Star NX-2480 User Manual
USERS MANUAL
NX-2480
COLOUR
QBF
80825591
RAINBOW
I
Federal Communications Commission
Radio Frequency Interference Statement
“l-he 12f)\’\u!+ion c,quipnwnt has ht’t’n k-std and found to compl> with [hc linlits I“ma cla5s B digital
cfmicc, pursuant [o Part 15
of”FCC [3u1?s.These limits are cfcsignmi to wmkfc rwsonahl? protmtion
against harm(”ill interf’c, rcn(u, in a lresidmtial ill..’ tallation. This rquifmlmt gmmltes. Llscs ami can r.adi.
:I(C radio I“requcnc,}, rIIe:-~. and,
if not inst.allcciand used in accordance wittl (hc irl.stn]rtiml.s may
rausc tlarnllill irlterf?rcnm to radio
cmmmunirations. However. lhrm is nc guaranter {hat interkencr
will not omllr in a
partirldar installatiorl. If this ?quiprnent dot’s <:lLIsc harmful in(erfcrrncc (0 radio or
trlcwisiml. n,hicb (an be cletmmined by turning off and on, thr u!+rris FImouragmi to Iry to corrwt the
intmfrrcmw hy one or mcmfof the follcwringmeasurvs.
.
[<emimt or rckwatr the rccriving antenna
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Incrcasc the srpamtion bclweru Ibc cquipmrnt and rcw,iwr.
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Connrrt ill? equifxncnl intn an cn)tlc! ml a rireuit clil’fmt=ntl“ronlthat to wbich the.rrmiwr is con
ne(lmf
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C’cmsl]lt the cfcakr or an t’x
pericn<wi radio/TV (cchr!iriim for help.
Urlatlthorized moclili(aticms o{ this prmtuc( by (he user will wid his authority to opt’ra{r [bc t,quipnwnt
Link’ss cxprt>sslyapprowd by the party r?sponsibk klr IYmlplianw
For cmnplia,lrc wi[h tb? t’?dmal Noise>Intt’rfcrcmce Standard. tbis equipmrn[ r(,c]uires a sbit,klrd rahle.
The 220!: XY’rsicmrcp]ipmrnl has bw’n lcstml and t’oumi (o comply witb the Iimi[s f“ora Class A digikd
dmi(c,. pumuant to Pari 15 of lb,, FCC’RUICS.
These limits arc dt’signed to prmid? rrasonabk pmter
lion against Imrmfu]
intrrf’r,-cmm’ W)lC,II lbr cquipmer)t is opcra[cci ill a rommcrcial rrh.imnm(m(. Ttlis
equipmc.n[grnm.at?s. USCS,amt ran radiate radio hcqwrlc.v encr~ aml. ii’rmt inslallrd and usml in
acwmlarlrr with lht, mstru(.tion !II:Inual. may cause harml’,)t irllerfcrcnw 1(]radio (~O1l]n,[,,l],.:ltiorl.~,
Operation of this rc~uipmcntin a resicfcntm] ar?a is
Iikcl} to rausc’ bmll)f’(11inlctfcrcrwr iII whi(.tl C:IW
the,user will he rccluirrd to roImcrt tbc intrrrmtmc? at bis OWI ?xpensc.
For rompliancr with thr Federal ?JoisrInt?rferenc? Standarct. this cc]uipmt’nt rrqllirt>s a shiekfcd cahlr.
The choLY, Slalerm>nl applies OIII!I [o pri, tters mcukelwi in the U.S.A
Statement of The Canadian Department of Communications Radio Interference
1,<,p,-~sentapparril num[.ri(p]c r]”t+nctpas cl<>hmits r->)ciioFl?(tiqllc.s<l~passanl Ics Iir?,itc-sapplicahles
au.xapp, areilsnumwiqu’?s cfc la classe B prcsrrites dams
k. R@mlltmt sllr k hrouilkig<,radioelcrtriquc.
edirtc paI.1{,Minist?rr d<%C.olllrll~llli(,tllic)llsdu Canada.
The abmw statenwnl applies OFII!I10prinlws mclrk$>t<,dill [’(I,I<zd<I.
Trademark acknowledgments
NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour,NX-2420Rainbow/Colour,NX-2420,SF-1ODW,SPC-SK: Star Mi(r(llli(s
co. Ltd.
L9S50, L9S60, LQ105O, L9106O: Seiko EIMmI Corpora(im,
IBM PC, IBM
Froprfnter X24E,IBM Pmprinter XL24E,IBMProprinter X24,
IBM Proprinter XL24:internationalBusiness Machines Cmporatiorl.
TrueTypeMacintosh:Appk. Computer Inc.
PostScript: AdobeS@t’rnslnco~orated
MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.1: Microsoft Corporation
Grappler:OrangeVicrc,[m
Notice
.
All
rights rwwnrct. Reproduction of any pa!l of this man[ml in any kwmu,tla@n?\vr. without
STt\R’smprt’ss pwmissicm is strictly forbktckm
.
Tbc ([),ltrnts
11( [bis ,llarlua
1arc,suhjmt (o rhang? witboul notim.
.
All rf’forls tlaw Ixwt madr (c>ensure [ht. acrurary o[”the
cmlmts of’ this man,lal at the (imr of’
prin[inq. IIcmewr, S11OCIMany crmrs be founci. STAR would grcatlv appreciate Ixing infmmcd of’
therll.
.
The ahc)w rlOILL-illlsl:!llcli,lg. STAR can assllnl? no rlW(l,lsit~ilitY (Ora~y ,7rl-Orsi,, this 1ll:lrlll:ll.
~,Copyigbt 1993Star Mim(mics Cm I.td
Guide to this manual
Even though the NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour is basically
a very
simple printer to use, it is also capable of many
complex functions. We have grouped this manual into
two main sections. divided into seven chapters and an
appendix.
For normal everyday use, you may never need to refer to
Section II at all. We strongly recommend however that
you read through Section-I-(Chapters 1, 2 and
3) before
connecting and–usingthe printer for the first time.
SectionI
Chapter 1
Features and parts
Chapter 2
Unpacking and setting up the printer,
including setting up your computer
software
Chapter 3
Using the printer, including loading paper,
using the display and control panel, and
printing
‘“”l
Guide to this manual... ...........................................................................iii
Introduction
1
Features ............................. ........... .................................................... . . I
Parts .............. ...... .........................................................................................4
Unpacking and setting up
7
Choosing a place for the printer., ............................................... ........7
Unpacking the printer .................. ...........................................................8
Setting up your printer ...........................................................................9
Fitting the platen knob ...............................................................,.............9
Removing the front cover ...................................................................... 70
Installing the ribbon cartridge ...................................... . . . . . . . 70
Removing the ribbon cartridge ............................................................ 72
Installing the roller unit. ......................................................................... 72
Removing the roller unit ........................................................................13
Replacing the front cover ......................................................................73
Installing the paper guide ......................................................................
74
Installing the mute cover ............................................. .. . . . . . . . . 74
Connecting the printer to the computer .......................................15
Setting up your printer with your computer ..............................IT
Setting up with MS. DOS.. ..................................................................... 77
MS-DOS ............................ . . . . .
.................................................... 77
MS-DOS application software ................................................................ 77
Setting up the printer in Windows ..................................................... 79
Installing TrueType fonts (for Windows) ...............................................27
Selecting different fonts ..........................................................................22
Using your printer
23
Loading paper ...........................................................................................23
Adjusting the print gap ................................................,.........................24
Loading cut sheet paper .................:......................................................26
Loading and parking fanfold paper .....................................................27
Loading paper from the rear of the printer ............................................28
Loading paper from the bottom of the printer ......................................30
Parking paper .......................................... . ...... .................. . . . . . 31
Unparking the paper ................................ ...............................................32
Using the control panel
33
Ready and not-ready modes .........................................,.......................33
Pageiv
Pausing printing....., ................................................................................. 33
Feeding paper through the printer .....................................................34
One line or several lines at a time .......................................................... 34
A page at a time .......................................................................................34
Individual form tear-off ........................................................................... 34
Loading paper ..........................................................................................35
Micro-feeding paper (backwards and forwards) ............................. ..... 35
Setting the top of a form .......................................................................5’5
Changing the autoloading position ....................................................
36
Eject and park ...........................................................................................37
Quiet printing ................................................................. ......................... 37
Changing the way your printout looks .............................................38
Selecting the different fonts ................................................................... 38
Changing the pitch of the font ...............................................................39
Changing the zoom size .......................................................................... 40
Selecting the print color ..........................................................................41
Controlling the printer’s memory ....................................................... 42
Saving Macros ..........................................................................................42
Removing the macro ...................................................... .. ......... ........... 43
Clearing the buffer ...................................................................................43
Setting the printer back to default settings ..........................................
44
Locking the printer ..................................................................................45
Font lock ...................................................................................................45
Font unlock ............................................................................................... 45
Pitch lock ..................................................................................................45
Pitch unlock ......................................................................... .................... 46
Pitch and font lock ...................................................................................46
Pitch and font unlock ...............................................................................46
Test printing .................................. .......................................................... 47
Short test. .................................................................................................47
Long test. .................................................................................................. 47
Print area test mode ................................................................................48
Hexadecimal dump mode .......................................................................49
Adjusting the dot alignment ................................................................ 50
Electronic DIP switches ................................................... .... ......... .....52
Using the Electronic DIP switches ......................................................53
Banks and numbers .................................................................................53
Selecting the switch bank. ......................................................... ............ 53
Seiecting the switch number ............................................. .................... 54
Changing a switch’s value ......................................................................54
An example ................................................................................ ......... .... 54
Exiting Electronic DIP Switch mode ......................................... ............ 54
What you can change with the Electronic DIP Switch mode. .....55
Meanings of the switches ..................................................................... 56
A 1- Emulation ..........................................................................................56
Pagev
I
AZ - Auto Emulation Change (AEC) mode.............................................56
A3- RAM usage .......................................................................................57
A4 - Color and zoom ................................................................................57
A5 - Auto LF with CR.. .............................................................................
57
A6 -
Auto sheet feeder ............................................................................57
BI - Graphics direction ............................................................................57
B2 - Paper-out ..........................................................................................58
B3 - Tear-o ff.. ............................................................................................58
B4 - Reserved ...........................................................................................58
B5 and B6 - Multi-part mode ..................................................................58
Cl and C2 - Print mode ........................................................................... 59
C3 through C5 - Page length..
.................................................................59
DI - Character table .................................................................................59
D2 through D4 - character code tables ..................................................60
D5 -CR centering .....................................................................................61
El through E5 - LQ Font selection .........................................................61
FI - Electronic DIP switch settings .........................................................62
Optional accessories
63
Accessories available ......... ....................................................................63
The SF-IODW ............................................................................................63
Unpacking ............................ ....... ............... ............................................63
Installing the SF- IODWASF.......... ..........................................................64
Using the SF- IODW. .................................................................................65
The SPC-8K serial/parallel converter ..................................................67
Baud rate. ...................................... ...........................................................68
Number of bits in a word ......... .... .........................................................68
Parity .. ........................ .................. s.......... .............. ............................ . .68
Handshaking ................. .... . .......... . ............ . ..... . ............ ............ .. ... 69
Connecting the SPC-8K converter ..........................................................69
Using the SPC-8K. ................. . ............ . .......... ............ ....... .................70
The serial connector on the SPC-8K... ....................................................71
Setting up an MS-DOS computer ........................................................... 72
Setting up a Windows computer ............................................................73
Troubleshooting
75
Common problems and solutions ................. ..................................76
Power switch is on, but POWER indicator is neither lit nor flashing.. 76
Printer sounds as if it is printing, but is not ..........................................76
Printing is weak. .......................................................................................76
Printer tests work, but printer will not print out data from attached
- computer ..............
...................................................................................
77
Font selection changes unexpectedly ....................................................77
Printer will not feed paper properly .......................................................78
Pagevi
The printer will not print in color ........................................................... 78
Line spacing is incorrect..................,.... ...................................................79
Over-printing occurs ................................................................................79
Incorrect number of lines per page ........................................................80
Malformed text or graphics .................................................................... 80
Poor printing quality ................................................................................80
Forms are smudged .................................................................................81
Printing is too dark ..................................................................................81
Printer case is hot ....................................................................................81
Printer makes excessive noise ................................................................ 82
Printer prints beyond the edge of the paper .........................................82
Left margin moves towards the right during printing ......................... 83
Some incorrect characters are being printed ........................................84
Printer behaves erratically ...................................................................... 85
Printing ceases .........................................................................................85
Display messages (non-error) ..............................................................85
Display messages (error) .............................................................. .. .....
87
Beep tones ................................................................................................. 88
Checking system software settings ..... ..........................................89
In Windows ...............................................................................................89
In MS. DOS.. ........................................................................ ........ ...........
90
Software commands
91
Introduction ...............................................................................................9I
Font control commands ........................................................................ 93
Character set commands ...................................................................... 98
Character size and pitch commands ................................................ 70Z
Vertical position commands .............................................................. 770
Horizontal position commands ......................................................... 717
Graphics commands ............................................................ ......... 721
Download character commands .......................................................
725
Other printer commands ................................................................. .729
Appendix
135
Specifications .......................................................... 135
Parallel interface .............................................................................. 740
Character sets. ............................... ............................................ 141
Standard character set #2 ................................................................... 742
International character sets. ............................................................... 744
IBM character set #2 .............................................................................
145
Code page #437(U. S.A.).. .................................................................... 745
Code page #850 (Multi.lingual) ..................................................... .147
Pagevii
Code page #860 (Portuguese) ............................................................... 148
Code page #861 (Icelandic) .................................................................... 149
Code page #863 (Canadian French) ...................................................... 150
Code page #865 (Nordic) ....................................................................... 151
Character set #1 ..................................................................................... ?52
IBM special character set.. ................................................................... 753
Glossary
155
Index
167
Costumer service information
171
Pageviii
Chapter 1
Introduction
‘ Thank you for buying a STAR NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour
printer. We are confident that it will provide you with
years of reliable, high-quality printing. We think we have
made the NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour one of the fastest,
quietest, and easiest to use dot matrix printers ever. We
hope you agree with us.
Features
colon
Fast:
Easy to use:
You only need to add a color ribbon cartridge
to print vibrant, full-color documents. You
can choose from up to 256 colors, depending
on your computer software.
The NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour speeds
through drafts at 330 characters per second
(15 pitch). When printing in its 360 dpi letterquality mode (that’s more dots per inch than
some laser printers!), it turns out beautifullyfinished work at up to 100 characters per
second.
With clearly labeled buttons, an informative
LCD screen, and easy paper loading, the NX2480 Rainbow/Colour can be used by any-
one, even without previous computer or
printer experience.
With the NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour’s Electronic DIP Switch feature, you can change the
printer’s default power-on settings from the
front panel.
Page1
LCfl screen: You can see your printer’s settings at a glance
by looking at the informative LCD screen. It
shows what font you are using, how big it is
(the font pitch) and other useful information
(this feature does not apply when you use the
printer with Windows 3.1 or later).
Fonts:~ÓZ•˜Ḋ•The NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour is a multi-font
printer, which means that it can print text in
a variety of different type styles (fonts)—10 in
all.
These include:
Draft
Roman
SanSerif Courier
Prestige Swp-t
ORATOR
Orator-2
H-Got h i c
SLQ Roman
You can print these fonts in different styles,
such as emphasized, bold, shadow, and out-
line, as well as being able to change the size
of the font.
Graphics:
The advanced 24.-pinprint head can print up
to 360 dots per inch (and in color too!) making it an ideal printer for graphics programs,
and for programs running under Windows
3.1 and later.
Zooming:
You can print documents at 50?Z0or 67?40of
their actual size. As a result, you need only
use a single sheet of paper to print large doc-
uments, such as spreadsheets.
Paper types: You can print on a wide variety of different
paper types and sizes; from fanfold computer
paper, to single sheets and stationery, to
multi-part forms. Even when fanfold paper is
loaded, the NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour allows
Page2
you to print on single sheets, saving you time
and effort. A tear-off function allows you to
tear off single printed fanfold paper sheets
from the printer without wasting paper. You
can feed fanfold paper from either the rear or
the bottom of the printer.
h optional automatic sheet feeder is also
available, which holds up to 50 sheets of
paper.
Compcdiblity:By emulating the industry-standard Epson
and IBM printers, the NX-2480 Rainbow/
Colour allows you to printjust about anything your computer software can generate.
The NEC graphics command set is also sup-
ported for even better graphics compatibility.
The Automatic Emulation Change feature
means that the printer can automatically
change to the appropriate printer emulation
for the application software, depending on
the data received.
Special drivers and scalable fonts are
included to allow you to produce high-quality
printout from Windows 3.1 and later applica-
tions.
Page3
Parts
This is what your new printer looks like. These diagrams
may be useful in the next few sections to identi~ the different parts mentioned.
front
r
power
Theprinter(withinterfacecableconnected)
pa
ad
r
ver
The printer with the front and rear covers removed and no interface
cable connected
Page4
Parts - an explanation
The
paper guides hold single sheets and sets their posi-
tion so that they are fed into the printer correctly.
The paper entrances are where paper feeds into the
printer. There is one for single sheets, and two for computer (fanfold) paper—rear and bottom.
The release lever grips single sheets as they are fed in.
The lever should be pushed towards the back of the
printer to hold
single sheets properly, and released
(pulled forward) when fanfold paper is in use.
The
platen knob lets you feed paper through the printer
manually. Usually, though, you will find that the
[PAPER FEED] button (see “Feeding paper through the
printer” on page 34) is the most efficient way of doing
this.
The front cover protects internal components and
reduces printing noise.
The mute cover further reduces printing noise.
The display screen shows information about the prin-
ter’scurrent setting.
The control panel has buttons to control the printer.
The power switch turns the printer on and off.
The interface connector accepts the cable connector
that links the printer to the host computer.
The print head transfers the image to the paper.
The ribbon cartridge contains the ribbon which the
head uses to mark the paper.
The paper thickness adjustment lever lets you adjust
the position of the print head for different paper thicknesses and for multi-part forms.
The roller unit helps to grip paper and pull it through
the printer.
Page5
The tractor unit grips the sides of fanfold computer
paper. When you use the tractor unit, the tractor covers must be closed.
Page6
Chapter 2
Unpacking and
setting up
Choosing a place for the printer
Before you start unpacking and setting up your printer,
make sure that you have a suitable place to put it. By a
“suitable place”, we mean:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
A firm, level surface where the printer will be stable,
and vibration-free.
Away from any heaters.
Away from direct sunlight.
Not in an excessively humid area.
Somewhere that is clean, dry and dust-free. Basi-
cally, computer equipment works best in the same
kind of temperature and humidity as you do.
Allow 6“ (15cm) of free space either side of the
printer and adequate space for paper behind the
printer, if you want to use fanfold (computer) paper.
If you want to use the bottom feed for fanfold (computer) paper, you should locate the pile of paper at
least one page length (about 12” (30cm)) below the
printer.
Make sure the printer is connected to a steady
power supply. It should not be on the same electric
circuit as appliances like copiers or refrigerators
that cause power spikes and surges.
Use a power supply of the correct voltage as specified cmthe printer’s identification plate.
Page7
I
Unpacking the printer
As you unpack the printer from the box, make sure that
you have all the following items:
3 Ribbon cartrid~e \\ //
//h
and fontdisk ~ ~~
2 Printer driver
1 Printer ‘
\\\\\?
Ifany of these are missing, please contact your supplier.
Optional accessories that you may have purchased are:
●
Serial-Parallel converter (SPC-8K)
●
Automatic sheet feeder (SF-IODVVl
For details of how to install these optional accessories,
see Chapter 5.
You will also need a cable to connect the printer to your
computer (available separately). For IBM or IBM-compatible computers, this will generally be a parallel cable,
with a 25-pin ‘D’ connector at one end and a 36-pin
Amphenol-type (Centronics) connector at the other end
(a “Centronics” printer cable). This cable should be no
longer than about 6’ (2m).
Page8
If your computer has no parallel port available, you will
need to use the Serial-Parallel converter (SPC-8K) and a
cable to connect your computer to the printer. See “The
SPC-8K serial/parallel converter” on page 67 for full
details.
Setting up your printer
Remove the printer and all supplied parts from the
packing material. Put the printer on the place you have
prepared for it. Save the packing material and carton in
case you need to move the printer in the future.
Fitting the platen knob
This knob is packed into a recess of the packaging mate-
rial in the printer box.
To fit the knob, rotate the knob on the shaft (lining up
the flattened side of the shaft with the flattened part of
the hole on the knob). After you have lined up these flattened sides, push the knob firmly onto the shaft.
Page9
Removing the front cover
You will need to remove the front cover (the smoked
plastic cover on the top of the printer) to install and
change ribbon cartridges. Lift the cover from the rear
using the grips on the sides, then lift up to remove the
cover from the body of the printer.
a black ribbon
Installing the ribbon cartridge
You have the choice of using a color or
with the NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour. Both ribbons are
installed and removed in the same way.
●
Take the slack out of the ribbon by turning the knob
on the ribbon cartridge clockwise (as shown by the
arrow).
Page10
Place the cartridge on the cartridge carrier inside
the printer. Make sure that the ribbon is between
the print head and the print head shield. Press the
cartridge so that it “clicks” into place. If the cart-
ridge does not “click” into position on both sides,
you may need to turn the cartridge knob about 1/4
of a turn clockwise.
●
Once the cartridge is in the carrier, tighten the rib-
bon again by turning the cartridge knob clockwise
(about 1/2 a turn). Check once more to make sure
that the ribbon is between the print head and print
head shield (if it isn’t, take the cartridge out, and try
again).
Page11
I
Removing the ribbon cartridge
●
To remove the ribbon cartridge, press the cartridge
grips inward and lift the cartridge upward out of the
printer.
Installing the roller unit
● .
Open the rear cover by pushing the cover grips
backward and upward.
●
Pick up the roller unit so that the small illustration
is on top of the roller unit, and the smoked plastic
side (with six small black rollers) is facing you.
●
Hold the roller unit so that the top is tilted slightly
away from you. Slide the hooks on either side of the
back of the roller unit over the platen (the large
black roller) and under the silver bar behind and
above the platen. The hooks should both be between
the metal plates at either end of the silver bar.
Page12
●
Push the front of the roller unit down firmly, so that
the unit “clicks” into place. If it does not fit properly,
remove it and try again.
Removing the roller unit
●
Pull both gray locking tabs towards you and lift the
front of the roller unit slightly to remove the roller
unit. Pull the roller unit out of the printer towards
you.
Replacing the front cover
Once you have fitted the ribbon and roller unit, you
should replace the front cover.
Note:
Even though you can operate the printer with the front cover
removed, we do not suggest that you do this. The printer will
be noisy and it is also possible to drop things into the printer,
which may damage the mechanism.
●
Hold the cover by the grips, so that the grips are on
the side of the cover furthest from you. Tilt the top
of the cover towards you a little.
●
Insert the tabs into the slots in the case.
●
Lower the rear of the cover into position.
Page13
I
Installing the paper guide
You can set the paper guide on the NX-2480 Rainbow/
Colour in one of two positions: horizontal for fanfold
paper and vertical for single sheets.
●
Hold the paper guide, either horizontally, or vertically, depending on the type of paper used.
●
Fit the tabs into the slots on the printer body to
install the paper guide.
●
Make sure the guide is firmly in position.
Installing the mute cover
The mute cover helps reduce the noise from your printer
when you are printing.
Page14
●
Hold the mute cover upright so that the ridges on
the cover are towards you and at the top.
●
Slide the left tab on the mute cover into the left hole
on the front cover.
●
Drop the right tab on the mute cover into the right
slot on the front cover. Close the mute cover by
swinging it down.
Connecting the printer to the computer
We assume here that you are connecting the printer to
an IBM or IBM-compatible computer, using the parallel
interface, If you are connecting using a serial interface,
or connecting to any other type of computer, read Chapter 5.
Note: Before connecting or disconnecting the printer and the com-
puter, make sure that the power to both the printer and the
computer is turned OFF. If the power is on when you make or
break these connections, there is a risk that you will damage
the circuitry of the computer and/or the printer. Repairs can
be expensive!
Page15
●
Press the cable plug into the printer socket:
●
Clip the cable into the socket using the wire clips on
either side of the socket.
●
Connect the ‘D’ connector on the other end of the
cable to the parallel (printer) port on your computer.
This will probably be labelled
Printer, Parallel,
PRN, LPT1 or something similar. Refer to your com-
puter’s instruction manual for details of how to
secure the cable.
●
Now you can turn on your printer and computer.
Page16
I
Setting up your printer with your computer
In this section, you will learn to setup your printer wtth
two different computer environments: MS-DOS or
Microsoft Windows 3.1 (or a later version of Windows). If
your computer uses a different operating system, you
should refer to Chapter 5 for details of setting up your
. printer. Refer to your computer operating system manu-
als for details of configuring the operating system.
Setting up with MS-DOS
Every program that you use with MS-DOS must be
“told” separately what printer is connected to your computer. This is usually done in an INSTALL or SETUP program or menu option within your application software
(word-processor, spreadsheet, or whatever).
Look for an option called “Add printer”, “Install printer”
or “Configure printer” in your application software. If
you can’t find this option easily, read your software
manual to find out how to do it.
MS-DOS
MS-DOS needs no specific commands to make it work.
To test that the printer is connected properly to the
computer, try entering the following command from the
C> prompt:
PRINT \AuTOExEc.BAT (~]
If the computer answers with:
Name of list device [PRN]:
hit [~] again. The printer should then print the
contents of the file AUTOEXEC.BAT. If the file
AUTOEXEC.BAT
does not exist, you will get an error mes-
sage on your computer. Most MS-DOS computers do
have a file called AUTOEXEC.BAT,however.
MS-DOS application software
The NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour can emulate (pretend to
be) a member of one of two printer families: Epson or
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I
IBM. When you open the box containing your NX-2480
Rainbow/Colour, the printer is set to Epson emulation.
This is commonly supported by most software. If your
software package gives you a list of printers to choose
from, choose one printer from the following list (in order
of preference):
Star NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour
I StarNX-2420Ranbow/Colour I
The shaded printers are not color printers, so if you
select one, you will not be able to print in color.
If none of the printers above is listed, choose one of the
following, in order of preference:
These two printers are not color printers, so if you select
either, you will not be able to print in color.
Note: The printers in shaded boxes do not support color. If you
select them, all output will be in black only, regardless of the
ribbon installed or the software settings.
If you select either of these IBM Proprinter models, you
may need to change your printer emulation.The Auto
Emulation feature (page 56) of the NX-2480 Rainbow/
Colour should take care of this for you. See “Al- Emulation” on page 56 on how to change the emulation if you
have trouble with your printer.
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If your software doesn’t list printer names, but asks you
questions about your printer, you should answer “Yes”
to the following two questions:
●
“Can your printer perform a backspace?”
●
“Can your printer do a hardware form feed?”
The answers to any other questions are not so impor-
tant. Answer these using the default settings in the
software.
When you’ve set up your software, try a few test prints,
using features like bold, italic, etc. to see how itworks. If
you find you have problems making your software work
with your hardware, the best source of help is usually
your software supplier.
Setting up the printer in Windows
The-NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour is ideally suited for use
with computers running Microsoft Windows system software. It works best with Windows version 3.1 or later. If
you are running an earlier version of Windows, we rec-
ommend you upgrade your computer to the latest ver-
sion. In particular, this will allow you to use the 15
TrueType fonts included on the floppy disk packaged
with this printer. ~~
To use the printer with Windows, you need to install a
file known as the printer driver file onto your computer.
This file is supplied on the floppy disk packaged with the
printer.
The following description assumes that you are using a
mouse. (Click and double-click refer to the action of
using the mouse to point at an item with the on-screen
pointer, and then pressing the left mouse button either
once, or twice in quick succession.)
If you are not using a mouse, you can still carry out the
installation. Refer to the Microsoft Windows User’s Guide
to find out how to use the keyboard instead of a mouse
to operate Windows.
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To install the printer driver under Windows 3.1, do the
following:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Turn on the printer and start up your computer.
If Windows does not start up automatically, type
WIN and then press [~] or [~].
Double-click the
Control PaneZicon in the Main win-
dow.
Double-click the Printers icon
If you have never previously installed a printer on
your system under Windows, a list of supported
printers is displayed. (If you have already installed
one or more printers, select the Add button to display the list of supported printers.)
Click on InstaZZ
Unlisted or Updated Printer in the
list, so that this option is highlighted.
Click InstaZL
A window prompts you to put in the
floppy disk supplied with the printer.
Insert the disk with the printer driver file on it and
click OK. A new list of printers appears.
(If you have inserted the disk into a drive other than
drive A, you must type in the drive letter followed by
a colon and a backslash, e.g. “B:\”before selecting
OK.)
Select NX-2480
Rainbow/Colour from the new list
of printers.
Click
OK. The list of installed printers appears,
including the NX-2480 Rainbow/Colour.
Click on Set As Default Printer.
Click on Close to return to the ControZPanel window.
For instructions on how to configure the printer, see the
section of the Microsoft Windows User’s Guide called
Control Panel.
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If you cannot print from your applications programs
after installing the driver, refer to the section “In Win-
dows” on page 89.
Note: Unless the user chooses a different printer from within the
application, Windows applications always print to the currently selected default printer.
Installing TrueType fonts (for Windows)
To install the TrueType fonts that are on the floppy disk
accompanying this printer, follow the procedure below.
●
Double click the Contro[PaneZin Windows.
●
Double click on Fonts. The Fonts dialog box appears.
●
Click Add. The Add Fonts dialog box appears.
●
Insert the disk in your computer’s floppy disk drive.
●
Select the drive by letter (this is usually “A:”, sometimes “B:”). The names of the fonts stored on the
disk are displayed in the List of Fonts window. Each
font name is followed by the word “TrueType”
●
Select the fonts you wish to install. If you want to
install all of them, click SelectAZZ.
●
Click OK.The Fonts dialog box reappears and installation is carried out. The names of the newly
installed fonts are automatically added to the
Installed Fonts list.
●
Withinyour applicationprogram, selectPrinter Setup
from the application’sFilemenu, and reselectthe
printer.The applicationcan nowdisplaytexton-screen
and printtext on your printerusingthe new fonts.
Note: The TrueType fonts that are supplied can only be used on IBM
PC compatible computers running Windows 3.1 or higher.
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Selecting different fonts
If you are running applications software under
Windows, you will select fonts from within your application (refer to your application’s manual for details].
Your application software manual will tell you the various ways in which you can type-set your text on-screen
so that it is ready to print out on the printer.
Your Windows system already includes several fonts,
such as Arial, Times New Roman and Symbol. You can
also use the 15True~pe fonts included with the
printer. If you have installed Adobe Type Manager software on your computer, you can also display and print
Adobe PostScript fonts.
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