Epson LQ-2500 User Manual

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* 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

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

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

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

*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

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

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

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

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

*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

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

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

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

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

*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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Always return the lever to the normal position when you resume

printing on normal

paper.

Choosing and Loading Paper

3-9

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

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

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

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

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

4-5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 &.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

............................

........................

....................

.........................

......................

........................

....................

..............

.......................

.............

.....................

...

.......................

....................

....

..............

..............

......................

.................

...........

...............

........

................

.............

...........

..........

..........

........

...................

..................

...........

..

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

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

..........

................

......................

......................

.............

.....................

.........

....................

...........

..........

.................

.............

............

............

...........

........

....

................

.............

..........

................

...................

....

..............

...............

..........

.......

......

......

................

.......

..........

.....................

..............

....

...

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