USER’S MANUAL LC-8211+ DOT MATRIX PRINTER HBF12II 80825110
Trademark acknowledgments LC-8211, LC-8211+, LC24-30, LC24-300, NX-2450, NX-2480, SPC-8K: Star Micronics Co. Ltd. LQ-850, LQ-860, LQ-1050, LQ-1060: Seiko Epson Corporation IBM PC, IBM Proprinter X24E, IBM Proprinter XL24E, IBM Proprinter X24, IBM Proprinter XL24, OS/2: International Business Machines Corporation. TrueType: Apple Computer Inc. MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.1, Windows 95: Microsoft Corporation Notice • All rights reserved.
About this manual This manual describes how to set up, use, and care for the Star LC-8211+ printer. The following is a list of what you can expect to find in each chapter.
Contents Chapter 1: Printer Setup ... 1 Choosing a place for the printer ... 1 Unpacking the printer ... 2 General guide ... 3 Removing the protective materials ... 4 Installing the platen knob ... 4 Opening the front cover ... 5 Installing the ribbon cassette ... 5 Removing the ribbon cassette ... 7 Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off ... 8 Loading fanfold paper ... 9 Printing on fanfold paper ... 13 Parking fanfold paper ... 14 Unparking fanfold paper ...
Chapter 3: Using the EDS Mode ... 23 About EDS Mode settings ... 23 Entering the EDS Mode ... 23 Selecting a bank ... 24 Selecting a switch ... 24 Changing a switch setting ... 24 Printing the current switch settings ... 25 Exiting the EDS Mode ... 25 EDS Mode Settings ... 25 Chapter 4: User Setup Utility ... 34 Installing the User Setup Utility ... 34 Starting the User Setup Utility ... 35 Changing the General, Font, Paper and Adjust Settings ...
Chapter 7: Using the Printer with OS/2 Warp ... 53 Setting up for printing with OS/2 Warp ... 53 Getting ready to print ... 54 Printing a document ... 54 Chapter 8: Using the Printer with MS-DOS ... 55 Setting up for printing with MS-DOS ... 55 Chapter 9: Paper Handling ... 56 Selecting paper types ... 56 Cut-Sheet Paper … 56 Fanfold Paper … 56 Adjusting for paper thickness ... 57 Automatic fanfold feeding ... 58 Manual sheet feeding ... 59 Clearing paper jams ... 61 Chapter 10: Optional Accessory ...
1 Chapter 1: Printer Setup This chapter contains important information on setting up your printer. Be sure to read this chapter carefully before using the printer for the first time.
2 Printer Setup Unpacking the printer Check to make sure that the carton contains each of the items shown in the following illustration. Platen knob Ribbon cassette , User s manual 3.5" Floppy disk Printer If anything is missing, contact the store where you bought the printer and ask them to supply the missing part. Note that it is a good idea to keep the original box and all the packing materials just in case you need to pack the printer up again and send it somewhere at a later date.
General guide General guide The following illustrations show the major components of your printer.
4 Printer Setup Removing the protective materials Protective sheets and a piece of cardboard are inserted into the printer to protect components during shipping. Before using the printer, be sure to remove all packing material from inside the front cover as shown in the illustration. Front cover Cardboard Protection sheet Installing the platen knob The platen knob is packed into a recess in the packaging material.
Opening the front cover 5 Opening the front cover ❏ Hook your fingers under the two small tabs on either side of the front cover and pull forward and up to swing the front cover open. Front cover Installing the ribbon cassette ❏ Make sure that the printer is unplugged from its power outlet. ❏ Open the front cover of the printer. ❏ By hand, move the cartridge holder to the center position of the paper guide where there is a cutout to allow easy installation and removal of the ribbon cassette.
6 Printer Setup Important! Never try to move the print head while the printer is plugged into a power outlet. Doing so can damage the printer. If you have just used the printer, let the print head cool for a few minutes before you touch it. ❏ Remove the ribbon cassette from its package. ❏ Rotate the knob on the ribbon cassette clockwise to take up any slack in the ❏ ribbon.
Removing the ribbon cassette 7 Removing the ribbon cassette Use the following procedure to remove the ribbon cassette from the printer when you want to replace it with a new one. ❏ Make sure that the printer is unplugged from its power outlet. ❏ Open the front cover of the printer. ❏ By hand, move the cartridge holder to the center position of the paper guide where there is a cutout to allow easy installation and removal of the ribbon cassette.
8 Printer Setup Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off ❏ Plug the power cord of the printer into a standard power outlet whose voltage matches the power rating noted on the label affixed to the bottom of your printer. Caution! If the voltage marked on the bottom of your printer does not match the voltage from the outlet you are using, do not plug in the power cord. Contact your dealer for assistance.
Loading fanfold paper 9 Loading fanfold paper This section tells you how to load fanfold paper. Note that you can also use cutsheet paper and multi-part form paper. For details on using other types of paper, see “Paper Handling” on page 56 of this manual. ❏ Position the stack of paper behind the printer. ❏ The following figure shows the correct path for fanfold paper. Important! To protect against paper jams, make sure that the fanfold paper is stacked in a position that is lower than the printer.
10 Printer Setup ❏ Set the release lever on the back of the printer to the fanfold position. Fanfold Cut-sheet Release lever ❏ Set the adjustment lever to the value that matches the thickness of the paper you are using. The setting for normal paper is 1. Set the lever to a larger value for thicker paper, or to a smaller value for thinner paper. See the table on page 58 for details.
Loading fanfold paper 11 Note that there is a guide inside the printer in front of the left tractor. The ▼ mark of the guide indicates where the left margin of the printing will be. ❏ Once the left tractor is aligned the way you want it, push the gray lever ❏ back down to lock it in place. Now move the tractor on the right to the approximate position of the right side of the paper you are using. Pull its gray lever up to unlock it, and push the lever back down to lock it into place.
12 Printer Setup ❏ Press the control panel’s LF button and the paper will feed to the starting position.
Printing on fanfold paper 13 Printing on fanfold paper When printing on fanfold paper, take care not to print too close to the perforations that separate each sheet. The following shows the recommended print area for fanfold paper, cut-sheet paper, Labels and Envelope. Fanfold paper Cut-sheet paper 4 mm (0.16") 4 mm (0.16") 18 mm (0.7") 18 mm (0.7") 5 mm (0.2") 4 mm (0.16") 4 mm (0.16") Perforation Bottom of Form 5 mm (0.2") 6 mm (0.25") 6 mm (0.25") Labels C Envelope Perforation 2.54 mm (0.
14 Printer Setup Parking fanfold paper It is not necessary to remove fanfold paper currently loaded in the printer in order to print on cut-sheet paper fed by hand. Instead, simply use the following procedure to park the fanfold paper. ❏ Tear off the paper at a perforation so there is no more than half a page ❏ ❏ ❏ sticking out of the front cover of the printer. If necessary, you can press the control panel’s ON LINE button to put the printer off-line.
Connecting to your computer 15 Connecting to your computer The computer sends data to the printer through a cable. This printer does not come with a cable, so you must purchase one separately. You will probably want to use a standard parallel cable for connection, but note that you can also use an optional serial-to-parallel interface converter (SPC-8K). Important! The following instructions apply to the Centronics parallel cable that is used with an IBM-compatible personal computer.
16 Printer Setup ❏ Plug the other end of the parallel cable into the socket on the side of the printer and secure it in place with the clips. Note: Consult your dealer for details on how to set up your computer when using the optional SPC-8K serial-to-parallel interface converter.
17 Chapter 2: Control Panel Operations The control panel gives you push-button control over the printer’s power and paper feed operations. It also includes indicator lights, which tell you the current status of the printer at a glance.
18 Control Panel Operations Paper loading ❏ Prepare either cut-sheet or fanfold paper for feeding. For details on how to prepare for paper feeding, see page 9 for fanfold paper and page 59 for cut-sheet paper. ❏ The POWER indicator flashes to indicate there is no paper in the printer. ❏ When using fanfold paper, press LF to feed the paper into the printer. When using cut-sheet paper, insert the paper into the front of the printer using the left paper guide.
Micro feed 19 Micro feed Use the following operation to feed the paper in very small increments. This makes it possible to align the print head exactly where you want it. ❏ Make sure the printer is off-line (ON LINE indicator is not lit). ❏ While holding down ON LINE, press LF to feed the paper forward or MODE to feed the paper backward. Setting the top of form position The current position of paper loaded in the printer is automatically set as the top of the page whenever you turn power on.
20 Control Panel Operations Selecting a font ❏ Make sure the printer is off-line (ON LINE indicator is not lit). ❏ Press FONT to change the font selection. An indicator lights to the left of the name of the font that is currently selected. Lit Indicator Font Name ROMAN Roman ROMAN + COURIER Sanserif COURIER Courier COURIER + ORATOR Prestige ORATOR Orator Selecting the Quiet Print Mode The Quiet Print Mode lets you print with less noise than that produced with normal printing.
Saving a macro 21 ❏ Press FONT to feed the paper to the starting position. ❏ Feed the paper so the print head is located where you want the new auto load position to be. Press LF to feed the paper forward and MODE to feed the paper backward. This is the micro feed operation. ❏ After you have the paper at the position you want, hold down ON LINE ❏ and press LF to make the current print head position the new auto load position.
22 Control Panel Operations Clearing the printer’s buffer When the printer receives data from a computer, it temporarily stores it in a memory called a buffer. If you stop a printing job partway through, there is the chance that some data will remain in the buffer. The following procedure clears the printer’s buffer by deleting any data that might be there. ❏ Execute the necessary command in the program you are using to stop the print job.
23 Chapter 3: Using the EDS Mode The letters “EDS” stand for “Electronic DIP Switches.” Just like the small DIP switches that are used by many computers, printers, and other devices, the EDS lets you configure the printer so that it matches your system and software needs. This chapter describes how to enter the printer’s EDS Mode and provides details about available settings and how to change them. All switch settings are ON when the printer is shipped from the factory.
24 Using the EDS Mode Selecting a bank ❏ While in the EDS Mode, use the control panel’s FONT button to select a bank. Indicators on the left side of the control panel light to show which bank is currently selected. Lit Indicator Selected Bank ROMAN A ROMAN + COURIER B COURIER C COURIER + ORATOR D ORATOR E ROMAN + COURIER + ORATOR F Selecting a switch ❏ While in the EDS Mode, use the control panel’s MODE button to select a bank switch.
Printing the current switch settings 25 Printing the current switch settings ❏ In the EDS Mode, hold down the control panel’s ON LINE button and press the LF button to print out the current switch settings. Asterisks on the printout show whether a switch is turned on or off. Exiting the EDS Mode ❏ Press the control panel’s ON LINE button to exit the EDS Mode. EDS Mode Settings The following details all of the settings you can program in the EDS Mode.
26 Using the EDS Mode Switch 4: Not used Switch 5: Paper Out Detector Specifies whether the printer’s paper out detector is enabled (ON) or disabled (OFF). When the paper out detector is enabled (ON), the printer automatically stops printing whenever it senses there is no more paper. When it is disabled (OFF), the printer continues printing as long as there is data.
EDS Mode Settings 27 Switch 5: Zero Style Specifies whether a normal zero (ON) or a slashed zero (OFF) will be used. Selecting Normal (ON) prints zeros without lines running through them, while Slashed (OFF) prints zeros with a diagonal slash running through them. Switch 6: Reserved BANK C Switches 1, 2: Print Mode Turn these switches on or off to select the print mode you want to use.
28 Using the EDS Mode BANK D Switches 1, 2, 3, 4: Page Length Turn these switches on or off to form the pattern that matches the Page Length setting you want to make. Page Length SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 11″/Letter ON ON ON ON 8″ OFF ON ON ON 11.7″/A4 ON OFF ON ON 12″ OFF OFF ON ON 8.5″/Letter ON ON OFF ON 14″/Legal OFF ON OFF ON 10.5″/Executive ON OFF OFF ON 7.25″/Executive OFF OFF OFF ON 3.5″ ON ON ON OFF 5.
EDS Mode Settings 29 BANK E Switches 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: Code Page/International Character Set If your EDS settings specify IBM emulation (Bank A, Switch 1 OFF) with either character table (Bank A, Switch 2), or Standard emulation (Bank A, Switch 1 ON) with the graphics character table (Bank A, Switch 2 ON), use the Bank E switches to select the default character code page you want to use.
30 Using the EDS Mode Code Page SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 #3012 Latvian-2 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON #3021 Bulgarian ON ON OFF OFF OFF ON #3031 Hebrew OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON #3041 Maltese ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON #3850 Standard KU OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF ON #3860 Rajvitee KU ON ON ON ON ON OFF #3861 Microwiz KU OFF ON ON ON ON OFF #3863 STD 988 TIS ON OFF ON ON ON OFF #3864 Popular TIS OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF #3865 Newsic TIS ON ON OFF ON ON OFF A
EDS Mode Settings Code Page Name #3846 Turkish #3847 Brazil-ABNT #3848 Brazil-ABICOMP #852 Latin-2 #1001 Arabic #737 Country 31 Remarks Turkey Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia Preferred by Microsoft Egypt, Saudi Arabia Mainly in Arabic speaking countries Greek Greece Almost 80% #851 Greek Greece #869 Greek Greece #928 Greek Greece For UNIX #2001 Lithuanian-KBL Lithuania Commonly used for DOS #772 Lithuanian Lithuani
32 Using the EDS Mode If your EDS settings specify Standard emulation (Bank A, Switch 1 ON) with the italic character table (Bank A, Switch 2 OFF), use the Bank E switches to select the international character set you want to use. This setting determines the assignment of 14 character codes in the Standard Italic character set. International Character Set SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 U.S.A.
EDS Mode Settings 33 BANK F Switches 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: LQ Font Selection Turn these switches on or off to form the pattern that identifies the font you want to use for LQ printing. Font SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 Roman ON ON ON ON ON Sanserif OFF ON ON ON ON Courier ON OFF ON ON ON Prestige OFF OFF ON ON ON Orator OFF OFF OFF ON ON Note: Bank C Switches 1 and 2 must be in the correct position before this setting has any effect.
34 Chapter 4: User Setup Utility The User Setup Utility is included on the floppy disk that comes with the printer. It allows you to change the EDS settings of the printer from your computer. To run the User Setup Utility, you need an IBM-compatible computer running PC-DOS or MS-DOS. The computer must be equipped with a 3.5″ floppy drive and a hard disk drive.
Starting the User Setup Utility 35 Setting for Install Language: English Printer Type: LC-8211 Install Directory: c:\star F1=Install F2=Cancel ❏ Pull down the list of available languages under Language: and doubleclick the one you want to use. ❏ Click the Install Directory: box to change it into an input box. ❏ Input the drive name and directory where you want the User Setup Utility ❏ installed. Make sure to include the full path to the directory.
36 User Setup Utility Help F1 Exit F2 File F3 Emulation Standard RAM usage Input Buffer General F4 * * Font F5 Paper F6 General Quiet mode Disabled Adjust F7 Port F8 * Graphic Direction Bi-direction * When you start the User Setup Utility, it reads and displays the last settings that were sent to the printer by the utility. Note: The utility does not read the settings from the printer.
Adjusting the dot alignment 37 To select a setting box ❏ Click on the box you want to select or move to it by using your keyboard’s Tab or arrow keys. The currently selected setting box is highlighted on the screen. To change a setting ❏ After you select a setting box, click on the box or press Enter to pull down a list of available settings. ❏ Select the setting you want to use in the list by double-clicking on it, or by moving to it with the arrow keys and pressing Enter.
38 User Setup Utility Changing the printer port ❏ Click on Port or press the F8 function key. Port Lpt1: Com1: Com2: ❏ Select the port you want to use by double-clicking on it, or by moving to it with the arrow keys and pressing Enter. Saving setup data in a configuration file ❏ To save setup data in a configuration file so you can recall it later, click on ❏ File or press the F3 function key.
Importing setup data from a configuration file 39 Importing setup data from a configuration file ❏ Click on File or press the F3 function key. ❏ Select Load from the menu that drops down by double-clicking on it, or by moving the highlighting to it with the arrow keys and pressing Enter. Load file File C:\STAR\*.cfg ..
1995-06-15 DEFAULT .CFG 1995-06-15 PREVIOUS.40 Chapter 5: Using the Printer with Windows 3.1 This chapter contains specific information you need to know when using the printer with Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later. It also tells you how to install the printer driver on your computer so that it can control the printer correctly. In this chapter, you will learn: ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ How to set up for printing with Microsoft Windows 3.
Setting up for printing with Microsoft Windows 3.1 ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ 41 Click Add and the dialog box will expand to show a List of Printers. In the List of Printers: box, select Install Unlisted or Updated Printer. Click Install. This causes the Install Driver dialog box to appear, which instructs you to insert the disk that contains the printer driver file. ❏ Click Browse. ❏ In the Directories: list, select WIN 31. ❏ Click on the language you want to use and then click OK.
42 Using the Printer with Windows 3.1 ❏ Double-click on the name of the printer model you just installed to select it as the default printer. ❏ Click Close to close the Printers dialog box. Note: Windows applications automatically print on the currently selected default printer. If you want to print on a different printer, you must first select it. Getting ready to print Before printing, there are a number of things you must first do to set up the printer.
Printing a document 43 ❏ From this window you select buttons that let you control a wide variety of ❏ ❏ printer setup parameters. This manual does not include any information about how to do this because everything you need to know is included in an on-line manual that tells you how to use all the buttons and menus that appear. To view the on-line manual, click on the Help button. After the printer is set up the way you want it, click on OK.
44 Using the Printer with Windows 3.1 Note: The actual appearance of the Print window may differ somewhat depending on the application you are using. Use this window to specify the range of the pages to be printed, the quality of the printing (in dots per inch), and the number of copies you want to print. Note also that there are boxes that you can select to specify printing to a file or collating (printing from back to front). You can change the printer setup by clicking on the Setup button.
Selecting fonts in Windows applications 45 ❏ Insert the disk that contains the fonts into one of your computer’s disk ❏ ❏ ❏ drives. This explanation assumes you are using a drive named “A:”, but you could use any drive. Just remember to change the “A:” in the following steps to the name of the drive you are using. Select the drive letter that represents where the floppy disk is installed. When you do, the names of all the fonts on the disk appear in the List of Fonts window.
46 Chapter 6: Using the printer with Windows 95 This chapter describes how to use the printer with Microsoft Windows 95. The following topics are covered: ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Setting up the printer in Windows 95 Preparing for printing Printing a document Installing the TrueType fonts Note: The file “readme.txt” on the floppy disk contains any late-breaking information that has been made available since this manual was printed.
Setting up the printer in Windows 95 47 ❏ When the above window is displayed, make sure the Local printer radio button is checked. Then click on the Next button twice, and click on the Back button. ❏ Click on the Have Disk button. ❏ Insert the disk with the printer driver file on it into the floppy disk drive. ❏ Make sure that the drive’s name (“A:” or “B:”) is displayed in the field named Copy manufacturer’s files from:.
48 Using the printer with Windows 95 ❏ Select the language or language group you want to use by clicking on it. ❏ Select the printer model name (“Star LC-8211”) by clicking on it and then click on the Next button. ❏ Select the printer port to which the printer is connected by clicking on it (usually “LPT1”). Click on the Next button. ❏ Change the printer name if you want. If you have previously installed another printer, you must select whether you want the new printer to be the default printer.
Preparing to print 49 ❏ Click on the Next button. ❏ Select whether to print out a test page by clicking on the appropriate radio button. ❏ Click on the Finish button. ❏ If a message appears requesting you to insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM, ❏ ❏ insert it into the CD-ROM drive and click on the OK button. If a message appears saying that the printer driver file LC8211.
50 Using the printer with Windows 95 ❏ Double-click on the icon bearing the name of the printer (Star LC-8211) in the Printers window. A window appears listing any documents that are currently being printed on the printer. ❏ Click on the Printer menu. ❏ To set the printer as the default printer, click on the Set As Default ❏ command so that a tick mark appears in the check box. This denotes that the selected printer is the default printer. Click on the Printer menu and click on the Properties command.
Printing a document 51 Printing a document Windows 95 applications always print to the currently selected default printer. If you want to change the default printer, refer to the previous section, Preparing to print. To print from any Windows 95 application, proceed as follows:. ❏ Click on the application’s File menu. ❏ Click on the Print command. Note: The actual appearance of the Print window may differ somewhat depending on the application you are using.
52 Using the printer with Windows 95 Installing TrueType fonts To install the TrueType fonts that are on the floppy disk accompanying this printer, follow the procedure below. ❏ Insert the disk in your computer’s floppy disk drive. ❏ Click on the Start button in the bottom lefthand corner of the screen. ❏ Select Settings. ❏ Release the mouse button on Control Panel. ❏ Double-click on the Fonts folder. The currently-installed font files are displayed. ❏ Click on the Files menu.
53 Chapter 7: Using the Printer with OS/2 Warp This chapter contains specific information about using the printer with IBM OS/2 Warp. It will also show you how to install the printer driver on your computer so you can control the printer.
54 Using the Printer with OS/2 Warp Getting ready to print There are several steps to set up the printer before using it. You must select the printer driver, and specify the source, size, and orientation of the paper. Use the following procedure to make these selections. Note: You do not need to perform the printer driver and paper specifications each time you print, but only if you want to change any of your previous settings. ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Point to the printer object. Click mouse button 2.
55 Chapter 8: Using the Printer with MS-DOS This chapter contains information about how to use the printer with applications software running under MS-DOS. In this chapter, you will learn about: ❏ How to set up for printing with MS-DOS ❏ How to select fonts from within an application Setting up for printing with MS-DOS To print from an application running under MS-DOS, you must first select the printer from within the application.
56 Chapter 9: Paper Handling Your printer is designed to print on a variety of paper types. This chapter tells you everything you need to know about paper, and how to set the printer up for manual paper feed. In this chapter, you will learn about: ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Selecting the best type of paper Adjusting for paper thickness Manual sheet feeding Clearing paper jams Selecting paper types Use the following information when selecting paper. Cut-Sheet Paper Width: 5.5″ to 12″ / 140 to 305mm Length: 5.
Adjusting for paper thickness 57 Labels Backing sheet: 4.5” to 12” / 114 to 305mm Thickness: Backing sheet 0.0028” to 0.0035” / 0.07 to 0.09mm Total thickness 0.0075” / 0.19mm * Use labels only under normal temperature and humidity conditions. Envelope #10: 9.4” × 4.1” / 240 × 104mm Adjusting for paper thickness Paper comes in different weights, normally expressed as gsm (grams per square meter) or lbs (pounds). Some types of forms have multiple pages that make them quite thick.
58 Paper Handling The following table provides a general guide for setting the adjustment lever. Experiment with different settings until you find the one that gives you the print quality you want. Weight Per Sheet Thickness Recommended Position 14 lbs (52 gsm) 0.06 mm 1 17 lbs (64 gsm) 0.08 mm 1 21 lbs (81 gsm) 0.10 mm 1 28 lbs (104 gsm) 0.13 mm 1 42 lbs (156 gsm) 0.19 mm 2 2-ply 11 lbs (40 gsm) 0.13 mm 2 3-ply 11 lbs (40 gsm) 0.20 mm 3 4-ply 11 lbs (40 gsm) 0.
Manual sheet feeding 59 Manual sheet feeding You can use the following procedure to manually feed cut-sheet paper into the printer. ❏ Make sure that there is no fanfold paper in the printer. If there is, use the ❏ procedure under “Parking fanfold paper” on page 14 to park the fanfold paper and prepare for manual sheet feeding. Set the release lever on the back of the printer to the cut-sheet position.
60 Paper Handling ❏ Adjust the paper guide to the position you want. Note that the ▼ mark of the guide indicates where the left margin of the printing will be. Paper guide Scale ❏ Making sure that the left edge of the paper is against the paper guide, insert straight a sheet of paper into the front of the printer as far as it will go. The paper will automatically be fed into the printer. Paper guide Paper Table ❏ Start the printing operation from your software application.
Clearing paper jams 61 Note: If you are inserting letterhead paper, insert the sheet so that it is face up with the letterhead portion up. Clearing paper jams Use the following procedure to clear paper jams from the printer. ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Turn the power off. Unplug the printer from its AC power outlet. Open the front cover of the printer. Carefully try to pull the jammed paper from the printer.
62 Chapter 10: Optional Accessory This chapter explains how to connect and set up the following optional accessory that is available for this printer: ❏ Serial-to-Parallel Converter (SPC-8K) Important! Always make sure that printer power is turned off whenever installing or removing optional accessories. Connecting the Interface Converter ❏ Unplug the printer from its AC power outlet. ❏ Set the DIP switches on the SPC-8K to the settings you want to use before ❏ you connect it to your printer.
Setting the converter’s DIP switches 63 ❏ Plug the other end of the serial cable into your computer’s serial ports. Serial ports are usually marked COM1, COM 2, etc. If your computer has only one serial port, it will be marked COM1. Important! ❏ Make sure that the serial-to-parallel converter is resting on a stable, level surface where it will not be subject to vibration or damage.
64 Optional Accessory Data Length Switch 1 Data Length DOS/Windows Setting ON 8 bits 8 OFF 7 bits 7 Parity Switch 2 Switch 5 Parity DOS/Windows Setting ON ON or OFF None N OFF ON Odd O OFF OFF Even E Protocol Switch 3 Switch 4 Protocol ON ON DTR ON OFF XON/XOFF OFF ON ETX/ACK Baud Rate Switch 6 Switch 7 Switch 8 Baud Rate DOS/Windows Setting OFF OFF OFF 150 bps 150 OFF OFF ON 300 bps 300 OFF ON OFF 600 bps 600 OFF ON ON 1200 bps 1200 ON OFF O
65 Appendix A: Troubleshooting The appendix will provide help if you experience problems with your printer. It tells you how to test the printer, how to check system software settings, and how to adjust the vertical alignment. In addition, there is information on actions to take for specific problems, and on the meanings of printer beep tones. Warning! The printer uses high voltage. Do not attempt any other repair or maintenance except as expressly recommended in this appendix.
66 Troubleshooting Note: Test printing prints across the entire width of the carriage. Make sure that the printer is loaded with the widest paper available in order to avoid damage to the print head and platen. Hexadecimal dump This procedure prints in hexadecimal format all codes (character codes and control codes) that are sent to the printer by the computer. The printer does not execute any control codes (such as 0A - linefeed), it just prints them out.
67 ❏ While holding down the control panel’s LF and ON LINE buttons, turn the printer back on to enter the Dot Adjustment Mode. The printer will print something like the following. *** DOT ADJUSTMENT SETTING *** Normal-density 0: Note that the printer will feed the paper forward and back each time during this operation so you can view the printout. ❏ If the two lines do not align properly, use FONT to move the lower line to ❏ ❏ ❏ the left or MODE to move it to the right.
68 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting guide Use the following table to help track down the causes of problems and to determine the best solution to deal with them. Problem The ON LINE indicator does not light. Possible Cause The printer is not receiving power. Recommended Action Check whether the power cord is correctly plugged into the power outlet. Check whether the power outlet is working by unplugging the printer and plugging in another device. Printer sounds like it is printing, but it is not.
69 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Printer test works, but printer will not print out data from the attached computer. The interface cable is connected incorrectly or damaged. Check to make sure that the printer interface cable is connected correctly. If it is, try a different cable. Printer does not feed paper properly. Jamming paper. Remove all paper from the printer and then reload it. The printer is not set up correctly for the thickness of paper being used.
70 Troubleshooting Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Incorrect number of lines are printed on the page. Auto line feed with carriage return is enabled. Use the EDS Mode or the User Setup Utility to disable auto line feed with carriage return (page 26). The line spacing or leading selected by your application program is wrong. Choose a different line spacing or leading setting from your application. Dot adjustment is not correct. See “Adjusting the dot alignment” on page 66.
71 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Printer case is hot. The printer’s air vents are blocked or obstructed. Switch off the printer and let it cool. Check the air vents on the bottom of the printer to see if they are blocked. Remove the obstruction if possible. If the problem persists, return the printer to your dealer for repair. Printer makes excessive noise. The front cover is removed. Replace the front cover. The printer is vibrating. Move any objects that are touching the printer.
72 Troubleshooting Problem Left margin moves to the right during printing. Some characters are printed incorrectly. Possible Cause Recommended Action The paper is not loaded correctly, causing the print head to jam. Remove all paper from the printer and reload it. Try printing again. The ribbon cassette is not installed correctly, causing the print head to jam. Make sure that the ribbon cassette is installed correctly. See “Installing the ribbon cassette” on page 5.
73 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Some characters are printed incorrectly. Inappropriate settings are selected by your application program. Choose different settings in your application. Wires are missing from the print head. Return the printer to your dealer for repair. The interface cable is connected incorrectly or damaged. Check to make sure that the printer interface cable is connected correctly. If it is, try a different cable.
74 Troubleshooting Checking system software settings in Windows Whenever you have problems printing from a Windows application, you should check the following four things: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Is the printer you are using set as the default printer? Is the drive setup correctly? Is the printer you are using correctly selected in your application? Is the correct port selected? You should also refer to your Microsoft Windows User’s Guide for other information that might be helpful.
75 To check the application printer selection ❏ Select Print from the application’s File menu, and a window appears listing available printers. ❏ Check to see that the name of your Star printer is selected. If it is not, select it and try printing from your application again. To check the port ❏ Double-click the Control Panel icon in the Main window. ❏ Double-click the Printers icon. ❏ Double-click on the name of your Star printer in the list of installed printers. ❏ Click on Connect.
76 Appendix B: Specifications Printing System Printing Speed Print Direction Print Head Line Spacing Character Matrix Environment Serial Impact Dot-Matrix Pitch Draft (cps/dpi) LQ (cps/dpi) Pica (10 cpi) 225/120H 75/360H Elite (12 cpi) 270/120H 90/360H Semi-condensed (15 cpi (S)) 337/120H 112/360H Semi-condensed (15 cpi (I)) 168/240H 112/360H Condensed pica (17 cpi) 191/240H 127/360H Condensed elite (20 cpi) 225/240H 149/360H 24 cpi (I) 270/240H 178/360H H: half-dot (S): Standard mode only (I): IBM mo
77 Paper Cut-sheet Paper width: Paper length: Paper weight (1-ply): Multi-part: Copies: Fanfold Paper width: Paper weight (1-ply): Multi-part: Emulation Interface Ribbon Type Ribbon Life Dimensions and Weight Power Supply Power Consumption Options 5.5″ to 12″ / 140 to 305 mm 5.5″ to 11″/ 140 to 280 mm 14 to 42 lbs / 52 to 156 g/m2 / 45 to 135 kg 11 to 14 lbs / 40 to 52 g/m2 / 34 to 45 kg; pressure sensitive paper Total thickness: 0.02″/0.50mm Original + 6 4.
78 Appendix C: Interface Pin Outs Parallel Interface Pin Name Function 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 - 30 31 32 33 34 - 35 36 STROBE DATA0 DATA1 DATA2 DATA3 DATA4 DATA5 DATA6 DATA7 ACK BUSY PAPER SELECT AFXT Goes low for ≥0.5µs when active. These signals represent information for the 1st through 8th bit of parallel data, respectively. Each signal is HIGH when data is logical 1, and LOW when logical 0.
79 Appendix D: Character Sets Standard Italic Character Set International Character Set The character codes shown in the table are hexadecimal.
80 Character Sets IBM Character Set #2 Code Page #437 (IBM-PC) Character Set #1 Other characters are the same as those for Character Set #2.
81 IBM Special Character Set The following characters can be printed using the ^ command. Code Page #850 Multi-lingual Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #860 Portuguese Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #861 Icelandic Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
82 Character Sets Code Page #863 Canadian French Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #865 Nordic Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #866 Russian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3840 IBM-Russian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
83 Code Page #3841 Gost-Russian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3843 Polish Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3844 CS2 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3845 Hungarian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
84 Character Sets Code Page #3846 Turkish Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3847 Brazil-ABNT Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3848 Brazil-ABICOMP The other characters are the same as in code page #437. Code Page #852 Latin-2 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
85 Code Page #1001 Arabic Code Page #737 Greek Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #851 Greek Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
86 Character Sets Code Page #869 Greek Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #928 Greek Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #2001 Lithuanian-KBL Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #772 Lithuanian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
87 Code Page #774 Lithuanian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3001 Estonian1 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3002 Estonian2 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3011 Latvian1 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
88 Character Sets Code Page #3012 Latvian2 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3021 Bulgarian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3031 Hebrew Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3041 Maltese Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
89 Code Page #3850 Standard KU Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3860 Rajvitee KU Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3861 Microwiz KU Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3863 STD988 TIS Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
90 Character Sets Code Page #3864 Popular TIS Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. Code Page #3865 Newsic TIS Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437.
91 Appendix E: Printer Control Codes This appendix lists the printer’s control commands. It gives the name of each control command, along with the applicable emulation mode (Standard, IBM, or Both), and the applicable ASCII code.
92 Printer Control Codes Print Pitch Control Commands Description Select one line expanded print Mode ASCII Code Both SO Same as SO STD ESC SO Select condensed print Both SI Same as SI STD ESC SI Cancel condensed print STD DC2 Set print pitch to pica IBM DC2 Cancel one-line expanded print Both DC4 Set print pitch to elite IBM ESC : Set print pitch to elite STD ESC M Set print pitch to pica STD ESC P Cancel proportional print IBM ESC P00H Select proportional print IBM E
93 Special Print Mode Commands Description Set master print mode Mode ASCII Code STD ESC! Cancel underlining Both ESC-0 Select underlining Both ESC-1 Select emphasized print Both ESC E Cancel emphasized print Both ESC F Select double-strike print Both ESC G Cancel double-strike print Both ESC H Select superscripts Both ESC S0 Select subscripts Both ESC S1 Cancel super/subscripts Both ESC T Cancel upperlining IBM ESC _0 Select upperlining IBM ESC _1 Cancel character styl
94 Printer Control Codes Line Spacing Commands Description Advance paper one line (line feed) Mode ASCII Code Both LF Reverse paper one line STD ESC LF Set line spacing to 1/8″ Both ESC 0 Set line spacing to 7/72″ IBM ESC 1 Set line spacing to 1/6″ STD ESC 2 Execute ESC A IBM ESC 2 Set line spacing to n/180″ (STD/IBM), n/216″ (IBM), or n/360″ (IBM) Both ESC 3n Set line spacing to n/360″ STD ESC +n Set line spacing to n/60″ STD ESC An Define line spacing to n/72″ IBM ESC An
95 Horizontal Print Position Control Commands Description Mode ASCII Code Move print head to next horizontal tab position Both Return print head to left margin (carriage return) Both CR Move print head to absolute horizontal position STD ESC $n1 n2 Add n dot spaces between characters STD ESC SPn Cancel automatic line feed IBM ESC 5 00H Select automatic line feed IBM ESC 5 01H Set horizontal tab positions Both ESC Dn…NULL Set right margin STD ESC Qn Set left and right margins IBM
96 Printer Control Codes Other Commands (Continued) Description Select uni-directional printing Mode ASCII Code Both ESC U1 Control character height, width, line spacing IBM ESC [@ Set initial condition IBM ESC [K Select 1 x 1, 2 x 2, 4 x 4 sized printing STD ESC hn Stop printing IBM ESC j Select type face STD ESC kn Cancel double-high mode STD ESC w0 Select double-high mode STD ESC w1 NEC Commands Description Mode ASCII Code Set line spacing to n/360″ STD FS 3n Initialize
97 Appendix F: Glossary adjustment lever Controls the darkness of the printing by adjusting for the thickness of the paper you are printing on. Centronics cable Parallel cable normally used to connect the printer to the computer. control code A numeric code that instructs the printer to perform an operation. For example, the computer sends the printer a form feed control code (12) to tell it to eject the current page.
98 Appendix G: Control Panel Operation Guide BANK SW ROMAN SANSERIF COURIER PRESTIGE ORATOR A B C D E POWER 1 2 DRAFT 3 4 QUIET 5 F 6 MICRO FEED QUIET FONT MODE LF ON LINE FF Hex-Dump Long test Short test Dot-adjust mode EDS mode POWER-ON Quiet Tear off Set/Eject/Park Off-Line ON-LINE Font Mode Panel macro LF/Set On-Line Form feed Backward Forward Micro feed Set TOF Buffer clear and All reset Auto loading position change mode OFF-LINE Bank Switch On/Off Exit Print EDS MODE L
A application printer selection checking 75 auto LF with CR 26 auto load position changing 20 auto tear-off 26 AUTOEXEC.
eject 18 Electronic DIP Switches 23 emulation 25 L F M fanfold paper automatic feeding 58 form feed 18 loading 9 parking 14, 18 perforations 13 printing on 13 specifications 56 tear-off function 14, 19 unparking 14 fonts selecting in Windows 45 form feed 18 front cover opening 5 macro 21 micro feed 19 Microsoft Windows setting up for 40 MS-DOS setting up for printing 55 system software settings 75 G glossary 97 graphics direction 26 H hexadecimal dump 66 I input buffer 25 Interface Converter connect
print mode 27 print mode setting 19 print pitch 27 printing getting ready 42 Windows 43 problems causes and solutions 68 dark printing 70 erratic operation 73 excessive noise 71 hot printer case 71 incorrect characters 72, 73 left margin movement 72 line spacing 69 malformed graphics 70 no printing 68 overprinting lines 69 paper feed 69 power supply 68 print quality 70 printing past paper edge 71 smudged forms 70 sudden stoppage 73 weak printing 68 wrong number of lines 70 specifications 76 system software
Customer service information If you experience any technical difficulties with your Star printer, please refer to Appendix A How to deal with printing problems. This chapter describes easy methods to diagnose and resolve some of the problems that you may encounter. For further technical support, you should first contact your Authorized Star Dealer. If you require additional support, Star Micronics offers a wide variety of technical support services.
