Epson Stylus 1280 Basic manual

EPSON Stylus Photo 1280

Printer Basics

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 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.

A Note Concerning Responsible Use of Copyrighted Materials

Digital cameras and scanners, like photocopiers, conventional cameras, and ink jet printers, can be misused by improper copying and reprinting of copyrighted material. While some countries’ laws permit limited copying of copyrighted material in certain circumstances, those circumstances may not be as broad as some people assume. EPSON encourages each user to be responsible and respectful of the copyright laws when using digital cameras, scanners, and ink jet printers.

Trademarks

EPSON, EPSON Stylus, EPSON Photo Stickers, and MicroWeave are registered trademarks, and PRINT Image Matching is a trademark of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

EPSON Print Lab, EPSON PhotoCenter, EPSON Connection, and EPSON Store are service marks, and ColorLife, EPSON Software, PhotoEnhance, and BorderFree are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.

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.

NERGY STAR emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.

The E

Printed in USA.

Printed on recycled paper.

CPD-15633

WELCOME! 1

PRINT Image Matching and Exif Print 1

About PRINT Image Matching 1

About Exif Print 2 About Your Software 2 About Your Documentation 4

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips 4

Viewing Your On-Screen Reference Guide 4

LOADING PAPER 7

Loading Sheets 7 Loading Envelopes 8 Loading Roll Paper 10

If the Roll Paper Jams or Feeds Incorrectly 13

Removing and Storing Roll Paper 14

PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH 15

Basic Printing in Windows 16

Selecting the Settings You Use Most Often 18 Basic Printing on a Macintosh 19

Printing with OS 8.5.1 to 9.x 19

Printing with OS X 21 Customizing Your Print Settings 25

Customizing Windows Print Settings 25

Customizing Macintosh Print Settings 29 Selecting the Correct Media Type 32

iii

Printing BorderFree Photos 33

BorderFree Printing with Windows 33

BorderFree Printing with Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x 34 PRINT Image Matching and Exif Print 34

Using Film Factory 35

Using the P.I.M. II Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop 39

MAINTAINING YOUR PRINTER 43

Cleaning the Print Head 43

Running the Head Cleaning Utility 44

Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern 45 Replacing an Ink Cartridge 45

Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges 46 Aligning the Print Head 49 Cleaning the Printer 51 Transporting the Printer 52

PROBLEM SOLVING 53

Identifying Printer Parts 54 Diagnosing Printer Problems 55

Checking the Control Panel Lights 55

Running a Printer Check 57 Problems and Solutions 58

Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Software 58

Printing Problems 59

Print Quality Problems 60

Problems with Paper Feeding 63

Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems 64

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Printer Software 65

Windows 65

Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x 66 Where To Get Help 67

Photo Software Technical Support 68

NOTICES 69

Windows System Requirements 69 Macintosh System Requirements 70 ENERGY STAR Compliance 70 Important Safety Instructions 71

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions 72 FCC Compliance Statement 73 Declaration of Conformity 74 Epson America, Inc. Limited Warranty 75

INDEX 77

Welcome!

Your EPSON Stylus® Photo printer delivers state-of-the-art print quality for both professional and home office users. With resolutions up to 2880 × 720 dpi, it’s the ideal output device for everything from exhibition prints to family photos. You can print edge-to-edge, borderless prints on a variety of roll paper sizes, or on single sheets of special EPSON® photo papers available in popular print sizes.

PRINT Image Matching and Exif Print

Your EPSON Stylus 1280 printer supports both digital image formats to give you the best photo prints possible.

■ PRINT Image Matching

■ Exif Print

™

(both P.I.M. and P.I.M. II)

About PRINT Image Matching

EPSON’s revolutionary PRINT Image Matching (P.I.M.) technology lets your digital camera and printer work together automatically to produce the best prints possible. Digital camera manufacturers that support PRINT Image Matching include EPSON, Casio,® JVC,® Konica,® Kyocera,® Minolta,® Nikon,® Olympus,® Panasonic,® Pentax,® Ricoh,® Sanyo,® and Toshiba.® Go to www.printimagematching.com to see if your camera supports PRINT Image Matching.

Even if your camera doesn’t include PRINT Image Matching technology, your EPSON Stylus Photo 1280 still gives great photo printing results. You just won’t have the automatic adjustments that P.I.M. provides.

With PRINT Image Matching, the digital camera manufacturer can set specific printing options for each camera model. These options include:

■ Contrast, sharpness, and brightness

■ Gamma level, color space, and color saturation

■ Shadow point, highlight point, and color balance

The camera saves this information in each image file. Your printer—along with EPSON Software™ Film Factory™ and P.I.M. II Plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®— uses the information to ensure the most accurate image reproduction.

About Exif Print

The Exif (Exchangeable Image File) Print format includes information about your digital camera settings in JPEG files so your printer and application can use the data to create accurate print settings. Most digital cameras store Exif Print information such as shutter speed, metering, flash, exposure settings, resolution, and lens use in the JPEG image file. Your printer—along with EPSON Software Film Factory and the P.I.M. II Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop—uses the information to ensure the most accurate image reproduction.

About Your Software

The printer software CD-ROM that came with your printer includes all the software you need for printing. (You must have a CD-ROM or DVD drive installed on your computer.)

■ Your printer driver runs your printer and lets you control how your documents

look. You can’t use your printer without it.

Note: It’s a good idea to check EPSON’s support web site periodically for

possible updates to your printer driver. Visit http://support.epson.com and check

the section for your product to see if there is a new driver available, free of

charge, for downloading to your computer. Download instructions are posted for

your convenience.

■ Your bonus photo software includes these applications:

EPSON Software Film Factory

Photo management software that lets you organize, beautify, and print your photos in a flash. Supports PRINT Image Matching (both P.I.M. and P.I.M. II) and Exif Print.

Adobe Photoshop Elements (Windows® XP, 98, Me, 2000, and NT 4.0, and Macintosh® OS 8.6 or later)

Offers unique features designed specifically for amateur photographers, hobbyists, and business users who want an easy-to-use yet powerful digital imaging solution.

Adobe Photoshop LE (Windows 95 and Macintosh OS 8.5x)

Your gateway to the Photoshop experience, Adobe Photoshop Limited Edition provides a basic set of the image-editing tools preferred by graphic design professionals.

P.I.M. II Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop (Windows® XP, 98, Me, 2000, and NT 4.0, and Macintosh® OS 8.6 or later)

Lets you retain PRINT Image Matching and Exif Print image quality when you import JPEG or TIFF files from your P.I.M., P.I.M. II, or Exif Print-enabled digital camera. (Works with Photoshop 6.0 and 7.0, and Photoshop Elements 1.0 and 2.0.)

Monaco Systems

™

MonacoEZcolor

™

software offer (Windows

XP, 98, Me, and 2000, and Macintosh OS 8.6 or later)

Lets you build ICC device profiles for accurate color between scanned, displayed, and printed images. Your printer CD-ROM contains a demo version of the software.

EPSON PhotoCenter is EPSON’s free photo-sharing web site where you can store, organize, and share your photos; print high-resolution photos straight from the web; and order prints and custom photo gifts. Your printer software installer lets you add a link to the EPSON PhotoCenter on your desktop.

About Your Documentation

To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here sheet. This book contains system requirements, important safety information, and instructions on:

■ Viewing your on-screen Reference Guide

■ Printing with Windows or on a Macintosh

■ Maintaining the printer

■ Solving basic problems

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Please follow these guidelines:

Warning: Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

Caution: Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

Note: Notes contain important information about your printer.

Tip: Tips contain additional hints for better printing.

Viewing Your On-Screen Reference Guide

Your printer software CD-ROM includes an on-screen Reference Guide for your printer. The manual is in HTML format, so you need a browser—such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or later or Netscape Navigator™ 3.0 or later—to view it. If you are using a different browser, the pages may not display correctly. (A browser is not included on the printer software CD-ROM.)

Follow these steps to copy the Reference Guide to your computer:

1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM.

2. Windows: (If you’re using Windows XP, first click Start.) Double-click My

Computer

, double-click your CD-ROM or DVD drive icon, then

double-click the EPSON icon.

Macintosh: Double-click the EPSON icon in your CD-ROM window. (You

may have to double-click the EPSON icon on your desktop first.)

3. On the Install Menu, click Install Reference Guide.

A shortcut icon for your guide appears on your desktop. To view the guide, just double-click the icon.

When you first open the Reference Guide, you see this screen:

Click here to expand the table of contents

Click a topic on the left to expand the table of contents. After expanding the table of contents, you can click on the topic you want to view.

If there’s a right arrow , click it to view subtopics, then click on a topic to go to it.

Click the down arrow to close a subtopic list.

Closed list, click to expand

Click to go to topic

Note: If you see an icon for a graphic when viewing your Reference Guide in

Netscape Navigator, click the Reload button to load the graphic.

Loading Paper

This chapter explains how to load plain paper and envelopes. It also describes how to load, remove, and store roll paper, and what to do if your roll paper jams or feeds incorrectly. For instructions on loading special media, see your on-screen Reference Guide.

Follow the instructions in these sections:

■ “Loading Sheets” below

■ “Loading Envelopes” on page 8

■ “Loading Roll Paper” on page 10

Loading Sheets

Make sure your printer and computer are turned on.

1. Place your paper against the right edge of the sheet feeder and slide the left edge

guide against the paper. (Don’t push the paper down into the feeder.)

2. Pull out the output tray extensions.

Slide the left edge guide against the paperDon’t load paper above

this arrow

Pull out the output tray extensions

Follow these guidelines when loading paper:

■ Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other side.

■ Always load the short edge first, even when printing in landscape mode.

■ Load letterhead or preprinted paper top edge first.

■ Load up to 20 sheets of EPSON Photo Paper, Glossy Photo Paper, or Matte

Paper Heavyweight.

■ Load EPSON Premium Glossy, Semigloss, and Luster Photo Paper one sheet

at a time.

■ Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.

Loading Envelopes

You can load up to 10 envelopes at a time, flap edge first and printable side up.

Tip: For best results, press each envelope flat before loading it, or load one

envelope at a time.

1. Place the envelopes against the right edge of the sheet feeder and slide the left edge

guide against them.

Load with the printable side up and the flap side down

2. Set your printer’s thickness lever to the + position. (Remember to move the

thickness lever back to the 0 position when you’re done printing envelopes.)

3. Select Plain paper as the Media Type setting and choose the correct envelope size

as the Paper Size setting. See page 16 (Windows), page 22 (Macintosh OS X), or

page 19 (Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x) for more information.

Loading Roll Paper

This procedure illustrates how to load 4-inch wide roll paper, but you can follow the same steps to load wider roll paper. Before you begin, turn on your computer and printer.

1. Remove the paper support and lower the output tray. Then insert the paper

support adapter into the positioning slots on the back of the printer, as shown.

(The down arrows on the adapter should be positioned above the slots.)

2. Set the roll paper onto the roll paper holders. Avoid touching the printable side of

the roll paper as much as possible.

3. Before loading the paper, make sure

the edge is cut cleanly—at a 90

degree angle in each corner—to

ensure proper loading. If necessary,

trim the edge using a straight-edge

tool or triangle.

Note: Make sure that the end of the roll paper is cut perpendicular to the edges. A

diagonal cut may cause paper feeding problems.

4. If necessary, uncurl the paper. Locate the uncurling sheet that came inside the

printer box. Insert the paper inside the uncurling sheet and roll it in the direction

opposite to the paper’s curl. (This step is especially important with roll paper that

is wider than 4 inches.)

5. Insert the tabs on the roll paper holders into the slots on the paper support

adapter. As you face the front of the printer, insert the tab on the right roll paper

holder into the slot at the right end of the adapter, and the tab on the left roll

paper holder into the appropriate slot to the left.

Slot at right end of the adapter

Note: It’s important to insert the tab on the right roll paper holder into the slot at

the right end of the adapter. Otherwise your roll paper won’t load correctly, and

you may see an error.

6. Feed the end of the paper into the printer as far as it will go, then slide the left

edge guide against the paper.

7. Gently rotate the roll backward to remove any slack from the paper.

8. Make sure the output tray is open but the extensions are closed, and leave ample

room at the front of the printer for your paper to eject smoothly.

9. Gently hold the paper in place as you press and release the z roll paper button to

feed the paper into the printer.

Note: Don’t force the paper to feed into the printer. Allow the paper to move

automatically.

Make sure to press the z roll paper button when you feed roll paper. Pressing the

maintenance button by mistake may cause paper feeding problems.

If the Roll Paper Jams or Feeds Incorrectly

If the paper feeds incorrectly, do the following:

1. Press the z roll paper button for three seconds to rewind the paper. (You may

have to do this more than once to rewind the paper completely.)

If the paper is jammed and won’t rewind, turn the printer off. Then cut the roll at

a point a few inches away from where it exits the printer. Make your cut as

straight as possible to avoid further feeding problems. Gently pull the roll

backward to rewind it, and then turn the printer on again.

2. After you rewind the paper, the b maintenance light comes on. Press the

b maintenance button to turn the light off.

3. Reload the paper, making sure the end is straight and not damaged. If necessary,

trim the end again before reloading.

Removing and Storing Roll Paper

When you finish a print job on roll paper, you can position the paper for another print job or remove it from the printer. Follow these steps:

1. Press the z roll paper button. The printer

prints a small line on the roll paper to show you

where to cut it and feeds the paper forward.

2. If you want to continue printing on roll paper,

press the z roll paper button again; the paper

feeds back into the printer. Then send the next

print job; the paper will move into the correct

loading position before printing.

If you’re finished printing on roll paper, follow

the rest of the steps to remove it.

3. Cut the roll paper on the side of the line facing away from the printer. Make your

cut as straight as possible to avoid feeding problems.

Note: Don’t pull on the paper as you cut it; you may damage your printout.

It’s a good idea to use a ruler or straight edge to make sure the end of the roll

paper is cut at right angles. A diagonal cut may cause paper feeding problems.

Roll paper button

4. Hold down the z roll paper button for about three seconds. The roll paper feeds

backward, so you can remove it from the sheet feeder. (You may need to repeat

this step to back it all the way out.)

5. Remove the roll paper from the holder and return the unused roll to its original

package.

Store your printout in a resealable plastic bag. Keep both printed and unused roll paper away from high temperatures and humidity and out of direct sunlight.

Note: After you rewind the roll paper, the b maintenance light remains on. You

must press the b maintenance button to turn the light off before you can resume

printing.

Printing from Start to Finish

Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a photograph or newsletter— from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling the print job.

Follow the instructions in these sections:

■ “Basic Printing in Windows” on page 16

■ “Basic Printing on a Macintosh” on page 19

■ “Customizing Your Print Settings” on page 25

■ “Selecting the Correct Media Type” on page 32

■ “Printing BorderFree Photos” on page 33

■ “PRINT Image Matching and Exif Print” on page 34

Basic Printing in Windows

This section describes the basic steps for printing with Windows. Make sure you have paper in the printer. After you create your document in a software program, follow these steps to print:

1. From the File menu, click Print. You see your application’s Print window (your

window may look slightly different):

Select your printer here

Click here to open your printer software

2. Make sure your EPSON Stylus Photo printer is selected.

3. Click Properties or Preferences. (If you see a Setup, Printer, or Options

button, click it. Then click Properties or Preferences on the next screen.)

Note: If you click the print icon on your application’s tool bar instead of selecting Print

from the File menu, you may not get the option to change the printer software

settings before printing.

You see your printer settings window.

4. Make the following settings:

■ Choose the Media Type for your paper. If you’re

not sure which setting to select, see page 32.

Select the type of paper you loaded

Select the Ink color

Select Automatic mode

Select higher-quality or faster printing

Click OK

■ For Ink, select Color to print a color document

or black and white photograph, or Black to print a grayscale or black text document.

■ Set the Mode to Automatic. It’s the easiest way

to get good printing results on all types of paper.

■ Set the slider in the Mode box to Quality or

Speed to select high-quality or faster printing. (The slider may not be

available for some Media Types.)

5. Click

OK to save your settings, return to the Print window, and print.

Note: For more information about printer settings, click the Help button. You can

also right-click any item on the screen and then click What’s This?.

After a moment, this window appears and shows the progress of your print job. You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart printing. You can also see how much ink you have left.

Click to cancel printing

Click to pause or resume

Does not appear if you are printing over a network

printing

Shows ink levels; the color of ink with the least amount left determines the level for all the colors shown

Selecting the Settings You Use Most Often

Your printer settings apply only to the program you’re currently using. If you usually print one type of document in different applications—for example, text on letter-size paper—you can change the Windows default printer settings for all your programs.

1. Windows XP: Click Start > Control Panel > Printers and Other Hardware >

Printers and Faxes

Other Windows systems: Click

Start > Settings > Printers.

2. Right-click your EPSON Stylus Photo printer icon.

3. Select Properties (Windows XP, 98, or Me), Printing Preferences (Windows

2000), or

Document Defaults (Windows NT).

4. If you have Windows XP, click the Printing Preferences button.

5. Select the default settings you want to use for all your applications. Click OK

when you’re finished.

If you want different settings for a particular document, you can still change the settings in your application program. However, if you want to change your default settings, you must repeat this procedure.

Basic Printing on a Macintosh

After you create a document in a software program, follow the steps in one of these sections to print it using the basic printing settings:

■ For Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x applications, see the next section.

■ For Macintosh OS X applications, see page 21.

Printing with OS 8.5.1 to 9.x

Before you begin, make sure you selected your printer in the Chooser, as described on the Start Here sheet.

1. From the File menu, click Page Setup. You see a window like the following:

Make sure you see SP 1280

Select your paper size

Select the orientation of your document or image

2. Make sure your EPSON Stylus Photo Printer (SP 1280) is selected. If not, you

need to select your printer in the Chooser, as described on the Start Here sheet.

3. Select the correct Paper Size, Orientation, and other settings. Then click OK.

4. From the File menu, click Print. You see a window like the following:

Select your paper type (see page 32)

Select the Ink color

Select Quality or

Select Automatic mode

Speed (for faster printing)

5. Make the following settings:

■ Choose the Media Type for your paper (click the

arrow to display the Media Type list). If you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 32.

■ For Ink, select Color to print a color document or

black and white photograph, or Black to print a grayscale or black text document.

■ Set the Mode to Automatic. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results

on all types of paper.

■ Set the slider in the Mode box to Quality or Speed to select higher quality or

faster printing. (The slider may not be available for your Media Type.)

6. You can also do the following:

■ Click to reduce or enlarge your printed image, print multiple layouts, or

add a watermark.

■ Click to control background printing.

■ Click , then click Preview to preview your print job.

■ Click to check your ink levels.

7. Click Print to start printing.

If you turned on background printing, you can select EPSON Monitor3 from the

Macintosh Application menu to see this window:

Click to restart your print job

Click to cancel printingClick to pause printing

Click to chec

Click on the current print job or a waiting print job . . .

Then click here to view details of the selected print job and control print job priorities

Tip: If you’re not using background printing and you need to cancel printing, hold

down the J key and press the . (period) key.

ink levels

Printing with OS X

If you’re using an OS X compatible printing application, follow the steps below to print a document. (If you’re using an application that’s compatible only with Macintosh Classic mode, follow the steps on page 19 instead.)

Before you begin, make sure you added your printer to the Print Center as described on the Start Here sheet.

1. Open a photo or document.

2. From the File menu, select Page Setup.

+ 62 hidden pages