Star Micronics LC-1021 User Manual

USER’S MANUAL

LC-1021

DOT MATRIX PRINTER

HA10H 80825080

CE

Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity

EC Council Directive 89/336/EEC of 3 May 1989

This product, has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the International Standards EN 50081-1/01.92
and EN 50082-1/01.92, following the provisions of the Electro Magnetic Compatibility Directive of the European
Communities as of May 1989.

EC Council Directive 73/23/EEC and 93/68/EEC of 22 July 1993

This product, has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the International Standards EN 60950, follow­ing the provisions of the Low Voltage Directive of the European Communities as of July 1993.

The above statement applies only to printers marketed in EU.

Machine Noise Information Ordinance 3. GSGV, January 18, 1991: The sound pressure level at the operator position
is equal or less than 70 dB(A) according to ISO 7779.

The above statement applies only to printers marketed in EU.

Trademark acknowledgments

Ambient Noise Statement

IS-8H192, LC-10, LC-90, LC-100, LC-1021, NX-1000, NX-1010, NX-1040, PT-10HA, SF-10HA, SPC-8K :

Star Micronics Co. Ltd.

EX-800, FX-850 : Seiko Epson Corporation
IBM PC, IBM Proprinter, IBM Proprinter 2 , IBM Proprinter 3

International Business Machines Corporation.

MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows : Microsoft Corporation

Notice

• All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this manual in any form whatsoever, without STAR’s express
permission, is strictly forbidden.

• The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.

• All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual at the time of printing. How­ever, should any errors be found, STAR would greatly appreciate being informed of them.

• The above notwithstanding, STAR can assume no responsibility for any errors in this manual.



Copyright 1998 Star Micronics Co., Ltd.

About this manual

This manual describes how to set up, use, and care for the Star LC-1021 printer.
The following is a list of what you can expect to find in each chapter.

Chapter 1 Choosing a place for your printer, unpacking and setup,

ribbon cassette installation, loading paper, connecting to
your computer

Chapter 2 How to use the control panel
Chapter 3 How to use the printer’s Electronic DIP Switch (EDS)

Mode to set up the printer to match the needs of your
system and software

Chapter 4 How to set up for printing with MS-DOS
Chapter 5 Selecting the best type of paper, adjusting for paper

thickness, manual sheet feeding, clearing paper jams

Chapter 6 Optional accessories that are available for your printer
Appendix A How to deal with printing problems
Appendix B Specifications
Appendix C Interface information
Appendix D Character sets
Appendix E Printer control codes
Appendix F Glossary
Appendix G Control panel operation guide

Contents

Chapter 1: Printer Setup ... 1

Choosing a place for the printer ... 1
Unpacking the printer ... 2
General guide ... 3
Opening the front cover ... 4
Removing the protective materials ... 4
Installing the platen knob ... 6
Installing the ribbon cassette ... 6
Removing the ribbon cassette ... 8
Installing the paper guide ... 9
Standing up the paper guide ... 10
Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off ... 11
Loading fanfold paper ... 12
Printing on fanfold paper ... 16
Parking fanfold paper ... 17
Unparking fanfold paper ... 17
Using the tear-off function ... 18
Connecting to your computer ... 18

Chapter 2: Control Panel Operations ... 20

Switching between on-line and off-line ... 20
Selecting a font ... 21
Entering the Font Lock Mode ... 21
Setting the character pitch ... 22
Entering the Pitch Lock Mode ... 22
Line feed ... 23
Paper eject (cut-sheet paper) ... 23
Form feed (fanfold paper) ... 23
Parking fanfold paper ... 23
Micro feed ... 23
Setting the top of form position ... 24
Tear-off function (fanfold paper) ... 24
Selecting the Quiet Print Mode ... 24
Changing the auto load position ... 25
Saving a macro ... 26
Clearing the printer’s buffer ... 26
Initializing the printer ... 27
Entering the Multi-part Mode ... 27

Chapter 3: Using the EDS Mode ... 28

About EDS Mode settings ... 28
Entering the EDS Mode ... 28
Selecting a bank ... 29
Selecting a switch ... 29
Changing a switch setting ... 29
Printing the current switch settings ... 30
Checking the settings of switches in a bank ... 30
Exiting the EDS Mode ... 30
EDS Mode Settings ... 31

Chapter 4: Using the Printer with MS-DOS ... 40

Setting up for printing with MS-DOS ... 40

Chapter 5: Paper Handling ... 41

Selecting paper types ... 41
Adjusting for paper thickness ... 42
Automatic fanfold feeding ... 43
Manual sheet feeding ... 43
Clearing paper jams ... 44

Chapter 6: Optional Accessories ... 45

Automatic Sheet Feeder (SF-10HA) ... 45
Pull Tractor Unit (PT-10HA) ... 46
Serial Interface Unit (IS-8H192) ... 46
Serial-to-Parallel Converter (SPC-8K) ... 48

Appendix A: Troubleshooting ... 49

Appendix B: Specifications ... 60

Appendix C: Interface Pin Outs ... 62

Appendix D: Character Sets ... 63

Appendix E: Printer Control Codes ... 73

Appendix F: Glossary ... 78

Appendix G: Control Panel Operation Guide ... 79

1

Chapter 1: Printer Setup

This chapter contains important information on setting up your printer. Be sure
to read this chapter carefully before using the printer for the first time. In this
chapter you will learn about:

Choosing a place for the printer

❏

Unpacking and setting up the printer

❏

Installing the platen knob

❏

Installing the ribbon cassette

❏

Loading paper

❏

Connecting to your computer

❏

Choosing a place for the printer

Before actually unpacking the printer, you should take a few minutes to think
about where you plan to use it. Remember the following points when doing this.

Choose a firm, level surface where the printer will not be exposed to

✓

vibration.
The power outlet you plan to connect to for power should be nearby and

✓

unobstructed.

✓

Make sure that the printer is close enough to your computer for you to
connect the two with your printer cable.

Allow six inches (15 centimeters) of free space on either side of the printer .

✓

If you are going to use fanfold paper, make sure that there is adequate space
for paper behind the printer.

✓

Make sure that the printer is not exposed to direct sunlight.

✓

Make sure that the printer is well away from heaters.

✓

Make sure that the surrounding area is clean, dry, and free of dust.

✓

Make sure that the printer is connected to a reliable power outlet. It should
not be on the same electric circuit as copiers, refrigerators, or other
appliances that cause power spikes.

Use a power outlet that matches the power rating noted on the label affixed

✓

to the bottom of your printer.

✓

Make sure that the room where you are using the printer is not too humid.

2 Printer Setup

Unpacking the printer

Check to make sure that the carton contains each of the items shown in the
following illustration.

Ribbon cassette

Platen knob

3.5"Floppy disk

Paper guide

Printer

User’s manual

If anything is missing, contact the store where you bought the printer and ask
them to supply the missing part. Note that it is a good idea to keep the original
box and all the packing materials just in case you need to pack the printer up
again and send it somewhere at a later date.

A serial-to-parallel interface converter (SPC-8K), a serial interface unit (IS­8H192), a pull tractor (PT-10HA), and an Automatic Sheet Feeder (SF-10HA)
are also available as options. Consult your dealer for details.

Important!

There are several versions of this printer designed for different voltages. It is
not possible to change the voltage of a printer. If the voltage shown on the label
on the bottom of your printer does not match the voltage for your ar ea, contact
your dealer immediately.

General guide

The following illustrations show the major components of your printer.

Front cover

General guide 3

Paper guide

Mute cover

Control panel

Interface connector

Release lever

Power switch

Platen knob

4 Printer Setup

Opening the front cover

❏

Lift up on the front cover and swing it open until it stops.

To close the front cover, simply lower it back into place.

❏

Caution!

The tear assist edge is rather sharp. Take care to avoid injuring your hands.

Tear assist edge

Note:

You can completely remove the front cover from the printer or you can stand it
up. You should normally leave the front cover closed, because it protects
against objects getting into the printer, and it cuts down on printer noise.

Removing the protective materials

Two small pieces of packing material are inserted into the printer to protect
components during shipping. Be sure to remove them before using the printer.

Open the rear cover by pushing it back so that the cover swings back and

❏

down.

Removing the protective materials 5

❏

Remove the two white pieces of packing from inside the printer as shown in
the illustration.

A piece of cardboard is inserted into the printer to protect components during
shipping. Be sure to remove it before using the printer.

Open the front cover.

❏

Remove the cardboard from the inside of the front cover as shown in the

❏

illustration.

In addition, remove the cardboard from the back of the paper guide.

Remove the tape.

❏

Remove the cardboard from the paper guide as shown in the illustration.

❏

6 Printer Setup

Installing the platen knob

The platen knob is packed into a recess in the packaging material.

❏

Install the knob on the shaft located inside the large hole on the left side of
the printer. Make sure that the two splines of the platen shaft inside the
printer fit into the slots inside the knob’s spindle. Press the knob carefully
but firmly into place as far as it will go.

Installing the ribbon cassette

Make sure the printer is unplugged from its power outlet.

❏

Caution!

Never move the print head while the printer is turned on. Doing so can damage
the printer. If you have just finished printing, let the print head cool for a few
minutes before you touch it.

Remove the front cover of the printer.

❏

Remove the ribbon cassette from its package.

❏

Installing the ribbon cassette 7

❏

Rotate the knob on the ribbon cassette clockwise to take up any slack in the
ribbon.

Tension knob

❏

By hand, move the cartridge holder to the left side where there is a cut-out
in the top guide to allow easy installation and removal of the ribbon
cassette.

❏

Carefully place the cassette onto the cartridge holder making sure that the
spindle of the holder fits into the socket on the bottom of the cassette. Also
make sure that the side tabs fit into the grooves on the sides of the cartridge
holder.

Ribbon cassette

Cut-out

8 Printer Setup

❏

While guiding the ribbon between the print head and print head shield,
press down gently but firmly on the cartridge until the side tabs snap
securely into place.

Rotate the knob on the cassette again to take up any slack.

❏

Close the front cover of the printer.

❏

Print head shield

Ribbon

Print head

Important!

Printing that is poor quality or too light is almost always due to a ribbon that is
simply worn out or “used up.” If you experience problems with print quality,
check the condition of the ribbon. If the black part looks gray and well-worn,
replace the ribbon with a new one.

Removing the ribbon cassette

Use the following procedure to remove the ribbon cassette from the printer
when you want to replace it with a new one.

❏

Make sure that the printer is unplugged from its power outlet.

Caution!

Never move the print head while the printer is turned on. Doing so can damage
the printer. If you have just finished printing, let the print head cool for a few
minutes before you touch it.

❏

Open the front cover of the printer.

❏

By hand, move the cartridge holder to the left side where there is a cutout in
the top guide to allow easy installation and removal of the ribbon cassette.

Using your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the two tabs on the ribbon

❏

cassette towards the center, carefully remove the cassette from the holder.

❏

Use the procedure under “Installing the ribbon cassette” on page 6 to install
a new cassette.

Installing the paper guide

Insert the two tabs on the rear cover of the printer into the holes in the

❏

bottom of the paper guide.

Installing the paper guide 9

To remove the paper guide from the printer, simply pull the tabs out of the

❏

holes.

10 Printer Setup

Standing up the paper guide

❏

You can move the paper guide so that it is at angles of 50 or 70 as sho wn in
the illustrations below. The correct angle depends on the type of the paper
you are using.

Paper guide

50-degree angle (Fanfold paper)

70-degree angle (Cut-sheet paper)

Paper guide

50°

70°

The following table shows the correct angle to use for each type.

Paper Type Paper Guide Angle

Fanfold 50 degrees

Cut-sheet 70 degrees

Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off 11

Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off

❏

Plug the power cord of the printer into a standard power outlet whose
voltage matches the power rating noted on the label af fixed to the bottom of
your printer.

Caution!

If the voltage marked on the bottom of your printer does not match the voltage
from the outlet you are using, do not plug in the power cord. Contact your
dealer for assistance.

❏ Set the switch on the left of the printer to 1 (ON) to turn power on, and to 0

(OFF) to turn power off.

Caution!

Whenever you turn off the power, wait for at least five seconds before turning it
back on. Otherwise you may damage the printer. We also recommend that you
unplug the printer from the power outlet whenever you do not plan to use it for
long periods. Because of this, you should locate the printer so that the power
outlet it is plugged into is nearby and easy to access.

At this point you may want to perform a test of the printer to make sure it is
working properly. See “Testing the printer” on page 49 for details on how to
perform tests.

12 Printer Setup

Loading fanfold paper

This section tells you how to load fanfold paper. Note that you can also use cut­sheet paper. For details on using other types of paper, see “Paper Handling” on
page 41 of this manual.

❏ Remove the paper guide from the printer.
❏ Make sure printer power is turned off.
❏ Set the release lever to the fanfold position.

Cut-sheet

Fanfold

❏ Grasping the two back corners of the printer with the palms of your hands,

press back on the two raised areas on the top of the rear cover until it opens.

Note:

Caution!

Loading fanfold paper 13

❏ Swing the rear cover back and down until it stops.

Metal edge

You can also completely remove the rear cover by simply pulling it away from
the back of the printer after you open it.

The metal edge of the cover is rather sharp. Take care to avoid injuring your
hands when handling it.

❏ Pass the fanfold paper through the space between the printer case and the

rear cover.

❏ Unlock the two tractor covers by pulling their gray levers up, and slide

them so they are aligned approximately with the holes on the sides of the
paper. Also move the center paper support so that it is approximately
halfway between the two tractors.

❏ Open the covers of both tractors and insert the paper so the tractor pins fit.

14 Printer Setup

❏ Close the tractor covers. At this point you can mak e final adjustments to the

paper position by releasing the gray levers and moving the tractors. The
paper should lie flat with no buckling or bulging (tractors too close) or no
stretching or elongation of the holes (tractors too far apart). After making
these adjustments, be sure that you re-lock the tractors by pushing the gray
levers back into their original positions.

❏ Before printing, make sure that the leading edge of the fanfold paper

extends about 0.8 inch (two centimeters) past the front the paper chute, as
shown in the illustration below.

Caution!

0.8”(2cm)

❏ Close the rear cover and press down gently on it until it locks into place

with a click.

Since printing with an open rear cover may cause paper feeding problems, be
sure to close the rear cover before printing.

Loading fanfold paper 15

❏ Install the paper guide so that it is standing up (at a 50-degree angle) as

shown on page 10. In this position, the paper guide keeps the printed paper
separate from the unprinted paper.
Then slide the right and left paper guides apart so they do not interfere with
the fanfold paper feeding.

❏ Turn on the printer.

The printer will beep a number of times to indicate that paper is not loaded
properly. Also, the control panel’s POWER indicator flashes whenever
paper is not loaded.

❏ Press the SET/EJECT/PARK button to feed the paper to the starting

position.

16 Printer Setup

Printing on fanfold paper

When printing on fanfold paper, take care not to print too close to the
perforations that separate each sheet. The following shows the recommended
print area for fanfold paper, cut-sheet paper and label paper.

Perforation

18 mm
(0.7")

Perforation

Bottom of Form

Fanfold paper

4 mm (0.16")

25.4 mm (1")

25.4 mm (1")

25.4 mm (1")

25.4 mm (1")

110 mm (4.3")

First page

18 mm
(0.7")

Last page

Cut-sheet paper

4 mm (0.16")

5 mm
(0.2")

8 mm (0.31")

* The accuracy of the paper feed
cannot be guaranteed within
20 mm (0.79") from bottom
of the page.

Label

2.54 mm (0.1") min.

C

C

C

C

Label

C : 2.54 mm (0.1") min.

6.35 mm
(0.25")min.

5 mm

Perforation

6.35 mm
(0.25")min.

(0.2")

Parking fanfold paper

It is not necessary to remove fanfold paper currently loaded in the printer in
order to print on cut-sheet paper. Instead, simply use the following procedure to
park the fanfold paper.

❏ Tear off the paper at a perforation so there is no more than half a page

sticking out of the front cover of the printer.
If necessary, you can press the control panel’s ON LINE button to put the

printer off-line. and then use the LINE FEED button to feed the paper until
a perforation is just past the front cover.

❏ Press the control panel’s ON LINE button to put the printer off-line.
❏ Press the control panel’s SET/EJECT/PARK button. The printer

automatically reverse feeds the fanfold paper until it is no longer in contact
with the platen, which is indicated by the printer beeping a number of
times. Also, the control panel’s POWER indicator starts to flash because
paper is not loaded.

❏ Move the release lever to the cut-sheet position.
❏ Change the paper guide to its upright position.

You can now load cut-sheet paper into the printer using the procedures
under “Manual sheet feeding” on page 43.

Unparking fanfold paper

Parking fanfold paper 17

After you are finished printing on cut-sheet paper, use the following procedure
to unpark fanfold paper and make it available for printing.

❏ Remove all cut-sheet paper from the printer.
❏ Move the paper guide so that it is at a 50-degree angle. (Refer to page 10.)
❏ Move the release lever to the fanfold position.
❏ Press the SET/EJECT/PARK button to feed the paper to the starting

position.
The printer automatically goes back on-line at this time.

18 Printer Setup

Using the tear-off function

The following procedure makes it easy to tear off fanfold paper.

❏ Check to make sure that the printer is on-line.
❏ Press the FORM FEED button to perform the long tear-off operation, or

press the LINE FEED button to perform the short tear-off operation.
The long tear-off operation causes the paper to be fed automatically so the

tear assist edge of the printer cover is aligned with the paper’s next
perforation.

The short tear-off operation causes the paper to be fed automatically so the
tear assist edge of the printer cover is located just below the last line printed
on the paper.

❏ Pull the paper against the tear assist edge to tear it off.

Connecting to your computer

The computer sends data to the printer through a cable. This printer does not
come with a cable, so you must purchase one separately. You will probably
want to use a standard parallel cable for connection, but note that you can also
use an optional serial-to-parallel interface converter (SPC-8K) or an optional
serial interface unit (IS-8H192).

Important!

The following instructions apply to the Centronics parallel cable that is used
with an IBM-compatible personal computer. Note that they do not apply to all
types of computers and cables. If you are unsure about what type of cable you
should use to connect with your computer, consult your dealer.

For an IBM-compatible personal computer:

✓ Use a standard 36-pin Centronics parallel cable.
✓ The parallel cable should be no longer than six feet (two meters). Longer

Important!

Make sure that the printer and the computer are turned off before connecting
them.

cables can result in poor transfer of information.

Connecting to your computer 19

❏ Plug one end of the parallel cable into the parallel port of your computer.

The parallel port should be labeled “Printer,” “Parallel,” “PRN, ” “LPT1,” or
something similar.

❏ Plug the other end of the parallel cable into the socket on the side of the

printer and secure it in place with the clips.

Note:

Consult your dealer for details on how to set up your computer when using the
optional SPC-8K serial-to-parallel interface converter or the IS-8H192 serial
interface unit.

20

Chapter 2: Control Panel Operations

The control panel gives you push-button control over the printer’s operations. It
includes indicator lights, which tell you the current status of the printer at a
glance.

HS-DRAFT/DRAFT

ROMAN

SANSERIF

COURIER

PRESTIGE

ORATOR

EDS c BANK

BANK

A

B

C

FONT

1

2

3

SW

10 CPI

D

12 CPI

4

5

E

COND

F

6

PROP

PITCH

SWITCH

SET/EJECT

PARK

STATUS

This chapter describes control panel functions that can be performed while the
printer is turned on and either on-line or off-line. The buttons perform different
functions in the EDS and Dot Adjustment Modes. Functions of control panel
buttons in these modes are described in the relevant sections covering them.

Switching between on-line and off-line

❏

Press ON LINE to switch the printer between being on-line and off-line.

❏ When the printer is on-line, the ON LINE indicator is lit and the printer can

receive data from the computer. You should make sure that the printer is on­line whenever you are trying to print.

❏ When the printer is in off-line, the ON LINE indicator goes out, which

means that the printer cannot receive any data.

❏ Note that you can also press ON LINE while a printing operation is in

progress to stop the printing.

FORM FEED

ON/OFF

MICRO FEED

LINE FEED

PRINT

POWER

ON LINE

EXIT

Important!

Make sure that the on-line/off-line setting of the printer is correct before
performing a control panel operation.

Selecting a font

❏

Make sure the printer is off-line (ON LINE indicator is not lit).

❏ Press FONT to change the font selection. An indicator lights to the left of

the name of the font that is currently selected. HS-Draft is selected when all
font indicators are off.

Lit Indicator Font

DRAFT Draft

ROMAN Roman

ROMAN + COURIER Sanserif

COURIER Courier

COURIER + ORATOR Prestige

ORATOR Orator

(All off) HS-Draft

Note:

The font setting you make with the above procedure can be changed if the
software you are using overrides the setting on the control panel. You can
prevent this in some applications by using the following procedure to put the
printer into the Font Lock Mode when you turn it on.

Selecting a font 21

Entering the Font Lock Mode

When the printer is in the Font Lock Mode, the font settings you make on the
control panel are used even if your software tries to override the font. Use the
following procedure to enter the Font Lock Mode.

❏ Turn off the printer.
❏ While holding down FONT, turn printer power on.

The printer is now in the Font Lock Mode. You could enter the Font Lock
Mode and Pitch Lock Mode (page 22) at the same time by holding down
both FONT and PITCH when you turn on printer power.

To exit the Font Lock Mode, simply turn the printer off.

Important!

Font lock will not function if you are using Windows Truetype fonts.

22 Control Panel Operations

Setting the character pitch

The character pitch setting controls how many characters are printed per inch.
Use the following procedure to select the pitch you want.

❏ Make sure the printer is off-line (ON LINE indicator is not lit).
❏ Press PITCH to change the pitch selection.

The following shows the meanings of the indicators that light on the control
panel when you press PITCH.

Lit Indicators Meaning

10CPI 10 characters per inch (Pica)

12CPI 12 characters per inch (Elite)
10CPI + COND 17 characters per inch (Condensed Pica)
12CPI + COND 20 characters per inch (Condensed Elite)

PROP Proportional

Note:

The pitch setting you make with the above procedure can be changed if the
software you are using overrides the setting from the control panel. You can
prevent this by using the following procedure to put the printer into the Pitch
Lock Mode when you turn it on.

Entering the Pitch Lock Mode

When the printer is in the Pitch Lock Mode, the pitch settings you make on the
control panel are used even if your software tries to override the pitch. Use the
following procedure to enter the Pitch Lock Mode.

❏ Turn off the printer.
❏ While holding down PITCH, turn printer power on.

The printer is now in the Pitch Lock Mode. You could enter the Pitch Lock
Mode and Font Lock Mode (page 21) at the same time by holding down both
FONT and PITCH when you turn on printer power.

To exit the Pitch Lock Mode, simply turn the printer off.

Important!

Pitch lock will not function if you are using Windows Truetype fonts.