EPSON Stylus C42 Series ® Printer Basics
Copyright Notice All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The information contained herein is designed only for use with this EPSON printer. EPSON is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.
Contents WELCOME! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Your Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing in Windows . . . . .
SOLVING PROBLEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diagnosing Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running a Printer Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome! Printing with your EPSON Stylus® C42 printer is easy, friendly, and fast. Simple enough for even the most inexperienced user, the Stylus C42 prints everything from school reports to family photos with great results. For added value, it supports a wide range of EPSON® special media, including Glossy Photo Greeting Cards, Photo Stickers,® and special photo papers in a variety of sizes and finishes. Visit the EPSON Store SM at www.epsonstore.com for a complete list.
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips Please follow these guidelines: Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury. Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment. Notes contain important information about your printer. Tips contain additional hints for better printing.
Printing From Start to Finish Before you start, make sure your printer software is installed as described on the Start Here sheet or Installing Software for Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 booklet. No matter what you print, you need to remember two things: ■ Use the right paper. For the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text, always use EPSON ink jet papers. ■ Choose the right Paper Type setting (Media Type setting on the Macintosh).
Loading Paper Make sure your printer and computer are turned on. 1. Place your paper against the right edge of the sheet feeder, behind the tab. 2. Press in the locking tab on the left edge guide and slide it against the paper. Load paper behind the tab Press the locking tab and slide the left edge guide against the paper 3. Pull out the output tray extension. Follow these guidelines when loading paper: ■ Always load the short edge first, even when you’re printing landscape oriented documents.
Printing in Windows Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a newsletter or school project. Make sure you have paper in the printer, as described on page 8. After you create your document in a software program, follow these steps to print. 1. From the File menu, click Print. You see a Print window (your window may look different): Select your printer here Click here to open your printer software 2. Make sure EPSON Stylus C42 Series is selected. 3. Click the Properties or Preferences button.
You see your printer Properties (or Preferences) window. 1 Choose your document type 2 Choose your paper type . . . 3 and paper size 4 Click here 4. Select the type of document you’re printing: ■ Draft: ■ Text: ■ Text & Image: For documents that have both text and images, like newsletters. ■ Photo: ■ Photo RPM: For rough drafts on plain paper. Saves ink. For text-only documents, like letters or reports. Delivers high-quality text printing.
6. If you loaded special paper, choose the correct paper type (click the arrow to scroll through the Type list). If you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 22. 7. Select your paper size (click on the arrow to scroll through the Size list). 8. If necessary, select your page orientation: Portrait for documents that are longer than they are wide, or Landscape for documents that are wider than they are long. 9.
After a moment, this window appears and shows the progress of your print job. You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart printing. You can also see how much ink you have left. Click to cancel printing Click to pause or resume printing When you’re finished using your printer, make sure you press the P power button to turn it off. Never use a power strip or external switch to turn off the printer.
Printing on a Macintosh This section explains how to use your EPSON Stylus C42 to print from a Macintosh running either OS X or OS 8.5.1 to 9.x. Macintosh OS X Here’s how to print a basic document, such as a newsletter or school project, if your Macintosh is running OS X. Make sure you have paper in the printer, as described on page 8. After you create your document, follow these steps to print.
4. Select Print from the File menu. You see a screen like this: Click here and select Print Settings 5. Select Print Settings from the pull-down menu.
6. Select the following settings: ■ Load the right paper for your document in the printer. If you loaded special paper, choose the correct paper type in the Media Type list. If you’re not sure which setting to choose, see page 22. ■ Set the Ink option to Color to print a color document. To print a black text document, click Black. ■ Set the Mode option to Automatic. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results for most projects.
9. When you’re ready to print, click Print. The Print Center icon appears in the dock on the bottom of your desktop. If you click the Print Center icon and then double-click the C42 Series (USB) icon in the Printer List, you see a screen like this: Click to reorder print jobs Select a print job, then . . .
Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a newsletter or school project— if your Macintosh is running OS 8.5.1 to 9.x. Make sure you have paper in the printer, as described on page 8. After you create your document, follow these steps to print. 1. From the File menu, select Page Setup. You see the following: Make sure you see C42 Series Select your paper size Select the orientation of your document 2. Make sure C42 Series is selected.
5. Make the following settings: ■ Choose the paper you’re printing on (click the arrow to scroll through the Media Type list). If you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 22. ■ Set the Ink option to Color to print a color document. To print a black text document, click Black. ■ Set the Mode option to Automatic. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results on all types of paper.
7. Click Print to start printing. If you turned on background printing, you can select EPSON Monitor3 from the Macintosh Application menu to see this dialog box: Click to restart your print job Click to pause printing Click to cancel printing Click to check ink levels Click on the current print job or a waiting print job . . .
Printing on Envelopes You can load up to 10 envelopes at a time. Follow these steps to print on No. 10 size envelopes: 1. Load the envelopes short edge first against the right edge of the sheet feeder, behind the tab. The printable side should be up, and the flap side should be down and on the left. 2. Press in the locking tab on the left edge guide and slide it against the envelopes. Load the printable side up and the flap side down 3.
5. Do one of the following to view a preview of your envelope: Windows: Click the Print Preview box, then click OK to close your Preferences (Properties) window. Click Print on the Print window. Macintosh OS X: Click the Preview button on the Print Settings menu. Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x: Click the button on the printer settings menu. Then click the Preview button that appears. 6. If you need to change the margins, cancel or close the preview window and adjust the margins in your application software.
Selecting the Correct Paper Type Your printer automatically adjusts itself for the type of paper you select in your print settings. That’s why the Paper Type setting (Media Type setting in Macintosh) is so important. It tells your printer what kind of paper you’re using and adjusts the ink coverage accordingly. The table below lists the settings you should choose for your paper: For this paper . . . Select this Paper setting . . .
Maintaining Your Printer This chapter describes maintenance procedures to keep your printer working at its best, and preparation steps for moving your printer.
Running the Head Cleaning Utility 1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the red b error light is off. (If the red light is flashing or on, you may need to replace the ink cartridge; see page 25 for details.) 2. Do one of the following: ■ printer icon on your taskbar (in the lower right Windows: Right-click the corner of your screen). Select Head Cleaning. ■ Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x: Open the File menu and choose Page Setup or Print. Click the Head Cleaning button.
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. Each colored square should be solid, with no gaps or lines, as shown: ■ If your printout looks okay, you’re done. ■ If you see any white lines or gaps (as shown), clean the print head again; see page 24 for instructions. Replacing an Ink Cartridge When the red b error light flashes, an ink cartridge is low on ink. This is a good time to make sure you have a new cartridge.
■ Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x: Open the File menu and choose Print. Click the ink icon. You see a window showing the ink remaining in each cartridge. ■ Macintosh OS X: Double-click the Applications folder on your hard drive. Double-click EPSON Printer Utility, select the C42 Series printer in the Printer EPSON StatusMonitor button. You List window, and click OK. Then click the see a window showing the ink remaining in each cartridge.
Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once you start the ink cartridge replacement procedure, you must complete all the steps in one session. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing (the green P power light should be on, but not flashing). Then open the printer cover. 2. Press the ( maintenance button for 6 seconds. The print head moves to the cartridge replacement position.
5. Insert the new cartridge and press down firmly on the clamp. Make sure the clamp is closed completely. 6. Press the ( maintenance button. If the other cartridge needs to be replaced, the print head moves into loading postion. Repeat steps 4 through 6. Maintenance button Don’t move the print head by hand; you could damage the printer. Always use the ( maintenance button. 7. Wait until ink charging is finished. (The green P power light stops flashing and the red ( error light goes out.
Aligning the Print Head If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may need to align the print head. Your printer must be connected directly to your computer (not over a network) to use the Print Head Alignment utility. Load plain paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide to prevent ink from spraying inside the printer and smudging your printouts. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on, but not printing, and letter-size plain paper is loaded. 2.
5. Click Realignment to print another test page. Make sure the pattern numbered 8 in each row is the best aligned. If not, repeat steps 4 and 5. 6. When you’re finished, click Finish. Cleaning the Printer To keep your printer working at its best, you should clean it several times a year. 1. Turn off the printer and disconnect the USB cable and power cord. 2. Remove all paper, then use a soft brush to clean any dust or dirt from the sheet feeder. 3. Clean the exterior of the printer with a soft, damp cloth.
Transporting the Printer If you move your printer some distance, you need to prepare it for transportation in its original box or one of a similar size. To avoid damage, always leave the ink cartridges installed when transporting the printer. Be sure to remove the tape used in step 4 after installing the printer in its new location. 1. Turn on the printer, wait until the print head (ink cartridge holders) locks in the far right position, then turn off the printer. 2.
Solving Problems This section gives you the basics for diagnosing and solving printer problems. First see “Diagnosing Printer Problems” on page 34 to help determine what the cause of the problem may be. Refer to the pictures on page 33 if you need help identifying parts of the printer. It’s a good idea to check EPSON’s support web site periodically for free updates to your printer driver. Visit http://support.epson.com. Download instructions are posted for your convenience.
Printer Parts Paper support Left edge guide Printer cover Output tray Print head (ink cartridge holders) Maintenance button and error light Power button and light Solving Problems 33
Diagnosing Printer Problems First, check the printer’s lights as described below, or run a printer check as described on page 35. Lights Explanation Green P power light flashes The printer is receiving a print job, replacing an ink cartridge, charging ink, or cleaning the print head. Red b error light is on Your paper ran out, ink ran out, or paper is jammed. You may also see a message on your screen. ■ If paper is out, load more paper, then press the b maintenance button to resume printing.
Running a Printer Check You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem comes from the printer itself or some other source. The printer check also shows how much black and color ink you have left. 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. Then disconnect the USB cable from the printer. 2. Make sure letter-size or larger plain paper is loaded in the printer. 3. Hold down the b maintenance button, then press and release the Ppower button.
Problems and Solutions Setup and Software Installation Problems The printer makes noise after ink cartridge installation. You’re having problems installing the printer software. ■ ■ Make sure your printer is turned on and the USB cable is securely connected at both ends. Then carefully follow the installation instructions on the Start Here sheet or the Installing Software for Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 booklet. Also make sure your system meets the requirements starting on page 47.
■ ■ For Windows 2000, if you see an error message or your software doesn’t install correctly, you may not have software installation privileges. Contact your System Administrator. In Windows 2000 or XP, don’t select Block under Control Panel > System > Hardware > Driver Signing; select Ignore or Warn instead. ■ ■ Make sure your Windows system was not upgraded from Windows 95. The USB Printer Device Driver may not install correctly if you upgraded from Windows 95.
Your printer makes noise when you turn it on or after it has been sitting for awhile. Print Quality Problems Your printer is performing routine maintenance. You see banding (light lines). Printing is too slow. Make sure your system meets the requirements listed on page 47 and page 48. If you’re printing a high-resolution image, you need more than the minimum requirements listed. You may also need to: ■ Clear space on your hard drive or run a defragmentation utility.
■ Run the Print Head Alignment utility; see page 29 for instructions. Your printout is faint or has gaps. Your printout is blurry or smeared. ■ Make sure your paper isn’t damp or curled, or loaded face down (the printable side should be face up). ■ Use a support sheet with special paper, or try loading your paper one sheet at a time. ■ Use EPSON papers to ensure proper saturation and absorption of genuine EPSON inks. ■ Run the Print Head Alignment utility. See page 29 for instructions.
You see wrong or missing colors. Your printout is grainy. ■ Make sure your printer software is not set to use black ink only. ■ Try using a higher quality paper. ■ The print head nozzles may need cleaning; see page 23 for instructions. ■ ■ The ink cartridges may be old or low on ink. To replace an ink cartridge, see page 25. Select Photo RPM for Quality Type (Windows) or Print Quality (Macintosh). Remember that this setting increases print time. ■ Run the Print Head Alignment utility.
Paper Feeding Problems ■ Paper doesn’t eject fully or is wrinkled. ■ ■ If the paper doesn’t eject fully, you may have set the wrong paper size. Press the b maintenance button to eject the paper, and then select the correct paper size. If it’s wrinkled when it ejects, the paper may be damp or too thin. See page 51 for paper specifications. Paper doesn’t feed correctly or jams in the printer. ■ If paper doesn’t feed, remove it from the sheet feeder.
Miscellaneous Printout Problems The margins are incorrect. ■ Make sure the paper settings are correct for your paper size. For instructions, see page 11 (Windows), page 13 (Macintosh OS X), or page 17 (Macintosh 8.5.1 to 9.x). ■ Use the Print Preview option in your printer software to check your margins before you print. ■ Make sure your paper is positioned next to the right side of the feeder. The image is inverted, as if viewed in a mirror.
Reinstalling Printer Software You don’t need to uninstall your printer software unless you have a Macintosh running OS 8.5.1 to 9.x. Windows You can reinstall your printer software over your currently installed printer software. Make sure the printer is connected to your computer, then follow these steps: 1. Turn the printer on. Then insert the EPSON CD-ROM in your drive. If you see the Options Menu, go to step 4. If you don’t see the Options Menu, continue with step 3. 2.
Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x Follow these steps to uninstall your printer software: 1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM. 2. Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM icon (if necessary) and double-click the EPSON icon. The Main Menu appears. 3. Click Install Printer Driver. On the installer screen, click the arrow in the Easy Install list at the top and select Uninstall. Then click the Uninstall button at the bottom and follow the instructions. 4.
3. If you set up an administrator password when you installed OS X, you see this screen: Lock icon Click the lock icon, enter your administrator password, and click OK. At the next screen, click Continue. 4. Read the license agreement and click Continue. Then click Agree. 5. Select the OS X drive where you want to reinstall your printer software, then click Continue. 6.
Where To Get Help EPSON provides technical assistance 24 hours a day through the electronic support services and automated telephone services listed below: Service Access World Wide Web From the Internet, you can reach EPSON Support at http://support.epson.com. At this site, you can download drivers and other files, look at product documentation, access troubleshooting information, and receive technical advice through e-mail.
Requirements and Specifications This chapter includes system requirements and printer specifications.
Macintosh System Requirements To use your printer and its software, your system should have: ■ An Apple® iMac™ series or Power Macintosh® G3 or G4 with built-in USB port ■ Macintosh OS 8.5.1 through OS X. (Macintosh OS 9.0 or later recommended) ■ At least 32MB RAM for OS 8.5.1 through OS 9.
Specifications Printer specifications Printing Printing method On-demand ink jet Nozzle configuration Black Color Print direction Bidirectional with logic seeking Input buffer 12KB 48 nozzles 45 nozzles (15 each: cyan, magenta, yellow) Mechanical Paper feed method Friction Paper path Sheet feeder, top entry Sheet feeder capacity 100 sheets of 17 lb (65.8 g/m2) paper Dimensions Storage Printing Weight Width: 16.7 inches (424 mm) Depth: 9.0 inches (229 mm) Height: 6.
Printer specifications (continued) Environmental Temperature Operation 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C) Storage** −4 to 140 °F (−20 to 60 °C) 1 month at 104 °F (40 °C) Transit** –4 to 140 °F (–20 to 60 °C) 120 hours at 140 °F (60 °C) Humidity (without condensation) Operation Storage** 20 to 80% RH 5 to 85% RH Safety Approvals Safety standards UL 1950, CSA C22.2 No. 950 EMC FCC part 15 subpart B class B CSA C108.8 Class B * Check the label on the back of the printer for your printer’s voltage.
Paper specifications Plain Paper, Premium Bright White Paper, Ink Jet Paper Size Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) Half letter (5.5 × 8.5 inches) Legal (8.5 × 14 inches) Executive (7.25 × 10.5 inches) A4 (8.3 × 11.7 inches) A5 (5.8 × 8.27 inches) User-defined: Width 3.5 to 9.5 inches Length 3.5 to 44 inches Paper types Plain bond paper or special paper distributed by EPSON Thickness (for plain bond paper) 0.003 to 0.004 inch Weight (for plain bond paper) 17 to 24 lb (64 to 90 g/m2) Envelopes Size No. 10 (4.
Paper specifications (continued) Matte Paper Heavyweight, Double-Sided Matte Paper Size Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) A4 (8.3 × 11.7 inches) Paper types Special paper distributed by EPSON Glossy Photo Paper, Photo Paper Size Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) 4 × 6 inches Panorama (8.3 × 23.4 inches) A4 (8.3 × 11.7 inches) Paper types Special paper distributed by EPSON Poor quality paper may reduce print quality and cause paper jams or other problems. If you encounter problems, switch to a higher grade paper.
Printable Area Single Sheets, Ink Jet Cards, Envelopes Minimum top margin (A)* 0.12 inch (3.0 mm) Minimum left margin (B-L) 0.12 inch (3.0 mm) Minimum right margin (B-R) 0.12 inch (3.0 mm) Minimum bottom margin (C)** 0.54 inch (14.0 mm) * When loading multiple sheets of EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film, the minimum top margin is 1.2 inches (30.0 mm) ** When printing near the bottom margin, some colors may not print properly. If this occurs, try increasing the bottom margin.
EPSON Ink Jet Papers and Ink Cartridges Use EPSON paper and inks to get the same photo quality results that have earned EPSON’s printers all of their awards! EPSON papers are specially coated to work with EPSON’s quick drying inks. You’ll notice that when prints come out of your printer, you can immediately handle them. There is no drying time, no smearing or smudging, and your image is crisp and smooth.
How To Order EPSON Ink and Paper To order EPSON ink cartridges, paper, and other printing media, contact your dealer or call EPSON at (800) 873-7766, or visit the EPSON Store at www.epsonstore.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 463-7766 for dealer referral. EPSON Ink Cartridges Black T036120 Color T037020 EPSON Papers Paper name Size EPSON Premium Bright White Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041586 EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) S041062 A4 (8.3 x 11.
Index A D Accessories, 46 Aligning print head, 29 to 30 Authorization screen, Macintosh OS X, 45 Automatic mode, Macintosh, 15, 17 Default settings, Windows, 12 Documentation, 5 to 6 Double-Sided Matte Paper, 22, 52, 55 Draft setting, 10 B E Background printing, 18 Banding, 38 Blank pages, 42 Blurry images, 39 Bright White Paper, 22, 54, 55 Buttons, 33 Economy setting, 15, 18 Electrical specifications, 49 Envelopes minimum margins, 53 printing on, 20 to 21 specifications, 51 EPSON accessories, 46 hel
H M Head Cleaning utility, 23 to 24 Help, EPSON, 46 Macintosh printing with OS 8.5.1 to 9.
Previewing printout, 11, 18, 21 Print dialog box, Macintosh, 14, 17 Print head aligning, 29 to 30 cleaning, 23 to 25 Print quality problems, 38 to 40 Print Quality settings, 15, 18 Print Settings dialog box, Macintosh, 14 Printable area, 53 Printer cable, 47, 48 check, 35 cleaning, 30 maintaining, 23 to 30 noise, 38 parts, 33 problems, 34, 37 to 38 transporting, 31 Printing controlling, 12, 16, 19 on envelopes, 20 to 21 slow, 38 with Macintosh, 13 to 19 with Windows, 9 to 12 Problems installing software, 36
W Weight, paper, 51 Windows default settings, 12 printing with, 9 to 12 Quality Type, 10 reinstalling software, 43 system requirements, 47 World Wide Web, 46 Index 59
