select macro 2 to print the document in Letter Quality Roman font. You can also create your own macro, or change the current settings for that specific job.
Printer commands
The LQ-2500 is capable of many print styles, fonts, and enhancements. However, your word processor must tell the LQ when to use these various features by sending the proper printer commands.
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
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Most word processors are not initially set up to send all of the commands you might want to use. Most of them have a key or sequence of keys, to send the bold command. Others may also
underline. If you want to send other commands, perhaps for italic, or double-width, you’ll probably have to set up your word processor accordingly
Many programs allow you to assign commands to function keys (or a sequence of keys). When the key (or keys) is pressed, the command is then placed in the document. This is called commands.
Although many word processors let you assign commands to various keys, most rely on you to find the correct command for the type of printing you want.
For example, if your word processor isn’t set up for double-width printing, you would look up the LQ’s command for double-width (ESC W 1) in the Command Summary Once you’ve found the command, you would check your word processors manual to find out how to send it.
Remember, if your LQ is not printing the way you think it should,
check
both
the LQ and your word processor, and review this checklist:
Make sure you’ve selected the correct printer.
embedding
printer
Carefully read the printer setup and installation information in your
word processors manual.
C heck the printer options that may be part of the installation or
setup section (line feeds, interface, etc.).
your word processor cancels SelecType macros or other settings
before printing, find out whether you can modify the program’s initialization command.
Make sure your word processor is capable of sending the proper
commands to your printer.
If you’re still having difficulty printing, check the troubleshooting
section in your word processor’s manual, or in Appendix D of this manual.
4-6
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programms
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Spreadsheets

Although spreadsheets seldom use as many printing styles as word
processors, they do have some very specific requirements.
Installation and column width
If your spreadsheet program provides a list of printers, refer to Table 4-1 for the proper priority If your spreadsheet doesn’t have a printer setup routine, you should carefully read the program’s manual for
information on its printing facility
A major concern when printing spreadsheets is the width of the printer. The LQ-2500 is a 136-column printer, which makes it particularly well-suited for spreadsheets. By combining modes and pitches with SelecType, you can have 68 to 272 printable columns (or
characters), across a 14-inch page, as shown in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2. LQ-2500 Column Widths
12
pitch+Double-width
12
pitch +
12
pitch
12
Ditch+Condensed
15 patch + Double.width
15 pitch
Double-width
+
Conoensed
81
136
163
272 102
204
Printer commands
Unlike word processors, spreadsheet programs don’t usually let you place printer commands within a spreadsheet. Instead, one pitch or mode of printing is used for the whole spreadsheet. With the LQ-2500, there are three ways of sending commands to print a spreadsheet.
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
4-7
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SelecType-You have the choice of using the four preset SelecType
macros, or creating your own. One of those preset macros (macro 3) is for spreadsheets. It’s set up to print in draft quality, condensed mode, with a right margin of 135 (for 136 columns).
The SelecType settings that have the greatest effect on spreadsheets are: Print Quality, Condensed, and Right Margin. (If your spreadsheet program seems to disregard the SelecType settings, see the section on Initialization.)
The program 's printing
capability of sending commands to a printer. However, its usually up to you to pick the pitch or mode you want, then find the proper
commands in the printer manual.
For example, your spreadsheet might send printer commands as a “setup string.” To prepare a setup string for condensed, 12 pitch, you would look up the proper command in the LQ’s Command Summary
(Condensed, 12 pitch, gives the maximum number of printable
characters per line, as shown in Table 4-2.)
The command for 12 pitch is ESC M, and the command for condensed is SI. Most spreadsheets want you to send the decimal equivalent for the command, also given in the Command Summary A
setup string for condensed, 12 pitch, might look like this:
Programs that ask you to set up the commands usually tell you how to
do it; it’s up to you to find the proper commands.
A programming
straightforward way of setting up a printer. As demonstrated in the section at the end of this chapter, you can simply send the appropriate command without going through a setup or installation program.
language-Programming languages may be the most
facility-Almost all spreadsheets have the
/027/077/015 (MY M /SI)
If you set up your printer with a programming language, such as
BASIC or Pascal, be sure your spreadsheet program does not wipe out the settings with an initialization command, as described in the next section.
4-8
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
Page 63
Initialization
Like many word processors, some spreadsheet programs also send
out an initialization command to reset the printer before printing.
This initialization, or reset command, is sent to ensure that unknown settings do not influence the information the program sends to the printer. Usually this shouldn’t cause any problems. However, some
programs may send a command that also resets SelecType settings (or
settings made with a programming language).
For example, you may load a SelecType macro to print a spreadsheet in draft, condensed, with a right margin of 136. However, when printing begins, the program sends an initialization command that cancels the
macro and resets the printer to the program’s default values.
Although many word processors allow you to modify an initialization command, most spreadsheet programs don’t. For these programs, you will have to rely on the programs own print features to send the proper commands.
If your spreadsheet is not printing the way you think it should, check
both
the LQ and your spreadsheet program, and review this checklist:
If the program asks you to select a printer, be sure you have selected
the correct one.
Make sure the SelecType settings are correct.
l
If the program is ignoring your SelecType settings, try sending print
commands with the program’s print facility
If you’re using the program’s print facility recheck the LQ’S Command Summary to make sure you’re sending the correct commands.
If you’re still having difficulty printing, check the troubleshooting section in your spreadsheet programs manual, or in Appendix D of this manual.
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
4-9
Page 64

Setting Up Graphics Programs

The LQ-2500 is capable of producing finely detailed graphic images in
black or in color (with the optional color kit). Chapter 6 gives specific
information on the graphics commands. However, the easiest way to
take advantage of the LQ’s capabilities is with one of the many graphics programs available.
installation or setup
Most graphics programs have a printer selection routine, in which case you should check Table 4-1 for the proper priority With graphics, however, it’s even more important to select one of the LQ-series of printers. The LQs are 24pin printers, and consequently are capable of more detailed graphics than the FX or LX series, which are nine-pin printers.
SekType and
character
tables
Any one of the four SelecType macros can be used with dot graphics programs, because most graphics programs send their own commands to print images dot by dot.
Preset macro 4 makes use of the Graphic character table, which uses
character
shown in Chapter
graphics for printing lines, corners, and shaded areas as
2. For more information on selecting the character sets.
see Chapters 2 and 5. The character tables are printed in Appendix B.
4-10
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
Page 65

Programming Languages

Most users rely on application programs to send commands to the printer. However, an awareness of programming languages can be helpful in exploring a printer’s potential or troubleshooting a printing problem.
For example, you might want to set up your application program to
send a command for italic printing. You can use a programming
language, such as BASIC or Pascal, to do a quick printout before setting up the program.
Or, perhaps you’ve set up a program to send a certain command to
the printer, but its not printing correctly You could send the same command with a programming language to find whether the problem lies with your application program, the command, or the printer,
Sending printer commands with BASIC
You can send printer commands with any programming language.
The examples in this manual are written in BASIC, because BASIC is
included with most computer systems.
Most forms of BASIC use the LPRINT statement to send print
commands and other output to the printer
To send individual printer commands. use the LPRINT statement and the CHRS function. For example, to send the command for italic, first check the LQ Command Summary for the proper command-W 4.
BASIC allows you to send commands in three different ways. If a printable character corresponds to the command (4 in the case of italic), then you can use that character, if it’s enclosed in quotation marks:
LPRINT CHR$(27);"4"
Or, you can send the decimal or the hexadecimal equivalent of the
command (Microsoft” BASIC requires that &H precede all hex codes):
LPRINT CHFi$(27);CHRS(52);
or
LPRINT CHR$(&H1B)
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
(&H34);
4-11
Page 66
You can also use the LPRINT statement to send kxt to the printer, but
it must be enclosed in quotation marks, as shown below.
LPRINT "This is a sample of italic."
To test the italic command, you would send:
10 LPRINT CHR$(27);"4";
20 LPRINT "This is a sample of italic."
and see:
This is a sample of italic.
If you have a different version of BASIC, or a different programming language, consult the documentation.
4-12
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs
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Chapter 5
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
This chapter describes the wide variety of fonts, print widths, styles,
and enhancements available with the LQ-2500, including:
High-speed Draft
Letter Quality
Emphasized
Double-strike
Italics
10 pitch 12 pitch
15 pitch
Underlining
Double-width
Condensed
Superscraipt
Proportional
Subscript

Print Quality

The LQ-2500 has two levels of print quality: draft and Letter Quality
Draft printing is fast, making it ideal for rough drafts and editing work.
Letter Quality takes a little longer to print, but produces fully formed
characters for presentation-quality documents.
This
is high-speed,
This is Letter Quality printing.
Because the LQ-2500 is a 24-pin printer, you can use all of the enhancements covered in this chapter with either draft or Letter Quality Double-width, italic, emphasized, underlining, and other features can be used with either quality setting.
draft quality printing.
Using the LQ2500 Print Features
5-1
Page 68
selecting print quality
There are three easy methods of changing between draft and Letter
Quality
l
The control panel-With the printer on line, you can press the LQ
button to select Letter Quality or the
DRAFT
button to select draft.
When you press the LQ button, the printer beeps twice and the display briefly flashes the current font, such as [ROMAN 1. The display then returns to 1 ON LINEI. (You can also select Letter Quality in other fonts with the LQ button-see the following section on Selecting Fonts.)
If you press the DRAFT button, you hear one beep, [DRAFT] is briefly displayed, then the
l
SelecType-With the *Change Macro
[ON
LINE1 message returns.
mode, there are two ways of
switching between Letter Quality and draft. You can simply change the current settings, or you can create and
save
a new macro
containing either quality setting.
You can also send commands to switch between draft and Letter
Quality with an application program or a programming language.

Selecting Fonts

The LQ-2500 has five built-in Letter Quality fonts shown below. See
Appendix C for complete printouts of each font.
1. LQ Roman
2.
LQ Sans Serif
3. LQ Courier
4. LQ Prestige
5.
LQ Script
5-2
This is the Roman font.
This is the Sans Serif font.
This
is the Courier font.
This is the Prestige font.
This is the Script font.
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
Page 69
All five fonts are available through SelecType, or with the LQ button. You can switch to draft quality from any of the fonts, but there is only one style of draft.
Selecting fonts with the LQ button-You
fonts without having to go into SelecType. Pressing the LQ button while the printer is on line selects the current LQ font. The name of the font is displayed for a few seconds, then the f
However, if you press the LQ button again,
name is displayed,
pressing of the LQ button continues the rotation through the five fonts,
To select a font, press the LQ button until the font you want is
displayed, then wait for the [ you select then becomes the current setting.
Fonts selected with the LQ button temporarily override SelecType font settings. For example, you might load a macro that has the Courier font. If you decide to print in Sans Serif instead, you could simply use the LQ button to temporarily select the Sans Serif font. The next time you use the macro, Courier will still be installed. Selecting fonts with the LQ button doesn’t change macro settings, it only overrides them until another setting or macro is selected.
Selecting fonts with
with SelecType. You can include the font in a macro, or you can change the font in the current settings. SelecTypes *Print Out Settings mode
lets you check the fonts in the four macros, as well as the current font
setting.
the name of the next font is displayed. Each
ON
LINE1 message to return. The font
SelecType-There are two ways to select a font
can switch among the five
ON
LINE1 message returns.
while the current font
When you are selecting different fonts, be aware that change, not the pitch settings. Each font has designated pitches; to
make the fonts look their best, they should be printed in these pitches. See the following section on Print Pitch and Character Width for a full explanation.
Font cartridges
Additional fonts are available in font cartridges that plug into either connector in the option cartridge compartment. See your Epson dealer for more information on both of these options.
Using the
LQ-2500 Print Features
on&
the fonts
5-3
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Print Pitch and Character Width

To add greater variety to your documents, the LQ-2500 can print in three different pitches and perform proportional spacing. The SelecType Pitch setting lets you set the
LQ
accordingly
The three pitches are: 10 characters per inch (pica), 12 characters per inch (elite), and 15 characters per inch. The following printout compares
these
three pitches.
This is 10 pitch-- 10 characters per inch. This is 12 pitch--12 characters per inch.
This is 15 pitch--
15 characters per inch.
As shown in the printout, 10 and 12 pitch characters are the same height. Characters in 15 pitch, however, are about twothirds the height of 10 and 12 pitch characters. This makes 15 pitch particularly useful for footnotes, quotations, and any material you want to separate from the main document.
Proportional spacing varies the width of each letter, depending on whether its a narrow letter, like an i, or a wide letter, like a w. The three pitches of 10, 12, and 15 change the width of Proportional varies the width of
each
all the characters
equally.
individual character, as shown in
the following printout. Appendix B lists the proportional width tables.
This is lo-pitch spacing.
This is proportional spacing.
Table 5-1 shows the designated pitches for each font. To make the
fonts look their best, print them in their designated pitches.
You can print a font in a non-designated pitch, but the font won’t look its best. For example, you can print the Roman font in 12 pitch, or Prestige in 10 pitch. The LQ-2500 adjusts the pitch accordingly but the spacing isn’t as precise as a designated pitch.
5-4
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
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Proportional spacing is the exception. Only the Roman and Sans Serif fonts have proportional spacing tables. If you select proportional for any other fonts, the printer will print in the selected font, but the results
may be uneven.
Condensed and double-width
In addition to the three pitches and proportional spacing, you can also use condensed and double-width to change character size, as shown in the following printout.
This
condensed
printing.
This is lo-pitch printing.
This is double
-width.
Condensed is useful for spreadsheets (see Chapter 4) and other applications where its necessary to print the maximum amount of information on a page. There’s a separate SelecType setting for condensed to make it easier to print complete documents.
Double-width literally doubles the width of any character, as shown in the above printout. This character size is particularly effective for adding emphasis to titles and headings. To select double-width, use a
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
5-5
Page 72
printer command sent from an application program or programming
language.
Be aware that widening or narrowing characters also widens or
narrows the spaces between words and letters. Word processors usually create a left margin by printing spaces. If you change character widths, you may need to adjust the number of characters on a line.
Special effects and emphasis
The LQ-2500 offers two ways of emphasizing text. It
can also print
underlining, superscripts, and subscripts. These features are controlled by printer commands, but many application programs can produce them if the program is properly installed.
Emphasized and double-strike are the two modes that give added
emphasis. In emphasized mode, the print head prints each dot twice as
it moves across the paper. The second dot is printed slightly to the right of the first, producing darker, more fully formed characters.
In double-strike mode, the print head goes over each line twice,
making the text bolder. The following examples compare emphasized and double-strike.
Emphasized produces darker characters. Double-strike produces bolder characters.
The underline mode provides an automatic way of fully underlining any piece of text, as shown below. It underlines spaces, subscripts, and superscripts without a break. Most word processors take advantage of this feature, but some programs use the underline character instead. If this happens, check your program for an underlining option.
This is continuous underlining.
5-6
Using the LQ-25OO Print Features
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Superscripts and subscripts can be used for printing footnote numbers and mathematical formulas. The example below shows underlining and superscripts and subscripts combined in a mathematical formula
H20
E=mc
2
average = (a1 + a2 + ........ + an)_
n

Using Character Tables and Sets

The LQ-2500 has
two built-in
methods of generating characters. One method uses the CC (Character Generator) Tables, the other method uses the characters stored in the international character sets.
The CC tables
The CG Table setting in SelecType has three options: Italic, Graphic, and Download. To see the difference between the italic and Graphic character tables, refer to Appendix B.
The Graphic option gives you the greatest flexibility with most application programs. includmg word processors and spreadsheets. The Graphic option allows you. or the program you’re using, to take
advantage of Epson’s Character Graphics set.
With character graphics, you can still use the different fonts, styles.
and widths, but you also get graphics characters for charts, diagrams, and other uses. And you still get
italic
characters.
Sane of the great dungs you can
I
V.P.
Finance
do
. . . . . . .
Diagrams
President
and CEO
V.P.
Sales
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
V.P.
Planning
5-7
Page 74
Although you won’t see italic characters in the Graphic table, most application programs use ESC 4 and ESC 5 to turn italic on and off. This gives you italic with the Graphic option. (If your application program prints graphics characters when you
ask
for italic characters, then
switch to the Italic character set.)
If you select the Epson Character Graphics set, you might need to choose a different printer from your program’s printer installation routine (see Chapter 4). Your first choice should be the LQ-2500. The second choice should be the LQ-800/1000 printer equipped with the ESCP’ identity module. This gives you the same character and command set found on the LQ-2500.
If neither of these printers is listed, you should contact the program’s manufacturer to find whether an update is available. You could also’ select an Epson EX printer. It, too, has the same character set,
but be
aware that the EX is a nine-pin printer, not a 24-pin printer like the LQ-2500. This may result in a slightly different look to the characters.
The Download option is for future expansion,
International characters
The LQ-2500 also has the capability of printing characters of other languages. The SelecType Country setting lets you select from among
13 countries: USA, France, Germany, UK. Denmark 1, Sweden, Italy,
Spain 1, Japan, Norway Denmark 2, Spain 2, and Latin America.
Table 5-2 shows the international characters printed in Letter
See Appendix B for additional
5-8
tables.
Using the LQ-2500 Print Features
Quality
Page 75
Table 5-2. International characters in Letter Quality
I
USA FRANCE GERMANY UK DENMARK 1 SWEDEN ITALY
SPAIN 1 JAPAN NORWAY DENMARK 2
SPAIN2
LATIN AMERICA
The color option
If you’ve installed the color option kit, a printer command lets you select any of seven colors, including black. In addition, you can combine some of the basic colors to produce an even greater variety Color can be used for graphics or text, and for a whole page or a single word.
With the color option kit, you can use either a black (#7756),
(#7757) ribbon;
can use a black ribbon for ordinary printing, and save
the printer automatically detects the type of ribbon. You
your color
or
color
ribbon
for special applications.
When a black ribbon is in use, or the color option kit has not been installed, the color commands are simply ignored. See the
documentation packaged with the color option kit for complete
information.
Additional commands
The information in this chapter covers most of the features used in most printing applications, except for graphics and user-defined
characters. These features are described in the next chapter.
The Command Summary describes additional commands for page formatting, such as margins. tabs, and line spacing. However, most of these functions are handled by application programs.
Using the
LQ-2500 Print Features
5-9
Page 76
Chapter 6
Graphics and User-defined Characters
The dot graphics modes allow your LQ-2500 to produce pictures,
graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial material you can devise.
The userdefined character feature allows you (or an application
program) to put special characters in the LQ’s memory so that they can be printed just as if they were ordinary letters or numbers.
Because many application programs use graphics, you may be able to
print pictures and graphs like the ones on this page and the next by
simply giving your program a few instructions.
The quickest and easiest way to print graphics on your LQ is to use a commercial graphics program. With such programs you usually create an image on your monitor and then give a command to send the image to the printer.
Graphics
and Userdefined Characters
6-1
Page 77
If you use an application program that produces graphics, or a package such as a spreadsheet that produces graphics, ail you need to know about dot graphics is how to use the program. If, on the other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to understand how the LQ-2500 prints graphics, read on.
Income Breakdown

The Print Head

To understand dot graphics you need to know a little about how the
LQ’s print head works.
The LQ’s print head has 24 pins. As it moves across the page, electrical impulses cause the pins to fire. pressing the inked ribbon against the paper to produce a pattern of small dots. As the head moves across the paper, the pins fire time after time in different patterns to produce letters, numbers, or symbols.
Because the dots overlap each other both horizontally and vertically
in the Letter Quality mode, it is difficult to see individual dots. Instead,
the letters and symbols seem to be made of unbroken lines.
In order for the dots to overlap vertically the pins are arranged on the print head in more than one column. The intelligence of the printer handles the timing of pin firings so that the effect is that of 24 pins arranged in a single vertical column.
6-2
Graphics and Userdefined Characters
Page 78
Dot patterns
The LQ-2500 prints graphics the same way that pictures in newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small dots. The LQ also forms its images with patterns of dots, as many as 360 dot positions per inch horizontally and 180 dots vertically The images printed by the LQ can, therefore, be as finely detailed as the one on the first page of this chapter.
Eight-pin graphics
The LQ has an eight-pin graphics mode with six densities, so that it is compatible with the many programs written for printers such as the
Epson FX and RX series. Although this mode uses only one third of the LQ’s pins, it produces good quality graphics and allows you to use the many programs written for eight-pin graphics.
Twenty-four-pin graphics
The 24-pin graphics mode takes full advantage of the LQ’s print head. It has five densities, but for simplicity this explanation covers only triple-density
Triple-density prints up to 180 dots per inch horizontally As the print head moves across the paper, every 1/180th of an inch it must receive instructions about which of its 24 pins to fire. At each position it can fire
any number of pins from none to 24. This means that the printer must
receive 24 bits of information for each column it prints. Since the LQ
uses eight-bit bytes of information in its communication with a computer, it needs three bytes of information for each position.
Pin labels
The graphics mode requires a method to tell the printer which pins to
fire in each column. The software must send codes for the dot patterns; one number is needed for each column in a line. For each of those columns the print head prints the pattern of dots you have specified.
There are 256 possible combinations of eight pins, so a single number in the range O-255 can be used to specify which of the patterns you want. In this system, one number is assigned to each pin as in Figure 6-1, on the following page.
Graphics and User- defined Characters
6-3
Page 79
To fire any one pin, you send its number. To fire more than one pin at the same time, add up the numbers of the pins and send the sum to the printer. With these labels for the pins, you fire the top pin by sending
128. To fire the bottom pin, you send 1. If you want to fire the top and
bottom pins together, add 128 and 1, then send 129.
By adding the appropriate label numbers together, you can fire any combination of pins. Figure 62 shows three examples of how to calculate the number that will fire a particular pattern of pins.
With this numbering system, any combination of the eight pins adds
up
to a decimal number between 0 and 255, and no numbers are
duplicated.
Since there are 24 pins in each column, you must make a calculation
for each of the three sections in each column. As you can see, this
method of planning and printing dot graphics requires considerable
calculation. Because tripledensity uses 180 columns per inch, printing a single line of triple-density graphics only one inch long requires 540
numbers. Fortunately commercial programs can do the calculations for
you.
Before you can put these numbers in a graphics program, however,
you need to know the format of the graphics command.

Graphics Commands

The graphics m&e commands are quite different from the other
commands covered so far in this manual. For most of the other modes,
Figure 6-1. pin numbering system
6-4
I
Figure 62. Calculations /or pin pattems
Graphics and
User-defined Characters
Page 80
such as emphasized and double-width, one code turns the mode on and another turns it off. For graphics, the commands are more complicated because a code that turns on a graphics mode also specifies
how many columns it will use. After the LQ-2500 receives this
code,
it
interprets the next numbers as pin patterns and prints them on the
paper.
The LQ has one command that allows you to use any of the 11
graphics options. The format of the command is:
ESCape
In this command, m selects the graphics option and
=*” m
nl n2
data
nl
and
n2
specify the number of columns to reserve for graphics. The available graphics options are listed in Table 6-1.
Table 61. Graphics Options
Option
Single-dens& Double-density Hiah-meed double-density’ Quadruple-density’ CRT I CRT II
Single-density
Double-density
CRT III
Triple-density Hex-density*
‘Adjacent dots cannot be pinted In this mode
Pins m
8
0
8 2 120 8 3 8 4
8
24
24 24
24 24
0
1
6
32
33
38
39 180
40
Ho&. density
(dots/in.)
60
I
120
240
80 90
60
120
90
360
Column reservation numbers
The graphics command requires more than one number to specify
how many columns to reserve because one line can use thousands of
columns, but the LQ
Graphics and User-defined Characters
does
not use numbers larger than 255 (decimal).
6-5
Page 81
Therefore, the graphics mode command uses two numbers for reserving columns.
To figure the number of columns reserved, multiply the second number by 256 and add it to the first number. Since the command is set up for two numbers, you must supply two numbers even if you need only one. When you need fewer than 256 columns, just make
nJ
the
number of columns you are reserving and make n2 a zero.
For example, if you wish to send 1632 columns of graphics data,
nl
should be 96 and n2 should be 6 because 1632 = 96 + (6 x 256).
The LQ will interpret the number of bytes determined by
nl
and n2 as graphics data, no matter what codes they are. This means that you must be sure to supply enough bytes of graphics data or the LQ will stop and wait for more
data
and will seem to be locked. If, on the other hand, you supply too much graphics data, the excess will be interpreted and printed as regular text.
First graphics program
This first program is a simple example to show you how the graphics command, column reservation numbers, and data can be used in a BASIC program. Type in and run the following program: be especially careful to include both semicolons. The program produces the printout
you see below
10 20
30
40
50
it.
WIDTH "LPT1:",255 LPRINT CHR$(27)"+"CHR$(32 FOR X=1 TO 120 LPRINT CHR$(li'B); NEXT
X
(40) CHR$(0);
) CHR$
Line 20 selects single-density 24-pin graphics (mode 32 from Table 6-1) and also reserves 40 columns for graphics. Since 24pin graphics requires three bytes of data for each column, line 30 begins a loop to supply 120 bytes of data. Line 40 contains the number 170 that produces the first pin pattern shown in Figure 6-2, and line 50 finishes the loop.
6-6
Graphics and User-defined Characters
Page 82
Using handcalculated data to
print graphics
You can now perform the simplest application of graphics-using
hand-calculated data to print graphic images. While this method is the most tedious, it helps you understand dot graphics. Also, it is useful for small graphic elements that are used many times.
Figure 6-3 shows how you can use a grid to plan where you want dots to be printed. This grid represents a single line of graphics 42 columns long. Since each line of 24-pin graphics is approximately 1/8th
of an inch high, and since triple-density graphics prints 180 dots per
inch horizontally a design planned on this figure will be about 1/8th of an inch high and less than 1/4th of an inch wide.
The actual pattern that the LQ prints on the paper is made up of dots that overlap both vertically and horizontally The planning grid uses an X for each dot, but remember that each X represents the center of a dot,
and that the dots actually overlap each other.
Fgure 63.
Panern on grid
Graphics and User-defined Characters
6-7
Page 83
Write the assigned values of the pins next to your design and then add the values for each column of dots. These totals will be sent to the printer as graphics data to print the design.
Fire 6-4 shows the same grid divided into three sections to make the data calculation easier. At the bottom of each section of each
column is the total of the pin numbers for that section. This gives you a total of 126 data numbers necessary to print this small figure.
Data layout for 24-pin graphics for 24-pin graphics
6-8
Grphics and User-defined Characters
Page 84
The following BASIC program prints the design shown in Figures 6-3
and 64. Notice that the
data
numbers in lines 80-140 are the same
numbers that you see in Figure 64. Also note that the WIDTH
statement in line 10 is for IBM@ PC BASIC; the format may be different
for your system.
10 WIDTH "LPTl*"
20 iPRINT CHR$(27)"*" CHRS (39) CHR$ (42) CHR $(0);
30
FOR
x=1 TO 126
40 READ N
50 LPRINT CHR$(N); 60 NEXT X 70 LPRINT
80 DATA
90
100 DATA 31,255,254,31,255,252,31,255,24a,31,255,240,31,255,
110 DATA 31,255,0,31,252,0,31,240,0,31,224,0,31,12a,0,31,240,0 120 DATA 31,255,192,28,255,224,28,127,240,28,15,248,38,8,252,
130 DATA 15,128,15,7,192,7,3,240,7,1,254,7,8,255,7,0,127,135 140 DATA 0,31,199,0,7,231,0,1,247,0,0,255,0,0,127,0,0163
0,0,63,0,0,127,0,0,255,0,3,255~0~15J255~0~31~255
DATA
0, 127, 255, 0, 255, 255, 1, 255, 255, 3, 255, 255, 7, 255, 255, 15,
255,255
224,31,255,192
31,0,=6
In this program, line 20 assigns the graphics option (24-pin
triple-density) with
42. Lines 80-140 contain 126
code
39. Code 42 sets the number of pin columns at
bytes
of data (42 pin columns x 3 bytes for
each pin column). Lines 30-60 print the design shown below.
A
Notice that the dots overlap quite a bit. This design was printed using
the triple-density, 24-pin graphics option because the density is the same
(180
dots
to the inch) in both directions.
Graphics and Userdefined Characters
6-9
Page 85
Adding the following lines to the previous program causes the pattern
to print 10 times in a row as shown below.
15 FOR C=l TO 10: RESTORE 65 NEXT C
Individual graphics options commands
As previously mentioned, the LQ-2500 responds to commands that are also used by Epson FX and RX series printers. There are four individual graphics options commands that are very similar to the ESCape “*” command, but each one works for only one graphics option. All these commands are for eight-pin graphics. Note that these commands contain one less variable than the ESCape “*” command because they don’t need to select a graphics option. They are shown in
Table 6-2.
Table 62. individual graphics options commands
Reassigning command
The LQ has a command that allows you to change the graphics
option assigned to any of the four individual graphics options commands. The command is:
ESCape “?. s m
The letter s represents the command that you wish to change the
assignment for (K, L, Y, or Z) and m is the number of the graphics option (from Table 6-1) that you want to assign to it. For example, to change the E5Cape ‘K” command to use the CRT I screen graphics option, the command in BASIC is:
LPRINT CHR$(27)"?";"i("CHR$(I*)
6-10
Graphics
and
User-defined Characters
Page 86
This is a quick way to change the aspect ratio of the design that you are printing. Changing the graphics option will change the width without changing the height. You should, however, make this change with caution.
If you change one of the eight-pin graphics options to a 24-pin graphics option without changing the program that supplies the graphics data, you will print garbage (if the program prints at all). Remember, the 24-pin graphics options require three times as much graphics data as the eight-pin graphics options.

User-defined Characters

With the LQ, it is possible to define and print characters of your own design. You can design an entirely new alphabet or typeface,
create
characters for special applicafions such as mathematical or scientific symbols, or create graphic patterns with user-defined characters to serve as building blocks for larger designs.
Below you can see samples of typefaces created with the userdefined
character function.
You can make the task of defining characters easier by using a
commercial program that assists you in creating characters or simply supplies you with sets of characters already created. Also, some popular commercial programs take advantage of the LQ’s userdefined character
function to enhance printouts. (These characters are called download
characters in some programs.)
The standard characters are stored in the LQ’s Read Only Memory (ROM), and the user-defined characters are stored in the LQ’s Random Access Memory (RAM).
Graphics and Userdefined Characters
6-11
Page 87
Design grids
Printing user-defined characters is like printing graphics patterns
becuase
each
you send the printer precise instructions on where you want
dot
printed. In fact, planning a userdefined character is like
planning a small graphics pattern.
To design a character you use a grid that 24 each wire on the LQ2500 print head. The depends on the character set in use. For draft characters, the
dots
width
high-one dot for
of the character matrix
grid is
nine dots wide.
For Letter Quality it is 29 dots wide, is 37 dots wide. The
dots
for both Letter Quality and proportional are
and
for proportional characters it
spaced more closely together than those for draft.
Figure 65 shows the two design grids. The line at the side labelled
cap
indicates the top of a
base
indicates the baseline for all letters except those with descenders
standard
capital letter,
and
the line labelled
(the bottom parts of such letters as j and y). The bottom row is usually left blank because it is used for underlining.
Figure 6-5.
Design grids
6-12
Gaphics
and User-defined
Characters
Page 88
The grid on the right side of Figure 6-5 can be used for either Letter
Quality
or proportional characters. For Letter Quality you do not use all
the columns. See Table 63 for further information.
There is one restriction in designing characters. Dots in the same row cannot print in adjacent columns-there must be an empty dot position to the left and to the right of each dot that prints. This is true in draft, Letter Quality and proportional.

Defining Your Own Characters

The first step in defining characters is to place the dots on a grid just as you want them to print. The examples here, like the ones in the graphics section, use an X to represent each dot. Figure 6-6 shows a
simple userdefined character on a draft grid.
Now translate the dot pattern created on the
format so you can
send the
information to the LQ2500. Every
an assigned value. Each vertical column (which has a maximum of
paper
grid to a numeric
dot has
24
dots) is first divided into three groups of eight dots. Each group of eight
dots is
represented by one byte, which consists of eight bits. Hence, one
bit represents each dot.
Figure 6-6.
user-defined character
Graphics User-defined Characters` 6-13
Page 89
Data numbers
2The bits within each byte have values of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and
128. In the vertical column of dots, the bits are arranged so that the
most significant bit (which has a value of 128) is at the top and the least
significant
bit (which has a value of 1) is at the bottom.
Figure 67 shows how to use this method to calculate the data
numbers for the example character. On the left side of the figure the data numbers are calculated for the middle column. The value of each byte is calculated by adding the values of the rows where dots appear The right side of the figure shows the whole character with the three data numbers for each column indicated at the bottom.
This manual uses decimal numbers because the example programs in this manual are written in BASIC. The data you send to the LQ2500, however, can be in any form (binary decimal, hexadecimal) that can be used with your programming language.
After you’ve designed a character on a grid and translated the dots to
decimal equivalents, the last step is to send this information to the printer.
Fqure 67.
calculating the data
6.14
Garaphics and under-defined Characters
Page 90
Sending information to the LQ-2500
The printer loads characters in the print style (Letter Quality draft, or proportional) and font (Roman, Sans Serif, Courier, Prestige, or Script) that the printer is currently using. It also records whether italic or script (either superscript or subscript) is turned on. This means that if you want to print a character in the italic mode, for example, you must have the italic mode turned on when you define the character.
The command to define characters is one of the most complex in the LQ-2500s repertoire. The format of the command is:
ESCape ‘&” 0
The EXape ‘&” is simple enough. The 0 (which is ASCll code 0, not the numeral zero in quotation marks) allows for future enhancements. At this time it is always ASCII 0.
With the LQ, you can define many characters with a single command. The values last characters you are defining. If you are defining only one character,
nl
and
n2
are the same. You can use any codes between 32 and 127 decimal for the code for a space. Also, you can use letters in quotation marks instead of ASCII numbers for
For instance, if you wanted to redefine the characters A through 2,
would be “A” (or ASCII code 65) and
90). So the command ESCape ‘&” 0 ‘AZ” (followed by the appropriate data) would replace the entire alphabet of capital letters.
Following the specification of the range of characters to be defined are three data bytes space around it. The left space (in dot columns) is specified by the right space is specified by d2. The second byte
number of columns of dots that are printed to make up the character.
By varying the width of the character itself and the spaces around it, you can create proportional-width characters that print at draft speed. Table 6-3 shows the maximum values for these bytes.
nl
and
nl
and
n2,
but it is best not to define decimal 32, which is
(d0-d2)
that specify the width of the character and the
nl n2 d0 dl d2
n2
are the ASCII codes of the first and
nl
and
n2.
n2
would be ‘Z” (or ASCII code
data
(dl)
specifies the
do,
nl
and
Graphics and Userdefined Characters
6-15
Page 91
Table 6-3. Character width limits
I
Draft Letter Quality, Letter Ouallty, Letter Ouality, Proportlonal
10 12 15
pitch pitch pitch
Text
Text
9 29 23
15
39
d0 +
dl +
(maximum)
12 36 30 24 42
d2
The last part of the character definition is the actual data that defines the dot patterns for each character. Since it takes three bytes to specify the dots in one vertical column of dots, the LQ-2500 expects
d1 x 3
bytes of data to follow d2.
An example character definition program should make this clear:
LRINT CHR$(27)"x0"
10
LPRINT CHRS(27)"&"CHR$(0);
20
PRINT "@@?';
30
LPRINT
40
FOR I=1 TO 27
50
READ A: LPRINT CHR$(A);
60
NEXT I
70
LF'RINT "@@!@"
80
LPRINT CHR$(27)"X"CHR$(l);
90
100
PRINT "@@@@@"
110
LPRINT CHR$(27)"%"CHR$(0);
CHR$(l)CHR$(9)CHR$(l);
120 LPRINT "@@@@@" 130 END
140
DATA 1,0,0,2,0,0,4,0,0
150
DATA 8,0,0,23,255,240,8,0,0
160 DATA 4,0,0,2,0,0,1,0,0,
In line 10, the ESCape ‘x0” command selects draft quality printing.
The actual character definition starts in line 20. The two “at” signs
(@) in line 30 represent defined (in this case, a range of one). tine 40 contains
6-16
nl and 172,
the range of characters being
Graphicsand User-defined Characters
dU, dl,
and &.
Page 92
The information about the actual character design (which is contained in the data statements at the end of the program) is sent to the printer in the loop between lines 50 and 70.
Note
When defining Letter Quality or proportional characters, put a WIDTH statement in your program to prevent carriage return and line feed codes from interfering with your definitions.

Printing User-defined Characters

If you completed the example program above, you defined an arrow and placed it in the RAM location for ASCII code 64 (replacing the “at”
sign). You can now print out a three-line sample of your work. The first and third lines (printed by lines 80 and 120 of the program) print the
normal ‘at” sign: the second line (line 100) prints the arrow that you defined. Run the program to see the printout below:
ls@@@ro
@@@@@
As you can see, both sets of characters (the original ROM characters that the printer normally uses and the userdefined character set) remain in the printer available for your use. The command to switch between the two sets is used in lines 90 and 110. It is:
ESCape ‘%” n
If R is equal to 0, the normal ROM character set is selected (this is the
default). If R is equal to 1, the user-defined character set is selected. If you select the user-defined character set before you have defined any characters, the command is ignored and the ROM characters are still
used.
You may switch between character sets at any time-even in the middle of a line. To try it, place semicolons at the end of lines 80 and
100 in the program.
Graphics and User-defined Characters
6-17
Page 93
Copying ROM to RAM
In many cases, you will want to redefine only a few of the characters to suit your needs, and keep the rest of the alphabet. As you have seen, it is possible to switch back and forth between the normal character set and the userdefined character set, but it’s inconvenient.
Therefore, the LQ-2500 has a command which allows you to copy all of the standard characters from ROM to the user-defined character set. The command format is:
ESCape “:” 0 0 0
Note
This command will cancel any user-defined characters you have
created. You must send this command to the printer before you define characters.
If you use this command at the beginning of a program, define your special characters and select the user-defined character set. You can then print with the user-defined set as your normal character set. You’ll never need to switch back and forth between sets.
Letter Quality characters
If you select Letter Quality printing with the EC ‘xl” command, you
can design user-defined characters using up to 29 columns of the Letter
Quality/Proportional grid. The dot columns are spaced closer together horizontally than draftquality dot columns (the horizontal dot spacing is 1/360th of an inch as opposed to 1/120th of an inch for draft
characters).
Proportional mode characters
Selecting the proportional character mode will yield user-defined characters of the highest resolution. Characters can be designed using all 37 columns of the Letter Quality/Proportional grid (see Figure 6-S).
Remember that in Letter Quality and proportional, as in draft, you
cannot place dots in adjacent columns. There must be an empty dot
position to the left and right of each dot that prints.
6-18
Graphics and User-defined Characters
Page 94
Superscripts and subscripts
You can also create superscript and subscript user-defined characters.
Just as Letter Quality characters are defined when the Letter Quality
mode is selected, super/subscript characters are created when either superscript or subscript is selected.
These super/subscript characters can be used either as superscripts or as subscripts. The characters are exactly the same; it is only their placement that differs. The difference between super/subscript characters and regular characters is that they are smaller They are a maximum of 16 dots high and their width in dot columns is shown in Table 6-4.
Table 64. Super/subscript widths
dl dO + d1 + d2
Draft
Letter Quality
Proportlonal
(maximum)
7 12 23 23
(maximum)
36
42
I
I
Since super/subscript characters are smaller, they don’t require as much information when you define them. When you define super/subscript characters, you need only two bytes of data for each vertical row of dots. Design grids for these characters are shown in Figure 6-g on the following page.
Mixing print styles
Each of the three user-defined character modes (draft, Letter Quality and proportional) can be used in combination with most of the LQ-2500’s various print styles, such as emphasized and double-width, but not with italic or super/subscript.
Mixing the three types of user-defined characters is not permitted. If, for example, you select draft and define some characters, then select proportional and define some more, the first character definitions will be destroyed. Only one type of character definition may be stored in
RAM at any time.
Graphics
and
User-defined Characters
6-19
Page 95
If you define characters in one mode, such as draft, then switch to mother mode, such as Letter Quality, the command will be ignored and the
LQ
will print in the currently sekxted font. The user-defined
character definitions, however, remain unaffected. If you switch back to
the mode in which they were defined, you can then select and print
them.
Keep in mind that user-defined characters are stored in RAM, which is not permanent. Whenever the printer power is turned off, all of the user-defined character are lost. Also, your computer sometimes sends
an initialization (INfT) signal, which wipes out all userdefined characters. (Some computers do this each time BASIC is loaded.) However, if you’ve saved your userdefined program correctly you can reload the new characters any time you want.
Draft plca
Letter Quality
and Proportional
6-20
Graphics and User-defined Characters
Page 96
Appendix A
Command Summary
This appendix lists and describes all the commands available on the LQ-2500. This summary is divided by topics, but there is a list of the commands in numerical order beginning on page A-4. If you know which command you are looking for, consult this list to find the page number where it is described.
The Quick Reference Card at the end of the book contains a list of the commands divided by topic, with page number references that direct you to full explanations of the commands.
The commands described in this appendix are divided into the following subjects:
Printer operation Data control Vertical motion Horizontal motion Overall printing style
l
Print enhancement Word processing Character
tables
User-defined characters Graphics
Print size and character width
Each command has a Format section and a Comments section. The format section gives the ASCII, decimal, and hexadecimal codes for the command. The comments section describes the effect of the command and gives any additional information necessary for using it.
The format section includes:
ASCII code:
Decimal:
the sequence in standard ASCII characters the sequence in decimal numbers
Hexadecimal: the sequence in hexadecimal numbers
Command Summary
A-1
Page 97
All three formats are equivalent, so you can pick the one best suited
to
your
purpose. For instance, a BASIC programmer might refer to the first and second formats, a word processor might use the second, and a machine code programmer would use the third format. Variables are represented by italicized letters such as n,
nl, m.
The variables are
explained in the comments section.
Note
Some application programs make use of control key sequences. See the
Control key chart on page A-3 of this appendix.
For the following commands that use only 0 or 1 for the variable,
either the ASCII codes 0 and 1 or the ASCII characters 0 and 1 can be
used:
Esc s, Esc u, Esc x, Esc p, ESC w, ESC s, ESc -, ESC %, ESC t, and ESC w
For example, in BASIC you can turn on double-width with either of these statements:
LPRINT CHR$(27);“W”;CHRS(l)-ASCII Code LPRINT CHR$(27);‘W”;‘l “-ASCII Character
These
correspond to:
ESC W SOH or EXW 1
Examples
The simplest type of command consists of sending a single character to the printer. For instance, to print in condensed mode, you would send the code 15. The code format is:
ASCII code: SI
Decimal:
15
Hexadecimal: OF
A-2
Command Summary
Page 98
More complex commands consist of two or more character codes. For
example, to print in proportional mode the code format is:
ASCII code:
ESC p n Decimal: 27 112 n Hexadecimal: 1B 70 n
In this case n can be either 1 or 0, to begin or end proportional printing.
To turn ON proportional printing from BASIC the command would be:
LPRINT CHR%(27);CHR$( 112);CHR$( 1)
Control key chart
Some application programs can use control key codes for decimal
values O-27. The table below gives you the proper values. The Control
Key column indicates that you press the control key at the same time you press the key for the letter or symbol in that column. For example, you press the control key and A at the same time to send the value 1.
Some programs that use this system cannot use control-@, and many
programs use the control keys for other purposes.
Dec. Hex. Cntl. Key Dec. Hex.
0 2
2 3
3 5 6 7
8
9
10
00 @ 02 B
02 B
03
03
0 05 06 07 08 09
OA 11 OB 12 13
oc
OD
C
C
D
E
F H
J K
L
M
1
14 OE N 16
10
16 10 P
17 11
17
18
19 13 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
1A
27
Cntl. Key
Q
11
12 14
15 U 16 17 18 19 Y
1B
W
0
S
T V X
Z
1
Command Summary
A-3
Page 99

Commands in Numerical Order

The following list shows control codes and ESCape sequences (with their decimal and hexadecimal values), and the page number where the complete command can be found.
ASCII BEL
BS
HT LF
VT
FF CR so SI
DC1
DC2
DC3
DC4 CAN
DEL
Esc so
Esc SI
ESC EM
Esc SP
Es !
ESC” EsC$ Esc % ESC& ESC*
Esc -
ESC/
ESC 0
ESC 2
ESC 3
ESc 4
ESC 5
ESC 6
Dec. Hex. Description
7
07
8
08 09
9 10 0A 11 0B 12 0c 13 0D 14 0E 15 0F 17 11 18 12 19 13
20 14 24 18
127 7F
14 0E 15 0F
25 19 32 20
21 35 23 36 24 37 25 38
26 42 2A
3D
45 47 2F 48 30
50 32 51 33 52 34 53 35 54 36
Beeper Backspace Tab Horizontally Line Feed Tab Vertically Form Feed Carriage Return Select Double-width Mode (one line) . , . . A-25 Selet Condensed Mode Select Printer Cancel Condensed Mode
Deselect Printer Cancel Double-width Mode (one line) Cancel Line
Delete Character Select Double-width Mode (one line) Select Condensed Mode Turn Auto Sheet Feeder Mode On/Off. Set Intercharacter Space
Master Select Cancel MSB Control Set Absolute Print Position Select User-defined Set Define User-defined Characters Select Graphics Mode Turn Underlining On/Off Select Vertical Tab Channel Select 1 /&inch Line Spacing Select l/6-inch Line Spacing Select n/180-inch Line Spacing Select Italic Mode
Cancel Italic Mode
Enable Printable Characters
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Page
A-1 1 A-18 A-20 A-14 A-1 6 A-12
A-12 A-24
A-7
A-25
A-8 A-26 A-12
A-8 A-25 A-25 A-10 A-30 A-22 A-1 1 A-19 A-32 A-32 A-34 A-29 A-1 7 A- 14
A-15 A-15 A-31 A-31 A-33
A-4
Command Summary
Page 100
ASCII
ESC7 Esc:
ESC < Esc =
E-SC>
ESC? ESC @
ESCA ESCB Escc Esc co ESC D EXE ESCF ESCG ESCH ESCJ ESCK ESCL ESCM ESCN Esc 0 ESCP
ESC Q
ESCR Esc S0 ESC Sl ESC T
Escu
Escw ESCY Escz
Esc \
ESC a
ESCb
Emi g
ESC k
Dec. Hex. Description
Enable Upper Control Codes
37
55
Copy ROM into RAM
3A
58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 67 43 68 44 69 45 70 46 71
72 74 4A 75 76
77 4D
78 79 80 50 81 82 83 83 53 84 85 55 87 89 90 92 97
98 103 107
Select Unidirectional Mode (one line)
3c
SetMSB to 0
3D
SetMSBto 1
3E
Reassign Graphics Mode
3F
Initialize Printer
40
Select n/60-inch Line Spacing
41
Set Vertical Tabs
42 43
Select Page Length in Lines Select Page Length in Inches Set Horizontal Tabs Select Emphasized Mode Cancel Emphasized Mode
47
Select Double-strike Mode Cancel Double-strike Mode
48
Perform n/180-inch tine Feed
4B
Select Singledensity Graphics Mode
4c
Select Double-density Graphics Mode Select 12 Pitch (Elite) Set Skip-over-perforation
4E 4F
Cancel Skip-over-perforation Select 10 Pitch (Pica)
51
Set Right Margin
52
Select an International Character Set
53
Select Superscript Mode Select Subscript Mode Cancel Superscript/Subscript
54
Turn Unidirectional Mode On/Off Turn Double-width Mode On/Off
57
Select High-speed Dbledensity Graphics . . A-34
59
Select Quadruple-density Graphics
5A
Set Relative Position
SC
Select Letter Quality Justification
61
Set Vertical Tabs in Channels
62
Select 15 Pitch
67
Select Typestyle Family
6B
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Page
A-33 A-32
A-9 A-10 A-11
A-35
A-i A-15 A-16 A-13 A-13 A-20 A-26 A-27 A-27 A-27 A-1 6 A-33 A-34 A-23 A-1 3 A-1 4 A-23 A-18 A-31 A-28 A-28
A-28
A-9
A-26 A-34
A-19 A-29 A-17 A-23 A-21
Command Summary
A-5 1
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