CPD 8882-R1
basics.book Page i Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Printer Basics Printed on recycled paper with at least 10% post-consumer content.
basics.book Page ii Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Copyright Notice All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The information contained herein is designed only for use with this EPSON printer.
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basics.book Page 1 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Welcome! Your EPSON Stylus® COLOR 660 printer is the ideal output device for small office or home printing. You can print anything from reports and resumes to photos and greeting cards with great results.
basics.book Page 2 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM About Your Software The printer software CD-ROM includes all the software you need for printing: ■ Your printer driver runs your printer and lets you control how your documents look. You can’t use your printer without it.
basics.book Page 3 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM About Your Documentation To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here card.
basics.book Page 4 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM System Requirements To use your printer and its software, your system should have: ■ An IBM® compatible PC with at least a 486/66 MHz (for Windows® 98) or 486/25 MHz (for Windows 95 or Windows NT® 4.0) processor (Pentium® processor recommended) ■ Microsoft® Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0 ■ At least 16MB of RAM (32MB for Windows 95 or 98, or 64MB for Windows NT 4.
basics.book Page 5 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Year 2000 Ready Your EPSON printer is Year 2000 Ready. However, be sure the other parts of your computer system are also ready for the year 2000. Important Safety Instructions Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure you use the printer safely and effectively: ■ Be sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer. ■ Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning.
basics.book Page 6 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM ■ If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the total ampere rating of the devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating. Also, make sure the total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlet’s ampere rating. ■ Except as specifically explained in this manual, do not attempt to service the printer yourself.
basics.book Page 7 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual Your printer software CD-ROM includes an electronic EPSON Stylus COLOR 660 Reference Guide. The manual is in HTML format so you need a browser—such as Internet Explorer 3.0 or later or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later—to view it. If you are using a different browser, the pages may not display correctly. (Browsers are not included on the printer software CD-ROM.
basics.book Page 8 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 3. Click View Electronic Documentation. The following screen appears: 4. You can either view the manual from the CD-ROM (View Reference Guide) or copy the manual to your hard drive (Install Reference Guide) and view it from there. If you copy the manual to your hard drive, you can access it at any time by clicking Start, Programs, EPSON, and selecting ESC 660 Manual. For guidelines on viewing the manual, see the next section.
basics.book Page 9 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM After expanding the table of contents, you can click on the topic you want to view. Expanded table of contents; click here to go to a topic Click the right arrow to view subtopics. Click on a topic to go to it or click the down arrow to close the list.
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basics.book Page 11 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Printing from Start to Finish Here’s what you need to do to print a basic document—such as a memo, newsletter, or photograph—from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling print jobs. Follow the step-by-step instructions in this chapter. You can even practice selecting settings using the EPSON Guided Printing Exercise, as described below.
basics.book Page 12 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Printing with Windows This section describes these basic printing steps: ■ loading paper ■ opening the printer software ■ changing settings ■ controlling printing Loading Paper Make sure your printer and computer are turned on. Place your paper against the right edge guide and slide the left edge guide against the paper’s left edge.
basics.book Page 13 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Opening the Printer Software After you create your document and load your paper, you’re ready to change your printer driver settings. Make sure the document you want to print is open and then, from the File menu, click Print. You see the Print dialog box for your application (your Print dialog box may look slightly different): Select your printer here. Click here to get to the next dialog box.
basics.book Page 14 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Selecting Your Printer Software Settings The most important thing to remember is to set the correct Media Type for the paper you are using. The Media Type setting affects the other options you can choose in your printer driver. You can select the Media Type setting on the printer Properties dialog box. If necessary, click the Main tab to display the settings shown below: Make sure this setting matches the paper you loaded (see page 26).
basics.book Page 15 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM ■ Set the Mode option to Automatic. This lets the printer software determine the best settings for your print job. It’s the easiest way to get good printing results on all types of paper. ■ Set the slider in the Mode box to Quality or Speed. This lets you choose between a higher resolution or faster printing for the media you’re using. (The slider is not available when certain media types are selected.
basics.book Page 16 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Controlling Printing Click OK to return to your application’s Print dialog box, shown below. click OK to start printing Click OK (or Print, depending on your application) to start printing. After a moment, the Progress Meter appears and shows the progress of your print job. You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart your print job. You can also see how much ink you have left and view printing tips.
basics.book Page 17 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM For more information on printing—for example, previewing your printout, changing the paper size, or adding a watermark—see the electronic EPSON Stylus COLOR 660 Reference Guide. See page 7 for instructions on viewing the manual. Printing Photographs The printer driver includes PhotoEnhance™ options that can increase brightness and contrast to improve the appearance of low-resolution images. You can also add special effects such as Soft Focus.
basics.book Page 18 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 7. For more fine tuning, click Standard. You see a list of specialized settings for photographs. Select the setting that most closely matches your photograph (People or Nature) or select one of the special filters (Soft Focus or Sepia). You may need to experiment with these settings to get the exact look you want, especially if you have multiple images on a page.
basics.book Page 19 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 3. Choose the Media Type you want to print on. (If you’re not sure which setting to choose, see “Selecting the Correct Media Type” on page 26.) 4. Choose Color or Black ink. 5. Click Custom, and then click Custom Settings. You see the list of project types. Always choose your Media Type and Ink settings before you select a custom project type. Some project types may not be available with the Media Type or Ink settings you choose.
basics.book Page 20 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 7. If you need to change your paper size, number of copies, orientation, and printable area, click the Paper tab. (You can often make these settings in your application software. If so, you should make the changes there.) 8. If you need to reduce or enlarge the image (proportional printing), print multiple pages on a single sheet, “tile” an image to make a large poster, or add a watermark, click the Layout tab.
basics.book Page 21 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 3. Click Custom, and then click the Advanced button. You see the Advanced dialog box: Click here to change your Print Quality (resolution) Some of these options are automatically set or disabled by other settings you choose Changes depending on the Color Management setting selected above 4. Check the Media Type and Ink settings. These settings are the same as the ones you selected on the Main dialog box.
basics.book Page 22 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Using Special Papers How can you get the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text? Always use EPSON’s special ink jet papers. To show you how much difference EPSON paper can make, we’ve included some free samples. Check out the EPSON Photo Quality Media Pack that came with your printer. Instructions for printing on the samples, along with other papers, are given in the following sections.
basics.book Page 23 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM If you’re using letter-size or A4-size Photo Paper, follow the instructions starting on page 12 to load and print on the paper. Be sure to select Photo Paper as the Media Type setting. If you’re using 4 × 6-inch or Panoramic Photo Paper, follow the steps in the next sections. 4 × 6-inch Photo Paper 1.
basics.book Page 24 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Panoramic Photo Paper 1. Pull up the paper support extension. Load one sheet of Panoramic paper glossy side up, then hold up its top edge and press the E load/eject button to feed it into the printer. Support the paper as it feeds into the printer Be sure to support your Panoramic Photo Paper as it ejects from the printer so it doesn’t fall onto the floor 2.
basics.book Page 25 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Envelopes You can load up to 10 envelopes at a time. Load the envelope flap edge first and printable side up. Place it against the right edge guide and adjust the left edge guide as shown here. You’ll get better results if you press each envelope flat before loading it, or load one envelope at a time. Select Plain paper as the Media Type and choose the correct envelope size as the Paper Size setting in the printer software.
basics.book Page 26 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Selecting the Correct Media Type Your printer automatically adjusts itself for the type of paper you select in your printer software. That’s why the Media Type setting is so important. It tells your printer what kind of paper you’re using and adjusts the ink coverage accordingly. Before you print, always check your Media Type setting. Here are the settings you should choose for your paper: For this paper . . . Select this Media Type setting . . .
basics.book Page 27 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Maintaining Your Printer This section describes the most common maintenance procedures you’ll need to perform to keep your printer working at its best and to prepare it for moving. Just follow the instructions in this chapter for: ■ cleaning the print head ■ replacing an ink cartridge ■ aligning the print head ■ transporting the printer For more details, see your electronic EPSON Stylus COLOR 660 Reference Guide as described on page 7.
basics.book Page 28 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM If any paper you buy comes with a cleaning sheet, don’t use the cleaning sheet with this printer; it may jam inside the printer. Using the Head Cleaning Utility Follow these steps to run the Head Cleaning utility: 1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and both the B black and A color ink out lights are off. (If an ink out light is flashing, replace the ink cartridge before continuing.) 2.
basics.book Page 29 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 7. If the nozzle check pattern is filled in completely, click Finish. If the pattern is missing dots, click Clean to clean the print head again. If you don’t see any improvement after cleaning three or four times, check the solutions in “Solving Problems Getting Good Print Quality” on page 47. You can also turn the printer off and wait overnight—this allows any dried ink to soften—and then try cleaning the print head again.
basics.book Page 30 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 6. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer, click the Nozzle Check button, and click Next. The nozzle check pattern prints; see the next section for details. 7. If the nozzle check pattern has no gaps in its dots, click Finish. If the pattern is missing dots, click Clean to clean the print head again. 8.
basics.book Page 31 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Replacing an Ink Cartridge When the B black or A color ink out light flashes, the indicated cartridge is low on ink. This is a good time to make sure you have a new cartridge. When the light stays on, the cartridge is empty and you need to replace it. You cannot print if either ink cartridge is empty. Leave the empty cartridge installed in the printer until you have obtained a replacement.
basics.book Page 32 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges You can replace a cartridge when the B black or A color ink out light is either flashing or on. (If you perform these steps when both ink out lights are off, the printer cleans the print heads as described on page 27.) Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once you start the ink cartridge replacement procedure, you must complete all the steps in one session.
basics.book Page 33 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 5. Pull up the ink cartridge clamp. The cartridge rises up from its holder. (The illustration shows the color ink cartridge replacement. To replace the black ink cartridge, lift up only the smaller clamp on the left.) 6. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it carefully. Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water.
basics.book Page 34 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 8. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it locks in place. 9. If you need to replace the other ink cartridge, repeat steps 5 through 8 before continuing with step 10. 10. Press the R cleaning button and close the printer cover. The printer moves the print head and begins charging the ink delivery system. The Ppower light flashes, and the printer makes noise. Charging takes about one minute.
basics.book Page 35 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM To avoid damaging the printer, never move the print head by hand. Don’t open the clamp or remove a cartridge except to replace it with a new one. Once you remove a cartridge, you can’t reuse it, even if it contains ink. 3. Unwrap the new ink cartridge. 4. Remove only the yellow part of the tape seal on top. You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the cartridge or you will permanently damage it.
basics.book Page 36 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 7. Lower the new ink cartridge into its holder with the label facing up and toward the back of the printer. 8. Press down the ink cartridge clamp until it locks in place. 9. Press the E load/eject button again and close the printer cover. The printer moves the print head and begins charging the ink delivery system. The Ppower light flashes and the printer makes noise. Charging takes about one minute.
basics.book Page 37 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Aligning the Print Head If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may need to align the print head. Your printer must be connected to a local port, not on a network, to use the Print Head Alignment utility. For the best results, load EPSON ink jet paper in the printer whenever you check the print head alignment. Follow these steps: 1. Make sure the printer is turned on and letter-size paper is loaded. Load paper that’s at least 8.
basics.book Page 38 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Cleaning the Printer To keep your printer working at its best, you should clean it several times a year. Follow these steps: 1. Turn off the printer, unplug the power cord, and disconnect the printer cable. 2. Remove all the paper from the sheet feeder. 3. Clean the exterior of the printer with a soft, damp cloth. 4. Clean ink out of the printer’s interior with a soft, damp cloth. Don’t touch the gears inside the printer.
basics.book Page 39 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Transporting the Printer If you move your printer some distance, you need to prepare it for transportation in its original box. Follow these steps: To avoid damage, always leave the ink cartridges installed when transporting the printer. Be sure to remove the tape used in step 4 after installing the printer in its new location. 1. Turn on the printer, wait until the print head locks in the far right position, then turn off the printer. 2.
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basics.book Page 41 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Problem Solving This section gives you the basics for diagnosing and solving printer problems. ■ First see “Diagnosing Printer Problems” to help determine what the cause of the problem may be. ■ Then see “Problems and Solutions” on page 45 for solutions to common setup and software problems. It’s a good idea to check EPSON’s web site periodically for possible updates to your printer driver. Visit www.epson.
basics.book Page 42 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Follow these guidelines when the control panel lights come on or flash: 42 P is on The P power light is on when the printer is on and ready to print. It flashes when the printer is receiving a print job, charging ink, or cleaning the print head. S flashes When the S paper out light flashes, you have a paper jam. Turn off the printer and gently pull out all the paper.
basics.book Page 43 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Running a Printer Check You can run a printer check to determine whether the problem comes from the printer itself or some other source. Follow these steps to run the printer check: 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. 2. Disconnect the interface cable from the printer. 3. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer. 4. Hold down the E load/eject button, then press and release the Ppower button.
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basics.book Page 45 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Problems and Solutions Here are some basic troubleshooting tips if you have any problems setting up your printer, installing software, or getting good print quality. Solving Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Its Software The printer has finished charging the ink cartridge, but the Ppower light is still flashing . . . ■ Make sure the ink cartridge clamps are locked into place.
basics.book Page 46 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM If you installed the software and cable for the parallel connection and now want to use the USB/Parallel Adapter . . . You must first uninstall the printer software as described on page 52, then install the USB/Parallel Adapter software. If you installed the USB/Parallel Adapter software and cable and now want to use a parallel cable . . . Follow the steps below (you don’t need to reinstall the software). 1. Turn off the printer. 2.
basics.book Page 47 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM The printer sounds as though it is printing, but nothing prints . . . Make sure the print head nozzles are not clogged. To clean the print head, see page 27. Solving Problems Getting Good Print Quality Printing is too slow . . . Make sure your system meets the requirements listed on page 4. If you are printing a high-resolution image, you need more than the minimum requirements listed.
basics.book Page 48 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM You see vertical banding . . . ■ 48 Make sure the print head nozzles are not clogged. To clean the print head, see page 27. ■ Run the Print Head Alignment utility. See page 37 for instructions. ■ Make sure the paper thickness lever is in the 0 position, as shown below. Set the thickness lever to the + position when you print on thicker paper or envelopes.
basics.book Page 49 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Your printout is faint or has gaps in the image . . . ■ ■ Make sure the print head nozzles are not clogged. To clean the print head, see page 27. Make sure the ink cartridges aren’t low on ink. To replace an ink cartridge, see page 31. ■ Make sure the Media Type setting matches the paper you’re using. ■ Make sure your paper isn’t damaged, old, dirty, or loaded face down. If it is, reload a new stack of paper with the printable side up.
basics.book Page 50 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Your printout contains incorrect characters . . . ■ ■ Your printer’s interface cable may not be securely connected. Check that the cable is locked firmly in place at both ends to ensure proper communication between your printer and computer. After adjusting the cable, try printing from an application again. Your printer may not be selected as the current printer in your application or as the Windows default printer.
basics.book Page 51 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Paper doesn’t feed . . . Remove the stack of paper from the sheet feeder. Check that the paper: ■ ■ ■ ■ Isn’t curled or creased Isn’t too old Isn’t loaded above the arrow on the left edge guide Isn’t jammed inside the printer. (If the S paper out light is flashing, paper is jammed.) Then reload the paper as described on page 12, making sure the left edge guide is adjusted to fit the paper’s width. Multiple pages feed at the same time . . .
basics.book Page 52 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM The image size or position is incorrect . . . 2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Make sure the paper and/or layout options are set correctly. 3. Click EPSON Printer Software in the program list. The image is inverted, as if viewed in a mirror . . . Turn off Flip Horizontal in the printer software or the mirror setting in your application software.
basics.book Page 53 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM Where To Get Help If you need help with your printer or its software, see the contact information below. For help with the creative applications on the printer software CD-ROM, see page 54 for contact information.
basics.book Page 54 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM To speak to a technical support representative, dial: ■ U.S.: (562) 276-7533, 6 AM to 8 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday and 7 AM to 4 PM, Saturday ■ Canada: (905) 709-2567, 6 AM to 8 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday and 7 AM to 4 PM, Saturday Toll or long distance charges may apply.
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basics.book Page 58 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:42 AM 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. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
insdfrt.fm Page 62 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:40 AM EPSON Ink Jet Papers Use EPSON’s paper and inks to get the same photo quality results that have earned your printer all of its awards! EPSON’s papers are specially coated to work with EPSON’s quick drying inks. You’ll notice that when prints come out of your printer, you can immediately handle them. There is no drying time, no smearing or smudging, and your image is clean and smooth.
insdbck.fm Page 63 Thursday, September 23, 1999 10:40 AM How to Order EPSON Ink and Paper To order EPSON ink cartridges, paper, and other printing media, contact your dealer or call EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 or visit our web site at www.epsonsupplies.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer referral. Ink Cartridges Black Color S020187 S020191 EPSON Papers Paper name Size Part number EPSON 360 dpi Ink Jet Paper Letter S041060 A4 (8.3 x 11.
