User’s Guide
Copyright and Trademarks 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 Copyright and Trademarks Safety Instructions Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Setting Up the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Using the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3 Basic Printing Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing Photos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing Web Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fit to Page Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Printer Settings for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 7 Replacing Consumables Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking the Ink Cartridge Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purchasing Epson Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Handling Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Up the Printer as the Shared Printer for Mac OS X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Chapter 10 Troubleshooting Diagnosing the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Error Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running a Printer Operation Check (for B-500DN Users) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix A Where To Get Help Epson Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Speak to a Support Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Purchase Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Appendix B Product Information Printer Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Safety Instructions Important Safety Instructions Read all of the instructions in this section before using the printer. Also, be sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer. Setting Up the Printer Observe the following when setting up the printer: ❏ Do not block or cover the vents and openings in the printer. ❏ Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s label. ❏ Use only the power cord that comes with the printer.
❏ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: The power cord or plug is damaged; liquid has entered the printer; the printer has been dropped or the casing damaged; the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a distinct change in performance. ❏ When connecting the printer to a computer or other device with a cable, ensure the correct orientation of the connectors. Each connector has only one correct orientation.
Using the Printer Observe the following when using the printer: ❏ Avoid touching the components inside the printer unless instructed to do so in this guide. ❏ Do not insert objects through the slots in the printer. ❏ Take care not to spill liquid on the printer. ❏ Do not touch the white flat cable inside the printer. ❏ Do not put your hand inside the printer during printing. ❏ Do not use aerosol products that contain flammable gases inside or around this product. Doing so may cause fire.
❏ Shake the ink cartridge for 5 seconds before installing it for best results. c Caution: Do not shake cartridges (that have been installed previously) with too much force. ❏ Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the cartridge carton. ❏ Use up the ink cartridge within six months of installation for best results. ❏ Do not disassemble or modify the ink cartridge. This may affect normal operation and printing. ❏ Store ink cartridges in a cool, dark place.
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes Warnings, Cautions, and Notes in this User’s Guide are defined as follows: w c Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury. Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment. Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation of the printer.
Chapter 1 Using Your Software Overview of Printer Driver and Status Monitor The printer driver lets you choose from a wide variety of settings to get the best printing results. Status Monitor and the printer utilities help you check the printer and keep it in top operating condition. Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows You can access the printer driver from most Windows applications, the Windows Start menu, or the taskbar.
Windows 2000: Click Start, point to Settings, then click Printers. 2. Windows Vista: Select the printer and then click Select printing preferences. Windows XP, Server 2003, and 2000: Select the printer, then click Printing Preferences on the File menu. From the Shortcut Icon on the Taskbar Right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Printer Settings. To add a short cut icon to the Windows taskbar, first access the printer driver from the Start menu as described above.
EPSON Printer Utility3 You can access this software in the following three ways: ❏ Double-click the EPSON Printer Utility3 icon in the Applications folder in Macintosh HD. Select the printer from the Printer List, then click OK. ❏ Click Print from your application’s File menu, choose Print Settings in the Print window that is displayed, then click the Utility icon. This Utility icon is not displayed when the printer is shared. ❏ For Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.
& See “Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.5” on page 33. & See “Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4” on page 35. Accessing EPSON Web-To-Page After you install EPSON Web-To-Page, the menu bar is displayed on the Windows Internet Explorer Toolbar. If it does not appear, select Toolbars from the View menu of Internet Explorer, and then select EPSON Web-To-Page.
❏ To uninstall programs in Windows 2000, you must log on as a user with administrative privileges (belonging to the Administrators group). 1. Turn off the printer and disconnect its interface cable. 2. Windows Vista: Click the start button and select Control Panel. Windows XP and Server 2003: Click Start and select Control Panel. Windows 2000: Click Start, point to Settings, and select Control Panel. 3.
5. Read the software license agreement and click Accept. 6. Select Uninstall from the menu in the upper left and click Uninstall. 7. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the printer driver. Note for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4: If the name of your printer remains in the Print Center or Printer Setup Utility, select the name from Printer List and click Delete.
6. Click OK. For Mac OS X Note: To uninstall the programs, you must log on to a Computer Administrator account. You cannot uninstall programs if you log on as a Limited account user. 1. Quit all running applications. 2. Insert the Epson printer software CD-ROM into your Macintosh. 3. Double-click the Mac OS X icon in the Epson folder. The CD Installer screen is displayed. Click Custom Install. 4. Select User’s Guide. 5. Select Uninstall from the menu in the upper left and click Uninstall. 6.
Chapter 2 Paper Handling Using Special Paper You can achieve good results with most types of plain bond paper. However, coated papers provide superior printouts because they absorb less ink. Epson provides special papers that are formulated for the ink used in Epson ink jet printers, and recommends these papers to ensure high-quality results. & See “Paper, Consumables, and Options” on page 187.
Rear sheet feeder: Media Type Loading Capacity Plain paper (letter-size) Up to 150 sheets Plain paper (legal-size) 1 sheet at a time (up to 60 sheets with the optional legal-size paper support) Epson Bright White Paper Up to 100 (70 sheets for manual double-sided printing) Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte Up to 20 sheets Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte Double-Sided 1 sheet at a time Epson Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets 1 sheet at a time Epson Presentation Paper Matte Up to 10
Front Paper Cassette 1. Pull out the front paper cassette. 2. Squeeze the edge guides and slide them out until they click into place. MODIFY TO SHOW LETTER SIZE 3. Fan a stack of paper, then tap it on a flat surface to even the edges. 4. Load the paper with the printable side down.
Note: Avoid adding paper before running out of paper. Doing so may prevent the paper from feeding smoothly. 5. Squeeze the edge guides and slide them against the paper until they click. 6. Gently reinsert the cassette into the printer. c Caution: To avoid paper jams, do not force the front paper cassette into the printer and check the edge guides after inserting the cassette. 7. Slide out and extend the extension tray.
Note: ❏ Leave enough space in front of the printer for the paper to be fully ejected. ❏ Make sure the paper stack fits under the c arrow mark inside the left edge guide. Rear Sheet Feeder 1. Open the paper support. 2. Slide out and extend the extension tray. 3. Slide the edge guide to the left. 4. Fan a stack of paper, then tap it on a flat surface to even the edges.
5. Load the paper with the printable side up, against the right side of the rear sheet feeder. Then slide the edge guide against the left edge of the paper. Note: ❏ Leave enough space in front of the printer for the paper to be fully ejected. ❏ Always load paper into the rear sheet feeder short edge first, even when you are printing landscape-oriented pictures. ❏ Avoid adding paper before running out of paper. Doing so may prevent the paper from feeding smoothly.
Loading Envelopes Follow these steps to load envelopes: 1. Open the paper support. 2. Slide out and extend the extension tray. 3. Slide the left edge guide to the left.
4. Load envelopes short edge first with the flap facing down and to the left. Then slide the left edge guide against the left edge of the envelopes. Note: ❏ The thickness of envelopes and their ability to fold vary widely. If the total thickness of the stack of envelopes exceeds 0.6 inch (15 mm), press down on the envelopes to flatten them before loading. If print quality declines when a stack of envelopes is loaded, load one envelope at a time.
Setting Up the Output Tray The output tray is located on the front paper cassette. Slide out the extension tray and then open the flap on the extension tray to prevent your prints from slipping off the printer. The maximum capacity of the output tray is 170 sheets. Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type The printer automatically adjusts itself for the type of paper you select in your print settings. That is why the paper type or media type setting is so important.
Chapter 3 Basic Printing Introduction This section guides you through the procedures for different kinds of printing. Printing Documents Explains how to print documents on various types of paper. & See “Printing Documents” on page 31. Printing Photos Explains how to print photos on various types of paper. & See “Printing Photos” on page 37.
Printing Web Pages Explains how to print Web pages so that they fit on a sheet of paper without getting cut off on the right side. & See “Printing Web Pages” on page 43. Printing on Envelopes Explains how to print on envelopes. & See “Printing on Envelopes” on page 46.
Loading Paper Refer to the section below for details on loading paper. & See “Loading Paper” on page 22. When using special Epson paper, refer to the section below. & See “Using Special Paper” on page 21. Printer Settings for Windows 1. Open the file you want to print. 2. Access the printer settings. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14.
3. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only documents with higher text quality ❏ Text & Image for higher quality documents with text and images 4. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 5. Select the appropriate Type setting. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 6. Select the appropriate Size setting. You can also define a custom paper size.
3. Click the d button to extend this dialog. 4. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, and then make suitable settings. Note: Depending on your application, you may not be able to select some of the items in this dialog. If so, click Page Setup on the File menu of your application, and then make suitable settings.
5. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 6. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 7. Click Print to start printing. Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 1. Open the file you want to print. 2. Access the Page Setup dialog.
& See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 3. Select the printer you are using as the Format for setting, and then make suitable settings. 4. Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog. 5. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 6. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting. Then make the Copies & Pages settings.
7. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 8. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 9. Click Print to start printing. Printing Photos Preparing the Print File You need to adjust the image file to the size of the paper. If your application has margin settings, make sure that the margins are within the printable area of the page. & See “Printable Area” on page 190.
Loading Paper Refer to the section below for details on loading paper. & See “Loading Paper” on page 22. When using special Epson paper, refer to the section below. & See “Using Special Paper” on page 21. Printer Settings for Windows Follow these steps to adjust your printer settings. 1. Access the printer settings. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select Photo in the Quality Option settings.
3. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 5. Select the appropriate Size setting. You can also define a custom paper size. For details, see the online help. 6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click OK to close the printer settings window.
3. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, and then make suitable settings. Note: Depending on your application, you may not be able to select some of the items in this dialog. If so, click Page Setup on the File menu of your application, and then make suitable settings.
4. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 5. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job. Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 Follow these steps to adjust your printer settings. 1. Access the Page Setup dialog.
& See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Select the printer you are using as the Format for setting, and then make suitable settings. 3. Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog. 4. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 5. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting. Then make the Copies & Pages settings.
6. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 7. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job. Printing Web Pages Loading Paper Refer to the section below for details on loading paper. & See “Loading Paper” on page 22. When using special Epson paper, refer to the section below.
Using EPSON Web-To-Page The EPSON Web-To-Page software lets you print Web pages so that they fit within the width of your selected paper. Note for Windows users: This software is not available for Windows Vista and XP x64. Note for Windows Internet Explorer 7 users: Printing web pages to fit to your paper size is a standard feature in Windows Internet Explorer 7. Note for Mac OS X users: ❏ This software is not available for Mac OS X.
3. Right-click the printer icon and choose Printing Preferences in Windows XP and 2000. 4. Click the Main tab, then select Web as the Quality Option settings: 5. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 6. Select the appropriate Type setting. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 7. Select the appropriate Size setting. You can also define a custom paper size. For details, see the online help. 8.
Printing on Envelopes Loading Envelopes Refer to the section below for loading envelopes. & See “Loading Envelopes” on page 27. Refer to the section below for the printable area. & See “Printable Area” on page 190. Printer Settings for Windows 1. Access the printer settings.
& See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Text for most envelopes ❏ Text & Image to print images on the envelope 3. Select Rear Tray as the Source setting. 4. Select Envelope as the Type setting. 5. Select the appropriate envelope size from the available Size settings. You can also define a custom size. For details, see the online help. 6. Select Landscape as the Orientation setting. 7.
Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.5 Follow these steps to adjust your printer settings. 1. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Click the d button to extend this dialog. 3. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, and then select a suitable envelope size as the Paper Size setting. You can also define a custom envelope size. For details, see the online help. 4. Select Landscape as the Orientation setting.
5. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 6. Select Envelope as the Media Type setting. 7. Make other settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. 8. Click Print to start printing.
Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 1. Access the Page Setup dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Select the printer you are using as the Format for setting. 3. Select the appropriate envelope size as the Paper Size setting. You can also define a custom envelope size. For details, see the online help. 4. Select Landscape as the Orientation setting. 5. Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog. 6. Access the Print dialog.
7. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, then make the Copies & Pages settings. 8. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 9. Select Envelope as the Media Type setting. 10. Make other settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. 11. Click Print to start printing. Canceling Printing If you need to cancel printing, follow the instructions in the appropriate section below.
Canceling from Windows When you start printing, the progress meter appears on your computer screen. Click the Stop button to cancel printing. Canceling from Mac OS X Follow the steps below to cancel a print job. 1. Click your printer icon in the Dock. 2. In the Document Name list, select the document that is printing.
3. Click the Delete button to cancel the print job.
Chapter 4 Printing with Special Layout Options Introduction You can print with a variety of layouts for special projects, such as booklets and posters. Double-Sided (Duplex) Printing Lets you print on both sides of the paper. & See “Double-sided (Duplex) Printing” on page 56. Fit to Page Printing Lets you automatically enlarge or reduce the size of your document to fit the paper size selected in the printer driver. & See “Fit to Page Printing” on page 76.
Note for Mac OS X users: This feature is not available for Mac OS X 10.3. Pages Per Sheet Printing Lets you print two or four pages on a single sheet of paper. & See “Pages Per Sheet Printing” on page 84. Poster Printing (for Windows only) Lets you enlarge material on a single document page to cover 4, 9, or 16 printed sheets of paper, and then make a poster. & See “Poster Printing (for Windows only)” on page 92.
For example, you can put “Confidential” on an important document. Double-sided (Duplex) Printing Two types of double-sided printing are available: standard and folded booklet. Standard double-sided printing lets you automatically print on both sides of the page (on plain paper only), using the duplex unit. Without the duplex unit, you can print the odd-numbered pages first. Once these pages are printed, you can reload them to print the even-numbered pages onto the opposite side of the paper.
Folded booklet double-sided printing allows you to make single-fold booklets. The pages that will appear on the outside (after the page is folded) are printed first. The pages that will appear inside the booklet can then be printed after you reload the paper into the printer. ✽: Binding edge You can create a booklet by printing pages 1 and 4 on the first sheet of paper, pages 5 and 8 on the second sheet, and pages 9 and 12 on the third sheet.
Standard Double-sided Printing for Windows Automatic Double-sided Printing (Using the Duplex Unit) Follow the steps below to print odd- and even-numbered pages onto opposite sides of the sheet using the duplex unit. Note: The duplex unit is standard on the B-500DN and available as an option for the B-300. Automatic double-sided printing supports plain paper and Epson Bright White Paper only. Thick plain paper is not supported for automatic double-sided printing. 1. Access the printer settings.
❏ Text & Image for higher quality pages with text and images ❏ Web for web pages ❏ Photo for good quality and speed 3. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 4. Select Plain Paper/Bright White Paper as the Type setting. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 5. Select the appropriate Size setting. 6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Select Duplex Printing. 8. Click OK to save your settings. 9.
3. Click the Page Layout tab, then select the Duplex Printing check box. 4. Select Auto to use the automatic double-sided printing function. 5. Click Adjust Print Density to open the Print Density Adjustment window. 6. Select the appropriate document type as the Select Document Type setting. 7. Specify the Print Density and Increased Ink Drying Time as the Adjustments setting.
Note: When you print dense photos on both sides of the paper, reduce the print density and increase the drying time to improve quality. 8. Click OK to return to the Page Layout window. 9. Click Margins to open the Margins window. 10. Specify the edge of the paper where the binding will be placed. You can choose Left, Top, or Right. 11. Choose cm or inch as the Unit setting. Then specify the width of the binding margin. You can enter any width from 0.12 to 1.18 inches or 0.3 to 3.0 cm.
& See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only pages ❏ Text & Image for higher quality pages with text and images ❏ Web for web pages ❏ Photo for good quality and speed 3. Select Rear Tray as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 5.
6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click the Page Layout tab, then select the Duplex Printing check box. 8. Select Manual to use manual double-sided printing function. 9. Click Margins to open the Margins window.
10. Specify the edge of the paper where the binding will be placed. You can choose Left, Top, or Right. 11. Choose cm or inch as the Unit setting. Then specify the width of the binding margin. You can enter any width from 0.12 to 1.18 inches, or from 0.3 to 3.0 cm. Note: The actual binding margin may be different from the specified settings depending on your application. Experiment with a few sheets to examine actual results before printing the entire job. 12. Click OK to return to the Page Layout window.
1. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Click the Printer and Option Information button.
3. Make sure that Duplexer Installed is displayed in the Auto Duplex Printing Information section, and then click OK. 4. Close the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog. 5. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 6. Click the d button to extend this dialog.
7. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, and then make suitable settings. Note: Depending on your application, you may not be able to select some of the items in this dialog. If so, click Page Setup on the File menu of your application, and then make suitable settings.
8. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 9. Select Plain Paper/Bright White Paper as the Media Type setting. 10. Make other settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings.
11. Select Auto Duplex Printing Settings from the pop-up menu. 12. Select the Auto Duplex Printing check box. 13. Select the Binding edge setting. 14. Select one of the Document Type settings. This automatically adjusts Print Density and Ink Drying Time. Note: If you are printing high-density data, such as photos or graphs, we recommend adjusting the Print Density. 15. Load paper into the printer, and click Print. & See “Loading Paper” on page 22.
Standard Double-sided Printing for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 Automatic Double-sided Printing (Using the Duplex Unit) Follow the steps below to print odd- and even-numbered pages onto opposite sides of the sheet using the duplex unit. Note: ❏ Automatic double-sided printing supports plain paper only. ❏ Thick plain paper is not supported for automatic double-sided printing. 1. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2.
9. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 10. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 11. Select plain papers as the Media Type setting. 12. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings.
13. Select Auto Duplex Printing Settings from the pop-up menu. 14. Select the Auto Duplex Printing check box. 15. Select the Binding edge setting. 16. Select one of the Document Type settings. This automatically adjusts Print Density and Ink Drying Time. Note: If you are printing high-density data, such as photos or graphs, we recommend adjusting the Print Density. 17. Load paper into the printer, and click Print. & See “Loading Paper” on page 22.
1. Access the printer settings. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only pages ❏ Text & Image for higher quality pages with text and images ❏ Web for web pages ❏ Photo for good quality and speed 3. Select Rear Tray as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting.
5. Select the appropriate Size setting. 6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click the Page Layout tab and select the Duplex Printing check box. Then select Manual and select the Folded Booklet check box. 8. Click Margins to open the Margins window.
9. Specify the edge of the paper where the binding will be placed. You can choose Left, Top, or Right. Note: When you select Portrait as the Orientation setting, the Left or Right binding positions are available. The Top binding position is available when you select Landscape as the Orientation setting. 10. Choose cm or inch as the Unit setting. Specify the width of the binding margin. Portrait Landscape * : Folding edge ** : Margin You can enter any width from 0.12 to 1.18 inches, or from 0.3 to 3.
❏ Follow the instructions provided when reloading the printouts. Otherwise, paper may jam or the binding margins may be incorrect. ❏ If a paper jam occurs, refer to the following. & See “The Paper Jams” on page 165. 14. Once the paper is reloaded, click Resume to print the inside pages. 15. Once printing is complete, fold the sheets and bind them together using a stapler or other binding method.
Printer Settings for Windows 1. Access the printer settings. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only pages ❏ Text & Image for higher quality pages with text and images ❏ Web for web pages ❏ Photo for good quality and speed 3. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting.
& See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 5. Select the appropriate Size setting. 6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click the Page Layout tab, then select the Reduce/Enlarge Document check box. 8. Do one of the following: ❏ If you selected By Output Paper Size, select the size of the paper you are using from the drop-down list. ❏ If you selected By Percentage, use the arrows to choose a percentage. 9.
Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.5 1. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Click the d button to extend this dialog. 3. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, and then make suitable settings. Note: Depending on your application, you may not be able to select some of the items in this dialog. If so, click Page Setup on the File menu of your application, and then make suitable settings.
4. Select Paper Handling from the pop-up menu. 5. Select the Scale to fit paper size. 6. Make sure that the appropriate size is displayed in Destination Paper Size.
7. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 8. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job.
Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.4 1. Access the Page Setup dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Select the printer you are using as the Format for setting and then make suitable settings. 3. Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog. 4. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 5. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, then make the Copies & Pages settings.
6. Select Paper Handling from the pop-up menu. 7. Select Scale to fit paper size as the Destination Paper Size. 8. Select the appropriate paper size from the pop-up menu. 9. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 10. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings.
& See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job. Pages Per Sheet Printing Pages Per Sheet printing allows you to print two or four pages on single sheets of paper. Printer Settings for Windows 1. Access the printer settings.
& See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only pages ❏ Text & Image for higher quality pages with text and images ❏ Web for web pages ❏ Photo for good quality and speed 3. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 5.
6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click the Page Layout tab, select Multi-Page, then select Pages Per Sheet. 8. Select from the following settings for Pages Per Sheet printing: 2, 4 Prints two or four pages of your document on a single piece of paper. Print Page Borders Prints frames around the pages printed on each sheet. Page Order Allows you to specify the order in which the pages will be printed on the sheet of paper.
Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.5 1. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Click the d button to extend this dialog. 3. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, and then make suitable settings. Note: Depending on your application, you may not be able to select some of the items in this dialog. If so, click Page Setup on the File menu of your application, and then make suitable settings.
4. Select Layout from the pop-up menu. 5. Select from the following settings: Pages per Sheet Prints multiple pages of your document on a single piece of paper. Layout Direction Allows you to specify the order in which the pages will be printed on the sheet of paper. Border Prints a border around the pages printed on each sheet. You can choose from None, Single Hairline, Single Thin Line, Double Hairline, or Double Thin Line. You can choose from 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, or 16.
6. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 7. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job. Printer Settings for Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 1. Access the Page Setup dialog.
& See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Select the printer you are using as the Format for setting, and then make suitable settings. 3. Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog. 4. Access the Print dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 5. Select the printer you are using as the Printer setting, then make the Copies & Pages settings.
6. Select Layout from the pop-up menu. 7. Select from the following settings: Pages per Sheet Prints multiple pages of your document on a single piece of paper. You can choose from 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, or 16. Layout Direction Allows you to specify the order in which the pages will be printed on the sheet of paper. Border Prints a border around the pages printed on each sheet. You can choose from None, Single Hairline, Single Thin Line, Double Hairline, or Double Thin Line.
8. Select Print Settings from the pop-up menu. 9. Make the settings that you want to use to print. See online help for details of Print Settings. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job. Poster Printing (for Windows only) Poster printing allows you to print poster-size images by enlarging one page to cover several sheets of paper.
Printer Settings 1. Access the printer settings. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only documents ❏ Text & Image for higher quality pages with text and images ❏ Web for web pages ❏ Photo for good quality and speed 3. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting.
& See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. 5. Select the appropriate Size setting. 6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click the Page Layout tab and select Multi-Page, then select Poster Printing. Click the up or down arrow to select 2x1, 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4.
8. Click Settings to adjust the way your poster will be printed. The Poster Settings window opens. 9. Make the following settings: Print Cutting Guides Prints guide lines for cutting. Overlapping Alignment Marks Slightly overlaps the panels and prints alignment markers so that the panels can be aligned more precisely. Trim Lines Prints border lines on the panels to guide you when trimming the pages.
How to Make a Poster from Your Printouts Here is an example of how to make a poster with 2x2 selected under Poster Printing and Overlapping Alignment Marks selected as the Print Cutting Guides. 1. Cut off the margin of Sheet 1 along a vertical line through the center of the top and bottom cross marks: 2. Place the edge of Sheet 1 on top of Sheet 2 and align the cross marks, then temporarily tape the two sheets together from the back: 3.
4. Align the edges of the paper using the alignment markers and tape them together from the back: 5. Repeat the instructions from step 1 to step 4 to tape Sheets 3 and 4 together. 6. Repeat the instructions from step 1 to step 4 to tape the top and bottom edges of the paper: 7. Cut off the remaining margins. Watermark Printing (for Windows only) Watermark printing allows you to print a text-based or image-based watermark on your document.
Printing the Watermark 1. Access the printer settings. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Windows” on page 14. 2. Click the Main tab, then select one of the following Quality Option settings: ❏ Draft for rough drafts with reduced print quality ❏ Text for text-only documents with higher text quality ❏ Text & Image for higher quality documents with text and images 3. Select the paper source as the Source setting. 4. Select the appropriate Type setting.
6. Select Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide) to change the orientation of your printout. 7. Click the Page Layout tab, choose the desired watermark from the Watermark list, then click Settings. If you want to create your own watermark, see the following instructions. & See “Creating Your Own Watermark” on page 100.
8. Specify the settings you want for the watermark. You can change the position and size of the watermark by dragging the image within the preview window. 9. Click OK to return to the Page Layout window. 10. Click OK to close the printer settings window. After completing the steps above, print one test copy and examine the results before printing an entire job. Creating Your Own Watermark You can add your own text-based or image-based watermarks to the Watermark list.
1. Click Add/Del under Watermark on the Page Layout window. The following window appears. 2. Do one of the following: ❏ To use an image file as a watermark, select BMP. Click Browse to locate the bitmap file you want to use, then click Open. Type a name for your watermark in the Name text box, then click Save. ❏ To create a text-based watermark, select Text. Type your text in the Text box. This text will also be used as the watermark name.
4. Click Settings. The following window appears: 5. Make sure that the appropriate watermark is selected in the Watermark list, then select Color, Position, Density, Size, Font, Style, and Angle settings. (For details, see the online help.) Your settings are reflected in the preview window. 6. When you finish making settings, click OK.
Chapter 5 Using the Control Panel Introduction You can use the printer’s control panel to access a variety of menus that allow you to check the status of consumable products, print status sheets, and make printer settings. This section describes how to use the control panel. For B-500DN Users Explains how to use the control panel for B-500DN.
For B-500DN Users The control panel of the printer consists of 7 buttons, 3 lights, and a liquid crystal display (LCD). Buttons and Lights The table below describes the functions of the buttons on the control panel. Button Description Turns the printer on or off. Power button Cancels the print job if pressed during printing. Returns to the Ready status when pressed in Menu mode. Cancel button Returns to the previous level when pressed in Menu mode.
Changes the parameter in the reverse order when selecting a desired parameter in Menu mode. Up button Changes the parameters in forward order when selecting a desired parameter in Menu mode. Down button Enters Menu mode when pressed in the Ready status. Selects a desired menu when pressed in Menu mode. Right button Sets the selected parameter in the selected item in Menu mode. Executes the item if the selected item is for execution only. Feeds the paper when paper feed failed.
Power light (green) On: The printer is in the Ready status. Flashing: The printer is starting. The printer is printing. The printer is cleaning the print head. The printer is charging the ink. The printer is canceling printing. Off: The printer is off. Icons on the LCD This section describes the meaning of icons displayed on the LCD screen. The table below describes the meaning of ink cartridge status icon.
The installed maintenance box is at the end of its service life. The maintenance box is not installed. The installed maintenance box cannot be used with the printer. How to Access the Control Panel Menus This section describes how to enter Menu mode and make settings with the buttons on the control panel. Note: ❏ Press the + Cancel button whenever you want to exit Menu mode and return to the Ready status. ❏ Press the l Left button to return to the previous step. 1.
Printer Setting Menu This menu allows you to configure the basic printer setting. Language You can select the language displayed on the LCD screen from the following list: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese. Test Print Menu This menu allows you to make settings related to test print. Nozzle check You can print a print head nozzle check pattern for each ink cartridge. From the printing results, you can check whether the nozzles are delivering ink properly.
Head alignment You can print a head alignment test pattern. From the printing results, you can adjust the head alignment. Cleaning You can clean the print head. You can also print a nozzle check pattern before cleaning. Cleaning sheet You can clean up the rollers inside the printer. Contrast adj. You can adjust the contrast of the LCD screen. Press the u Up or d Down button to adjust contrast. Network Setting Menu This menu allows you to make network settings.
Status and Error Messages This section describes the meaning of messages displayed on the LCD screen. The table below describes the status messages. Message Description Cancel The print job is canceled. Charging ink The printer is charging the ink. Cleaning The printer is cleaning the print head. Please wait The printer is starting. The printer is initializing the settings. Printing The printer is processing data. Ready The printer is ready to print.
Printer error restart printer Printer error occurs. Turn off the printer and make sure paper is not jammed. & See “The Paper Jams” on page 165. If the error still does not clear, contact Epson. & See “Where To Get Help” on page 182. Close maint box cover The maintenance box cover is open. Close the maintenance box cover. Set maint box The maintenance box is not installed. Install the maintenance box. The maintenance box cannot be used with the printer. Install a genuine maintenance box.
Printing the Status Sheet While in Menu mode, you can print a status sheet to see the current default values. To print a status sheet, follow the steps below. 1. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette. 2. Press the r Right button to enter Menu mode. 3. Press the d Down or u Up button to display TEST PRINT, and then press the OK or r Right button. 4. Press the d Down or u Up button to display STATUS SHEET, and then press the OK or r Right button. 5.
Buttons and Lights The table below describes the functions of the buttons on the control panel. Button Description Turns the printer on or off. Power button Cleans the print head if pressed and held for 3 seconds. Prints a status sheet if the P Power button is pressed while holding down the H Ink button. Ink button Feeds and ejects the paper. Restart printing when a double feed error is detected. Paper/Cancel button Feeds the paper when paper feed failed. Ejects the paper when the paper is jammed.
Light Description Ink status light (orange) Maintenance box status light (orange) On: The installed ink cartridge is expended.* The ink cartridge is not installed.* The installed ink cartridges cannot be used with the printer.* Flashing: The installed ink cartridge is nearly expended.** On: The installed maintenance box is at the end of its service life. The maintenance box is not installed. The installed maintenance box cannot be used with the printer. The maintenance box cover is open.
Light Description The printer is ready to print. The printer is starting. The printer is printing. The printer is cleaning the print head. The printer is charging the ink. The print job is canceled. The table below contains the lights showing the errors, a brief description and suggestions for correcting the problem. = on, Lights = flashing Problem and solution Ink end The installed ink cartridge is expended. Replace the ink cartridge. Ink cartridge error The ink cartridge is not installed.
Maintenance box at the end of its service life The maintenance box is at the end of its service life. Replace the maintenance box. Maintenance box error The maintenance box is not installed. Install the maintenance box. The maintenance box is not detected. Install the maintenance box again. The maintenance box cannot be used with the printer. Install a genuine maintenance box. The maintenance box cover is open. Close the maintenance box cover.
Printer cover open The printer cover is open during printing. Close the printer cover. Printer error, restart printer A printer error has occurred Turn off the printer and make sure paper is not jammed. & See “The Paper Jams” on page 165. If the error still does not clear, contact Epson. & See “Where To Get Help” on page 182. Service required (Lights flash alternately) Parts inside the printer are at the end of their service life. Contact Epson to replace them. & See “Where To Get Help” on page 182.
Printing the Status Sheet You can print a status sheet to see the current default values. To print a status sheet, follow the steps below. 1. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette. 2. Turn off the printer. 3. Turn on the printer while holding down the H Ink button. The printer prints the status sheet.
Chapter 6 Installing Options Optional Legal-size Paper Support Installing the Optional Legal-size Paper Support Align the legal-size paper support with the right side of the paper support and attach it as shown. You can load up to 60 sheets of plain legal-size paper (up to 20 lb or 75 g/m²). Do not leave legal-size paper in the rear sheet feeder when you are not printing, or the sheets may curl.
Note: The removed upper rear printer cover should be retained since it will be necessary if you remove the duplex unit. 3. Insert the bottom side of the duplex unit first, and then attach the duplex unit. Uninstalling the Optional Duplex Unit Follow the steps below to uninstall the duplex unit. 1. Turn off the printer.
2. Remove the duplex unit by pulling it while holding down the buttons on both sides of the duplex unit. 3. Attach the upper rear printer cover.
Chapter 7 Replacing Consumables Ink Cartridges Checking the Ink Cartridge Status Using the Control Panel (B-500DN) To check the ink cartridge status, see “Icons on the LCD” on page 106. Using the Printer Lights (B-300) To check the ink cartridge status, see the B Ink status light for each color. The B Ink status lights let you know the status of the ink cartridge. Ink status light Status Off The ink cartridge has enough ink for printing. Flashing The ink cartridge is nearly expended.
❏ Open the printer driver, click the Maintenance tab, then click the EPSON Status Monitor 3 button. A graphic displays the ink cartridge status. Note: If any of the ink cartridges installed in the printer is broken, incompatible with the printer model, or improperly installed, EPSON Status Monitor 3 will not display an accurate calculation of the ink cartridge status. Be sure to replace or reinstall any ink cartridges indicated by EPSON Status Monitor 3.
Note: To display the progress meter automatically, click the Maintenance tab in the printer driver window, click Speed & Progress, and then select the Show Progress Meter check box.
Using the Printer Utility for Mac OS X Note for Mac OS X 10.5: When an ink cartridge is running low, the Low Ink Reminder window automatically appears. You can also check the ink cartridge status from this window. If you do not want to display this window, select the Preferences menu from the Application menu when the Low Ink Reminder window is displayed, and then clear the Enable Low Ink Reminder check box. You can check the ink cartridge status using EPSON StatusMonitor. Follow the steps below. 1.
❏ If any of the ink cartridges installed in the printer is broken, incompatible with the printer model, or improperly installed, EPSON StatusMonitor will not display an accurate status of the ink cartridge. Be sure to replace or reinstall any ink cartridge indicated by the EPSON StatusMonitor. Note for Mac OS X 10.5: The printer monitor window appears automatically when you start a print job. You can check the ink cartridge status from this window.
❏ This printer uses ink cartridges equipped with an IC chip that monitors the amount of ink used by each cartridge. Cartridges are usable even if they are removed and reinserted. ❏ If you need to remove an ink cartridge temporarily, be sure to protect the ink supply area from dirt and dust. Store the ink cartridge in the same environment as the printer. When storing the cartridge, be sure that its label identifying the color of the ink cartridge is facing upward. Do not store ink cartridges upside down.
Replacing an Ink Cartridge To replace the ink cartridge, follow the steps below. 1. Open the cartridge cover. 2. Move the cartridge lever to the unlocked position. 3. Remove the expended ink cartridge. Note: Hold the printer with your hand when you remove the ink cartridge.
4. Remove the new ink cartridge from the package. c Caution: ❏ Do not touch the green IC chip on the side of the cartridge. This can damage the ink cartridge. ❏ Always install an ink cartridge immediately after removing the old cartridge. If the cartridge is not installed promptly, the print head may dry out and be unable to print. 5. For best results, shake the ink cartridge for about five seconds.
6. Hold the ink cartridge with the arrow mark facing up and pointing to the rear of the printer, and then insert it into the slot. Note: Hold the printer with your hand when you install the ink cartridge. c Caution: Do not remove and reinsert cartridges more often than necessary. Doing so can compromise the needle valve seal and allow air to enter the ink tubes, causing nozzle loss. 7. Move the cartridge lever to the locked position.
8. Close the cartridge cover. Note: When you install the Extra High Capacity Ink Cartridge, use the printer with the cartridge cover opened. Maintenance Box Checking the Maintenance Box Status Using the Control Panel (B-500DN) To check the maintenance box status using the control panel, follow the steps below. 1. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the r Right button. MENU appears on the LCD screen. 2.
Using the Printer Lights (B-300) To check the maintenance box status, see the Maintenance box status light. The Maintenance box status lights let you know the remaining free capacity of the maintenance box. Maintenance box status light Status Off The maintenance box has enough free capacity. Flashing The maintenance box is nearing the end of its service life. On The maintenance box is at the end of its service life.
A graphic displays the maintenance box status. Note: ❏ The printer ships with a new maintenance box, even though the service life indicator does not show 100% when the printer is new. EPSON Status Monitor 3 and the printer’s control panel will indicate when the maintenance box needs to be replaced.
2. Click the EPSON StatusMonitor button. The EPSON StatusMonitor appears. Note: ❏ The graphic displays the maintenance box status when EPSON StatusMonitor was first opened. To update the maintenance box status, click Update. ❏ Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine maintenance boxes. If non-genuine maintenance boxes are installed, the maintenance box status may not be displayed.
Handling Precautions Read all of the instructions in this section before replacing the maintenance box. ❏ Epson recommends the use of genuine Epson maintenance boxes. The use of a non-genuine maintenance box may cause damage that is not covered by Epson’s warranties, and under certain circumstances, may cause erratic printer behavior. Epson cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-genuine maintenance boxes. The maintenance box status is not displayed when a non-genuine maintenance box is used.
Note: ❏ Do not tilt the maintenance box when you remove it. ❏ Hold the maintenance box with both hands when you handle it. 5. Put the used maintenance box into the plastic bag, and then seal the bag. Note: The plastic bag is provided with the new maintenance box. 6. Insert the new maintenance box into place as far as it will go. 7. Close the maintenance box cover.
Chapter 8 Maintaining Your Printer Checking the Print Head Nozzles If you find that your printouts are unexpectedly faint or have gaps in them, you may be able to identify the problem by checking the print head nozzles. You can check the print head nozzles from your computer by using the Nozzle Check utility or from the printer by using the control panel or buttons. Note: The printer checks the print head on a regular basis to keep it clean and make sure you receive premium print quality.
3. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 4. Click the Nozzle Check button in the Utility dialog. 5. Follow the on-screen instructions. Using the Control Panel (B-500DN) Follow the steps below to check the print head nozzles using the control panel. 1. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette. 2. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the r Right button. Menu appears on the LCD screen.
4. Hold down the ) Paper/Cancel button and press the P Power button to turn on the printer. 5. When the printer turns on, release both the buttons. Below are two sample nozzle check patterns. Compare the quality of the printed check page with the sample shown below. If there are no print quality problems, such as gaps or missing segments in the test lines, the print head is fine.
Note: ❏ Clean the print head only if print quality declines; for example, if the printout is blurry or the color is incorrect or missing. ❏ Use the Nozzle Check utility first to confirm that the print head needs to be cleaned. This saves ink. ❏ When ink is low you may not be able to clean the print head. When ink is expended you cannot clean the print head. Replace the appropriate ink cartridge first. & See “Replacing an Ink Cartridge” on page 128.
Using the Head Cleaning Utility for Mac OS X Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on. 2. Make sure that no lights are indicating errors. 3. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the sheet feeder. 4. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 5. Click the Head Cleaning button in the Utility dialog. 6. Follow the on-screen instructions.
c Caution: Never turn off the printer while the P Power light is flashing. Doing so may damage the printer. 6. When the P Power light stops flashing, the printer returns to the nozzle check menu. Press the OK button to print a nozzle check pattern to confirm that the head is clean. & See “Checking the Print Head Nozzles” on page 137. Note: ❏ If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure, turn off the printer and wait for at least six hours.
Note: ❏ If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure, turn off the printer and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary. ❏ If print quality remains a problem, contact Epson. & See “Where To Get Help” on page 182. ❏ To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
3. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3 dialog. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 4. Click the Print Head Alignment button in the Utility dialog. 5. Follow the on-screen instructions to align the print head. Using the Control Panel (B-500DN) Follow the steps below to align the print head using the control panel. 1. Make sure that letter/A4 size plain paper is loaded in the front paper cassette. 2. Make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen, and then press the r Right button.
c Caution: ❏ Never use alcohol or thinner to clean the printer. These chemicals can damage the printer. ❏ Do not apply grease to the metal parts under the print head. ❏ Be careful to keep water away from the electronic components. ❏ Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants. ❏ Unsuitable oils can damage the mechanism. Contact Epson or a qualified service person if lubrication is needed.
Using the Printer Buttons (B-300) Follow the steps below to clean the inside of the printer using the printer button. 1. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette. 2. Press the ) Paper/Cancel button to feed and eject paper. Repeat these steps until no ink gets on the paper. Transporting Your Printer If you need to transport your printer some distance, carefully prepare and repack it as described below.
8. Repack the printer and power cord in the original box. Note: ❏ Keep the printer level during transport. ❏ Be sure to remove the protective materials from the printer before using it again. ❏ Do not hold the duplex unit when you lift the printer, to prevent the duplex unit from becoming detached. Also, make sure that the duplex unit is attached correctly after setting up the printer. Storing Your Printer If you need to store your printer, follow the instructions below.
Chapter 9 Using the Printer on a Network Setting Up the Printer on a Network (for B-500DN Users only) This printer can connect anywhere on your network using 10Base-T or 100Base-TX because it has a built-in Ethernet interface that supports the TCP/IP protocol. You can make network interface settings such as IP address by using the printer’s control panel, or the applications for your computer. Using the printer’s control panel & See “Network Setting Menu” on page 109.
2. Click Easy Install. 3. Click Network. 4. Click the Install button and follow the on-screen instructions. Note: If the Windows Security Alert window appears, click the Unblock button; otherwise the printer will not be listed on the screen of EpsonNet EasyInstall.
5. When you see the following screen, select the printer and click Next. 6. If you see the following screen, select Automatic. If you need to set the IP address manually, select Manual and enter the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Then click Next. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the printer driver.
7. When you see the following screen, enter a different name for the printer if you want. If you want to print a test page, select the Print test page check box. Click Next. Note: If the Windows Security Alert window appears, click the Unblock button. 8. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. 9. When you see this screen, click Finish. Then follow the instructions to register your printer.
10. Click Exit and skip to step 12. Or, if you need to manage your network, click Back to return to the Easy Install screen. 11. Select Install Network Utility.
12. Select each item to install. Note: EpsonNet Print is already installed; you don’t need to select it. 13. When you’re done, remove the CD and restart the computer. Repeat these steps for every computer on the network that will print to the B-500DN. Note: ❏ To find the supported OS versions for the printer, see the following section. & See “Operating System Versions” on page 197. ❏ To find the bundled utilities, see the CD-ROM shipped with your printer.
❏ To uninstall programs in Windows Vista, you need an administrator account and the password if you log on as a standard user. ❏ You must log on to a Computer Administrator account to install software on Windows XP. After you install Windows XP, the user account is set as Computer Administrator. ❏ You must log on to Windows 2000 as a user with administrative privileges (belonging to the Administrators group) to install software.
Note: Do not use spaces or hyphens in the share name. If you want Windows Vista, XP, Server 2003, and 2000 to automatically download printer drivers for computers that are running different versions of Windows, click Additional Drivers and select the environment and the operating systems of the other computers. Click OK, then insert the printer software CD into the CD-ROM drive. 4. Click OK or Close (if you installed additional drivers).
Windows XP and Server 2003: Click Start and select Control Panel, then select Printers and Faxes. (If the Control Panel is in Category View, click Printers and Other Hardware, then click Printers and Faxes.) Windows 2000: Click Start, point to Settings, and click Printers. 2. Windows Vista: Click the Add a Printer button. Windows XP, Server 2003, and 2000: Double-click the Add Printer icon. The Add Printer Wizard appears. Click the Next button. 3.
Note: ❏ Depending on the operating system and the configuration of the computer to which the printer is connected, the Add Printer Wizard may prompt you to install the printer driver from the printer software CD-ROM. Click the Have Disk button and follow the on-screen instructions. ❏ To monitor the status of a shared printer, EPSON Status Monitor 3 must be installed on each computer.
Chapter 10 Troubleshooting Diagnosing the Problem Troubleshooting printer problems is best handled in two steps: first diagnose the problem, then apply likely solutions until the problem is fixed. The information that you need to diagnose and solve most common problems is provided by online problem solving, the control panel, the EPSON Status Monitor utility, or by running a printer operation check. Refer to the appropriate section below.
To run a printer operation check, follow these steps. 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. 2. Disconnect the cable from the interface connector of the printer. 3. Make sure that letter/A4 size paper is loaded in the front paper cassette. 4. Turn on the printer and make sure that READY appears on the LCD screen. 5. Press the r Right button to enter Menu mode. 6. Press the d Down or u Up button to display TEST PRINT, and then press the OK or r Right button. 7.
4. Hold down the ) Paper/Cancel button and press the P Power button to turn on the printer. When the printer turns on, release both the buttons. A test page prints showing a firmware version and a nozzle check pattern. If the pattern has gaps, you need to clean the print head. & See “Cleaning the Print Head” on page 139. ❏ If the test page prints, the problem probably lies in your software settings, the cable, or your computer. It is also possible that your software may not be installed correctly.
Using the Progress Meter When you send a print job to the printer, the progress meter appears, as shown in the illustration below. The progress meter indicates the progress of the current print job and provides printer status information. This window also displays error messages as well as helpful tips for better printing. Refer to the appropriate section below. Tips Tips for getting the most out of your Epson printer driver appear in the text box of the progress meter window.
Error Messages If a problem occurs during printing, an error message appears in the text box of the progress meter window. For more detailed information, click Online Support to access Epson’s support website. Using EPSON Status Monitor 3 EPSON Status Monitor 3 displays detailed information on the printer status. There are two ways to access EPSON Status Monitor 3: ❏ Double-click the printer shortcut icon on the Windows taskbar.
❏ Open the printer driver, click the Maintenance tab, then click the Status Monitor 3 button. When you access EPSON Status Monitor 3, the following window appears: EPSON Status Monitor 3 provides the following information: ❏ Ink Status: EPSON Status Monitor 3 provides a graphic display of the ink status. To see detailed information about the ink cartridges, click the Information button. ❏ Maintenance box Status: EPSON Status Monitor 3 provides a graphic display of the maintenance box status.
❏ Online Support: You can access Epson’s support website from EPSON Status Monitor 3. If you encounter a problem, click Online Support in the EPSON Status Monitor 3 window. For Mac OS X Using EPSON StatusMonitor If EPSON StatusMonitor detects a printer problem, it will inform you with an error message. Follow these steps to access EPSON StatusMonitor. 1. Access the EPSON Printer Utility3. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. 2. Click the EPSON StatusMonitor button.
The Paper Jams c Caution: Pull out the jammed paper gently. If you remove the jammed paper with force, torn pieces may stay inside the printer or the printer may be damaged. 1. For B-500DN users Press the OK button to eject the jammed paper. For B-300 users Press the ) Paper/Cancel button to eject the jammed paper. 2. If the error does not clear, turn off the printer and remove all of the paper inside, including any torn pieces. Refer to the appropriate section below.
In the rear sheet feeder: Gently pull out the jammed paper upward. In the front paper cassette: Close the output tray and pull out the front paper cassette. Then gently pull out the jammed paper forward. Note: ❏ If you cannot pull out the front paper cassette, pull out the output tray first and remove all paper that is loaded in the front paper cassette. Then pull out the front paper cassette and gently pull out the jammed paper forward.
❏ After you remove the jammed paper and insert the front paper cassette, reinsert the output tray into the printer. In the back of the printer: Remove the duplex unit (B-500DN) or the upper rear printer cover (B-300) and open the lower rear printer cover. Then gently pull out the jammed paper.
In the duplex unit: Remove the duplex unit and open the cover of the duplex unit. Then, gently remove the jammed paper. 3. Close the printer cover and turn on the printer. 4. For B-500DN users Reload the paper and press the OK button to resume printing. For B-300 users Reload the paper and press the ) Paper/Cancel button to resume printing. Note: If you cannot easily remove a foreign object, do not use force and do not disassemble the printer. Contact Epson for assistance.
❏ The number of sheets in the paper stack does not exceed the limit specified for that paper. & See “Paper Loading Capacities” on page 21. ❏ The left edge guide is snug against the left edge of the paper. ❏ The printer is on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the base in all directions. The printer will not operate properly if it is tilted. Print Quality Problems If you are having print quality problems, then compare it with the illustrations below.
“Incorrect or Missing Colors” on page 171 “Blurry or Smeared Printout” on page 171 Horizontal Banding ❏ Make sure the printable side of the paper is face-up in the rear sheet feeder and face-down in the front paper cassette. ❏ Run the Head Cleaning utility to clear any clogged ink nozzles. & See “Cleaning the Print Head” on page 139. ❏ Use up ink cartridges within six months of opening vacuum package. ❏ For best print quality, use genuine Epson ink cartridges. ❏ Check the ink cartridge status.
❏ Make sure the paper type selected in the printer driver is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. Incorrect or Missing Colors ❏ For Windows, clear the Grayscale setting in the Advanced window in your printer driver. For Mac OS X, change the Color setting to Color in Print Settings dialog in the Print dialog of your printer driver. See the printer driver online help for details.
❏ Make sure your paper is dry and the printable side is facing up in the rear sheet feeder and facing down in the front paper cassette. ❏ If the paper is curled toward the printable side, flatten it or curl it slightly in the opposite direction. ❏ Make sure the paper type selected in the printer driver is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer. & See “Selecting the Correct Paper Type or Media Type” on page 29. ❏ Remove each sheet from the output tray as it is printed.
Incorrect Margins ❏ Confirm the margin settings in your application. Make sure that the margins are within the printable area of the page. & See “Printable Area” on page 190. ❏ Make sure the printer driver settings are appropriate for the paper size you are using. For Windows, confirm the settings in the Main Window. For Mac OS X, confirm the settings in the Page Setup dialog or Print dialog.See the printer driver online help for details. ❏ Uninstall the printer driver, then reinstall it.
See the printer driver online help for details. ❏ Confirm the Skip Blank Page setting from your printer driver. For Windows, click the Speed & Progress button on the Maintenance window. For Mac OS X, confirm the Extension Settings in the Print dialog. If it is selected, blank pages in your data are not printed. ❏ Uninstall the printer driver, then reinstall it. & See “Uninstalling the Printer Software” on page 17.
❏ For Windows, clear all customized settings and select Text as the Quality Option from your printer driver’s Main window. For Mac OS X, clear all customized settings and select Automatic as the Mode and move the slider to Speed in the Print Settings dialog in the Print dialog of your printer driver. See the printer driver online help for details. & See “Accessing the Printer Driver for Mac OS X” on page 15. ❏ Close any unnecessary applications.
❏ The number of sheets in the paper stack does not exceed the limit specified for the media. & See “Paper Loading Capacities” on page 21. ❏ Paper is not jammed inside the printer. If it is, remove the jammed paper. & See “The Paper Jams” on page 165. ❏ You have followed all special loading instructions that came with your paper. Load the paper again. & See “Loading Paper” on page 22. Multiple Pages Feed ❏ Make sure the paper stack fits under the c arrow mark inside the edge guide.
Paper is not Ejected Fully or is Wrinkled ❏ Clear the jammed paper as explained in “The Paper Jams” on page 165. Also, check the Paper Size setting in your application or printer settings. See the online help for details. ❏ If the paper is wrinkled when it comes out, it may be damp or too thin. Load a new stack of paper. Note: Store any unused paper in its original packaging in a dry area. The Printer Does Not Print All Lights Are Off ❏ Press the P Power button to make sure the printer is on.
❏ If you are using the USB interface, make sure your cable meets the USB 1.1 or 2.0 standards. ❏ If you are connecting the printer to your computer via a USB hub, connect the printer to the first-tier hub from your computer. If the printer driver is still not recognized on your computer, try to directly connect the printer to your computer without the USB hub. ❏ If you are connecting the printer to your computer via a USB hub, make sure the USB hub device is recognized by your computer.
Increasing the Print Speed (for Windows only) You can increase print speed by selecting certain settings in the Speed & Progress window. Click the Speed & Progress button on your printer driver’s Maintenance window.
The following dialog box appears. The table below lists the factors affecting print speed. Print speed Faster Slower High Speed Copies On Off Always spool RAW datatype On Off Page Rendering Mode On Off Print as Bitmap On Off For more details on each item, see the online help. Other Problems Print Head Cleaning Does Not Start ❏ Make sure that no error indicator lights are on. If any error occurs, recover from the error status. & See “Error Indicators” on page 158.
❏ Make sure that sufficient ink remains for printing. If the ink cartridge is expended, replace the cartridge. & See “Replacing an Ink Cartridge” on page 128. Color Ink is Consumed Even When Printing in Black Ink Only Not only the black ink but also the color ink is consumed during the following operations: print head cleaning and self-cleaning.
Appendix A Where To Get Help Epson Technical Support Visit Epson’s support website for the Epson B-500DN or B-300 for solutions to common problems. You can download drivers and documentation, get FAQs and troubleshooting advice, or e-mail Epson with your questions. New :Only inkjet, SPC, and Scanner products are used in this section.
Appendix B Product Information Printer Parts B-500DN Front View a. Edge guide: Holds your paper straight in the rear sheet feeder. Move it to the edge of your paper. b. Rear sheet feeder: Feeds paper for printing. c. Paper support: Supports the paper loaded in the rear sheet feeder.
d. Front printer cover: Covers the printing mechanism. Open only when the paper jams. e. Print Head: Prints ink on your paper. f. Control panel: Use the buttons and monitor the LCD screen and lights to control your printer. & See “Using the Control Panel” on page 103. g. Maintenance box cover: Covers the maintenance box. Open only when replacing the maintenance box. h. Output tray: Holds the ejected paper. i. Front paper cassette: Holds your paper and feeds it for printing. j.
e. Rear printer cover: Covers the printing mechanism. Open only when the paper jams. f. Air vents: Eject heated air from the printer. B-300 Front View a. Edge guide: Holds your paper straight in the rear sheet feeder. Move it to the edge of your paper. b. Rear sheet feeder: Feeds paper for printing. c. Paper support: Supports the paper loaded in the rear sheet feeder. d. Front printer cover: Covers the printing mechanism. Open only when the paper jams. e. Print Head: Prints ink on your paper.
f. Control panel: Use the buttons and monitor the lights to control your printer. & See “Using the Control Panel” on page 103. g. Maintenance box cover: Covers the maintenance box. Open only when replacing the maintenance box. h. Output tray: Holds the ejected paper. i. Front paper cassette: Holds your paper and feeds it for printing. j. Cartridge lever: Locks the installed ink cartridges. k. Cartridge cover: Covers the ink cartridges. Open only when replacing the ink cartridges. Rear View a.
Paper, Consumables, and Options Paper Epson offers specially designed paper and other print media for all your printing needs. Note: You can find the part numbers for the following Epson special papers on the Epson website. & See “Epson Technical Support” on page 182.
Maintenance Box You can use the following maintenance box with the B-300 and B500DN: Part number Maintenance Box T619000 Duplex Unit (B-300 Users only) You can use the following duplex unit with the B-300. Part number Duplex unit C12C802531 Legal-size Paper Support You can use the following legal-size paper support with this printer.
Macintosh Requirements To connect this printer to a Macintosh computer, you must have any of the following Macintosh operating systems installed. For details on interfaces and operating systems, refer to the following table. System PC Interface PowerPC-based or Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.3.9 to 10.5.x USB 1.0 or 2.
Weight (for plain bond paper) 64 g/m² to 90 g/m² Envelopes: Size Envelope #10 4 1/8 × 9 1/2 in. Paper types Plain bond paper Weight 75 g/m² to 100 g/m² Printable Area Diagonal lines show printable area.
Minimum margin Media type Single sheets Envelopes A 0.12 in. (3.0 mm) 0.12 in. (3.0 mm) B-L, B-R 0.12 in. (3.0 mm) 0.20 in. (5.0 mm) C 0.12 in. (3.0 mm) 0.12 in. (3.0 mm) Note: ❏ Depending on the type of paper, print quality may decline in the top and bottom areas of the printout, or the area may be smeared. ❏ Automatic double-sided printing supports plain paper and Epson Bright White Paper only. Minimum bottom margin (C) is 0.63 in. (16 mm) when you use automatic double-sided printing.
Mechanical Paper path Front paper cassette, rear sheet feeder Loading capacity Front paper cassette About 500 sheets of letter/A4 paper at 75 g/m²* Rear sheet feeder About 150 sheets of letter/A4 paper at 75 g/m²* Using the optional legal-size paper support, about 60 sheets of legal-size paper at 75 g/m²* Output tray About 170 sheets Dimensions B-500DN Storage Width: 18.9 in. (480 mm) Depth: 19.3 in. (489 mm) Height: 12.3 in. (312 mm) Printing Width: 18.9 in. (480 mm) Depth: 25.8 in.
Electrical B-500DN 100-120 V Model 220-240 V Model Input voltage range AC 90 to 132 V AC 198 to 264 V Rated frequency range 50 to 60 Hz Input frequency range 49.5 to 60.5 Hz Rated current 0.7 A 0.4 A Approx. 32.0 W Approx. 32.0 W (ISO/IEC10561 Letter Pattern) (ISO/IEC10561 Letter Pattern) Ready mode Approx. 8.0 W Approx. 8.0 W Sleep mode Approx. 4.5 W Approx. 5.0 W Power off Approx. 0.3 W Approx. 0.
Environmental Temperature Operation: 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C) Storage: –4 to 104 °F (–20 to 40 °C) 1 month at 104 °F (40 °C) Humidity Operation:* 20 to 80% RH Storage:* 5 to 85% RH * Without condensation Standards and Approvals U.S. model: Safety UL60950-1 CAN/CSA-C22.2 No.
Options Legal size paper support Width: 6.9 in. (176 mm) Depth: .29 in. ( 7.4 mm) Height: 4.3 in. ( 110 mm) Weight: Approx. 1.5 oz ( 42 g ) Duplex unit (B-300 only) Width: 12.3 in. (313 mm) Depth: 6.4 in. (163 mm) Height: 3.6 in. (92 mm) Weight: Approx. 1.98 lb (0.9 kg ) FCC Compliance Statement For United States Users 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.
WARNING The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces.
Operating System Versions In this manual, the following abbreviations are used. Windows refers to Windows Vista, XP, Server 2003, and 2000. ❏ Windows Vista refers to Windows Vista Home Basic Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, Windows Vista Business Edition, Windows Vista Enterprise Edition, and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. ❏ Windows XP refers to Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows XP Professional.
Index A D Accessories, purchasing, 182 Aligning print head, 143 Documents, printing Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 printer settings, 35 Mac OS X 10.5 printer settings, 33 Windows, 31 Double-sided printing description, 56 folded booklet, 72 Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4, 70 Mac OS X 10.
F M Fit to page printing, 76 Folded booklet printing, 72 Front paper cassette loading, 23 location, 184, 186 Mac OS X accessing printer settings, 15 checking printer status, 164 status monitor, 164 Maintenance box checking status (B-300), 132 checking status (B-500DN), 131 checking status in Mac OS X, 133 checking status in Windows, 132 cover, 184, 186 part number, 188 purchasing, 134 replacing, 135 Managing print jobs, 160 Margin problems, 173 Media Type, selecting, 29 Menu list language, 108 maintenanc
P Pages per sheet printing, 84 Paper Epson special paper, 21, 187 feeding problems, 175 loading, 22 loading capacity, 21 loading into front paper cassette, 23 loading into rear sheet feeder, 25 paper support, 183, 185 printable area, 190 selecting type, 29 specifications, 189 wrinkling, 177 Paper jams, 165 Part number duplex unit, 188 ink cartridge, 187 legal size paper support, 188 maintenance box, 188 Posters assembling pages, 96 printing, 92 to 97 Printable area specifications, 190 Printer checking statu
using, 14 to 20 Specifications duplex unit, 195 electrical, 193 environmental, 194 ink cartridge, 191 legal size paper support, 195 mechanical, 192 paper, 189 standards and approvals, 194 Speed, increasing, 174, 179 Status Monitor Mac OS X, 164 Windows, 162 Status sheet B-300, 118 B-500DN, 112 System requirements, 188 T Technical support, 182 Text Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4, 35 Mac OS X 10.
