Epson Stylus Photo 1290 Daily Use Guide

Color Ink Jet Printer
4032768-00 EUL

Where to Find Information

Setup Guide

This guide will help you set up and begin using your printer. It includes information on setting up your printer and installing the printer software.

Photo Print Software Setup included on the CD-ROM

This guide provides information on installing EPSON PhotoQuicker, EPSON PhotoStarter and EPSON CardMonitor. It also contains uninstalling and system requirements.

Daily Use guide

This guide provides information on normal printer operation. It also contains troubleshooting tips and customer support information.

PhotoQuicker User’s Guide

Included on the printer software CD-ROM, this guide provides basic information on using the EPSON PhotoQuicker utility to print your photo data. It also contains troubleshooting tips.

Reference Guide included on the CD-ROM

The Reference Guide contained on the CD-ROM included with your printer provides detailed information about printer software settings, printing on special paper, maintenance, and problem solving.
To open the Reference Guide, insert the printer software CD in the CD-ROM drive.
For Windows, select Online Guide in the Installer dialog box and click . Then, click View Reference Guide to open the guide.
For Macintosh, double-click the Online Guide icon in the EPSON window and then the Online Guide icon. Then, click View Reference Guide to open the guide.
Note:
It is possible to install the Reference Guide on your hard disk. See “For Windows” or “For Macintosh” in your Setup Guide for instructions.
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 CORPORATIO N. The information contained h erein is designed only for use with th is 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 C ORPORATION shall not be liable fo r 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.
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION shall not be held liable for any damage resulting from electromagnetic interference that occurs from the use of any interface cables other than those designated as EPSON Approved Products by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
EPSON is a registered trademark and EPSON Stylus is a trademark of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
Copyright 2001 SEIK O EPSON CORPORATION. All rights reserve d. PRINT Image Matching is a trademark of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The PRINT Image Matching logo is a trademark of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
DPOF is a trademark of CANON INC., Eastman Kodak Company, Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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 © 2002 by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Nagano, Japan.
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Contents

Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Information for United Kingdom Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions . . . . . . . . . .8
Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Loading Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Using Roll Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Using the Roll Paper Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Removing the Roll Paper from the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Printing with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Printer Software Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Making Settings on the Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Making Settings on the Paper Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Making Settings on the Layout Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Printing with Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Printer Software Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Making settings in the Print dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Making settings in the Page Setup dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Making settings in the Layout dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Replacing Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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Using the Printer's Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Error Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Correcting USB Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Consumable products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Technical Support Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Contacting Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Using the online Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
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Safety Instructions

Important Safety Instructions

Read all of the instructions in this section before using your printer. Also, be sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.

When setting up your printer

Observe the following when setting up the printer:
Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet.
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.
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If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure that
the total ampere rating of the devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cords ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlets ampere rating.
Do not attempt to service the printer yourself.
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.
If you plan to use the printer in Germany, the building
installation must be protected by a 10 or 16 amp circuit breaker to provide adequate short-circuit protection and over-current protection for this printer.

When choosing a place for the printer

Observe the following when choosing a place for the printer:
Place the printer on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond
the printer base in all directions. The printer will not operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.
Leave enough space in front of the printer for the paper to be
fully ejected.
Avoid places subject to rapid changes in temperature and
humidity. Also, keep the printer away from direct sunlight, strong light, or heat sources.
Avoid places subject to dust, shocks, and vibrations.
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Leave enough room around the printer to allow for sufficient
ventilation.
Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be
easily unplugged.

When using the printer

Observe the following when using the printer:
Do not insert objects through the slots in the printers cabinet.
Take care not to spill liquid on 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 P power button. When
this button is pressed, the P power light flashes briefly and then goes out. Do not unplug the printer or turn off the power to the outlet until the P power light stops flashing.
Before transporting the printer, make sure that the print head
is in the home (far right) position and the ink cartridges are in place.

When handling the ink cartridges

Observe the following when handling the ink cartridges:
Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. Do not allow
children to drink from or otherwise handle the cartridges.
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Be careful when you handle the used ink cartridges, as there
may be some ink remaining around the ink supply port. If ink gets on your skin, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If discomfort or vision problems remain after a thorough flushing, see a doctor immediately.
Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.
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.
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.
After bringing an ink cartridge inside from a cold storage site,
allow it to warm up at room temperature for at least three hours before using it.
Store ink cartridges in a cool, dark place.
Do not touch the green IC chip on the side of the cartridge.
This may affect normal operation and printing.
The IC chip on this ink cartridge retains a variety of cartridge
related-information, such as the amount of ink remaining, so that a cartridge may be removed and reinserted freely. However, each time the cartridge is inserted, some ink is consumed because the printer automatically performs a reliability check.
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If you remove an ink cartridge for later use, protect the ink
supply area from dirt and dust and store it in the same environment as the printer. A valve in the ink supply port makes covers or plugs unnecessary, but the ink may stain items that come in contact with this area of the cartridge. Do not touch the ink supply port or surrounding area.
ENERGY STAR
As an ENERGY STAR® Partner, EPSON has determined that this product meets the efficiency.
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, copiers, and scanners in an effort to reduce air pollution caused by power generation.
®
Compliance
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR
®
guidelines for energy
®
Office Equipment Program is

Information for United Kingdom Users

Use of options

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

Warning:
This appliance must be earthed. Refer to the rating plate for the
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voltage and check that the appliance voltage corresponds to the supply voltage.
Important:The wires in the mains lead fitted to this appliance are coloured in accordance with the following code:
Green and yellow — Earth Blue — Neutral Brown — Live
If you have to fit a plug:
As the colours of the mains lead of this appliance may not match the coloured markings used to identify the terminals in a plug, please observe the following:
The green and yellow wire must be connected to the terminal
in the plug which is marked with the letter E or the earth symbol (G).
The blue wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug
marked with the letter N.
The brown wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug
marked with the letter L.
If the plug is damaged, replace the cord set or consult a
qualified electrician.
Replace fuses only with fuses of the correct size and rating.
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Warnings, Cautions, and Notes

Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
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Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
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Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation of your printer.
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Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions

Printer Parts

paper support extension
paper support
paper support adapter
edge guides
roll paper holder
USB interface cable connector
sheet feeder
printer cover
output tray
output tray extension
parallel interface cable connector
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ink cartridge clamps
print head
adjust lever

Buttons

Button Function
P
power
b
maintenane
z
roll paper
ink cartridge replacement button
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 two seconds.
Resumes printing if pressed and released after a paper out error.
Performs print head cleaning if pressed for 3 seconds when the
Moves the print head to the ink cartridge replacement position and charges ink to the printer when ink is out.
Loads and ejects roll paper.
Feeds roll paper in reverse to a position where it can be easily removed from the sheet feeder, if pressed for more than 3 seconds.
Clears the paper.
b error light is off.
b error light if pressed after removing roll
control panel
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e
ink cartridge replacement

Lights

Light Description
Moves the print head to the ink cartridge replacement position and charges ink to the printer when ink is out (this orange button is located under the printer cover, not in the control panel).
P
power
b
error
On when the printer is on.
Flashing when printer is receiving data, printing, 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 resume printing.
On when the paper is jammed. Take all of the paper out of the feeder, then reload the paper. If the light continues to flash, turn off the printer and gently pull all of the paper out of the printer.
Flashing when the black or color ink cartridge is nearly empty.
On when the black or color ink cartridge is empty. Replace the black ink cartridge or color ink cartridge.
Black: T007 Standard Capacity T010 Light Capacity Color: T009 (Stylus Photo 1290)
Flashing when the print head moves to the ink cartridge replacement position. If the color ink is out the light will flash faster than if the black ink is out.
b maintenance button to
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Loading Paper

Loading Special Paper and Other Media

You can print on a wide variety of special media, including ink jet paper, photo quality glossy film, photo paper, transparencies, index cards, and adhesive sheets.

Loading instructions

When loading special media distributed by EPSON, read the instruction sheets packed with the media first and keep the following points in mind.
Caution:
Cleaning sheets packaged with EPSON special media should not
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be used with this printer. The cleaning function performed by these sheets is not necessary with this type of printer, and the sheets could jam in the printer.
Note:
For more details on using special media, see Paper Handling” in the online Reference Guide.
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Load the media printable side up in the sheet feeder. See the
instruction sheets packed with the media to determine which side is the printable side. Some types of media have cut corners to help identify the correct loading direction, as shown in the illustration.
cut corner
printable side up
Make sure that the paper stack fits under the arrow mark
located on the inside surface of the left edge guide.
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Loading capacities for EPSON special media

Refer to the chart below to find the loading capacities for EPSON special media.
Media Type Loading Capacity
360 dpi Ink Jet Paper and Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
Photo Quality Ink Jet Cards, Ink Jet Note Cards, and Ink Jet Greeting Cards
Photo Quality Glossy Film One sheet at a time for best results.
Ink Jet Transparencies Up to 30 transparencies.
Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets
Photo Paper Up to 20 sheets of 4 × 6 inch Photo
Up to the arrow mark on the left edge guide.
Up to 30 index cards. Always place the included support sheet* under the cards.
Always place a support sheet* or a sheet of plain paper under the glossy film. If you wish to load multiple sheets, set the minimum top margin of the page to 30 mm and load a maximum of 20 sheets for A4. For A3 and Super A3 size, you can load up to 5 sheets at a time.
Always put a sheet of plain paper under the stack of transparencies.
One sheet at a time.
Paper. Always place a support sheet* under the stack of Photo Paper. One sheet at a time for 200 × 300 mm Photo Paper.
Photo Stickers 16 and Photo Stickers 4
Panoramic Photo Paper and Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper
One sheet at a time. Always put the included support sheets* A and B under the stack of Photo Stickers.
One sheet at a time.
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Matte Paper-Heavyweight Up to 20 sheets. Always place a
support sheet* under the stack of Matte Paper-Heavyweight. For A3 and Super A3 size, you can only load one sheet at a time.
Premium Glossy Photo Paper One sheet at a time.
Ink Jet Back Light Film One sheet at a time.
ColorLife Photo Paper One sheet at a time
* Take care not to print on support sheets that are loaded under special
media.
Always put a sheet of plain paper under back light film.

Loading Envelopes

When printing on envelopes, please note the following:
You can load up to 10 envelopes at a time in the sheet feeder.
Note:
The folding quality and thickness of envelopes vary widely. If the total thickness of the stack of envelopes exceeds 10 mm, press each envelope in the stack flat before loading. If print quality declines when a stack of envelopes is loaded, load one envelope at a time.
Set the adjust lever to the “+ position. To do this, open the
printer cover and reposition the lever.
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Note:
Return the adjust lever to the “0 position, which is the normal
position, after you finish printing on envelopes. Leaving the lever in the “+” position may cause gaps to appear in images printed on other media.
When the adjust lever is in the “+ position, make sure the High
Speed setting in the printer drivers Advanced dialog box is off. To turn this option off, you may also need to change the Print Quality setting.
Load envelopes flap edge first with the flap side down, as
shown in the illustration.
Available envelopes sizes are: No.10, DL, C6, 132 mm × 220 mm
Do not use envelopes that are curled or folded.
Flatten envelopes before loading.
Avoid using envelopes that are too thin as they may curl
during printing.
Select Plain Paper as the Media Type setting in the printer
software.
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Using Roll Paper

Using the Roll Paper Holder

With the Roll paper holder packed with the printer, you can print in roll paper format which is convenient for banner printing. When you are printing using the Roll paper holder, keep the following in mind.
Load the paper printable side up.
Use flat, undamaged paper. If the paper is curled, flatten it
before loading to avoid paper feeding problems.
Always handle the paper by the edges.
Provide ample space in front of the printer for the paper to
eject fully.
Make sure that the output tray is down and the output tray
extension is closed.
Check that the end of the paper is cut cleanly, perpendicular
to the long axis of the paper. If it is cut on a diagonal or not cleanly, the paper may not feed smoothly or the print may extend off the edge of the paper.
EPSON recommends using media distributed by EPSON to
ensure high-quality results.
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Loading the Roll Paper

Follow the directions below to mount the Roll paper holder and load the roll paper.
1. Set roll paper in the roll paper holder.
Note:
Remove the transparent sheet after setting the roll paper into the holders.
2. Check that the end of the roll is cut perpendicularly to the edges as shown. For A4 and 329-mm width paper, cut along one of the parallel lines on the back. For 89- and 100-mm width paper, use a triangle.
Caution:
Always use a triangle or other tool to ensure that the end of
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the roll is cut perpendicularly. A diagonal cut may cause paper feed problems.
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