Epson LQ-850X User Manual

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS

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

.

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

.

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver

.

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected

.

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will
invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which
exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the
user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this
equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused
interfaces.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Epson America, Inc., could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.

FOR CANADIAN USERS

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from
digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.

Le present appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numéiques de Classe B prescrites dans le réglement sur le
brouillage radioélectriques édicté par le Ministére des Communications du Canada.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying recording,
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Epson America, Inc. No patent
liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. While every
precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, Epson America, Inc. assumes no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages
resulting from the use of information contained herein.

Epson America, Inc. shall not be liable against any damages arising from the use of any
options other than those designated as Original Epson Products by Seiko Epson
Corporation.

Epson and Epson ESC/P are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation.
General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and

may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Copyright © 1990 by Epson America, Inc.

Torrance, California

ii

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1.

Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference.

2.

Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.

3.

Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not
use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for
cleaning the outside of the unit.

4.

Do not use this product near water.

5.

Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table.
The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.

6.

Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are
provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the
product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must
not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be
blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other
similar surface. This product should never be placed near or
over a radiator or heat register. This product should not be

placed in a built in installation unless proper ventilation is
provided.

7.

This product should be operated from the type of power source

indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of
power available, consult your dealer or local power company.

8.

This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug, a

plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into
a grounding type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are
unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician

to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the

grounding type plug.

9.

Do not locate this product where the cord will be walked on.

iii

10. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the
total of the ampere ratings on the products plugged into the
extension cord do not exceed the extension cord ampere rating.
Also, make sure that the total of all products plugged into the
wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.

11. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet
slots, as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out
parts that could result in a risk of fire or electric shock. Never
spill liquid of any kind on the product.

12. Except as specifically explained in the User’s Manual, do not
attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing
those covers that are marked “Do Not Remove” may expose you
to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing in
those compartments to service personnel.

13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to
qualified service personnel under the following conditions:

A. When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed.
B.

If liquid has been spilled into the product.

C.

If the product has been exposed to rain or water.

iv

D.

If the product does not operate normally when the operating
instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that
are covered by the operating instructions, since improper
adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will
often require extensive work by a qualified technician to
restore the product to normal operation.

E.

If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been
damaged.

F.

If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance,
indicating a need for service.

Contents

Introduction

Features
Options

About

Application Notes
Where to Get Help.

Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer.

Choosing a Place for the Printer
Assembling the Printer.
Testing the Printer.
Connecting the Printer to Your Computer
Setting Up Your Application Software

Chapter 2 Paper Handling

Using Single Sheets
Using Continuous Paper

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Printing on Special Paper.

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This Manual

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1

1
2

4
6
6

1-1

1-2.

1-8
1-10
1-18
1-30
1-34

2-1
2-2

2-6
2-16
2-25

Chapter 3 Using the Printer

Operating the Control Panel
Selecting Typestyles

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

Setting the DIP Switches.
Page Length

Skip Over Perforation

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

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

Adjusting the Loading Position.

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

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

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3-1
3-2

3-6
3-12

3-18

3-19

3-21

V

Using Short Tear-off

Selecting an International Character Set
Choosing a Character Set
Using the Data Dump Mode

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

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

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

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

3-24
3-28
3-30
3-32

Chapter 4 Software and Graphics

Enhancing Your Printing

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

Graphics.. ........................................

User-defined Characters.

Chapter 5 Using the Printer Options

The Cut Sheet Feeder
The Pull Tractor

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

The Interface Boards

Chapter 6 Maintenance

Cleaning the Printer
Replacing the Ribbon
Transporting the Printer.

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting

Problems and Solutions
Power Supply.
Printing

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

Paper Handling

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Options.. .........................................

4-1

4-2
4-10
4-22

5-1
5-2

5-28
5-41

6-1
6-2

6-4
6-9

7-1
7-2

7-4
7-5
7-16
7-27

Chapter 8 Technical Specifications

Printer Specifications
Interface Specifications
Option Specifications

Initialization

vi

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

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

8-1
8-2

8-10
8-15

8-17

Chapter 9 Command Summary

Using the Command Summary.

Commands in Numerical Order
Commands Arranged by Topic.

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

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

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

9-1
9-2

9-5
9-8

Appendix

Proportional Width Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Character Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Glossary

Index

A-1
A-2

A-6

vii

Introduction

The Epson® LQ-850 and LQ-1050 are advanced 24-pin impact dot
matrix printers, combining high performance and reliability with a
wide range of features.

Features
In addition to the high-quality printing and ease of operation you

have come to expect from Epson printers, the LQ-850 and LQ-1050
offer the following features:

•

Easy paper handling, featuring automatic single-sheet loading.

•

Compatibility with
the LQ-500, LQ-510, LQ-800, LQ-1000, LQ-1500, LQ-2500, and
LQ-2550.

•

Fast draft printing of up to 300 characters per second at 10
characters per inch (cpi) in Super Draft mode, and 295
characters per second at 12 cpi or 246 characters per second at
10 cpi in normal draft mode.

•

An improved control panel design that allows direct selection of
many of the printer’s main features including character fonts
and character spacing, as well as a choice of normal or
condensed printing.

•

The SmartPark™ paper handling system that lets you use single
sheets of paper without removing the continuous paper,
eliminates paper waste with short tear-off, and allows easy and
accurate paper

•

Nine built-in Letter Quality fonts for producing high-quality
documents:

Epson Roman, Epson Sans Serif, Epson Courier,
Epson Prestige, OCR-B, OCR-A, Epson Script,

Epson Orator, Epson Orator-S.

the

Epson ESC/P® commands used by

alignment.

•

A 360 x 360 dot per inch graphics mode.

Introduction 1

•

A micro-adjustment feature that allows you to feed the paper
forward or backward in 1/180-inch increments to finely adjust
the loading and short tear-off positions.

•

An auto-load feature lets you load a single sheet of paper
automatically when not using the optional cut sheet feeder.

•

The Epson Extended Graphics character table, 14 international
character sets, a legal symbol set, and an italic character table.

•

The ability to handle a wide range of paper types, including
envelopes and labels.

Options
A variety of printer options is available for use with your printer.

For detailed information on using these options, see Chapter 5.
To locate or purchase options or supplies, call Epson Accessories,

Inc. at 1800-873-7766.

l

Single-bin and Double-bin Cut Sheet Feeders
(#7339/#7340/#7346/#7348)

The cut sheet feeders make it possible to handle single-sheet

paper and envelopes more easily and more efficiently. Up to
150 sheets of standard bond paper can be automatically fed
into the printer without reloading.

Introduction

2

l

Pull Tractor Unit (#7311/#7312)

This option improves the performance of continuous paper
handling. It is especially useful with continuous multi-part forms.

l

Film Ribbon Cartridge (#7768/#7770)

The optional film ribbon cartridge provides you with even
higher quality printing than the standard fabric ribbon.

Introduction 3

l Interface Boards

Optional interface boards are available to supplement the
printer’s built-in parallel and serial interfaces. Guidelines for

choosing the right interface and instructions on installing the

boards are given in Chapter 5.

About This Manual

This user’s manual provides fully illustrated, step-by-step
instructions on setting up and operating your Epson printer.

Finding your way around

l

Chapter 1 contains information on unpacking, setting up,
testing, and connecting the printer. Be sure to read and follow
these instructions first. Inside the back flap of this manual are
illustrations of the printer in which all of the major parts are
identified.

l

Chapters 2 and 3 cover paper handling and general printer
operation. This important information is necessary for the day­today operation of your printer.

4

Introduction

•

Chapter 4 shows you how to get the most from your printer. It
includes advice on the use of software commands and graphics,
and creating your own user-defined characters. See Chapter 9
for a useful summary of printer commands.

•

If the printer does not operate properly or the printed results are
not what you expect, see Chapter 7 for troubleshooting
instructions.

•

Other chapters and the appendix contain information on printer
options, general maintenance, and specifications. You will also
find a glossary of printer terms.

•

At the back of this manual is a handy Quick Reference card that
contains the information you are most likely to need.

Note: The LQ-850 and LQ-1050 are basically the same printer
except for their widths. Therefore, the illustrations in this guide
show only the LQ-1050.

Conventions used in this manual

WARNINGS must be followed carefully to avoid damage
to your printer and computer.

CAUTIONS should be followed carefully to ensure that
your printer operates correctly.

Notes contain important information and useful tips on the
operation of your printer.

Introduction 5

Where to Get Help

A network of authorized Epson dealers and Customer Care
Centers throughout the United States offers customer support and

service for Epson products. Epson America provides product
information and support to its dealers and Customer Care
Centers.

Therefore, we ask that you contact the business where you

purchased your Epson product to request assistance. If the people

there do not have the answer to your question, they can obtain it

through our dealer support program.

Epson is confident that this policy will provide you with the
assistance you need. Call the Epson Consumer Information Center

at 1213-782-2600 for the following:

l

The location of the nearest Epson dealer.

l

The location of the nearest Customer Care Center.

To locate or purchase accessories or supplies, contact your Epson

dealer.

Introduction

6

Chapter 1

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer.

Checking the Parts.

Removing the Protective Materials.

Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Assembling the Printer.

Installing the Platen Knob

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge.

Attaching the Paper Guide.
Testing the Printer.

Plugging in the Printer

Running the Self Test

Solving Any Self Test Problems

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

The Parallel Interface

The Serial Interface
Setting Up Your Application Software

Choosing From a Menu

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1-2
1-2
1-3

1-8
1-10

1-10
1-11
1-15

1-18
1-18
1-19
1-27

1-30
1-31
1-32

1-34
1-34

Setting Up the Printer

1-1

Unpacking the Printer

Checking the Parts

When you unpack the printer, make sure that you have all the parts
shown below and that none have been damaged.

Cross-head screwdriver

1-2

Setting Up the Printer

After removing the parts, save the packing materials in case you

ever need to transport your printer.

The ribbon cartridge that comes with the LQ-850 is #7753; #7754

comes with the LQ-1050.

Removing the Protective Materials

The printer is protected during shipping by two locking brackets,

two locking tabs, and a print head protector. These protective items
must be removed before you turn on the printer. After removing
these items, store them with the other packing material in case you
ever need to transport your printer.

1.

Remove the printer cover unit, which includes the printer cover
and the paper guide cover.

Setting Up the Printer

1-3

2.

Remove any pieces of white packing material you find inside the
printer.

3.

Remove the print head protector.

4.

Use the cross-head screwdriver that came with the printer to

remove the two red screws.

1-4

Setting Up the Printer

5.

Slide the print head to the middle of the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

15

Remove the left and right locking tabs.

6.

Attach the printer cover unit.

7.

1-6

Setting Up the Printer

8.

Close the paper guide cover.

WARNING: Be sure to remove all protective materials
before you turn on the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

1-7

Choosing a Place for the Printer

There are several important things to consider when selecting a
place to set up your printer. Keep the following in mind:

•

Place the printer on a flat, hard, stable surface. A soft surface,
such as a padded counter or carpeted area, will block the
ventilation slots and may cause overheating.

•

Place the printer close enough to the computer for the printer
cable to reach.

•

Leave adequate room around the printer to allow for easy
printer operation and maintenance, and for unrestricted flow of
air around the printer.

•

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

•

Avoid locations that are subject to direct sunlight, excessive
heat, moisture, or dust.

•

Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or automatic
timers. Accidental interruption of power can wipe out
information in both your computer’s memory and in your
printer's memory.

•

Avoid using outlets that share a circuit with large motors or
electrical appliances; this could cause fluctuations in line
voltage.

•

Keep the entire computer system away from potential sources of
electromagnetic interference such as loudspeakers or the base
units of cordless telephones.

1-8

Setting Up the Printer

The illustration below shows a good printer arrangement.

Note: Before using a printer stand, read these requirements and
suggestions.

l

The stand should be able to support at least twice the weight of
the printer.

l

Never use a stand that supports the printer at an angle of
more than 15 degrees from horizontal.

l

With a cut sheet feeder, your printer must be kept level.

l

If your paper supply is positioned below the printer stand,
make sure there is enough clearance to keep the paper from
catching on the underside of the stand. Also, make sure the
distance between the stand supports is wide enough for the
paper you are using.

l

Position your printer’s cables so that they do not interfere with

paper feeding. If possible, secure the cables to the printer stand.

Setting Up the Printer

1-9

Assembling the Printer

After you’ve decided on the best place to set up your printer, the
next step is to install the platen knob.

Installing the Platen Knob
You use the platen knob to feed the paper manually in the event of a

paper jam or other paper feeding problem. The platen knob is packed
in an indentation in the printer’s white foam packing material.

1.

Insert the platen knob into the hole on the printer’s side and
rotate it slowly until it slips onto the shaft.

1-10

Setting Up the Printer

2.

Push firmly on the platen knob until it fits against the printer case.

CAUTION: Do not use the platen knob to adjust the
position of the paper. This interferes with the automatic
paper loading system and may cause a paper jam.

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge

Your printer’s ribbon cartridges are designed for easy installation
and removal. You install. the standard ribbon cartridge and the

optional film ribbon cartridge in the same way. A standard ribbon
cartridge comes with your printer.

Install the ribbon cartridge as follows:

1.

Make sure the printer is turned off.

2.

Remove the printer cover unit.

Setting Up the Printer

1-11

3.

Slide the print head to the middle of the printer.

CAUTION: Never move the print head while the printer is
turned on because this can damage the printer. Also, if
you have been using the printer, the print head may be
hot; let it cool for a few minutes before touching it.

4.

Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow.
This removes slack in the ribbon and makes it easier to install.

1-12

Setting Up the Printer

5.

Hold the ribbon cartridge by its black, fin-like handles with the
exposed ribbon away from you. (The LQ-850 ribbon cartridge
has only one handle.) Push the cartridge firmly into position,
making sure the plastic hooks fit into the slots inside the printer.

Note: Press lightly on both ends of the cartridge to make sure
the plastic hooks are properly seated.

Setting Up the Printer

1-13

6.

Use a pointed object, such as a ballpoint pen, to guide the ribbon
between the print head and ribbon guide while you turn the

ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place.

7.

Slide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves
smoothly. Also check that the ribbon is not twisted or creased.

Make sure the paper thickness lever on the left is set to
position 2. See The Paper Thickness Lever in Chapter 2 if you
are printing on special paper.

1-14

Setting Up the Printer

CAUTION: Film ribbon cartridges must be used and
stored within the following temperature ranges:

Operation: 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C)
Storage: -22°F to 104°F (-30°C to 40°C)
Storing and using a film ribbon at high temperatures

shortens the ribbon’s life expectancy, which is normally
200,000 characters (#7768) or 300,000 characters (#7770). If
you continue to use the ribbon beyond its life expectancy,
printing suddenly becomes faint and the ribbon may snap.

Attaching the Paper Guide

When you use single sheets, the paper guide helps to feed the paper
smoothly and efficiently into the printer. Attach the paper guide
using the following procedure.

1.

Place the paper guide on the printer as shown below. Make sure
the back edge of the guide is even with the back of the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

1-15

2.

Raise the paper guide until it locks into place.

Note: To lower the paper guide, lift up slightly to release it from
its locked position; then gently lower it down onto the printer.

1-16

Setting Up the Printer

Attach the printer cover by fitting the hooks on the cover into

3.

the notches at the front of the printer and tilting the cover back

into place.

4. Close the paper guide cover.

Setting Up the Printer

1-17

Testing the Printer

Now that your printer is fully assembled, you can use its built-in
self test function to see that the printer is working correctly before
you connect it to a computer. You should perform this test to make
sure that your printer was not damaged during shipping and that

the ribbon is correctly installed.
Before running the self test, you need to connect the printer to an

electrical outlet and load a sheet of paper.

Plugging in the Printer

1.

Make sure that the printer is turned off.

2.

Plug the power cable into a properly grounded electrical outlet.

1-18 Setting Up the Printer

Running the Self Test

The self test prints out the settings of the printers DIP switches and

the characters in the printer’s memory. The test can be run in either
SuperDraft, normal draft, or Letter Quality (LQ) mode.

You select the draft mode or Letter Quality mode, depending on

which button you hold down as you turn on the printer. You choose
between the SuperDraft and the normal draft mode by changing
your printer’s DIP switch settings. Your printers default setting is
SuperDraft mode. To run the test in normal draft mode, see Setting
the DIP Switches in Chapter 3 before following the steps below.

The self test is 8 inches wide on the LQ-850 and 14 inches wide on
the LQ-1050.

CAUTION: Never run the self test using paper that is
narrower than 8.27 inches (210 mm) on the LQ-850 or
14 inches (360 mm) on the LQ-1050. This prevents the
print head from printing directly onto the platen, which
can damage the print head.

Although the self test can be run with continuous paper, use single­sheet paper now because single-sheet loading is easier. Be sure to

use paper that is wide enough for the self test to print. If you need to

load continuous paper to print the self test, see Loading Continuous
Paper in Chapter 3.

1.

Make sure the printer is turned off.

Setting Up the Printer

1-19

2.

Push the paper release lever back to the single-sheet position.

3.

While holding down the

FORM FEED

button (Letter Quality mode), turn on the printer.

The printer beeps several times and the

LINE FEED

button (draft mode) or

POWER

and

PAPER OUT

lights come on.

1-20

Setting Up the Printer

4.

Move the left edge guide to the right or left until it rests against

the triangular guide mark on the paper guide

5.

Adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

Setting Up the Printer 1-21

6.

Next, slide a sheet of paper down between the edge guides until
it meets resistance. After about two seconds, the printer loads
the paper automatically and then starts the self test.

A list of DIP switch settings is printed first, followed by a series
of characters. The self test continues until the paper runs out or
until you press the

ON LINE

button.

1-22 Setting Up the Printer

7.

When you wish to stop the test, press the

ON LINE

button.

If the test results are not satisfactory, see Solving Any Self Test
Problems later in this chapter for possible causes and solutions.

Note: To resume the test, press the

ON LINE

Setting Up the Printer

button once more.

1-23

8.

To end the self test, press the

FORM FEED

button to eject any

paper that is still loaded. Then turn off the printer.

WARNING: After turning the power off, always wait at
least five seconds before turning it back on. Turning the
power on and off rapidly can damage the printer.

1-24

Setting Up the Printer

Here are parts of typical self tests.

Normal draft mode

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-.
bcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./
cdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0
defghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./01
efghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./012
fghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123
ghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./01234
hijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./012345
ijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~
jklmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~
klmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~
lmnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789
mnopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:
nopqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;
opqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<
pqrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=
qrstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>
rstuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?
stuvwxyz{¦}~!
tuvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@A
uvwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@AB
vwxyz{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABC
wxyz{¦}~!
xyz{¦}~!

yz{¦}~!”
z{¦}~!

{¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGH
¦}~!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHI

”#$%&’()*+,-

”#$%&’()*+,-

#$%&’()*+-,-

”#$%&’()*+,-

”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@

!”#$%&’()*+,-./0123456

!”#$%&’()*+,-./01234567

!”#$%&’()*+,-./012345678

./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCD

./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDE

./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEF

./0123456789:

;<=>?@ABCDEFG

Setting Up the Printer

1-25

SuperDraft mode

!”#$%,&.’()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLM

!"#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789

"#$%&’()*+,-./0123456789:

#$%&’()*+,-

$%&’()*+,-.

%&’()*+,-./0123456789:;
&’()*+,-./0123456789:;

’()*+,-./0123456789 :;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST

( ) *+,-.
)*+,-./0123456789:; <=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV

*+,-.

+,-./0123456789- -<=>?ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX

/0123456789:;

/0123456789: ;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW

./0123456789

/0123456789:;

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU

:;<=>?@ARCDEFGHIJKLMN

;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO

:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS

Letter Quality mode

!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLM

!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789

"#$%&'()*+,

-./0123456789: ;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO

:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMN

#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;(=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP
$%&'()*+,­%&'()*+,­&'()*+,- ./0123456789:;

'()*+,-

()*+,-

)*+,-.

*+,-.
+.-.

/0123456789:; <=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV

/0123456789:

/0123456789:;

./0123456789:;

./0123456789:;

./0123456789:

./0123456789:;

;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS

;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST

<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU

Note: When using the optional cut sheet feeder, the first page of
the self test printout is slightly different. For details, see The Cut
Sheet Feeder in Chapter 5.

1-26

Setting Up the Printer

Solving Any Self Test Problems

If the self test does not print properly, check the control panel and
the print head area. If paper is jammed, turn off the printer. Then
remove the paper using the platen knob and load a new sheet. See
that all packing material and shipping restraints have been removed
from inside the printer. (You can also see Chapter 7 for further
information.)

Problem Solution

The printer does not
print.

The printer sounds like
it is printing, but
nothing is printed.

The test did not print.

The ribbon may not be installed properly.
Turn off the printer, reinstall the ribbon
cartridge, and then tighten the ribbon by
turning the ribbon-tightening knob. Make
sure the ribbon passes between the print
head and ribbon guide.

The ribbon may be worn. Replace the
ribbon cartridge. See Replacing the
Ribbon in Chapter 6.

Turn off the printer and repeat the self
test. Make sure you hold down the

FORM FEED

or

LINE FEED

button the entire

time you are turning on the printer.
Turn off the printer and disconnect the

cable from the host computer. Try

the

self

test again.
If the printer still does not print the self

test correctly, contact your Epson dealer
or Epson authorized service center.

Setting Up the Printer

1-27

Problem

The print is faint or
uneven.

Solution

Printed characters

have part missing
the bottom as shown
here.

at

ABCD

The printout is faint.

Dots are missing in
the printed
characters or

graphics.

The ribbon cartridge may not be properly
installed. Remove the ribbon cartridge
and reinstall it; make sure the cartridge
hooks are inserted securely into the
printer.

The ribbon may be worn out. A worn
ribbon can damage the print head and
should be replaced. Install a new ribbon

cartridge as soon as possible. See
Replacing the Ribbon in Chapter 6.

The paper thickness lever may not be set

correctly for the paper you are using. Set
the paper thickness lever to match the
thickness of your paper. See The Paper

Thickness Lever in Chapter 2.

A line of dots is missing
in the printout.

1-28

Setting Up the Printer

The print head is damaged. Stop printing
and contact your Epson dealer to have the
print head replaced.

Problem

Dots are missing in

the printed

characters or

graphics.

(continued)

Solution

Dots are missing in
random positions.

There is either too much slack in the
ribbon or the ribbon has come loose and
caught on something. Stop printing, turn
off the printer, and reinstall the ribbon
cartridge.

If the printer still does not print the self test correctly, contact your
Epson dealer.

Setting Up the Printer

1-29

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer

Your printer has two separate interface connections: a parallel

interface and an RS-232C compatible serial interface. If you are not
sure which one is required by your computer, check your computer
manual for this information.

If you have a suitable shielded cable, you should be able to connect
to most computers immediately. If you have one of the few
computers that require a different type of interface, you need to
install an optional interface board. See The Interface Boards in
Chapter 5.

The parallel interface is the printer’s default setting. If you need to
use the built-in serial interface, be sure to change the DIP switch
setting as shown in Chapter 3.

WARNING: Do not plug more than one interface cable into
the printer at one time. This may damage the printer.

1-30

Setting Up the Printer

The Parallel Interface

Connect the parallel interface cable as described below:

1.

Make sure that both your printer and computer are turned off.

2.

Plug the cable connector securely into the printer.

3.

Squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on either
side of the connector.

Note: If you do not lock these clips into place, your printed

results may be incorrect.

Setting Up the Printer

1-31

4.

If your cable has a ground wire, connect it to the ground screw

beneath the interface connector.

5.

Plug the other end of the cable into the computer. If there is a
ground wire at the computer end of the cable, attach it to the
ground connector at the back of the computer.

The Serial Interface

Connect the serial interface cable as described below:

1.

Make sure both your printer and computer are turned off.

1-32

Setting Up the Printer

2.

Plug the connector securely into the printer.

WARNING: Do not plug more than one interface cable into
the printer at once. This may damage the printer.

3.

Plug the other end of the cable into the computer.

Setting Up the Printer

1-33

Setting Up Your Application Software

Now that you have set up and tested the printer, you should make
sure that it works with your application programs.

Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you

are using so that the program can take full advantage of the
printer’s features. Many of these programs provide an installation or

setup menu that presents a list of printers to choose from.

If your application program has a printer selection menu, use the

instructions below.

Choosing From a Menu

Because the family of Epson printers shares a great many
commands, you can use an application program even if it does not
list the LQ-850 or LQ-1050 on its printer selection menu. If the
printer is not listed, choose one of the following printers. They are
listed in order of preference.

LQ-800 (LQ-1000)
LQ-510/LQ-500
LQ-1500

If none of these printers is listed, select the first one available on the
following list: LQ, EX, FX, LX, RX, MX, Epson printer, Standard
printer, Draft printer.

To use all of the features of the printer, however, it is best to use a
program with the LQ-850 or LQ-1050 on its menu. If your program
does not list the printer, contact the software manufacturer to see if
an update is available that supports your model.

1-34

Setting Up the Printer

Chapter 2

Paper Handling

Using Single Sheets

Loading Paper
Reloading During Printing

Using Continuous Paper

Positioning Your Continuous Paper Supply.
Loading Continuous Paper

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Switching to Single Sheets
Switching Back to Continuous Paper.

Printing on Special Paper.

The Paper Thickness Lever
Multi-part Forms
Labels
Envelopes

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

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

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

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

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

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

.........

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

......

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

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

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

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

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

2-2
2-2
2-5

2-6
2-6
2-7

2-16
2-16
2-21

2-25

2-25
2-29
2-30
2-32

Paper Handling 2-1

Using Single Sheets

Your printer can accommodate single sheets up to a maximum
width of 10.1 inches (257 mm) on the LQ-850 and 14.3 inches

(364 mm) on the LQ-1050.

If you do most of your printing on single sheets, you may find it
more convenient to install the optional cut sheet feeder. This option
automatically inserts a new sheet and can hold up to 150 pages. For
more details, see Chapter 5.

Loading Paper

1.

Make sure the printer is turned off.

2.

Push the paper release lever back to the single-sheet position.
This position is marked by the icon shown below.

Note: For normal use, the paper thickness lever is set to position

2. See The Paper Thickness Lever later in this chapter if you are
printing on special paper.

2-2

Paper Handling

3. Turn on the printer. The

POWER

and

PAPER OUT lights come on.

Note: Do not insert paper in the printer before turning on the printer.

4.

Move the left edge guide until it rests against the guide mark.
(You may want to change this position later, depending on

the

margin settings of your application program.)

Paper Handling 2-3

5.

Adjust

6.

Slide the paper down between the edge guides until it meets

resistance and the

the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

PAPER OUT

light goes off. After about two

seconds, the printer loads the paper automatically, and is set

ON LINE

so that it can accept data from your computer.

to

2-4

Paper Handling

WARNING: Never advance the paper using the platen
knob except in the case of a paper jam or other paper feed
problem. Using the platen knob while the printer is on
may damage the printer and affect the loading and short
tear-off positions.

Note: If the platen turns without loading the paper, press the

ON LINE

button to take the printer off line and completely remove

the paper. Then re-insert the paper more firmly.

If you need to adjust the position of the paper after it is loaded, use
the micro-adjustment feature described in Adjusting the Loading
Position in Chapter 3.

To eject the paper, press the
line; then press the

LOAD/EJECT

ON LINE

button.

button to take the printer off

You are now ready to begin printing.

Reloading During Printing

When you print a document of more than one page using single­sheet paper, the printer stops printing when it reaches the bottom of
the page. When this happens, the

ON LINE

light either goes off
automatically or remains on, depending on your application
program software. If the
do

is

press the

Once the

ON LINE

ON LINE

printed (if necessary, press the

ON LINE

light remains on, the first thing you

button to take the printer off line.

light is off, remove the sheet that has just been

FORM FEED

button to eject the page).
Then load a new sheet to start printing the next page and follow any
additional prompts from your software.

Paper Handling 2-5

Using Continuous Paper

The tractor built into your printer is remarkably easy to load and
operate. Its low-profile design takes up little space and can handle
paper up to 10.0 inches or 254 mm wide on the LQ-850 and up to

16.0 inches or 406 mm wide on the LQ-1050.

Positioning Your Continuous Paper Supply

An important consideration for achieving smooth and trouble-free
paper feeding is the position of your paper supply.

Three ways of positioning your printer and continuous paper
supply are shown below.

2-6

Paper Handling

Be sure to align the paper supply with the paper loaded in the
tractor so that the paper feeds smoothly into the printer.

Loading Continuous Paper

1.

Be sure that the printer is turned off.

2.

Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper
position. This position is marked by the icon shown in the
illustration below.

Paper Handling 2-7

3.

Open the paper guide cover and remove the paper guide.

4.

Attach the paper rest.

2-8

Paper Handling

5.

Release the sprocket units by pulling the sprocket lock levers

forward as shown below.

6.

Slide the left sprocket unit all the way to the left and press the
lever back to lock it in place.

Paper Handling 2-9

Note: The first printable column position is indicated by the mark
shown in the illustration below.

7.

Slide the right sprocket unit so that it roughly matches the width
of your paper, but do not lock it.

2-10

Paper Handling

8.

Move the paper support midway between the two sprocket
units.

9.

Open both sprocket covers.

CAUTION: Make sure that the first sheet of paper has a

clean, straight edge before inserting it into the printer.

Paper Handling

2-11

10. Fit the first four holes in the paper over the pins of both
sprockets.

11. Close the sprocket covers.

2-12

Paper Handling

12. Slide the right sprocket unit to a position where the paper is
straight and has no wrinkles. Then lock it in place.

13. Reattach the paper guide on top of the paper as shown below.

Then slide the edge guides together so that they meet at about
the middle of the paper’s width.

CAUTION: When using continuous paper, always make

sure that the paper edge guides are pushed together in the

middle of the paper guide.

Paper Handling

2-13

Note: For normal use, the paper thickness lever is set to position

2. If you are using special paper, see The Paper Thickness Lever
later in this chapter for details.

14. Close the paper guide cover and turn on the printer.

15.

Press the

LOAD/EJECT

button to feed paper to the loading

position.

2-14

Paper Handling

16.

Press the

ON LINE

button to set the printer on line so that it can

accept data.

The printer remembers the loading position and advances each page
to the same position. If you need to adjust the loading position, use
the micro-adjustment feature. See Adjusting the Loading Position in
Chapter 3.

CAUTION: Never adjust the loading position using the
platen knob and never turn the platen knob while the
printer is turned on.

When using continuous paper, you can choose the short tear-off
feature to give you added paper handling capabilities. This feature
makes it easier to detach printed pages and saves the blank pages
that are usually lost between printing jobs. See Using Short Tear-off
in Chapter 3 for details.

Paper Handling

2-15

Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets

Even with continuous paper loaded in the printer, the SmartPark
feature allows you to easily switch to single-sheet printing without
removing the continuous paper from the tractor.

Switching to Single Sheets

To switch from continuous paper to single sheets, follow the steps
below.

1.

If the printer is on line, press the
off line. Open the paper guide cover.

ON LINE

button to set the printer

2-16

Paper Handling

2.

Tear off any outgoing sheets. If the paper has advanced past the
print head, you need

to

press the

FORM FEED

button to advance

your document to a point where it can be easily removed.

CAUTION: Make sure you tear off your printed document
before pressing the

LOAD/EJECT

button. Reverse-feeding
several pages at a time may result in a paper jam. This is
especially true for narrow paper (less than 6 inches or

152.4 mm wide).

Paper Handling

2-17

3.

Press the

LOAD/EJECT

button to feed the continuous paper

backward out of the printer and into the standby position. The

paper is still attached to the tractor but no longer in the paper
path. The

PAPER OUT

light comes on when the paper is

completely out of the paper path.

2-18

CAUTION: Pressing the

LOAD/EJECT

button once may not
feed the paper far back enough to reach the standby
position.
the

continuous paper, you can press the

If the PAPER OUT

LOAD/EJECT

button again. With normal-width

light does not

come on,

LOAD/EJECT

press

button up

to three times. If, however, you are using narrow paper

(between 4 and 6 inches or 101.6 and 152.4 mm) you can

press the

LOAD/EJECT

button only once. Also, do not use

this button to eject labels.

WARNING: Never feed labels backward through the
printer. Labels can easily come off the backing sheet and
jam the printer.

Paper Handling

4. Push the paper release lever back to the Single-Sheet Position

5. Lift the paper guide until it locks into place.

Paper Handling 2-19

6. Move the left edge guide until it rests against the guide mark.

Adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

7. Close the paper guide cover.

2-20 Paper Handling

8.

Slide a
meets resistance and the

sheet

of paper down between the edge guides until it

PAPER OUT

light goes off. After about
two seconds, the printer loads the paper automatically and sets
itself

ON LINE.

Switching Back to Continuous Paper

It is also easy to switch back to printing with continuous paper.
Before switching to continuous paper, make sure that the single
sheet is ejected and the printer is off line.

Paper Handling

2-21

1.

Open the paper guide cover.

2.

Lift up slightly on the paper guide and then lower it onto the

back of the printer.

2-22

Paper Handling

3.

Slide the left and right edge guides together so that they meet at
about the middle of the continuous paper's width.

4.

Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper

position, then close the paper guide cover.

Paper Handling

2-23

5.

Press the

loading position. Then, press the

LOAD/EJECT

button to feed the continuous paper to the

ON LINE

printer on line so that it can accept data.

button to set the

2-24

Paper Handling

Printing on Special Paper

In addition to printing on single sheets and continuous paper, your

printer can also print on a wide variety of paper types, including

multi-part forms, labels,, and envelopes.

If you are printing preprinted or multi-part forms or labels, it is
recommended that you use the optional pull tractor. See The Pull

Tractor in Chapter 5.

Before printing on special types of paper, you need to change the
paper thickness setting.

WARNING: When printing on multi-part forms, labels, or
envelopes, make sure that your application program
settings keep the printing entirely within the printable
area.

For multi-part forms and labels you should not print any
closer than one-half inch (38 mm) from either side of the
paper.

For information on the printable area for envelopes, see
Envelopes later in this chapter.

The Paper Thickness Lever

To accommodate various thicknesses of paper, the printer is
equipped with a paper thickness lever that can be set to eight
positions. These positions are identified by a scale on the printer

next

to the lever.

Paper Handling

2-25

Note: For normal use, set the paper thickness lever to position 2
on the scale.

If you have installed the optional film ribbon cartridge, and you

want

to use the single sheets or continuous paper, set the paper

thickness lever to position 1.

The following table gives you general guidelines for selecting the
right paper thickness lever position for the type of paper you are
using:

Paper type

Paper (single sheets or continuous

paper with film ribbon installed)

Thin paper

Paper (single sheets or continuous

paper with standard ribbon installed)
24 lb paper (single sheets)

Multi-part forms

2-sheet
3-sheet

4-sheet
Labels
Envelopes

Air mail

Plain

Bond (20 lb.)

Bond (24 lb.)

Lever position

1

2 or 1

2
3

3
4
5

4

4 or 5

6
6
7

Note: If the lever is set to position 4 or higher, the printing speed is reduced.

2-26

Paper Handling

To change the paper thickness setting, follow these steps.

1.

Make sure that the printer is turned off. Then remove the printer
cover.

WARNING: If the printer has just been in use, the print
head may be

hot.

Be careful not to touch it.

Paper Handling

2-27

2.

Select the paper thickness you want according to the table
below. For normal use, the lever should always be set to
position 2 on the scale.

3.

Reattach the printer cover unit.

2-28

Paper Handling

To help you check the position of the paper thickness lever, the
orange

MULTI-PART

light on the control panel comes on if the

lever is set to position 4 or higher.

WARNING: Always return the lever to position 2 when
you go back to printing on ordinary paper. Continuous
printing with the lever set at a position higher than 2 can
shorten the life of the print head.

Printing past the edge of envelopes, multi-part forms,
labels, or thicker-than-normal paper can damage the print
head.

Multi-part Forms

With the built-in tractor unit, your printer can print on continuous
multi-part forms. You can use multi-part forms that have up to four
parts including the original. Make sure you set the paper thickness
lever to the proper position.

Except for the paper thickness lever setting, you load multi-part
paper the same way as continuous paper. For details, see Loading
Continuous Paper in this chapter. Also see Adjusting the Loading
Position and Page Length in Chapter 3.

Paper Handling

2-29

When you set the paper thickness lever to position 4 or above, the

MULTI-PART

light comes on and the printer reduces its printing

speed.

CAUTION: Do not use multi-part forms with the single­sheet feeding system or the optional cut sheet feeder.

Labels

If you need to print labels, always use labels mounted on a
continuous backing sheet with sprocket holes for use with a tractor.
Do not try to print labels as single sheets because labels on a shiny
backing sheet almost always slip a little.

You load labels the same way that you load continuous paper
except that the paper thickness lever must be adjusted for printing
labels. See Loading Continuous Paper earlier in this chapter. For the
correct paper thickness setting, see The Paper Thickness Lever
earlier in this chapter.

WARNING: Never feed labels backward through the
printer. Labels can easily peel off the backing and jam the
printer. Therefore, never use the

LOAD/EJECT

button to
eject labels. Also, never use the short tear-off function with
labels. (Be sure to set DIP switch 2-7 to OFF.) If a label
does become stuck in the printer, contact your Epson
dealer.

2-30

Because labels are especially sensitive to temperature and
humidity, always use them under normal operating
conditions. Don’t leave labels loaded in the printer
between jobs; they curl around the platen and may jam
when you resume printing.

Paper Handling

To eject labels from the printer, follow these steps:

1.

Open the paper guide cover and remove the paper guide.

2.

Tear off the sheet of Labels at the perforation behind the push
tractor.

Paper Handling

2-31

3.

Press the

FORM FEED

ON LINE

button to set the printer off line. Then press the

button to eject the labels.

Envelopes

You can feed envelopes individually using the single-sheet loading

feature. Before loading envelopes, adjust the position of the paper
thickness lever according to the Paper Thickness Lever table earlier
in this chapter. For details on paper handling, see Using Single
Sheets earlier in this chapter. See Chapter 5 for a description of how
to use envelopes with the optional cut sheet feeder.

2-32

Paper Handling

When manually feeding an envelope, you may have to push it down
slightly to get it to feed properly. After about two seconds, the

envelope loads automatically.

CAUTION: The printable area for envelopes is shown on
the next page. The print head must not go past the left or
right edge of the envelope or other thick paper. Make sure
that your application program page setup keeps the
printing entirely within this printable area.

Always keep the longer side of the envelope horizontal.
If you use No. 6 envelopes, make sure the left edge guide

is aligned with the arrow on the paper guide.

Paper Handling

2-33

0.33 inch
(8.5 mm) or more

0.87 inch
(22 mm) or more

CAUTION: Envelope printing is available only at normal
temperature (41°F to 95°F or 5°C to 35°C).

To make sure that the printing fits within the printable area, always

print a test sample using a normal sheet of paper before printing on
envelopes.

2-34

Paper Handling

Chapter 3

Using the Printer

Operating the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Selecting Typestyles

Character Fonts
Character Spacing
Condensed Mode

Setting the DIP Switches.

Changing a DIP Switch Setting
The DIP Switch Tables

The DIP Switch Functions

Page Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Skip Over Perforation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Adjusting the Loading Position.

Using Micro-adjustment.

Using Short Tear-off

Adjusting the Tear-off Position.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3-2
3-6

3-6
3-10
3-11

3-12
3-12
3-13
3-16

3-18
3-19
3-21

3-22

3-24
3-26

Selecting an International Character Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Choosing a Character Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the Data Dump Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the Printer

3-28

3-30
3-32

3-1

Operating the Control Panel

The indicator lights give you the current status of the printer. The
buttons and paper handling functions let you control many of the
printer settings.

Lights

MULTI-PART

On when the paper thickness
lever is set to position 4 or
higher. (For regular paper, this
light should not be on.) When
this light is blinking, the micro­adjustment function can be
used.

POWER

On

when the

on and power is supplied.

READY

On when the printer is ready to
accept input data. Flickers
during printing.

PAPER OUT

On when the printer is out of
paper or when continuous
paper is in the standby position.

(orange)

(green)

(green)

(red)

POWER

switch is

3-2

Using the Printer

ON LINE

On when the printer is on line
and ready to accept data.

(green)

Buttons

ON LINE

This button controls the printer’s
on line and off line status. Press
this button to put the printer on
line or to take it off line. When the
printer is on line, the

ON LINE

light
is on and the printer can receive
and print data from the computer.

FORM FEED

When the printer is off line, press
this button to eject a single sheet
of paper or to advance continuous
paper to the top of the next page.

LINE FEED

When the printer is off line, press
this button to advance the paper
one line, or hold it down to
advance the paper continuously.

BIN 1/BIN 2

When the printer is on line,
press this button to select
either bin 1 or bin 2 of the
double-bin cut sheet feeder.
The beeper sounds once if
you select bin 1 and twice if

you select bin 2.

LOAD/EJECT

When the printer is off line, press
this button to feed paper to the
loading position or to eject paper
that is already loaded. Paper is
ejected forward if the paper
release lever is set to the single­sheet position and backward (out
of the paper path) if the release
lever is set to the continuous
paper position.

Using the Printer

3-3

SelecType

FONT

Press this button to select a font.
The orange indicator lights show
which font you select. See
Selecting Typestyles later in this
chapter for more information.

PITCH

Press this button to select the
character spacing. You can choose

10 CPI, 12 CPI, 15 CPI,

or

PS

(proportional spacing). The
orange indicator light shows the
spacing you select. You cannot
select proportional spacing with
draft mode. (Draft mode overrides
proportional spacing.)

CONDENSED

Press this button to turn the

condensed mode on and off. The
orange indicator light is on when
the printer is in the condensed
mode. In the condensed mode,
all characters are printed at
approximately 60 percent of their
normal width. You cannot select
condensed mode with a pitch of
15 cpi.

3-4

Using the Printer

Other Control Panel Features

The control panel of your printer also gives you access to several
special functions.

Self test: Draft, SuperDraft, and Letter Quality self test

functions are built into the printer. The self

test printout lets you check the current DIP
switch settings and operating status of the
printer. You can start the printer’s self test by
holding down the
mode) or the

LINE FEED

FORM FEED

button (for draft

button (for Letter
Quality mode) while turning on the printer.
See Running the Self Test in Chapter 1 for
more information.

Micro-adjustment:

By pressing the

FORM FEED

or

LINE FEED

button
immediately after loading paper or when
using short tear-off, you can make fine
adjustments to the loading and short tear-off
positions. These positions can only be adjusted

while

the

MULTI-PART

light is blinking. See
Adjusting the Loading Position and Using
Short Tear-off later in this chapter.

Data dump:

By holding down both the

FORM FEED

buttons while you switch on the

LINE FEED

and

printer, you turn on the data dump mode.
This feature allows advanced users to locate
the source of communications problems
between the computer and printer. See Using
the Data Dump Mode later in this chapter for
more information.

Input buffer control: To enable or disable the input buffer, press the

LOAD/EJECT

button while you turn on the
power. The beeper sounds once if the input
buffer is disabled and twice if it is enabled.

Using the Printer

3-5

Selecting Typestyles

You can produce a wide range of typestyles by selecting different

character fonts, widths, and other enhancements from the SelecType

control panel or by using software commands. This section describes
only the features controlled by SelecType. To use software

commands, see the Command S

You can use the SelecType section of the control panel to choose
fonts, character spacing, and condensed printing. Orange lights
indicate which features you have chosen.

Note: The settings you select using the SelecType panel remain
valid even after you turn off, reset, or initialize the printer.
However, commands from your application program temporarily
override the SelecType settings.

Some application programs are designed to control all typestyle
functions. These programs cancel all previous typestyle settings

by sending certain software commands before printing. Because

these commands override SelecType settings, you should use the

program’s print options instead of SelecType to select your

typestyles. If SelecType does not work with a particular

application, check your software manual for instructions on

selecting typestyles.

ummary in Chapter 9.

Character Fonts

The printer has ten built-in fonts: draft, Epson Roman, Epson Sans
Serif, Epson Courier, Epson Prestige, Epson Script, OCR-B, OCR-A,
Epson Orator, and Epson Orator-S.

You can select eight of the built-in fonts using SelecType. When you
press the
on the control panel.

3-6

FONT

Using the Printer

button, the printer scrolls through the built-in fonts

To select a font, press the

FONT

button until the corresponding
orange indicator light (or lights) come on. When the top light is on,
draft is selected. When

the

top two lights are on, Epson Roman is
selected. When only the second light is on, Epson Sans Serif is
selected. When the second and third lights are on, Epson Courier is
selected, and so on.

You can select the other two fonts, OCR-A and
Orator-S, only with software commands. See

ESC K in Chapter 9 for more information. When

you

select one of these fonts, the

OTHER

indicator

light is on.
There are two printing speeds for the draft font,

SuperDraft and normal draft. These printing
speeds are controlled by DIP switch 1-6.

The following samples show the character set
available for each font.

Draft (SuperDraft)

Draft (normal draft)

Using the Printer

3-7

Epson Roman

Epson Sans Serif

Epson Courier

Epson Prestige

Epson Script

3-8

Using the Printer

OCR-B

OCR-A

Note: The OCR-B and OCR-A fonts can be read by an optical

character reader (also known as a document reader or image scanner)

for input into another computer. Print enhancements, such as bold

and underlining, cannot be read by a character reader.

Epson Orator

Epson Orator-S

Using the Printer

3-9

The draft mode uses fewer dots per character for high-speed
printing, which makes it ideal for rough drafts and editing work.

Letter Quality fonts take a little longer to print, but produce nicely
formed characters suitable for most documentation requirements.

Character Spacing
To select character spacing, press the

PITCH

button until the indicator
light of the desired character spacing comes on. The table below
shows the character spacings available with each font.

Font
Draft

Epson Roman
Epson Sans Serif

Epson Courier

Epson Prestige
Epson Script
OCR-B
OCR-A

Epson Orator

Epson Orator-S

Character spacing

10, 12, 15

10, 12, 15, Proportional

10, 12, 15, Proportional

10, 12, 15

10, 12, 15
10, 12, 15

10

10

10

10

SuperDraft and normal draft fonts cannot be combined with
proportional spacing because draft overrides proportional.

For the fixed pitch settings (10,12, and 15 cpi), each character is
given an equal amount of space. For proportional spacing, character
width varies from one character to the next. For example, a narrow
letter like i receives less space than a wide letter like W.

3-10

Using the Printer

The following printout compares the three pitches with proportional
spacing.

This is 10 cpi printing.

This is 12 cpi printing.

This is 15 cpi printing.

This is proportional spacing.

Condensed Mode

You can use the condensed mode to change the size of printed

characters.

In the condensed mode, characters are approximately 60
percent of the width of normal characters. Hence, condensed
printing is very useful for spreadsheets and other applications where

you need to print the maximum amount of information on a page.
You can combine the condensed mode with 10 and 12 cpi printing

and proportional spacing, but not with 15 cpi.
To select the condensed mode, simply press the

CONDENSED

button
so that the orange indicator light comes on. To turn off the
condensed mode, press the button again.

The following printout compares normal 10 and 12 cpi with
condensed 10 and 12 cpi. The condensed 10 cpi is 17 cpi, and the
condensed 12 cpi is 20 cpi.

This is 10 cpi printing.

This is condensed 10 cpi

This is 12 cpi printing.

This is condensed 12 cpi printing,

printing.

Using the Printer

3-11

Setting the DIP Switches

The printer has two sets of DIP switches located on the back panel.
By changing the settings of these switches, you can control various
printer features, such as the character set and page length. The new
settings become effective when you turn on, reset, or initialize the
printer.

Changing a DIP Switch Setting

To change a DE’ switch setting, follow these steps:

1.

Turn off the printer.

2.

Locate the DIP switches on the back of the printer.

3.

Use a pointed object, such as a pen, to change the DIP switch
settings. A DIP switch is on when it is up, and off when it is
down.

The new DIP switch settings take effect when you turn the printer on.

3-12

Using the Printer

The DIP Switch Tables

The tables below describe the DIP switch settings.

DIP Switch 1

SW

Description

1-1

International character set/

1-2

Graphics character set

1-3
1-4

Character set

1-5

Print direction for graphics

SuperDraft

1-6

1-7

Cut sheet feeder mode

1-8

Skip over perforation

DIP Switch 2

SW Description

2-1

Page length selection

2-2

2-3

Interface type/parity

2-4
2-5

Baud rate

2-8
2-7 Short tear-off mode
2-8 Auto line feed

On

See tables 1, 4

Graphics

Unidir.

Off
On
On

On Off

See table 5

See table

See table

On
On Off

Off

Italics

Bidir.

On

Off

Off

2

3

Off

Using the Printer

3-13

Table 1 International character sets

Country

USA

France

Germany

UK

Denmark I

Sweden

Italy

Spain

SW 1-1

On
On
On

On
Off

Off

Off

Off

SW 1-2

On

On

Off
Off

On

On

Off

Off

SW 1-3

On
Off
On

Off
On
Off

On

Off

SW 1-4

Off

Off
Off
Off
Off
Off

Off

Off

See Selecting an International Character Set later in this chapter for
other character sets.

International character sets are selectable only when DIP switch 14
is off.

Table 2 Interface/parity selection

Interface type Parity SW 2-3 SW 2-4

Parallel
Serial
Serial
Serial

—

Even On Off

Odd Off On

None On On

Off Off

3-14

Using the Printer

Table 3 Baud rate selection

Baud rate

9600 bps

19200 bps
1200 bps

300 bps

SW 2-5

Off

On

Off
On

SW 2-6

Off
Off
On

On

Table 4 Graphics character sets

Graphics character set

PC 437 (United States)
Epson Extended Graphics

PC 850 (Multilingual)
PC 860 (Portugal)
PC 863 (Canada-French)
PC 865 (Norway)

SW 1-1

On

On

On

On

Off

SW 1-2 SW 1-3

On

On

On Off

Off
Off

On

On

Off

On

SW 1-4

On

On

On

On
On

Graphics character sets are selectable only when the DIP switch 1-4
is on.

The graphics character sets are also called code page tables.

Table 5 Page length selection

Page length

11 inches
12 inches

8.5 inches

11.7 inches

SW 2-1

SW 2-2

Off

On

Off

Off

Off On

On

On

Using the Printer

3-15

The DIP Switch Functions

Auto line feed
When auto line feed is on (DIP switch 2-8 on), each carriage return

code (CR) is automatically followed by a line feed code (LF).
Printing direction

With unidirectional printing, the print head prints in one direction

only. This allows for precise vertical alignment, making it ideal for
printing graphics such as lines and boxes. With bidirectional
printing, the print head prints in both directions. This is faster than
unidirectional printing.

When DIP switch 2-6 is off, the printer prints unidirectionally; when
it is on, the printer prints bidirectionally. Either setting can be
overridden by a software command (ESC U).

To achieve precise vertical alignment without the slower printing
speed caused by unidirectional printing, see your Epson dealer for
adjustment of your bidirectional print settings.

Tear-off mode

When DIP switch 2-7 is on, the short tear-off mode is on. This feature
automatically advances continuous paper to the tear-off position,
and then reverse-feeds the paper to the loading position. See Using
Short Tear-off later in this chapter.

CAUTION: Do not use the short tear-off mode with labels.

3-16

Using the Printer

SuperDraft

When DIP switch 16 is off, SuperDraft is selected. When the DIP
switch is on, normal draft is selected. SuperDraft prints at 300
characters per second but produces characters that are not as fully
formed as the ones produced with normal draft. If you select a
feature such as emphasized, double-strike, or condensed in
SuperDraft mode, the printing speed will temporarily switch to
normal draft speed until the enhancement is turned off. This allows
you to use any print enhancement without canceling SuperDraft.

Using the Printer

3-17

Page Length

To obtain one of the four page lengths, set DIP switches 2-1 and 2-2
according to the Page length selection table. The page lengths are:

8.5 inches (216 mm), 11 inches (279 mm), 11.7 inches (296 mm), and
12 inches (305 mm).

Page length selection

Page length

11 inches
12 inches On Off

8.5 inches

11.7 inches

SW 2-1 SW 2-2

Off Off

Off On
On On

Note: Be sure to set the page length to match the paper you are
using.

Other page lengths can be set using the commands ESC C and
ESC C 0. See the Command

Summary in Chapter 9 for details.

Note: If you are using the cut sheet feeder, the page length is
automatically set when you run the printer’s self test. For details,
see The Cut Sheet Feeder in Chapter 5.

3-18

Using the Printer