FotoPrisa 300P/U Photo Printer User’s Manual
Copyright Copyright 1999 by Acer Peripherals, Incorporated (Acer Peripherals). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Peripherals.
Do not block the ventilation holes on the device. Keep away from liquid, heat, dust and direct exposure to sunlight or strong electromagnetic field. Before you move the device, make sure that all power or cable connections are disconnected. Place the device on a flat and stable surface. Avoid moving the device during operation. Do not clean the device with thinner or other corrosive liquid. Use only damp soft cloth to clean this device. When cleaning, avoid dropping water into the device.
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED ....................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION TO FOTOPRISA PRINTER .................................................................. 1 1.2 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH FOTOPRISA PRINTER ..................................................... 2 Front View ................................................................................................ 2 Rear View (FotoPrisa 300P) .............................................
CHAPTER 4. SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR PRINTING ............................................ 29 4.1 CAUTIONS ON USING RIBBON CARTRIDGES AND PAPER ..................................................29 4.2 CHOOSING THE RIGHT FILE FORMATS FOR THE PRINTING OUTPUT .....................................31 *.bmp (Bitmap)............................................................................................31 *.gif (Graphics Interchange Format)................................................................31 *.
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FotoPrisa Chapter 1. Getting Started 1.1 Introduction to FotoPrisa Printer Thank you for choosing the true photo-quality FotoPrisa Printer by Acer Peripherals, Inc. Designed to bring you excellent photo printing quality and high printout durability, FotoPrisa Printer is bound to be the best partner to turn your masterpieces into beautiful photos, postcards and stickers.
FotoPrisa and quickly. The Photo Express image editing software allows you to get and edit image from various sources, such as from the web, through the digital camera or from scanner. You can also open image files that are already stored in your computer. After you finish getting and editing images in Photo Express, you can adjust and print the edited images through the FotoPrisa driver and share your idea and creativity on photo printouts, stickers or postcards with your family, relatives or loved ones.
FotoPrisa Manual paper feeding slot The FotoPrisa Printer provides two paper-feeding methods: manual feeding and paper cassette feeding. You can feed photo paper manually through this slot. While the FotoPrisa Printer is in printing process, the paper will go back and forth in the paper feeding slot for 3 or 4 times. LED panel The LED panel consists of two LED indicators: “READY” and “STATUS”. “READY” LED indicator blinks when the printer is powered on and under self-test.
FotoPrisa Ventilation holes These holes are designed to carry heat out of the machine. Do not block these holes while using the printer. Rear View (FotoPrisa 300P) Power switch Other device Power inlet Connector to PC Connector to other peripheral devices Power inlet Connect the power cord here. This power inlet accepts AC power 100-240V, 50/60Hz. Power switch Turns the printer power on or off. Connector to PC This connector is marked "PC" on the rear panel.
FotoPrisa Rear View (FotoPrisa 300U) Power switch Power inlet USB connector Power inlet Connect the power cord here. This power inlet accepts AC power 100-240V, 50/60Hz. Power switch Turns the printer power on or off. USB Connector Use this connector to connect the FotoPrisa 300U Printer to the USB port of your computer with a USB cable. Specification label The specification label describes printer specifications and is located at the bottom of the printer.
FotoPrisa 1.3 Software introduction Your FotoPrisa Printer comes with two powerful software tools: FotoPrisa driver FotoPrisa driver is designed specifically for making it easier and more efficient to print images in various formats with FotoPrisa Printer. Its multifunctional capability and easy-to-use interface allows you to adjust print settings and image easily and intuitively. For more detailed information on how to use the FotoPrisa driver, please refer to the descriptions in Chapter 2.
FotoPrisa 1.4 Prepare to print “READY” LED “STATUS” LED This section shows you how to prepare the printer for printing images. Follow these steps when you use the FotoPrisa Printer to print images. Step 1- Turn on the printer power Turn the power switch ON and wait until the printer completes its self-test. The “READY” LED indicator will first blink for a few seconds then remain on.
FotoPrisa 4. Push the new ribbon cartridge all the way into the ribbon cartridge socket. When the cartridge goes into its place, you will hear a click from the ribbon cartridge hook. Close the ribbon cartridge cover. Step 3- Load Paper Load photo paper and postcards Please note that photo paper and postcards are two-sided and only one side can be used for printing.
FotoPrisa Load paper through paper cassette Before you load the paper into the paper cassette, ruffle the paper to separate each sheet. Open the paper cassette cover and load photo paper with the marked side face down into the paper cassette. You can load up to 25 sheets of photo paper into the paper cassette. Insert your finger into the opening at the back of the paper cassette to hold the paper inside the cassette, then insert the paper cassette into the paper cassette slot.
FotoPrisa Step 4- Print Print images from your image editing software. The FotoPrisa driver Preview Window will pop up if you have checked “Preview” in the Property Window (please see Chapter 2 for details). You can adjust the print settings from the Preview Window. When FotoPrisa Printer is printing, the paper will go back and forth for several times. When printing job is completed, the FotoPrisa Printer stops printing and you can take the printout out of the printer.
FotoPrisa Chapter 2. FotoPrisa driver This section gives you a comprehensive description on the FotoPrisa driver functions and how to adjust printer settings and image quality in the Preview Window. 2.1 Introduction to FotoPrisa driver FotoPrisa driver is an integrated part of your FotoPrisa Printer. The FotoPrisa driver works as a bridge between the printer and application software (such as Photo Express). Before you actually print, you can adjust various print settings in the FotoPrisa driver.
FotoPrisa The FotoPrisa Printer driver can be divided into two parts: Property Window and Preview Window. 2.2 Property Window This is where you can adjust the print settings and print area. After the FotoPrisa driver is installed successfully, there are two ways to access the Property Window: You can double-click the "Printer" icon in Windows "Control Panel". On the "FotoPrisa 300 Series" icon, right-click your mouse and choose "Properties" in the submenu.
FotoPrisa Orientation This option allows the image to be printed on the paper in two orientations: landscape and portrait. You can choose the proper printing direction that fits the image style. When “Resolution” is set to “300x600dpi”, the “Orientation” is unchangeable in Preview Window. Tile This option is useful when you want to multiply the image on the paper or print on a sticker. If you choose "1", the printer uses the whole available print area to print the image.
FotoPrisa Media Type You can choose between Photo Paper, Sticker (4x4) and Sticker (Single) in this item. If you use photo paper or postcard for printing, choose "Photo Paper". If you are printing images on stickers, please choose "Sticker (4x4)" or “Sticker (Single)”. If you choose "Photo Paper" as the media, you can tile (see above) the image in 1, 4 or 16 on the paper, and the paper can be loaded either manually or automatically.
FotoPrisa 2.2.2 The "Print Area" tab According to the settings in “Orientation”, “Tile” and “Media Type” in the "Setting" tab, the "Print Area" tab displays the available print area options and their related information. For example, if you chose landscape in "Orientation" and "1" in "Tile" in the "Setting" tab, the “Print Area” tab will show three available options: You can click any one of the three thumbnails to choose.
FotoPrisa 2.3 Preview Window The Preview Window only appears when you have checked "Preview" in the "Setting" tab in Property Window: Preview Area The preview area is where you can get a idea of what the image will look like before you actually print. Any modification made to print setting will also be reflected here. You can adjust the image position by first moving the mouse cursor on the image, when the cursor becomes a hand, click and drag the image to the desired position.
FotoPrisa “Print” button Click this button to print. “Cancel” button Click this button to cancel. “Help” button You can click this button to read the online help content. “Information” button Click this button to display the related information about the FotoPrisa driver. "Setting" tab The options in the "Setting" tab works just like the options in the "Setting" tab of the Property window. In this tab, only Orientation, Tile, and Source options are adjustable here.
FotoPrisa "Image Quality" tab The Image Quality tab provides the following tools to adjust the image quality before you print. The setting change will be applied in the preview area in real-time. Brightness: Drag the slider to the left to decrease the overall brightness of the image. To lighten the image, move the slider to the right. Contrast: This tool can control the difference between the lighter and darker part of the image.
FotoPrisa Chapter 3. Photo Express In this chapter you will be presented a general introduction to the functions of Photo Express. For more detailed descriptions, please first install Acrobat Reader by searching and doubleclicking the file “ar32e301.exe” located in the software disc, then open the file “pe2.pdf” to read the complete electronic manual. 3.
FotoPrisa You can run Photo Express by either double-clicking the icon on your desktop or from the shortcut in the Windows “Start” menu.
FotoPrisa Below is an introduction to each part of the Photo Express main screen: Mode Tab: The Mode tabs switch Photo Express between Photo mode and Project mode. Photo mode is where the majority of your work is done, while the Project mode lets you make greeting cards, name cards, and other fun things based on templates. Command Panel: The Command panel lists all of the available categories in Photo Express necessary for getting the most out of your creativity when working on photos.
FotoPrisa 3.2 Applications In the sections below, we will show you how to make your personalized postcards, invitations, greeting cards, name cards and stickers with your FotoPrisa Printer and the templates in Photo Express. Photo Express allows you to import images various sources, including a file, a scanner or a digital camera. It will be more amazing and interesting if you can use these imaging devices to create your own masterpieces.
FotoPrisa 6. The scanner driver will pop up. Scan the image you want to use. When finished, the image will automatically replace the one in the template. You can adjust the size of the image by moving the handles on it. 7. Now we want to edit the text on the greeting card. Click Text on the Command Panel. 8. Click the text on the template and a box will appear on it. Click and drag to adjust the position of the text box. 9. On the Tool Bar, click Add/Edit. 10.
FotoPrisa Make a unique invitation for your friends Aside from getting images from a scanner, you can also use a digital still camera to capture images and import them into Photo Express. You can then use the templates in Photo Express to edit them and output them as unique invitations for your friends! 1. Click Project on the Mode Tab. 2. On the Options Panel, click Invitations. 3. The templates will appear in the Workspace. Double-click to choose the template you like. 4.
FotoPrisa 12. Click Print. The FotoPrisa Preview Window will appear after a few seconds. If everything looks OK, click button to start printing your invitation.
FotoPrisa Prepare an amazing postcard for your relatives If you have already had a file stored in your computer that is suitable to be output with FotoPrisa Printer, you can also use it to create an amazing postcard. 1. Click Photo on the Mode Tab. 2. Click File on the Tool Bar. Click on the Options Panel to look for the file you want to use. The thumbnails will then appear on the Options Panel. Choose the thumbnail by clicking on it and click Open to Workspace. 3. Click Open.
FotoPrisa Create stickers With your FotoPrisa Printer and the specially designed 4x4 sticker, you can create your original stickers and put them on your books, cellular phone or other personal goods. You can also give them to your friends to share your creativity. 1. Click Project on the Mode Tab. 2. Click to choose a template to use on the Options Panel. The templates will appear in the Workspace. Double-click the thumbnail you like to open it. 3.
FotoPrisa Create a special name card Don’t you find your name card too dull and serious? Use your FotoPrisa Printer and the templates in Photo, you will be able to create vivid and high-quality name cards for yourself. 1. Click Project on the Mode Tab. 2. On the Options Panel, click Name cards. The templates will appear in the Workspace. 3. Double-click to choose the template you want to use. The template will be enlarged in the Workspace. 4.
FotoPrisa Chapter 4. Some Useful Tips for Printing To achieve the best print quality: Use only genuine FotoPrisa Printer consumables. Genuine FotoPrisa Printer ribbon cartridges and paper are exclusively designed for the FotoPrisa Printer to provide the best printing result. Avoid using any third-party ribbon cartridges or paper as they may cause malfunction to the FotoPrisa Printer. 4.
FotoPrisa Keep the photo paper/sticker and ribbon cartridge away from high temperature, humidity and direct sunlight. Please flatten the paper in packed status if it is curled up (See figure 1). Before you print, ruffle the photo paper/sticker to release the static electricity and separate each sheet. When doing so, avoid touching the printing surface of the photo paper/sticker (See figure 2). Otherwise, the fingerprint will spoil the final printout.
FotoPrisa 4.2 Choosing the right file formats for the printing output Like in Photo Express, in many image editing software, more than one image file format are supported for editing and output use. But which formats are good enough for the printing? Here you will be introduced some ordinary formats and which ones are appropriate for FotoPrisa Printer output. *.bmp (Bitmap) It’s the simplest way to store the data by mapping the digitalized image into a grid of pixels.
FotoPrisa *.tga (Targa) This format, one of the principal True Color image formats, can store image data with up to 32 bits per pixel. Compared to TIF and JPEG, which are other options for True Color images, TGA is relatively simple and therefore widely used in imaging programs. The only drawback to this format is that it lacks a good compression scheme. *.
FotoPrisa specific programs or equipments. Here we don’t recommend these formats for FotoPrisa Printer. 4.3 Choose the appropriate image source for the file to be printed To get a perfect printout with FotoPrisa Printer, first, there are 3 points needed to really take care of for choosing an appropriate image input: Image size Before we go into the topic, there are several important terms to know in advance. A digital image is composed of a minimum unit called pixel.
FotoPrisa sacrificing the resolution. In order to obtain the best printing results, it is recommend that the source image size be large than 800 pixels x 1000 pixels. If you are using a digital camera as the image source, make sure that the camera is capable of taking pictures at 1.3 mega pixels. Aspect ratio Take the full size printout as an example, the ratio of height to width in Portrait mode is 5:4.
FotoPrisa Image dimension and resolution Image dimension indicates the very dimension of an image you will see on physical printouts. The difference between image dimension and image size is that image size is the absolute size of the image, while image dimension is subject to change by applying different printing resolutions when you print the image.
FotoPrisa Different images in different dimensions The actual printout size shown in FotoPrisa Preview window 36
FotoPrisa How to adjust the resolution and dimension of an image Now you have chosen an image with appropriate image size and aspect ratio according to our discussion above, the next step is to adjust the resolution and dimension of the source image. The easiest way to adjust image resolution and dimension is to use the Adjust function provided by your application software.
FotoPrisa Quality of original image The printer reflects the image we want to print out. If the original image's quality is not good enough (e.g. with smearing and unwanted dots or scribbles), of course, the printout will not be satisfactory as well. 4.4 Printing stickers When you want to print an image into 4x4 stickers, you don’t necessarily need to choose an image with a size larger than 800 x 1000 pixels.
FotoPrisa Secondly, maximize your browser window and you can approximately judge if the image size is suitable for FotoPrisa Printer full-size printing by comparing with the size of window visible area. For example, if your display resolution is 800 x 600 pixels: The image width is about 1/4, and length is about 1/3 of the screen visible area width and length, therefore, the image size is about 200 x 200 pixels, the image printout dimension is about 0.67”x 0.67” at 300dpi.
FotoPrisa 1. Get the right image If you are using a digital still camera B A A:B=4:3 It’s better to choose the camera with aspects ratio of 4:3, like 640 x 480 (minimum requirements bigger than 600 x 450), 800 x 600, 1024 x 768…, etc. Then download to the PC to save as appropriate file in the image-editing program (such as Photo Express). If the aspect ratio is not exactly 4:3, use to the Crop function to remove the longer side as to fit the ration of 3 to 4.
FotoPrisa Chapter 5. Troubleshooting and FAQ 5.1 Troubleshooting 5.1.1 Paper Jam If you encounter paper jam during the operation of the printer, please refer to the following instructions to remove. 1. Power off your printer and then remove the paper cassette from the printer. 2. Turn the printer upside down. Slide the output tray open and you will see the paper jam door. 3. Open the paper jam door. 4. Pull the jammed paper out of the printer. WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH THE COMPONENTS INSIDE THE PRINTER. 5.
FotoPrisa 5.1.2 LED Messages The LED indicators on the printer provide information on the status of your printer. The on/off/flash of each LED indicator represents certain error or process that occur within your printer. Please refer to the following table to identify the meaning of the LED messages.
FotoPrisa 5.1.3 Printer (parallel) port settings (For FotoPrisa 300P) FotoPrisa 300P is designed to work with your computer in all parallel port modes, but is optimized for ECP-mode connection with the parallel port of your computer. If the FotoPrisa Printer is not working under ECP mode with your computer, the printer will not be able to output images in 300x600 dpi. Generally, there are presently four parallel connection protocols adopted by the industry: EPP, ECP, Bi-Directional and SPP.
FotoPrisa 5.1.4 USB port settings (For FotoPrisa 300U) The FotoPrisa 300U Printer is connected to your computer via USB port. USB is short for Universal Serial Bus, a connection interface capable of transmitting signal at 12Mbit per second. Besides, it is a real plug-and-play interface type, which means that you don’t have to power on a USB device before you turn on your computer to use it. Whenever you want to use a USB device, simply power on the device and your computer will detect it automatically.
FotoPrisa 5.2 FAQ 1. What is dye sublimation printing? Dye sublimation works in much the same way as thermal wax transfer. Thermal wax transfer creates images by selectively heating colored wax from a ribbon so that it will adhere to paper or film. The ink is impregnated in the wax. When heat is applied, the wax melts and is transferred along with the ink to the paper or film.
FotoPrisa 3. What type of printing material is used? In contrast to traditional types of liquid ink, ink cartridges, crayon ink and dry toner, dye-sublimation printers utilize ink ribbons which look like rolls of colored cellophane. Each roll contains panels of cyan, magenta and yellow and the printer works like a four-color printing press (CMYK). Black is derived as a subtractive color and therefore a separate black panel is unnecessary.
FotoPrisa 7. What is the difference between a YMC ribbon cartridge and a YMCO ribbon cartridge? There are two different kinds of ribbon cartridges available for using with your FotoPrisa Printer: the ribbon cartridge without overlayer (YMC) and with overlayer (YMCO). The overlayer is mainly designed to protect the printout by printing another layer of transparent material on the paper after Y, M and C are printed.
FotoPrisa 5.3 Service and Information For more information on the imaging products of Acer Peripherals, Inc., on-line technical support and software updates, please visit our web site at http://www.acerperipherals.com (USA) http://www.acerperipherals.nl (Europe) http://www.acerperipherals.com.tw (Taiwan) If you encounter problems using the printer or its driver program, please contact your local dealer or send e-mail to: USA: APAweb@apa.acer.com Europe: Scanner.Fae@acerperipherals.nl Asia: FaeImg@api.com.
FotoPrisa Chapter 6. Appendix Acer Peripherals Genuine Printing Media Series Standard Kit – Photo Ribbon cartridge / Photo Paper 25 sheets Option Kit - Sticker Ribbon cartridge / Sticker (4x4) 25 sheets Option Kit – Sticker Ribbon cartridge / Sticker (Single) 25 sheets Option Kit - Postcard Ribbon cartridge / Postcards 25 sheets *The print media kit can be stored for 18 months under the temperature of 25 °C at cool dark place in packed status.
FotoPrisa Product Specifications Item Print Method Resolution Printable Colors Ribbon Cartridge Type Description Dye sublimation 300 x 600 dpi 16.77 million, 256 gradations each of C, M , Y YMC (yellow/magenta/cyan) Paper size 101.5 x 148mm Print area 101.
