Chapter 1 Unpacking Check The Contents Unpacking Check The Contents Unpack your printer and check to be sure you have the following items: printer diskette power cord ribbon cartridge If you are missing any of these items, contact your dealer immediately ML590/591 ( 96-02-07 )
Remove the Protective Film Remove the Protective Film Peel the plastic film from the carriage cover (1). Pull up on the carriage cover and peel the plastic film from the access cover (2), then swing carriage cover back into place.
Remove the Shipping Retainers Remove the Shipping Retainers Open the access cover and remove the shipping retainer for the printhead (3). Lift the paper separator and remove the second shipping retainer (4).
Install the Ribbon Cartridge Install the Ribbon Cartridge Note: Leave the ribbon shield on the cartridge! Make sure the printer is turned off. Slide the printhead to the center of the platen (1). Holding the ribbon cartridge as shown (2), fit the grooves in the flat end of the cartridge over the posts on the ribbon plate (3). Lower the front of the cartridge over the printhead until it snaps into place (4). Turn the knob in the direction of the arrow on the cartridge to take up the ribbon slack (5).
Connect to Your Computer and to the Power Line Connect to Your Computer and to the Power Line Turn both the computer and the printer off. Plug the parallel interface cable (you must supply the cable) into the parallel interface port on the back of the printer (1) and secure it in place with the wire loops (2). Note: other FCC regulations require the use of a shielded cable no longer than 6 ft. (1.8 m).
Turn on the Printer Turn on the Printer Turn on the printer (the power switch is on the right side of the housing). The printhead crosses back and forth along the platen and the pins gently fire to determine the printhead gap setting. The POWER light ( 1 ) comes on. The ALARM light ( 2 ) also comes on, indicating that there is no paper loaded.
Chapter 1 Single-Sheet Paper Single-Sheet Paper Use single-sheet paper for letterhead stationery, memos, and envelopes. It is also recommended for printing graphs and charts because it provides the most accurate control of the paper, producing solid black graphics and vibrant color charts.
Preliminaries Preliminaries Make sure the printer is turned on and that the ALARM light (1) is on, indicating that there is no paper in the paper path. Note: If the ALARM light is off, continuous-form paper is loaded in the paper path. Press the PARK button (2) to remove it from the path before attempting to load single-sheet paper.
Loading Single-Sheet Paper Loading Single-Sheet Paper Move the paper lever to the position marked TOP (1). Unsnap the paper separator from the housing, then swing it upright to the position illustrated (2): make sure the wire feed guide is against the separator. Adjust the paper feed guides to fit the width of the paper and place a sheet of paper in the paper separator (3). The paper automatically feeds into the printer.
Note: If the sheet of paper doesn't feed in properly, the 15 light on the front panel flashes. To correct this, press the SHIFT and RESET buttons simultaneously (1), then reload the paper.
Setting the Top of Form for Single-Sheet Paper Setting the Top of Form for Single-Sheet Paper Make sure the printer is deselected (SEL light offpress the SEL button to deselect). To set the Top of Form (the position where the first line of printing begins) for single-sheet paper, use the front panel buttons indicated below (Ê). When you are done press the SEL button. The location of the printing is indicated by the red line on the paper shield (Ë).
Temporarily Changing the Top of Form Setting for Single-Sheet Paper Temporarily Changing the Top of Form Setting for Single-Sheet Paper To temporarily change the Top of Form setting for a page, deselect the printer (press SEL button) and press the LF button (Ê) until you reach the Top of Form position you want to use. The printer retains this setting until the next sheet feeds in.
Rear-Feed Paper Rear-Feed Paper Load continuous-form paper on the rear-feed paper path for printing spreadsheets, long reports, etc. For graphics or charts, use the single-sheet paper path to obtain the best results. Note: If you have single-sheet paper in the paper path, press the FF/LOAD button to remove it from the path before loading rear-feed paper. The ALARM light comes on.
Preliminaries Preliminaries Make sure the printer is turned on and that the ALARM light (1) is on, indicating that there is no paper in the paper path. Note: If the ALARM light is off, paper is loaded in the paper path. Press the FF/LOAD button (1) to remove single-sheet paper or the PARK button (2) to remove continuous-form paper from the path before proceeding.
Loading Rear-Feed Paper Loading Rear-Feed Paper Move the paper lever to the position marked REAR (1). Lift the front edge of the paper separator and swing it up (2). Pull up on the lock levers to release the rear-feed tractors and swing open the tractor covers, then move the right-hand tractor to fit the width of the paper you're installing (3). Pull the paper through the opening between the printer and the rear cover, and place the first two holes on each side of paper over tractor pins (4).
Close the paper separator and swing the wire feed guide forward so that it rests on the pull-up roller assembly (7). Note: The wire feed guide keeps the continuous-form paper from curling back into the printer. Push the FF/LOAD button (8). The paper automatically feeds into the printer and the ALARM light goes out. The printhead travels back and forth, gently firing the pins to sense the thickness of the paper and to set the printhead gap.
Temporarily Changing the Top of Form Setting for Rear-Feed Paper Temporarily Changing the Top of Form Setting for Rear-Feed Paper To change the Top of Form setting for a single page, deselect the printer (press SEL button) and press the LF button until you reach the Top of Form position you want to use. The printer retains this setting for one page only.
Paper Handling Features Tear Feature Paper Handling Features Tear Feature Caution! Do not use the platen knob to advance the paper to the tear position! Press the TEAR button (1) to advance continuous forms up to the tear position so you can easily tear off a printed sheet without wasting paper or readjusting the printer. To return the paper to the print position, press the TEAR button again. Note: The Tear feature cannot be used when the optional pull tractor is installed.
Form Tear-Off Feature Form Tear-Off Feature This feature automatically moves continuous-form paper up to the tear position after the selected amount of time. The paper will return to the initial printing position when the printer receives data. This feature is normally turned off. To activate it, hold the SHIFT button and press the SEL button to enter the Menu Mode (1).
To set the Top of Form with the FormTear-Off feature engaged, push and hold the SHIFT and TEAR buttons (3) to see the current Top of Form setting. Then continue to hold the SHIFT button, release the TEAR button and press the LF button (4) to move the paper down or the FF button (5) to move the paper up to set the Top of Form. Note: Some programs, such as high resolution graphics packages, pause occasionally while sending data to the printer.
Paper Park Feature Paper Park Feature Press the PARK button (1) to move continuous-form paper out of the paper path. To move the parked continuous-form paper back to the print position, press the FF/LOAD button.
Switching from Continous-Form Paper to Single-Sheet Paper Switching from Continous-Form Paper to Single-Sheet Paper Tear off printed pages, then press the PARK button (1) to remove the continuous-form paper from the paper path. Lift the paper separator to the upright position and move the paper lever to the position marked TOP (2). Load single-sheet paper into the paper separator. The printer automatically feeds the sheet of paper into the print position.
Switching from Single-Sheet Paper to Continuous-Form Paper Switching from Single-Sheet Paper to Continuous-Form Paper To switch from single-sheet paper to continuous-form paper which has been parked: Press the FF/LOAD button (1) to remove the single-sheet paper from the paper path. Lower the paper separator to the continuous-forms position. Move the paper lever to the position marked REAR (2). Press the FF/LOAD button (1) to advance the continuous-forms paper into the print position.
Chapter 3 The Font Test (Self Test) The Font Test (Self Test) The Font Test provides a printout containing samples of each available typeface. To run the Font Test, load paper and turn off the printer, then press and hold the LF button (1) for several seconds while turning the printer on.
The Rolling ASCII Test The Rolling ASCII Test The Rolling ASCII Test provides a continuous printout of all 96 ASCII characters.
Chapter 4 Emulations Emulations Your printer emulates the following printers: Epson LQ (the factory default), IBM Proprinter, IBM AGM.
Changing Emulations Changing Emulations Your printer is set at the factory for the Epson LQ emulation. If you wish to change to one of the other emulations, hold the SHIFT button and press the SEL button to enter the Menu Mode (1). Press the TEAR button until the emulation you wish to engage prints (2). Exit the Menu Mode and save your settings by holding the SHIFT button while you press the SEL button (1).
Selecting a Printer Driver Selecting a Printer Driver The table summarizes the various printer drivers which will work with your printer. The drivers are listed in order by decreasing compatibility as you go down the list: use one as close to the top of the list as possible. If your software does not have a printer driver from near the top of the list, call the software manufacturer to see if they have added any drivers to those supplied when you purchased your software.
Chapter 5 Front Panel Overview Front Panel Overview ML590/591 ( 96-02-07 )
Print Mode Print Mode Indicator Lights 1. POWER Light: Lights whenever the printer is on. 2. SEL Light: Lights when the printer is selected and ready to receive data. If this light is not lit, the printer can not receive data. This light flashes when the printer is in the Print Suppress mode. 3. ALARM Light: Lights when an error condition exists, such as when the printer is out of paper, if there is a paper jam, or if the paper lever is set to the wrong paper path for the paper loaded.
Menu Mode Menu Mode When your printer is in the Menu Mode, you can use the front panel buttons to change the defaults for the printer parameters. The changes you make in the Menu Mode are automatically saved in your printer's memory when you exit the Menu Mode and are retained even if you turn the printer of. To reset your printer to the factory defaults for the menu, turn the printer off, then press and hold the SEL and LF buttons while turning the printer back on again.
Entering the Menu Mode Entering the Menu Mode To place your printer in the Menu Mode, hold the SHIFT button while pressing the SEL button. The MENU light comes on and the SEL light goes out. Exiting the Menu Mode When you are done making changes in the Menu Mode, exit the mode (saving the changes you have made) by holding the SHIFT button while pressing the SEL button. The MENU light goes out and the SEL light comes on. Press simultaneously to enter or exit Menu Mode. .
The Printer Menu The Printer Menu The printer menu is made up of groups. Within each group is a list of items, each of which has various settings. The illustration shows a printout of the factory settings for the menu. To generate a printout of the menu, hold the SHIFT button and press the SEL button to enter the Menu Mode, then press the PARK button. For a table showing the settings for each item within each group, see the Reference Section at the back of this manual.
Active Buttons in Menu Mode Active Buttons in Menu Mode 1. GROUP Button: Each time you press this button, the menu line that prints shows the next group. 2. ITEM Button: Each time you press this button, the menu line that prints shows the next item within that group. 3. SET Button: Each time you press this button, the menu line that prints shows the next setting for that item. 4. PRINT Button: Press this button to print out a listing of the current settings for each item.
Chapter 6 Problem Solving Problem Solving Problem: Nothing happens when I turn on the printer. Solution: The printer may not be plugged in. Check the power cord connection to the outlet and to your printer. If you're using a power strip, make sure it's turned on. Check to be sure that the circuit breaker hasn't tripped. Problem: The printer doesn't print when the computer sends data. Solutions: (1) The printer may be deselected. If the SEL light is out, press the SEL button to select the printer.
(Character Pitch) button. The ALARM light will come on and you will be able to load the paper. Problem: My word processor files don't print the way I have the menu and front panel set. Solutions: Before sending a file to the printer, many word processors send either an initialization string or an I-Prime signal to the printer. The initialization string contains commands that change the printer to a default set of features. These commands override front panel or Menu settings.
Clearing Rear-Feed Paper Jams Clearing Rear-Feed Paper Jams Caution! Always turn the printer off before you turn the platen knob! Turn the printer off and open the paper separator (1). Use the platen knob to back the continuous-form paper out of the printer, removing any ripped pieces of paper. Re-load paper (2): open tractor covers, mount first two holes in paper on pins, close tractor covers. Turn the printer on and press the FF/LOAD button (3).
Solving the Problem of Continuing Rear-Feed Jamming Solving the Problem of Continuing Rear-Feed Jamming If the rear-feed paper keeps jamming, you probably have bits of paper stuck in the paper path. Turn the printer off. Open the access cover, lift off the pull-up roller assembly (1) and remove any bits of paper from around the carriage. Open the paper separator and use the platen knob to back the paper out of the printer (2).
Turn the platen knob to bring the quadruple-thick paper up around the platen. This will bring jammed pieces of paper up and out. Back the quadruple-thick paper out of the printer using the platen knob. Replace the pull-up roller assembly (4 ), re-load your regular continuous-form paper (5 ), and close the paper separator and the access cover (6). Turn the printer back on and press the FF/LOAD button (7 ).
ML590/591 ( 96-02-07 )
Clearing Single-Sheet Feed Jams Clearing Single-Sheet Feed Jams Turn the printer off. Rotate the platen knob to back the paper out of the carriage (1). If necessary, open the access cover and lift the pull-up roller assembly to provide access to remove any ripped pieces from around the carriage (2), then re-install the pull-up roller assembly and close the access cover. Turn the printer back on and place a new sheet of paper in the paper separator (3).
Cleaning the Housing Cleaning the Housing Caution! Never use solvents or strong detergents on the housing they could damage it! You should clean the printer every six months (or after about 300 hours of operation). Turn the printer off and move the paper out of the paper path. Open the access cover and remove the pull-up roller assembly (1). Remove any loose pieces of paper from the carriage area, then use a clean, dry cloth to dust around the carriage and platen (2).
Appendix A Menu Table Menu Table The table below lists the Menu entries for your printer. The factory defaults are shown in bold italic. Note: The table includes all possible Menu settings available with your printer. Some of the entries, as noted, appear only when a specific emulation is selected or when the appropriate option is installed.
Bottom Feed Top Feed Set-Up ML590/591 ( 96-02-07 ) Gap Control Auto Gap, Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI Form Tear-Off Off, 500ms, 1 sec, 2 sec Skip Over Perforation No, Yes Page Width (Model 591 only) 13.6, 8 Page Length 11, 11-2/3, 12, 14, 17, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.
Parallel I/F Serial I/F (appears only when optional Serial Interface is installed) CSF Bin 1 (appears only when optional Cut Sheet Feeder Accessory is installed) ML590/591 ( 96-02-07 ) SI Select Pitch, 10 cpi (appears only when IBM Proprinter emulation is selected) 17.
CSF Bin 2 (appears only when optional Cut Sheet Feeder Accessory is installed) ML590/591 ( 96-02-07 ) Page Length 11, 11-2/3, 12, 14, 17, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5 Gap Control Auto Gap, Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI Bottom Margin Valid, Invalid Page Length 11, 11-2/3, 12, 14, 17, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.
Appendix pendix Specifications Specifications Print Method: Impact dot matrix Printhead: 24 pins, 0.20 mm diameter, automatically adjusting to paper thickness, with thermal protection Print Speed: Characters Per Inch (cpi) Utility / Letter Quality (LQ) 10 10 12 12 15 15 17.1 17.1 20 20 Characters Per Line (cpl): Setting ML 590 10 cpi 80 cpl 12 cpi 96 cpl 15 cpi 120 cpl 17.
cyan = 1.5 million characters magenta = 1.5 million characters yellow = 0.8 million characters Paper Specifications Width, Minimum: 3" Width, Maximum: Model 590: 10" Model 591: 16" Weight: 12 to 24 lb. Thickness, Rear feed: 0.014" (0.36 mm) Thickness, Bottom feed:0.017" (0.44:mm) Dimensions (W x D x H) Model 590: 17 x 15 x 6.5 inches (431 x 380 x 166 mm) Model 591: 23 x 15 x 6.5 inches (585 x 380 x 166 mm) Weight Model 590: 16.5 lb. (7.5 kg) Model 591: 19 lb., 13 oz.
