Forms Printer 2500 Series Quick Reference January 2014 www.lexmark.com Lexmark and Lexmark with diamond design are trademarks of Lexmark International, Inc., registered in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2014 Lexmark International, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents 2 Contents Learning about the printer...........................................................................4 Printer overview........................................................................................................................................4 Understanding the printer features and functions...................................................................................5 Using the control panel............................................................................
Contents 3 Understanding Setup mode and menu options...........................................37 Using Setup mode...................................................................................................................................37 Changing menu settings (an example)....................................................................................................38 Main Menu options...........................................................................................................
Learning about the printer 4 Learning about the printer For additional setup and instructions on using the printer, see the User's Guide available on the Lexmark Web site at http://support.lexmark.com. Printer overview The LexmarkTM Forms Printer 2500 Series printers are available in 9‑ and 24‑wire narrow‑ and wide‑carriage models. Depending on the model you have chosen, your printer may look slightly different from the printer illustrated.
Learning about the printer 5 Printer back view 5 1 2 3 4 6 11 10 9 8 7 Part name 1 Ribbon access cover latch 2 Acoustic flap 3 Tear off bar 4 Ribbon access cover latch 5 Recessed network button 6 Network connector 7 Optional serial interface knockout 8 Parallel connector 9 USB connector 10 Optional Tractor 2 connector knockout 11 Power cord connector Understanding the printer features and functions Feature/function 2580/2581 2590/2591 Multi‑speed printing FastDft (Fast Dr
Learning about the printer 6 Feature/function 2580/2581 Resident fonts • • • • Print styles Graphics printing Note: This feature supports existing graphics programs. Multiple‑part forms • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Fast Draft Draft Gothic Courier Highlighting capability: Note: This feature is available through printer commands.
Learning about the printer 7 Feature/function All models Manual front loading for cut sheets Enables printing on cut sheets or envelopes Tear Off bar Adjustable tractor • Assists in removing printed continuous forms at the perforation • Assists in tearing non‑perforated forms • Reduces the amount of paper used, thus reducing costs Lets you handle continuous form paper without purchasing additional options.
Using the control panel 8 Using the control panel Understanding the control panel buttons The control panel has two layers of functionality: • Layer 1, with the control panel cover closed, contains basic functions like FormFeed, Tear Off, and taking the printer online/offline. • Layer 2, with the control panel cover open, contains more advanced functionality. Use layer 2 to select a macro and change printer menu settings.
Using the control panel 9 1 7 1 2 3 4 Power Set TOF Micro Pitch 6 Lock LineFeed Macro Setup Micro 10 20 12 24 15 P5 3 17 5 Button 2 4 Function 1 LineFeed Advances the paper one line. Press and hold LineFeed to advance the paper 5 micro movements, and then go into continuous feed. 2 Macro To support different styles of pre‑printed forms, selects between four document formats 3 Setup Press to enter Setup mode.
Using the control panel 10 Light Light status What it means Power On The printer is online. Ready On The printer is online and ready to print. Blinking The printer is receiving data. Off The printer is offline. On Tractor 2 is activated. Tractor 2 Note: The optional Tractor 2 Feeder must be installed. Paper Out Off Font Paper is loaded in the printer. Blinking The printer is out of paper. On A printer error has occurred.
Using the control panel 11 To unlock the control panel: 1 Turn the printer off. 2 Press and hold Load/Unload and Tractor while turning the printer on. Selecting a Tractor mode Note: Because this function unloads continuous forms from the currently selected tractor, tear off excess paper prior to initiating. When the optional Tractor 2 Feeder is installed, you can press Tractor to unload the current continuous forms and switch to the continuous forms loaded in the other tractor source.
Loading paper 12 Loading paper This section explains how to load continuous forms, cut form sheets, labels, and envelopes. It also includes information about paper orientation, setting the forms thickness lever, and using the push and pull tractors for different paper paths. 2 1 3 4 1 Cut (form) sheet 2 Continuous forms 3 Envelope 4 Labels Setting the forms thickness lever Use the forms thickness lever to make adjustments for printing on various forms depending on the paper thickness.
Loading paper Paper type 13 Paper thickness Single forms (cut or continuous) Thin Paper weight Forms thickness lever setting 56 g/m2 (15 lb) 1 65 Normal Multiple‑part forms (16 lb) 68 g/m2 (18 lb) 75 Thick g/m2 g/m2 1 or 2 (20 lb) 90 g/m2 (24 lb) 2 2‑part 3‑part 2 or 3 3 or 4 4‑part 4 or 5 5‑part 5 or 6 6‑part 5, 6, or 7 Envelopes 4, 5, or 6 Notes: • Print quality depends on the multiple‑paper quality and the operating environment.
Loading paper Front loading paper 14 Rear loading paper Paper paths for the pull tractor In these examples, the tractor pulls the paper from the front or the bottom of the printer. Front loading paper Bottom loading paper Using the Tear Off function Pressing the Tear Off button advances the perforation of a continuous form to the tear off position.
Loading paper 15 If you have already set your Top‑Of‑Form and now want to change the Tear Off position, follow these steps: 1 Press Start/Stop to take the printer offline. 2 Press and hold Tear Off until the printer beeps. The light blinks. 3 Open the control panel cover to access layer 2. 4 Press Micro or Micro to move the paper to the desired Tear Off position. 5 Close the control panel cover. The printer beeps twice. The paper rolls backward, then goes to the new Tear Off position.
Loading paper 16 3 Set the forms thickness lever to a setting corresponding with the paper thickness you are using. 4 Pull the front cover up. 5 Move the paper select lever down to the position. 6 Pull the left and right tractor locking levers up to unlock the tractors.
Loading paper 17 7 Open the left and right tractor doors, and then place the paper holes over the second or third pins of the tractor unit. If necessary, move the left or right tractor to adjust the tractors to the paper width. Note: Keeping the left tractor positioned to the left of the rubber tractor stop keeps your paper within the paper sensor area. 8 Close the left and right tractor doors. 9 Move the tractor to align the left margin on your paper with the [A symbol printed on the rear plate.
Loading paper 18 12 Close the front cover. 13 Press Start/Stop to load the paper to Top‑Of‑Form and put the printer online. If Auto Tear Off is set to On, the printer moves the paper to the Tear Off bar. Note: When you use the push tractor to print continuous forms, line spacing within the first 1.5 inches of the first form may not be uniform. Front loading continuous forms using the pull tractor Make sure the tractor is in the pull position.
Loading paper 6 Pull the left and right tractor locking levers up to unlock the tractors. 7 Open the left and right tractor doors. 8 Open the front cover. 9 Insert paper into the front of the printer between the metal and plastic plates.
Loading paper Push or pull the paper through the paper path until it passes the printhead. 10 Close the front cover. 11 Place the paper holes over the tractor pins. If necessary, move the left or right tractor to adjust the tractors to the paper width. Note: If you have trouble moving the right tractor to the paper width, roll the rubber tractor stop out of the seated position. Move the tractor to the paper width, load the paper, and then lock the right tractor.
Loading paper 21 16 Remove slack from the paper, and then lock the right locking lever. 17 Open the control panel cover to access layer 2. 18 Press Micro , Micro , or LineFeed to move the paper to the Top‑Of‑Form you want to use. Notes: • Use the second form to set Top‑Of‑Form alignment. • To do this, align the horizontal lines (located on the platen) with the Top‑Of‑Form you want. 19 Press Set TOF to set the Top‑Of‑Form.
Loading paper 22 Note: If you have installed the optional Auto Sheet Feeder or Tractor 2 Feeder, see the documentation that came with the option for paper loading instructions. 1 Turn the printer on. 2 Make sure the paper path is clear. Note: If a cut form or envelope is loaded in the printer, press FormFeed to remove it. 3 Set the forms thickness lever to 7. 4 Move the paper select lever down to the position.
Loading paper 5 Remove the ribbon access cover. 6 Pull the left and right tractor locking levers up to unlock the tractors.
Loading paper 7 Open the left and right tractor doors. 8 Insert the paper through the bottom slot of the printer. Push or pull the paper through the paper path until it passes the printhead. 9 Place the paper holes over the tractor pins.
Loading paper If necessary, move the left or right tractor to adjust the tractors to the paper width. Note: If you have trouble moving the right tractor to the paper width, roll the rubber tractor stop out of the seated position. Move the tractor to the paper width, load the paper, and then lock the right tractor. 10 Close the left and right tractor doors. 11 Replace the ribbon access cover. 12 Move the tractor to align the left margin on the paper with the [A symbol printed on the rear plate.
Loading paper 26 Loading cut forms Cut forms can be single sheets, envelopes, or multiple-part forms. They are placed one at a time into the manual feeder. Loading a cut form or envelope manually Note: If you have installed the optional Auto Sheet Feeder or Tractor 2 Feeder, see the documentation that came with the option, for paper loading instructions. 1 Turn the printer on. 2 Make sure the paper path is clear.
Loading paper 27 7 Move the left paper guide so that the print start position you want aligns with the [A symbol printed on the margin guide. The distance from the left paper guide to the [A symbol determines the width of the left margin. A 8 Place a cut form or an envelope against the left paper guide. Note: If you are loading a preprinted form or envelope, put the top edge in first with the printed side up.
Loading paper 28 • If Auto Cut Sheet Load is set to Off, press FormFeed. 11 Make sure the printer is online, and the Ready light is on solid. Note: If not, press Start/Stop until the Ready light is on solid. Aligning the left margin You can manually change the first print position at the left margin. The first print position is indicated by the [A symbol. You can also set the left margin in your program.
Loading paper 29 Setting Top-of-Form Top-of-Form sets the first line of print. Use the control panel to save your Top-of-Form settings for continuous forms, cut forms, and for each macro enabled. Setting Top‑Of‑Form for continuous forms in push mode 1 Clear the paper path. The Paper Out light blinks if no paper is loaded. If the Paper Out light is off, tear off excess forms, and then press Load/Unload. If a cut form is loaded, press FormFeed to clear the paper path.
Loading paper 30 Setting Top‑Of‑Form for continuous forms in pull mode 1 Turn the printer on. The Paper Out light blinks if no paper is loaded. 2 Move the paper select lever down to the position. 3 Load continuous form paper on the pull tractor feed pins. 4 Open the control panel cover to access layer 2.
Loading paper 31 4 Open the control panel cover to access layer 2. 1 2 3 4 Power Set TOF Micro Pitch LineFeed Micro Macro Setup 10 20 12 24 15 Lock 17 5 Press any paper movement button (Micro , Micro , LineFeed) to align the horizontal lines located on the platen with the Top‑Of‑Form you want. Note: If you press and hold a paper movement button, the paper will advance in micro movements and then go into continuous feed mode. 6 Press Set TOF to set and save your Top‑Of‑Form.
Paper and specialty media guide 32 Paper and specialty media guide Paper types and sizes supported by the printer The printer supports paper weights of 56–90 g/m2 (15‑24 lb) and envelope weights of 75–90 g/m2 (20‑24 lb). Paper types Single Multiple part Envelopes Cut Forms 76 mm (3.0 in.) to 297 mm (11.7 in.)* 76 mm (3.0 in.) to 297 mm (11.7 in.)* 152 mm (6.0 in.) to 241 mm (9.5 in.) Continuous Forms 76 mm (3.0 in.) to 254 mm (10.0 in.) 76 mm (3.0 in.) to 254 mm (10.0 in.
Changing tractor positions 33 Changing tractor positions The tractor unit can be installed in the push tractor position or the pull tractor position. This section describes how to change the tractor unit position. Push tractor position The printer comes with the tractor unit installed in the push tractor position, at the front of the printer. Using the front push tractor is the most convenient way to load continuous forms, and allows you to use the Tear Off feature of the printer.
Changing tractor positions 34 Converting the push tractor to pull tractor position 1 Make sure the printer is off. 2 Make sure paper is not loaded in the printer. 3 Pull the front cover up and out of the way. 4 Hold down the latching levers while you lift and pull the tractor unit out of the printer. 1 2 1 Tractor unit 2 Latching levers 5 Remove the ribbon access cover. 6 Turn the tractor unit around so that the latching levers are upright, facing you.
Changing tractor positions 35 8 To slide the tractor feeder into the printer: a Hold down the latching levers and gently push the tractor feeder into the printer until it stops. b Continue holding down the latching levers, and tilt the tractor feeder toward the front of the printer until the hooks at the end of the latching levers fit around the posts on the printer frame. c Release the latching levers. Note: The tractor unit fits into place at a 40° angle.
Changing tractor positions 5 Make sure the paper select lever is set to the 36 position. 6 While holding down the latching levers, fit the left and right locks onto the posts in the printer. 7 Release the latching levers. 8 Close the front cover.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options 37 Understanding Setup mode and menu options The printer is preset at the factory for font, pitch, form length, and other settings. These are called factory default settings. This chapter describes how to change the factory default settings, how to set up macros, and how to set form length. Using Setup mode Note: Make sure continuous forms are loaded in the printer when using Setup mode. 1 Open the control panel to access layer 2.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options To Select Press Data Options Micro Control Options Micro Emulation Options Setup Interface Options Pitch 38 4 Select any option from the Main menu by pressing the corresponding button. Note: A new menu will print each time you press a button, displaying the new selection. 5 After you make all your selections, the printer will print a page with your changes reflected.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options Control Options 39 Current Press Quiet Micro 4 Press the button that corresponds to the language you want, or press Setup to print more Menu Language options. 5 For this example, press Macro to select French. Menu Language To Select Press No Change Set TOF English LineFeed French Macro German Micro Italian Micro (More) Setup Return to Main menu Pitch Printer menus now print in French.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options 40 Control Options Control Options define how the printer performs many basic tasks. Emulation Options Emulation Options determine how the printer interacts with the program. Interface Options Interface Options define how information is transferred from the computer to the printer. Forms Macro options Note: Use Setup mode to configure the printer according to your needs. To print a list of all default settings, press LineFeed from the Main menu.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options 41 Paper Handling Options Use the following options to select paper handling option changes, as detailed: • Auto Tear Off – On—Continuous forms automatically advance to the Tear Off bar position. – Off—You can manually advance the perforation of a continuous form to the Tear Off bar position. Note: On is the factory default setting. • Auto Cut Sheet Load – On—Cut sheet paper automatically loads to the current Top‑Of‑Form position.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options Auto LF Requires a line feed to occur. • On—A line feed is performed for each Carrier Return (CR) code received. • Off—A line feed does not occur when a CR code is received. Note: Off is the factory default setting. Auto CR Requires a CR to occur. • On—A CR is performed for each line feed code received. • Off—A CR does not occur when a line feed code is received. Note: Off is the factory default setting.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options 43 Uni‑Dir Printing • On—The printer prints unidirectionally by line (in NLQ mode). • Off—The printer prints one line and a return line of print bidirectionally. Proportional Spacing is an exception; when this pitch is selected, the printer still prints unidirectionally. Note: Off is the factory default setting. Auto Ready Cut Sheet Customizes how the printer goes to the Ready state after a cut sheet is loaded.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options 44 Emulation options Note: Enter Setup mode to configure the printer according to your needs. For more information, see “Using Setup mode” on page 37. To print a list of all default settings, press LineFeed from the Main menu. Make Emulation option selections from IBM (the factory default setting), Epson, or OKI mode. For more information regarding data stream changes, see the Technical Reference available on the Lexmark Web site at www.lexmark.com/publications.
Understanding Setup mode and menu options 45 Interface Selection Unless turned off, the Auto setting automatically selects the printer interface from the available connection cables. The following connection cables are available: parallel cable, USB cable, serial cable (only available when an optional serial interface is installed), and network cable (only available on network models). Note: Auto is the factory default setting. Honor Init.
Maintaining the printer 46 Maintaining the printer Periodically, certain tasks are required to maintain optimum print quality. Ordering supplies Use the listed part numbers to order printer supply items you will need.
Maintaining the printer 47 Cleaning the outside of the printer Clean the outside of the printer with a damp cloth and mild soap. Do not use spray or chemical cleaners anywhere on your printer. Do not use liquids or spray near the air vents. For stubborn ink stains on the outside of the printer, use a commercial mechanic's hand cleaner. Recycling Lexmark products To return Lexmark products to Lexmark for recycling: 1 Visit our Web site at www.lexmark.com/recycle.
