Epson LX-300+, LX-1170, P170A User Manual

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9-pin dot matrix printer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The information contained herein is designed only for use with this EPSON printer. EPSON is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.

Neither SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by the purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the U.S.) failure to strictly comply with SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION’s operating and maintenance instructions.

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION shall not be liable for any damages or problems arising from the use of any options or any consumable products other than those designated as Original EPSON Products or EPSON Approved Products by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

EPSON and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

User’s Guide

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FCC Compliance Statement For United States 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 the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

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DECLARATION of CONFORMITY

According to 47CFR, Part 2 and 15 for Class B Personal Computers and Peripherals; and/or CPU Boards and Power Supplies used with Class B Personal Computers:

Declare under sole responsibility that the product identified herein, complies with 47CFR Part 2 and 15 of the FCC rules as a Class B digital device. Each product marketed, is identical to the representative unit tested and found to be compliant with the standards. Records maintained continue to reflect the equipment being produced can be expected to be within the variation accepted, due to quantity production and testing on a statistical basis as required by 47CFR §2.909 Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

We: Located at:

EPSON AMERICA, INC. MS 3-13 3840 Kilroy Airport Way Long Beach, CA 90806-2469 Telephone: (562)290-5254

Trade Name: EPSON

Type of Product: Dot Matrix Printer

Model: P170A

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Contents

Getting to Know Your Printer

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Hot Parts Caution Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

ENERGY STAR

Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

For United Kingdom Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Use of options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Chapter 1 Using the Printer

Using the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Control Panel Buttons and Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Selecting a built-in font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

About Your Printer’s Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Changing default settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Printing on Continuous Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Printing with the push tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Removing a printed document from the push tractor . . . . . .28

Switching back to single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Printing with the pull tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Adjusting the top-of-form position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Advancing the paper to the tear-off edge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Printing on Single Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Loading single sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Printing on Special Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Adjusting the paper-thickness lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Multipart forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Installing and Using Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

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Cut-sheet feeder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Pull tractor unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Roll paper holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Color upgrade kit (LX-300+ only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Print server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Genuine EPSON ribbon cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Replacing the ribbon cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Chapter 2 Using the Printer Software

Using the Printer Driver with Windows Me, 98, and 95 . . . . . . . . 66

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 66

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu . . . . . . . . . 67

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Using the Printer Driver with Windows 3.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 69

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . . . 70

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Using the Printer Driver with Windows 2000 and NT 4.0 . . . . . . . 71

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 72

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu . . . . . . . . . 74

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Using the Printer Driver with Windows NT 3.5x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 76

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . . . 77

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Printer Driver Settings Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

About the EPSON Status Monitor 3 Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Accessing EPSON Status Monitor 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Using the EPSON Remote! Utility

(LX-300+ only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Installing EPSON Remote!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Accessing EPSON Remote! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

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Chapter 3 Troubleshooting

Using the Error Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Paper Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Printing a Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Appendix

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Transporting the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Electronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Paper alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Standards and approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Command Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

EPSON ESC/P control codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

IBM 2380 Plus (for LX-300+)/ IBM 2381 Plus (for LX-1170) emu-

lation control codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Contacting Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

For users in North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

For users in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland .

128

For users in the Middle East. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

For users in Scandinavia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

For users in South Africa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

For users in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

For users in Singapore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

For users in Thailand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

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For users in Indonesia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

For users in Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

For users in Malaysia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

For users in India. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

For users in the Philippines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Glossary

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8 Getting to Know Your Printer

Getting to Know Your Printer

Features

Your EPSON® LX-300+/LX-1170 9-pin dot matrix printer provides high-quality printing and superior performance in a compact design. Its features include:

❏ A variety of paper paths to suit your printing needs. ❏ The ability to handle a wide range of paper types, including

continuous paper, multipart forms (with one original and up to four copies), labels, single sheets, and envelopes.

❏ High-speed printing of up to 300 cps (characters per second)

at 10 cpi (characters per inch).

Your printer comes packaged with the printer driver and other software, including the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility for Microsoft

Windows® Me, 98, 95, 2000, XP or NT 4.0. The EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility lets you check the status of your printer quickly and easily.

Note:

The illustrations in this manual are from LX-300+. LX-1170 is wider than LX-300+. However, the explanations are the same.

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes

This guide uses the following conventions:

Warnings must be followed to avoid bodily injury.

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Getting to Know Your Printer 9

Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation

of your printer.

Important Safety Instructions

Read all of these safety instructions before using the printer. In addition, follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer itself.

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

radiator or heat source.

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

properly if it is tilted or placed at an angle.

❏ Do not block or cover the slots and openings in the printer’s

cabinet, and do not insert objects through the slots.

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

label.

❏ Connect all equipment to properly grounded power outlets.

Avoid using outlets on the same circuit as photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch on and off.

❏ Do not use a damaged or frayed power cord. ❏ If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the

total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total ampere of all devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlet’s ampere rating.

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10 Getting to Know Your Printer

❏ Unplug the printer before cleaning it, and always clean it with

a piece of damp cloth only.

❏ Do not spill liquid onto the printer. ❏ Except as specifically explained in this guide, do not attempt

to service the printer yourself.

❏ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified personnel

under the following conditions:

❏ Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating

instructions.

❏ If you plan to use the printer in Germany, observe the

following:

To provide adequate short-circuit protection and over-current protection for this printer, the building installation must be protected by a 10- or 16-amp circuit breaker.

Note for German-speaking users:

Bei Anschluss des Druckers an die Stromversorgung muss sichergestellt werden, dass die Gebäudeinstallation mit einer 10 A- oder 16 A-Sicherung abgesichert ist.

i. If the power cord or plug is damaged.

ii. If liquid has entered the printer.

iii.If the printer has been dropped or the cabinet damaged.

iv. If the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a

distinct change in performance.

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Getting to Know Your Printer 11

Hot Parts Caution Symbol

ENERGY STAR

Compliance

As an ENERGY STAR® partner, EPSON has determined that this product meets the

ENERGY STAR

guidelines for energy

efficiency.

The International

ENERGY STAR

Office Equipment Program is a voluntary partnership with the computer and office equipment industry to promote the introduction of energy-efficient personal computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, copiers, and scanners in an effort to reduce air pollution caused by power generation.

For United Kingdom Users

Use of options

Epson (UK) Limited shall not be liable against any damages or problems arising from the use of any options or consumable products other than those designated as Original EPSON Products or EPSON Approved Products by Epson (UK) Limited.

This symbol is placed on the print head to indicate that the print head may be hot. Never touch the print head just after the printer has been used. Let the print head cool for a few minutes before touching it.

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12 Getting to Know Your Printer

Safety information

Warning:

This appliance must be earthed. Refer to the rating plate for voltage and check that the appliance voltage corresponds to the supply voltage.

Important: The wires in the mains lead fitted to this appliance are coloured in accordance to the following code:

Green and yellow — Earth Blue — Neutral Brown — Live

If you have to fit a plug:

As the colours of the mains lead of this appliance may not match coloured markings used to identify the terminals in a plug, please proceed as follows:

The green and yellow wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or the Earth symbol (G

The blue wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug marked with the letter N.

The brown wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug marked with the letter L.

If damage occurs to the plug, replace the cord set or consult a qualified electrician.

Replace fuses only with a fuse of the correct size and rating.

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Using the Printer 13

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Chapter 1

Using the Printer

Using the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Control Panel Buttons and Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Selecting a built-in font. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

About Your Printer’s Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Changing default settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Using the Control Panel

You can control simple printer operations—such as line feeding, form feeding, loading and ejecting paper, and selecting fonts— with the buttons on the control panel. The control panel lights show the printer’s status. For information on the buttons and the lights on the control panel, see Control Panel Buttons and Lights inside the front cover.

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14 Using the Printer

Control Panel Buttons and Lights

Tear Off (Font) button* Advances continuous paper to the tear-off position.

Feeds continuous paper backward from the tear-off position to the top-of-form position.

*Font select In the Micro Adjust mode, you can select the font to use for printing by pressing the Tear Off button. The Tear Off lights turn on, off or flash to indicate the selected font.

**Micro Adjust mode When you hold down the Pause button for three seconds, the printer enters the micro adjust mode. In this mode, you can press the LF/FFD and Load/EjectU buttons to adjust the top-of-form or tear-off position. See Chapter 1, “Using the Printer.”

Pause button Stops printing temporarily, and resumes printing when pressed again. When pressed for three seconds, turns on the Micro Adjust mode**. To turn off, press again.

Pause light On when the printer is paused.

Flashes when the printer is in the Micro Adjust mode**.

Flashes when the print head has overheated.

Paper Out light

On when no paper is loaded in the selected paper source or when paper is not loaded correctly.

Flashes when paper has not been fully ejected or a paper jam has occurred.

LF/FF button**

Feeds paper line by line when pressed and released.

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

Load/Eject button** Loads a single sheet of paper.

Ejects a single sheet of paper if a sheet is loaded.

Loads continuous paper from the standby position.

Feeds continuous paper backwards to the standby position.

Tear Off (Font) lights*

Flash when continuous paper is in the tear-off position; otherwise, the lights indicate the selected font.

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Using the Printer 15

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Selecting a built-in font

Follow these steps to select a built-in font using the buttons on the printer’s control panel:

1. Make sure that the printer is not printing. If it is, wait until

printing is complete.

2. Hold down the Pause button for three seconds to enter the

Micro Adjust mode. The Pause light begins to flash. The three Tear Off (Font) lights show the current font selection.

3. Press the Tear Off (Font) button repeatedly to cycle through all

of the available selections; then stop when you reach the desired font with a pattern shown on the control panel. Your selection stays in effect until you change it again.

Note:

❏ Settings you make in your application programs usually

override settings you make from the printer’s control panel. For best results, use your application to select a font and pitch.

❏ The Tear Off (Font) button cannot directly select OCR-B,

Orator, Orator-S, Script-C, Roman-T, or Sans Serif H. To select one of these fonts, you must first use the Default Setting mode to register it as the “other” font and then select Others using the Tear Off (Font) button.

❏ Barcode fonts cannot be selected via the control panel.

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16 Using the Printer

About Your Printer’s Default Settings

The default settings control many printer functions. While you can often set these functions through your software or printer driver, you may sometimes need to change a default setting from the printer’s control panel using the Default Setting mode.

The following table lists the default settings and the options you can select in the Default Setting mode. The settings are explained in detail after the table. For instructions on changing the default settings, see “Changing default settings” on page 22.

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Using the Printer 17

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Settings Options

Page length for tractor* Length in inches: 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 11, 70/6,

12, 14, 17

Skip over perforation On, Off

Auto tear off On, Off

Auto line feed On, Off

Print direction Bi-D, Uni-D

Software EPSON ESC/P, IBM 2380 Plus (for LX-300+)/IBM

2381 Plus (for LX-1170)

0 slash 0,

High speed draft On, Off

I/F mode Auto, Parallel, Serial

Auto I/F wait time 10 seconds, 30 seconds

Baud rate 19200, 9600, 4800, 2400, 1200, 600, 300 BPS

Parity None, Odd, Even, Ignore

Data length 8 bit, 7 bit

Parallel I/F bidirectional mode On, Off

Packet mode Auto, Off

Character table* Standard model:

Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 860, PC 863, PC 865, PC 861, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15

All other models: Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 437 Greek, PC 853, PC 855, PC 852, PC 857, PC 866, PC 869, MAZOWIA, Code MJK, ISO 8859-7, ISO Latin 1T, Bulgaria, PC 774, Estonia, ISO 8859-2, PC 866 LAT, PC 866 UKR, PC APTEC, PC 708, PC 720, PC AR864, PC 860, PC 863, PC 865, PC 861, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15, PC 771

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18 Using the Printer

* The options available vary depending on the country of purchase.

** These settings take effect only when IBM 2380 Plus (for LX-300+)/ IBM 2381 Plus (for

LX-1170) emulation is selected.

Page length for tractor

This setting allows you to set the page length (in inches) for continuous paper.

Skip over perforation

This feature is available only when continuous paper is selected. When you select On, the printer provides a one-inch (25.4 mm) margin between the last line printed on one page and the first line printed on the next page. Because the program margin settings in most applications override margin settings made from the control panel, you should use this setting only if you cannot set your top and bottom margins using your application.

International character set for Italic table

Italic U.S.A., Italic France, Italic Germany, Italic U.K., Italic Denmark1, Italic Sweden, Italic Italy, Italic Spain1

Auto CR (IBM 2380 Plus for LX-300+, IBM 2381 Plus for LX-1170)**

On, Off

Manual feed wait time 1 second, 1.5 seconds,

2 seconds, 3 seconds, Others

Buzzer On, Off

Roll paper On, Off

IBM character table** Table 2, Table 1

Settings Options

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Using the Printer 19

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Auto tear off

When auto tear off is on and you are using continuous paper with the push tractor, the printer automatically advances the paper perforation to the tear-off position, where you can easily tear off the printed pages. When the printer receives the next print job, it automatically moves the unused paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing, so you can use all of the next page.

When auto tear off is off, you need to move the perforation to the tear-off position by pressing the control panel button. See “Using the Tear Off button” on page 38 for more information.

Auto line feed

When auto line feed is on, the printer accompanies each carriage return (CR) code received with a line feed code, and the print position moves to the next line. If the printer adds an extra line after every carriage return, select Off.

Print direction

You can select bidirectional printing (Bi-D) or unidirectional printing (Uni-D). Printing is normally bidirectional for faster printing; however, unidirectional printing allows for precise vertical printing alignment, which is useful for printing graphics.

Software

When you select EPSON ESC/P, the printer operates in the EPSON EPSON ESC/P mode. When you select IBM 2380 Plus (for LX-300+)/IBM 2381 Plus (for LX-1170), the printer emulates an IBM printer.

0 slash

The zero character has a slash ( ) when this feature is turned on. It has no slash (0) when this feature is turned off. The slash allows you to easily distinguish between the uppercase letter O and a zero.

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20 Using the Printer

High speed draft

When you choose On, the printer prints up to 413 cps (characters per second) at 10 cpi (characters per inch). When you choose Off, the printer prints up to 310 cps at 10 cpi.

I/F (interface) mode

The printer comes with a built-in parallel interface and serial interface.

If your printer is connected to only one computer, select Parallel or Serial for the interface mode, depending on the interface you use. If your printer is connected to two computers, select Auto (automatic) to allow the printer to automatically switch between interfaces depending on which one is receiving data.

Auto I/F (interface) wait time

This setting takes effect only when I/F (interface) mode is set to Auto. This setting determines how long the printer waits when it

no longer receives data from an interface before it checks whether a print job is being sent through the other interface. You can specify 10 seconds or 30 seconds for the auto interface wait time.

Baud rate

Use this option to set the data transfer rate (baud) for the serial interface. The baud rate is measured in bits per second (bps). See your computer manual and software documentation for the proper setting.

Parity

When this option is set to None, parity checking is disabled. The parity bit, if used, provides a basic form of error detection. See your computer manual and software documentation for the proper setting.

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Using the Printer 21

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Data length

Set the data length of the serial interface to 7 bit or 8 bit. See your computer manual and software documentation for the proper setting.

Parallel I/F bidirectional mode

The parallel interface bidirectional transfer mode is used when this feature is turned on. If bidirectional transfer mode is unnecessary, turn this off.

Packet mode

Select Auto to use the IEEE-1284.4 packet transfer mode. If packet transfer mode is unnecessary, or if you cannot connect, turn this off.

Character table

You can select from among 13 to 35 standard character tables, depending on the country of purchase. See “Electronic” on page 110 for more information on the tables.

International character set for Italic table

You can select among several international character sets for the Italic character table. Each character set contains eight characters that vary depending on the country or language, so you can customize the Italic table to suit your printing needs.

Auto CR (carriage return)

This setting is available only in the IBM 2380 Plus (for LX-300+)/IBM 2381 Plus (for LX-1170) emulation mode. When auto carriage return is on, each line feed (LF) code or ESC J code is accompanied by a carriage return code. This moves the print position to the beginning of the next line.

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22 Using the Printer

Manual feed wait time

This sets the amount of wait time between the time paper is inserted into the paper guide and when it is fed. If the paper feeds before you can adjust its position to your satisfaction, you can increase the wait time.

Buzzer (beeper)

The printer beeps when an error occurs. (See “Using the Error Indicators” on page 85 for more information on printer errors.) If you do not want the printer to beep when an error occurs, turn this setting off.

IBM character table

This setting is available only in IBM 2380 Plus (for LX-300+)/ IBM 2381 Plus (for LX-1170) emulation mode. When you select table1, hex codes 80H to 90H of the character tables are used for the control codes. When you select table 2,hex codes 80H to 90H are used for characters.

Changing default settings

Follow these steps to enter the Default Setting mode and change the printer’s default settings:

Note:

❏ To print the language selection instructions and the Default Setting

mode instructions, you need five or six sheets of A4 or Letter size single-sheet paper, or five or six pages of continuous paper that is at least 279 mm (11 inches) long and 210 mm (8.27 inches) wide.

❏ If you use single sheets without an optional cut-sheet feeder, you

need to feed a new sheet of paper each time the printer ejects a printed sheet.

1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.

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Using the Printer 23

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Caution:

Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five seconds before turning it back on; otherwise, you may damage the printer.

2. While holding down the Tear Off (Font) button, turn on the

printer. The printer enters the Default Setting mode and prints the language selection instructions (one page).

3. Follow the instructions to select the language you want for

the instruction pages.

4. Load the next sheet of paper, if necessary. The printer prints

the current settings list (one page).

5. Press down the Tear Off (Font) button. The printer prints the

Default Setting mode instructions (three or four pages) in the language you selected. The printed instructions list the default settings you can change, describe how to change them, and show you how the control panel lights help you make settings.

6. Follow these instructions to change the default settings using

the buttons on the printer’s control panel.

Note:

The arrows on the instruction sheets indicate the printer’s current settings.

7. When you finish making settings, turn off the printer and exit

the Default Setting mode. Any settings you have made remain in effect until you change them again.

Note:

Turn off the printer when it has finished printing.

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Printing on Continuous Paper

Your printer can handle continuous paper with the tractor. Depending on where you position the tractor, you can use it as a pull tractor or a push tractor. The following guidelines can help you decide where to position the tractor:

❏ Do you want to switch between printing on single sheets and

continuous paper without removing the paper supply? Will you tear off continuous paper sheet-by-sheet? Use the tractor in the push tractor position. (The printer comes with the tractor installed in this position.) See the following section.

❏ Are you printing on labels, multipart forms, or other

documents that require a precise print position? Use the tractor as a pull tractor. See “Printing with the pull tractor” on page 30 for instructions.

For specifications on the type of continuous paper you can use, see “Paper” on page 112.

Printing with the push tractor

When using the push tractor, it is a good idea to set the Auto tear off feature in the Default Setting mode to On. See “About Your Printer’s Default Settings” on page 16.

Follow these steps to load continuous paper using the push tractor:

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1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Remove the printer cover

and the paper guide and place the paper-release lever in the continuous paper position.

2. Release the sprocket units by pulling the sprocket locks

forward.

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3. Slide the left sprocket unit using the scale on the printer as a guide. The printer prints to the right of the position marked

0. Push the sprocket lock lever back to lock it in place. Then slide the right sprocket unit to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support so it is midway between the sprocket units.

4. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight leading edge. Open the sprocket covers. Fit the first holes of the paper over the sprocket pins and then close the sprocket covers. Slide the right sprocket unit to remove any slack in the paper and lock it in place. Now the paper is in the paper-park position.

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Caution:

Use the paper-feed knob on the right side of the printer only to clear paper jams and only when the printer is turned off. Otherwise, you may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

5. To separate the incoming paper from the printed paper, attach the paper guide by holding it horizontally and fitting its notches over the printer’s mounting posts as shown below. Then slide the paper guide toward the front of the printer until you feel it click.

6. Turn on the printer.

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7. Make sure the printer cover is closed. Press the LF/FF button to feed the paper to the loading position. When the printer receives data, it begins printing automatically.

8. After you finish printing, follow the steps in the next section to tear off your printed document. If the first printed line on your page appears too high or low, you can change its position by using the Micro Adjust feature. See “Adjusting the top-of-form position” on page 35.

Caution:

Never use the paper-feed knob to adjust the top-of-form position; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

When you send more data, the paper automatically feeds back to the loading position.

Removing a printed document from the push tractor

Follow these steps to remove the printed document:

1. Press the Tear Off (Font) button. Make sure the Tear Off (Font) lights are flashing. (This indicates that your paper is at the current tear-off position.)

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2. Open the paper guide cover, then tear off the printed document using the tear-off edge of the paper tension unit.

Note:

If your paper’s perforation is not properly aligned with the tear-off edge, you can adjust the tear-off position using the Micro Adjust feature. See “Adjusting the tear-off position” on page 38.

Caution:

Never use the paper-feed knob to adjust the tear-off position; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position.

3. Close the paper guide cover.

When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing.

To feed continuous paper to the standby position where you can remove the paper, press the Load/Eject button. Then open the sprocket covers of the tractor and remove the paper.

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Caution:

Always tear off your printed document before you press the Load/Eject button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may cause a paper jam.

Switching back to single sheets

To switch to single sheets, press the Load/Eject button; the printer feeds the paper backwards into the standby position. Then, follow the steps in “Loading single sheets” on page 40.

Caution:

Always tear off your printed document before you press the Load/Eject button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may cause a paper jam.

Printing with the pull tractor

To load continuous paper using the pull tractor, you must move the tractor to the pull tractor position, as described in steps 1 through 3 in this procedure. If your tractor is already installed in this position, make sure the printer is turned off and skip to step 6.

Caution:

Use the paper-feed knob on the right side of the printer only to clear paper jams and only when the printer is off. Otherwise, you may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

❏ When using the pull tractor, set the Auto tear off feature in

the Default Setting mode to Off; otherwise, the paper may jam.

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1. Turn the printer off; then remove the printer cover and the paper guide. Next, remove the paper tension unit by squeezing the tension unit’s lock tabs gently and pulling the tension unit away from the printer. Finally, pull the paper-release lever forward to the continuous paper position.

2. Squeeze the tractor’s lock tabs gently on both sides, and then rotate the tractor up to pull it away from the printer.

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3. Move the tractor forward to the mounting slot at the top of the printer and tilt it into place as shown below. When you push the tractor onto the posts, you should feel the notches snap into place.

4. Release the sprocket units by pulling the sprocket locks forward.

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5. Insert the paper into the bottom paper slot or into the rear paper slot as shown below, and pull it up. Position the paper using the scale on the printer as a guide. The printer prints to the right of the position marked 0.

6. Slide the left sprocket unit so that its sprockets match the position of the holes in the paper and lock the unit in place. Then slide the right sprocket unit to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway between the two sprocket units.

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7. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight leading edge. Open the sprocket covers. Fit the first holes of the paper over the sprocket pins and then close the sprocket covers. Slide the right sprocket unit to remove any slack in the paper and then lock it in place.

Note:

Remove any remaining slack by gently pulling the paper from the rear or bottom.

8. To separate the incoming paper from the printed paper, attach the paper guide. Hold it horizontally and fit its notches over the printer’s mounting posts. Then slide the paper guide toward the back of the printer until you feel it click.

9. Attach the printer cover and adjust the paper position with the paper-feed knob. Turn the knob until the perforation between pages is just above the print head. Then turn on the printer.

10. Make sure the printer cover is closed, but with the paper guide cover open. When the printer receives data, it begins printing automatically.

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If you want to change the position where printing begins on the page, press LF/FF to advance the page to the next top-of-form position, and then see Adjusting the top-of-form position in the next section to adjust the loading position.

To eject the paper, tear off the paper entering the printer; then press the LF/FF button to feed the paper forward.

Adjusting the top-of-form position

The top-of-form position is the position on the page where the printer starts printing. If your printing appears too high or low on the page, you can use the micro adjust feature to adjust the top-of-form position. Follow these steps:

Caution:

Never use the paper-feed knob to adjust the top-of-form position; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

Note:

❏ Your top-of-form position setting remains in effect until you change

it, even if you turn off the printer.

❏ The top margin setting made in some application software overrides

the top-of-form position setting you make with the Micro Adjust feature. If necessary, adjust the top-of-form position in your software.

1. Make sure the printer is turned on.

2. If necessary, load paper as described in this chapter.

3. Remove the printer cover.

4. Hold down the Pause button for about three seconds. The Pause light starts flashing and the printer enters the Micro Adjust mode.

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5. Press the LF/FF D button to move the top-of-form position up on the page, or press the Load/Eject U button to move the top-of-form position down on the page.

Note:

❏ The printer has a minimum and a maximum top-of-form

position. If you try to adjust it beyond these limits, the printer beeps and stops moving the paper.

❏ When the paper reaches the default top-of-form position, the

printer also beeps and stops moving the paper briefly. You can use the default position as a reference point when adjusting the top-of-form position.

To adjust the top-of-form position for continuous paper loaded on the pull tractor, see the following example:

plastic ribbon cover

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First mark a point 2.5 mm (0.1 inch) above the paper’s perforation; then position the paper so that the mark is even with the top edge of the plastic ribbon cover. This gives you an 8.5 mm (0.33 inch) margin on the next page, meaning the printer starts printing 8.5 mm (0.33 inch) below the perforation. If you mark a point 5.5 mm (0.22 inch) above the perforation, you get a 5.5 mm (0.22 inch) margin on the next page.

6. After you set the top-of-form position, press the Pause button to exit the Micro Adjust mode.

Advancing the paper to the tear-off edge

If you use the push tractor, you can use the tear-off feature to advance your continuous paper to the printer’s tear-off edge when you finish printing. You can then easily tear off the printed document. When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position so that you can save the paper normally lost between documents.

As described below, you can use the tear-off feature in two ways: manually, by pressing the printer’s Tear Off button, or automatically, by turning on the auto tear-off mode.

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Caution:

Never use the tear-off feature (as described below) to feed continuous paper with labels backwards; they may come off their backing sheet and jam the printer.

Using the Tear Off button

After the printer finishes printing your document, check that the Tear Off (Font) lights are not flashing. Then press the Tear Off (Font) button. The printer advances the paper to the tear-off edge.

Note:

If the Tear Off (Font) lights are flashing, the paper is in the tear-off position. If you press the Tear Off (Font) button again, the printer feeds your paper to the next top-of-form position.

Advancing the paper to the tear-off position automatically

To automatically advance your printed documents to the tear-off position, you need to turn on the auto tear-off mode and select the appropriate page length for continuous paper in the Default Setting mode. For instructions, see “Changing default settings” on page 22.

When auto tear-off is on, the printer automatically advances the paper to the tear-off position whenever it receives a full page of data or a form feed command followed by no more data.

Adjusting the tear-off position

If your paper’s perforation is not aligned with the tear-off edge, you can use the Micro Adjust feature to move the perforation to the tear-off position.

Follow these steps to adjust the tear-off position:

Caution:

Never use the paper-feed knob to adjust the tear-off position; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position.

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Note:

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

1. Make sure the Tear Off (Font) lights are flashing (the paper is at the current tear-off position). You may need to press the Tear Off (Font) button to advance the paper to the tear-off position.

2. Open the paper guide cover.

3. Hold down the Pause button for about three seconds. The Pause light begins to flash and the printer enters the Micro Adjust mode.

4. Press the LF/FF D

button to feed the paper backwards, or press

the Load/Eject U button to feed the paper forwards, until the paper perforation is aligned with the tear-off edge.

Note:

The printer has a minimum and a maximum tear-off position. If you try to adjust the tear-off position beyond these limits, the printer beeps and stops moving the paper.

tear-off edge

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5. After you set the tear-off position, press the Pause button to exit the Micro Adjust mode.

6. Tear off the printed pages.

When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position and begins printing.

Printing on Single Sheets

You can load single-sheet paper one sheet at a time using the paper guide of the printer. For specifications on the type of single-sheet paper you can use, see “Paper” on page 112.

Before printing on single-sheet multipart forms, envelopes, or other special paper, be sure to the set the paper thickness lever to the appropriate position. See “Printing on Special Paper” on page 42 for details.

Note:

❏ To load a stack of single-sheet paper, use the optional cut-sheet

feeder. See “Installing and Using Options” on page 47.

❏ You can use the paper guide to load single-sheet carbonless

multipart forms that are fastened at the top by line gluing.

❏ Insert multipart forms in the paper guide, bound edge first and

printable side down.

Loading single sheets

Follow these steps to load single sheets:

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1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Also make sure that the paper-release lever is pushed back to the single-sheet position and the paper guide is in the upright position, as shown below.

2. Slide the left edge guide until it locks in place at the guide mark. Next, adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

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3. Slide a sheet of paper down firmly between the edge guides until it meets resistance.

For normal use, turn on the printer without pressing any other buttons. When the printer receives data, it begins to print.

Caution:

Use the paper-feed knob on the right side of the printer only to clear paper jams and only when the printer is off. Otherwise, you may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position.

Printing on Special Paper

Your printer can also print on a wide variety of paper types, including multipart forms, labels, and envelopes.

For multipart forms and labels, you should not print any closer than 13 mm (0.5 inch) from either side of the paper. For information on the printable area of envelopes, see “Printable area” on page 118.

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Caution:

When printing on multipart forms, thicker-than-normal paper, labels, or envelopes, make sure your application software settings keep the printing entirely within the printable area. Printing past the edge of these papers can damage the print head.

Adjusting the paper-thickness lever

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

Follow these steps to adjust the paper thickness setting:

1. Turn the printer off and open the printer cover. The paper-thickness lever is on the left side of the printer. The numbers next to the lever indicate the thickness setting.

2. Use the table below to select the appropriate paper thickness.

Paper type Lever position

Standard paper (single sheets or continuous) 0

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3. Close the printer cover.

Multipart forms

You can use continuous or single-sheet carbonless multipart forms of up to five parts (one original plus four copies). Before you print on the forms, set the paper thickness lever as described in the previous section. The following tips will help you get good results:

❏ Use only continuous multipart forms that are joined by spot

gluing or side-crimping. Never load continuous multipart forms joined by metal staples, tape, or continuous gluing.

❏ Use only single-sheet multipart forms that are line-glued only

at the top. Insert the forms glued edge first into the printer.

❏ Use only multipart forms that are free of wrinkles and waves. ❏ If you need to adjust the loading position, use your

application software or change the loading position as described on “Adjusting the top-of-form position” on page 35.

❏ When you use side-crimped continuous multipart forms, the

copies may not align with the original. If this happens, raise the paper guide.

Multipart forms 2-sheet

3-sheet 4-sheet 5-sheet

0 1 2 3

Labels 1

Envelopes 2 to 4

Paper type Lever position

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Labels

You must use the tractor as a pull tractor and load paper from the bottom paper slot to print on labels. Before you print on labels, set the paper thickness lever as described in “Adjusting the paper-thickness lever” on page 43. Keep the following tips in mind:

❏ Choose labels mounted on a continuous backing sheet with

sprocket holes made for use with a tractor. Do not print labels as single sheets, because the shiny backing sheet almost always slips slightly.

❏ Load labels the same way as you would load ordinary

continuous paper. See “Printing with the pull tractor” on page 30 for loading instructions.

❏ Because labels are especially sensitive to temperature and

humidity, use them only under normal operating conditions. Make sure the printing stays entirely within the printable area. (See “Printer Specifications” on page 107 for specifications.)

❏ Do not leave labels loaded in the printer between jobs; they

curl around the platen and may jam when you resume printing.

❏ To remove the labels from the printer, tear off the fresh supply

at the bottom of the printer; then press LF/FF to advance the remaining labels out of the printer.

Caution:

Never feed labels backwards through the printer; they can easily peel off the backing sheet and jam the printer. If a label does become stuck in the printer, contact your dealer.

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Envelopes

You can feed envelopes individually using the paper guide. Keep the following tips in mind:

❏ Before loading an envelope, set the paper thickness lever to

the proper position. See “Adjusting the paper-thickness lever” on page 43.

❏ To load an envelope, follow the steps in “Loading single

sheets” on page 40. Insert the wide edge of the envelope into the printer first, printable-side down. When you insert the envelope between the paper guides, push it firmly and hold it until it feeds into the printer.

❏ Use envelopes only under normal temperature and humidity

conditions.

❏ Make sure the printing stays entirely within the printable

area.

❏ The print head must not go past the left or right edge of the

envelope or other thick paper. (See “Printer Specifications” on page 107 for specifications.) It’s a good idea to print a test sample using a normal single sheet of paper before you print on envelopes.

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Installing and Using Options

Cut-sheet feeder

The optional single-bin cut-sheet feeder (C80637✽ for LX-300+/C80639✽ for LX-1170) handles up to 50 sheets of

standard bond paper (82 g/m² or 22 lb) without reloading.

Follow these steps to install the cut-sheet feeder:

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Remove the paper guide and open the paper guide cover.

2. If the tractor is installed in the pull-tractor position, remove it and reinstall it in the push-tractor position.

3. Make sure the paper-release lever is in the single-sheet position.

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4. Hold the cut-sheet feeder in both hands and press on the latch levers. Fit the notches in the cut-sheet feeder over the mounting posts on the printer. Releasing the latch levers locks the cut-sheet feeder in place.

latch lever

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5. Slide the left paper guide so it is aligned with the triangle mark. Next, slide the right paper guide to roughly match the width of your paper. Slide the paper support midway between the paper guides.

6. Pull the paper-set levers all the way forward until the paper guides retract and lock open to allow for paper loading.

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7. Take a stack of paper and fan it. Next, tap the side and bottom of the paper on a flat surface to even up the stack.

Caution:

Do not use envelopes, multipart forms, carbon paper, or labels in the cut-sheet feeder.

8. Insert up to 50 sheets of paper along the left paper guide.

9. Adjust the position of the right paper guide so that it matches your paper’s width. Make sure the position of the guide allows the paper to move up and down freely.

10. Push the paper-set levers back to clamp the paper against the guide rollers.

11. Remove the paper supports from the edge guides. Insert the two stacker supports packed with the cut-sheet feeder into the holes on the edge guides.

12. Attach the paper guide to the cut-sheet feeder as shown below.

View from above

Release tab

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13. Slide the left edge guide to the center until it stops at the guide mark. Then slide the right edge guide to fit the size of paper you will use.

Note:

❏ To remove the paper guide from the cut-sheet feeder, press both

release tabs and pull out the paper guide.

❏ Make sure the paper guide cover is open when you print.

You can easily switch between continuous paper and cut-sheet feeder operation. See “Switching back to single sheets” on page 30 for details.

Note:

When you print several pages of continuous paper, fold the first printed page forward at the perforation after the perforation emerges from below the printer cover. This helps the printer feed the printed pages properly and prevents paper jams.

Pull tractor unit

An additional pull tractor (C80030✽ for LX-300+/ C80034✽ for

LX-1170) is available as an option.

You can improve the performance of continuous paper handling by using two tractors at the same time. This is especially useful with continuous pre-printed forms and multipart forms.

Follow these steps to install and load paper on a standard and an additional pull tractor:

1. Make sure the paper-release lever is pulled forward to the continuous-paper position. Install the included tractor in the push-tractor position.

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2. Remove the paper tension unit by squeezing the tension unit’s lock tabs gently and pulling the tension unit away fom the printer.

3. For LX-300+ users: grasp the pull tractor with both hands. Move the tractor forward to the mounting slot at the top of the printer until it fits in place as shown below. You should feel the notches snap into place.

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For LX-1170 users: grasp the pull tractor with both hands. Push down the tractor onto the mounting slot at the top of the printer and tilt it into place as shown below. When you push the tractor onto the posts, you should feel the notches snap into place.

4. Load continuous paper on the sprocket units of the push-tractor. (See “Printing on Continuous Paper” on page

24.)

5. Turn on the printer. Hold down the LF/FF button to feed paper in one page.

6. Release the sprocket lock levers of the pull tractor and adjust the sprocket units to match the width of the paper. Be sure that the sprocket units on both tractors are aligned so that the paper is not crooked.

7. Open the sprocket covers. Fit the holes of the paper over the tractor pins of the sprocket units and adjust the sprocket units as necessary. (See “Printing on Continuous Paper” on page

24.) Close the sprocket covers.

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8. If there is slack in the paper between the push and pull tractors, push in and turn the paper-feed knob on the right side of the pull tractor to remove the slack.

9. See that the paper is not crooked or wrinkled and lock the sprocket units in place.

10. Re-install the printer cover and the paper guide.

Roll paper holder

The optional roll paper holder (#8310) allows you to use your printer with 8.5-inch roll paper like that used with telex machines. This option is not available in all countries.

Follow these steps to install and use the roll paper holder:

1. Turn off the printer and remove the paper guide.

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2. Position the roll paper holder beneath the printer as shown below. Fit the two holes in the base onto the two positioning pegs on the bottom of the printer.

Caution:

Be careful to avoid dropping the roll paper holder when lifting the printer. Only the printer’s weight holds it in place.

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

4. Cut the leading edge of the roll paper straight across. Slide the roll paper holder shaft through the center of the paper roll.

5. Set the shaft and paper roll onto the roll paper holder. Orient the roll so that paper feeds from the bottom of the roll. Then turn on the printer.

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6. Bring the leading edge of the paper up over the paper path guide for single sheets and insert it into the printer path for single sheets until you feel resistance.

7. Install the paper guide. Slide the left edge guide to the center until it stops at the guide mark. Then slide the right edge guide to the opposite guide mark.

Color upgrade kit (LX-300+ only)

The optional color upgrade kit (C83208✽) includes a color ribbon

cartridge and a motor unit.

Follow these steps to install the kit:

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1. Turn off the printer and remove the printer cover and paper tension unit. Slide the connector cover on the printer and pull it out as shown below.

2. Install the motor unit in the right hand corner of the printer, with the gear facing the center of the printer. Push it down firmly to fit the metal pins into the slots.

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3. Insert the motor unit plug into the connector on the printer.

4. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer; then slide the plastic part on the color ribbon to the center of the cartridge.

5. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon.

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6. Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then press both sides of the cartridge firmly to fit the plastic hooks into the printer slots.

7. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place; it should not be twisted or creased.

8. Replace the paper tension unit and printer cover.

After you install the color ribbon cartridge, run the self test as described in “Printing a Self Test” on page 100.

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If the top or bottom edge of the characters in the self test are a different color from the rest, adjust the ribbon angle. Check the characters printed in red. If the top edge is blue, move the color ribbon adjustment lever forwards. If the bottom edge is yellow, move the lever backwards. Then print another self test to check your adjustment. Repeat this process until the ribbon is properly adjusted.

Note:

When you print using the color ribbon, the print speed is reduced.

To switch to the black ribbon, remove the color ribbon as shown in the manual that comes with the optional color upgrade kit; then install the black ribbon as described in “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 61.

Print server

You can use this printer as a network printer by installing the

EpsonNet 10/100 BASE TX Ext. Print Server (C82378✽) in the

printer’s parallel interface port. See the Administrator’s Manual packaged with this option for instructions on installation and use.

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Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge

Genuine EPSON ribbon cartridge

When printing becomes faint, you need to replace the ribbon cartridge. Genuine EPSON ribbon cartridges are designed and manufactured to work properly with your EPSON printer. They ensure proper operation and long life of the print head and other printer parts. Other products not manufactured by EPSON may cause damage to your printer, which is not covered by EPSON’s warranties.

Your printer uses the following ribbon cartridge:

Replacing the ribbon cartridge

Follow these steps to install or replace the ribbon cartridge:

1. Make sure the printer is turn off.

Warning:

If you have just used the printer, the print head may be hot; let it cool for a few minutes before replacing the ribbon carttidge.

EPSON black ribbon cartridge (for LX-300+): #8750

EPSON black ribbon cartridge (for LX-1170): #8755

EPSON color ribbon cartridge (for LX-300+): S015073

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2. Open the printer cover to the upright position, then pull it up to remove it.

3. For LX-1170 users, remove the paper tension unit by squeezing the tension unit’s lock tabs gently and pull the tension unit away from the printer.

4. Make sure that the print head is in position at 10 cm (4 inches) from the left side. Then remove the ribbon cartridge from the printer.

5. Remove the new ribbon cartridge from its package.

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6. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack from the ribbon so it is easier to install.

7. Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then press both sides of the cartridge firmly to fit the plastic hooks into the printer slots.

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8. Use a pointed object, such as a ball point pen, to guide the ribbon between the print head and ribbon guide. Turn the ribbon tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place; it should not be twisted or creased.

9. For LX-1170 users, reinstall the paper tension unit.

10. Reinstall and close the printer cover.

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Chapter 2

Using the Printer Software

Using the Printer Driver with Windows Me, 98, and 95 . . . . . . . . 67

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 67

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu . . . . . . . . . 69

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Using the Printer Driver with Windows 3.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 70

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . . . 71

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Using the Printer Driver with Windows 2000 and NT 4.0 . . . . . . . 72

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 73

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu . . . . . . . . . 75

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Using the Printer Driver with Windows NT 3.5x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 77

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel . . . . . . . 78

Changing the printer driver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Printer Driver Settings Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

About the EPSON Status Monitor 3 Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Accessing EPSON Status Monitor 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Using the EPSON Remote! Utility

(LX-300+ only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Installing EPSON Remote!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Accessing EPSON Remote! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

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Using the Printer Driver with Windows Me, 98, and 95

You can access the printer driver from your Windows applications or from the Start menu.

When you access the printer driver from a Windows application, any settings you make apply only to the application you are using. When you access the printer driver from the Start menu, the printer driver settings you make apply to all your applications.

To check and change printer driver settings, see “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 68.

Note:

❏ The screen shots in the following section are from LX-300+. For

LX-1170 users, substitute LX-1170 for the model name in the screen shots. The instructions are the same.

❏ While many Windows applications override the settings made with

the printer driver, some do not, so you must verify that the printer driver settings match your requirements.

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from a Windows application:

Note:

The steps given in this procedure provide general guidelines on accessing the printer driver. How you access the printer driver may differ depending on your application. See your application manual for details.

1. Select Print Setup or Print from the File menu of your application software. The Print or Print Setup dialog box appears.

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2. Make sure that your printer is selected and then click Printer, Setup, Properties, or Options. (You may need to click a combination of these buttons.) The Properties window appears, and you see the Paper, Graphics, and Device Options menu. These menus contain the printer driver settings.

3. To view a menu, click the corresponding tab at the top of the window. See Changing the printer driver settings below to change the settings.

Note:

To access the printer driver from the Start menu, click Start - Settings Printers to open the Printer Window. Right-click the Printer icon and click Properties.

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from the Start menu:

1. Click the Start button, and then point to Settings.

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2. Click Printers.

3. Right-click your printer icon, and click Properties. The screen displays the Properties window, which contains the paper, Graphics, Device Options, and Utility menus. These menus display the printer driver settings.

4. To view a menu, click the corresponding tab at the top of the window. See the next section to change the settings.

Changing the printer driver settings

Your printer driver has four menus: Paper, Graphics, Device Options, and Utility. For an overview of the available settings, see “Printer Driver Settings Overview” on page 78. You can also view online help by right-clicking items in the driver and selecting What’s this?.

When you finish making printer driver settings, click OK to apply the settings, or click Restore Defaults to return the settings to their default values.

Once you have checked your printer driver settings and made any necessary changes, you are ready to print.

Using the Printer Driver with Windows 3.1

Printer software for Windows 3.1 is only available for LX-300+.

You can access the printer driver from your Windows applications or from the Control Panel.

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When you access the printer driver from a Windows application, any settings you make apply only to the application you are using. When you access the printer driver from the Control Panel, the printer driver settings you make apply to all your applications.

To check and change printer driver settings, see “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 71.

Note:

While many Windows applications override the settings made with the printer driver, some do not, so you must verify that the printer driver settings match your requirements.

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from a Windows application:

Note:

The steps in this procedure provide general guidelines on accessing the printer driver. How you access the printer driver may differ depending on your application. See your application manual for details.

1. Select Print Setup or Print from the File menu of your application software. The Print or Print Setup dialog box appears. See “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 71 for detailed information about the settings in this dialog box.

2. Make sure that your printer is selected and then click Printer, Setup, or Options. (You may need to click a combination of these buttons.) The Options dialog box appears. See “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 71 to change the settings.

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Note:

To access the printer driver from the Control Panel, in the Main window, double-click the Control Panel icon, then the Printer icon. Make sure your printer is highlighted, then click Setup.

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from the Control Panel:

1. In the Main window, double-click the Control Panel icon.

2. Double-click the Printers icon. The Printers dialog box appears.

3. Make sure your printer is highlighted, then click Setup. The Print Setup dialog box appears. To access more settings, you may need to click Options. See the next section to change the settings.

Changing the printer driver settings

You can change printer driver settings in the Print (or Print Setup) dialog box and the Options dialog box. For an overview of the available settings, see “Printer Driver Settings Overview” on page

78.

When you finish making your printer driver settings, click OK to apply the settings, or click Cancel to cancel your changes.

Once you have checked your printer driver settings and changed them if necessary, you are ready to print.

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Changing the printer driver settings

78.

When you finish making your printer driver settings, click OK to apply the settings, or click Cancel to cancel your changes.

Once you have checked your printer driver settings and changed them if necessary, you are ready to print.

Using the Printer Driver with Windows 2000 and NT

4.0

You can access the printer driver from your Windows applications or from the Start menu.

To check and change printer driver settings, see “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 75.

Note:

❏ The screen shots in the next section are from LX-300+. For LX-1170

users, substitute LX-1170 for the model name in the screen shots. The instructions are the same.

❏ While many Windows applications override the settings made with

the printer driver, some do not, so you must verify that the printer driver settings match your requirements.

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Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from a Windows application:

Note:

❏ The steps in this procedure provide general guidelines on accessing

the printer driver. How you access the printer driver may differ depending on your application. See your application manual for details.

❏ The screen shots in the following section are from the Windows

NT 4.0 operating system. They may vary in appearance from what actually appears on your screen; however, the instructions are the same.

1. Select Print Setup or Print from the File menu of your application software. The Print or Print Setup dialog box appears.

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2. Make sure that your printer is selected and then click Printer, Setup, Properties, or Options. (You may need to click a combination of these buttons.) The Document Properties window appears, and you see the Page Setup and Advanced menus. These menus contain the printer driver settings.

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3. To view a menu, click the corresponding tab at the top of the window. See Changing the printer driver settings below to change the settings.

Note:

To access the printer driver from the Start menu, click Start - Settigs Printers to oprn the Printer Window. Right-click the Printer icon and click Document Defaults.

Accessing the printer driver from the Start menu

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from the Start menu:

Note:

The screen shots used in this procedure are from the Windows NT 4.0 operating system. They may vary in appearance from what actually appears on your screen, however, the instructions are the same.

1. Click the Start button, and then point to Settings.

2. Click Printers.

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3. Right-click your printer icon, and click Document Defaults. The screen displays the Default Document Properties window, which contains the Page Setup and Advanced menus. These menus display the printer driver settings.

When you click Properties, the printer software window appears, which includes menus used to make the printer driver settings.

4. To view a menu, click the corresponding tab at the top of the window. See the next section to change the settings.

Changing the printer driver settings

Your printer driver has two menus from which you can change the printer driver settings; Page Setup and Advanced. You can also change settings on the Utility menu in the printer driver. For an overview of the available settings, see “Printer Driver Settings Overview” on page 78. You can also view online help by right-clicking items in the driver and selecting What’s this?.

When you finish making your printer driver settings, click OK to apply the settings, or click Cancel to cancel your changes.

Once you have checked your printer driver settings and changed them if necessary, you are ready to print.

Using the Printer Driver with Windows NT 3.5x

Printer software for Windows NT 3.5x is only provided for LX-300+.

You can access the printer driver from your Windows applications or from the Control Panel.

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To check and change printer driver settings, see “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 78.

Note:

While many Windows applications override the settings made with the printer driver, some do not, so you must verify that the printer driver settings match your requirements.

Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from a Windows application:

Note:

1. Select Print Setup or Print from the File menu of your application software. The Print or Print Setup dialog box appears.

2. Make sure that your printer is selected and then click Printer, Setup, Properties, or Options. (You may need to click a combination of these buttons.) The screen displays the Document Properties dialog box, which contains the Form and Orientation printer driver settings. See “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 78 to change the settings.

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3. Click Options (or a similar button) to view the Advanced Document Properties dialog box, which includes the Graphics Resolution, Color, and Optimizations printer driver settings. See “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 78 to change the settings.

Note:

To acccess the printer driver from the Control Panel, in the Main window, open Print Manager and make sure your printer is highlighted, then click Printer - Properties. Then click Details - Job Default.

Accessing the printer driver from the Control Panel

Follow these steps to access the printer driver from the Control Panel:

1. In the Main window, double-click the Print Manager icon. The Print Manager window opens.

2. Make sure your printer is highlighted, then click Printer and select Properties. The Printer Properties dialog box appears.

3. Click the Details button, then click Job Default. You will see the Document Properties dialog box, which includes the Form and Orientation printer driver settings. See “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 78 below to change the settings.

4. Click Options to open the Advanced Document Properties dialog box, which contains the Graphics Resolution, Color, and Optimizations printer driver settings. See “Changing the printer driver settings” on page 78 below to change the settings.

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Changing the printer driver settings

You can change printer driver settings in the Document Properties dialog box and the Advanced Document Properties dialog box. For an overview of the available settings, see “Printer Driver Settings Overview” on page 78. To open these dialog boxes, see the previous sections on accessing the printer driver.

When you finish making your printer driver settings, click OK to apply the settings, or click Cancel to cancel your changes.

Once you have checked your printer driver settings and changed them if necessary, you are ready to print.

Printer Driver Settings Overview

The following tables show the Windows printer driver settings. Note that not every setting is available in all versions of Windows.

The printer settings are shown below.

Settings Explanations

Paper size Select the size of the paper you want to use. If you do not see

your paper size, use the scroll bar to scroll through the list. If your paper size is not included in the list, click Custom or User Defined Size and enter the paper size in the dialog box that appears.

Orientation Select Portrait or Landscape.

Paper Source Select the paper source you want to use.

Resolution/ Graphics Resolution

Select the printing resolution you want. The higher the resolution you select, the more detailed your printout will be; however, increasing the resolution slows printing. If you are using Windows 3.1, this option is only available from the Control Panel.

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The monitoring settings are shown below.

Dithering You can leave this option set to Fine, which is the default setting,

or select another dithering pattern depending on the kind of printout you want.

Intensity/ Intensity Control

Move the slider to make your printout lighter or darker.

Color (LX-300+ only)

The printer will print in color when there is a checkmark in this check box. If you want to print in monochrome or gray scale, remove the checkmark.

Print quality Select a print quality option from the Print quality list.

If you turn on Hi-speed, you will enter bi-directional printing mode and printing speed will increase. Turning Hi-speed off will return the printer to uni-directional printing mode. Printing speed will decrease, but printing precision will improve. Printing with the default settings uses the settings stored in the printer.

EPSON Status Monitor 3

You can access the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility when you click this button. To monitor the printer, make sure the Monitor the printing status check box is selected.

Monitoring Preferences

Click this button to open the Monitoring Preferences dialog box where you can make settings for the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility.

Paper/Output Check the Paper Size, Orientation, and Paper Source settings

you made on the Page Setup menu and change them if necessary. Select the setting and then choose an option from the Change Setting list box.

Halftone Click this button to set the brightness and contrast, input the

RGB gamma, or make other settings. The Halftone Color Adjustment dialog box appears. For details, click the Help button in this dialog box.

Settings Explanations

EPSON Status Monitor 3

You can access the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility when you click this button. To monitor the printer, make sure the Monitor the printing status check box is selected.

Settings Explanations

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About the EPSON Status Monitor 3 Utility

The EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility that comes with your printer is available for Windows Me, 98, 95, 2000 or NT 4.0. It allows you to monitor your printer’s status, alerts you when printer errors occur, and provides troubleshooting instructions when needed.

The EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility is available only when:

❏ The printer is connected directly to the host computer via the

parallel port [LPT1].

❏ Your system is configured to support bidirectional

communication.

The EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility is installed when you install the printer driver as described in your Setup Guide.

Note:

If you install the driver using Add Printer in the Printers folder, or using the “Point and Print” method, EPSON Status Monitor 3 may not function properly. If you want to use EPSON Status Monitor 3, reinstall the driver as described in your Setup Guide.

Before using the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility, be sure to read the README file on the driver disk. This file contains the latest information on the utility.

Monitoring Preferences

Click this button to open the Monitoring Preferences dialog box where you can make settings for the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility. For more information, see “Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3” on page 81.

Settings Explanations

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Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3

Follow these steps to setup EPSON Status Monitor 3:

1. Open the Utility menu as described in “Using the Printer Driver with Windows Me, 98, and 95” on page 66 or “Using the Printer Driver with Windows 2000 and NT 4.0” on page

71.

2. Click the Monitoring Preferences button. The Monitoring Preferences dialog box appears.

3. The following settings are available:

Select Notification Displays the error item check box ON/OFF status.

Turn on this check box to display the selected error notification.

Select Shortcut icon The selected icon is displayed in the system tray on the

taskbar on the PC screen. The setting’s example is shown on the right window. By clicking the shortcut icon, you can access the Monitoring Preferences dialog box easily.

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Note:

Click the Default button to revert all items to the default settings.

Accessing EPSON Status Monitor 3

To access the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility:

❏ Double-click the printer-shaped shortcut icon on the taskbar.

To add a shortcut icon to the taskbar, go to the Utility menu and follow the instruction.

❏ Open the Utility menu, then click the EPSON Status Monitor 3

icon. To find out how to open the Utility menu, See “Using the Printer Driver with Windows Me, 98, and 95” on page 66 or “Using the Printer Driver with Windows 2000 and NT 4.0” on page 71.

When you access the EPSON Status Monitor 3 utility as described above, the following printer status window appears.

You can view printer status information in this window.

Receive error notification for shared printers

Error notification for a shared printer can be received when this check box is selected.

Allow monitoring of shared printers

When this check box is selected, a shared printer can be monitored by other PCs.

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Using the EPSON Remote! Utility (LX-300+ only)

The EPSON Remote! utility allows you to easily change the printer’s default settings from your computer’s DOS prompt.

Installing EPSON Remote!

Follow these steps to install the EPSON Remote! utility:

1. Insert the printer software CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

2. At the DOS prompt, type D:\SETUP. (If you inserted the disk into a drive other than drive “D,” substitute “D” with the appropriate letter.) Then press Enter.

3. Select your printer’s name in the Printer Model window and then press Enter. C:\EPUTIL appears as the default directory.

4. Press Enter again. The EPSON Remote! utility is copied to the C:\EPUTIL directory.

Accessing EPSON Remote!

To access the EPSON Remote! utility, type C:\PRNSET at the DOS prompt and press Enter. Then follow the on-screen instructions to use this utility. You can also access the EPSON Remote! utility by typing C:\PANEL at the DOS prompt and then pressing Enter. The PRNSET and PANEL access methods differ slightly. The PANEL method opens a condensed version of EPSON Remote! that only provides the most often used settings.

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Chapter 3

Troubleshooting

Using the Error Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Paper Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Printing a Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

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Using the Error Indicators

You can identify many common printer problems using the lights on the control panel. If your printer stops working and one or more control panel lights are on or flashing or the printer beeps, use the following table to diagnose and fix the problem. If you cannot fix your problem using this table, go to the next section.

Panel light state

Beep pattern

Problem

Solution

n Pause – The printer is paused.

Press the Pause button to resume printing.

••••• Paper from another paper source is currently in the paper path.

Move the paper-release lever back to the appropriate position and press the Load/Eject button to clear the paper from the paper path. Then set the lever to the position you want to use. Press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

n Paper Out n Pause

••• No paper is loaded in the selected paper source.

Load paper in the printer. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

••• The paper is not loaded correctly.

Remove your paper and reload it. See “Printing on Continuous Paper” on page 24 for instructions on loading paper. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

••• Paper is jammed in the printer.

Turn off the printer, open the printer cover, tear off the paper supply and turn the paper-feed knob to eject the remaining paper.

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n = on, f = flashing

•••= short series of beeps (three beeps)

•••••= long series of beeps (five beeps)

Note:

The printer beeps once if you press a control panel button when the corresponding function is not available.

f Paper Out n Pause

••• Continuous paper is not fed back to the standby position.

Tear off the printed document at the perforation; then press the Load/Eject button. The printer feeds the paper to the standby position. Press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

••• A single sheet of paper is not fully ejected.

Press the Load/Eject button to eject the sheet. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

••• Paper is jammed in the printer.

Clear the paper jam as described in the previous page.

f Pause – The print head is overheated.

Wait a few minutes; the printer resumes printing automatically once the print head has cooled.

f All the lights on the control panel

••••• An unknown printer error has occurred.

Turn off the printer and leave it off for several minutes; then turn on the printer again. If the error recurs, contact your dealer.

Panel light state

Beep pattern

Problem

Solution

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Problems and Solutions

Most problems you may encounter while operating your printer have simple solutions.

You can check the operation of your printer using the self test. See “Printing a Self Test” on page 100. If the self test works properly the problem probably lies in the computer, the application software, or the interface cable. If the self test does not work, contact your dealer or a qualified service person for assistance.

Note:

If you are an experienced user or a programmer, you can print a hexadecimal dump to isolate communication problems between the printer and computer. To print a hex dump, turn off the printer. Next, hold down the Load/Eject and LF/FF buttons while you turn on the printer. Then send data from your computer. The printer prints all the codes it receives in hexadecimal format.

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Power Supply

Power is not being supplied

Printing

The printer does not print

The lights on the control panel do not go on.

Cause What to do

The power cord may be unplugged.

Check that the power cord is properly plugged into the electrical outlet.

The outlet may not be operating.

If the electrical outlet is controlled by an outside switch or automatic timer, use a different outlet. Plug another electrical device, such as a lamp, into the outlet to determine whether the outlet is operating properly.

The lights come on briefly and then go off. The lights stay off even when the power is turned on again.

Cause What to do

The voltage ratings of the printer and electrical outlet may not match.

Check that the printer’s voltage rating matches the voltage of your electrical outlet. If the voltages do not match, unplug the printer and contact your dealer immediately. Do not reconnect the power cord to an electrical outlet.

The PAUSE light is off but nothing is printed.

Cause What to do

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The software may not be installed properly.

Check that the software is installed properly for your printer, as described in your Setup Guide. Check the software’s printer settings.

The interface cable may not match the specifications of the printer or computer.

Check both ends of the interface cable. Make sure the cable meets both the printer and computer specifications.

The Paper Out light is on and the printer beeps three times.

Cause What to do

The printer may be out of paper.

Load paper in the printer.

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

Cause What to do

The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly.

See your Setup Guide.

The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge.

The printer makes a strange noise, the beeper sounds five times, and the printer stops abruptly.

Cause What to do

The paper or ribbon may be jammed.

Turn off the printer and check for a paper jam, a ribbon jam or other problems.

The printer may have overheated.

Let the printer cool. Then try to print again. If the printer still does not print correctly contact your dealer.

The beeper sounds five times and the PAUSE light comes on.

Cause What to do

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An error has occurred. Turn off the printer and turn it on again.

If the PAUSE light stays on, check for a paper jam or ribbon jam. If there is no jam, contact your dealer or a qualified service person. (If an error occurs when you switch between single sheets and continuous paper, make sure the paper-release lever is in the correct position.)

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The print is faint or uneven

Dots are missing in printed characters or graphics

Printed characters are not what you expected

Printed characters have parts missing at the bottom.

Cause What to do

The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly.

See “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 61.

The printout is faint.

Cause What to do

The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge as

described in “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 61.

A line of dots is missing in the printout.

Cause What to do

The print head is damaged. Stop printing and contact your dealer to

have the print head replaced.

Dots are missing in random positions.

Cause What to do

Either there is too much slack in the ribbon or the ribbon has come loose.

Reinstall the ribbon cartridge as described in “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 61.

The typestyles or characters you sent with your software did not print.

Cause What to do

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92 Troubleshooting

The software may not be properly configured.

Check that the software is correctly configured for your printer. For instructions, see Chapter 2, “Using the Printer Software.”

The font selected on the control panel does not print.

Cause What to do

Your software may be overriding your control panel setting.

Check the font setting in your application software.

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Troubleshooting 93

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The print position is not what you expected

Paper Handling

Single sheets do not feed properly

Printing starts too high or too low on the page, or the bottom part of one page is printed at the top of the next page.

Cause What to do

Your application software settings may be incorrect.

Check the margin or top-of-form position setting in your application software.

Page length does not match the length of the paper.

Cause What to do

The page length setting in your application may be incorrect.

Check the page length set by your application software and adjust it if necessary.

The printer’s page length setting for the tractor may not match the size of the continuous paper you are using.

Check Page length for tractor if the printer’s default settings. See “About Your Printer’s Default Settings” on page

16.

Regular gaps occur in the printout.

Cause What to do

One-inch skip-over-perforation may be set.

Set skip-over-perforation to off in the Default Setting mode. See “About Your Printer’s Default Settings” on page 16.

Paper does not feed.

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94 Troubleshooting

Cause What to do

Continuous paper may be left in the printer.

Remove the continuous paper. Set the paper-release lever to the single-sheet position. Insert a new sheet. The paper on the paper guide is positioned too for to the left or right for the peinter to to detect that it is there. Move the paper (and the edge guides)a little to the left or right.

Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams.

Cause What to do

The paper was not fed correctly or is of the wrong type.

Turn off the printer and pull out the paper. Insert a new sheet straight into the paper guide. Make sure you’re using the right type of paper. See the paper specifications under “Printer Specifications” on page 107.

Paper does not eject completely.

Cause What to do

Press the LF/FF button to eject the page. The paper may be too long.

Use paper that is within the specified range. See the paper specifications under “Printer Specifications” on page

107.

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Continuous paper does not feed properly

The tractor does not feed the paper.

Cause What to do

The paper-release lever may be in the wrong position.

Check that the paper-release lever is pulled forward to the continuous-paper position. If not, turn off the printer, move the lever, and turn it on again.

The paper may have come off the tractor.

Reattach the paper to the tractor.

Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams.

Cause What to do

The paper supply is obstructed.

Make sure the paper supply is not obstructed by a cable or some other object.

The paper supply is too for away from the printer.

Make sure that your paper supply is within 1 meter (3 feet) of the printer.

The printer cover may be opened. Close the printer cover.

The edge guide positions may be incirrect.

The holes on the sides of the paper are misaligned.

Check that the holes on the sides of the paper are aligned with each other. Also make sure the sprocket units are locked and their covers are closed.

Your paper may be the wrong size or thickness for the printer.

Make sure that the paper size and thickeness are within the specified ranges. See “Paper” on page 112 for information on the continuous paper specifications.

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96 Troubleshooting

When you use side-crimped multipart forms, the copies may not align with the original.

Raise the paper guide to keep the printing position accurate.

The paper does not eject properly.

Cause What to do

The page may be too long. Tear off the fresh supply of paper and

eject the page from the printer. Use only paper that is within the specified length range described under “Printer Specifications” on page 107.

When you switch between single sheets and continuous paper, the beeper sounds five times and the PAUSE light comes on.

Cause What to do

You may have tried to change the paper-release lever position while paper remained in the printer.

Return the paper-release lever to the previous position and eject the paper. Then change the paper-release lever position.

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Options

When you use the cut-sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly

The paper does not feed.

Cause What to do

The cut-sheet feeder may be incorrectly installed on the printer.

Reinstall it as described under “Cut-sheet feeder” on page 47.

The paper-release lever may be in the wrong position.

Check that the paper-release lever is pushed back to the single-sheet position.

You may have loaded too many sheets in the bin.

Remove some sheets. See Paper for information on the types and quantity of paper that can be loaded with the cut-sheet feeder.

Paper may be jammed near the print head.

Look for a paper jam.

The edge guide positions may be incorrect.

Position the edge guides at the diamond-shaped guide marks.

There may be only one sheet left in the bin.

Add more paper.

Two or more sheets feed at one time.

Cause What to do

You may have loaded too many sheets in the bin.

Remove some sheets. See “Paper” on page 112 for information on the types and quantity of paper that can be loaded with the cut-sheet feeder.

You may have forgotten to fan the stack of paper before loading it into the bin.

Remove the paper and fan it.

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98 Troubleshooting

The paper feed is crooked.

Cause What to do

The paper may be old or creased.

Use only new, clean sheets of paper.

There may be too much paper in the stacker.

Remove some sheets.

You may not be using the right type of paper for the cut-sheet feeder. For example, your paper may be too heavy or too light.

Make sure your paper meets the requirements of your printer and cut-sheet feeder. See “Paper” on page 112 for information on the paper specifications.

One page of printing has spread to two pages.

Cause What to do

Your application software settings may be incorrect.

Check that the page-length setting and lines-per-page setting in your application software are correct.

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Switching between the cut-sheet feeder and the push tractor does not work properly

Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed properly

With the color upgrade kit installed, the printer does not operate properly (LX-300+ only)

The desired paper type does not load.

Cause What to do

The paper-release lever may not be in the proper position.

Pull the lever forward to load continuous paper or push the lever back to load single sheets.

Paper feed is crooked or the paper jams.

Cause What to do

The pull tractor and push tractor sprockets are not aligned correctly.

When using both tractors, be sure that the sprockets on both are positioned evenly.

The paper may have too much slack.

Adjust the position of the sprockets to take up any slack along the width of the paper. Remove slack lengthwise by rotating the paper-feed knob.

The paper may be caught on the edge guides.

Make sure that the paper guide is installed over the paper and that the edge guides are positioned correctly.

The lights on the control panel do not go on.

Cause What to do

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100 Troubleshooting

Printing a Self Test

Running the printer’s self test helps you determine whether the printer or the computer is causing the problem:

❏ If the self test results are satisfactory, the printer is working

properly and the problem is probably caused by your printer driver settings, application settings, computer, or interface cable. (Be sure to use a shielded interface cable.)

❏ If the self test does not print properly, there is a problem with

the printer. See “Problems and Solutions” on page 87 for possible causes and solutions to the problem.

You can print the self test using either single sheets or continuous paper. See “Printing on Continuous Paper” on page 24 or “Printing on Single Sheets” on page 40 for paper-loading instructions.

You may not install the motor in the color upgrade kit.

Follow the instructions under “Color upgrade kit (LX-300+ only)” on page 56.

The desired color or certain characters are not printed.

Cause What to do

Your application software may not be properly set up for color printing.

Use the program’s setup (or install) procedure to check the printer setting and adjust as needed. If your application software is capable of sending control codes, select the color using the ESC r command. (See “Command Lists” on page 122.)

The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly.

See “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 61.