Oki 390/391, Microline 390, Microline 391 Turbo, Microline 390 Turbo Handbook
MICROLINE
390/391 TURBO
Printer Handbook
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this document is complete, accurate and up-to-date. OKI assumes no responsibility for the results of errors
beyond its control. OKI also cannot guarantee that changes in software and equipment made by other manufacturers, and referred to in this handbook, will not affect
the applicability of the information in this manual. Mention of software products manufactured by other companies does not necessarily constitute endorsement by OKI.
OKI and MICROLINE are registered trademarks of OKI Electric Industry Company,
Ltd..
IBM and PC are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corp. Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered
trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
WordPerfect is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corporation.
Important Safety Instructions
Your OKI printer has been carefully designed to give you years of safe, reliable performance. As with all electrical equipment, however, there are a few basic precautions you should take to avoid hurting yourself or damaging the unit:
• Read the setup and operation instructions in this manual carefully. Be sure to
save it for future reference.
• Read and follow all warning and instruction labels on the printer itself.
• Unplug the printer before you clean it. Use only a damp cloth; do not use liquid
or aerosol cleaners.
• Place your printer on a firm, solid surface. If you put it on something unsteady,
it might fall and be damaged; if you place it on a soft surface, such as a rug, sofa,
or bed, the vents may be blocked, causing it to overheat.
• To protect your printer from overheating, make sure no openings on the printer
are blocked. Don’t put the printer on or near a heat source, such as a radiator or
heat register. If you put the printer in any kind of enclosure, make sure it is well
ventilated.
• Do not put anything into the ventilation slots on the sides of printer, you could
get a shock or cause a fire.
• The printhead can get quite hot when it has been printing for a length of time.
Do not touch the printhead untill it has had a chance to cool off.
• Do not use your printer near water, or spill liquid of any kind into it.
• Be certain that your power source matches the rating listed on the back of the
printer. If you’re not sure, check with your dealer or with your local power company.
• Your printer has a grounded plug as a safety feature, and it will only fit into a
grounded outlet. If you can’t plug it in, chances are you have a non-grounded
ontlet; contact an electrician to have it replaced with a grounded outlet. Do not
use an adapter to defeat the grounding.
• To avoid damaging the power cord, don’t put anything on it or place it where it
will be walked on. If the cord becomes damaged or frayed, replace it immediately.
• If you’re using an extension cord or power strip with the printer, make sure that
the total of the amperes required by all the equipment on the extension is less
than the extension’s rating. Generally, the total ratings of all equipment plugged
into any one power line should not exceed 15 amperes. Don’t exceed this unless
you know that the power line your equipment is plugged into has a rating above
15 amperes.
• Aside from the routine maintenance described in this handbook, don’t try to
service the printer yourself; opening the cover may expose you to shocks or
other hazards. Don’t make any adjustments other than those outlined in the
manual – you might cause damage requiring extensive repair work.
• If anything happens that indicates that your printer is not working properly or
has been damaged, unplug it immediately and follow the procedures in Chapter 5. These are some of the things to look for:
The power cord or plug is frayed or damaged.
Liquid has been spilled into the housing, or the printer has been exposed to
water.
The printer has been dropped or its cabinet has been damaged.
The printer doesn’t function normally when you’re following the operating
instructions.
C
ontents
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1
Chapter 1: Installation ........................................................................................... 3
Unpacking ................................................................................................................... 3
Removing Shipping Retainers........................................................................4
Installing Ribbon Cartridge ......................................................................................5
Making Connections ..................................................................................................6
Connection with Computer ............................................................................6
Connection with Power...................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Loading Paper ...................................................................................... 9
Loading Single-Sheet Paper ....................................................................................11
Loading Rear-Feed Paper ........................................................................................14
Paper Handling......................................................................................................... 19
Tear Feature .....................................................................................................19
Forms Tear-off Feature ..................................................................................20
Paper Park Feature.........................................................................................20
Switching Paper Paths ...................................................................................21
Chapter 3: Operation ............................................................................................ 23
Control Panel............................................................................................................. 23
Print Mode .................................................................................................................25
Indicator Lights .............................................................................................. 25
Buttons ............................................................................................................. 26
Menu Mode ...............................................................................................................30
Sample Menu ..................................................................................................31
Summary of Menu Settings ..........................................................................32
Menu Mode Indicator Lights .......................................................................34
Menu Mode Buttons ......................................................................................34
Resetting Menu to Factory Defaults ............................................................ 35
Performing Basic Tasks ............................................................................................36
Selecting Print Quality ..................................................................................36
Selecting Character Pitch ..............................................................................37
Testing Your printer ....................................................................................... 39
Resetting Top of Form ...................................................................................42
Using Bar codes ..............................................................................................42
Chapter 4: Working with Software ................................................................... 47
Basic Terminology ....................................................................................................47
Printer Commands .........................................................................................47
Emulations ......................................................................................................48
Printer Drivers ................................................................................................48
Compatible Printer Drivers .......................................................................... 49
Chapter 5: Ploblem Solving, Maintenance, & Service................................... 51
Problem Solving .......................................................................................................51
Maintenance ..............................................................................................................54
Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge................................................................... 54
Clearing Paper Jams ......................................................................................57
Cleaning the Housing ....................................................................................61
Accessories ................................................................................................................62
Replacement Parts ..........................................................................................64
Appendix A: Specifications ................................................................................ 65
Appendix B: Menu Selections ............................................................................ 69
Explanation of Menu Items .....................................................................................72
Appendix C: Commands–Epson Emulation .................................................... 79
Appendix D: Commands–IBM Emulation ...................................................... 97
Appendix E: ASCII Character Codes .............................................................. 113
ASCII Character Sets .............................................................................................. 113
Superscript/ Subscript Characters ...................................................................... 117
Appendix F: Interfacing .................................................................................... 119
Pin Assignments for Parallel Interface Signals ..................................................119
Installing the Serial Interface ................................................................................120
Pin Assignments for Serial Interface Signals ......................................................122
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 1
This Guide is arranged to help you get your new MICROLINE 390 T urbo or 391 Turbo
printer set up and running quickly as well as providing you with more detailed infor mation for future reference. Here’s how it’s organised:
• Chapter 1 (Installation) shows you how to get your printer ready to run and
how to connect it to your computer.
• Chapter 2 (Loading Paper) explains how to load paper for any of the two methods of paper feed.
• Chapter 3 (Operation) describes how to control your printer from the front panel.
It also explains how to change the defaults, how to test your printer and how to
use bar codes.
• Chapter 4 (W orking with Softwar e) gives you information on selecting a driver
and installing your printer on popular software packages.
• Chapter 5 (Problem Solving/Maintenance/Service) gives helpful hints on how
to solve common printer problems and how to maintain your printer in tip-top
shape.
• Appendices A through E contain a variety of reference material, including specifications, menu listings, lists of printer programming commands and ASCII
characters.
I
ntroduction
2 Introduction
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 3
This chapter explains how to unpack and install your new printer.
Unpacking
Unpack your printer and make sure you have the following items. If you are missing
any of these items, contact your dealer immediately for a replacement.
C
hapter 1: Installation
• Printer
• Ribbon cartridge
• AC cord
It is not included in case of
some models.
• Printer handbook.
Interface cable and paper are sold
separately.
4 Installation
Removing Shipping Retainers
1. Open access cover by grasping tabs at
either end and lifting.
2. Remove printhead shipping retainer
(leave cover open for installation of ribbon).
Tab
Shipping retainer
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 5
3. Hold the knob and remove the paper
separator.
4. Remove the protective material.
5. Set and attach the post to the“∆”mark
of the upper cover and the paper separator .
6. Remove the protective material from
the pull-up roller assembly.
Installing Ribbon Cartridge
1. With access cover open, grasp printhead and slide it until it is centered on
platen.
2. Remove ribbon cartridge from its packaging.
Important!
Leave the clear plastic rib-
bon shield on the cartridge!
Pull-up roller
assembly
Protictive
material
Protictive
material
Paper separator
Paper
separator
”∆”mark
”∆”mark
knob
Center
printhead
on platen
6 Installation
3. Holding ribbon cartridge with knob facing up and ribbon sheild facing platen,
fit grooves on either side at back end of
cartridge over pins on ribbon plate.
4. Lower front of cartridge over printhead
until it snaps into place, then turn knob
in direction of arrow (clockwise) to take
up ribbon slack.
5. The headgap lever by the side of cartridge
adjusts for different paper thicknesses.
Set it for the number of sheets in the
forms you’re using from 1 to 4; use setting 5 for envelopes or extra-thick paper. Adjust the setting up or down for
the best print quality.
Note: When the setting is set at 2~5, the
printer automatically slows down for better
print quality with thicker multipart forms.
Important!
Be sure to use only ribbons
specifically for use with MICROLINE 390
series.
For best results, use genuine OKI ribbons.
Making Connections
Connection with Computer
There instructions are for the standard parallel interface. Instructions for installation/connection of a serial interface are included with the serial interface accessory.
For more information on the serial interface accessory, see Chapter 5.
Ribbon
shield
Knob
Setting
Headgap lever
position
Number of
sheets
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
envelopes or
extra-thick paper
1
2
3
4
5
Knob
Printhead
Headgap lever
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 7
Pin assignments for both the parallel and the serial interfaces are listed in
appendix E.
You must supply the cable for connecting your printer to your computer.
1. Make sure both printer and computer
are OFF.
2. Locate interface port on back of printer.
3. Plug parallel interface cable into port
and secure it in place with wire loops.
Interface port
Wire
loops
8 Installation
Connection with Power
1. Make sure both printer and computer
are OFF.
2. Plug power cord into back of printer.
Plug other end into grounded outlet.
3. Turn printer on. Printhead will cross
back and forth along platen, and
POWER light will come on. ALARM
light will also come on, but don’t be
concerned: it’s just telling you that there
is no paper loaded.
You’re now ready to load paper—proceed
to Chaper2.
Socket
Power cord
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
MENU
SHIFT
Power light Alarm light
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 9
Your printer has provision for single-sheet paper feed from the top and for continuous-form paper feed from the rear. You can also install options: the Cut Sheet Feeder,
which holds a stack of 100 sheets for feeding from the top and the Push and/or Pull
Tractors for feeding continuous-form labels, heavy card stock or multi-part forms
from the bottom. See Chapter 5 for more information on these options.
Top Feed
• Single sheets (basis weight 14 to 24 lbs)
• Single envelopes
– 24-lb maximum
– 6.5” to 9.5” wide
• Transparencies (8.5 x 11”)
Rear feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.014” [0.36 mm])
• Single-part continuous forms
– 12 to 24 lb.
– Minimum 3” wide
• Carbonless, multi-part forms
– Original, plus 3 copies
– 9 to 11 lb
– Minimum 3” wide
• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)
– Original, plus 3 copies
– 10 to 12 lb paper, with 9 lb carbon
– Minimum 3” wide
C
hapter 2: Loading Paper
10 Loading Paper
Bottom feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.017” [0.44mm])
• Single-part continuous forms
– 12 to 24 lb
– Minimum 3” wide
• Carbonless, multi-part forms
– Original, plus 4 copies
– 9 to 11 lb
– Minimum 3” wide
• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)
– Original, plus 4 copies
– 10 to 12 lb paper, with 9 lb carbon
– Minimum 3” wide
• Continuous-feed envelopes
– 24 lb maximum
– 6.5” to 9.5” wide (envelope itself)
• Labels
– minimum 3” wide
– maximum 10”(ML390 Turbo) or 16” (ML391 Turbo) wide
• Card stock: papers up to 120 lb maximum
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 11
Loading Single-Sheet Paper
The single-sheet paper path is best for letterhead stationery, memos, and envelopes.
We also recommend it for printing graphs and charts because it provides the most
accurate control of the paper.
To load in single sheets of paper:
If you have any continuous-form paper in the paper path, you must press the
PARK button on the front panel to remove it from the path befor e lading single
sheets.
1. Make sure printer is turned ON and
deselected (SEL light off – press SEL
button to deselect it necessary).
The ALARM light will remain on
until paper is loaded.
2. Move paper lever to position marked
“TOP”.
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
MENU
SHIFT
SEL light
Move
to "TOP"
12 Loading Paper
3. Grasp back of paper separator and unsnap it from housing, then swing it up
into single-sheet feed position, making
sure that wire feed guide is nestled in
separator.
4. Adjust paper feed guides for width of
paper and drop sheet of paper into
separator. Paper will automatically
feed into printer.
If the sheet of paper doesn’t feed in
properly , the “15” light in the Character Pitch section at the bottom
right of the control panel will begin flashing. To correct this, press
the SHIFT and RESET buttons simultaneously, then reload the
sheet.
Wire feed
guide
Paper
separator
Paper feed
guides
ALARM
CHARA
15
PROP
SHIFT
RESET
Press
Flashes
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 13
5. Baseline for Top of Form (TOF) on paper is indicated by red line on clear plastic paper shield.
6. If desired, change TOF setting using
control panel:
☛ to set TOF further down on page,
hold SHIFT button while pressing FF/
LOAD button: this will advance paper
up in micro increments
☛ to move TOF further up on page,
hold SHIFT button while pressing LF
button: this will advance paper down
in micro increments
7. Press SEL button (SEL light will come
on).
Baseline
1
2
3
4
5
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
FF/LOAD
LF
Micro Feed
Down
Micro Feed
Up
GROUP ITEM
MENU
SHIFT
Hold
Press to feed
paper down in
micro increments
Press to feed
paper up in micro
increments
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
MENU
14 Loading Paper
Loading Rear-Feed Paper
The rear-feed paper path is recommended for single-thickness, continuous fan-fold
paper when printing spreadsheets, long reports, etc. For graphics or charts, it’s best to
use the single-sheet paper path.
To load continuous-form paper from the rear:
1. If you have paper in paper path, be sure
to remove it before installing rear-feed
paper . T o remove single sheet, press FF/
LOAD button. To remove bottom-feed
paper, press PARK button.
2. Move paper lever to position marked
“REAR”.
3. Open the access cover , hold up the knob
of the paper separator, and remove the
paper separator.
(Remove the paper separator.)
Position
"Rear"
Remove
paper
separator
Knob
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 15
4. Locate tractors.
5. Pull up on lock levers to release tractors and swing open tractor covers. Position right-hand tractor for width of
paper you’re loading.
The movement of the left tractor is
limited to ensure that the paper
will always contact the paper sensor when loaded.
6. Pull paper, and place first two holes on
each side over tractor pins.
Please note that an equal number of paper holes must be engaged on either
tractor in order to ensur e proper paper
feed.
Tractors
Lock lever
Tractor cover
Paper holes on pins
16 Loading Paper
7. Close tractor covers and adjust left tractor to position edge of paper: reference
marks on printer indicate left edge position for the two most common paper
sizes. When paper is properly aligned,
lock left tractor in place by pushing back
on lock lever.
8. Adjust right tractor so that paper holes
are centered on pins(careful – if paper
is stretched too tight or left too loose, it
can jam and cause problems), then lock
right tractor in place by pushing back
on lock lever.
9. Set Paper separator and swing wire feed
guide over to rest on pull-up roller assembly to prevent from curling back
into printer.
10.Push FF/LOAD button. Paper will automatically feed into printer and
ALARM light will go out.
Tractor covers
Lock lever
Reference marks
Wire feed guide
FF/LOAD
Micro Feed
Up
ITEM
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 17
11. Baseline for top of Form(TOF) on paper is indicated by red line on clear plastic paper shield.
12.If desired, change TOF setting using
control panel:
If form tear off is being selected in the
printer menu, press the TEAR button
to bring the paper down to the print
position. Hold down the SHIFT button
and release the TEAR button.
☛ to set TOF further down on page,
hold SHIFT button while pressing FF/
LOAD button: this will advance paper
up in micro increments
☛ to move TOF further up on page,
hold SHIFT button while pressing LF
button: this will advance paper down
in micro increments
Baseline
1
2
3
4
5
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
FF/LOAD
LF
Micro Feed
Down
Micro Feed
Up
GROUP ITEM
MENU
SHIFT
Hold
Press to feed
paper down in
micro increments
Press to feed
paper up in micro
increments
ALARM
FF/LOAD
SET
TEAR
LF
MENU
Micro Feed
Down
Micro Feed
Up
GROUP ITEM
SHIFT
Press to hold the
paper before
releasing the TEAR
button.
Press to bring
the paper down
to the print
position.
18 Loading Paper
13.Press SEL button (SEL light will come
on).
To temporarily change the Top of
Form setting for a particular print
job, deselect the printer and press
the LF button until you reach the
TOF position you want to use. The
printer will retain this setting until you turn it off.
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
MENU
LF
Micro Feed
Down
GROUP
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 19
Paper Handling
Your printer has several handy paper handling features:
• Tear
• Form Tear-off
• Paper Park
Tear Feature
When you’re using continuous forms with either the built-in rear-feed tractor or the
optional bottom-feed push tractor , you can use this feature to advance the forms up to
the tear position so you can easily tear off a printed sheet without wasting paper or
readjusting the printer. To do this, simply press the TEAR button on the front panel.
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
FF/LOAD
PARK
SET
TEAR
LF
MENU
Micro Feed
Down
Micro Feed
Up
GROUP PRINT
QUIET
ITEM
MENU
SHIFT TOF
Press
The tear feature can not be used when the optional pull tractor is installed.
20 Loading Paper
Forms T ear-off Feature
Caution!
Do not engage Forms Tear-off when printing on labels!
The Forms Tear-off feature can be engaged to automatically move the paper up to the
tear position after the selected interval (500 milliseconds, one second, or two seconds).
The page will stay in the tear-off position until the printer receives data. It will then
move down to the initial printing position.
This feature is normally turned off. To activate it, enter the printer menu (see Menu
Mode in Chapter3) and choose one of the intervals.
Some programs, such as high resolution graphics packages, pause occasionally while sending data to the printer . If the pause lasts more than the selected
interval, the paper will advance to the rear-off position until more data is
received. No data will be lost, but this extra paper movement can cause uneven print registration in graphics. If you have this problem, use the menu to
deactivate Forms Tear-off.
Paper Park Feature
If you have continuous-form paper loaded and you wish to switch to another paper
path, first tear off the printed pages, then simply pr ess the P ARK button. The continuous-form paper will immediately retract from the paper path.
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
FF/LOAD
PARK
SET
TEAR
LF
MENU
Micro Feed
Down
Micro Feed
Up
GROUP PRINT
QUIET
ITEM
MENU
SHIFT TOF
Press
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 21
Switching Paper Paths
To switch from continuous-form feed from the rear or bottom (optional push or pull
tractor installed) of the printer to single-sheet feed from the top:
1. Tear off printed pages.
2. Press PARK button.
3. Swing wire guide up into paper separator, then pivot separator to upright position.
4. Move paper lever to position marked “TOP”.
5. Load single sheet paper into paper separator.
To switch from top feed to continuous-form tear or bottom (optional push or pull
tractor installed) feed:
1. Make sure no sheet is in paper path (press FF/LOAD to remove single sheet from
path).
2. Lower paper separator to continuous forms position and swing wire guide over
onto pull-up roller assembly.
3. Move paper lever to position marked “REAR” or “BOT”, as appropriate.
4. Press FF/LOAD button. Continuous-form paper will advance into print position.
22 Loading Paper
ML390/391 Turbo Printer Handbook 23
C
hapter 3: Operation
This chapter explains how to operate your printer. It also provides instructions on
how to change the default settings and how to perform basic tasks, including selecting typeface/print quality, selecting character pitch, testing your printer, and resetting Top of Form to the factory default.
Control Panel
Your printer ’s front panel lets you control paper feeding, customize your printer ’s
defaults to your particular needs, and select print quality and character pitch.
Here’s a breakdown of the controls on the front panel:
EXIT
POWER
SEL
SEL
ALARM
FF/LOAD
PARK
SET
TEAR
LF
MENU
CHARACTER PITCH
10 12 15
17 20 PROP
Micro Feed
Down
Micro Feed
Up
GROUP PRINT
QUIET
ITEM
MENU
SHIFT TOF
RESET
PRINT QUALITY
LQ COURIER GOTHIC
–ROMAN–
–SWISS–
UTILITY PRESTIGE ORATOR
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