Oki MICROLINE 720, MICROLINE 721 User Manual
MICROLINE
720/721
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.
• Screen jitter on your CRT may occur in an environment where the space between your printer and CRT is narrow (200 mm or less). In such cases, open up
the space.
ontents
C
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......................................................................................................... 21
Tear Feature.....................................................................................................21
Forms Tear-off Feature ..................................................................................22
Paper Park Feature......................................................................................... 22
Switching Paper Paths ...................................................................................23
Chapter 3: Operation ............................................................................................ 25
Control Panel.............................................................................................................25
Print Mode .................................................................................................................27
Indicator Lights .............................................................................................. 27
Buttons .............................................................................................................28
Menu Mode ...............................................................................................................32
Sample Menu ..................................................................................................33
Summary of Menu Settings ..........................................................................34
Menu Mode Indicator Lights .......................................................................37
Menu Mode Buttons ......................................................................................37
Resetting Menu to Factory Defaults ............................................................38
Performing Basic Tasks ............................................................................................39
Selecting Print Quality ..................................................................................39
Selecting Character Pitch .............................................................................. 40
Testing Your printer ....................................................................................... 41
Resetting Top of Form ...................................................................................45
Using Bar codes ..............................................................................................45
Chapter 4: Working with Software ................................................................... 49
Basic Terminology ....................................................................................................49
Printer Commands .........................................................................................49
Emulations ...................................................................................................... 50
Printer Drivers .......................................................................................................... 50
Compatible Printer Drivers (DOS) .............................................................. 50
Windows Printer Drivers ..............................................................................51
Chapter 5: Problem Solving, Maintenance, & Service...................................53
Problem Solving .......................................................................................................53
Maintenance ..............................................................................................................56
Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge................................................................... 56
Clearing Paper Jams ......................................................................................59
Cleaning the Housing ....................................................................................63
Accessories ................................................................................................................ 64
Replacement Parts.......................................................................................... 66
Appendix A: Specifications ................................................................................ 67
Appendix B: Menu Selections ............................................................................ 71
Explanation of Menu Items .....................................................................................74
Appendix C: Printer Commands........................................................................ 81
IBM Proprinter Printer Commands .......................................................................81
Epson FX Printer Commands .................................................................................85
OKI Microline (ML) Printer Commands ...............................................................89
Appendix D: ASCII Character Codes ............................................................... 93
Lower ASCII Character Sets ................................................................................... 93
Upper ASCII Character Sets....................................................................................97
Epson International Character Substitutions ..................................................... 101
IBM International Character Substitutions .........................................................102
MICROLINE International Character Substitutions .........................................103
Code Page Character Sets...................................................................................... 104
Appendix E: Interfacing .................................................................................... 107
Pin Assignments for Parallel Interface Signals .................................................. 107
Universal Serial Bus (USB) ....................................................................................108
Installing the Serial Interface ................................................................................109
Pin Assignments for Serial Interface Signals ...................................................... 111
ntroduction
I
This Guide is arranged to help you get your new MICROLINE 720 or 721 printer set
up and running quickly as well as providing you with more detailed information 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 (Working with Software) 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.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 1
2 Introduction
hapter 1: Installation
C
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.
• Printer
• Ribbon cartridge
• AC cord
It is not included in case of
some models.
• Printer Handbook & Software on
CD-ROM.
Interface cable and paper are sold
separately.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 3
Removing Shipping Retainers
Tab
Shipping retainer
1. Open access cover by grasping tabs at
either end and lifting.
2. Remove printhead shipping retainer
(leave cover open for installation of ribbon).
4 Installation
Knob
Paper
separator
3. Hold the knob and remove the paper
separator.
Protictive
material
" "mark
Protictive
material
Pull-up roller
assembly
Paper
separator
" "mark
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.
Center
printhead
on platen
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 5
Important!
Leave the clear plastic rib-
bon shield on the cartridge!
Setting
1
2
3
4
5
Ribbon
shield
Headgap lever
position
1
between 1 and 2
2
between 2 and 3
3
Knob
Number of
sheets
1
2
3
4
envelopes or
extra-thick paper
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.
M
Printhead
1
2
3
Knob
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 720
series.
Headgap lever
For best results, use genuine OKI ribbons.
Making Connections
Connection with Computer
There instructions are for the standar d parallel interface and USB interface. Instr uctions
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.
6 Installation
Pin assignments for the parallel, USB and the serial interfaces are listed in
appendix E.
You must supply the cable for connecting your printer to your computer.
a. In the case of parallel interface cable
1. Make sure both printer and computer
are OFF.
2. Locate interface port on back of printer.
Interface
port
3. Plug parallel interface cable into port
and secure it in place with wire loops.
Wire loops
b. In the case of USB interface cable
1. Make sure both printer and computer
are OFF.
2. Locate interface port on back of printer.
USB port
3. Plug USB interface cable into port.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 7
Connection with Power
Power cord
Socket
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.
Power light Alarm light
You’re now ready to load paper—proceed
to Chaper2.
8 Installation
hapter 2: Loading Paper
C
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 (*
1
)
• 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 (*
1
(*
) Please change mentioned below centering Position within a set-up group fol-
lowing indication of 32 pages when a form of 3” wide is used by Rear Feed.
In the case of ML720 “Mode 1”.
In the case of ML721 “Mode 2”.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 9
1
)
1
)
Bottom feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.017” [0.44mm])
• Single-part continuous forms
– 12 to 24 lb
– Minimum 3” wide (*
2
)
• Carbonless, multi-part forms
– Original, plus 5 copies
– 9 to 11 lb
– Minimum 3” wide (*
2
)
• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)
– Original, plus 4 copies
– 10 to 12 lb paper, with 9 lb carbon
– Minimum 3” wide (*
2
)
• Continuous-feed envelopes
– 24 lb maximum
– 6.5” to 9.5” wide (envelope itself)
• Labels
– minimum 3” wide (*
2
)
– maximum 10”(ML720) or 16” (ML721) wide
• Card stock: papers up to 120 lb maximum
2
(*
) Please change mentioned below centering Position within a set-up group fol-
lowing indication of 32 pages when a form of 3” wide is used by Bottom Feed.
In the case of ML720 “Mode 1”.
In the case of ML721 “Mode 2”.
10 Loading Paper
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 before lading single
sheets.
SEL light
Move
to"TOP"
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”.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 11
Wire feed
guide
Paper
separator
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.
Paper feed
guides
Press
Flashes
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.
12 Loading Paper
5. Baseline for Top of Form (TOF) on pa-
M
per is indicated by red line on clear plastic paper shield.
Hold
1
2
3
Press to feed
paper down in
micro increments
Press to feed
paper up in micro
increments
Baseline
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).
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 13
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. To remove single sheet, press FF/
LOAD button. To remove bottom-feed
paper, press PARK button.
Position
"Rear"
2. Move paper lever to position marked
“REAR”.
3. Open the access cover.
Paper
separator
14 Loading Paper
Paper
separator
Pull-up roller
assembly
4. Hold up the middle of the paper separator, and pull upwards.
5. Rotate the paper separator forward and
stand against the pull-up roller assembly.
6. Locate tractors.
Tractors
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 15
Lock lever
Paper
separator
Tractor cover
Tractor cover
7. Pull up on lock levers to release tractors. 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.
8. Open the tractor cover, and raise the
paper separator.
9. 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 ensure proper paper
feed.
Paper holes on pins
16 Loading Paper
Paper
separator
Upper cover
" "mark
" "mark
10.Replace the paper separator, and insert
until the paper separator and upper
cover marks align.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 17
Lock lever
Reference marks
Wire feed guide
Tractor covers
11.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.
12.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.
13.Set Paper separator and swing wire feed
guide over to rest on pull-up roller assembly to prevent from curling back
into printer.
14.Push FF/LOAD button. Paper will automatically feed into printer and
ALARM light will go out.
18 Loading Paper
15.Baseline for top of Form(TOF) on pa-
M
per is indicated by red line on clear plastic paper shield.
1
2
3
Press to hold the
paper before
releasing the TEAR
button.
Press to feed
Hold
paper down in
micro increments
Baseline
Press to bring
the paper down
to the print
position.
16.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
Press to feed
paper up in micro
increments
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 19
17.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.
20 Loading Paper
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.
Press
The tear feature can not be used when the optional pull tractor is installed.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 21
Forms T ear-off Feature
Caution!
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.
Do not engage Forms Tear-off when printing on labels!
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 tear-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 press the PARK button. The continuous-form paper will immediately retract from the paper path.
Press
22 Loading Paper
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.
ML720/721 Printer Handbook 23
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