NEC SuperScript 660i User Guide

Silentwriter
SuperScript 660i
User's Guide

PROPRIETARY NOTICE AND LIABILITY DISCLAIMER

The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materi­als, is the valuable property of NEC Corporation (NEC) and/or its licensers. NEC and/
or its licensers, as appropriate, reserve all patent, copyright and other proprietary rights
to this document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales
rights thereto, except to the extent said rights are expressly granted to others.

The NEC product(s) discussed in this document are warranted in accordance with the
terms of the Warranty Statement accompanying each product. However, actual
perfomance of each such product is dependent upon factors such as system configu­ration, customer data, and operator control. Since implementation by customers of
each product may vary, the suitability of specific product configurations and applica­tions must be determined by the customer and is not warranted by NEC.

To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this document
is subject to change at any time, without notice. Reproduction of this document or
portions thereof without prior written approval of NEC is prohibited.

Silentwriter is a U.S. registered trademark of NEC Corporation. SuperScript is a trademark of NEC
Corporation. All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.

© NEC Technologies, Inc., 1994.
© Copyright, WinStyler™/Phase II, 1992-1994, Destiny Technology Corp. Ver. 2.0
© Copyright, WinRefs™/Phase II, 1994, Destiny Technology Corp. Ver. 2.0
© Copyright, DTIR™, 1992-1994, Destiny Technology Corp. Ver. 1.0
© Copyright, LaserAct®/Phase II, 1990-1994, Destiny Technology Corp, Ver. 4.5
© Copyright, PageStyler®/Phase II, 1989-1994, Destiny Technology Corp. Ver. 1.0
© Copyright, 1992, Microsoft Corporation

First Printing — November 1994

Copyright 1994

NEC Technologies, Inc.

1414 Massachusetts Avenue

Boxborough, MA 01719

All Rights Reserved

Copyright 1994

NEC Corporation

7-1 Shiba 5-Chome, Minato-ku

Tokyo 108-01, Japan

All Rights Reserved

Contents i

Contents

Using this Guide vii
1 Introduction 1-1

How the Printing Process Works 1-3
Standard Features 1-3
Options 1-7
Ordering Supplies and Accessories 1-7

2 Setting Up 2-1

Unpacking 2-2

Locating the Printer Items 2-3

Operating Requirements 2-4

Printer Dimensions 2-5
System Requirements 2-7
External Printer Parts 2-8
Internal Printer Parts 2-12
Installing the 200-sheet Hopper 2-13
Installing Paper 2-14
Toner Cartridge 2-17

Setting Up the Toner Cartridge 2-17

Installing the Toner Cartridge 2-21
Interface Cable 2-24
Power Cord 2-26
Printing a Test Page 2-27
Installing SuperScript 660i DOS Software 2-28
Installing SuperScript 660i Windows Software 2-31

3 Printing with Your SuperScript 660i 3-1

SuperScript 660i Print Modes 3-2
PCL Print Mode 3-2

SuperScript PCL Control Panel 3-2

Printing From a Windows Application 3-4

Printing From a DOS Window 3-5

ii Contents

Printing PCL Files From DOS Command Line 3-5
Print Navigator Software Kit 3-5
Print Navigator Default Setup Program 3-6
Print Navigator Page Setup Screen 3-7
Print Navigator Font Setup Screen 3-10
Print Navigator Quality Setup Screen 3-11
Print Navigator Memory Setup Screen 3-12
Print Navigator Options Setup Screen 3-13
The Reporter 3-14
Print Navigator Printer Status Display 3-15

GDI Mode 3-16

GDI Setup Screen 3-16
2Up/4Up Screen 3-20
GDI Options Screen 3-20

Advanced Options 3-21

Manual Duplex Printing 3-21
Scaling 3-24
Print to File 3-24
Density Button 3-25
Forms Window 3-26

4 NEC SuperScript 660i Print Manager 4-1
5 Print Status Window 5-1

Overview 5-2
Print Status in DOS 5-2

Displaying the Print Navigator Print Status Screen 5-2

Print Status in Windows 5-5

6 Selecting Paper and Media 6-1

Paper Properties 6-3

Print Areas 6-4
Paper and Media Use 6-5
Preprinted Forms 6-6
Heavy Print Stock 6-7
Envelopes 6-7
Adhesive Labels 6-9

Contents iii

Transparency Film 6-10

Media Purchasing Specifications 6-10

Sheet Paper 6-11
Envelopes 6-13
Adhesive Labels 6-14
Transparency Film 6-15

Storage Guidelines 6-16

7 Using Fonts 7-1

Printer Resident Fonts 7-2

Default Font 7-3

Fonts in GDI Mode 7-3

Installing TrueType Fonts 7-5

Selecting LaserJet 4P Fonts 7-6

By Attribute 7-6
By Number 7-15
An Example Using BASIC 7-15
Using the Control Panels 7-16

8 Choosing Print Options 8-1

How to Print Using Various Media 8-2
The 200-sheet Hopper 8-4

Installing the 200-sheet Hopper 8-4
Installing and Removing the Legal Guide 8-5
200-sheet Hopper Feed 8-6
Manual Feed 8-9
Removing the 200-sheet Hopper 8-11

Output Paths 8-12

Face-up Tray 8-13
Face-down Door 8-13

9 Maintaining Your Printer 9-1

Redistributing the Toner 9-3
Cleaning the Printer 9-8
Replacing the Toner Cartridge 9-9

Cleaning the Printer Mechanism 9-9
Installing the Toner Cartridge 9-17

iv Contents

Transporting the Printer 9-23

Removing the Toner Cartridge 9-23
Removing the Paper Hopper 9-25
Removing the Interface Cable 9-25
Removing the Power Cord 9-26
Check List Before Transporting the Printer 9-27

10 Troubleshooting 10-1

Print Quality Maintenance 10-4
Paper Jam 10-4

Locations of Potential Paper Jams 10-5
Removing the Jammed Paper 10-5
Paper Jams in the Hopper 10-6
Paper Jams in the Fuser Unit 10-7
Points to Check to Avoid Paper Jams 10-9

Testing the Printer 10-10

DOS Test Print 10-10
Windows Test Print 10-10

SuperScript Status Messages 10-12

Installation Problems 10-12

Operating Problems 10-16
Print Navigator Status Messages 10-27
Output Quality 10-29

Light Page 10-29

Blank Page 10-30

Black Page 10-31

Streaked Page 10-32

Spots on Back of Paper 10-33

Blank Spots 10-34

Solid White Vertical Lines 10-35

Incomplete Page 10-35

Text Appears Jagged or Low Resolution in GDI Mode 10-36

Unexpected Font in Either GDI or PCL Mode 10-37

Unexpected Font in PCL Mode 10-38

Contents v

Shifted or Broken Image 10-38
Allocating Virtual Memory 10-39
Commonly Asked Questions 10-41

11 Getting Service and Support (For U.S. only) 11-1

Assistance 11-2

Getting Help from Your Company 11-2

Getting Help from NEC 11-3
Silentwriter SuperScript 660i Printer Limited Warranty 11-4

Warranty 11-5

Warranty Length 11-5

Warranty Coverage 11-5

Warranty Support 11-7

Getting Warranty Service 11-7

Limitation of Damages and Implied Warranties 11-8

A Character Sets and Code/Sequence/Commands

for HP LaserJet 4P A-1

Character Sets A-2

PCL Character Set Charts A-2

ISO Substitution Table A-16
Code/Sequence/Commands A-23

Control Codes and Escape Sequences A-23

B Optimizing Printer Performance B-1

What to Do B-2

C Specifications C-1
D Interface Cable Specifications D-1

Cable Configurations D-4
Pin Assignment of the Printer Side Connector D-5

E Removing SuperScript Files from Your System E-1
F Installing the Memory Expansion Module F-1
Glossary
Index

vi Contents

Using this Guide

This guide provides an introduction to the NEC
SuperScript 660i printer and includes information
about set up, features, operation, and maintenance.

If you are a new user, you may want to read this
entire user’s guide to familiarize yourself with the
printer. If you have been using the printer for some
time, you can scan the Contents for specific
information that you need.

vii

viii

1 Introduction

1

Introduction 1–1

1–2 Introduction

This guide provides complete instructions for operat­ing your new NEC Silentwriter® SuperScript 660i
printer. All printer features are explained and
illustrated in detail.

The Silentwriter SuperScript 660i is a new laser
printer which sets the standard by incorporating true
600 dpi resolution and complete HP LaserJet 4P
functionality in an affordable, simple to use printer.
Combining the best of both worlds, this printer has
been optimized for fast printing in both PCL5e and
Windows mode.

For PCL printing, the SuperScript 660i has a fast
intelligent controller using an Intel i960 controller
and complete HP LaserJet 4P emulation. Therefore,
this printer can be used with any computer which has
an HP LaserJet 4P driver and a standard PC parallel
printer port.

The printer default settings can easily be changed by
using the DOS based Print Navigator software
included with your printer.

For Windows printing, this printer is provided with
the SuperScript 660i software which offers GDI
printing and on-line printer status information. GDI
printing offers the full performance of the total
Windows printing system and takes advantage of the
available power of the CPU in your computer.

Your computer and the Silentwriter SuperScript 660i
communicate bi-directionally to exchange operating
status information (i.e., warm-up, paper out, paper
jam, etc.) and display messages requiring your
attention, if necessary. Hence, you can focus on your
work without periodically referring to the printer
operator panel, a benefit of the SuperScript software.

Introduction 1–3

The SuperScript 660i is designed as a personal laser
printer to conserve desk space and it features low
power consumption.

HOWTHE
PRINTING
PROCESS
WORKS

STANDARD
FEATURES

Whenever you send a job to the printer, an “image”
of that page is temporarily written to the rotating
surface of an electrophotographic (EP) drum. This
image acts like a magnet that attracts toner to the
drum. (The toner and the drum are grouped in one
self-contained cartridge.)

At the same time, paper (or transparency film or an
envelope) passes through the printer and near the
drum. The paper is electrostatically charged as it
reaches the drum.

Toner, previously attracted to the drum as image
areas, is transferred to the charged paper. The paper
then passes between two rollers where a combination
of heat and pressure bonds the toner to the paper.
The paper is then moved to the output tray.

The following list highlights Silentwriter SuperScript
660i features.

Two Printing Modes
The Silentwriter SuperScript 660i software

allows you to select from two different modes of
printing:

• PCL5e emulation mode provides compatibility
with the popular printer language used in the
LaserJet® 4P.

• GDI mode provides WYSIWYP (What You
See Is What You Print) output in Windows.

Print speed: up to 6 pages per minute.

1–4 Introduction

Print resolution: 600×600 dots per inch.

300×300 dots per inch.

Sharp Edge Technology
Silentwriter SuperScript 660i features the pat-

ented Sharp Edge Technology (SET). This
feature detects and smoothes the jagged edges of
raster images by dividing one full dot into
several subdots set in the same area. The print
quality of both text and line graphics is thus
improved.

Introduction 1–5

Paper input: from a 200-sheet hopper support­ing:

Paper:

1 Letter
2 A4
3 Executive
4 B5 (GDI Only)
5 Legal

Envelope:

1 Monarch
2 Commercial 10
3 DL
4 C5
5 B5 (PCL Only)

Paper output: face-up tray with a maximum
capacity of 50 sheets (at 17 lb), or face-down
door.

Toner cartridge: clean, efficient printer opera­tion centered around one easily replaceable
cartridge. The Starter Toner Cartridge shipped
with your printer will print 2,000 pages (at 5%
coverage). Replacement toner cartridges will
print up to 4,000 pages (at 5% coverage).

Power Saving Mode
This printer has Power Saving Mode. In this

mode, if the printer is idle for a specified time
(default 15 minutes), the fuser unit pauses and
power consumption will be decreased. How­ever, the next job requires a warm up time. The
printer is in Power Saving Mode when it is
turned on. You can also turn Power Saver Mode
OFF in the Print Status Window (See Chapter 5,
Print Status Window).

1–6 Introduction

Toner Saving Mode
This feature allows you to save toner by control-

ling print density. You can enable this mode in
Print Status Window (See Chapter 5, Print Status
Window).

Print Darkness
This feature allows you to control the darkness of

any page as required. You can set this mode to
light, medium, or dark in Print Status Window
(See Chapter 5, Print Status Window).

Density Adjustment (GDI Only)
This feature allows you to adjust the contrast and

brightness of the output when printing. This
feature is useful for making adjustments to
produce the best quality when printing.

Manual Duplex Printing (GDI Only)
When selected, you can print on both sides of a

page in either of two binding styles (Book style ­binding in the middle, or Report style - binding
at the top and bottom).

Cover Page (GDI Only)
When selected, a customized page of either text,

graphics, or a combination will automatically
print at the beginning of a print job.

Trailer Page (GDI Only)
When selected, a customized page of either text,

graphics, or a combination will automatically
print at the end of a print job.

Introduction 1–7

Print Overlay (B/W) (GDI Only)
When selected, a customized overlay of either

text, graphics, or combination will print on either
the first page or all pages of a print job. Now you
can print your logo and text together without
having to import your logo into every print job.
This can also be used to add your own custom
watermark to your documents.

Print Overlay (Color) (GDI Only)
When selected you can print a customized

overlay of either text, graphics, or combination in
one of three colors. For example, you could print
your company logo in red and your correspond­ence in black. This feature requires a color toner
cartridge (purchased separately).

OPTIONS

ORDERING
SUPPLIES AND
ACCESSORIES

The options available for the Silentwriter SuperScript
660i include the following.

SuperScript PS2 Upgrade Kit
This option upgrades your SuperScript 660i to

include support for PostScript Level 2 printing,
in addition to the standard GDI and PCL modes.

To order any of the following printer supplies or
accessories, contact your NEC printer dealer or call
1–800–NEC–INFO to locate a supplies dealer
nearest you.

1–8 Introduction

Table 1-1 Supplies and Accessories

PRODUCT ORDER NUMBER
Toner Cartridge 20-061

SuperScript PS2 Upgrade Kit 660i PS

Blue Toner Cartridge 20-062

Red Toner Cartridge 20-063

Yellow Toner Cartridge 20-064

For a detailed description of the PCL printer lan­guage, the LaserJet 4P Printer Technical Reference
Manual is available through the Hewlett Packard
Company. Call Hewlett Packard’s Direct Marketing
Division toll free at 1-800-538-8787 or direct at 408­720-2428. In Canada call 416-671-8383.

2Setting Up

2

Setting Up 2–1

2–2 Setting Up

UNPACKING

Perform the following procedures to set up your
SuperScript printer.

1. Open the box.

2. Take out the documents (including software

diskettes), the 200-sheet hopper, and the power
cord from the box.

3. Lift the printer together with the packing materi-

als. (The legal guide is attached to the printer
with adhesive tape.)

Setting Up 2–3

Locating the
Printer Items

Locate the following items:

• NEC Silentwriter SuperScript 660i Printer

• SuperScript 660i software kit

• User’s guide

• Hopper

• Legal Guide

• Power cord

• Starter Toner Cartridge (in the printer)

• Packing material (not shown)

NOTE: Save this user’s guide and all packing
materials in case the printer needs to be repacked.

2–4 Setting Up

OPERATING
REQUIRE­MENTS

The following operating environment requirements
should be satisfied:

Place the printer on a sturdy, flat surface.
Keep the room well ventilated with a relative

humidity between 20% and 80% and temperature
between 50˚F and 90.5˚F (10˚C to 32.5˚C).

Leave adequate space around the printer for easy
access (see the following figure).

WARNING: Do not place objects near the printer
that may cover the ventilation holes on its sides.

Setting Up 2–5

Printer
Dimensions

The following illustration shows the standard dimen­sions of a Silentwriter SuperScript 660i printer.

2–6 Setting Up

Setting Up 2–7

SYSTEM RE­QUIREMENTS

The SuperScript 660i has an intelligent controller
with a full PCL5e emulation resident and is
compatible with the LaserJet 4P. Therefore, this
printer can be used with any computer which has a
LaserJet 4P driver and a standard PC parallel port.

Included with the SuperScript 660i software kit is
Print Navigator software and SuperScript 660i
software. Print Navigator is a software control panel
for the printer and reports printer status from DOS.

The Print Navigator minimum system requirements
are as follows:

1. DOS 3.1 or later

2. 80286 PC

3. 640K RAM

4. 900KB hard disk space

5. bidirectional parallel printer cable (not included)
The SuperScript 660i software is for Windows 3.1

and allows printing in Windows native mode (GDI)
or PCL mode and supports additional features such
as printer status reporting, 2Up/4Up printing, and
color overlays. The minimum system requirements
for the SuperScript 660i GDI software are as
follows:

1. at least a 386SX 16MHz CPU (Windows 3.1
Enhanced Mode)

2. MS DOS 3.3 or later
3 4 MB RAM

4. 8.5 MB Swap File

5. 8.6 MB hard disk space

6. bidirectional parallel printer cable (not included)

2–8 Setting Up

NOTE: Because of the NEC SuperScript 660i’s high
speed interface, it is important to use a properly
manufactured parallel cable. Use of a poor quality
parallel cable may affect your output. See Interface
Cable specification, Appendix D.

EXTERNAL
PRINTER
PARTS

The following two illustrations show external printer
parts.

Setting Up 2–9

Upper Cover (also functions as a face-up tray)
Provides access to the inside of the printer and

stacks printed sheets with printed side facing up.
Maximum capacity: 50 sheets.

Lock Release Lever
Unlocks and opens the upper cover.

Status Panel
There are three indicator lights to show the

operating status of the printer.

- Ready indicator: the left panel light is used to
show that the printer is ready (steady green),
warming up, job process (rapid blinking), or in
power saving mode (slow blinking).

- Paper indicator: the middle panel light is used
to show that the printer detects paper empty
(steady yellow), manual feed (blinking).

2–10 Setting Up

- Attention indicator: the right panel light is used to
show that the printer detects cover open, no
cartridge (steady red), or a paper jam, data error
(blinking).

All indicators light when the printer is powered on
or when a printer hardware error occurs.

Front Panel Button
Pressing this button can clear memory overflow

and print overrun. For more details, see Table 10-2
in Chapter 10.

200-sheet Hopper
Holds up to 200 sheets of paper (at 17 lbs).

Face-down Door
Ejects the printed sheets with printed side facing

down.
Power Switch

Turns the printer off or on.
Model Number

Indicates the model number of your printer.
Serial Number

Indicates the serial number of your printer.
(You need to enter this number on the warranty
registration).

Setting Up 2–11

Memory Cover
Provides access to the inside of the printer for the

optional memory expansion module. The printer's
memory can be expanded by adding up to 2 Single
In-Line Memory Modules (SIMM). These are
available from your local dealer.

The specifications for the memory expansion

module are as follows:
SIMM, 72 pin, 70 nsec, DRAM module with gold
finger 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 MB. The maximum
memory that can be installed in the printer is
48MB (one 32 MB SIMM and one 16 MB SIMM).

NOTE: Please do NOT install two optional 32 MB
SIMMs in the printer. Installing two 32 MB SIMMs
will cause the printer to malfunction.

Parallel Interface
Provides connection to the Centronics-type

parallel interface connector of your computer.
Power Outlet

Connects the power cord to a power outlet.

2–12 Setting Up

INTERNAL
PRINTER
PARTS

Toner Cartridge
Contains the toner used in the printing process

and the electrophotographic (EP) drum.

Paper Guide Ribs
Guides the sheets to the fuser unit.

Transfer Roller
A high voltage roller that attracts the toner to the

sheets.