Epson STYLUS PHOTO 1200 Reference Guide

Color Ink Jet Printer

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

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

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

EPSON and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks and EPSON ESC/P 2, ESC/P Raster
and EPSON Stylus are trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft 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.

Copyright © 1999 by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Nagano, Japan.

Declaration of Conformity

According to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Address: 3-5, Owa 3-chome, Suwa-shi,

Nagano-ken 392-8502 Japan

Representative: EPSON EUROPE B.V.
Address: Prof. J. H. Bavincklaan 5 1183

AT Amstelveen
The Netherlands

Declares that the Product:

Product Name: Ink Jet Printer
Model: P113A

Conforms to the following Directive(s) and Norm(s):

Directive 89/336/EEC:

EN 55022 Class B
EN 61000-3-2
EN 61000-3-3
EN 50082-1

IEC 801-2
IEC 801-3
IEC 801-4

Directive 73/23/EEC:

December 1998

H. Horiuchi
President of EPSON EUROPE B.V.

EN 60950

Contents

Safety Instructions

Important Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A Few Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

When using the printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

When handling the ink cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

When choosing a place for the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ENERGY STAR Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 1 Setting Up Your Printer

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

For PCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

For Macintosh computers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Attaching the Paper Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Installing the Ink Cartridges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Connecting to a parallel interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Installing the Printer Software in Your PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Under Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0. . . 1-14

Connecting the Printer to Your Macintosh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Installing the Printer Software in Your Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17

Selecting Your Printer in the Chooser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Loading Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Printing Your First Page for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Printing Your First Page for Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25

Contents

iii

Chapter 2 Using the Printer Software for Windows

Printer Software Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Accessing the printer software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Making Changes to Printer Driver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Making the Media Type setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Using the Automatic setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Using the Custom settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Using the Advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Modifying the printout style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Getting Information Through Online Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Accessing help from your application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Accessing help from Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Increasing the Print Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

Using Speed & Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Using Port Configuration (Windows NT 4.0 only) . . . . . . . . 2-22

Chapter 3 Using the Printer Software for Macintosh

Printer Software Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Making Changes to Printer Driver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Making the Media Type setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Using the Automatic setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Using the Custom settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Using the Advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

Saving your settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Using your saved settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Changing the page setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11

Defining a custom paper size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Modifying the layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

Setting the print time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-16

Previewing your printout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Increasing the Print Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

iv

Contents

Chapter 4 Paper Handling

Loading Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

About special media cleaning sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Loading Envelopes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Using EPSON Photo Paper (4 x 6 inch). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Removing the perforated margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Using EPSON Photo Paper (329mm x 10m). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

Chapter 5 Monitoring and Managing Print Jobs for Windows

Using the Progress Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Using the EPSON Spool Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Using EPSON Status Monitor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Installing the Status Monitor 2 utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Accessing EPSON Status Monitor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Chapter 6 Monitoring and Managing Print Jobs for Macintosh

Using the EPSON StatusMonitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Making Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Controlling Background Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Using EPSON Monitor3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Changing the priority of print jobs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Contents

v

Chapter 7 Network Printing

For Windows 95 and 98 Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Setting up your printer as a shared printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-2

Accessing the printer through a network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-4

For Windows NT 4.0 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Setting up your printer as a shared printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-6

Accessing the printer through a network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-7

Chapter 8 Replacing Ink Cartridges

Replacing an Empty Ink Cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Using the printer's control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Using the Status Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Replacing an Old or Damaged Ink Cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7

Chapter 9 Maintenance

Checking the Print Head Nozzles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-2

Using the Nozzle Check Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2

Using the control panel buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3

Cleaning the Print Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4

Using the Head Cleaning utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4

Using the control panel buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7

Aligning the Print Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9

Transporting the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10

Chapter 10 Troubleshooting

Diagnosing the Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2

Error indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2

Running a printer operation check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Print Quality Could Be Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6

Horizontal banding text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-6

Vertical misalignment text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

vi

Contents

Horizontal banding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

Vertical misalignment or banding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8

Color gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8

Incorrect or missing colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9

Blurry or smeared printout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9

Printer Doesn't Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10

All lights are off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 -11

Lights came on and then went out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

Only the power light is on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

Paper out light is flashing or on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12

One of the ink out lights is flashing or on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12

Ink out lights are on and the other lights are flashing. . . . . 10-13

Paper Doesn't Feed Correctly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13

Paper doesn't feed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13

Multiple pages feed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14

The paper jams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14

Paper isn't ejected fully or is wrinkled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15

Printouts Are Not What You Expected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 -15

Incorrect or garbled characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16

Incorrect margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16

Inverted image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17

Printed pages are blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17

Printout has smears on the bottom edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17

Printing is too slow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18

Updating the Printer Software for Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18

Chapter 11 Consumable Products

Ink cartridges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

EPSON special media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Appendix A Tips for Color Printing

Basics of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Image Resolution and Image Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

Guidelines for Using Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-8

Contents

vii

Appendix B Printer Specifications

Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-7

Mechanical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9

Electrical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9

Environmental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

Safety Approvals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

Interface Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

Parallel interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

Serial interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11

USB interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12

Optional USB Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12

Glossary

Index

viii

Contents

Safety Instructions

Important Safety Instructions

Read all of these instructions before using your printer. Also be
sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the
printer.

❏ Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet.
❏ Do not insert objects through the slots. Take care not to spill

liquid on the printer.

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

label.

❏ Connect all equipment to properly grounded power outlets.

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

❏ Avoid electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or

automatic timers.

❏ Keep the entire computer system away from potential sources

of electromagnetic interference, such as loudspeakers or the
base units of cordless telephones.

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

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

❏ Do not attempt to service the printer yourself.

Safety Instructions

1

❏ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

personnel under the following conditions:

The power cord or plug is damaged; liquid has entered the
printer; the printer has been dropped or the cabinet damaged;
the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a distinct
change in performance.

A Few Precautions

When using the printer

❏ Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the ink

cartridges during printing.

❏ Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may

damage the printer.

❏ Always turn the printer off using the

this button is pressed, the
goes off. Do not unplug the printer or turn off the power to
the outlet until the

❏ Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is in

the home (far right) position and the ink cartridges are in
place.

P power light stops flashing.

P power light flashes briefly then

P power button. When

When handling the ink cartridges

❏ Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. Do not allow

children to drink or otherwise handle the cartridges.

❏ If ink gets on the skin, wash it off with soap and water. If it

gets in the eyes, flush them immediately with water.

❏ Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.

2

Safety Instructions

❏ Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it from

its package. Leaving the cartridge unpacked for a long time
before use may result in reduced print quality.

❏ Once you install an ink cartridge, do not open the clamp or

remove the cartridge except to replace it with a new one. The
cartridge may become unusable otherwise.

❏ Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the

cartridge carton. For best results, use up the ink cartridges
within six months of installing them.

❏ Do not dismantle the ink cartridges or try to refill them. This

could damage the print head.

When choosing a place for the printer

❏ Place the printer on a flat, stable surface that is larger than the

printer. The printer will not operate properly if it is tilted or
at an angle.

❏ Avoid places subject to rapid changes in temperature and

humidity. Also keep it away from direct sunlight, strong light,
or heat sources.

❏ Avoid places subject to shocks and vibrations.
❏ Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be

easily unplugged.

Safety Instructions

3

ENERGY STAR Compliance

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

TAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

S

NERGY

E

The International

a voluntary partnership with the computer and office equipment

industry to promote the introduction of energy-efficient personal

computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers in an

effort to reduce air pollution caused by power generation.

NERGY STAR Office Equipment Program is

E

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes

Warnings

must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

w

Cautions

must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

c

Notes

of your printer.

contain important information and useful tips on the operation

4

Safety Instructions

Chapter 1

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2

Setting Up Your Printer

For PCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2

For Macintosh computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2

Unpacking the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-4

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-5

Attaching the Paper Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 -7

Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7

Installing the Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-8

Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-12

Connecting to a parallel interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-12

Installing the Printer Software in Your PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-13

Under Windows 95, Windows 98 and

Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-14

Connecting the Printer to Your Macintosh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-16

Installing the Printer Software in Your Macintosh . . . . . . . . . .1-17

Selecting Your Printer in the Chooser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-20

Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-21

Printing Your First Page for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-23

Printing Your First Page for Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-25

Setting Up Your Printer

1-1

System Requirements

For PCs

To use your printer, you need Microsoft® Windows® 95,

®

Windows

98, or Windows® NT 4.0; and a shielded, twisted-pair
parallel cable. If you want connect your printer to a USB port, you
need a Windows 98 pre-installed PC equipped with a USB port;
and a shielded USB cable.

Your computer should also meet the following system
requirements:

Minimum system Recommended system

i486SX/DX 25/66 MHz for Windows 95, 98 and
NT 4.0

8MB RAM (Windows 95)
16MB RAM (Windows 98 and NT 4.0)

10MB hard disk space for Windows 95 and 98
20MB for Windows NT 4.0

VGA monitor VGA or better monitor

Pentium or higher
processor

32MB RAM or more for
Windows 95 and 98
64MB or more for
Windows NT 4.0

50MB or more free disk
space for Windows 95,
and 98
100MB or more for
Windows NT 4.0

Your computer dealer can help you update your system if it does
not meet these requirements.

For Macintosh computers

To use this printer, your Apple® Macintosh® must meet the
following system requirements. You also need a standard Apple
System Peripheral-8 cable (8-pin mini-circular connector) or
equivalent.

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Setting Up Your Printer

If you want connect your printer to a USB port, you need an Apple
Macintosh computer with a USB port; and a shielded USB cable.

Applicable computer models (as of September 1, 1998)

Macintosh LC475, LC575, LC630
Macintosh Quadra Series
Macintosh Centris Series
Macintosh PowerBook™ Series (PowerBook 190, 520, 540, 550 or
later)
Macintosh PowerBook Duo 280, 2300c/100
Macintosh Performa 475, 575, 588, 630, 5210 or later
Power Macintosh Series
iMac Series (for USB)

Environment

Minimum system Recommended system

System 7.5.3 System 7.6 or later
5MB of available memory

10MB of available memory when
background printing is turned on.

16MB or more of available memory
25MB of available memory when
background printing is turned on.

Note:

❏ The amount of available memory varies according to the number and

kind of applications that are open. To see how much memory is

available, choose About This Macintosh

from the Apple menu and
refer to the memory size (listed in kilobytes) under “Largest Unused
Block” (1,024K=1MB).

❏ The memory requirements above are for printing on A4 size paper.

These requirements may vary depending on the size of the paper, the
type of application you are using, and the complexity of the
document you want to print.

Setting Up Your Printer

1-3

In addition to these system and memory requirements, you also
need 10MB of free hard disk space to install your printer software.
To print, you need extra hard disk space amounting to about
double the size of the file you want to print.

Unpacking the Printer

Your printer box should include the printer software CD-ROM
that runs your printer, and the items shown in the illustration.

In some locations, the power cord comes attached to the printer.
The shape of the AC plug varies by country; be sure the plug
included is the right shape for your location.

Remove all protective materials packed with your printer before
setting up and turning on the printer. Follow the instructions
inserted with the printer to remove these materials. Save all
packaging and protective materials for transporting the printer in
future.

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Setting Up Your Printer

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions

paper support

edge guides

sheet feeder

printer cover

output tray

output tray extension

adjust lever

ink cartridge clamps

control panel

Setting Up Your Printer

1-5

Buttons

Button Function

P

Power

E

Load/Eject

R

Cleaning

Lights

Light Printer Status

P

Power

S

Paper out

B

Black ink out

A

Color ink out

Turns the printer on and off.
Clears the printer's memory if pressed twice while the power
is on.

Loads or ejects paper if pressed and released within 2
seconds.
Resumes printing if pressed and released after a paper out
error.

Moves the print head to the ink cartridge replacement position
if pressed for 3 seconds while the
flashing or on.
Returns the print head to its home position after ink cartridge
replacement.
Performs print head cleaning if pressed for 3 seconds when

B or

the

On when the printer is on.
Flashes when receiving data, replacing an ink cartridge,

charging ink, or cleaning the print head.
On when the printer is out of paper. Load paper in the sheet

feeder; then press the
Flashes when paper is jammed. Take all the paper out of the

feeder, and reload the paper. If the light continues to flash,
turn off the printer and gently pull all the paper out of the
printer.

Flashes when black ink is low. The black ink cartridge is nearly
empty.

On when black ink is out. The black ink cartridge is empty.
Replace the black ink cartridge (S020187).

Flashes when color ink is low. The color ink cartridge is nearly
empty.

On when color ink is out. The color ink cartridge is empty.
Replace the color ink cartridge (T001

ink out light is off.

A

load/eject button to resume printing.

E

B

or

✽✽✽

ink out light is

A

).

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Setting Up Your Printer

Attaching the Paper Support

Insert the paper support into the slots at the rear of the printer.

Plugging in the Printer

1. Make sure that the printer is turned off. It is off when the

power button protrudes slightly from the surface of the control
panel.

2. Check the label on the back of the printer to make sure the
voltage required by the printer matches that of the electrical
outlet you will be plugging it into. Also, make sure that you
have the correct power cable for your power source.

P

Caution:

c

3. If the power cord is not attached to the printer, connect it to
the AC inlet on the back of the printer.

4. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical
outlet.

It is not possible to change the printer's voltage. If the rated
voltage and your outlet voltage do not match, contact your
dealer for assistance. Do not plug in the power cord.

Setting Up Your Printer

1-7

Installing the Ink Cartridges

Before installing the ink cartridges, note the following .

Warning:

w

Note:

❏ Do not open the ink cartridge packages until just before you install

❏ Use the ink cartridges packed with your printer the first time you

Install the ink cartridges as follows:

1. Lower the output tray; then open the printer cover.

The ink cartridges are self-contained units. 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.

them, or the ink may dry up.

install ink cartridges, otherwise the printer may not charge ink
properly.

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Setting Up Your Printer

2. Turn on the printer

The print head moves to the left, which to the ink cartridge
install position. The

out lights come on.

Caution:

c

3. Lift up the ink cartridge clamps.

Do not move the print head by hand. Doing so may damage
the printer.

.

power light flashes and the

P

and

B

A

ink

Setting Up Your Printer

1-9

4. Open the ink cartridge packages that came with your printer.
Next, remove only the yellow tape seals from each cartridge.

Caution:

c

5. Place the cartridges gently into their holders with the labels
face-up. The color ink cartridge, which is larger, goes on the
right and the black goes on the left. Do not press down on the
cartridges.

❏ Remove the yellow tape seals from the cartridges before

❏ Do not remove the blue portion of the tape seals from the

❏ Do not remove the tape seals from the bottom of the

installing them; otherwise the cartridges may become
unusable.

cartridges; otherwise the cartridges may become clogged
and cannot print.

cartridges; otherwise, ink will leak.

1- 10

Note:

Install both ink cartridges. If either of the cartridges is not installed,
the printer will not work.

Setting Up Your Printer

6. Press the ink cartridge clamps down until they lock in place.

Caution:

c

Once you install the ink cartridges, do not open their clamps
again until you replace the ink cartridges. Otherwise, the
cartridges will become unusable.

7. Press the
head and begins charging the ink delivery system.

The ink charging process takes about a minute and a half to
complete, during which time the
the printer produces a variety of mechanical sounds. These
sounds are normal. When the ink delivery system has been
charged, the print head returns to its home (far right) position
and the

c

R

cleaning button. The printer moves the print

P power light flashes and

P power light stops flashing.

Caution:

Never turn off the printer while the

P power light is flashing.

Setting Up Your Printer

1-11

8. Close the printer cover.

Now you are ready to connect the printer to your computer. To
connect the printer to your PC, see the next section. To connect
the printer to a Macintosh, see “Connecting the Printer to Your
Macintosh” on page 1-16.

Connecting the Printer to Your PC

Note:

To connect and use the USB connector, see the USB User’s Guide
shipped with your printer.

Connecting to a parallel interface

To connect the printer to your computer using the built-in parallel
interface, you need a shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable.

Follow these steps to connect your printer.

1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turne d off.

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Setting Up Your Printer

2. Plug 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,
connect it to the ground connector below the interface
connector.

3. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer's parallel
interface. If there is a ground wire at the computer end of the
cable, connect it to the ground connector at the back of the
computer.

See “Installing the Printer Software in Your PC” on page 1-13 for
instructions on installing the printer software. You must install
the printer software before using your printer.

Installing the Printer Software in Your PC

After connecting the printer to your computer, you need to install
the software included on the printer software CD-ROM shipped
with your printer.

Your printer software includes:
❏ Printer driver

The printer driver is the software that runs, or “drives,” your
printer. With it, you can make settings such as media type,
print quality, speed, and paper size.

Setting Up Your Printer

1-13

❏ Utilities

The Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning, and Print Head
Alignment utilities help you keep your printer in top
operating condition.

❏ EPSON Status Monitor 2

EPSON Status Monitor 2 notifies you of printer errors and
displays printer status information such as the amount of ink
remaining. The Status Monitor also guides you when
replacing ink cartridges.

Under Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0

To install the printer software under Windows 95, Windows 98
and Windows NT 4.0, proceed as follows:

Note:

If you have connected your printer via the USB port, you must first of
all install the USB device driver, which can be found on the CD. More
detailed information can be found in the accompanying booklet "USB
Information". The printer driver for the USB port can only be used under
Windows 98.

1. Make sure that the printer and computer are switched off.

2. Switch the computer on. Windows starts automatically. Then
switch the printer on.

3. Place the CD with the printer software into the CD-ROM drive
of your computer. The AutoPlay function for the CD-ROM
drive automatically starts the installation program on the CD.

If the installation program does not start automatically, click
on the button Start and then on the command Run. In the
command line of the Run dialog box enter the command
E:\START.EXE and click the button OK.

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Setting Up Your Printer

Note:

E

stands for the designated drive letter for your CD-ROM drive,

which may be something other than E.

The installation program starts. The subsequent procedure is
controlled via menus, i.e. you can select the options relvant to
you from a list of selections by simply clicking with the mouse
to select. The rest of the installation takes place automatically,
which means that you are not required to enter any more
information.

4. Select the desired option and follow the instructions on the
screen.

Notes:

❏ After installing the printer driver, installation of the EPSON

Status Monitor 2 starts automatically. If you do not wish to
install this utility until later, click on the button
install the utility later, as described in Chapter 5, “Installing
the Status Monitor 2 utility”.

❏ After installing the printer driver or the EPSON Status

Monitor 2, you must re-start the system.

Cancel

and

❏ The installation time for the printer software depends on your

computer system.

More detailed information on running and working with the
software can be found in this chapter, in the section ”Printing
under Windows”. You can find more detailed information on the
printer software in chapter 2.

If you are working under Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows
NT 4.0 and you are using your printer in a network environment,
read chapter 7.

Setting Up Your Printer

1-15

Connecting the Printer to Your Macintosh

Note:

To connect to an iMac computer using the USB port, see the USB User’s
Guide shipped with your printer.

To use the printer's built-in serial interface, you will need an
Apple System Peripheral-8 cable.

Follow these steps to connect the printer:

1. Make sure both your printer and Macintosh are switched off.

2. Connect one end of the interface cable to the serial connector
on the back of the printer.

3. Connect the other end of the interface cable to either the
modem port or printer port on the Macintosh. The ports are
marked with the following icons.

printer port

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modem port

Setting Up Your Printer

See the next section for instructions on installing the printer
software. You must install the printer software before using your
printer.

For information on opening and using the software, see “Printing
Your First Page for Macintosh” on page 1-25. See also Chapter 3,
“Using the Printer Software for Macintosh”.

Installing the Printer Software in Your Macintosh

After connecting the printer to your Macintosh, you are ready to
install the printer software included in the printer software CD­ROM shipped with your printer.

Your printer software includes:
❏ EPSON Printer Driver Package

SP1200

This is the printer driver software that runs your printer. With
it, you can make settings such as media type, print quality,
speed, and paper size.

EPSON Monitor3

Monitors and manages background printing jobs. You must
turn on background printing in the Chooser to use this utility.

StatusMonitor

Keeps track of the current status of your printer, and alerts
you when printer errors occur.

Utilities

The Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning, and Print Head
Alignment utilities help you keep your printer in top
operating condition.

Setting Up Your Printer

1-17

ColorSync 2.0 and Profiles

Matches the colors in your printout with the colors displayed
on your screen automatically. Use this when printing scanned
photographs or computer graphics.

If you are using the floppy disk version, make a backup copy of
the EPSON Macintosh printer software disk before you begin
installation.

Caution:

c

Follow these steps to install your printer software:

1. Turn on your Macintosh and insert the software CD in the

2. The EPSON printer software disk opens automatically.

3. If a single Installer icon appears, double-click the icon. If

Turn off all virus protection programs before you install your
printer software.

CD-ROM drive. (If you are using the floppy disk version,
insert it in a disk drive.)

separate folders containing installer icons for several
languages appear, double-click the folder for your pref erred
language, then double-click the Installer icon inside it.

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Setting Up Your Printer