Pentax PocketJet User Manual

Printer User’s
Guide

The Future of Portable
Printing . . . Today!

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

™

®

Contents i

Printer User’s Guide

™

®

ii Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

PENTAX ® is a registered trademark and PocketJet™ is a

trademark of Asahi Optical Co., Ltd.

Centronics ® is a registered trademark of Centronics Data

Corporation.

Helvetica™ and Times™ are trademarks of Linotype-Hell AG

and/or its subsidiaries.

HP ®, LaserJet ® and PCL ® are registered trademarks of

Hewlett-Packard Company.

Macintosh ®, Newton ®, PowerBook ® and TrueType ® are

registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

OS/2 ® is a registered trademark of International Business

Machines Corporation.
PhoenixPage™ is a trademark of XIONICS.™
RBRC™ is a trademark of the Rechargeable Battery

Recycling Corporation.
Windows ® is a registered trademark of Microsoft.
The “CE” mark on the printer indicates compliance with

European Union regulations.

Copyright © 1995, 1997 by PENTAX Technologies Corporation.

All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.

P/N 201986-003

In Europe, P/N AC000801

Contents iii

Contents

Safety Information 1

Safety Precautions ............................................................... 1

Battery Recycling/Disposal Information ............................ 2

Printer Features 3

Warranty Information 4

Setting Up the Printer 5

Unpacking the Printer .......................................................... 5

Installing the Battery ............................................................. 6

Connecting to an AC Outlet .............................................. 8

Charging the Battery ........................................................... 9

Removing the Battery ........................................................ 11

Tips on Using the Battery .................................................... 12

Checking the DIP Switches ............................................... 13

Printing a Self-Test Sheet .................................................... 14

Checking the Self-Test Sheet............................................. 16

Identifying Your Printer Model....................................... 18

Connecting to Your Computer ......................................... 19

Parallel Interface ............................................................ 19

Optional Serial Interface ............................................... 20

Optional Infrared Interface .......................................... 22

Using the Printer 23

Checking the Printer Driver ............................................... 23

Installing a Printer Driver ................................................ 23

Selecting a Printer.......................................................... 25

Setting Default Paper Size ................................................. 26

Printing ................................................................................. 27

Turning the Printer Off......................................................... 29

Auto-off Timer Feature ................................................... 29

Activating and Disabling the Auto-off Timer .............. 29

Making Prints Lighter or Darker ......................................... 30

Tips on Printing Large Graphics ........................................ 31

Using Fonts ........................................................................... 32

Protecting the Printer ......................................................... 32

PRINTER USER’S GUIDE

CHAPTER

1

CHAPTER

2

iv Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

CHAPTER

3

Tips on Using Paper 33

Inserting Paper .................................................................... 33

Use Recommended Paper ............................................... 34

Usage and Handling Instructions...................................... 34

Clearing a Paper Jam ....................................................... 35

Guide to Imprinting Letterhead ....................................... 36

Maintaining the Printer 37

Cleaning the Print Head .................................................... 37

Cleaning the Platen Roller ................................................ 39

Cleaning the Printer’s Case .............................................. 40

Reference 41

Using the Operation Panel ................................................ 41

Indicator Lights ................................................................... 42

DIP Switches ........................................................................ 44

Troubleshooting 45

Indicator Light Warnings .................................................... 45

Paper Problems .................................................................. 47

Printed Image Problems .................................................... 48

Pages Don’t Print ................................................................ 51

Pages Are Partially Printed ................................................ 52

Technical Information 53

Specifications...................................................................... 53

Radio & Television Interference ........................................ 55

Ordering Information 59

Supplies and Accessories .................................................. 59

Replacement Parts and Upgrades .................................. 60

Printer Commands 61

Character Sets 67

Index 75

CHAPTER

6

CHAPTER

4

CHAPTER

5

CHAPTER

7

CHAPTER

8

APPENDIX

A

APPENDIX

B

1

Safety Information

Safety Precautions

◆ Avoid placing the printer in direct sunlight or dusty
environments. Avoid high temperatures and rapid
changes in temperature or humidity.

◆ Avoid use in areas of high vibration.

◆ Because the printer uses a thermal printing method, it

produces heat during operation. Be sure to place it
where it will receive adequate ventilation.

◆ Don’t allow moisture to come in contact with the printer,
accessories, the AC adapter or the AC power cord.

Outdoor Use Warning

To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not expose this
printer, its AC adapter or the power cord to rain or moisture.

Caution: Using AC Power

To use AC power (with or without battery installed), you must
use the AC adapter supplied with the printer.

With the AC adapter, you can connect the printer to 110 ­240 volt power outlets. The adapter automatically accepts
the correct voltage when connected.

Check the standard power plug configurations that are
used in your country. If the appropriate power cord is not
included with your printer, notify your local reseller.

United

Kingdom

Australia and
New Zealand

U.S.A. and

Canada

Continental

Europe

Use an SEV approved

plug in Switzerland.

Safety Information

2 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Unplug AC cable when printer is not in use.

Always unplug the AC cable from the AC power outlet when
you stop using the printer or charging the battery. The
transformer inside the AC adapter generates heat while it is
plugged in. Unplugging the AC adapter extends its life.

Battery Recycling/Disposal Information

This printer contains a rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd)
battery. The battery is recyclable. At the end of its useful life,
please consider recycling options (contact your local solid
waste officials) or proper disposal (see paragraphs below). It
may be illegal under various state and local laws to dispose of
the battery in your solid waste collection.

The RBRC™ seal on the Ni-Cd battery pack contained in the
PocketJet printer indicates that Pentax Technologies is
voluntarily participating in an industry program to collect
and recycle these battery packs at the end of their useful
life, when taken out of service within the United States. The
RBRC program provides a convenient alternative to putting
spent Ni-Cd battery packs into the trash or municipal waste
stream, which is illegal in some areas.

Pentax Technologies’ payments to RBRC make it easy for you
to drop off the spent battery pack at local retailers of
replacement Ni-Cd batteries or at authorized Pentax
product service centers. You may also contact your local
recycling center for information on where to return the spent
battery packs. The involvement of Pentax in this program is
part of its commitment to protecting our environment and
conserving natural resources.

For users

outside the United States, please contact your local
reseller or local solid waste official for information on
recycling your used batteries.

3

Printer Features

The Pentax PocketJet printer is an ultra-light portable printer.

The printer’s small size and light weight make it the ideal
traveling companion for your PC notebook computer.

The Pentax PocketJet printer features:

◆ Models for letter, legal, and A4 paper sizes.

◆ Models with 512 KB and 2 MB of memory.

◆ High-quality images with a resolution of 300 by 300 dots

per inch.

◆ Print speed of up to three pages per minute.

◆ Operation on battery power or via AC adapter that

automatically switches between 110 and 240 volt power.

◆ Operation via optional car adapters.

◆ Parallel and serial interfaces. The complete printer kit

includes a parallel interface cable. A serial cable and
cables for selected laptops and PDAs are available.

◆ An optional infrared interface adapter for wireless
communication between your printer and computer.

◆ Full HP-PCL4 LaserJet

®

IIP compatibility. The printer can be
driven directly from most software applications and
operating systems.

◆ Direct thermal technology—no toner, ribbons, or ink are
ever needed.

◆ Connectivity options for Macintosh PowerBook and
Newton computers as well as many Personal Digital
Assistants (PDAs), palmtops and pen-based systems.

Printer Features

4 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Warranty Information

Standard Warranty

Pentax provides, free of charge, a one-year limited warranty for
your new PocketJet printer. For one year from the date of original
purchase, Pentax will repair or replace a failed unit with a new or
rebuilt unit when it is returned postpaid to an authorized Pentax
service center. A return material authorization (RMA) number and
proof of purchase are required—in the continental United States
call Pentax at 1-800-543-6144 or 1-303-460-1820 and ask for
Customer Support.

See the Warranty Registration Card for details.

Outside the continental United States, see the Warranty
Registration Card for contact information and warranty details or
visit the Pentax Technologies Web site (www.pentaxtech.com) for
the location nearest you.

If the PocketJet battery or thermal paper fails due to defects
in material or workmanship within the first 90 days of
ownership, it will be replaced. Contact Pentax or your local
reseller for further information.

Pentax makes no other warranty, either expressed or implied,
with respect to this product. Some states or provinces do not
allow limitations, so the above limitation may not apply to you.

Extended Warranty

See the warranty card included with your PocketJet printer
for extended warranty information, or contact your local
reseller.

5

Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking the Printer

Follow the instructions on the

Read Me First

sheet.

The complete printer kit contains the items in Figure 1.

CHAPTER

1

PENTAX

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON
OFF

PENTAX

Protective Case

Parallel Interface
Cable

Printer

Battery

AC Adapter

AC Cable

Quick Reference Card

®

Service Plans

If Tim

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DOS Print
Utility Disk

User's Guide

Print Head
Cleaning
Cloth

Quick Reference
Card

Thermal Paper
(100 Sheet Box)

Warranty
Card

Printer User's

Guide

The Future of Portable

Printing . . . Today!

™

®

FIGURE 1. The contents of the complete printer kit.

Setting Up the Printer

6 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Installing the Battery

1 Open the printer’s battery cover by pressing the

cover latch. Push the cover away from the AC adapter
receptacle.

See Figure 2.

2 Swing the cover open and remove it.

3 Gently push the battery connector into the terminal

on the inside of the printer’s battery compartment next
to the cover latch.

See Figure 3.

FIGURE 3. Pushing the
battery connector into the
terminal.

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

PARALLEL/SERIAL

AC ADAPT.

!

Terminal

Battery Connector

Removal Ribbon

Bulge

1

2

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

PARALLEL/SERIAL

AC ADAPT.

!

FIGURE 2. Opening the battery cover.

7

Setting Up the Printer

CAUTION:

Do not force the battery connector into the
terminal. If you are having difficulty inserting the con­nector, make sure the connector tab is facing the top
of the printer case. See Figure 3.

4 Grasp the battery removal ribbon, which is attached

to the inside of the battery compartment.

See Figure 4.

NOTE:

If you forget to hold on to the ribbon, you may
accidentally insert the battery on top of it. Then you
won’t be able to remove the battery by pulling on
the ribbon.

5 While holding on to the ribbon, tilt the battery and

place it inside the battery compartment. Once the
battery clears the outer edges of the compartment,
press it securely into position.

Make sure the side of the battery with the warning label
faces the outside of the battery compartment.
Otherwise, the battery cover will not close properly.

NOTE:

The side of the battery opposite the warning
label contains a heat sensor that stops the flow of elec­tricity if the battery overheats.

6 Attach the battery cover to the end of the battery

compartment opposite the AC adapter receptacle.
Close and latch the cover. If necessary, gently push the
cover latch toward the AC adapter receptacle until it
latches.

Removal Ribbon

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

PARALLEL/SERIAL

AC ADAPT.

!

FIGURE 4. Placing the battery inside the
battery compartment.

8 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Connecting to an AC Outlet

Connect the printer to a nearby AC power outlet to run it
on AC power or to charge the battery.

1 Connect the AC adapter to the printer.

2 Connect the AC cable to the AC adapter.

3 Plug the AC cable into a nearby AC power outlet.

The AC adapter works with 100 - 240 volt, 50/60 Hz power.
It senses the voltage in the power outlet and
automatically switches to the proper voltage.

NOTE:

The plug on the AC cable shown in Figure 5 is
compatible with AC power outlets in the U.S.A. and
Canada. Your printer should ship with a power cord
that meets your country’s power requirements. If you
have the wrong power cord, please contact your local
dealer or order direct from Pentax. See Chapter 8,
“Ordering Information,” on page 59.

FIGURE 5. Instructions for connecting
the printer to a power outlet.

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

PARALLEL/SERIAL

AC ADAPT.

!

Printer

1

PENTAX

AC Adapter

AC Cable

To power
receptacle

3

2

9

Charging the Battery

The battery MUST be charged prior to first use.

Follow these steps to charge a new battery and to
recharge a used battery.

1 Make sure the printer is connected to an AC power

outlet with the AC adapter and power cord. See page 8.

2 Make sure the printer is off.

3 Make sure the battery is installed. See page 6.

4 Press the main switch and hold it down for a few

seconds until the green BATTERY indicator light stays lit.

See Figure 6.

This puts the printer in Charge mode, which completely
discharges the battery and then charges it.

The green BATTERY indicator light stays lit continuously
until discharging is completed; then it blinks until
charging is completed.

NOTE:

During the charging cycle, you will not be able

to print.

When the printer finishes charging the battery, it
automatically turns itself off, and the green BATTERY
indicator light goes off.

The entire process should take about 70 minutes.

Setting Up the Printer

Press and hold down
a few seconds

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

Green BATTERY light

Main
switch

FIGURE 6. Charging the battery.

10 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

NOTE:

Your Ni-Cd battery will last much longer and
carry a greater charge if it is always completely dis­charged prior to charging. Steps 1-4 in “Charging the
Battery” explain this procedure.

Refreshing the Battery

Refreshing the battery “tops off” the charge without first
discharging the battery. You may refresh a

seasoned

battery

occasionally

when you don’t have time to

completely discharge and charge it.

CAUTION:

This procedure is not recommended, par­ticularly with a new battery, as it may reduce the
battery’s life and its ability to carry a charge.

1 Make sure the printer is connected to an AC power

outlet with the AC adapter and power cord.

2 Make sure the printer is off.

3 Press the main switch and hold it down for a few

seconds until the green BATTERY indicator light stays lit.
This puts the printer in Charge mode, and it starts
discharging the battery.

4 Press the main switch and hold it down for a few

seconds until the green BATTERY indicator light starts to
blink. This bypasses the discharging process and puts the
printer in Refresh mode, which charges the battery
immediately.

The green BATTERY indicator light blinks until charging is
completed.

When the printer finishes refreshing the battery, it
automatically turns itself off, and the green BATTERY
indicator light goes off.

Stopping the Charge or Refresh Process

If you want to stop the printer while it is in Charge or Refresh
mode, press the main switch twice quickly.

11

Removing the Battery

1 Open the printer’s battery cover by pressing the

cover latch. Swing the cover open and remove it.

2 Pull out on the battery removal ribbon as shown in

Figure 7 until the battery starts to tilt out of its
compartment.

NOTE:

If the battery removal ribbon is caught behind
the battery, insert a thin metal object such as a flat­blade screwdriver between the battery and the case
at the end away from the AC adapter receptacle.
Gently push the battery toward the AC adapter re­ceptacle and tilt it out of its compartment.

3 Remove the battery from the compartment.

4 Squeeze the connector tab on the battery connector

down.

5 Gently pull the battery connector from the terminal

inside the printer.

Setting Up the Printer

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

PARALLEL/SERIAL

AC ADAPT.

!

Removal
Ribbon

Battery
Connector

Pull ribbon out

Squeeze
connector
tab down

2

4

Tilt battery out

3

Gently pull
connector out

5

FIGURE 7. Instructions for removing the battery.

12 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Tips on Using the Battery

◆ Charging the battery after it has been completely
discharged takes about 70 minutes. For instructions, see
page 9.

◆ When you use the printer with a battery, it can print
approximately 30-35 pages on a full charge.

◆ Darker prints discharge the battery faster than lighter
prints do. Use the density dial to adjust lightness and
darkness.

◆ The printer’s protective vinyl carrying case has a sleeve
on the inside for an extra battery. With two batteries, you
can print twice as many pages before you have to
charge the batteries. (The sleeve on the back of the case
is for the quick reference card.) To order a spare battery,
see page 59.

◆ If the battery is not used for an extended period and
becomes discharged, it is best to recharge it without
using Refresh mode. Follow the instructions for “Charging
the Battery” on page 9.

◆ Use of the optional infrared adapter may decrease the
number of pages that can be printed with a fully
charged battery.

◆ Activating the auto-off timer (see page 29) extends the
battery’s life and is recommended when using the

optional infrared adapter.

13

Setting Up the Printer

Checking the DIP Switches

The PocketJet printer has eight DIP switches that control
how the printer works. Follow these steps to make sure the
switches are set correctly.

1 Set the printer face down so that the battery

compartment is toward you.

2 Find the set of eight DIP switches marked SW1 on the

bottom of the printer.

See Figure 8.

3 Check the settings of the DIP switches.

At the factory, DIP switches 1,3-6, and 8 are set in the OFF
position. Switches 2 and 7 are set in the ON position.
Figure 8 shows the factory settings.

For a table listing the function of each DIP switch, see
“DIP Switches” on page 44.

PENTAX

THERMAL PRINTER
MODEL NO. PT-A4301
INPUT: DC 14.4V-1.3A

SER. NO.

AO4X12345

This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) this
device many not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received
including interference that may cause
undesired operation.

This product meets radio onterference
noise limits EN 55022 (B).

ASAHI OPTICAL CO.,LTD.
MADE IN JAPAN

SW1

Battery compartment

FCC ID: DU2 PT-A4301

TO BE USED WITH MODEL PT-1501A
RECHARGEABLE BATTERY.

SW1

ON

OFF

1234567

8

FIGURE 8. Checking the printer’s DIP switches.

14 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Printing a Self-Test Sheet

1 Make sure the printer is turned off.

2 Set the printer face down so that the battery

compartment is toward you.

3 Using a pointed object such as

a push pin or paper clip, gently
move DIP switch 3 away from you
to the ON position.

4 Turn the printer face up and press the

main switch once quickly to turn the
printer on. The red POWER indicator lights
up. (If you are using the battery, the green
BATTERY indicator also lights up.)

See

Figure 9.

5 Insert a sheet of the recommended thermal paper

into the paper input slot. Place the print side of the
paper away from you, so that it faces the rear of the
printer.

See Figure 10.

NOTE:

You can print on only one side of thermal pa­per. This is the smooth, coated side. For more
information, see “Tips on Using Paper” on page 33.

6 After you insert the paper, the printer pulls it though

and prints the self-test image.

See Figure 11.

The green DATA indicator light comes on and stays lit.

One quick press

Red POWER light

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

Green BATTERY light

FIGURE 9. Turning on the printer.

SW1

ON

OFF

1234567

8

15

Setting Up the Printer

NOTE:

If the printer doesn’t print the self-test image,

see “Troubleshooting” on page 45.

7 Turn the printer off by pressing

the main switch twice quickly. All
the indicator lights turn off.

8 Using a pointed object, gently

move DIP switch 3 toward you to
the OFF position.

9 Turn the printer face up again.

It is now ready for use.

NOTE:

If you do not return DIP switch 3 to the OFF
position, the printer will print a self-test sheet every
time you power up the printer.

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

ON

OFF

Non-coated,
less-smooth
side of paper

FIGURE 10. Inserting a test sheet.

SW1

ON

OFF

1234567

8

16 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Checking the Self-Test Sheet

The self-test sheet gives you three sets of information: Printer
Status, Font/Symbol Set Options, and print quality.

See

Figure 11.

FIGURE 11. Self-test page with Printer Status for
models that support legal-size paper.

Printer Status

Font/Symbol
Set Options

Print Quality

(for models
supporting
legal-size
paper)

17

Setting Up the Printer

Printer Status

The information in this section varies by printer model.

For a model that supports legal-size paper, the Printer Status
section shows:

◆ Paper Size—the default paper size and character set.
The current setting appears in bold type. The “Letter” and
“Legal” paper sizes common in the United States use the
PC-8 character set. If the model supports A4-size paper
common in Europe, the “A4” paper size uses the PC-850
character set. To change the default setting, see “Setting
Default Paper Size” on page 26.

◆ The serial speed and other serial settings (data bit,
serial parity, stop bit, and Xon/Xoff) used with a serial
interface. The current serial speed appears in bold
type. To change these settings, see “Optional Serial
Interface” on page 20.

◆ The firmware version number.

◆ The memory size, for example, 512 KB or 2 MB.

◆ The setting of the auto-off timer. To change the setting,

see “Auto-off Timer Feature” on page 29.

For the Letter/A4 512 KB model, the Printer Status section
shows “Country” instead of “Paper Size.” It does not show
the Memory Size and the settings for Xon/Xoff and the auto­off timer.

“Country” shows the default paper size and character set.
The current setting appears in bold type: “USA” for letter-size
paper and PC-8 character set, or “Europe” for A4-size paper
and PC-850 character set. To change the default setting,
see “Setting Default Paper Size” on page 26.

Printer Status

(for Letter/A4
512 KB model)

18 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Font/Symbol Set Options

This section shows samples of the printer’s seven internal
fonts and its character sets.

Print Quality

The lower part of the sheet contains a black line, shaded
bars, and lines of characters. Examine this section of the
self-test sheet to check the quality of the printed image.

Identifying Your Printer Model

You can identify your printer model by looking at the
Printer Status section of the self-test sheet.

◆ Letter/A4 512 KB Model: Look for the word “Country.”
There is no indication of memory size.

◆ Letter/Legal 512 KB Model: Look for the words “Paper
Size” followed by two options: “Letter” and Legal.”
“Memory Size” is 512 KB.

◆ Letter/Legal/A4 512 KB Model: Look for the words
“Paper Size” followed by three options: “Letter,”
Legal,” and “A4.” “Memory Size” is 512 KB.

◆ Letter/Legal/A4 2 MB Model: Look for the words “Paper
Size” followed by three options: “Letter,” Legal,” and
“A4.” “Memory Size” is 2 MB.

NOTE:

Unless your printer has been upgraded, you
can identify your model by looking at the serial
number on the bottom of the printer’s case. If the
serial number is in the format T1LGxxxxx, you have
one of the Letter/Legal models. If the serial number
is in the format T1xxxxxxx or A1xxxxxxx, you have a
Letter/A4 512 KB model. If your printer has been
upgraded, the self-test sheet indicates which
model and how much memory is installed, as listed
above.

19

Setting Up the Printer

Connecting to Your Computer

You can connect the printer to your computer by using:

◆ The parallel interface cable supplied with the complete
printer kit. See “Parallel Interface” below.

◆ The optional RS-232C serial interface cable. See
“Optional Serial Interface” on page 20.

◆ The optional infrared adapter. See “Optional Infrared
Interface” on page 22.

◆ The optional interface cables for Macintosh PowerBook
and Newton computers and for many Personal Digital
Assistants (PDAs), palmtops and pen-based systems. See
pages 59 and 60.

For information about what type of printer connection your
computer has and about connecting your computer to a
printer, see the documentation that came with your
computer.

Parallel Interface

1 Make sure your printer is off before installing the

interface cable.

2 Take the printer end of the cable and hold it so the

notched metal surface is facing up.

3 Insert the printer end of the cable into the interface

connector on the side of the printer.

See Figure 12 on

page 20.

CAUTION:

Always insert and remove the interface
cable gently. Press the latching devices on each side
of the interface connector when removing the cable.

4 Insert the other end of the cable into the appropriate

connector on your computer.

20 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

FIGURE 12. Instructions for connecting
the printer to your computer with a cable.

PARALLEL/SERIAL

AC ADAPT.

!

Interface
connector

Printer end of cable
(see detail below)

Parallel interface
cable

To appropriate
computer input

Small catches
(bottom)

Notched metal
surface (top)

Latching
devices

Optional Serial Interface

The RS-232C serial interface cable is available from your
dealer or direct from Pentax. See Chapter 8, “Ordering
Information,” on page 59.

Set DIP switches 1, 2 and 7 (and 6 on some models) to control
the printer’s serial interface by following these instructions.

NOTE:

The printer automatically senses whether it is
connected to the computer with a parallel or serial
interface. It does not use a DIP switch for this purpose.
Switches 1, 2 and 7 have no effect when the printer is
connected with a parallel interface.

1 Make sure the printer is turned off.

2 Set the printer face down so that the battery

compartment is toward you.

3 Use a pointed object such as a push pin or paper clip

to change the setting of a DIP switch. Gently move the
DIP switch away from you to turn it ON. Move it toward
you to turn it OFF.

21

4 Set switches 1 and 2 to the baud rate that you have

specified for the serial interface using your computer’s
operating system.

◆ For 38,400 bits per second (bps), set switches 1 and
2 to the OFF position.

◆ For 19,200 bps, set switch 1 to the ON position and
switch 2 to the OFF position.

◆ For 9,600 bps, set switch 1 to the OFF position and
switch 2 to the ON position.

◆ For 2,400 bps, set switches 1 and 2 to the ON
position.

5 Set the DIP switches to the handshaking method your

computer is using to communicate with the printer.

◆ For Xon / Xoff handshaking, set switch 7 to the OFF
position (Activate). When Xon / Xoff handshaking is
active, DTR hardware handshaking is disabled.

◆ For DTR hardware handshaking, set switch 7 to the
ON position to disable Xon / Xoff handshaking.

If you have a Letter/A4 or Letter/Legal printer
model, switch 6 controls the DTR polarity. Set switch
6 to the OFF position (Active High) in most
situations.

If you have a Letter/Legal/A4 printer model, switch
6 (together with switch 5) controls the default
paper size and character set. For these models,
DTR hardware handshaking is permanently set to
“Active High.”

To identify your printer model, see page 18.

NOTE:

Your computer controls the DTR polarity for DTR
hardware handshaking. Most computers use high
polarity. If your computer is using low polarity and if
you have a Letter/A4 or Letter/Legal printer model,
set switch 6 to the ON (Active Low) position.

Connect the RS-232C serial Interface cable to the printer
and computer by following the instructions for “Parallel
Interface” on page 19.

Setting Up the Printer

22 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Optional Infrared Interface

The PocketJet printer can communicate with your computer
through a wireless infrared adapter.

The infrared adapter is available from your dealer or direct
from Pentax. See Chapter 8, “Ordering Information,” on
page 59.

To connect the infrared adapter to your printer, see the
instructions supplied with the infrared adapter.

NOTE:

The infrared adapter requires a special, modified
version of the PocketJet printer. The modified printer
can connect to your computer with the parallel
interface cable or the infrared interface adapter but
not with the serial interface cable. The settings of the
DIP switches that control the serial interface have no
effect on the modified printer. For more information
about PocketJet printers that support the infrared
interface adapter, contact your dealer or Pentax.

23

Using the Printer

Checking the Printer Driver

The PocketJet printer uses the LaserJet IIP printer driver. It
can also use the LaserJet II printer driver in many instances
where a IIP driver is not available. Make sure that one of
these drivers is installed and selected on your computer or
available within your DOS application.

CAUTION:

Do not use the LaserJet IIP Plus driver. It is

not compatible with this printer in all situations.

Installing a Printer Driver

If you are using the Microsoft Windows, Windows NT or OS/2
operating environment, follow the instructions in your
Windows, Windows NT or OS/2 user’s guide for installing a
LaserJet IIP or LaserJet Series II printer driver. This section
gives brief instructions for installing a printer driver using
Windows 3.1 (see below) or Windows 95 (see page 24).

If you are using DOS, see “Selecting a Printer” on page 25.

Windows 3.1

Follow these instructions to install a printer driver using
Windows 3.1.

You may need your Windows installation disks or CD-ROM to
install a printer driver. Have them ready to use.

NOTE:

The DOS print utility disk included with the

complete printer kit does not contain any drivers.

1 At the Windows Program Manager, double-click the

Main icon. Double-click the Control Panel icon. Double­click the Printers icon.

2 At the Printers window, click the Add button.

A List of Printers appears in the lower part of the window.

3 Scroll through the List of Printers until you find the

HP LaserJet IIP (or HP LaserJet Series II) printer. Click
the HP LaserJet IIP and then click the Install button.

Using the Printer

CHAPTER

2

24 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

4 You may be prompted to insert your Windows

installation disks or CD-ROM. Follow the instructions on
the screen, and then click the OK button.

5 To make the printer the default printer, click it on the

list of Installed Printers and then click the Set As Default
Printer button.

6 Click the Connect button to specify which port the

printer is connected to.

7 When you are done installing printers, click Close.

Windows 95

Follow these instructions to install a printer driver using
Windows 95.

You may need your Windows installation disks or CD-ROM to
install a printer driver. Have them ready to use.

NOTE:

The DOS print utility disk included with the

complete printer kit does not contain any drivers.

1 Start Windows 95. Select the Settings option. Select

the Control Panel option. Double-click the Printers icon.
Double-click the Add Printer icon.

2 In the Printer Wizard window, click the Next button

until lists of manufacturers and printers appear. Scroll
through the Manufacturers list until you find HP. Click HP.
Scroll through the Printers list until you find the HP LaserJet
IIP (or HP LaserJet Series II) printer. Click the HP LaserJet
IIP and then click the Next button.

3 Answer each of the Printer Wizard’s questions and

click the Next button. For example, select a port for the
printer, give the printer a name, and decide whether to
print a test page. Click the Finish button.

4 You may be prompted to insert your Windows 95

installation disks or CD-ROM. Follow the instructions on
the screen, and then click the OK button.

5 To make the printer the default printer, click the Yes

radio button when the Printer Wizard asks “Default
printer?”

25

Using the Printer

Selecting a Printer

This section gives brief instructions for selecting a printer using
Windows, Windows NT, OS/2 or DOS.

Windows, Windows NT and OS/2

Once the printer driver is installed, follow the instructions in
your Windows, Windows NT or OS/2 user’s guide to select
the printer driver as your printer.

If the HP LaserJet IIP or HP LaserJet Series II printer is the
default printer, you can print from a Windows application
without selecting a printer.

Under Windows 3.1, select a printer by choosing Printer
Setup on the File menu. Click the Specific Printer radio
button and then click the HP LaserJet IIP (or HP LaserJet
Series II) printer. If neither printer appears on the list, you
must install a printer driver. See page 23.

DOS

If you are using DOS applications, your application may
include support for LaserJet IIP (or LaserJet II) printers. If so,
select this option.

When using a DOS application (including the DOS “PRINT”
command) that offers no printer selection options, you may
still control the features of the printer, including internal font
selection, character set, portrait or landscape orientation,
lines per inch, etc. To do this, run the POCKETJT.EXE program,
found on the DOS print utility disk included with your printer,
before running your DOS program. Alternatively, it may be
possible to embed PCL4 command codes directly into your
document. For a list of these commands and character sets,
see Appendices A and B.

Printer Emulation

The printer emulates a LaserJet IIP using Hewlett-Packard’s
printer control language PCL4 (PhoenixPage™ PCL4
licensed from XIONICS™).

This emulation supports all LaserJet IIP capabilities except
those that clearly do not apply, such as support for paper
trays, envelope feeding, etc.

26 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Setting Default Paper Size

Windows and many DOS-based applications send paper­size and character-set information to the printer.

The default paper size and character set are important
only for situations like using the DOS “PRINT” and “COPY”
commands and for certain DOS applications that do not
send PCL printer setup information prior to the print job.

1 Make sure the printer is turned off.

2 Set the printer face down so that the battery

compartment is toward you.

3 Using a pointed object, set the DIP switches for

your model printer. Gently move the DIP switch away
from you to turn it ON. Move it toward you to turn it
OFF. To check which model printer you have, see
“Identifying Your Printer Model” on page 18.

Letter/A4 Model

◆ Letter-size paper and PC-8 character set: switch 5 OFF.

◆ A4-size paper and PC-850 character set: switch 5 ON.

Letter/Legal Model

◆ Letter-size paper and PC-8 character set: switch 5 OFF.

◆ Legal-size paper and PC-8 character set: switch 5 ON.

Letter/Legal/A4 Model

◆ Letter-size paper and PC-8 character set: switches 5

and 6 OFF.

◆ Legal-size paper and PC-8 character set: switches 5

and 6 ON.

◆ A4-size paper and PC-850 character set: switch 5 ON

and switch 6 OFF. (Or switch 5 OFF and switch 6 ON.)

NOTES:

You can use different settings (such as a non­standard paper size or letter-size paper with the
PC-850 character set) for an individual print job by
specifying the character set, paper size, or both in
your printer driver or software application.

For character set tables, see Appendix B.

27

Using the Printer

Printing

You MUST charge the battery before using the printer the
first time. For instructions, see page 9.

1 Make sure that you have installed a charged

battery or have connected the printer to an AC
power outlet.

2 Turn the printer on by pressing the main switch

once quickly. The red POWER indicator lights up. (If
you are using the battery, the green BATTERY indicator
also lights up.)

See Figure 13.

3 Print one or more pages from a software

application on your computer.

The green DATA indicator light blinks to indicate that
the printer is receiving data from your computer.

4 Insert a sheet of thermal paper into the paper

input slot. Place the print side of the paper away
from you, so that it faces the rear of the printer.

See

Figure 14.

NOTE:

You can print on only one side of thermal
paper. This is the smooth, coated side. For more
information, see “Tips on Using Paper” on page 33.

FIGURE 13. Turning on the printer.

One quick press

Red POWER light

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

Green BATTERY light

28 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

FIGURE 14. Inserting a sheet of paper.

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

ON

OFF

Non-coated,
less-smooth
side of paper

NOTE:

If you have inserted paper into the input slot
and the green DATA indicator light stays on (without
blinking), the printer has received an insufficient
amount of data to print an entire page. This situation
occurs normally in some software applications when
a partial page remains to be printed at the end of a
print job.

You can print the partial page by pushing the main
switch once quickly after you have loaded the paper.

29

Turning the Printer Off

Press the main switch twice quickly to turn the printer off.

Auto-off Timer Feature

The auto-off timer conserves battery power when the printer
is being powered from its battery. When the timer is active,
the printer turns itself off after 60 seconds if it is not receiving
data (unless there is data in the printer buffer).

When the printer is being powered from the AC adapter or
a car adapter, the auto-off timer is automatically disabled.

NOTE:

Once the auto-off timer has turned the printer
off, you must turn it back on by pressing the main switch
once quickly. The printer does not turn itself back on
automatically when the computer is attempting to
send data to it.

Activating and Disabling the Auto-off Timer

1 Make sure the printer is turned off.

2 Set the printer face down so that the battery

compartment is toward you.

3 Using a pointed object such as a push pin or paper

clip, set DIP switch 8 as follows:

◆ To activate the auto-off timer, gently move switch 8

toward you to the OFF position.

◆ To disable the auto-off timer, gently move switch 8

away from you to the ON position.

Using the Printer

30 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Making Prints Lighter or Darker

You can make prints lighter or darker with the density dial
on the side of the printer near the main switch. The larger
the number you select, the darker the print becomes.

See

Figure 15.

Try setting the density to 5; then adjust it to suit your taste.

You can change the density setting while printing. Watch
the print turn lighter or darker as you turn the density dial.

NOTE:

Changing the density setting results in changes
to the printer’s speed and the number of pages that
can be printed on a battery charge.

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

2

0

Lighter

10

Darker

Density
dial

FIGURE 15. Using the density dial.

31

Tips on Printing Large Graphics

When the PocketJet printer doesn’t have enough memory
to print a large graphics file, it prints as much of the page
as it can and then ejects the partially printed page. If this
happens, insert the page again. The printer will finish
printing it.

If you always insert the page into the printer in the same
way (all the way to the right or left), you should be able to
achieve near perfect alignment if you have to reinsert a
partially printed page.

To avoid having to feed a page through the printer twice:

◆ Print in portrait mode rather than in landscape mode.

◆ Remove shading and grids; use underlined borders

instead.

◆ Use as few fonts as possible.

In addition, you may be able to speed or improve printing
by:

◆ Making sure both HP LaserJet Series II and HP LaserJet
Series IIP printer drivers are installed.

◆ Setting the HP LaserJet Series II as the default printer.

◆ Enabling the “Print TrueType as Graphics” option. See the

instructions below.

◆ Changing the printer port from LPT1 to LPT1.DOS—

if

the
printer is connected to the computer with a parallel
interface cable.

If you are using a PocketJet printer with 512 KB of memory,
you can upgrade it to 2 megabytes. See chapter 8,
“Ordering Information,” on page 59.

Enabling “Print TrueType as Graphics”

These instructions apply to Windows 3.1.

1 At the Windows Program Manager, double-click the

Main icon. Double-click the Control Panel icon. Double­click the Printers icon.

2 Click the Setup button. Click the Options button.

Using the Printer

32 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

3 Make sure the box in the lower left corner of the

window is checked.

4 Click OK, then click OK again, then click Close.

Using Fonts

The PocketJet printer contains seven internal fonts, which can
be printed in portrait or landscape orientation. The fonts are:

The printer also supports downloadable fonts, including
TrueType fonts. The PocketJet printer can print any
downloaded font supported by an HP LaserJet IIP printer.

NOTE:

Your computer transfers downloadable fonts to
your printer, and the printer stores the downloaded
fonts in its memory while it’s printing. Using many
downloaded fonts increases printing time and may
require you to feed a page through the printer twice.
See “Tips on Printing Large Graphics” on page 31.

Protecting the Printer

When you are not using the printer for an extended time or
are not regularly charging its battery, always take the
following precautions:

◆ Unplug the AC cable from the power outlet

◆ Remove the battery from the printer

◆ Store the printer in its protective vinyl carrying case

NOTE:

The transformer inside the AC adapter gener­ates heat while it is plugged in. Unplugging the
adapter extends its life.

33

Tips on Using Paper

Inserting Paper

Inserting paper is easy. Just to make sure you don’t have
any problems, here are some helpful tips.

1 Use both hands to hold the paper straight while you

insert it into the printer’s paper input slot. Make sure the
bottom edge of the paper is parallel to the feed roller.

2 Insert the paper by pressing it gently and evenly on

both the left and right sides until it can’t be inserted any
farther. After a short pause, the roller pulls the paper into
the starting position. Let go of the paper when the roller
starts to pull it.

If the paper is skewed after the printer pulls it into the
starting position, you can correct the situation as follows.

◆ If the printer

does not

start to print immediately,

open the release cover as far back as it will go.

See

Figure 16 on page 35.

Pull the paper out and

reinsert it. Close the cover.

◆ If the printer

does

start to print, wait for the page to

be printed and then reprint that page if necessary.

NOTE:

If you insert the paper into the printer

before

you start the print job, you will have time to adjust the
paper if it is skewed after the printer pulls it into the
starting position.

Tips on Using Paper

CHAPTER

3

34 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Use Recommended Paper

The printer never needs toner, ribbons, or ink because it uses
thermal paper specifically designed for it. To order paper,
see your dealer or order direct from Pentax. Refer to
Chapter 8, “Ordering Information,” on page 59.

Usage and Handling Instructions

◆ When loading paper, make sure the smooth, coated side
faces the back of the printer.

◆ To avoid wrinkling and tearing, keep paper in its box until
ready to use.

◆ Do not fold, crease or wrinkle paper prior to loading it
into the printer.

◆ When storing paper, avoid high temperatures and
humidity.

◆ Avoid prolonged exposure to intense ultraviolet light.

◆ Avoid contact with Diazo (blueprint), carbonless or

castcoated papers.

◆ Avoid contact with vinyl or acetate materials, such as
many notebook or report covers.

◆ Avoid contact with organic solvents, oils and ammonia.

35

Clearing a Paper Jam

Remove the paper as follows when a jam occurs.

1 Open the release cover as far back as it will go.

See

Figure 16.

2 Gently pull the paper out of the printer.

See Figure 17.

3 Close the release cover.

4 Reinsert a new sheet of paper in the printer and

restart the print job.

Tips on Using Paper

FIGURE 16. Opening the release cover.

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

BATTERY

DATA

POWER

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

BATTERY

DATA

POWER

FIGURE 17. Pulling jammed paper
out of the printer.

36 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Guide to Imprinting Letterhead

PocketJet thermal paper can be imprinted with colored
logos or graphics prior to being printed in a PocketJet.

Here are some guidelines for commercial printers.

◆ Use only water-based inks.

◆ Use low-tack ink to avoid pick and backside offset.

◆ Backside printing is possible with a few limitations. Light

blues or blacks with a 25% screen or less should work
without causing the printer to hesitate or stop.

◆ Avoid exposure to solvents, either in printing or in storage.

◆ Flexo presses are recommended. When thermal paper is

printed on offset presses, sticking and offsetting problems
may occur.

Contact Pentax for more details about imprinting
letterhead or backside printing.

37

Maintaining the Printer

Cleaning the Print Head

Clean the print head to maintain high print quality after 200
to 300 prints or whenever you detect broken or light
characters in a vertical line on the page.

NOTE:

Defective paper can also cause broken or light
characters. If the problem does not go away after
you clean the print head, try a different sheet of pa­per or a higher density setting.

1 Make sure the printer is turned off.

2 Set the printer face down so that the battery

compartment is toward you.

3 Using a pointed object such

as a push pin, mechanical pencil
or paper clip, gently move DIP
switch 4 away from you to the
ON position.

4 Turn the printer face up and

press the main switch once
quickly to turn the printer on.

5 To start the printer platen roller turning, press the main

switch once quickly.

6 Insert the cleaning cloth into the printer’s paper input

slot with the rough black side, which contains the
cleaning material, toward the rear of the printer.

See

Figure 18.

The printer pulls the cleaning cloth through. The platen
roller continues to turn until you turn off the printer.

Repeat step 6 several times for thorough cleaning.

CAUTION:

Do not attempt to clean the print head with

any material other than the cleaning cloth.

The cleaning cloth is for head cleaning only. Do not
use it to clean any other part of the printer.

Maintaining the Printer

CHAPTER

4

SW1

ON

OFF

1234567

8

38 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

7 Turn off the printer by pressing the main switch twice

quickly.

8 Set the printer face down so

that the paper outlet slot is
away from you.

9 Using a pointed object,

gently move DIP switch 4 toward
you to the OFF position.

10 Turn the printer face up again. It is now ready for use.

NOTE:

Don’t throw the cleaning cloth away after you
clean the print head. It should last for the life of the
printer. Keep the cleaning cloth with your printer sup­plies and use it whenever you need to clean the print
head.

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

ON

OFF

Cleaning
side

FIGURE 18. Inserting the cleaning cloth.

SW1

ON

OFF

1234567

8

39

Cleaning the Platen Roller

Dirt and debris on the platen roller can make the roller feed
paper into the printer at an angle, degrade the quality of
the printed image, or both.

1 Open the release cover.

See Figure 19.

2 Clean the platen roller with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth

to gently remove any dirt or debris on the roller.

See

Figure 20.

Maintaining the Printer

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

BATTERY

DATA

POWER

FIGURE 20. Cleaning the platen roller.

FIGURE 19. Opening the release cover.

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

BATTERY

DATA

POWER

Soft, dry
cloth

Platen
Roller

40 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Cleaning the Printer’s Case

Should the outside of the printer become dirty, clean it using
a soft cloth moistened with water. If necessary, add a very
small amount of a mild soap such as a liquid dishwashing
detergent.

CAUTION: Avoid saturating the cloth. Do not allow
water to get inside the printer.

Avoid the use of benzene, alcohol, paint thinner or
cleaners that are abrasive, alkaline or acidic. Such
cleaners may damage the printer’s case.

41

Reference

Using the Operation Panel

The operation panel consists of the main switch and three
indicator lights.

See Figure 21.

Main Switch Functions

Power On: Push once quickly while the printer is off.

Form Feed: Push once quickly while the printer is on and a

partial page has been sent to the printer.

Power Off: Push twice quickly.

NOTE:

The printer automatically powers off when it is
running under battery power and it has not received
any data for 60 seconds (if the auto-off timer is ac­tive). See page 29.

Charge battery: Push once and hold for several seconds
until the green BATTERY indicator stays lit. When the printer
finishes discharging the battery, it starts to charge the
battery, and the green BATTERY indicator starts to blink.

Reference

CHAPTER

5

POWER

DATA

BATTERY

CHARGE

REFRESH

ON

OFF

2

Main
Switch

Red POWER
Indicator

Green DATA
Indicator

Green BATTERY
Indicator

FIGURE 21. Operation panel.

42 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Refresh battery: While in Charge mode, push once and hold
for several seconds until the green BATTERY indicator starts to
blink.

To power off during Charge or Refresh mode: Push twice
quickly.

Indicator Lights

The three indicator lights—POWER, DATA, and BATTERY—tell
you about the current status of the printer. When an error
occurs, they show the type of error.

◆ Red POWER Light Steady: Power is on.

◆ Red POWER Light Blinking: An error has occurred.

◆ Green DATA Light Steady: Unprinted data in printer buffer.

◆ Green DATA Light Blinking: Receiving data from

computer.

◆ Green BATTERY Light Steady: Charge is high or battery is
being discharged.

◆ Green BATTERY Light Blinking: Charge is low or battery is
being charged.

The Indicator Light Table on page 43 shows all combinations
of indicator lights.

43

Indicator Light Table

Reference

System error

Data I/O error

Battery error

Print head overheating

Attempted recharge without AC power

Discharging battery

Charging battery

Power on, battery greater than 13V

Power on, battery between 11.8V - 13V

Power on, AC adapter

Empty data buffer

Receiving data from computer

Buffer contains unprinted data

Power Data Battery

On Blinking

Off

Doesn't
matter

Indication

Either on
or off

44 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

DIP Switches

The DIP Switch Table lists the feature that each switch
controls and the effect of the ON and OFF settings.

DIP Switch Table

No. Control On Off Page

1 Serial speed See below See below 20
2 Serial speed See below See below 20
3 Self test On Off 14
4 Cleaning On Off 37
5 Paper size and See below See below 26

character set

6 DTR polarity* Active low Active high 20

or

paper size and See below See below 26

character set
7 Xon / Xoff Disable Activate 20
8 Auto-off timer Disable Activate 29

*For Letter/A4 and Letter/Legal model printers.

Serial Speed

◆ 2,400 bps: switches 1 and 2 on

◆ 9,600 bps: switch 1 off and 2 on

◆ 19,200 bps: switch 1 on and 2 off

◆ 38,400 bps: switches 1 and 2 off

NOTE:

If you are using the parallel interface cable,

the settings of switches 1 and 2 don’t matter.

Paper Size and Character Set

Letter/A4 Model:

◆ Letter-size paper and PC-8 character set: switch 5 off

◆ A4-size paper and PC-850 character set: switch 5 on

Letter/Legal Model:

◆ Letter-size paper and PC-8 character set: switch 5 off

◆ Legal-size paper and PC-8 character set: switch 5 on

Letter/Legal/A4 Models:

◆ Letter paper, PC-8 character set: switches 5 and 6 off

◆ Legal paper, PC-8 character set: switches 5 and 6 on

◆ A4 paper, PC-850 character set: switch 5 on and

switch 6 off (or switch 5 off and switch 6 on)

45

Troubleshooting

If you have difficulty getting your printer to work properly, first
check to make sure you have done the following tasks in
Chapter 1, “Setting Up the Printer,” correctly:

◆ Installing the battery or connecting the printer to an
AC outlet

◆ Connecting the printer to your computer

◆ Printing a self-test sheet

Make sure you have installed and selected the proper
printer driver as explained in Chapter 2, “Using the Printer.”

Look through the troubleshooting tips in this chapter for help
correcting the problem.

If none of these suggestions works:

◆

If you are in the U.S., call Pentax at 1-303-460-1820 or
1-800-543-6144 from 8AM to 5PM Mountain Time,

Monday through Friday, and ask for Technical Support.

◆ If you are outside the U.S., contact your local reseller or
any Authorized Service Center.

Indicator Light Warnings

Chapter 5, “Reference,” contains a table listing all combinations
of indicator lights. See page 43.

The POWER indicator light does not light.

If you are using the AC adapter, make sure it is connected
properly. See page 8. Also make sure the AC power outlet is “live.”

If you are using the battery, make sure it is installed properly.
See page 6. If it is installed properly, follow the procedure for
charging the battery. See page 9.

The POWER and BATTERY
indicator lights are blinking.

A battery error has occurred. Make sure the battery has
been installed and connected properly. See page 6.

Troubleshooting

CHAPTER

6

Power Data Battery

46 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

If the battery is connected properly, you may have
attempted to charge the battery when it has become
overheated during a discharge or charge cycle. Allow the
battery to cool before continuing to discharge or charge it.

If the indicator lights still show that a battery error has
occurred, the battery may be defective or the printer may
need service. Call Pentax or your local Authorized Service
Center and ask for Technical Support.

The POWER, DATA and
BATTERY indicator lights
are blinking.

A system error has occurred. Turn the printer off and on
again to clear the system error. If you cannot clear it, call
Technical Support.

The POWER and DATA
indicator lights are blinking.

A data I/O error has occurred. If you are using the parallel
interface cable, the parallel connection may be defective,
and the data is overflowing the print buffer. Replace the
defective part—most likely the interface cable.

If you are using an optional RS-232C serial interface cable,
make sure the serial port speed and handshaking method
on the printer and the computer match. DIP switches 1 and
2 control the speed of the serial port. DIP switch 7 controls
the handshaking method. See page 20. If the serial port
speed and handshaking method are correct, the serial
connection may be defective. Replace the defective
part—most likely the serial interface cable.

The POWER indicator light is
blinking and the BATTERY
indicator light is off.

The thermal print head has overheated. Turn the printer off
or wait until the POWER indicator light stops blinking before
you continue printing.

Power Data Battery

Power Data Battery

Power Data Battery

47

Power Data Battery

The POWER indicator light
is blinking and the BATTERY
indicator light is on.

The printer is attempting to charge the battery, but it is not
receiving any AC power. Make sure you have connected
the printer to an AC power outlet. See page 8.

Paper Problems

The paper is jammed in the printer.

See “Clearing a Paper Jam” on page 35.

Paper moves through the printer, but
nothing appears on the paper.

Make sure you are using recommended paper and that
you are loading it properly with the print side away from
you. See page 33.

The software application may have sent a form feed
command on a blank sheet. Try printing another print job
such as a one-page memo.

The printer may be in cleaning mode. Check to make sure
DIP switch 4 is in the OFF position. Follow steps 7-10 for
“Cleaning the Print Head” on page 38.

Paper does not move through the printer
even though the motor is running.

If the release cover has been left open, close it completely.

Use recommended paper only. Heavy paper may not feed
through the printer.

If the release cover is closed and you are using
recommended paper, the printer may have a damaged
drive system. Call Technical Support.

Troubleshooting

48 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Printed Image Problems

The printed image is out of alignment.

Make sure you are using the recommended paper.

Make sure you are inserting the paper correctly. See
page 33.

Check whether the platen roller is dirty. If it is, clean it. Follow
the instructions for “Cleaning the Platen Roller” on page 39.

The print quality is poor, and the image is
too light or dark.

Raise or lower the setting on the density dial to produce a
better image. See page 30.

Make sure you are using recommended paper.

The image is squashed and stretched in
many places.

Make sure the release cover was not left open during
printing. If it is open, close it completely.

Make sure the paper is not slipping in the printer. If it is,
make sure the print head and platen roller are clean. See
Chapter 4, “Maintaining the Printer,” on page 37.

Make sure you are using recommended paper.

The image has light or white vertical lines.

Make sure the release cover was not left open during
printing. If it is open, close it completely.

Clean the print head. Follow the instructions on page 37.

If cleaning the print head does not correct the problem, the
print head may need maintenance. Call Technical Support.

All pages have a white vertical line.

The print head may need maintenance. Call Technical
Support.

49

Troubleshooting

All pages have a black vertical line.

The print head may need maintenance. Call Technical
Support.

Light patches of print appear on the image.

Make sure the paper does not have any dents or wrinkles. It
should lie flat, and it should not have a defective or uneven
surface coating. Use recommended paper, and make sure
it does not have any obvious deformities. The printer requires
smooth paper to work properly.

Check the setting of the density dial. If the setting is too low,
raise it. See page 30.

Clean the print head. Follow the instructions on page 37.

The top margin is incorrect.

Make sure the correct margins have been set in the
software application. If not, set the margins for the top and
bottom of the page.

Make sure you are not inserting the paper into the paper
input slot with excessive force. Always insert the paper gently.

NOTE:

PCL4 automatically assumes top and bottom
margins of approximately 0.25 inch. Although the
PocketJet printer is not limited to 0.25 inch margins,
the margins are necessary to maintain compatibility
with the PCL4 printer emulation.

The image for one page requires more or
fewer sheets than you expected.

Make sure the software application or printer driver has
been set to print the same size paper that you are loading
into the printer. If the application or printer driver has been
set to print legal-size paper and you insert letter-size paper,
the image will require two sheets. Adjust the application or
printer driver settings as needed, or reduce the print image
within your application to fit on a letter-size page.

If you are using DOS “PRINT” or “COPY” commands or a DOS
application that does not send PCL printer setup information
prior to the print job, check the settings of the DIP switches
that control the default paper size. See page 26.

50 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

NOTE:

In its default mode (six lines per inch), the printer
expects 60 lines per letter-size page, 64 lines per A4-size
page, and 78 lines per legal-size page. Other lines-per­page totals are possible if you adjust the lines per inch
by sending the appropriate commands to the printer.

See also “The Printer Ejects a Partially Printed Page...” on
page 52.

The side margins are incorrect.

Check to make sure the correct margins have been set in
the application. Adjust the left margin as needed.

Make sure the software application or printer driver has
been set to print the same size paper that you are loading
into the printer. If the application or printer driver has been
set to print a different width paper, the image will not print in
the proper horizontal position. Adjust the application or
printer driver as needed.

If you are using DOS “PRINT” or “COPY” commands or a DOS
application that does not send PCL printer setup information
prior to the print job, check the settings of the DIP switches
that control the default paper size. See page 26.

The print doesn’t show the proper characters.

Make sure you have defined the proper character set in the
application or other software. If incorrect, change it.

If you are using DOS “PRINT” or “COPY” commands or a DOS
application that does not send PCL printer setup information
prior to the print job, check the settings of the DIP switches
that control the default character set. See page 26.

If you are using a downloaded font, try another font to see if
the original font is in error.

The print shows random characters.

Check the printer driver you are using. Select the LaserJet IIP
printer driver, or if necessary, the LaserJet II driver. Do

not

select the LaserJet IIP Plus driver.

If you are using the parallel interface cable, the parallel
connection may be defective. Replace the defective
part—most likely the interface cable.

51

If you are using an optional RS-232C serial interface cable,
make sure the serial port speed on the printer and the
computer match. DIP switches 1 and 2 control the speed of
the serial port. See page 20. If the serial port speed is
correct, the serial connection may be defective. Replace
the defective part—most likely the serial interface cable.

Some characters print normally, but others
print incorrectly.

Check the printer driver you are using. Select the LaserJet IIP
printer driver, or if necessary, the LaserJet II driver. Do

not

select the LaserJet IIP Plus driver.

If you are using DOS “PRINT” or “COPY” commands or a DOS
application that does not send PCL printer setup information
prior to the print job, check the settings of the DIP switches
that control the default character set. See page 26.

Pages Don’t Print

The green DATA indicator remains lit but
does not blink.

The print buffer contains unprinted data from the software
application. If you have already inserted paper in the
printer, press the main switch to “form feed” the incomplete
page. If paper is not inserted, insert another sheet of paper
to continue printing.

The application should be sending data to
the printer, but the green DATA indicator is
not lit.

Make sure the interface cable matches the port to which
the computer is sending the data. Use the parallel interface
cable with a parallel port and a serial interface cable with a
serial port. See page 19.

Make sure the interface cable is connected to the port to
which the computer is sending data.

If you are using a serial cable, make sure the serial port
speed on the printer and the computer match. DIP switches
1 and 2 control the speed of the serial port. See page 20.

Troubleshooting

52 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Pages Are Partially Printed

The green DATA indicator light goes out
while a page remains in the printer.

The software application did not send a full page of data.
Remove the paper from the printer by pressing the main
switch once quickly to “form feed” the incomplete page.

This problem is usually caused by giving the printer the
wrong information about paper size or by using a sheet
longer than the page that the operating system or
application told the printer to expect.

If you are using DOS “PRINT” or “COPY” commands or a DOS
application that does not send PCL printer setup information
prior to the print job, check the settings of the DIP switches
that control the default character set. The printer ejects the
first 11 inches of A4 or legal paper when the default setting for
paper size is “letter.” See page 26.

The printer ejects a partially printed page,
and the green DATA indicator light remains
lit or blinking.

If you are sending many fonts or a large bit-mapped
graphic image to the printer, it may not have sufficient
memory to print the entire page. Insert the page again, and
the printer will print the rest of the image starting where the
previous portion of the image ended.

See “Tips on Printing Large Graphics” on page 31.

The printer stops printing. The POWER
indicator light is blinking and the BATTERY
indicator light is off.

The print head has overheated. Turn the printer off and allow
it to cool before continuing to print. The printer may
overheat if you use it over an extended period at a very
high print density.

53

Technical Information

Technical Information

Specifications

Physical

Height: 1.18 in. (30 mm)
Width: 10.04 in. (255 mm)
Depth: 2.17 in. (55 mm)
Weight: 1.10 lb. (497 g) with battery

Printing

Method Direct thermal printing
Resolution 300 by 300 dots per inch
Density Adjustable via dial setting on printer
Speed Three pages per minute at normal

(5%) page coverage
Language LaserJet IIP (PCL4) emulation
Fonts Seven HP

®

internal fonts and

downloadable fonts
Paper Sizes

Letter

8.5 in. by 11 in. (216 mm by 279 mm)

A4

210 mm by 297 mm (8.27 by 11.69 in.)

Legal

8.5 in. by 14 in. (216 mm by 355 mm)

Print Area

Width

Letter: 8.17 in. (207 mm)

A4: 201 mm (7.93 in.)

Legal: 8.17 in. (207 mm)

Height

Letter: 10.67 in. (271 mm)

A4: 289 mm (11.36 in.)

Legal: 13.67 in. (347 mm)
Paper Type Thermal—cut sheet
Paper Loading Manual—single sheet
Memory 512 Kilobytes or 2 Megabytes

CHAPTER

7

54 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Interfaces

Standard Centronics parallel and RS-232C serial

(auto-sensing).
Complete printer kit includes parallel

cable.
Serial cable is optional.
Cables for selected laptops and PDAs

are optional.

Wireless Infrared adapter is optional.

Environmental

Temperature Operating: 41° to 95° F (5° to 35° C)

Storage: 5° to 122° F (-15° to 50° C)

Humidity 30-80% relative humidity (non-

condensing)

Electrical

Power Supply DC: 14.4 volts from internal Ni-Cd

battery
DC: 12 volts from car battery, with

optional car adapter
AC: 100 - 120 or 220 - 240 volts, 50 or

60 Hz, with AC adapter

Power Usage Operating: 106 watts (maximum) at

120 volts

Stand-by: 13 watts
Battery Type Rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd)
Battery Yield 30 to 35 pages per charge

(depending on page coverage)

Regulatory

Compliance CSA C22.2. No.950

UL 1950, IEC950

FCC Part 15 Class B

Declarations of Conformity, see pages

57 and 58

55

Technical Information

Radio & Television Interference

United States FCC Regulations

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.

• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV
technician for help.

The use of a shielded cable is required to comply with
Class B limits of FCC Rules.

Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by
Pentax Technologies could void the user’s authority to
operate this equipment.

You may purchase a booklet prepared by the FCC entitled
“Interference Handbook,” stock number ISBN 0-16-041736-8,
from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 20402.

56 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Canadian Regulations

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the
Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les
exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du
Canada.

Bescheinigung des Herstellers/Importeurs

Hiermit wird bescheinigt, daß der

PENTAX Thermodrucker PT-A4301 (‘PocketJet’)

in Übereinstimmung mit den Bestimmungen der BMPT­AmtsblVfg 243/1991 funkentstört ist. Der vorschriftsmäßige
Betrieb mancher Geräte (z.B. Meßsender) kann allerdings
gewissen Einschränkungen unterliegen. Beachten Sie
deshalb die Hinweise in der Bedienungsanleitung.

Dem Bundesamt für Zulassungen in der Telekommunikation
wurde das Inverkehrbringen dieses Gerätes angezeigt und
die Berechtigung zur Überprüfung der Serie auf die
Einhaltung der Bestimmungen eingeräumt.

PENTAX TECHNOLOGIES EUROPE N.V. - Zaventem, Belgium

○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

57

For PocketJet units sold in Europe, the following documents apply.

Declaration of Conformity

Product Identification

Product Type: Thermal Printer
Product Name: PocketJet PT-A4301

Means of Conformity

The above product has been tested to be in conformity with the
Electromagnetic Compatibility Directives, 89/336/EEC, 92/31/EEC
based on test results using harmonised standards in accordance
with Article 10-1 of the Directive.

Standards Used: EN50082-1:1994

IEC-1000-4-2:1994
EN50082-1:1992
IEC801-3:1984, IEC801-4:1988

Standard Used: EN50081-1:1992

EN55022:1994 Class B

EC Representative: Pentax Technologies Europe

Weiveldlaan 3-5
1930 Zaventem, Belgium

Title: Sales & Marketing Manager

Signature: _______________________ 28 January 1997

Technical Information

58 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Declaration of Conformity

Product Identification Product Type: Power Supply

Product Name: PT-1102A

Means of Conformity

The above product has been tested to be in conformity with the Electromagnetic
Compatibility Directives, 89/336/EEC, 92/31/EEC based on test results using harmonised
standards in accordance with Article 10-1 of the Directive.

Standards Used: EN50082-1:1994

IEC-1000-4-2:1994
EN50082-1:1992
IEC801-3:1984, IEC801-4:1988

Standard Used: EN50081-1:1992

EN55022:1994 Class B

The above product has been tested to be in conformity with the Low Voltage
Directive, 73/23/EEC, Amended by 93/68/EEC Directive.

Standard Used: EN60950:1992+A1+A2:1993

IEC950:1992+A1+A2:1993 modified

The last two digits of the year in which the CE marking was affixed for Low Voltage
Directive, 73/23/EEC, is 97

EC Representative: Pentax Technologies Europe

Weiveldlaan 3-5
1930 Zaventem, Belgium

Title: Sales & Marketing Manager

Signature: _______________________________ 28 January 1997

Declaration of Conformity

Product Identification Product Type: Power Supply

Product Name: PT-1102B

Means of Conformity

The above product has been tested to be in conformity with the Electromagnetic
Compatibility Directives, 89/336/EEC, 92/31/EEC based on test results using harmonised
standards in accordance with Article 10-1 of the Directive.

Standards Used: EN50082-1:1994

IEC-1000-4-2:1994
EN50082-1:1992
IEC801-3:1984, IEC801-4:1988

Standard Used: EN50081-1:1992

EN55022:1994 Class B

The above product has been tested to be in conformity with the Low Voltage
Directive, 73/23/EEC, Amended by 93/68/EEC Directive.

Standard Used: EN60950:1992+A1+A2:1993

IEC950:1992+A1+A2:1993 modified

The last two digits of the year in which the CE marking was affixed for Low Voltage
Directive, 73/23/EEC, is 97

EC Representative: Pentax Technologies Europe

Weiveldlaan 3-5
1930 Zaventem, Belgium

Title: Sales & Marketing Manager

Signature: _______________________________ 28 January 1997

59

CHAPTER

8

Ordering Information

Ordering Information

For the name of the dealer closest to you or to order the
following items:

◆

If you are in the U.S., call Pentax at 1-800-543-6144 from
8AM to 5PM Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, and
ask for Sales.

◆ If you are outside the U.S., contact the dealer where you
purchased your printer for information about ordering
supplies, accessories and replacement parts.

Supplies

◆ Letter-size paper (100-sheet boxes)

◆ Legal-size paper (100-sheet boxes)

◆ A4-size paper (100-sheet boxes)

◆ Paper in 8.5-inch width rolls (100 feet)

◆ Paper in A4-width rolls (100 feet)

Accessories

◆ Interface cable
❖ Parallel
❖ RS-232C serial
❖ HP 200LX
❖ Psion
❖ Macintosh
❖ Newton

◆ Infrared interface adapter (requires special, modified

version of printer)

◆ Extra Ni-Cd battery

◆ Car adapter (with battery recharging feature)

◆ Car adapter (without battery recharging feature)

◆ Connectivity package for Macintosh and Newton

computers (interface cable and printer driver)

◆ Connectivity packages for many Personal Digital
Assistants (PDAs) and pen-based systems

◆ Roll paper holder

◆ Carrying case for roll of paper and roll paper holder

◆ 220-volt power cable

60 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

Replacement Parts

◆ Interface cable
❖ Parallel
❖ RS-232C serial
❖ HP 200LX
❖ Psion
❖ Macintosh
❖ Newton*

◆ AC adapter (universal)

◆ AC cable (115 or 230 volts)

◆ Protective vinyl carrying case

◆ Cleaning cloth

◆ Documentation sets in various languages

*For Newton connections, call GDT at 1-800-663-6222.

Upgrades

◆ You can upgrade any PocketJet printer to a model that
supports letter-, legal- and A4-size paper and has two
megabytes of memory.

◆ You can upgrade a Letter/A4 512 KB model to a Letter/
Legal 512 KB model.

◆ You can upgrade to a special, modified version of the
printer with an infrared adapter.

Contact Pentax at 1-800-543-6144 or 1-303-460-1820 for
complete information and prices.

61

Printer Commands

This appendix contains a table of printer commands
grouped under these topics:

◆ Reset

◆ Page control

◆ Orientation

◆ Margins and length

◆ Vertical spacing

◆ Horizontal spacing

◆ Cursor positioning

◆ Symbol set selection

◆ Font selection and management

◆ End of line handling

◆ Push/pop position

◆ Raster graphics

◆ Macros

◆ Miscellaneous

The Printer command codes listed in this appendix are not
used for normal printing from a Windows application or from
many DOS-based applications.

When you are printing from a DOS application that does not
offer any printer selection options, you may be able to
control the features of the printer by embedding the PCL4
printer command codes directly into your document.

APPENDIX

A

Printer Commands

62 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

FUNCTION PARAMETER(s) COMMAND DECIMAL VALUE(s)

RESET

Reset -

EscE

027 069

Number of Copies # of Copies (1-99)

Esc&l#X

027 038 108 [#] 088

Long Edge Offset
Registration # Decipoints (1/720")

Esc&l#U

027 038 108 [#] 085

Short Edge Offset
Registration # Decipoints (1/720")

Esc&l#Z

027 038 108 [#] 090

PAGE CONTROL

Paper Size Letter

Esc&l2A

027 038 108 050 065

(see note) A4

Esc&l26A

027 038 108 050 054 065

Legal

Esc&l3A

027 038 108 051 065

Page Length # of Lines (5-128)

Esc&l#P

027 038 108 [#] 080

Note:

The A4 and legal paper sizes are available only on selected models.

ORIENTATION

Orientation Portrait

Esc&lØO

027 038 108 048 079

Landscape

Esc&l1O

027 038 108 049 079

MARGINS AND LENGTH

Te xt Lines per Page # of Lines

Esc&l#F

027 038 108 [#] 070

Top Margin # of Lines

Esc&l#E

027 038 108 [#] 069

Left Margin # of Columns

Esc&a#L

027 038 097 [#] 076

Right Margin # of Columns

Esc&a#M

027 038 097 [#] 077

Clear Horiz Margins -

Esc9

027 057

VERTICAL SPACING

Ver tical Motion Index # of 1/48"

Esc&lC

027 038 108 [#] 067

Lines per Inch 1 line / inch

Esc&l1D

027 038 108 049 058

2 lines / inch

Esc&l2D

027 038 108 050 058

3 lines / inch

Esc&l3D

027 038 108 051 058

4 lines / inch

Esc&l4D

027 038 108 052 058

6 lines / inch

Esc&l6D

027 038 108 054 058

8 lines / inch

Esc&l8D

027 038 108 056 058

12 lines / inch

Esc&l12D

027 038 108 049 050 058

16 lines / inch

Esc&l16D

027 038 108 049 054 058

24 lines / inch

Esc&l24D

027 038 108 050 052 058

48 lines / inch

Esc&l48D

027 038 108 052 056 058

63

FUNCTION PARAMETER(s) COMMAND DECIMAL VALUE(s)

HORIZONTAL SPACING

Horiz Motion Index # of 1/120"

Esc&k#H

027 038 107 [#] 072

CURSOR POSITIONING

Ver tical Position Row #

Esc&a#R

027 038 097 [#] 082

# of Dots

Esc*p#Y

027 042 112 [#] 089

# of Decipoints

Esc&a#V

027 038 097 [#] 086

Horizontal Position Column #

Esc&a#C

027 038 097 [#] 067

# of Dots

Esc*p#X

027 042 112 [#] 088

# of Decipoints

Esc&a#H

027 038 097 [#] 072

Half Line Feed -

Esc=

027 061

SYMBOL SET SELECTION

Primary Symbol Set

Roman 8

Esc(8U

027 040 056 085

PC-8

Esc(1ØU

027 040 049 048 085

PC-850

Esc(12U

027 040 049 050 085

PC-8 (Danish/Norwegian)

Esc(11U

027 040 049 049 085

ISO 2: I.R.V.

Esc(2U

027 040 050 085

ISO 4: U.K.

Esc(1E

027 040 049 069

ISO 6: ASCII

Esc(ØU

027 040 048 085

ISO 10: Swedish

Esc(3S

027 040 051 083

ISO 11: Swedish

Esc(ØS

027 040 048 083

ISO 14: JIS ASCII

Esc(ØK

027 040 048 075

ISO 15: Italian

Esc(ØI

027 040 048 073

ISO 16: Portuguese

Esc(4S

027 040 052 083

ISO 17: Spanish

Esc(2S

027 040 050 083

ISO 21: German

Esc(1G

027 040 049 071

ISO 25: French

Esc(ØF

027 040 048 070

ISO 57: Chinese

Esc(2K

027 040 050 075

ISO 60: Norwegian I

Esc(ØD

027 040 048 068

ISO 61: Norwegian II

Esc(1D

027 040 049 068

ISO 69: French

Esc(1F

027 040 049 070

ISO 84: Portuguese

Esc(5S

027 040 053 083

ISO 85: Spanish

Esc(6S

027 040 054 083

ECMA-94: Latin I

Esc(ØN

027 040 048 078

HP German

Esc(ØG

027 040 048 071

HP Spanish

Esc(1S

027 040 049 083

Note:

The primary font printer commands can be specified as secondary commands by replacing the left

parenthesis “(” with a right parenthesis “)”.

Printer Commands

64 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

FUNCTION PARAMETER(s) COMMAND DECIMAL VALUE(s)

FONT SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT

Primary Spacing Proportional

Esc(s1P

027 040 115 049 080

Fixed

Esc(sØP

027 040 115 048 080

Primary Pitch # Characters / inch

Esc(s#H

027 040 115 [#] 072

Primary Point Size # Points

Esc(s#V

027 040 115 [#] 086

Primary Style Upright

Esc(sØS

027 040 115 048 083

Italic

Esc(s1S

027 040 115 049 083

Primary Stroke Weight Medium

Esc(sØB

027 040 115 048 066

(see note below) Bold

Esc(s3B

027 040 115 051 066

Light

Esc(s-3B

027 040 115 045 051 066

Typeface Courier

Esc(s3T

027 040 115 051 084

LinePrinter

Esc(sØT

027 040 115 048 084

Font Default Primary Font

Esc(3@

027 040 051 064

Secondary Font

Esc)3@

027 041 051 064

Underscore Enable Fixed

Esc&dØD

027 038 100 048 068

Enable Floating

Esc&d3D

027 038 100 051 068

Disable

Esc&d@

027 038 100 064

Tr ansparent Print # of Bytes

Esc&p#X(data)

027 038 112 [#] 088 +++

Assign Font I.D. Font ID #

Esc*c#D

027 042 099 [#] 068

Font/Char. Control Delete All Fonts

Esc*cØF

027 042 099 048 070

Delete All Temp. Fonts

Esc*c1F

027 042 099 049 070

Delete Last Font ID Ref’d

Esc*c2F

027 042 099 050 070

Make Font Temporary

Esc*c4F

027 042 099 052 070

Make Font Permanent

Esc*c5F

027 042 099 053 070

Select Font w/ID# ID # of Primary Font

Esc(#X

027 040 [#] 088

ID # of Secondary Font

Esc)#X

027 041 [#] 088

Create Font Descriptor # Bytes

Esc)s#W(data)

027 041 115 [#] 087 +++

Download Character # Bytes

Esc(s#W(data)

027 040 115 [#] 087 +++

Character Code ASCII Code # (decimal)

Esc*c#E

027 042 099 [#] 069

Note:

Full functionality for downloaded fonts; limited functionality for resident fonts.

65

FUNCTION PARAMETER(s) COMMAND DECIMAL VALUE(s)

END OF LINE HANDLING

Line Termination CR=CR, LF=LF, FF=FF

Esc&kØG

027 038 107 048 071

CR=CR+LF, LF=LF, FF=FF

Esc&k1G

027 038 107 049 071
CR=CR, LF=CR+LF,
FF=CR+FF

Esc&k2G

027 038 107 050 071
CR=CR+LF, LF=CR+LF,
FF=CR+FF

Esc&k3G

027 038 107 051 071

PUSH/POP POSITION

Push/Pop Position Push (Save)

Esc&lØS

027 038 102 048 083
Pop (Restore)

Esc&l1S

027 038 102 049 083

RASTER GRAPHICS

Resolution 75 DPI

Esc*t75R

027 042 116 055 053 082
100 DPI

Esc*t1ØØR

027 042 116 049 048 048 082
150 DPI

Esc*t15ØR

027 042 116 049 053 048 082
300 DPI

Esc*t3ØØR

027 042 116 051 048 048 082

Graphics Orientation Rotate Image

Esc*rØF

027 042 114 048 070
LaserJet Landscape

Esc*r3F

027 042 114 051 070

Start Graphics Mode Using Left Graphics Margin

Esc*rØA

027 042 114 048 065
Using Current Cursor

Esc*r1A

027 042 114 049 065
Position

Set Compression Uncoded

Esc*bØM

027 042 098 048 077
Run-Length Encoded

Esc*b1M

027 042 098 049 077
Tagged Image File

Esc*b2M

027 042 098 050 077

Tr ansfer Graphics # of Bytes

Esc*b#W +++

027 042 098 [#] 087 +++

End Graphics Mode -

Esc*rB

027 042 114 066

Draw Rectangle Width, # Dots

Esc*c#A

027 042 099 [#] 065

(size) Width, # Decipoints

Esc*c#H

027 042 099 [#] 072
Height, # Dots

Esc*c#B

027 042 099 [#] 066
Height, # Decipoints

Esc*c#V

027 042 099 [#] 086

Fill Rectangle With Solid (Black) Fill

Esc*cØP

027 042 099 048 080
Solid (White) Fill

Esc*c1P

027 042 099 049 080
Gray Scale (below)

Esc*c2P

027 042 099 050 080
HP Pattern (below)

Esc*c3P

027 042 099 051 080

Printer Commands

66 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

FUNCTION PARAMETER(s) COMMAND DECIMAL VALUE(s)

Fill Rectangle With Horizontal Line Pattern

Esc*c1G

027 042 099 049 071

(continued) Vertical Line Pattern

Esc*c2G

027 042 099 050 071

Diagonal Lines I

Esc*c3G

027 042 099 051 071

Diagonal Lines II

Esc*c4G

027 042 099 052 071

Square Grid

Esc*c5G

027 042 099 053 071

Diagonal Grid

Esc*c6G

027 042 099 054 071

Gray, 2%

Esc*c2G

027 042 099 050 071

Gray, 10%

Esc*c1ØG

027 042 099 049 048 071

Gray, 15%

Esc*c15G

027 042 099 049 053 071

Gray, 30%

Esc*c3ØG

027 042 099 051 048 071

Gray, 45%

Esc*c45G

027 042 099 052 053 071

Gray, 70%

Esc*c7ØG

027 042 099 055 048 071

Gray, 90%

Esc*c9ØG

027 042 099 057 048 071

Gray, 100% (black)

Esc*c1ØØG

027 042 099 049 048 048 071

MACROS

Macro ID Assign Macro ID #

Esc&f#Y

027 038 102 [#] 089

Macro Control Start Macro Definition

Esc&fØX

027 038 102 048 088

Stop Macro Definition

Esc&f1X

027 038 102 049 088

Execute Macro

Esc&f2X

027 038 102 050 088

Call Macro

Esc&f3X

027 038 102 051 088

Enable Overlay

Esc&f4X

027 038 102 052 088

Disable Overlay

Esc&f5X

027 038 102 053 088

Delete Macros

Esc&f6X

027 038 102 054 088

Delete Temp. Macros

Esc&f7X

027 038 102 055 088

Delete Macro ID

Esc&f8X

027 038 102 056 088

Make Temporary

Esc&f9X

027 038 102 057 088

Make Permanent

Esc&f1ØX

027 038 102 049 048 088

MISCELLANEOUS

Show PCL4 Codes Enabled

EscY

027 089

Disabled

EscZ

027 090

End-of-Line Handling Wrap Long Lines

Esc&sØC

027 038 115 048 067

Don’t Wrap Long Lines

Esc&s1C

027 038 115 049 067

Ø=Zero (used in commands to distinguish the number zero from the letter 0)
Esc = The “Escape” code. 27 Decimal, or 1B hex.
# and [#] = In many commands, a series of one or more ASCII digits representing the values required by

this command

+++ = Raw data required by this command

Note:

When multiple commands are sent in a single stream, all commands except the last one must—if they

end in a letter—end in the

lower case

version of the letter, not the upper case version shown in this table.

67

Character Sets

This appendix contains tables showing the following
character sets:

◆ PC-8

◆ Roman 8

◆ PC-850

◆ PC-8 (N/D)

◆ ECMA-94 (Latin I)

◆ ISO 6 (ISO ASCII)

◆ ISO Substitutions

Windows and many DOS applications send character-set
information to the printer. Some of these applications may
offer options for selecting the character set.

For situations like using the DOS “PRINT” and “COPY”
commands and printing from certain DOS applications that
do not send PCL printer setup information prior to the print
job, the PocketJet printer lets you set the default character
set and paper size. For more information, see “Setting the
Default Paper Size” on page 26.

You can also specify the character set by using the Symbol
Set Commands on page 63 of Appendix A.

Character Sets

APPENDIX

B

68 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

PC-8

69

Roman 8

Character Sets

70 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

PC-850

71

PC-8 (N/D)

Character Sets

72 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

ECMA-94 (Latin I)

73

ISO 6 (ISO ASCII)

Character Sets

74 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

ISO Substitutions

Index 75

Index

A

A4 PAPER

used in Europe 17

AC ADAPTER

automatic power

switching 3
caution about use 1, 2
connecting 8
extending life of 32

ACCESSORIES

ordering 59

ADAPTER.

SEE

AC

ADAPTER; CAR ADAPTER

AUTO-OFF TIMER

activating 29
checking setting 17
disabling 29
extending battery life 12
feature 29, 41

B

BATTERY

auto-off timer 12, 29
carrying a spare 12
charge time 12
charging 9, 41
conserving power 29
discharging 9
disposal 2
extending its life 12
infrared adapter use 12
installing 6
new 9
ordering 59
pages per

charge 12, 54
reason for

discharging 10
recharging 9, 12, 41
recycling 2
refreshing 10, 12, 42
removing 11
type 54
usage tips 12

BATTERY LIGHT.

SEE

INDICATOR LIGHTS

BAUD RATE

serial interface 21

BORDERS

printing 31

BUFFER.

SEE

PRINT BUFFER

BUTTON.

SEE

MAIN SWITCH

C

CABLE

caution about use 2
connecting to AC

outlet 8

connecting to

computer 19
connecting to printer 8
ordering 59, 60

CANADA

regulations 56

CAR ADAPTER

option 3
ordering 59

CARRYING CASE

sleeve for quick reference

card 12
sleeve for spare

battery 12

CASE

cleaning 40

CHARACTER SET

checking default

setting 17
ECMA-94 (Latin I) 72
ISO 6 (ISO ASCII) 73
ISO Substitutions 74
PC-8 68
PC-8 (N/D) 71
PC-850 70
Roman 8 69
samples 18
selecting default set 26
specifying 26

76 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

DOS

print utility 23, 24, 25
printer selection 25
printer setup 26

DRIVER.

SEE

PRINTER DRIVER

DTR.

SEE

HANDSHAKING

DTR POLARITY

setting 21

E

EMULATION.

SEE

PRINTER

EMULATION

ENVIRONMENT

printer use 1
specification 54

EUROPE

regulations 57, 58

F

FCC

regulations 55

FEATURES

printer 3

FIRMWARE VERSION

checking 17

FONT/SYMBOL SET OPTIONS

information 18

FONTS

Courier 32
downloadable 32
line printer 32
printing 31
samples 18
specification 53
TrueType 31
using 32

FORM FEED

instructions 41, 51

G

GRAPHICS

printing tips 31

GRIDS

printing 31

tables 67
with DOS

applications 25

CHARGE

battery 9

CLEANING.

SEE

MAINTENANCE

CLEANING CLOTH

cleaning print head 37
ordering 60

COMMANDS.

SEE

PRINTER

COMMANDS

COMPUTER

connecting to printer 19

COPY

DOS command 26

COUNTRY

checking default

setting 17

COURIER.

SEE

FONTS

D

DARKER PRINTS

specifying 30

DATA

unprinted 51

DATA LIGHT.

SEE

INDICATOR

LIGHTS

DC ADAPTER.

SEE

CAR

ADAPTER

DENSITY

setting 12, 30

DENSITY DIAL

instructions 30

DIP SWITCHES

auto-off timer 29
checking 13
cleaning print head 37
default character set 26
default paper size 26
factory settings 13
self-test sheet 14
serial interface 20
table 44

DISK

print utility 25

Index 77

H

HANDSHAKING

DTR 21
hardware 21
Xon / Xoff 21

I

IMAGE QUALITY

checking 18

INDICATOR LIGHTS

illustration 41
summary 42
table 43
warnings 45

INFRARED ADAPTER

battery use 12
interface 22
option 3
ordering 59, 60

INK

never needed 3, 34

INTERFACE CABLE.

SEE

CABLE

INTERFACES

infrared adapter 22, 54
parallel 19, 54
serial 20, 21, 54
supported 3
wireless 54

INTERFERENCE

radio and television 55

L

LASERJET II

default printer 31
DOS printer 25
printer driver 23, 31
Windows printer 25

LASERJET IIP

DOS printer 25
printer driver 3, 23, 31
Windows printer 25

LASERJET IIP PLUS

printer driver 23

LETTERHEAD

imprinting 36

LIGHTER PRINTS

specifying 30

LIGHTS.

SEE

INDICATOR LIGHTS

LINE PRINTER.

SEE

FONTS

LOGO

imprinting 36

LPT1

printer port 31

M

MACINTOSH

connectivity 3, 59

MAIN SWITCH

functions 41

MAINTENANCE

cleaning platen roller 39
cleaning print head 37
cleaning printer case 40

MARGINS

incorrect 49, 50
side 50
top and bottom 49

MEMORY

checking 17
needed for large

graphics 31
sizes 3
specification 53
upgrading 60

MODEL

identifying 18
Letter/A4 17, 18, 26
Letter/Legal 17, 18, 26
Letter/Legal/A4 17, 18, 26
options 3
printer 26
self-test sheet 16
serial number 18

N

NEWTON

connectivity 3, 59

78 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

O

ON/OFF SWITCH.

SEE

MAIN

SWITCH

OPERATION PANEL

using 41

OS/2

installing printer driver 23
selecting printer 25

P

PALMTOP.

SEE

PERSONAL

DIGITAL ASSISTANT

PANEL.

SEE

OPERATION

PANEL

PAPER

A4-size 17
clearing a jam 35
defective 37
inserting 27, 33
ordering 59
print area 53
problems 47
recommended 34
sizes 3, 53
specification 53
storing 34
upgrading to support

legal size 60

usage and handling 34

PAPER HOLDER

carrying case 59
ordering 59

PAPER SIZE

checking default

setting 17
selecting default size 26
specifying 26

PCL4

command codes 25, 61
printer control

language 3, 25, 26

PDA.

SEE

PERSONAL DIGITAL

ASSISTANT

PERSONAL DIGITAL

ASSISTANT
connectivity 3, 59

PLATEN ROLLER

cleaning 39

PLUG

connecting to AC

outlet 8

standard configurations 1

POCKETJT.EXE

print utility program 25

POWER

AC adapter 1, 8
off 41, 42
on 41
specifications 54
usage 54

POWER LIGHT.

SEE

INDICATOR LIGHTS

PRINT

DOS command 25, 26

PRINT AREA

A4-size paper 53
legal-size paper 53
letter-size paper 53

PRINT BUFFER

data 29, 51

PRINT HEAD

cleaning 37

PRINT UTILITY.

SEE

DOS

PRINTER

auto-off timer 29
components 5
connecting to AC

outlet 8

connecting to

computer 19
data 29
default 24, 25, 31
emulation 25, 53
features 3
feed roller 33
identifying model 18
input slot 33
kit 5, 23, 24
model 3, 16, 26
outdoor use 1
platen roller 37, 39
port 31
print head 37
protecting 32

Index 79

release cover 33, 35, 39
resolution 3, 53
selecting 25
setting up 5
size 53
specifications 53
speed 3, 30, 31, 53
turning off 29, 41, 42
turning on 27, 41
unpacking 5

PRINTER COMMANDS

tables 61
with DOS

applications 25, 26

PRINTER DRIVER

checking 23
installing 23, 24
LaserJet II 31
LaserJet IIP 31
loading 23, 24
selecting 25

PRINTER STATUS

information 17

PRINTING

borders 31
fonts 31
grids 31
instructions 27
landscape mode 31
large graphics 31
lines per page 50
method 3, 53
portrait mode 31
shading 31

PROBLEMS.

SEE

TROUBLESHOOTING

R

REFRESH

battery 10

REGULATIONS

Canadian 56
European 57, 58
FCC 55

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

CSA 54
FCC 54
UL 54

RELEASE COVER

opening 35, 39

REPLACEMENT PARTS

ordering 60

RESOLUTION

dots per inch 3, 53

RIBBON

battery removal 7, 11

S

SAFETY

information 1

SELF-TEST SHEET

checking 16
Font/Symbol Set

Options 18
image quality 18
Printer Status 17
printing 14

SERIAL INTERFACE

checking settings 17
setting DIP switches 20

SERIAL NUMBER

model 18

SHADING

printing 31

SPECIFICATIONS

printer 53

SPEED.

SEE

PRINTER

SPEED; SERIAL INTERFACE

STATIONERY.

SEE

LETTERHEAD

SUPPLIES

ordering 59

SWITCHES.

SEE

DIP SWITCHES

SYMBOL SET.

SEE

CHARACTER

SET

80 Pentax PocketJet Printer User’s Guide

T

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

interference 55
specifications 53

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

calling 45

TEMPERATURE

operating 54
storage 54

TEST SHEET.

SEE

SELF-TEST

SHEET

THERMAL PAPER.

SEE

PAPER

TIME

charging battery 12

TIMER.

SEE

AUTO-OFF TIMER

TONER

never needed 3, 34

TROUBLESHOOTING

battery removal 11
clearing a paper jam 35
general instructions 45
indicator light

warnings 45
pages don't print 51
pages partially print 52
paper problems 47
printed image

problems 48

TRUETYPE

print as graphics 31

U

UPGRADE

ordering 60

W

WARRANTY

extended 4
standard 4

WINDOWS 3.1

installing printer driver 23
selecting printer 25

WINDOWS 95

installing printer driver 24
selecting printer 25

WINDOWS NT

installing printer driver 23
selecting printer 25

X

XON/XOFF.

SEE

HANDSHAKING

PENTAX Technologies Corporation

100 Technology Drive, Suite 200

Broomfield, Colorado 80021 U.S.A.

303-460-1600
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 303-460-1637

Internet web site: www.pentaxtech.com

Pentax Technologies Europe nv

Weiveldlaan 3-5

1930 Zaventem (Belgium)

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Internet e-mail: [e-mail]

Technical Support

In U.S.: 1-303-460-1820 or 1-800-543-6144,

8AM to 5PM Mountain Time, M-F

Outside U.S.: contact your local reseller or any of the

Authorized Service Centers

Ordering Supplies, Accessories or Replacement Parts

In U.S.: 1-800-543-6144, 8AM to 5PM Mountain Time, M-F

Outside U.S.: contact your printer dealer

™

®

Printer User’s Guide