9-pin Dot Matrix Printer Reference Guide
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 Introduction About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Hot parts caution symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 When setting up the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using EPSON Status Monitor 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing EPSON Status Monitor 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing EPSON Status Monitor 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up Your Printer on a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting up the printer server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting up the clients. . . . .
Chapter 5 Options and Consumables Cut-sheet Feeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Optional Tractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Roll Paper Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Chapter 6 Product Information Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction Your Epson® LX-300+II printer provides high-quality printing and superior performance in a compact design. This 9-pin dot matrix printer provides: ❏ A variety of paper paths to suit your printing needs. ❏ The ability to handle a wide range of paper types, including continuous paper, multipart forms (with one original and up to four copies), labels, single sheets, and envelopes. ❏ High-speed printing of up to 300 cps (characters per second) at 10 cpi (characters per inch).
❏ Chapter 5, “Options and Consumables,” describes how to use options such as the roll paper holder and cut-sheet feeder, and explains how to replace the ribbon cartridge. ❏ Chapter 6, “Product Information,” contains technical information about the printer. For setup instructions and basic information, please see the User’s Guide. Warnings, Cautions, and Notes w c Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury. Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
When setting up the printer ❏ Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a radiator or heat source. ❏ Place the printer on a flat, stable surface. It will not operate properly if it is tilted or placed at an angle. ❏ Do not place the printer on a soft surface like a bed or a sofa, or a small, enclosed area, as this restricts ventilation. ❏ Do not block or cover the slots and openings in the printer’s cabinet, and do not insert objects through the slots.
When operating the printer ❏ Adjust only those controls that are covered in the user documentation. Improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage requiring extensive repair by a qualified technician. ❏ Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five seconds before turning it back on; otherwise, you may damage it. ❏ Do not turn off the printer while it is printing the self test. Always press the Pause button to stop printing and then turn off the printer.
When maintaining the printer ❏ Unplug the printer before cleaning it, and always clean it with a damp cloth only. ❏ Do not spill liquid onto the printer. ❏ Except as specifically explained in this manual, do not attempt to service the printer yourself. ❏ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: i. If the power cord or plug is damaged. ii. If liquid has entered the printer. iii. If the printer has been dropped or the cabinet damaged. iv.
Chapter 1 Paper Handling Your printer can handle continuous paper in either the push or the pull position, as well as single sheets and special papers such as labels and envelopes. For instructions on using continuous paper, see the following section. To load single sheets, see page 26. For information about special paper, see page 29.
Printing with the push tractor Follow these steps to load continuous paper on the push tractor: 1. Turn off the printer. 2. Remove the printer cover and the paper guide, and pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper position. 3. Unlock the sprockets on the tractor by pulling the blue lock levers forward.
4. Slide the left sprocket so the pins are aligned with the 0 mark on the printer scale (which is beneath the tractor). Push the lock lever back to lock it in place. Then slide the right sprocket to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support so it is midway between the sprockets. 0 mark 5. Stack your continuous paper behind the printer.
8. To separate the incoming paper from the printed paper, attach the paper guide by holding it horizontally and fitting its notches over the printer’s mounting posts as shown below. Then slide the paper guide toward the front of the printer until you feel it click. 9. Replace the printer cover and close it. 10. Turn on the printer. 11. When using the push tractor, it is a good idea to turn on the Auto tear off feature in Default Setting mode. See page 67. 12.
Removing a printed document from the push tractor Follow these steps to remove the printed document: 1. Press the Tear Off (Font) button. The Tear Off (Font) lights start flashing. (This indicates that your paper is at the current tear-off position.) 2. Open the printer cover and tear off the printed document using the tear-off edge on the paper tension unit.
To feed continuous paper backward to the standby position, where you can remove the paper, first tear off any printed sheets. Then press the Load/Eject button. Open the sprocket covers on the tractor and remove the paper. c Caution: Always tear off your printed document before you press the Load/Eject button. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may cause a paper jam.
Printing with the pull tractor To load continuous paper using the pull tractor, you must move the tractor to the pull tractor position, as described below. If your tractor is already installed in this position, make sure the printer is turned off and skip to step 6. 1. Turn off the printer. 2. Remove the printer cover and the paper guide. 3. Remove the paper tension unit by gently squeezing the lock tabs and pulling it out of the printer. 4.
5. To remove the tractor from the push position, gently squeeze the lock tabs on both sides and then rotate the tractor up to pull it away from the printer. 6. Lower the tractor onto the mounting slots at the top of the printer as shown below, and tilt it back until you feel it lock into place.
7. Unlock the sprockets by pulling the blue lock levers forward. 8. Feed the paper into the rear paper slot as shown below, and pull it up. Position the paper using the scale on the printer as a guide. Printing starts to the right of the position marked 0 (under the paper now).
9. Slide the left sprocket so its pins are aligned with the holes in the paper and push the blue lock lever to lock the sprocket in place. Then slide the right sprocket to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper supports midway between the two sprockets. 10. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight leading edge. Open the sprocket covers. Fit the first holes of the paper over the sprocket pins and then close the sprocket covers.
11. To separate the incoming paper from the printed paper, attach the paper guide. Hold it horizontally and fit its notches over the printer’s mounting posts. Then slide the paper guide toward the back of the printer until you feel it click. 12. Turn the paper feed knob to adjust the paper position. The perforation between pages should be just above the print head. 13. Replace the printer cover but leave it open. 14. Turn on the printer. 15.
Adjusting the top-of-form position The top-of-form position is the position on the page where the printer starts printing. If your printing appears too high or too low on the page, you can use the Micro Adjust mode to adjust the top-of-form position. c Caution: Never use the paper feed knob to adjust the top-of-form position; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on and paper is loaded. 2. Remove the printer cover. 3.
Note: ❏ The printer has a minimum and a maximum top-of-form position. If you try to adjust it beyond these limits, the printer beeps and stops moving the paper. ❏ When the paper reaches the default top-of-form position, the printer beeps and stops moving the paper briefly. You can use the default position as a reference point when adjusting the top-of-form position. 5. After you set the top-of-form position, press the Pause button to exit Micro Adjust mode.
You can use the tear-off feature in two ways: ❏ Manually, by pressing the printer’s Tear Off (Font) button ❏ Automatically, by turning on the Auto tear-off function in Default-setting mode. Using the Tear Off button After the printer finishes printing your document, check that the Tear Off (Font) lights are not flashing. Then press the Tear Off (Font) button. The printer advances the paper to the tear-off edge. Note: If the Tear Off (Font) lights are flashing, the paper is in the tear-off position.
Adjusting the tear-off position If your paper’s perforation is not aligned with the tear-off edge, you can use the Micro Adjust mode to move the perforation to the tear-off position. Follow these steps: 1. Make sure the Tear Off (Font) lights are flashing. You may need to press the Tear Off (Font) button to advance the paper to the tear-off position. 2. Open the printer cover. 3. Hold down the Pause button for about three seconds.
5. After you set the tear-off position, press the Pause button to exit Micro Adjust mode. 6. Tear off the printed pages. When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position and begins printing. Note: Your tear-off position setting remains in effect until you change it, even if you turn off the printer. (If you want to restore the printer’s default tear-off position, you can reset the printer. See page 73 for instructions.
Follow these steps to load a single sheet: 1. If continuous paper is loaded in the push tractor, press the Load/Eject button to feed it back to the standby position. 2. Push the paper release lever back to the single-sheet position and make sure the paper guide is in the upright position, as shown below. 3. Slide the left edge guide until it locks in place at the guide mark. Then adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.
4. Insert a sheet of paper between the edge guides until it meets resistance. The printer automatically pulls it into the correct printing position. When the printer receives data, it begins printing. If the document is more than one page, the printer beeps three times after printing each page. Load the next sheet and the printer will continue printing. c 28 Caution: Use the paper feed knob on the right side of the printer only to clear paper jams and only when the printer is off.
Printing on Special Paper With the LX-300+II, you can print on a wide variety of special paper types, including multipart forms, labels, and envelopes. c Caution: When printing on multipart forms, thicker-than-normal paper, labels, or envelopes, make sure your application software settings keep the printing entirely within the printable area. Printing past the edge of these papers can damage the print head.
2. The numbers next to the lever indicate the thickness setting. Use the table below to select the appropriate paper thickness. Paper type Lever position Standard paper (single sheets or continuous) 0 Multipart forms 0 1 2 3 2-sheet 3-sheet 4-sheet 5-sheet Labels 1 Envelopes 2 or 4 3. Close the printer cover. Multipart forms You can use continuous or single-sheet carbonless multipart forms of up to five parts (one original plus four copies).
❏ If you need to adjust the loading position, use your application software, or change the loading position as described on page 22. ❏ When you use side-crimped continuous multipart forms, the copies may not align with the original. If this happens, raise the paper guide. For multipart forms, you should not print any closer than 0.5 inch (13 mm) from either side of the paper. For information on the printable area of envelopes, see the paper specifications on page 115.
❏ To remove the labels from the printer, tear off the fresh supply at the back of the printer; then press the LF/FF button to advance the remaining labels out of the printer. c Caution: Never feed labels backward through the printer; they can easily peel off the backing sheet and jam the printer. Envelopes You can feed envelopes individually using the paper guide. Keep the following tips in mind: ❏ Set the paper thickness lever to the proper position. See page 29.
Chapter 2 Using the Printer Software The Epson software includes the printer driver software and EPSON Status Monitor 3. The printer driver allows your computer to control the printer and enables your Windows software applications to take full advantage of the printer’s capabilities. Status Monitor 3 lets you monitor the status of your printer, alerts you when errors occur, and provides you with troubleshooting tips. It is automatically installed when you install the printer driver.
Accessing the Printer Driver You can access the printer driver from your Windows applications or from the Start menu: ❏ When you access the printer driver from a Windows application, any settings you make apply only to the application you are using. See “From Windows applications” on page 34 for more information. ❏ When you access the printer driver from the Start menu, the printer driver settings you make apply to all your applications. See “From the Start menu” on page 36 for more information.
2. Make sure your printer is selected in the Name drop-down list: 3. Click Printer, Setup, Properties, or Options. (The button you click depends on your application and you may need to click a combination of these buttons.) The Properties window appears: Windows 98 or Me Windows 2000, XP, or NT 4.0 4. To view a menu, click the corresponding tab at the top of the window. See “Changing the Printer Driver Settings” on page 38 for more information.
From the Start menu Follow these steps to access the printer driver from the Start menu: 1. For Windows 98, Me, 2000, or NT, click Start > Settings > Printers. For Windows XP Professional, click Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes. For Windows XP Home Edition, click Start > Printers and Faxes. 2. In Windows 98 or Me, right-click your printer icon and click Properties. The screen displays the Properties window: .
In Windows 2000 or XP, right-click your printer icon and click Printing Preferences. In Windows NT, right-click the icon and select Document Defaults. You see the Document Properties window: In Windows 2000, XP, or NT, you can also click Properties to display the Properties window: 3. To view a menu, click the corresponding tab at the top. See “Changing the Printer Driver Settings” on page 38 for more information.
Changing the Printer Driver Settings The following table shows the printer driver settings. Note that not every setting is available in all versions of Windows. 38 Setting Explanation Paper Size Select the paper size you want to use. If you don’t see your paper size, use the scroll bar to scroll through the list. If your paper size is not included in the list, see “Defining a custom paper size” on page 40. Orientation Select Portrait or Landscape.
Setting Explanation Printer Font Setting Select a character table group to use: Standard, Expanded, and None (Bit Image printing). When Standard or Expanded is selected, the printer uses the device fonts. Expanded includes more fonts than Standard. When None is selected, the printer uses bit map images instead of the device fonts. For details on the fonts included in each table, see page 113.
Defining a custom paper size If your paper is not included in the Paper Size drop-down list, you can add the size to the list. For Windows 98 and Me: Click Custom or User Defined Size and enter the paper size in the window that appears. For Windows 2000, XP, and NT 4.0: 1. For Windows 2000 or NT, click Start > Settings > Printers. For Windows XP Professional, click Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes. For Windows XP Home Edition, click Start > Printers and Faxes. 2. Click the EPSON LX-300+II ESC/P icon.
Monitoring settings Setting Explanation EPSON Status Monitor 3 You can access EPSON Status Monitor 3 when you click this button. To monitor the printer, make sure the Monitor the printing status check box is selected. Monitoring Preferences Click this button to open the Monitoring Preferences window, where you can make settings for EPSON Status Monitor 3. See “Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3” on page 42 for more information.
Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3 Follow these steps to set up Status Monitor 3: 1. Open the printer driver and select the Utility menu. 2. Click the Monitoring Preferences button.
3. The following settings are available: Setting Explanation Select Notification Click on the Error and Communication Error check boxes to turn notification on or off. Select Shortcut Icon The selected icon is displayed on the taskbar (shown in the example box). Click the Shortcut Icon check box for easy access to the Monitoring Preferences window. Receive error notification for shared printers When this box is checked, you’ll receive notification of an error on a shared printer.
Installing EPSON Status Monitor 3 If you need to install Status Monitor 3, you can either download it from Epson’s web site; or if you have the Printer Software CD-ROM, you can follow these steps: 1. Make sure the printer is off and Windows is running on your computer. 2. Insert the Printer Software CD-ROM in the CD-ROM or DVD drive. After a moment, you see the EPSON Installation Program screen. 3. Close the Installation Program window. 4. Open the CD-ROM folder and double-click the ENGLISH folder. 5.
Setting Up Your Printer on a Network If the printer will be shared over a standard Windows network, follow the instructions in this section to set up the printer server and client computers. The computer that is directly connected to the printer is the printer server, and the other computers are the clients which need permission to share the printer with the printer server.
Windows 98 or Me Follow these steps to set up the printer server in Windows 98 or Me: 1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Network icon. 3. Click the File and Print Sharing button on the Configuration menu. 4. Select the I want to be able to allow others to print to my printer(s) check box, then click OK. 5. Click OK to accept the settings. 6. When prompted, restart the computer and continue with the settings. 7. Select Printers from the Control Panel menu. 8.
Note: ❏ Do not use spaces or hyphens for the share name, or an error may occur. ❏ When sharing the printer, be sure to set EPSON Status Monitor 3 so that the shared printer can be monitored on the server. See “Setting up EPSON Status Monitor 3” on page 42. 10. Follow the instructions on page 49 to set up the client computers so they can use the printer on a network. Windows 2000, XP, or NT 4.0 Follow the steps below to set up the printer server in Windows 2000, XP, or NT.
If you see the following message in Windows XP, click either Network Setup Wizard or If you understand the security risks but want to share printers without running the wizard, click here. In either case, follow the on-screen instructions. 3. In Windows 2000, select Shared as. In Windows NT, select Shared. Then type the name in the Share name box and click OK.
In Windows XP, select Share this printer, then type the name in the Share name box and click OK. Note: Do not use spaces or hyphens for the share name. Follow the instructions on page 49 to set up the client computers so they can use the printer on a network. Setting up the clients This section describes how to install the printer driver on the client computers by accessing the shared printer on a network. Follow the instructions for your operating system: ❏ Windows 98 or Me: see page 50.
Note: ❏ This section describes how to access the shared printer on a standard network system using the server (Microsoft workgroup). If you cannot access the shared printer due to the network system, ask your network administrator for assistance. ❏ This section describes how to install the printer driver by accessing the shared printer from the Printers folder. You can also access the shared printer from Network Neighborhood or My Network on the Windows desktop.
5. Click the computer or server that is connected to the shared printer, and the name of the shared printer. Then click OK. Note: The name of the shared printer may be changed by the computer or server it is connected to. If you’re not sure about the shared printer’s name, ask the network administrator. 6. Click Next. If the printer driver was installed on the client previously, you need to select the new printer driver or the current printer driver when you are prompted.
Note: You can change the shared printer’s name so that it appears only on the client computer. Windows 2000 or XP Follow the steps below to set up clients in Windows 2000 or XP. Note: You can install the driver of the shared printer if you have Power Users or more powerful access rights, even if you are not the Administrator. 1. For Windows 2000 clients, click Start > Settings > Printers. For Windows XP Professional clients, click Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes.
3. Select Network printer (for Windows 2000) or A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer (for Windows XP), then click Next. 4. For Windows 2000, select Type the printer name, or click Next to browse for a printer, then click Next. Note: You can also type the shared printer’s name or network path in the Name box, such as “\\(the name of the computer that is locally connected to the shared printer)\(the shared printer’s name).” For Windows XP, select Browse for a printer, then click Next.
5. Click the icon of the computer or server that is connected to the shared printer, and the name of the shared printer. Then click Next. Note: ❏ The name of the shared printer may be changed by the computer or server that is connected to the shared printer. To check the name of the shared printer, ask the network administrator. ❏ If the printer driver was installed on the client previously, you need to select either the new printer driver or the current printer driver when prompted.
6. For Windows 2000, select whether to use the printer as the default printer, then click OK. For Windows XP, if another driver is already installed, select whether to use the printer as the default printer, then click OK. 7. Check the settings, then click Finish. . Windows NT 4.0 Follow the steps below to set up Windows NT 4.0 clients. Note: You can install the driver of the shared printer if you have Power Users or more powerful access rights, even if you are not the Administrator. 1.
4. Click the icon of the computer or server that is connected to the shared printer and the name of the shared printer. Then click OK. Note: ❏ You can also type “\\(the name of the computer that is locally connected to the shared printer)\(the shared printer’s name)” in Network path or queue name. ❏ The name of the shared printer may be changed by the computer or server that is connected to it. To check the name of the shared printer, ask the network administrator.
Installing the printer driver from the CD-ROM This section describes how to install the printer driver on the clients when the server and clients use different operating systems. Note: When installing on Windows 2000, XP, or NT clients, you must access Windows as the Administrator. 1. Access the shared printer. When you see the prompt, click OK, and follow the on-screen instructions to install the printer driver from the CD-ROM. 2. Insert the CD-ROM.
The folder name depends on which operating system is being used. Client’s OS Folder Name Windows 98 \\WIN98 Windows Me \\WINME Windows 2000 or XP \\WIN2000 Windows NT 4.0 \\WINNT40 3. Select the name of the printer, and click OK. Then follow the on-screen instructions. Note: If you also want to install EPSON Status Monitor 3, see page 44 for instructions. Canceling Printing If you need to cancel a print job, follow these steps: 1.
To cancel printing of all documents, select Purge Print Documents (Windows 98 or Me) or Cancel All Documents (Windows 2000, XP, or NT) on the Printer menu. Uninstalling the Printer Software If you need to reinstall or upgrade the printer driver, first uninstall the current printer driver. Uninstalling the printer driver and EPSON Status Monitor 3 1. Quit all applications. 2. Click Start > Control Panel or Start > Settings > Control Panel. 3. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
4. Select EPSON Printer Software, and click Add/Remove or Change/Remove. 1 2 5. On the Printer Model tab, select the LX-300+II icon, and click OK.
6. If you need to uninstall Monitored Printers, click Yes in the displayed dialog box. Note: You can uninstall only the Monitored Printers utility of EPSON Status Monitor 3. When the utility is uninstalled, you cannot change the setting of Monitored Printers from Status Monitor 3. 7. If you want to uninstall EPSON Status Monitor 3, click Yes in the window that appears. 8. Follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Select EPSON USB Printer Devices, and click Add/Remove. 1 2 Note: ❏ EPSON USB Printer Devices appears only in Windows 98 or Me when the printer is connected to the computer with a USB interface cable. ❏ If the USB device driver is not installed correctly, EPSON USB Printer Devices may not appear. In this case, you need to run the “Epusbun.exe” file on the CD-ROM. Insert the Printer Software CD-ROM, access the CD-ROM drive, and open the \\WIN98 or \ \WINME folder.
Chapter 3 Using the Control Panel The buttons and lights on the control panel let you: ❏ Adjust line and form feeding ❏ Load and eject paper ❏ Select a built-in font ❏ Change the printer’s default settings Control Panel Buttons and Lights 1 6 7 2 3 4 5 1 Tear Off (Font) lights Flash when continuous paper is in the tear-off position; otherwise, the lights indicate the selected font.
2 Tear Off (Font) button ❏ Advances continuous paper to the tear-off position. ❏ Feeds continuous paper backward from the tear-off position to the top-of-form position. ❏ In Micro Adjust mode, selects one of the six built-in fonts. 3 LF/FF button ❏ Feeds paper line by line when pressed and released. ❏ Ejects a single sheet or advances continuous paper to the next top-of-form position when held down. ❏ In Micro Adjust mode, adjusts the top-of-form and tearoff position.
6 Paper Out light ❏ On when no paper is loaded in the selected paper source or when paper is not loaded correctly. ❏ Flashes when paper has not been fully ejected or a paper jam has occurred. 7 Pause light ❏ On when the printer is paused. ❏ Flashes when the printer is in Micro Adjust mode. ❏ Flashes when the print head has overheated. Selecting a built-in font Usually you use your software application to select the font you want to use in a document.
Follow these steps to use the control panel to select a built-in font: 1. Make sure the printer is on but not printing. If it is, wait until it stops. 2. Hold down the Pause button for three seconds to enter Micro Adjust mode. The Pause light begins to flash and the two Tear Off (Font) lights show the current font selection. 3. Press the Tear Off (Font) button repeatedly to cycle through the fonts, and stop when the lights on the control panel indicate the font you want.
Changing the Default Settings The default settings control many printer functions. While you can often set these functions through your software or printer driver, you may sometimes need to change a default setting from the printer’s control panel using the Default Setting mode. The following table lists the default settings and the options you can select in Default Setting mode. The settings are explained in detail after the table. For instructions on using Default Setting mode, see page 72.
Settings Options Character table Standard model: Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 860, PC 863, PC 865, PC 861, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15 All other models: Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 437 Greek, PC 853, PC 855, PC 852, PC 857, PC 866, PC 869, MAZOWIA, Code MJK, ISO 8859-7, ISO Latin 1T, Bulgaria, PC 774, Estonia, ISO 8859-2, PC 866 LAT, PC 866 UKR, PC APTEC, PC 708, PC 720, PC AR864, PC 860, PC 863, PC 865, PC 861, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15, PC
Auto tear off When Auto tear off is on and you are using continuous paper with the push tractor, the printer automatically advances the paper perforation to the tear-off position, where you can easily tear off the printed pages. When the printer receives the next print job, it automatically moves the unused paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing, so you can use all of the next page.
High speed draft When you choose On for High speed draft, the printer prints up to 300 cps (characters per second) at 10 cpi (characters per inch). When you choose Off, the printer prints up to 225 cps at 10 cpi. I/F (interface) mode The printer comes with three kinds of interfaces; parallel, serial, and USB. If your printer is connected to only one computer, choose Parallel, Serial, or USB for the interface mode, depending on the interface you use.
Data length Set the data length of the serial interface to 7 bit or 8 bit. See your computer manual and software documentation for the proper setting. Parallel I/F bidirectional mode The parallel interface bidirectional transfer mode is used when this feature is turned on. If bidirectional transfer mode is unnecessary, turn this off. Packet mode Select Auto for Packet mode to print from Windows applications using the printer driver included in the software CD-ROM that comes with the printer.
Buzzer (beeper) The printer beeps when an error occurs. (See “Using the error indicators” on page 77 for more information on printer errors.) If you do not want the printer to beep when an error occurs, turn this setting off. Auto CR (carriage return) This setting is available only in IBM 2380 Plus emulation mode. When Auto CR is on, each line feed (LF) code or ESC J code is accompanied by a carriage return code. This moves the print position to the beginning of the next line.
2. Hold down the Tear Off (Font) button and then turn on the printer. The printer enters Default Setting mode and prints instructions for selecting the language. The current language is indicated by which control panel lights are on. (For English, only the Pause light is on.) 3. If you want a different language, press the LF/FF button until the lights show the language you want. 4. Press the Tear Off (Font) button to print a list of all the current settings. 5.
Chapter 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting This chapter explains how to clean and transport the printer, and provides basic troubleshooting information. Cleaning the Printer To keep your printer operating at its best, you should clean it thoroughly several times a year. Follow these steps: 1. Remove any paper loaded in the printer and turn it off. 2. Remove the paper guide. If a pull tractor or an optional cutsheet feeder is installed, remove it. 3.
c Caution: ❏ Never use alcohols or thinners to clean the printer; these chemicals can damage the printer components and the case. ❏ Be careful not to get water onto the printer mechanism or electronic components. ❏ Do not use a hard or abrasive brush. ❏ Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants; unsuitable lubricants can damage the printer mechanism.
4. Make sure the tractor that comes with your printer is installed in the push position. 5. If an additional pull tractor is installed, remove it. If any options are installed, remove them and pack them in their original boxes. 6. Make sure the print head is not hot. Then remove the ribbon cartridge. 7. Repack the printer and all the other items in their original packing materials and place them in the printer’s original box.
Using the error indicators If your printer stops working and one or more control panel lights are on or flashing or the printer beeps, use the following table to diagnose and fix the problem. If you cannot fix your problem using this table, go to the next section. Panel light state Beep pattern Problem Solution n Pause – The printer is paused. Press the Pause button to resume printing. ••• Paper from another paper source is currently in the paper path.
Panel light state Beep pattern Problem Solution f Paper Out n Pause ••• Continuous paper is not fed back to the standby position. Tear off the printed document at the perforation; then press the Load/Eject button. The printer feeds the paper to the standby position. Press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary. ••• A single sheet of paper is not fully ejected. Press the Load/Eject button to eject the sheet. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.
Problems and solutions Most problems you may encounter while operating your printer have simple solutions. You can check the operation of your printer using the self test. (See page 94.) If the self test works properly the problem is probably caused by the computer, the application software, or the interface cable. If the self test does not work, see “Where To Get Help” on page 96.
The lights come on briefly and then go off. The lights stay off even when the power is turned on again. Cause What to do The voltage ratings of the printer and electrical outlet may not match. Check that the printer’s voltage rating matches the voltage of your electrical outlet. If the voltages do not match, unplug the printer and contact your dealer immediately. Do not reconnect the power cord to an electrical outlet. Printing The printer does not print The PAUSE light is off but nothing is printed.
The Paper Out and Pause lights are on and the printer beeps three times. Cause What to do No paper is loaded. Load paper in the printer. The printer sounds like it is printing, but nothing is printed. Cause What to do The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly or the ribbon may be worn out. See “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 105. The printer makes a strange noise, beeps five times, and stops printing abruptly. Cause What to do The paper or ribbon may be jammed.
The print is faint or uneven Parts of printed characters are missing at the bottom. Cause What to do The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See “Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 105. The printout is faint. Cause What to do The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge as described on page 105. Dots are missing in printed characters or graphics A line of dots is missing in the printout. Cause What to do The print head is damaged.
Printed characters are not what you expected The typestyles or characters you sent with your software did not print. Cause What to do The software may not be properly configured. Check that the software is correctly configured for your printer. The font selected on the control panel does not print. Cause What to do Your software may be overriding your control panel setting. Check the font setting in your application software.
The printer’s page length setting may not match the size of the continuous paper you are using. Check the Page length for tractor setting in Default Setting mode. See page 68. Regular gaps occur in the printout. Cause What to do One-inch skip-overperforation may be set. Set skip-over-perforation to Off in Default Setting mode. See page 67. Paper Handling Single sheets do not feed properly Paper does not feed. Cause What to do Continuous paper may be left in the printer. Remove the continuous paper.
Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. Cause What to do The paper was not fed correctly or is the wrong type. Turn off the printer and pull out the paper. Insert a new sheet straight into the paper guide. Make sure you’re using the right type of paper. See the paper specifications on page 115. Paper does not eject completely. Cause What to do The paper may be too long. Press the LF/FF button to eject the page. Use paper that is within the specified range.
Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. Cause What to do The paper supply is obstructed. Make sure the paper supply is not obstructed by a cable or some other object. The paper supply is too far away from the printer. Make sure that your paper supply is within 3 feet (1 meter) of the printer. The printer cover may be opened. Close the printer cover. The edge guide positions may be incorrect. Position the edge guides at the diamondshaped guide marks.
When you switch between single sheets and continuous paper, the printer beeps three times and the PAUSE light comes on. Cause What to do You may have tried to change the paper release lever position while paper remained in the printer. Return the paper release lever to the previous position and eject the paper. Then change the paper release lever position. Options When you use the cut-sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly The paper does not feed.
Two or more sheets feed at one time. Cause What to do You may have loaded too many sheets in the bin. Remove some sheets. You may not have fanned the stack of paper before loading it into the bin. Remove the paper, fan the stack to separate the sheets, and reload it in the bin. The paper feeds in crooked. Cause What to do The right and left paper guides are too far apart. Position the paper guides to match the width of your paper. The paper may be old or creased.
Switching between the cut-sheet feeder and the push tractor does not work properly The desired paper type does not load. Cause What to do The paper release lever may not be in the proper position. Pull the lever forward to load continuous paper or push the lever back to load single sheets. Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed properly Paper is feeding crooked or jams. Cause What to do The pull tractor and push tractor sprockets are not aligned correctly.
Correcting USB Problems If you are having difficulty using your printer with a USB connection, read the information in this section. Make sure that your computer is a Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP pre-installed model Your computer must be a Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP preinstalled model. You may not be able to install or run the USB printer driver on a computer that is not equipped with a USB port or that has been upgraded from Windows 95 to Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP.
If your drivers are correctly installed, EPSON USB Printer Devices should appear on the Device Manager menu. If EPSON USB Printer Devices does not appear on the Device Manager menu, click the plus (+) sign beside Other devices to view the installed devices. If USB Printer appears under Other devices, the USB printer device driver is not installed correctly. If EPSON LX-300+II appears, the printer driver is not installed correctly.
If USB Printer or EPSON LX-300+II does not appear under Other devices, click Refresh or unplug the USB cable from the printer, then plug it into the printer again. 4. Under Other devices, select USB Printer or EPSON LX-300+II and click Remove. Then, click OK. 5. When you see the following window, click OK. Then click OK again to close the System Properties dialog box.
6. Turn off the printer and restart your computer. Then reinstall the drivers from the beginning, following the instructions in the User’s Guide. Printer does not work correctly with the USB cable If your printer does not work correctly with the USB cable, try one or more of these solutions: ❏ Make sure that the cable you are using is a standard, shielded USB cable. ❏ If you are using a USB hub, connect the printer to the first tier of the hub, or connect the printer directly to the computer’s USB port.
3. Gently remove any paper inside the printer, including any torn pieces. You can use the knob on the right side of the printer to help feed the paper out. c Caution: Use the paper feed knob to clear paper jams only when the printer is off. Otherwise, you may damage the printer or change the top-of-form or tear-off position. 4. Replace the printer cover and paper guide, and turn on the printer. Make sure the Paper Out light is not flashing and the Pause light is off.
Follow these steps to perform a self test: 1. Turn off the printer and load continuous or single-sheet paper in the printer. 2. Set the paper release lever to the correct position. w Caution: Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five seconds before turning it back on; otherwise you may damage the printer. 3. While holding down the LF/FF button or Load/Eject button, turn on the printer.
Where To Get Help If your Epson printer is not operating properly and you cannot solve the problem using the troubleshooting information, see the support information below. Internet support Visit Epson’s support website at http://support.epson.com and select your printer for solutions to common problems. You can download drivers and documentation, get FAQs and troubleshooting advice, or e-mail Epson with your questions.
Then call: ❏ U.S.: (562) 276-4322, 6 AM to 6 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. ❏ Canada: (905) 709-2170, 6 AM to 6 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Toll or long distance charges may apply. Purchase supplies and accessories You can purchase ribbon cartridges and other accessories from an Epson authorized reseller. To find the nearest reseller, call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). Or you can purchase online at www.epsonstore.com (U.S. sales) or www.epson.ca (Canada sales).
Chapter 5 Options and Consumables The following options are available for your LX-300+II: ❏ Single-bin cut-sheet feeder (C806371) ❏ Additional tractor (C800301) ❏ Roll paper holder (#8310) ❏ Black ribbon cartridge (#8750) Cut-sheet Feeder The optional single-bin cut-sheet feeder (C806371) handles up to 50 sheets of standard bond paper (22 lb or 82 g/m²) without reloading. Follow these steps to install the cut-sheet feeder: 1. Make sure the printer is turned off.
4. Hold the cut-sheet feeder with both hands and press on the latch levers. Fit the notches in the cut-sheet feeder over the mounting posts on the printer. Releasing the latch levers locks the cut-sheet feeder in place. 5. Slide the left paper guide so it is aligned with the triangle mark. Then slide the right paper guide to roughly match the width of your paper. Slide the paper support midway between the paper guides.
6. Pull the paper set levers all the way forward until the paper guides retract and lock open to allow for paper loading. 7. Take a stack of paper and fan it. Then tap the side and bottom of the paper on a flat surface to even up the stack. w Caution: Do not use envelopes, multipart forms, carbon paper, or labels in the cut-sheet feeder. 8. Insert up to 50 sheets of paper along the left paper guide. 9. Adjust the position of the right paper guide so that it matches your paper’s width.
12. Attach the paper guide to the cut-sheet feeder as shown below. Release tab 13. Slide the left edge guide to the center until it stops at the guide mark. Then slide the right edge guide to fit the size of paper you will use. Note: ❏ To remove the paper guide from the cut-sheet feeder, press both release tabs and pull out the paper guide. ❏ Make sure the printer cover is open when you print. You can easily switch between continuous paper and cut-sheet feeder paper.
Optional Tractor You can purchase an additional tractor (C800301) and improve the performance of continuous paper handling by using two tractors at the same time. This is especially useful with continuous pre-printed forms and multipart forms. Follow these steps to install and load paper on the standard and optional tractor: 1. Turn off the printer. 2. Remove the printer cover and paper guide. 3. Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous-paper position. 4.
8. Turn on the printer. Then hold down the LF/FF button to feed one page. 9. Release the sprocket lock levers on the pull tractor and adjust the sprockets to match the width of the paper you are using. Make sure the sprockets on both tractors are aligned so that the paper is not crooked. 10. Open the sprocket covers. Fit the holes of the paper over the tractor pins and adjust the sprockets as necessary. Close the sprocket covers. 11.
Roll Paper Holder The optional roll paper holder (#8310) allows you to use your printer with 8.5 inch (216 mm) roll paper. Follow these steps to install and use the roll paper holder: 1. Turn off the printer and remove the paper guide. 2. Position the roll paper holder beneath the printer as shown below. Fit the two holes in the base onto the two positioning pegs on the bottom of the printer. w Caution: Be careful to avoid dropping the roll paper holder when lifting the printer.
5. Set the shaft and paper roll onto the roll paper holder. Orient the roll so that paper feeds from the bottom of the roll. Then turn on the printer. 6. Bring the leading edge of the paper up over the paper path guide for single sheets and insert it into the printer path for single sheets until you feel resistance. 7. Install the paper guide. Slide the left edge guide to the center until it stops at the guide mark. Then slide the right edge guide to the opposite guide mark.
Follow these steps to install or replace the ribbon cartridge: 1. Make sure the printer is turned off. w Warning: If you have just used the printer, the print head may be hot; let it cool for a few minutes before replacing the ribbon cartridge. 2. Open the printer cover to the upright position, then pull it up to remove it. 3. Make sure the print head is in the middle of the printer. (If not, make sure it is not hot, then use your hand to slide it to the middle.) 4.
6. Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then press both sides of the cartridge firmly to fit the plastic hooks into the printer slots. 7. Use a pointed object, such as a ball point pen, to guide the ribbon between the print head and ribbon guide.
8. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to help feed the ribbon into place; it should not be twisted or creased. 9. Replace and close the printer cover.
Chapter 6 Product Information This chapter identifies the printer parts and contains detailed specifications. Printer Parts b a c h d g e f a. edge guides e. knob b. paper supports f. control panel c. paper guide g. printer cover d. paper release lever h.
b c a d e j 110 i h g f a. serial interface b. ribbon cartridge c. paper thickness lever d. paper tension unit e. power switch f. power cord g. USB cable holder h. tractor i. USB interface j.
Specifications Mechanical Printing method: 9-pin impact dot matrix Printing speed: High speed draft 300 cps at 10 cpi 337 cps at 12 cpi 337 cps at 15 cpi High speed draft 321 cps at 17 cpi condensed 300 cps at 20 cpi Draft 225 cps at 10 cpi 270 cps at 12 cpi 225 cps at 15 cpi Draft condensed 191 cps at 17 cpi 225 cps at 20 cpi Draft emphasized 112 cps at 10 cpi NLQ 56 cps at 10 cpi 67 cps at 12 cpi 56 cps at 15 cpi 47 cps at 17 cpi 56 cps at 20 cpi Printing direction: Bidirectional logic seeking f
Feeding method: Friction feed (rear paper entry) Push tractor feed (rear paper entry) Push and Pull tractor feed (rear paper entry) Pull tractor feed (rear paper entry) Feeder: Rear push tractor Cut-sheet feeder (optional) Pull tractor unit (optional) Roll paper holder (optional) Paper feed speed: Continuous 3.
Electronic Interfaces: One standard bidirectional, 8-bit, parallel interface with IEEE-1284 nibble mode support, one EIA-232D serial interface, and one USB (ver1.
Character tables: One Italic and 12 graphical character tables: Italic table, PC 437 (US, Standard Europe), PC 850 (Multilingual), PC 860 (Portuguese), PC 861 (Icelandic), PC 865 (Nordic), PC 863 (French-Canadian), BRASCII, Abicomp, ISO Latin 1, Roman 8, PC 858, ISO 8859-15 The following 26 graphical character tables are also available in some countries: PC 437 Greek, PC 852 (Eastern Europe), PC 853 (Turkish), PC 855 (Cyrillic), PC 857 (Turkish), PC 866 (Russian), PC 869 (Greek), MAZOWIA (Poland), Code MJK
Electrical 120 V Model Input voltage range 220 to 240 V Model AC 99 to 132 V AC 198 to 264 V Rated frequency range 50 to 60 Hz Input frequency range 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 0.3 A (maximum 0.7 A depending on the character type) Rated current 0.6 A (maximum 1.4 A depending on the character type) Power consumption Approx.
Single sheets (standard): paper guide and cut-sheet feeder entry Width Paper guide: 3.9 to 10.1 inches (100 to 257 mm) Cut-sheet feeder: 7.2 to 8.5 inches (182 to 216 mm) Length Paper guide: 3.9 to 14.3 inches (100 to 364 mm) Cut-sheet feeder: 10.1 to 14.0 inches (257 to 356 mm) Thickness Paper guide: 0.0025 to 0.0055 inch (0.065 to 0.14 mm) Cut-sheet feeder: 0.0028 to 0.0055 inch (0.07 to 0.
Envelopes: paper guide entry Size No. 6: 6.5 × 3.6 inches (165 × 92 mm) No. 10: 9.5 × 4.1 inches (241 × 105 mm) Thickness 0.0063 to 0.0205 inch (0.16 to 0.52 mm) Weight 12 to 24 lb (45 to 90 g/m²) Continuous paper (standard and multipart): rear and bottom entry Width 4.0 to 10.0 inches (101.6 to 254 mm) Length (one page) 4.0 to 22.0 inches (101.6 to 558.8 mm) Copies 1 original + up to 4 copies Thickness 0.0025 to 0.015 inch (0.065 to 0.39 mm) Gathering area up to 0.035 inch (0.
Labels: bottom entry Label size 15/16 × 2.5 inches (23.8 × 63.5 mm) minimum 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) corner radius, minimum Backing sheet width 4.0 to 10.0 inches (101.6 to 254 mm) Backing sheet length 4.0 to 22.0 inches (101.6 to 558.8 mm) Backing sheet thickness 0.0028 to 0.0035 inch (0.07 to 0.09 mm) Total thickness 0.0063 to 0.0075 inch (0.16 to 0.19 mm) Label weight 17 lb (64 g/m²) Roll paper: rear entry with optional roll paper holder 118 Width 8.5 inches (216 mm) Thickness 0.0028 to 0.
Printable area Single sheets and envelopes: A The minimum top margin is 0.17 inch (4.2 mm). B The minimum left and right margins are 0.12 inch (3.0 mm). For single sheets the maximum paper width is 10.1 inches (257 mm). The maximum printable width is 8.0 inches (203.2 mm). If the paper size is substantially wider than this, the side margins will be wider than the minimum, but the printable width does not increase beyond 8.0 inches (203.2 mm). C The minimum bottom margin is 0.17 inch (4.2 mm).
Continuous paper A The minimum top and bottom margins above and below the perforation are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm) each. B The minimum left and right margins are 0.51 inch (13 mm) each. The maximum paper width is 10.0 inches (254 mm). The maximum printable width is 8.0 inches (203.2 mm). If the paper size is substantially wider than this, the side margins will be wider than the minimum, but the printable width does not increase beyond 8.0 inches (203.2 mm).
Roll paper: A The minimum top margin is 0.17 inch (4.2 mm). B The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm). The minimum right margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm). The maximum printable width is 8.0 inches (203.2 mm). Paper alignment Printing starts at “0” on the scale. The unprintable area is to the left of the “0.
Command Lists Your printer supports the Epson ESC/P control codes and IBM 2380 Plus emulation control codes listed below. EPSON ESC/P control codes Selecting an Epson ESC/P printer in your software allows you to use advanced fonts and graphics.
Spacing: ESC Space Character handling: ESC t, ESC (t, ESC R, ESC %, ESC &, ESC :, ESC I, ESC 6, ESC 7 Bit image: ESC K, ESC L, ESC Y, ESC Z, ESC *, ESC ^ Bar code: ESC (B IBM 2380 Plus emulation control codes This printer emulates the IBM Proprinter using the commands below. For detailed information, see the IBM 2380 Plus reference manual.
Print position motion: ESC d, ESC R, ESC D, HT, ESC B, VT, ESC J Font selection: DC2, ESC P, ESC :, ESC E, ESC F, ESC I, ESC [d, ESC [I Font enhancement: DC4, SO, ESC SO, ESC W, ESC [ @, SI, ESC SI, ESC G, ESC H, ESC T, ESC S, ESC -, ESC _ Spacing: BS, SP Character handling: ESC 6, ESC 7, ESC [T, ESC ^, ESC \ Bit image: ESC K, ESC L, ESC Y, ESC Z Bar code: ESC [f, ESC [p Download: ESC = (only Draft mode) 124 Product Information
Standards and approvals Safety approvals 120 V version: Safety standards UL60950 CSA60950 EMI FCC part 15 subpart B Class B CAN/CSA - CEI/IEC CISPR22 class B 230 V version: Safety standards EN60950 EMI AS/NZS CISPR22 class B EMC EN55022 class B EN61000-3-2 EN61000-3-3 EN55024 CE marking 230 V version: Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC EN60950 EMC Directive 89/336/EEC EN55022 class B EN61000-3-2 EN61000-3-3 EN55024 Product Information 125
Index A Accessing printer driver, 34 to 37 Accessories, 97 Accoustic noise, 112 Additional tractor, 98, 102 to 103, 112 Adjusting paper thickness lever, 29 to 30 tear-off position, 25 to 26 top-of-form position, 22 to 23 Auto CR, 68, 72 I/F wait time, 67, 70 line feed, 67, 69 tear-off, 14, 24, 67, 69 B Baud rate, 67, 70 Bidirectional mode, 67, 71 printing, 69 Built-in fonts, 65 to 66, 113 to 114 Buttons, control panel, 63 to 66 Buzzer, 68, 72 C Canceling printing, 58 to 59 Changing default settings, 67 to
H P Help, EPSON, 96 to 97 High speed draft, 67, 70 Hot parts caution symbol, 7 Packet mode, 67, 71 Page length for tractor, 67 to 68, 84 Paper feed knob, 109 feed speed, 112 guide, 14, 109 handling, 11 to 32 jam, clearing, 93 to 94 loading, 11 to 32 loading on the pull tractor, 19 to 21 loading on the push tractor, 11 to 14 problems, 84 to 87 release lever, 12, 17, 27, 109 single sheets, 26 to 28 specifications, 115 to 121 supports, 109 tension unit, 17, 110 thickness lever, 29 to 30, 110 Parallel I/F mo
Printing canceling, 58 to 59 envelopes, 29 to 30, 32 labels, 29 to 32 multipart forms, 29 to 31 on continuous paper, 11 to 26 on single sheets, 26 to 28 on special paper, 29 to 32 problems, 80 to 84 self test, 94 to 95 Problems options, 87 to 89 paper handling, 84 to 87 power supply, 79 to 80 printing, 80 to 84 solving, 76 to 95 USB, 90 to 93 Pull tractor additional, 98, 102 to 103, 112 installing, 18 printing with, 11, 17 to 21 Push tractor printing with, 11 to 16 removing, 17 to 18 R Resolution, 111 Rest
U Unidirectional (Uni-d) printing, 69 Uninstalling printer software, 59 to 61 USB device driver, 61 to 62 USB cable, 93 cable holder, 110 device driver, uninstalling, 61 to 62 interface, 67, 70, 110 problems, 90 to 93 Z Zero slash, 67, 69 Index 129