Epson Stylus 1500 Setup Guide

INK JET PRINTER

Setup and Software Guide for Windows

®

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.
No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.
Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.

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 against 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, EPSON Stylus, and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks and
EPSON ESC/P 2 is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.

Windows printer driver copyright Software 2000 Ltd Oxford, England. Portions copyright
Seiko Epson 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.

The Energy Star emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.

Copyright © 1995 by Epson America, Inc. 9/95

Printed on recycled paper with at least 10% post-consumer content

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

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de Classe B prescrites dans le règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.

ii

Contents

Introduction

Getting the Most Out of Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Three Resolutions to Choose From . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Special Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Specially Formulated Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Automatic Printer Driver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Electronic Support Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Choosing a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Attaching the Paper Support and Output Tray . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Plugging In and Turning On the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Installing the Black Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Installing the Optional Color Upgrade Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Installing the Color Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Installing the Color Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

If You Are New to Color Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Loading Paper in the Sheet Feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Testing the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22

iii

Chapter 2 Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Installing the Windows Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Installing the Driver for Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Installing the Driver for Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Installing a Driver for DOS Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Using the Windows Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Accessing the Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Using the Driver Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Changing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Paper Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

Halftoning Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

Printing Mode/Options Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Image Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23

Chapter 3 Using the Printer Driver Utilities

Managing Print Jobs With Spool Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Calibrating the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Index

iv

Introduction

The EPSON® Stylus® 1500 is an affordable, high-quality ink jet
printer that produces realistic grayscale images, sharp text, and

line art at a resolution of 720 × 720 dpi. The Stylus 1500 comes

equipped for printing in black ink; however, you can easily
upgrade it to print in color with the optional Color Upgrade
Kit. With the Color Upgrade Kit, the Stylus 1500 can print up to
16 million colors to produce full-color, photo-quality images.

The Stylus 1500 is easy to install and use. You simply set it up
and install the Microsoft
described in this book. The printer has a built-in parallel
interface so you can connect it to an IBM
computer. If you wish to supplement the capabilities of your
printer’s built-in hardware interface, you can install an optional

®

Windows® printer driver software as

®

PC compatible

interface board. See “Using Optional Interfaces” in the Reference
Guide.

Note:

®

For instructions on using the printer with an Apple

Macintosh,® see

the Setup and Software Guide for Macintosh.

This manual explains how to do the following:

❑ Set up your printer, load plain paper, connect it to your

computer, and test it. See Chapter 1 to begin.

❑ Install and use the printer driver to print your documents.

See Chapter 2 for step-by-step instructions.

❑ Manage your print jobs and calibrate the printer using the

utilities that came with the printer driver; see Chapter 3.

After you’ve installed the driver, select the ReadMe icon in the
EPSON program group in Windows for the latest information.

Introduction

1

Refer to the Reference Guide for instructions on operating and
maintaining your printer, as well as for troubleshooting tips
and technical specifications.

Getting the Most Out of Your Printer

The printer supports a wide variety of settings that let you
improve print quality or speed up printing. You can customize
these settings using the printer driver to produce a variety of
image types with EPSON’s specially formulated inks and
papers.

Three Resolutions to Choose From

Resolution is a measure of the amount of detail that can be
represented. The higher the resolution, the more detailed and
realistic the image, and the longer it takes to print. For printed
images, resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi).

The printer has three resolutions, or printing modes: 720 dpi,
360 dpi, and 180 dpi. Use 720 dpi for the best possible images.
For high-quality images in less time, use 360 dpi. When speed
is important and draft quality is good enough, use 180 dpi. For
guidelines on selecting the best resolution for your print job,
see Chapter 2.

2

Introduction

Special Papers

The type of paper you use is very important. Although you get
good results with plain bond paper, you will get better results
by using coated papers because they do not absorb as much ink.

To ensure the best possible quality, EPSON offers special
coated papers, glossy papers, and transparencies that are
formulated specifically for the inks used by the printer. You
can order these products directly from EPSON Accessories at
[phone] (U.S. sales only). For more information about
special papers and other media, see Chapter 1 of the
Reference Guide.

Specially Formulated Ink

EPSON’s black and color ink cartridges are specially
formulated to work with EPSON papers and the driver to
deliver the best looking images. Always use genuine EPSON
ink cartridges and do not refill them. Other products may cause
damage not covered by EPSON’s warranties.

Make sure you use ink cartridges within six months of
installing them and before the expiration date on the package.

Automatic Printer Driver Settings

The printer driver includes an automatic Document Type
option that sets the Ink, Color Matching, and Halftone printer
driver settings for you. When set, the driver analyzes the
elements on a page to be printed and automatically adjusts the
settings so your printed results are appropriate for the image
type.

Introduction

3

Where to Get Help

If you purchased your printer in the United States or Canada,
EPSON provides customer support and service through a
network of Authorized EPSON Customer Care Centers. In the
United States and Canada, EPSON also provides the following
services when you dial [phone]:

❑ Technical information on the installation, configuration,

and operation of EPSON products

❑ Assistance in locating your nearest Authorized EPSON

Reseller or Customer Care Center

❑ Customer relations
❑ EPSON technical information library fax service
❑ Product literature on current and new products.

You can purchase ink cartridges, paper, parts, printed
manuals, and accessories for EPSON products from
EPSON Accessories at [phone] (U.S. sales only). In
Canada, call (800) BUY-EPSON.

If you purchased your printer outside the United States or
Canada, contact your EPSON dealer or the marketing location
nearest you for customer support and service.

If you need help with any software program you are using,
see that program’s documentation for technical support
information.

4

Introduction

Electronic Support Services

If you have a modem, the fastest way to access helpful tips,
specifications, drivers, application notes, and bulletins for
EPSON products is through the online services below.

EPSON Bulletin Board Service

You can call the EPSON Bulletin Board Service (BBS) at
[phone]. No membership is required. Make sure your
communications software is set to 8 data bits with 1 stop bit,
no parity bit, and a modem speed up to 28.8 Kbps. See the
documentation that came with your communications software
for more information.

CompuServe Online Support

CompuServe® members can call the Epson America Forum on
CompuServe. If you are already a member, simply type

GO EPSON at the menu prompt to reach the Forum.

If you are not currently a member, you are eligible for a free
introductory membership as an owner of an EPSON product.
This membership entitles you to:

❑ An introductory credit on CompuServe
❑ Your own user ID and password
❑ A complimentary subscription to CompuServe Magazine,

CompuServe’s monthly publication.

To take advantage of this offer, call [phone] in the
United States and Canada and ask for representative #529.
In other countries, call the following U.S. telephone number:
[phone], or your local CompuServe access number.

Introduction

5

Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety
instructions to make sure you use it safely and effectively:

❑ Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with

a damp cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer.

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

radiator or heat register.

❑ Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet

or 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; do not use an adapter plug. Avoid using outlets on
the same circuit as photocopiers or air control systems that
regularly switch on and off.

❑ Do not let the power cord become damaged or frayed.
❑ If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the

total ampere rating of the devices plugged into the
extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating.
Also, make sure the total of all devices plugged into the
wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.

❑ Except as specifically explained in the Reference Guide, do

not attempt to service the printer yourself.

❑ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

personnel under the following conditions:
If the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered

the printer; if the printer has been dropped or the cabinet
damaged; if the printer does not operate normally or

6

exhibits a distinct change in performance. Adjust only those
controls that are covered by the operating instructions.

Introduction

Chapter 1

Setting Up the Printer

As you follow the instructions in this chapter to set up your
printer, refer to the illustrations on the inside front cover to
identify the printer’s components.

System Requirements

To use your printer and its driver, we recommend you have
the following system configuration:

❑ IBM

❑ Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, or

❑ At least 8MB of available RAM (more for Windows 95)
❑ A minimum of 10MB of available hard disk space (for

❑ A shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable to connect your

❑ VGA or higher standard monitor.

®

compatible computer with an 80386/25 MHz or faster

processor

Windows 95

storing images); more is required for color images

computer to the printer’s built-in parallel interface; the
cable must have a D-SUB, 25-pin, male connector for the

®

computer and a 36-pin, Centronics
for the printer.

compatible connector

Choosing a Location

When choosing a location for the printer, use a surface that is
flat, horizontal, and stable. If you are using a printer stand, it
must support at least 50.7 pounds (23 kg).

Setting Up the Printer

1-1

Avoid locations subject to rapid changes in temperature and
humidity. Also keep the printer away from direct sunlight,
heat sources, and sources of electromagnetic interference, such
as the base units of cordless telephones.

Always leave adequate space around the printer to
accommodate its cables. Make sure nothing is pressing against
the knob on the left side of the printer.

Unpacking the Printer

In addition to this guide, your printer box should include two
EPSON printer driver diskettes, a

Software Guide for Macintosh

printer

, a Notice Sheet, and these items:

black ink
cartridge

Reference Guide

output
tray

, a

Setup and

paper
support

You must remove all protective materials packed around and
inside your printer before you set it up and turn on the power.
Follow the directions on the Notice Sheet (packed with the
printer) to remove these materials.

Save all packaging and protective materials in case you need
to transport the printer in the future. It should always be
transported in its original packaging or equivalent materials.

1-2

Setting Up the Printer

Attaching the Paper Support and Output Tray

1. Attach the paper support by placing the hole on the right
side of the support over the right mounting post on the
printer. Then push the notch on the left side onto the left
mounting post.

1

2

2. Attach the output tray by fitting the notches on the tray
over the mounting posts, as shown below. Make sure the
output tray is locked firmly in place.

Setting Up the Printer

1-3

Plugging In and Turning On the Printer

Follow these steps to plug in and turn on the printer:

1. Make sure you have removed all protective packing
materials from inside the printer. (See page 1-2 for more
information.)

2. Make sure the printer is turned off by checking the position
of the
of the button is even with the button protectors on each
side.

3. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical

Operate

button. The printer is off when the surface

4. Turn on the printer by pressing the

1-4

outlet.

Operate

The

Pause

power-on routine. During the power-on routine, the print
head moves back and forth and the paper feed wheels turn.

Setting Up the Printer

light flashes whiles the printer completes its

button.

Installing the Black Ink Cartridge

Follow the steps in this section to install your printer’s black
ink cartridge.

Warning:

w

c

1. Make sure the printer is turned on.

2. Remove the ink compartment cover as shown.

The ink cartridge is a self-contained unit. Under ordinary use,
ink will not leak from a cartridge. If ink gets on your hands,
wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets into
your eyes, flush them immediately with water.

Caution:

Do not open the ink cartridge package until just before you
install it or it may become too dry.

3. Remove the ink cartridge from its package.

Setting Up the Printer

1-5

4. Insert the end of the cartridge with the foil plug into the ink
compartment following the instructions on the cartridge.
Push the cartridge all the way into the compartment. You
will feel some resistance.

When the cartridge is correctly installed, the
goes off.

Note:

If the
installed correctly. Remove it and then reinsert it as described
above.

5. Reattach the ink compartment cover as shown.

Ink Out

O light remains on, the ink cartridge may not be

Ink Out

O light

1-6

Setting Up the Printer

1

2

The first time you install the ink cartridge, the printer
automatically charges the ink delivery system. This takes
about two minutes.

Caution:

c

During the ink charging process, the
Never turn off the printer while the
flashing. Also, never remove the ink cartridge while ink is
being charged in the system.

When you need to replace ink cartridges, see Chapter 3 of

Reference Guide

the
genuine EPSON ink cartridges and do not refill them.
Other products may cause damage not covered by
EPSON’s warranty.

for instructions. Be sure to use only

Pause

Pause

Installing the Optional Color Upgrade Kit

You can upgrade your printer to print in color by installing
the optional Color Upgrade Kit (C832161). Contact your
dealer or call EPSON Accessories at [phone] (U.S. only).

light flashes.

light is

In Canada, call (800) BUY-EPSON for sales locations.

Install the color print head as described in this section and the
color ink cartridge as described in the next section. Then select
color printing through the printer driver as described in
Chapter 2.

Caution:

c

Once you install the color print head, you must leave it
installed. Otherwise, it may become unusable.

Setting Up the Printer

1-7

Installing the Color Print Head

Follow these steps to install the color print head:

1. Make sure the printer is turned on and the

2. Open the printer cover using the notch in the middle of the
cover.

Data

light is off.

3. Press the

4. Hold down the
print head unit moves slightly left, to the print head install
position. The

c

Pause

Caution:

Do not move the print head unit by hand. Always use the

Alt

button to move it.

button to turn the

button for about five seconds until the

Alt

Pause

light flashes.

Pause

light on.

1-8

Setting Up the Printer

5. Raise the blue print head unit release lever as far as it will go.

6. Remove the protective cover from the print head
compartment.

c

Caution:

Do not touch the carriage inside the printer; this may
damage the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

1-9

7. Remove the print head unit from the storage box by
pressing on the notch as shown.

2

1

Caution:

c

8. Carefully insert the print head unit into the compartment,
with the electrical contacts and print head facing the back
of the printer.

Do not touch the print head or the electrical contacts on
the back and bottom of the unit; otherwise, you may
damage the print head.

1-10

Setting Up the Printer

9. Press down the blue print head unit release lever until it
clicks into place.

Note:

Make sure that the
flashing. If they are, remove the print head unit and reinsert it
properly.

Caution:

c

Now follow the steps in the next section to install the color ink
cartridge.

Installing the Color Ink Cartridge

After you install the color print head, follow the steps below to
install the color ink cartridge.

Do not remove the color print head unit once you’ve installed
it. Otherwise, the print head may become unusable.

Data

Paper Out

and

lights are not

w

c

Warning:

The ink cartridge is a self-contained unit. Under ordinary use,
ink will not leak from a cartridge. If ink does get on your
hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets
into your eyes, flush them immediately with water.

Caution:

Do not open the ink cartridge package until just before you
install the cartridge, or the ink may dry up.

Setting Up the Printer

1-11

1. Lift up the ink cartridge clamp. Then remove the protective
sheet from the cartridge holder.

2. Open the ink cartridge package. Next, remove the tape seal
from the top of the cartridge as shown.

Caution:

1-12

c

Setting Up the Printer

Do not remove the tape seal from the bottom of the
cartridge; ink will leak out.

3. Lower the cartridge into the print head unit with the label
face up and the arrow mark pointing to the rear. Do not
push down on the ink cartridge.

4. Press the ink cartridge clamp down until it locks in place.
You will feel some resistance.

c

Caution:
Once you install the ink cartridge, do not open the clamp
or remove the ink cartridge except to replace it with a new
one. Otherwise, the cartridge and print head may become
unusable.

Setting Up the Printer

1-13

5. Press the

button again to return the print head unit to its

Alt

home (far right) position. (Even if you do not press
printer moves the print head unit back to its home position
about 30 seconds after you install the cartridge.)

The first time you install the ink cartridge, the printer
automatically charges the ink delivery system and returns
the print head unit to its home position. This operation
takes about two minutes to complete.

Caution:

c

Note:

If you installed the color upgrade unit with data remaining in the
printer, you must turn the printer off and back on to enable color
printing. You will also have to resend your print data.

During the ink charging process, the
Never turn off the printer while this light is flashing.

Pause

Alt

light flashes.

, the

In order to maintain optimum print quality, the printer
periodically performs a cleaning operation. You may notice the
cleaning cycle being performed when the printer has been on
for a while without being used or when you turn on the printer
after it has been off for a while.

If you need to initiate a cleaning cycle, see Chapter 3 of the

Reference Guide

.

1-14

Setting Up the Printer

If You Are New to Color Printing

Color printing with the EPSON Stylus 1500 produces amazing
images, whether you print text, graphics, line drawings,
photographs, or documents containing many different image
types. However you use color, keep the following in mind:

❑ You need to leave a large amount of hard disk drive space

free to make room for your color images. A full-page color
photographic image, for example, may require from 10MB
to 40MB of disk space, depending on the resolution, and
sometimes more. To reduce the file size, you can decrease
the size and resolution of your images using your printer
driver and application software.

❑ Color printing takes time because of the complex

processing required to reproduce a color image. How much
time depends on the size and type of your image, the
resolution you use, the speed of your computer, and the
interface type. (Serial printing takes longer than parallel
printing.)

❑ Your screen colors will not exactly match the printed colors

because your monitor screen and the printer use different
methods to produce the colors you see. And if you scan
images using a scanner, the image goes through another
interpretive process that also affects the color.

Monitors and scanners produce colors by combining red,
green, and blue—the RGB method. Your monitor can
produce up to 16 million colors by turning on and off the
tiny red, green, and blue phosphors contained in each pixel
on the screen. Colors produced this way differ from colors
produced by your printer’s cyan, magenta, yellow, and
black ink—the CMYK method.

Your printer driver’s
closely match colors as appropriate for your image type,
resolution, and paper.

Document Type

Setting Up the Printer

settings help you

1-15

If you need extreme precision in matching colors, you can
use a color calibration system available with many software
applications. If you use a scanner, make sure your scanning
software is set to the correct setting for ink jet printers to
help you match colors. Also, your application may include
image editing capabilities that let you adjust the colors.

Loading Paper in the Sheet Feeder

The following procedure explains how to load plain bond
paper in the sheet feeder. For instructions on loading coated or
glossy paper, envelopes, and transparencies in the sheet feeder,
or labels and continuous paper in the tractor feeder, see
Chapter 1 of the

Reference Guide

.

You can load up to 100 sheets of plain paper. For paper
specifications, see Appendix B of the

Reference Guide

.

Always load plain paper with the printable surface facing
down. The printable surface is marked with an arrow on most
plain paper packaging.

1. Make sure the paper-release lever is set to the single sheet
position.

1-16

Setting Up the Printer

EPSON AMERICA, INC.

Documentation Department
20770 Madrona Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503
[phone]

TITLE

DATE

DRAWN BY

LM-9.EPS
9/7/95
B. Levert

2. Raise the output tray until it locks in the upright position.

3. Slide the right edge guide to the left as far as it will go. Then
slide the left edge guide to match the width of your paper.

Setting Up the Printer

1-17

4. Move the center support to a point midway between the
edge guides. Then gently extend the rear edge guide until it
stops.

5. Fan a stack of paper; then tap it on a flat surface to even the
edges.

6. Load the stack of paper, printable side down, all the way
into the sheet feeder. Make sure the right edge of the stack
is against the right edge guide. Next, slide the left edge
guide against the left edge of the paper.

1-18

Setting Up the Printer

Note:
The sheet feeder can hold up to 100 sheets of 17-lb (64 g/m

2

) plain
paper. Do not load paper above the arrow mark, which is located
on the inside surface of the edge guide.

7. Adjust the rear edge guide to match the length of your paper.

When you load paper in the landscape direction (wider than
it is tall), the rear edge guide may not match the length of
your paper. In this case, remove the rear edge guide and
re-insert it as shown.

Setting Up the Printer

1-19

8. Lower the output tray to the printing position. Make sure
that the rear edge guide of the paper tray is positioned
under the output tray. The rear edge guide must be under
the output tray to allow room for the paper loaded in the
sheet feeder and to prevent a paper jam.

Testing the Printer

Before continuing, test the printer to ensure it is functioning
properly. For the self test, use paper that is at least 8.25 inches
(210 mm) wide. If you load smaller paper, the print head will
spray ink directly onto the platen, which could mar future
printouts.

1. Press the

c

Operate

Caution:

Never turn off the printer by unplugging it or turning off
a power strip. Always turn off the printer by pressing the

Operate

button to turn off the printer.

button.

1-20

Setting Up the Printer

2. While holding down the

Load/Eject

button, press the

Operate

to load, then release the buttons.

The 360 dpi self test begins by printing in black ink on the
first and last lines of the first sheet of paper to measure the
page length.

Note:

If the self test does not begin, turn off the printer and repeat
step 2. You may need to hold down the buttons a few seconds
longer.

If you installed the optional Color Upgrade Kit, the self test
prints in color. If you want to run the 180 dpi self test, turn on
the printer while holding down the
self test always prints in black, even when the Color Upgrade Kit
has been installed.

button to turn on the printer. Wait for the paper

LF/FF

button. The 180 dpi

3. To end the self test, press the
in the paper path, press the
Then turn off the printer. Otherwise, the test continues
until the paper in the sheet feeder runs out.

Caution:

c

If the quality of the test output is not good, clean the print
heads as described in Chapter 3 of the
print a demonstration page or another self test to check the
print quality. You may need to repeat these procedures several
times to fully solve the problem.

You may also need to calibrate your printer. After connecting
the printer to your PC and installing the printer driver as

Do not turn off the printer before pressing the
button.

Pause

Load/Eject

button. If there is paper

button to eject it.

Pause

Reference Guide

. Then

explained in the following sections, calibrate your printer using
the calibration utility program that came with your printer. See
Chapter 3 for instructions.

Setting Up the Printer

1-21

Connecting the Printer to Your PC

You need a shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable to connect your
printer to your computer. The cable must have a D-SUB, 25-pin
male connector for your computer and a 36-pin, Centronics
compatible connector for the printer’s parallel interface.

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off.

2. Plug the 36-pin end of the cable connector securely into the
printer’s interface connector. Then squeeze the wire clips
together until they lock in place on both sides. If your cable
has a ground wire, attach it to the ground connector next to
the interface connector.

3. Plug the 25-pin end of the cable into the computer’s parallel

4. Turn on the printer by pressing the

Now see Chapter 2 for instructions on installing and using the
printer driver.

1-22

interface according to the instructions in your computer
manual.

Operate

then turn on your computer.

Setting Up the Printer

button and

Chapter 2

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

This chapter describes how to install the Windows printer
driver and use it to control printer settings such as media type,
document type, printing mode, and halftoning. (To install a
driver for DOS programs, see page 2-7.)

Installing the Windows Printer Driver

A printer driver is software that allows your computer to
control the printer. You must install the printer driver on the
Windows driver diskette that came with your printer.

Also included on the diskette are two utilities: the EPSON
Spool Manager and Printer Calibration Utility. When you
install the printer driver, they are automatically copied to your
hard disk drive. (See Chapter 3 for instructions on running
these utilities.)

Note:

It is a good idea to make a backup copy of your driver diskette.

If you are using Windows 3.1, follow the steps in the next
section to install the printer driver. If you are running
Windows 95, see page 2-4 for instructions.

Installing the Driver for Windows 3.1

Follow these steps to install the printer driver for Windows 3.1:

1. Turn on your printer and computer.

2. Make sure Windows is running.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-1

3. Insert the Windows printer driver diskette in a diskette drive.

4. In the File menu, select Run. You see the Run dialog box.

5. In the Command Line box, type A:SETUP (or B:SETUP
if you inserted the diskette in drive B). Press Enter or click
OK. You see the EPSON Printer Driver Setup dialog box.

6. Highlight EPSON Stylus 1500 in the Printer Driver pull­down menu and click Continue.

The installation program begins copying the driver files.
You see a screen showing the progress of the installation as
it proceeds. After a few moments, the installation program
creates the EPSON program group in Windows containing
these icons:

EPSON Calibration Utility
Spool Manager
EPSON Stylus Help
EPSON Stylus ReadMe

When the installation is complete, you see a confirmation
screen.

7. Click OK to exit the installation program.

8. Calibrate your printer using the EPSON Calibration Utility.
See Chapter 3 for instructions.

The installation program automatically selects the EPSON
Stylus 1500 printer as your default printer for Windows
applications and assigns the printer driver to port LPT1.
If you need to change the default printer driver or the port
assignment, see the next section. Otherwise, skip to page 2-8
for instructions on using the driver.

2-2

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Changing the default printer or printer port

If you want to change your default printer in Windows or if
you want to use your printer on a different printer port, follow
these steps:

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

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

appears.

3. In the Installed Printers pull-down list, select the printer you
want to use as your default printer.

4. Click the Set As Default Printer button.

If you do not need to change the printer port assignment for
the EPSON Stylus 1500 printer, go to step 9.

5. To change the port assignment, select EPSON Stylus 1500 in
the Installed Printer pull-down list.

6. Click the Connect button. You see the Connect dialog box.

7. In the Ports pull-down list, select the port to which you want
to assign the EPSON Stylus 1500 printer. (See the Windows
Control Panel Help utility for instructions on selecting
other options in the Connect dialog box.)

8. Click OK to close the Connect dialog box.

9. Click Close to exit the Printers dialog box.

10. Exit the Control Panel.

See page 2-8 for instructions on using the printer driver.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-3

Installing the Driver for Windows 95

Follow these steps to install the printer software for
Windows 95. First you’ll install the driver using the
Windows 95 plug and-play capabilities; then you’ll run the
EPSON Printer Driver Setup program to install the printer
driver utilities and create an EPSON folder on your hard disk.

Note:

If you originally installed the Stylus 1500 driver under Windows 3.1,
you must reinstall the driver under Windows 95.

1. Make sure plain paper is loaded and the printer is connected
to the computer’s parallel port. (The paper is used to
perform a test print in step 12.)

2. Turn off the printer and your computer, if necessary.

3. Turn on the printer first; then turn on the computer. Your
computer begins loading Windows 95.

4. If you defined a password in Windows 95, enter it at the
prompt. You see the New Hardware Found screen.

5. Your printer model name is displayed on the screen.
Click the Driver from disk provided by hardware
manufacturer button. Do not select any of the other
buttons.

6. Click OK. You see the Install From Disk screen.

7. Insert the Windows printer driver diskette that came with
your printer in a diskette drive.

8. If you inserted the diskette in drive A, click OK. Otherwise,

2-4

change the drive letter in the Copy manufacturer’s files
from box and click OK. You see the Select Device screen.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

9. Make sure your printer model name is selected in the

Models pull-down list and click OK.

10. At the next screen you can give the printer a unique name.
We recommend that you keep the model name, but you
can type a new one in the Printer name box, if desired.

To use the printer as the default printer for all Windows 95
applications, select Yes (No is the default).

11. Click the Next button.

12. At next screen, select Yes to print a test page.

13. Click the Finish button. The program copies the files to your
hard disk and adds an icon using the printer name to the
Windows 95 Printers group. Then it sends a test page to the
printer. Wait for the page to print completely.

14. Select Yes again at the test page confirmation screen if the
page printed correctly. (If it did not print correctly, there is
probably a problem with the printer connection; check the
connection and start over.)

Your computer finishes loading Windows 95.

15. To run the Setup program and install the rest of the printer
software in an EPSON folder, click Start; then select Run.
You see the Run dialog box.

16. In the Open pull-down menu, type A:SETUP (or B:SETUP if
you inserted the diskette in drive B), and click the OK
button. You see the EPSON Printer Driver Setup dialog
box.

17. Highlight your printer model name in the Printer Driver
pull-down menu and click Continue.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-5

18. The installation program begins copying the files to your
hard disk and shows the progress of the installation as it
proceeds. After the status bar disappears, the driver
continues installing for a minute or so. Wait until the
EPSON folder and EPSON Printer Driver Setup
confirmation screen appear. Then click OK on the
confirmation screen to exit the installation program.

The EPSON folder contains these icons:

EPSON Calibration Utility
Spool Manager
EPSON Stylus Help
EPSON Stylus ReadMe

19. Calibrate your printer using the EPSON Calibration Utility.
See Chapter 3 for instructions.

The installation program automatically selects your printer
driver as the default printer for Windows 95 applications and
assigns the printer driver to port LPT1. If you need to change
your default printer driver or the port assignment, see your
Windows 95 online help utility for instructions. Otherwise, skip
to page 2-9 for instructions on accessing the driver.

2-6

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Installing a Driver for DOS Programs

Most DOS software programs include drivers for EPSON
ESC/P 2
software, choose the first printer available in the lists below.
Also check with your software manufacturer to see if a Stylus
1500 driver is available or is included with a new version of
your software.

When printing black and white only, select:

Stylus 1000
Stylus 800/800(+)
LQ-870/1170
LQ-570(+)/1070(+)
SQ-870/1070
LQ-850



printers. If the Stylus 1500 driver is not listed in your

LQ-500

When printing in color as well as black and white, select:

LQ-860
LQ-2550
DLQ-3000

Note:

These drivers let you use your printer but do not support some
features, such as 720 dpi and MicroWeave.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-7

Using the Windows Printer Driver

The printer driver contains a variety of settings that allow you
to control your print job. For example, you can select the media
type, resolution, document type, and halftoning settings that
are best for the type of document you are printing. The printer
comes with default values for all the settings, as listed in the
table on page 2-12. You can leave the settings as they are or
change them for your specific needs.

The driver also includes an Automatic option (default) for the
Document Type setting. This option lets the printer driver
analyze each page of the document you will print and select the
appropriate document type, color matching, and halftoning
settings automatically. For example, if your document contains
text, charts, and photographs, each item on the page will
automatically print with the optimum color and halftone.

Accessing the Driver

You can access the driver in different ways, depending on how
you want to use the settings you select. If you want the settings
to apply to all Windows applications, access the driver as
described below for either Windows 3.1 or Windows 95. If you
want the changes to apply only to the document(s) you will
print in a particular Windows application, see “Accessing the
driver from Windows applications,” later in this chapter.

Accessing the driver from Windows 3.1

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

1. Double-click the Control Panel icon in the Main program
group.

2. Double-click the Printers icon.

2-8

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

3. Choose EPSON Stylus 1500 from the list of Installed Printers.

4. Choose Setup. You see the printer driver dialog box shown

on page 2-11.

Accessing the driver from Windows 95

Follow these steps to access the driver from the Windows 95
My Computer group:

1. Double-click the My Computer icon.

2. Double-click the Printers icon.

3. Double-click the EPSON Stylus 1500 icon.

4. Pull down the Printer menu and select Properties.

5. Click the Details tab.

6. Click the Setup button. You see the printer driver dialog

box shown on page 2-11.

Accessing the driver from Windows applications

You can access the driver by choosing Print or Print Setup from
the File menu of your software program. If you choose Print
Setup, you access the printer driver directly and see the dialog
box shown on page 2-11.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-9

If you choose Print, you first see a Print dialog box similar to the
one shown below (depending on your software program).

The Print dialog box contains the settings you change most
often, including the number of copies and the print range. To

access the printer driver settings, choose the Printer, Setup, or

Options button. (You may also need to select Setup and then
Options.) The button you select depends on your software

program.

2-10

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Using the Driver Dialog Box

However you accessed the printer driver, you see the following
dialog box:

(If you do not see this dialog box, the driver has not been
installed correctly. See page 2-1 for instructions on installing
the driver.)

At the top of the screen are tabs that open various dialog boxes.
The following table summarizes the settings in each dialog box.
(Factory defaults are in bold type.) Detailed descriptions of
each setting follow the table.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-11

Windows driver settings

Dialog box Setting Options

Paper Paper Size A4 210 x 297 mm

A4 (Centered) 210 x 297 mm
A4 (Landscape ) 297 x 210 mm

Letter 8

Letter (Centered) 8
Letter (Landscape) 11 x 8
Legal 8
Legal (Centered) 8
Envelope #10 4
Envelope DL 110 x 220 mm
Envelope C5 162 x 229
Statement 5
Executive 7
A6 Index card 105 x 148 mm
US B 11 x 17 in
US C 17 x 22 in
B5 176 x 250 mm
B4 250 x 353 mm
A3 297 x 420 mm
Super A3/B 329 x 483 mm
A2 420 x 594 mm
Long Paper 17 x 1 to 44 in
Fanfold 10 x 11 in
Fanfold 15 x 3 to 14 in
User Defined

1

x 11 in

⁄

2

1

x 14 in

⁄

2

1

1

⁄

1

x 8

⁄

2

x 10 in

⁄

2

x 9

8

1

1

⁄

2

1

x 11 in

⁄

2

x 14 in

⁄

2

1

⁄

2

in

in

1

in

⁄

2

Document
Type

(Orientation)

Portrait

Landscape

Paper Source

Auto Sheet Feeder

Manual Feed Slot
Manual Feed Slot (Banner)
Tractor Feeder

Copies Number (1-99)

Collate (On,
Reverse Page Order (On,

Document Types

Automatic

Presentation
Photograph
Drawing
Text

Ink Monochrome

Color (CMYK)

off

)

)

off

2-12

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Windows driver settings (continued)

Dialog box Setting Options

Halftoning Halftone * No halftoning

Error diffusion
Dithering A
Dithering B

Printing
Mode/
Options

Image
Settings

About — Gives driver version information

Printing Mode Super - 720 dpi

Best - 360 dpi

Draft - 180 dpi

Media Type

Print Options MicroWeave (On,

Brightness –50% ­Contrast –50% ­Color Matching * Off

Plain paper

Special coated paper for 360 dpi
Special coated paper for 720 dpi
High-quality glossy paper
Transparency

High Speed (On, off)

Vivid
Photo-realistic
Standard

0%
0%

- +50%

- +50%

off

)

* These options have no default setting; the setting is determined

automatically depending on the Document Type setting.

Changing Settings

To change a printer setting, open the appropriate dialog box by
choosing the tab. Change one or more settings and then move
to the next tab you want to change. When you have made all
changes in one or more dialog boxes, choose the OK button to
save all the settings. This closes the printer driver and returns
you to your application program or Windows.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-13

Note:

The availability of options or settings in a dialog box may depend on
the setting selected in another dialog box. Therefore, you may not see
all options or settings listed, or some of them may be grayed out.

If you want to return all the printer driver settings to their
factory defaults, choose Defaults. To exit the printer driver
without saving your settings, choose Cancel.

For more information about the settings, look them up in this
chapter, choose the Help button in the driver dialog box, or select

the EPSON Stylus ReadMe icon in the EPSON program group.

Paper Settings

Paper Size

By default, the printer expects letter-size (8.5 × 11 inches)
paper. To select a different paper or envelope size, choose from
the following predefined sizes:

A4 210 × 297 mm A6 Index card 105 × 148 mm
A4 (Centered) 210 × 297 mm US B 11 × 17 in
A4 (Landscape) 297 × 210 mm US C 17 × 22 in
Letter 8
Letter (Centered) 8
Letter (Landscape) 11 × 8
Legal 8
Legal (Centered) 8
Envelope #10 4

1

× 11 in B5 176 × 250 mm

⁄

2

1

× 11 in B4 250 × 353 mm

⁄

2

1

in A3 297 × 420 mm

⁄

2

1

× 14 in Super A3/B 329 × 483 mm

⁄

2

1

× 14 in A2 420 × 594 mm

⁄

2

1

⁄

× 9

8

1

in Long Paper 17 × 1 to 44 in

⁄

2

Envelope DL 110 × 220 mm Fanfold 10 × 11 in
Envelope C5 162 × 229 mm Fanfold 15 × 3 to 14 in
Statement 5
Executive 7

1

⁄

1

⁄

2

1

× 8

2

× 10 in

in User Defined

⁄

2

Paper size options are determined by the Paper Source. The
available paper size options will differ depending on the paper
source you selected.

2-14

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Note:

If you selected a country other than the United States in the Windows
Control Panel International utility, the default paper size may be
different. In addition, the measurement units displayed in the
printable area example (beneath the Paper Size box) may be metric.

Use one of the Centered paper sizes only if you want the image
to be centered on the page and your software program does
not have a setting that lets you do this. Centered images have a
slightly smaller printable area.

If you select User Defined, you can create a custom paper size
in the pop-up box that appears beneath the Paper Size box.
Change the current Paper Width and Paper Height settings to
the values you want.

Portrait or Landscape

Select either the Portrait or Landscape button to specify the
orientation of the image on the page. In portrait orientation, the
top of the page is parallel with the short edge of the paper. In
landscape orientation, the top of the page is parallel with the
long edge of the paper.

Normally you should select the page orientation in your
software application, not with the driver.

Paper Source

The default paper source is Auto Sheet Feeder. You may also
select Manual Sheet Feed, Manual Sheet Feed (Banner), or
Tractor Feeder.

If you are printing on paper longer than 23.4 inches (594 mm),
choose Manual Feed Slot (Banner) and set the top and

bottom margins to 0 (zero) or the minimum setting.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-15

Copies

Allows you to specify the number of copies, whether to collate
them (print them in sets), or whether you want to print the
pages in reverse order (from last page to first).

Normally you should select these three settings from the Print
dialog box in your software, not with the driver. Do not choose
multiple copies in both the Print dialog box and the driver.

Note:

The Copies options may require additional system memory. If you
see an error message or are unable to print using these options, try
closing any unnecessary applications, reducing the size of your print
job, turning off the Copies options, or increasing system memory.

Document Type

These settings tell the printer what type of document you are
printing and whether to print in monochrome (black) or color.

Document Types

Select the document type that most closely matches the type of
document you will be printing or let the printer driver select it
automatically.

Automatic is the default setting and produces the best printed
results. This setting lets the printer driver analyze the data on

each page of a document and adjust the Ink, Color Matching,
and Halftone settings automatically. The driver selects the ink
and halftoning settings based on the data contained in each
entire page, but selects the color matching setting based on
each object on a page, such as each graphic or block of text.

2-16

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

You achieve the best results using the Automatic option.
However, if you prefer to set the document type manually,
follow these guidelines:

❑ Select Presentation when you are printing documents

containing many graphic elements, such as charts in
presentations.

❑ Select Photograph when you are printing photographs.
❑ Select Drawing when you are printing computer-

generated illustrations.

❑ Select Text when you are printing documents containing

only text.

Each of the manually set document types select predefined
settings for Color Matching and Halftone, as listed in the
following table.

Document Types setting Color Matching setting Halftone setting

Presentation Vivid Error diffusion
Photograph Photo-realistic Error diffusion
Drawing Standard Error diffusion
Text Vivid Error diffusion

If you change a predefined Color Matching or Halftone
setting, the driver erases the currently selected document type
and uses your new settings.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-17

Ink

Specifies Color (CMYK) or Monochrome printing. CMYK
refers to the printer’s colored inks: cyan (blue-green), magenta,
yellow, and black (K). These colors are combined to form any of
16 million colors. Select Color (CMYK) only if you have
installed the optional Color Upgrade Kit and your document
includes color. When you select Monochrome, the printer
prints only black ink. If you are printing a color image and
Monochrome is selected, the printer converts color data to
grayscale values.

Note:

When Automatic is selected as the document type, the ink option is
not available. To select an ink option, choose a document type other
than Automatic.

Halftoning Settings

You achieve the best halftoning results when you let the printer
driver’s Document Type setting select the appropriate
halftone method. If you selected the Automatic document
type option, the driver selects the halftone setting appropriate
to each page as it prints.

If you selected one of the other document types, the driver
selects a predefined halftone setting. If you change a
predefined halftone setting, the driver erases the currently
selected Document Type option and uses the halftone setting
you selected.

Note:

It is recommended that you set halftoning in the driver rather than
setting the halftone or dithering options in your software application.

2-18

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

If you prefer to set the halftoning method manually, follow
these guidelines:

❑ Use No halftoning to speed printing for text or

monochrome line art. Do not use it when printing in color.

Error Diffusion is best for photographic images. It creates

❑

color by randomly distributing the dots, making edges and
colors softer. It takes longer to print, but it produces the
best print quality for photographic images.

Dithering A and Dithering B arrange dots in orderly

❑

patterns. The dithering method is relatively fast and is
best suited for printing charts, graphs, and other images
that require precise, solid areas of bright colors. Select
Dithering A for images with limited detail and shading.
Use Dithering B for images with significant detail but
limited shading.

Note:

When Media Type is set to Special Coated Paper-720 dpi and
Printing Mode is set to Super-720 dpi, Dithering A and
Dithering B are not selectable.

Printing Mode/Options Settings

The Printing Mode/Options settings let you define the
resolution, media type, and printing options for your
document. The following table shows how these settings are
related to each other and which options are available in the
different modes.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-19

Printing Mode
setting Media Type setting Default Print Options *

Super - 720 dpi Special coated paper for

720 dpi
High quality glossy paper

(color printing only)
Plain paper (monochrome

printing only)

Best - 360 dpi Special coated paper for

360 dpi
Special coated paper for

720 dpi (color printing only)
Plain paper MicroWeave Off

Transparency MicroWeave On

Draft - 180 dpi Plain paper MicroWeave Off

* You may not be able to change these options to a setting other than the

default setting.

MicroWeave On
High Speed Off

MicroWeave On
High Speed Off

MicroWeave On
High Speed Off

MicroWeave On
High Speed Off

MicroWeave On
High Speed Off

High Speed On

High Speed Off

High Speed On

Be sure to select the Printing Mode before the Media Type.

Printing Mode

Specifies a resolution of 720 dpi, 360 dpi, or 180 dpi. Resolution
is the amount of detail used to create an image. The higher the
resolution, the sharper and finer the image.

For the best possible resolution, choose Super - 720 dpi
resolution. When you select this resolution, MicroWeave is
automatically turned on and High Speed mode is turned off.
For best results at 720 dpi, load EPSON special coated paper for
720 dpi or high-quality glossy paper.

For most color printing, select Best - 360 dpi. This resolution
produces good-quality, full-color images using less memory
and in less time than 720 dpi. For best results at 360 dpi, use
EPSON special coated paper for 360 dpi.

2-20

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

When speed is important and draft quality is good enough, use
Draft - 180 dpi resolution.

Note:

Printing at lower resolutions also conserves ink.

Media Type

Sets up the printer for the type of paper you loaded.
Depending on your Printing Mode setting, Media Type can

be one of the following:

Plain paper
Special coated paper for 360 dpi
Special coated paper for 720 dpi
High-quality glossy paper
Transparency

Note:

High-quality glossy paper is available only when Color (CMYK) ink
and 720 dpi printer mode settings are selected.

You can use most plain paper with your printer and achieve
good results. Coated papers give you better results because
they reduce the amount of ink that is absorbed. However, if the
coated paper does not absorb enough ink, the ink can smear.

To ensure the best results, EPSON provides special papers and
transparencies that are formulated for the inks used in EPSON
ink jet printers. These papers include the following:

❑ EPSON special coated paper for 360 dpi. Use this paper

for best results when printing at 360 dpi.

❑ EPSON special coated paper for 720 dpi. Use this paper

for best results when printing at 720 dpi.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-21

❑ EPSON high-quality glossy paper. Use this paper with

720 dpi to produce camera-ready composites. When
printing on glossy paper, use only EPSON high-quality
glossy paper.

❑ EPSON transparency film. When printing transparencies,

use only EPSON transparencies. For best results, use
transparencies within six months of opening the package.
Do not use 720 dpi when printing transparencies.

To order EPSON papers and transparencies, contact your
dealer or call EPSON Accessories at [phone] (U.S. only).
In Canada, call (800) BUY-EPSON for sales locations.

Print Options

Allows you to turn the MicroWeave and High Speed mode
settings on or off.

MicroWeave reduces the possibility of banding, the light
horizontal lines that can mar an image. When you turn on
MicroWeave, the printer produces superior output because
graphics data is reordered and printed in fine increments. It
slows the print speed but is recommended for printing color
and grayscale images. Because it does not improve the print
quality for text and line art, turn it off to print these kinds of
images faster.

When you turn on High Speed mode, the printer uses
bidirectional printing, reducing the time it takes to print an
image. High Speed mode is a good choice for printing text and
draft printouts of other types of documents, but for highest
quality, turn off High Speed mode.

Note:

If the vertical lines appear misaligned when you print using High
Speed mode, calibrate the printer as described in Chapter 3.

2-22

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Image Settings

The Image Settings options allow you to adjust the brightness,
contrast, and color matching features of your printed images. It

is best to let the printer driver’s Automatic Document Type
setting select the appropriate image settings for you. If your
original image is of poor quality, however, you can adjust the
image settings to improve the printed output.

To help you decide on the best settings, a preview of a sample
image appears in the Image Settings dialog box. As you change
settings, the preview image is updated accordingly.

If you want to change the sample image to another bitmap
(.BMP) image file, double-click on the preview image area.
Then, in the dialog box that appears, select any other bitmap
file you may have. The image must be a 1-, 4-, or 8-bit per pixel
bitmap format. If the image size is different from the original, it
may appear small or incomplete in the preview image area.

Brightness

Controls the lightness or darkness of an image. Increase
brightness to lighten an image; decrease it to darken an image.

Contrast

Controls the degree of difference between the light and dark
areas of an image. When you increase contrast, the light areas
become very light and the dark areas become very dark. When
you decrease contrast, the difference in intensity is more subtle,
making the whites and bright colors more muted and the
blacks appear very dark gray.

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

2-23

Color Matching

Controls the printer’s color correction features based on the
selected Document Type. Color Matching is automatically set

to the most appropriate setting when you select a particular
document type or use the Automatic setting. It is best to leave
Color Matching set to the driver’s selection.

The settings perform the following functions:

Off turns off color matching so you can use your

❑

application program’s color correction features.

Vivid intensifies the colors while lightening the midtones

❑

and highlights in images such as presentation graphics and
charts.

Photo-realistic increases the contrast in images such as

❑

color photographs.

Standard adjusts colors so they closely match the original

❑

screen colors in images such as illustrations.

Note:

Color Matching is not available when Monochrome is selected
in the document type menu.

2-24

Installing and Using the Printer Driver

Chapter 3

Using the Printer Driver Utilities

This chapter explains how to manage print jobs that you send
to the printer using the EPSON Spool Manager. It also tells you
how to calibrate the printer using the EPSON Printer
Calibration Utility if vertical lines in your printed output
become misaligned.

When you install the printer driver, the EPSON Spool Manager
and Printer Calibration Utility are automatically copied to your
hard disk drive.

Managing Print Jobs With Spool Manager

When you print a document, the computer uses the EPSON
Spool Manager to send data to the printer. This allows you to
continue working in your software program while printing.

When you send a print job to the printer, the Despooler status
box appears in the bottom right corner of your screen and an
icon for the EPSON Spool Manager appears in the lower left
corner. The Spool Manager icon is also included in the EPSON
group so you can manage print queues or perform other
operations when you are not sending a print job.

Note:

You may not see the EPSON Spool Manager icon if the Windows
Program Manager window or an application window is maximized.
Reduce the window size to reveal the icon.

Using the Printer Driver Utilities

3-1

The Despooler status box, which is similar to the one shown
below, allows you to monitor the progress of the print job and
cancel ( ), pause ( ), or restart ( ) the print job.

If you do not want the Despooler status box to appear each
time you print, double-click the

EPSON Spool Manager icon
to open it. Then open the View menu and select Show Despool
Popup to turn it off; the check mark next to the option
disappears.

Other options in the EPSON Spool Manager allow you to hold
and cancel print jobs, choose what information to display in the
Spool Manager window, and manage print queues and print
jobs on a network. Click Help for more information.

Note:

If you get error messages while trying to print, the problem may be
caused by conflicts with other temporary files or directories. You may
need to change the default directory for the EPSON Spool Manager.
See “Printing Problems” in Chapter 4 of the Reference Guide for
more information.

3-2

Using the Printer Driver Utilities

Calibrating the Printer

Your printer has been calibrated at the factory so that vertical
lines in your text and graphics are properly aligned. If you
notice misaligned images in printouts, however, you can
calibrate the printer with the EPSON Printer Calibration
Utility. You may need to do this after moving the printer to a
new location, for example.

Note:

If you cannot use the calibration utility program, you can use the
printer-adjustment mode to calibrate your printer. For details, see
“Calibrating the Printer When Printing From DOS” in Chapter 3 of
your Reference Guide.

Follow these steps:

1. Double-click the EPSON Printer Calibration icon in the

EPSON group.

2. Click OK at the next screen to start the calibration program.

3. Make sure EPSON Stylus 1500 is selected as the printer.

Select which print head (black or color) to calibrate. Then
click Next.

4. Select the port the Stylus 1500 is connected to. Then click

Next.

5. Make sure the printer is on and is loaded with several

sheets of letter-size paper; then click Next. Wait while the
printer prints the Current Alignment Sheet.

6. Select the patterns that are misaligned; then click Next.

Note:

Only patterns 2, 3, and 4 are selectable. Do not select pattern 1.

Using the Printer Driver Utilities

3-3

For each pattern you selected, the printer prints a Test
Alignment Sheet of multiple vertical lines. In most samples,
the vertical lines are slightly misaligned. Look for the
sample that is most closely aligned.

||
| |

Aligned Not aligned

7. Enter the number of the sample that is aligned or select

Not-aligned if none of the samples are aligned. Then click
Next.

8. If you selected Not-aligned in step 7, select the sample that

is most closely aligned.

9. Repeat steps 6 through 8 until all the patterns have been

aligned. When the calibration is complete, click Finish to
exit the program.

If you notice later that the vertical alignment of your printed
pages is off, repeat the calibration procedure.

3-4

Using the Printer Driver Utilities

Index

A

About tab, printer driver, 2-13
Accessories, purchasing, Intro-4
Aligning vertical lines, 2-22,

3-3 to 3-4
Apple Macintosh, Intro-1
Attaching

output tray, 1-3

paper support, 1-3
Auto sheet feeder, 1-16 to 1-21, 2-12,

2-15
Automatic option, Intro-3, 2-8, 2-12,

2-17 to 2-18, 2-23 to 2-24

B

Banding, 2-22
Bidirectional printing, 2-22
Black ink cartridge, installing,

1-5 to 1-7
Brightness setting, 2-13, 2-23
Bulletin Board Service, Intro-5

C

Cable, printer, 1-22
Calibrating the printer, 2-22, 3-1,

3-3 to 3-4
Canceling print jobs, 3-2
Cleaning print heads, 1-21
CMYK, 1-15, 2-12, 2-18
Coated papers, Intro-3, 2-13,

2-20 to 2-21

selecting, 2-21
Collate setting, 2-12, 2-16
Color ink cartridge, installing,

1-11 to 1-13

Color matching

guidelines, 1-15 to 1-16
setting, Intro-3, 2-13, 2-16 to 2-17,
2-24

Color print head, installing,

1-8 to 1-11

Color printing guidelines,

1-15 to 1-16
CompuServe, Intro-5
Contrast setting, 2-13, 2-23
Copies setting, 2-12, 2-16
Cord, power, 1-4
Customer support, Intro-4 to Intro-5

D

Default settings, printer driver, 2-8,

2-11 to 2-13
Despooler, 3-1 to 3-2
Dialog box, printer driver,

2-11 to 2-13
Diffusion, error, 2-13, 2-17, 2-19
Disk space, 1-1, 1-15
Dithering, 2-13, 2-18
Document Type setting, Intro-3,

1-15, 2-8, 2-12, 2-16 to 2-18,

2-23 to 2-24
DOS printer drivers, 2-7
Dpi, Intro-1 to Intro-2, 2-20
Draft printing, 2-21
Drawing option, 2-12, 2-17
Driver, see Printer driver

E

Edge guides, 1-17 to 1-20
Electromagnetic interference, 1-2
Envelopes, 2-12, 2-14

Index

1

EPSON

Accessories, Intro-3 to Intro-4
America Forum, Intro-5
Customer Care Centers, Intro-4
ESC/P 2, 2-7
papers, Intro-3, 2-21
Printer Calibration Utility, 1-14, 2-1,

3-3 to 3-4, 3-6

Spool Manager, 2-1, 3-1 to 3-2
Error diffusion, 2-13, 2-17 to 2-18
Error messages, 3-2
ESC/P 2, 2-7

F

Ink cartridges, see Black ink

cartridge, Color ink cartridge
Ink smear, preventing, 2-21
Interfaces, Intro-1, 1-22

L

Landscape setting, 2-12, 2-15
Lines

aligning, see Vertical lines, aligning

light horizontal, see Banding
Loading paper, 1-16 to 1-20
Location, choosing for printer,

1-1 to 1-2

Fast printing, 2-22
Feeder, see Auto sheet feeder
Film, see Transparencies

G

Glossy paper, Intro-3, 2-13,

2-20 to 2-22
Grayscale, Intro-1, 2-18, 2-22
Ground wire, 1-22

H

Halftoning settings, Intro-3, 2-13,

2-16 to 2-19
Hard disk space, 1-1, 1-15
Help, where to get, Intro-4
High Speed mode, 2-13, 2-20, 2-22

I

Image settings, 2-13, 2-23 to 2-24
Ink

conserving, 2-21

delivery system, charging, 1-7, 1-14

setting, Intro-3, 2-12, 2-16, 2-18

M

Macintosh, Intro-1
Managing print jobs, 3-1 to 3-2
Media Type setting, 2-13, 2-20 to 2-21
Messages, error, 3-2
Microsoft Windows, 1-1
MicroWeave, 2-7, 2-13, 2-20, 2-22
Monitor, 1-1, 1-15
Monochrome option, 2-12, 2-18
Moving the printer, see Transporting

the printer

N

No halftoning option, 2-13, 2-19
Notice Sheet, 1-2

O

Online support, Intro-5
Operate button, 1-4, 1-20 to 1-21
Orientation of paper, 2-12, 2-15
Output tray, 1-3

2

Index

P

Page order, reverse, 2-12, 2-16
Paper

centered, 2-14
coated, Intro-3, 2-13, 2-20 to 2-21
copies setting, 2-12, 2-16
glossy, Intro-3, 2-13, 2-20 to 2-22
height, 2-15
loading plain paper, 1-16 to 1-20
ordering EPSON, Intro-3, 2-22
orientation setting, 2-12, 2-15
plain, 2-21
printable area, 2-15
printable surface, 1-16
selecting size, 2-14, 2-16
selecting type, 2-13, 2-19 to 2-20, 2-22
source setting, 2-12, 2-15
special, Intro-3, 2-13, 2-21
transparencies, 2-13, 2-21
transparencies, see Transparencies
user-defined option, 2-15

width, 2-15
Paper support, 1-2 to 1-3
Paper-release lever, 1-16
Parallel interface, Intro-1, 1-22,

2-5 to 2-6
Pausing print jobs, 3-2
Photo-realistic option, 2-13, 2-24
Photograph option, 2-12, 2-17
Plain paper, 2-21
Plain paper, loading, 1-16 to 1-20
Plugging in printer, 1-4
Portrait setting, 2-12, 2-15
Power cord, 1-4
Power switch, see Operate button
Presentation option, 2-12, 2-17
Preview image, 2-23

Print

dialog box, 2-10 to 2-11
direction, 2-22
jobs, managing, 2-19, 3-1 to 3-2
options, 2-13, 2-19 to 2-20, 2-22
quality, improving, Intro-2, 2-22
speed, 1-15, 2-22

Print heads

cleaning, 1-21
moving, 1-8

Printer

cable, 1-22
calibrating, 3-3 to 3-4
choosing location for, 1-1
cleaning the print heads, 1-21
connecting, 1-22
driver, see Printer driver
installing, 1-1 to 1-22
plugging in, 1-4
port assignment, 2-3
setting up, 1-2, 1-4, 1-16, 1-21
system requirements, 1-1
testing, 1-20
transporting, 1-2, 3-3
turning on and off, 1-4, 1-20, 1-22
unpacking, 1-2

Printer driver

About tab, 2-13
accessing, 2-8, 2-10
default settings, 2-8, 2-11 to 2-14
dialog box, 2-11 to 2-13
diskette, 1-2, 2-1
DOS, 2-7
help button, 2-14
installing, 2-1 to 2-2, 2-4 to 2-6
settings, Intro-2 to Intro-3, 1-15,

2-12 to 2-14, 2-16 to 2-18,
2-20 to 2-21, 2-23 to 2-24

using, 2-8 to 2-9, 2-11 to 2-14,

2-16 to 2-18, 2-20 to 2-21,
2-23 to 2-24

utilities, 2-1, 3-1 to 3-2, 3-4

Index

3

Printing

bidirectional, 2-22
canceling, 3-2
draft, 2-21
fast, 2-22
managing, 2-19, 3-1 to 3-2
pausing, 3-2
restarting, 3-2

Printing Mode setting, 2-13, 2-16,

2-19 to 2-21

Q

Quality, improving, Intro-2, 2-22

R

Standard option, 2-13, 2-24
Support, online, Intro-5
System requirements, 1-1

T

Technical assistance, Intro-4
Temperature, 1-2
Testing the printer, 1-20
Text option, 2-12, 2-17
Tractor feeder, 1-16
Transparencies, Intro-3, 2-13,

2-21 to 2-22
Transporting the printer, 1-2, 3-3
Turning the printer on and off, 1-4,

1-20, 1-22

RAM requirements, 1-1
ReadMe icon, Intro-1, 2-14
Reference Guide, Intro-2
Requirements, system, 1-1
Resolution

definition, Intro-2

selecting, 2-13, 2-16, 2-19 to 2-21
Restarting print jobs, 3-2
Reverse page order, 2-12, 2-16
RGB method, 1-15

S

Safety instructions, Intro-6
Scanners, 1-15 to 1-16
Self test, 1-21
Serial interface, Intro-1
Service, Intro-4
Shading, see Grayscale
Sheet feeder, auto, 1-16 to 1-21, 2-12,

2-15
Special papers, Intro-3, 2-13,

2-21 to 2-22
Spool Manager, 2-1, 3-1 to 3-2

U

Unpacking the printer, 1-2
Utilities, printer driver, 2-1,

3-1 to 3-2, 3-4

V

Vertical lines, aligning, 2-22, 3-1,

3-3 to 3-4
VGA monitor, 1-1
Vivid option, 2-13, 2-24

W

Windows 3.1

accessing driver, 2-8

installing driver, 2-1, 2-3
Windows 95

accessing driver, 2-8 to 2-9

installing driver, 2-4 to 2-6
Windows applications

accessing printer driver, 2-8 to 2-9

4

Index

Printer Parts

monochrome print head

paper-release
lever

knob

tear-off
edge

edge guides
(manual feed slot)

center support

printer cover

thickness
adjustment
lever

color print head
compartment

control panel

black ink cartridge
compartment

page eject guides

output tray

paper support

sprocket-lock lever

optional
interface
cover

sprocket cover

parallel
interface

edge guides

rear edge guide

center support

manual feed guide

tractor feeder