Copyright This manual is copyrighted by Canon Computer Systems, Inc. (CCSI) with all rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or part, without the prior written consent of CCSI. © 1996 Canon Computer Systems, Inc. Disclaimer Canon Computer Systems, Inc. has reviewed this manual thoroughly in order that it will be an easy to use guide to your Canon BJC-4550 Color Bubble Jet Printer.
Using Your Documentation The following documentation is supplied with the BJC-4550 to help you efficiently use your new printer. Quick Start Guide This fold-out card describes the steps you follow to unpack and set up your printer, including how to install either the BJ® Printer Driver for Windows® or the Macintosh® Printer Driver. You can follow the steps illustrated on this card to start printing in minutes. It also includes quick reference information to help you use the printer on a daily basis.
Conventions This User’s Manual uses the following conventions to alert you to information that will help you operate the printer correctly and safely. N Notes provide advice or suggestions regarding the use of the printer. C Cautions alert you to operations that could cause damage to your hardware or software, or cause injury to yourself. Distinctive typefaces identify the printer buttons you press, the lights on the operator panel, and any commands you enter at your computer.
Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................... Supplies and Accessories .............................................................................. BJ Cartridges and Ink Tanks .................................................................... Canon Specialty Papers .......................................................................... Getting Help From Canon ........................................................................
4 Paper Handling ....................................................................................... Selecting Paper Types ..................................................................................... Paper Guidelines ..................................................................................... Before Loading Paper ..................................................................................... Setting the Paper Thickness Lever .......................................................
Congratulations on your purchase of the Canon BJC-4550 Color Bubble Jet™ Printer. We appreciate your choosing this printer to meet your printing needs. The BJC-4550 offers excellent print quality and fast print speed using both color and black inks. We are certain you will be satisfied with this advanced Bubble Jet technology.
Supplies and Accessories Your BJC-4550 printer supports excellent and unique ink and print media options that will allow you to produce dazzling, professional, and fun presentations. All of these print media are specially designed and manufactured to work with your Canon color printer so you can produce the finest output possible. Canon has an extensive dealer network equipped to offer you supplies as you need them. To find a dealer near you, call the Canon Referral Service at 1-800-848-4123.
You can also purchase the optional Canon BC-22 Photo Kit, which includes everything you need to produce photo-realistic images: ❍ BC-22 Photo BJ Cartridge Introduction ❍ SB-21 BJ Cartridge Container ❍ Canon High Resolution Paper HR-101 (60 sheets) See Chapter 5, Maintaining the Printer, for details on replacing BJ cartridges.
Getting Help From Canon Canon provides experienced support personnel to help you in every way. On-line Support Services You can easily contact Canon on the World Wide Web. Our address is: http://www.ccsi.canon.com Canon provides a bulletin board service (BBS), which is useful for obtaining newly developed third-party drivers. Call 1-757-420-2000. The protocol for the BBS is up to 28,800 bps, eight data bits, one stop bit, and no parity. If you use CompuServe®, you can access the Canon Peripherals Forum.
Introduction ❍ Canon’s Super Solver is now included with Canon Creative. The Super Solver is an on-line troubleshooting guide. It includes questions and answers to any problems you may have. Once installed, you can select the Super Solver from the Visual Guide tab in your printer driver or from Canon Creative. Fax Retrieval System Canon provides a 24-hour, toll-free Fax Retrieval System. You can use this service to get helpful documents faxed directly to your fax machine.
Servicing the Printer The Canon BJC-4550 Color Bubble Jet Printer is designed with the latest technology to provide trouble-free operation. The Warranty Card that comes with your printer describes Canon’s limited one-year warranty for its Bubble Jet printers. Be sure to read the warranty information to find out about the different service options available to you. N Save your sales receipt for proof of purchase.
Using the Printer With 2 This chapter describes how to use the printer with your Windows applications. It includes: ❍ Installing a printer driver ❍ Printing a document Using the Printer With Windows ❍ Printer setup within Windows 95 ❍ Printer setup within Windows 3.1 ❍ The Windows tabs ❍ Printing speed versus color Installing a Printer Driver Before you can use any type of printer with your computer, you must install a printer driver.
Printing a Document This procedure describes the general steps required for printing from various Windows applications. The exact steps for printing a document may vary depending on the application program you are using. Refer to your software application’s documentation for the exact printing procedure. Start your application. Make sure the Canon BJC-4550 is selected as your default printer. ❍ Start the program you are using to create the document, and open the document you want to print.
Printer Setup Within Windows 95 You can use the BJC-4550 with all your Windows 95 applications. Opening the Printer Properties Dialog Box in Windows 95 You can open the Properties dialog box in one of the following ways: ❍ From the Printers folder, you can select the printer and then select the Properties command from the File menu. ❍ From the Printers folder, you can select the printer, click the right mouse button, and then select Properties from the drop down list.
Printer Setup Within Windows 3.1 You can use the BJC-4550 with all your Windows 3.1 applications. Accessing the Printing Options You can access the printing options from the Printers dialog box in the Control Panel, or you can select the Print Setup option available from the File menu of most applications that run in Windows. N If the Print Setup option does not appear in the File menu for your application, refer to the user’s manual supplied with the application.
The Windows Tabs The BJC-4550 printer driver has several tabs from which you can select your printing options and learn about your printer driver as well as the BJC-4550 printer. ❍ General (Windows 95 only) Using the Printer With Windows This tab allows you to add comments regarding the printer driver and print a test page or a separator page. (You see this tab when you open the Properties dialog box from the Printers folder, not from within a Windows application.
❍ Paper This tab allows you to specify page orientation, paper size, and type of print media. (The printing options on this tab are the same for both Windows 95 and Windows 3.1.) SPECIFY PAGE ORIENTATION SPECIFY SIZE OF PAPER SPECIFY TYPE OF PAPER SPECIFY PAPER FEED METHOD ❍ Graphics This tab allows you to specify print quality, color model, and print model. (The printing options on this tab are the same for both Windows 95 and Windows 3.1.
❍ Setting This tab allows you to turn on or off the Setup Analyzer and the Color Advisor. It also allows you to save up to four custom print settings. (The printing options on this tab are the same for both Windows 95 and Windows 3.1.) ENABLE OR DISABLE COLOR ADVISOR SAVE YOUR CUSTOM PRINT SETTINGS ❍ Control This tab allows you to print test pages, turn the printer off, enable or disable the auto power on feature, clean the print head, or move the BJ cartridge so you can change it.
❍ Visual Guide This tab is selectable once you have installed either the Visual Guide or the Super Solver. From this tab you can initiate installation if either the Visual Guide or the Super Solver is not installed. Once installed, you can start either the Visual Guide or the Super Solver from this tab. Specifying Your Printing Options Be sure to use your on-line help to find out about the settings available for each printing option. ❍ To move between the Windows tabs, click on any of the tabs.
Recommended Graphics Settings Using the Printer With Windows You can select the following printing options from the Graphics tab to achieve the specified results. To achieve Driver settings Print Quality Color Model Results Fastest B&W output possible Draft 180 × 180 dpi Monochrome Uses less ink. Output quality is draft. Fast letter quality output Standard 360 × 360 dpi Monochrome Slightly slower than draft. Quality is standard.
Using the Setup Analyzer The Setup Analyzer allows the printer driver to evaluate your choice of printing settings. On the Setting tab, you click on the green ✔ to enable the Setup Analyzer. Click on the red symbol to disable it. When you exit the printer driver and accept your printing settings by clicking the OK button, the Setup Analyzer (if enabled) checks to see if any of your settings are contrary to the recommended settings.
Using Color Advisor Canon’s Color Advisor is automatically installed when you install the BJ Printer Driver from the Canon Creative CD. Color Advisor is a tool that colors documents even when your software application does not support color, and it expands the range of colors you can use when your application does support color. See your Visual Guide for details on using the Color Advisor. Using the Printer With Windows To enable the Color Advisor, click on the green ✔.
Printing Speed Versus Color The BJC-4550 Windows printer driver can interpret and translate the full spectrum of colors, up to 16.7 million colors. When printing in color, there is a significant increase in the amount of information that the driver has to interpret and translate. When printing black ink only, the driver has only one color to interpret. By decreasing the amount of colors that the printer driver has to interpret, you can significantly decrease the time needed to translate the information.
For Monochrome Printing Use the optional BC-20 Black BJ cartridge to optimize the printer’s performance when you are printing black text and graphics only. In the BJC-4550 printer driver, choose the following settings to tell your printer to print using black ink only.
process in the computer because it requires special information. ❍ Avoid automatic settings. Although the automatic settings are easy to use, the computer must interpret the printed page. This takes more time than if you select each setting. ❍ Free up your memory. Use only one software program at a time and unload any screensaving utilities or programs stored in Windows background; this frees up more memory for Windows processing. ❍ Use Monochrome when possible.
Using the Printer 3 With Your Macintosh You can use the BJC-4550 to print documents created with Macintosh applications. ❍ You must be using a Power Macintosh® or a Macintosh with at least a 68020 processor. ❍ Your operating system must be Macintosh System 7.1 or later and you must be using ColorSync™ 1.0.5 or later. This chapter describes the basic steps for printing a document using QuickDraw™ or QuickDraw GX. QuickDraw GX is an enhanced version of QuickDraw that comes with System 7.
Printing a Document With QuickDraw After you create a document, or open a document to be printed, follow these basic steps: Choose Page Setup from the File menu. Select your Page Setup settings. ❍ If you are using QuickDraw, you see this screen: ❍ You can select: • • • • Page Size Paper Type Scale Orientation ❍ For details on these settings, use the Balloon Help™ function. ❍ If you select a Page Size of Custom, click the Custom button to specify your page size.
Select your Print ❍ You see this screen: ❍ You can select: • • • • • • • • Number of copies Pages to print, all or a range Print Quality; for Canon specialty papers, select Best Type of BJ cartridge installed in printer Paper feed method: auto or manual Destination: printer, preview, or PICT file Reverse order; starts printing with last page of document Collate copies; sorts multiple copies ❍ For details on these settings, use the Balloon Help function.
Color Dialog Box Use the Color dialog box to set color printing settings for controlling the way colors are produced. ❍ For details on these settings, use the Balloon Help function.
Printing a Document With QuickDraw GX After you create a document, or open a document to be printed, follow these basic steps: ❍ You see one of these screens: Using the Printer With Your Macintosh Choose Page Setup from the File menu. Select your Page Setup settings. ❍ You can select: • Paper Type • Orientation • Scale ❍ For details on these settings, use the Balloon Help function. ❍ Click the Format button to apply the Page Setup settings to the current document and close the Page Setup dialog box.
the Page Setup dialog box. Use the Balloon Help function for details. Choose Print from the File menu. Select your Print ❍ You see one of these screens: ❍ You can select: • • • Printer to print to Pages to print, all or a range Number of copies ❍ For details on any of these settings, use the Balloon Help function. ❍ Click the Print button to start printing. ❍ Click the More Choices button to expand the dialog box to show its extensions: General, Print Time, Paper Match, Options, and Color.
Using the Utilities Dialog Box The Utilities dialog box allows you to perform various printer utility functions. How you select the Utilities dialog box depends on whether you are using QuickDraw or QuickDraw GX. ❍ If you are using QuickDraw, you click the Utilities button on the Page Setup dialog box. ❍ If you are using QuickDraw GX, you select Utilities from the Printing menu in the menu bar.
Printing With Photoshop A BJC-4550 Plug-In module is provided with the Macintosh Printer Driver for use exclusively with Adobe Photoshop. It provides faster printing and can handle larger images than the standard print menu. N The BJC-4550 Plug-In supports printing when your printer is connected directly to your Macintosh and not when printing over a network. Installing the BJC-4550 Plug-In Copy the BJC-4550 Plug-In.
❍ Then select BJC-4550 from the Export submenu in the File menu. ❍ The BJC-4550 Plug-In dialog box is displayed. BJC-4550 Plug-In Dialog Box To print using the BJC-4550 Plug-In module, first make any necessary changes to the settings. After making the desired changes, click the OK button to start printing.
You can set the following items: Copies Specify the number of copies you want to print. Paper Size Select the paper size you are using. Paper Type Select the paper type according to the media to which you want to print. Selecting the paper type automatically sets the recommended resolution (print quality) and paper feed method. Make sure that the paper is loaded in the printer properly and the paper thickness lever is positioned correctly. See chapter 4, Paper Handling, for details.
Plug-In Chooser dialog box Use this dialog box to select to which port to send the print data. Click the OK button to save your selections and return to the BJC-4550 Plug-In dialog box. Destination Select the port to which your printer is connected. N The BJC-4550 Plug-In supports printing when your printer is connected directly to your Macintosh and not when printing over a network. Communication Speed Select the transfer speed for sending data to the printer. Choose a speed of 880, 440, or 57 Kbps.
Color dialog box Use the Color dialog box to adjust print colors. Click the OK button to accept the displayed settings and return to the BJC-4550 Plug-In dialog box. You can set the following items: Color Correction Specify whether to make color corrections using ColorSync. When you select either ColorSync 1.0 or ColorSync 2.0, you should also set the Matching Gamma Correction settings. If ColorSync is not available, Color Correction will be set to None.
Halftone Specify a halftone method. Dither is usually best for printing highcontrast graphics and large amounts of text, while Error Diffusion is usually best for printing photos providing a more realistic appearance. Density Adjust color saturation of the printout without affecting color hue. Move the slide bar to the left for less saturation (lighter colors) and to the right for more saturation (darker colors). You can choose a value between -50 and +50.
Double-click the ColorSync System If BJ Standard is not shown as the profile, click ❍ You see this window: ❍ You see this dialog box: ❍ Choose BJ Standard and click the Select button. ❍ Close the ColorSync control panel.
Paper Handling 4 This chapter describes how to use the printer for all your printing operations. It includes: ❍ Selecting paper ❍ Setting the paper thickness lever ❍ Summary of printer settings for various print media ❍ Automatically loading paper ❍ Manually feeding paper ❍ Printing on envelopes ❍ Using Canon specialty papers Paper Handling To ensure the best performance of your printer, you’ll want to select the best paper and load it correctly.
Selecting Paper Types One of the most important things you can do to assure the best possible performance of your Bubble Jet printer is to select the correct paper. Your printer produces letter quality print on most plain bond papers, including cotton bond and photocopying papers; it does not require special ink jet papers. However, the print quality varies with different paper types. Be sure to test a type of paper before you purchase a large quantity.
High Resolution Paper The Canon High Resolution Paper HR-101 is designed to produce nearphotographic quality print output with sharp and vivid graphics. For best results, use the optional BC-22 Photo BJ Cartridge to produce images comparable to your favorite photographs. Transparencies Transparency CF-102 from Canon is recommended. These transparencies produce excellent contrast, sharpness, and color.
create cards, invitations, announcements, and more. Brochure Paper Canon’s Brochure Paper BP-101 is specifically designed for creating high quality brochures on glossy paper. Combined with Design Essentials from Canon Creative, you have everything you need to create professional half-fold, tri-fold, and full sheet brochures. Each glossy sheet is coated on both sides to allow manual duplex printing.
Before Loading Paper To ensure trouble-free paper handling, you’ll want to set the paper thickness lever, the paper selection lever, and the paper support before loading paper.
Setting the Paper Selection Lever ❍ The back position is for automatically feeding plain paper. ❍ The front position is for manually feeding heavier-weight print media. FRONT N BACK ❍ Do not move this lever after loading paper in the sheet feeder. ❍ This lever is different from the lever on a typewriter or dot matrix printer. You need not pull it forward to load paper. You set the paper selection lever to the front position only when loading envelopes or glossy paper, or when manually feeding paper.
Setting the Paper Support Set the paper support before loading paper and do not move it after loading paper. ❍ Extend the paper support for automatically loading a stack of paper. Paper Handling ❍ Lower the paper support for manually feeding paper.
Printer Settings for Various Print Media Media (Sheets) Paper Paper thickness leverselection Paper Paper feed BC-20 BC-21 lever support Method Limit Plain paper Left Center Back Up Auto Approx. 100 (0.4" stack) Bubble Jet Paper (LC-301) Left Center Back Up Auto Approx. 100 (0.4" stack) High Resolution Paper (HR-10) Center Back Up Auto Approx. 80 (0.
Loading Paper You can stack paper in the sheet feeder to load it automatically, or you can manually feed one sheet at a time. The path that the paper travels through the printer is the same for automatic and manual feeding. You can place approximately 100 sheets of plain paper (20 lb or 75 g / m2) in the sheet feeder at a time. You can stack approximately 50 sheets of transparency film or back print film in the sheet feeder.
Make sure the paper selection lever is set to the Pull the paper support up until it stops.
Fan the paper. Slide the stack of paper into the sheet ❍ For best results, fan the paper before loading it. ❍ Always fan a stack of paper along the edge that will feed into the printer first. ❍ Align the edge of the paper with the right edge of the sheet feeder. ❍ Secure the stack with the paper guide.
Pull out the paper output tray and its extension. Start your print 4-12 ❍ For letter-size and A4-size paper, extend the paper output tray. ❍ Make sure that the printer is turned on.
Auto Feed Guidelines When automatically feeding stacks of paper, follow these guidelines: ❍ Do not open the front cover while printing. This may cause paper jams, smudges, or malfunctions. ❍ Do not leave paper stacked in the printer for long periods of time; longer sheets of paper may become bent or curled over time. This may cause the paper to misfeed or jam. ❍ If your printed page contains lots of graphics, the ink on the page may be damp due to the print density.
D ❍ Do not try to load paper into the sheet feeder beyond the paper limit mark ( ) or the tab on the right side of the sheet feeder; stacking too much paper may cause paper feeding or printing problems. ❍ Make sure there are no gaps between the stack of paper and the paper guide nor the right edge of the sheet feeder.
❍ When automatically feeding transparencies or back print film, remove each sheet after it is delivered. Do not allow film sheets to stack up in the paper output tray. ❍ Let the printed sheets of film dry completely before storing them. The complete drying time required for Canon’s transparencies or back print film is approximately 15 minutes.
Set the paper selection lever to the 4-16 ❍ Lower the paper support until it stops. ❍ Pull out the paper output tray if necessary.
Insert the single sheet. ❍ Slide in the paper until it stops inside the sheet feeder and hold it for about two seconds. ❍ Align the sheet with the right edge of the sheet feeder. ❍ Adjust the paper guide to the sheet. Start your print operation. ❍ If you are using Windows, you must select Manual Feed in the BJC-4550 printer driver for the printer to accept manually fed paper.
Printing on Envelopes You can stack up to 15 envelopes in the sheet feeder or you can manually feed envelopes one at a time. U.S. Commercial number 10 (COM10) envelopes and European DL envelopes are recommended. You may be able to stack envelopes of other sizes in the sheet feeder; however, Canon cannot guarantee consistent performance on envelope sizes other than COM10 and DL. The following envelopes are not recommended because they may cause jams or smears, or may damage your printer.
Set the paper selection lever to the Prepare the envelopes. ❍ Make sure the paper support is raised. ❍ Arrange the stack of envelopes on a firm surface and press down firmly on the edges to make the folds crisp. Paper Handling ❍ Press all the way around the envelopes to remove any curls and expel air from inside the envelopes.
Make sure any curls are removed from the flap of each Insert the envelopes. ❍ Slide a stack of envelopes into the sheet feeder until it stops. ❍ Align the edge of the paper guide with the left edge of the stack of envelopes.
Pull out the paper output tray. ❍ Make sure the printer is on. Paper Handling Start your print operation.
Using Canon’s Specialty Papers This section describes how to use the cleaning sheet that comes with the Canon High Resolution Paper and how to use the Fabric Sheets for Canon printers. Canon’s High Resolution Paper HR-101 Canon’s High Resolution Paper HR-101 is designed for high quality printing. This paper is specially coated to produce delicate color output.
Insert the cleaning ❍ Remove the two pieces of tape from the sheet. ❍ Insert the sheet with the sticky side out (toward you) and down (going into the sheet feeder). Paper Handling ❍ Adjust the paper guide to the edge of the cleaning sheet.
Press the RESUME ❍ Make sure the printer is on. ❍ Press RESUME to advance the cleaning sheet into the printer. ❍ Press RESUME again to start cleaning. ❍ The printer feeds the sheet and then ejects it. ❍ Use a cleaning sheet once only. Fabric Sheets FS-101 Fabric sheets FS-101 for Canon printers come with a booklet that describes special handling procedures. Be sure to look through this booklet for special information regarding the Fabric Sheets.
❍ Use the fixing agent that comes with the Fabric Sheets FS-101. ❍ Do not touch newly printed fabric sheets until the ink is completely dry. This takes about one hour. Printing On a Fabric Sheet Set up the printer. ❍ Make sure the paper thickness lever is to the right position. Paper Handling ❍ Make sure the paper support and paper output tray are extended. Insert the fabric sheet. ❍ Insert the sheet with the cloth side out (toward you) and the open end up (away from the sheet feeder).
Set up the Windows printer ❍ In the Paper tab, select A4 for the Paper Size and select Fabric Sheet for the Print Media. ❍ In the Graphics tab, select High for the Print Quality. You may also want to select Fine mode. ❍ Start the print operation from your Windows application.
Maintaining the Printer 5 This chapter covers the care required for your Canon BJC-4550 Color Bubble Jet Printer.
Printer Guidelines Follow these guidelines to avoid damage to your printer and harm to you or others: ❍ Set the printer on a stable surface. Do not use an angled printer stand. Avoid setting the printer in direct sunlight. ❍ Keep the front cover closed when printing. ❍ Do not set anything on top of the printer. ❍ Always use a three-wire, grounded power receptacle (electrical wall outlet with three holes) for your printer’s power cord. Do not modify the plug to remove the ground pin.
Cleaning the Printer Your printer requires little routine maintenance. Perform the following maintenance, as necessary, to keep your printer in good operating condition. C ❍ Make sure the printer is turned off before cleaning it. It is a good idea to unplug the power cord also. ❍ Do not clean the exterior of the printer with volatile liquids such as thinners, benzine, or any spray-type or chemical cleaners; doing so will damage the surface of the printer.
Printing the Test Pages From Windows You use the Tests option on the Control tab in your BJC-4550 printer driver to print a self test, demonstration page, or a nozzle test pattern. You can use these test prints to check the operation of your printer and your print quality. Click on the Tests option and then click on the Print button. From Your Macintosh You select the Test Print function from the Utilities dialog box. Click on either of the Test Print options.
Test A This test prints a repeating pattern of characters. Demonstration This test prints a sample page describing the printer’s features. Nozzle Test Use this test print to check that each print head nozzle is operating properly. Maintaining the Printer When the BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge is installed, the pattern includes all four colors: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. In the color pattern, you’ll notice that lines are missing between the colors. This is normal.
Cleaning the Print Head Your printer is equipped with a print head cleaning function to ensure constant high quality printing. Cleaning the Print Head From Windows If you are using Windows, you can execute print head cleaning from the Control sheet in the printer driver. Simply click on Clean Ink Head. Cleaning the Print Head From Your Macintosh From the Utilities dialog box, you can select either Replace Ink Cartridge or Replace BJ Cartridge.
Cleaning the Print Head Using the Operator Panel If you want to clean the print head from the operator panel, follow these steps: Make sure the printer is turned on. ❍ Make sure the green POWER light is on. Press and hold the RESUME button for at least two seconds until the printer ❍ The POWER light will blink for several seconds while the print head is being cleaned. N ❍ Perform the print head cleaning only when you encounter a print quality problem.
BJ Cartridge Guidelines You can use these BJ cartridges with the printer: ❍ BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge Contains the print head unit and two replaceable ink tanks, one color (cyan, magenta, yellow) and one black. You can replace the ink tanks without replacing the print head unit when you run out of ink. ❍ BC-20 Black BJ Cartridge Contains the print head unit and black ink only. Use this optional cartridge when you will be printing with black ink only.
The actual amount of ink that you use will vary depending on the print density of a page. If the majority of your output is graphics, you may need to change cartridges or tanks more often than when you are printing text only. See Appendix A, Specifications, for details on the life expectancy of the BJ cartridges. You may need to replace the BJ cartridge or an ink tank when any of the following conditions exist: ❍ You have been using the cartridge for over one year.
BJ Cartridge and Ink Tank Maintenance The most important thing you can do to extend the life of your BJC-4550 and to ensure optimum print quality is take care of the BJ cartridges. C The contents of a BJ cartridge may leak. Spilled ink may permanently stain any surface or object. Open cartridges carefully; follow all instructions on package and use all necessary precautions. ❍ If you are using more than one BJ cartridge, make sure you store the cartridge not being used in the BJ cartridge container.
Replacing the BJ Cartridge The following procedure describes how to replace the BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge with the BC-20 Black BJ Cartridge. Follow the instructions in this section to replace an old BJ cartridge or to change BJ cartridges when you are switching between the BC-21 and any of the BJ cartridges. You only need to replace the BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge when the print head is damaged (or after printing approximately 2000 pages).
Press the CARTRIDGE button. ❍ The printer beeps and moves the cartridge holder to the center of the printer. ❍ The POWER light blinks while the cartridge holder is positioned in the center of the printer. CARTRIDGE BUTTON N Do not attempt to move the cartridge holder manually. This may damage the printer.
Slide the BJ cartridge out of the holder. ❍ If you are replacing an old BJ cartridge, dispose of the old cartridge properly. ❍ If you are switching cartridges, you must store the cartridge you are removing in the BJ Cartridge Container.
Take the new BJ cartridge out of its protective packaging. ❍ Peel off the protective foil. Remove the protective material from the BJ cartridge. ❍ Lift off the cap from the print head and then remove the tape. Slide the BJ cartridge straight into the cartridge holder. ❍ Be careful not to touch the rollers with the print head. 5-14 ❍ Make sure the cartridge is pressed against the back of the holder.
Press the lock lever down completely; do not use ❍ Make sure the marks on the lever and the cartridge holder align. ❍ The BJ cartridge is now positioned and locked. LOCK LEVER C Do not manually move the mechanism that houses the BJ cartridge. Attempting to move the BJ cartridge holder may damage the printer.
Set the paper thickness lever. ❍ If you installed the BC-20 Black BJ Cartridge, set the paper thickness lever to the left. ❍ If you installed the BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge, set the paper thickness lever to the center.
Press the CARTRIDGE button. ❍ The printer beeps and moves the cartridge holder to the home position on the right side of the printer. ❍ The printer cleans the print head automatically. CARTRIDGE BUTTON C Whenever you turn off the printer, the BJ cartridge moves to the home position on the right and caps itself.
Replacing an Ink Tank in the BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge If you perform a print operation correctly but the output is blank, an ink tank may be out of ink. Perform the print head cleaning at least five times. If the output is still blank, replace the empty ink tank in the BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge. Leave the BJ cartridge in the printer when replacing an ink tank. Make sure the printer’s power is on. Open the front cover. ❍ Use both hands to grasp the sides of the cover and pull it forward.
Remove the empty ink tank. ❍ The color ink tank is on the left; the black ink tank is on the right. ❍ Grasp the tab on the top of the tank and pull forward to release the ink tank. ❍ Then lift the ink tank up and out of the BJ cartridge unit. ❍ Dispose of the ink tank properly. You may want to place it in a plastic bag to keep from spilling any residual ink. Chapter 5 ❍ Then remove the protective cap. Maintaining the Printer Take the new ink tank out of its packaging.
Slide the new ink tank into the empty slot on the BJ cartridge. Press firmly on the tab on the top of the ink tank until it snaps into place.
Make sure each ink tank is correctly seated in its respective ❍ If you are replacing both tanks, repeat steps 3 through 6 for the other ink tank. Press the CARTRIDGE button. ❍ The printer beeps and moves the cartridge holder to the home position on the right of the printer. ❍ The printer automatically cleans the print head unit. Close the printer’s front cover. Chapter 5 ❍ Use both hands to lift the cover into place and press firmly to close it.
Storing a BJ Cartridge Whenever you unwrap a BJ cartridge, you must either install it in the printer or store it in the BJ Cartridge Container to prevent the print head from drying and clogging. Open the BJ Cartridge Container. ❍ When opening or closing the BJ Cartridge Container, press in on the container right below the tab that locks the cover in place. Carefully set the cartridge in the container. ❍ You must insert the cartridge correctly or the container will not close.
Close the container. N ❍ ❍ Be sure the lid snaps closed. Whenever you remove a BJ cartridge from the printer, store the cartridge in the container (unless you are disposing of it). Maintaining the Printer If you have more than one BJ Cartridge Container, you can hook them together. Simply connect the slides and grooves on the sides of the container.
Transporting the Printer N While the BJC-4550 Color Bubble Jet Printer is small and compact, it is not a portable printer and you need to take care when transporting it. The printer’s components, such as the sheet feeder, may become damaged if subjected to severe vibration during transportation. Also, your print head may dry out during travel (and become unusable) if it is not capped and taped correctly.
Close the front cover. ❍ Do not remove the BJ cartridge from the printer or ship a BJ cartridge or an ink tank from which you have removed the protective cap. An opened BJ cartridge or ink tank that is not installed in the printer may leak, and the print head may dry out. Also, if you do not tape the BJ cartridge to the side of the printer, ink may spill into the printer.
5-26 Maintaining the Printer Chapter 5
Troubleshooting Troubleshooting 6 Due to today’s rapidly changing personal computer environment, we have placed troubleshooting information in a variety of places to ensure that the most accurate information possible is available. The best way to find current information is through our on-line and on-screen support services and through our Fax Retrieval System. On-line services include the World Wide Web, our BBS, and CompuServe.
❍ If you have a hardware problem: • Call the Customer Care Center. ❍ If you do not have a CD drive: • Call the Customer Care Center to order Canon’s Super Solver and Color Advisor on diskette.
General Problems ❍ Troubleshooting The most basic problems you may encounter are “the printer does not print” and “your print quality is not satisfactory.
Clearing Paper Jams When a paper jam occurs, the power light turns orange and the printer goes off-line. Press the POWER Gently pull the paper out with one hand while holding down the printer Press the POWER button to turn the N 6-4 ❍ Turn off the printer. ❍ If the paper tears off inside the printer, open the front cover and remove the paper left inside the printer. ❍ The power light comes on and the print head moves to the home position. ❍ The printer is now ready for printing.
This section describes problems that occur with specific computer configurations. Our on-line services are updated with this type of information as it becomes available. If you are having a unique problem and do not see your computer here, be sure to use our on-line services (Web, BBS, CompuServe). See Getting Help From Canon in Chapter 1 (page 1-4) for details. Compaq Presario 7170/7180 Problem A [k prints at the top of the page when printing from Windows 95 on a Compaq Presario 7170/7180.
Toshiba Laptop Problem A [K prints at the top of the page and/or partial printout when printing on a Toshiba laptop. Cause Configuration of parallel port in CMOS and LPT.VXD file. Case #1 Partial printout may occur with the following settings: CMOS value for LPT1 is ECP LPT.VXD v4.00.950 file size 35,479 Case #2 [K is printed at top and the rest of the page is correct with the following settings: CMOS value for LPT1 is Standard Bi-directional LPT.VXD v4.00.
Compaq Presario A Compaq Presario running Windows 95 will print only 3/4 page out of any windows application. Cause This occurs with the Windows 95, Windows 3.1, and Win95 mini drivers. Solution Change the Resource Setting of LPT1.
6-8 m Click “+” in Front of Port m Highlight ECP Printer Port m Properties m Resources m Disable “Use Automatic Settings” m Double-click on Direct Memory Access Line m Change Volume Line to 3 m Click OK m Close m Reboot Troubleshooting Chapter 6
Specifications A Printing Specifications Printing Method Bubble jet ink on-demand Automatic feed Manual feed Sheet Feeder Capacity Maximum thickness of stacked paper: 0.4 inches (10 mm) Plain paper (20 lb or 75 g/m2) Approx. 100 sheets (0.4" stack) Bubble Jet paper Approx. 100 sheets (0.4" stack) High resolution paper Approx. 80 sheets (0.
Recommended Paper Type Bubble Jet paper High resolution paper Transparencies Back print film High gloss film Fabric sheets T-shirt transfers Greeting cards Brochure paper Envelopes Canon Bubble Jet Paper (water-resistant) LC-301 Canon High Resolution Paper HR-101 Canon Transparency CF-102 Canon Back Print Film BF-102 Canon High Gloss Film HG-101 Fabric Sheet FS-101 for Canon Bubble Jet printers Canon T-Shirt Transfers TR-101 Canon Greeting Cards GC-101 Canon Brochure Paper BP-101 U.S.
Printable Area—Papers Specifications The shaded portion in the following figure shows the printing area for papers. ❍ Print Media (other than Fabric Sheets) Margins Inches m m Left Right Top Bottom 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.27 3.4 3.4 3.0 7.0 Margins Inches m m Left Right Top 0.13 1.35 1.62 3.4 34.4 41.1 ❍ Fabric Sheets Printable Area—Envelopes The shaded portion in the following figure shows the printing area for an envelope. Appendix A Margins Inches m m Left Right Top 0.13 0.13 0.12 3.4 3.
BJ Cartridges BC-21 Color BJ Cartridge Print head Print head life Ink tanks Ink color Ink tank yield BCI-21 Color BCI-21 Black 64 nozzles for black 24 nozzles for each color (cyan, magenta, yellow) Approximately 2,000 color pages at 30% coverage BCI-21 Color (cyan, yellow, magenta) BCI-21 Black Black, cyan, yellow, magenta Standard mode—100 pages Draft mode—200 pages (at 7.5% coverage for each color) Standard mode—150 pages Draft mode—300 pages (at 7.
General Interface IEEE 1284 compatible parallel interface Apple-style RS-422 compatible serial interface Acoustic Noise Level Approx. 45 dB(A) Per ISO 9296 Operating Environment 41° F to 95° F (5° C to 35° C) 10% to 90% RH (no condensation) Storing Environment Temperature Humidity 32° F to 95° F (0° C to 35° C) 5% to 95% RH (no condensation) Power Source USA/Canada AC 120 V60 Hz Power Consumption 4 watts maximum nonprinting 34 watts maximum printing Dimensions 17.6 in (447 mm) W × 10.
A-6 Specifications Appendix A
Sharing Your Printer B If your Macintosh is connected to an AppleTalk network, you can share your BJC-4550 printer with the other Macintosh users. The Macintosh to which the printer is connected is called the print server while the Macintosh computers that are connected to the print server through the network (LocalTalk® or EtherTalk) are referred to as clients.
Sharing the Printer When Using QuickDraw This section explains how to set up the print server and clients to use the BJC-4550 on a network when using QuickDraw as well as how to check and change the printing status. Setting Up The Print Server and the Client In order to share the BJC-4550, you must first set up a Macintosh that is directly connected to the printer as a print server. You can then set up one or more Macintosh computers as clients which are on the same network as the print server.
Set AppleTalk ❍ Select the BJC-4550 icon from the list of printer drivers in the upper-left area of the Chooser. You may need to scroll down to see the driver. ❍ If any AppleTalk zones exist, select the zone in the lower-left area of the Chooser in which you want to set up the printer. ❍ Select the port to which the printer is connected from the list of ports displayed in the upper-right area of the Chooser. ❍ Make sure Background is On to enable background printing.
❍ Enter a name for the new print server if necessary, and then click the Setup button. ❍ Verify that the print server name is added to the list box of current print servers. ❍ Click the Close button to return to the Chooser. Close the Chooser. ❍ You can now share your printer with others on the network that are using QuickDraw. Setting Up the Client First, install the printer driver on the Macintosh you want to be a client. See your Quick Start Guide for details.
Set AppleTalk ❍ Select the BJC-4550 (Server) icon from the list of printer drivers in the upper-left area of the Chooser. You may need to scroll down to see the driver. ❍ If any AppleTalk zones exist, select the zone in the lower-left box of the Chooser in which the printer is setup. ❍ Select the print server name in the upper-right area of the Chooser. Close the Chooser. ❍ You can now print your documents from the client to the BJC-4550 that is being shared on the same AppleTalk network.
From the Client To check the print status from a client, you use the BJ StatusMonitor, which was placed in a folder called BJ Extras during printer driver installation. To start it, double-click the BJ StatusMonitor icon. The BJ StatusMonitor is displayed.
You can choose the print server for the client in this dialog box. First select the zone in the lower-left box of the Chooser in which the printer is setup if any AppleTalk zones exist. Then in the Print Server box, choose the name of the printer server that corresponds to the printer you want to use. Queue menu With this menu, you can specify when you want each document to print. To perform a Queue command on a particular print job, first select the print job and then select the command.
Sharing the Printer When Using QuickDraw GX This section explains how to set up the print server and clients to use the BJC-4550 on a network when using QuickDraw GX as well as how to check and change the print status. Setting Up the Print Server and the Client In order to share the BJC-4550, you must first set up a Macintosh that is directly connected to the printer as a print server. You can then set up one or more Macintosh computers as clients which are on the same network as the print server.
Set AppleTalk ❍ Select the BJC-4550 GX icon from the list of printer drivers in the upper-left area of the Chooser. You may need to scroll down to see the driver. ❍ Select Serial from the pop-up menu next to Connect to:. ❍ Select the port to which the printer is connected from the list of ports displayed in the upper-right area of the Chooser. Close the Chooser. ❍ The desktop printer icon for your printer appears at the upper-right of the desktop.
Setting Up the Client First, install the printer driver on the Macintosh you want to make as a client. See your Quick Start Guide for details. Choose Chooser from the Set AppleTalk ❍ The Chooser is displayed. ❍ Select the BJC-4550 GX icon from the list of printer drivers in the upper-left area of the Chooser. You may need to scroll down to see the driver. ❍ If any AppleTalk zones exist, select the zone in the lower-left area of the Chooser in which you wish to setup the printer.
Close the Chooser. ❍ The desktop printer icon for your printer appears at the upper right of the desktop. ❍ You can now print your documents from the client to the BJC-4550 that is being shared on the same AppleTalk network. Checking and Changing the Status of Print Jobs QuickDraw GX has its own print monitor software built in and therefore no separate applications are needed to check print status.
B-12 Sharing Your Printer Over an AppleTalk Network Appendix B
Glossary G A Automatic feed Refers to one way in which paper can be fed into the printer when the sheet feeder is used. B BJ cartridge The printing mechanism that contains the print head unit and ink tanks. BJ Cartridge Container A box for storing a BJ cartridge. A BJ cartridge removed from the printer must be stored inside this BJ cartridge container to prevent the print head of the cartridge from drying and clogging.
cpi Characters per inch. A unit of measurement relevant to a fixed-space font. Because all characters have the same width, you can calculate the number of characters printed per inch. cpl Characters per line. A unit of measurement that indicates the number of characters printed per line. cps Characters per second. A unit of measurement that indicates the printer’s speed.
H Halftone Using this method, the printer produces shades of gray or of colors by mapping dots to be printed. For color printing, different colored dots of ink are placed closely together to create illusions of other colors. Hue A color in the color spectrum. Examples are red, green, and violet. I Ink tank The special type of ink container housed by the BJ cartridge. The BC-21 Color BJ cartridge contains two ink tanks: one color (which includes cyan, yellow, magenta) and one black.
M Manual feed A method of feeding paper to the printer one sheet at a time. N Noise level See dB(A). P Page orientation Refers to the direction of print on the page. Printing across the width of a page is called portrait orientation. Printing across the length of a page is called landscape orientation. Paper thickness lever The green lever located inside the printer, which you adjust as necessary to accommodate different BJ Cartridges, paper thicknesses, and graphics densities.
Portrait orientation Refers to printing across the width of the page (letter style). This is the opposite of landscape orientation, which is printing across the length of the page. Print head The printing mechanism that contains print nozzles and ejects the ink for printing. Print head capping An automatic protection function that prevents the print head unit and ink cartridges from drying out or becoming clogged with dust.
T True black Contrary to composite black, true black color on a printout is obtained with the use of black ink. TrueType font The scalable font technology built into Microsoft Windows 3.1. It offers you the same font images both on computer displays and printer outputs.
Index I C Accessories: 1-2–3 Acoustic noise level: A-5 Apple, interface: A-5 AppleTalk network: B-1–11 Auto feed guidelines: 4-13–15 Auto power: 2-7 Automatically feeding paper: 4-9–15 Canon accessories: 1-2–3 Canada: 1-5 Creative: 6-3 Customer Care Center: 1-5, 6-2 Fax Retrieval System: 1-5, 6-1 help: 1-4–6, 6-1–2 Referral Service: 1-2 specialty papers: 1-3, 4-2–4, 4-8, 4-22–26 Super Solver: 1-4–5, 6-1, 6-3 supplies: 1-2–3 support services: 1-4–6, 6-1–2 Visual Guide: 1-4, 6-1, 6-3 warranty: 1-6, 6-2, W-
D H Demonstration, test page: 5-5 Details tab: 2-5 Diffusion halftones: 2-13 Dimensions, printer: A-5 DL envelopes: 4-18, A-1–3 Document, printing: 2-2 Driver settings: 2-9 Hardware problem: 6-2 Heavier-weight print media: 4-5–6, 4-8, 4-15 High Gloss Film HG-101: 1-3, 4-3, 4-8, A-2 High quality color printing: 2-9, 2-12 High Resolution Paper HR-101: 1-3, 4-3, 4-8, 4-22–23, A-2 Home position, BJ cartridge: 5-2, 5-17 E Envelopes DL size: 4-8, A-1–3 printable area: A-3 printing: 4-18–21 US COM 10: 4-18, A-
N Nozzle test: 5-5 O On-line help: 2-8 support services: 1-4, 6-1 On-screen support services: 1-4, 6-1 Operating environment: A-5 Optimum printing: 5-9–10 P Page orientation: 2-6 Paper guidelines: 4-4 handling: 4-1–26, A-1 printable area: A-3 size: 2-6, A-1 weight: A-2 Paper feed limit: 4-8 method: 4-8 Paper jams, clearing: 6-4 Paper output tray: 4-12–13, 4-16, 4-21–22, 4-24 Paper support: 4-7–8, 4-10, 4-16, 4-19, 4-22, 4-24 Paper tab: 2-6 Paper thickness lever: 4-5, 4-8–9, 4-15, 4-18, 5-16 Paper types: 2
Printing a document: 2-2 envelopes: 4-18–21 method: A-1 specifications: A-1–4 speed, versus color: 2-12–14 test pages: 5-4–5 Printing options specifying: 2-8 Windows 3.
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.
FCC-2 FCC Regulations