SETTING UP CONNECTING THE PRINTER TO YOUR COMPUTER Your printer supports one of the following interface options: • Centronics parallel interface only • Centronics parallel interface+RS-232C serial interface • Centronics parallel interface+USB (+LAN) interface The RS-232 serial interface is a factory-installed option for a Centronics parallel interface model.
SETTING UP Selecting a USB Cable 9 When the USB interface is used to connect to the host computer, the parallel interface and the serial interface (factory add-on option) cannot be connected simultaneously. 9 The USB interface does not guarantee all connections of USBsupported devices. Selecting a LAN cable 9 When the LAN cable is connected, the parallel and USB cables cannot be used. 9 The LAN cable, when used in 100BASE-TX environments, must conform to category 5 or higher.
SETTING UP NOTE The LAN interface is a user add-on option. When installing a LAN card, remove the two screws securing the cover and remove the cover. Then insert the LAN card and reattach the cover with the two screws removed earlier. For details, refer to the Online Manual that comes with the LAN card. SELECTING AN EMULATION 3. To secure a parallel interface cable, flip the fastener clips located on the printer into the notches on the cable connector.
SETTING UP 9 If you are using more than one software package, determine which emulation is supported by the software you use most frequently. Select that emulation. 9 If your software supports more than one emulation, select the DPL24C PLUS emulation if possible. This emulation has the greatest capabilities. 9 If you want to use an emulation that is not supported by your software, contact your software manufacturer or printer dealer and ask whether support is available.
SETTING UP <> menu Function Red cursor on print guide Initial printout in setup mode Check that the <> menu is printed at the bottom of the page.
SETTING UP 3. Select the MENU1 function. Locate the cursor on left edge of the aluminum print guide. Initially, this cursor should be positioned at SAVE & END at the beginning of the <> menu. Press the LOAD button repeatedly to position the cursor at MENU1, as shown below: Press the T MICRO FEED button to select MENU1 and print the following options: DPL24C+ XL24E ESC/P2 The currently selected emulation is indicated by a short underline.
SETTING UP PRINTING A SAMPLE PAGE (ONLINE) Once the self-test verifies that the printer is functioning correctly, try printing using one of your software packages. This exercise will ensure that the printer is correctly connected to your computer. If you are using a parallel interface, the printer usually prints the correct characters automatically. However, you may need to adjust the page layout or various print features using your software or the printer setup mode.
SETTING UP Using MS-DOS to Specify Serial Interface Settings For an IBM PC or compatible device, use the following MS-DOS MODE commands to set the computer serial settings to match the printer factory settings: MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P MODE LPT1:=COM1 To activate these settings whenever you turn the computer on, write the MODE commands in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Make sure that the MODE.COM file is included in your root directory.
CHAPTER 3 PAPER HANDLING PAPER HANDLING This chapter explains how your printer uses paper. 3 Topics covered are: • Selecting paper • Overview of paper operations • Adjusting for paper thickness • Using single sheets • Using continuous forms (front-tractor feed and rear-tractor feed) • Feeding and positioning paper • Switching paper types Tips for paper handling are given at the end of this chapter. Check that section if you are using multipart forms, envelopes, or labels.
PAPER HANDLING OVERVIEW OF PAPER OPERATIONS The following buttons are used in paper handling: • LF/FF, TEAR OFF, PAPER PATH, S MICRO FEED, T MICRO FEED and LOAD buttons on the control panel (A different function is enabled when each button is pressed in conjunction with the ONLINE button.) The following figure shows the location of each button: Location of the buttons Table 3.1 summarizes the use of buttons in paper handling. More detailed information is provided later in this chapter.
PAPER HANDLING Table 3.1 Buttons Used for Paper Handling Button/Dial ONLINE LOAD LF/FF Purpose Action Change the printer mode Press ONLINE to place the printer online or offline. Stop/resume printing Press ONLINE to stop or resume printing. Load/unload paper Press LOAD to load paper or to retract continuous forms to the “park position.” Save adjusted load point Press LOAD and ONLINE simultaneously to permanently store a load position adjusted by micro feeding immediately after loading paper.
PAPER HANDLING Table 3.1 Buttons Used for Paper Handling (Cont.) Button/Dial PRINT MODE/ FRONT DIR Purpose Select cut sheet ejection Action Select a direction of ejecting cut sheet. • Front ejection – FRONT indicator lights. It blinks when paper is ejected to the paper table prompting the user to remove the paper. • Rear ejection – FRONT indicator does not light. When you save your setting in the setup mode, it becomes the new default. The default setting is invoked whenever you turn on the printer.
PAPER HANDLING SELECTING PAPER PATH This printer has a variety of paper paths and feed directions. Paper Paths and Feed Directions See the following five cases.
PAPER HANDLING With front and rear tractors (either optional) (1) Paper table → Print → Paper table (2) Paper table → Print → Rear stacker (3) Rear tractor → Print → Front eject (4) Front tractor → Print → Rear eject In the next two cases, the number of cut sheets stacked in the printer may be reduced depending on printing conditions and environments. Follow the notes.
PAPER HANDLING With front or rear tractor and rear optional cut sheet feeder and large stacker. In addition, the front and rear tractor (either is optional) can be mounted. (3) Rear tractor → Print → Front eject (4) Front tractor → Print → Rear eject (7) Rear cut sheet feeder → Print → Paper table (8) Rear cut sheet feeder → Print → Rear stacker NOTES When ejecting cut sheets to the paper table, the REMOVE PAPER indicator blinks after ejecting a cut sheet and stops printing.
PAPER HANDLING ADJUSTING FOR PAPER THICKNESS The printer can handle paper of different thicknesses, including multipart forms with up to eight parts (original plus seven copies). For details on paper thickness specifications, see Appendix B. The printer automatically adjusts for different paper thicknesses. You can use the MANUAL GAP DIAL to adjust the paper thickness manually at manual mode.
PAPER HANDLING Table 3.2 Manual Gap Dial Settings Number of Copies (Including the Original) *1 Setting *2 1 copy 1 2 copies 2 3 copies 3 4 copies 4 5 copies 5 6 copies 6 7 copies 7 8 copies 8 Envelopes A B, C, D Slips Ribbon replacement R *1 For carbon-interleaved paper, the carbon counts as one copy. *2 Vary the setting up or down (including A to R) to optimize printing especially for labels and envelopes. Select R when replacing a ribbon or clearing a paper jam.
PAPER HANDLING 4. Adjust the left margin. On the left hand side of the paper table, a scale graduated in units of 1 [mm]. When the paper guide is positioned at scale 0 [mm], the left margin is 5 mm (0.2 inch). Push the lock lever down to secure the guide. 5. Pull the subguide out as required to accommodate the paper size. NOTE When using the paper whose width is under 100 mm (4 inch), position the paper guide at scale 0 [mm]. Preparing to load a sheet of paper 6.
PAPER HANDLING 7. Press the LOAD button. The paper will advance to the top-ofform position. The top-of-form position is the first line on which printing can start. To adjust the position of the paper slightly, press the S MICRO FEED button or the T MICRO FEED button. The paper will move forward or backward in 1/180-inch increments. After loading paper, the printer goes into online mode. Loading a sheet of paper 8. Print a sample page and check the page margins.
PAPER HANDLING Loading Paper from the Cut Sheet Feeder (Option) A cut sheet feeder (SF940) allows automatic printing on single sheets without the need to manually insert the sheets one-by-one. This can save you a lot of time when printing long files using single sheets. See Chapter 8 for more information on the cut sheet feeder. For installation of the feeder, refer to its user’s manual.
PAPER HANDLING • 3. Slide the right paper guide until the distance between the two guides is the approximate width of your paper. Manually fan the stack of paper and place it in the paper bin. NOTE A short horizontal mark inside the left paper guide indicates the maximum capacity of the bin. Make sure that your paper stack does not exceed this horizontal mark. Loading the cut sheet feeder (Front feed) Loading the cut sheet feeder (Rear feed) User's Manual 4.
PAPER HANDLING 7. • Load the paper manually. Press the LOAD button. The paper will advance to the top-of-form position. Adjust the position of the paper as needed by the SMICRO button or the TMICRO button (micro feed). • Load the paper using your software. Press the ONLINE button to place the printer online. Load paper according to the instructions in your software documentation. Most software packages load paper automatically. After loading paper, the printer goes into online mode.
PAPER HANDLING Positioning the Paper Stack Place the stack of continuous forms paper directly below the rear of the printer or below the front of the printer.
PAPER HANDLING Loading Continuous Forms (Front Feed) This section explains how to use continuous forms as the tractor unit is installed at the front of the printer. The tractor unit pushes continuous forms. This condition applies when you first purchase the printer. Up to 8-ply media can be fed by the front tractor unit. You can use continuous forms paper even if you have a cut sheet feeder installed at the rear of the printer. To load continuous forms paper: 1. Make sure that the printer is turned on.
PAPER HANDLING Adjusting paper tension 7. Pull the right tractor to stretch the paper taut. Push the right locking lever down to secure the tractor in place. 8. Lower the paper table to the down position (normal mode). Lowering the cut sheet stand CAUTION • Before lowering the paper table, make sure that the paper holders are closed. If the holders are opened, they may cause damage to the tractors and the paper table. • User's Manual Make sure that the paper table is positioned to its normal mode.
PAPER HANDLING 9. Press the PAPER PATH button to select “FRONT TRACTOR”. (The indicator lights.) Preparing to load continuous forms paper 10. Press the LOAD button to advance the paper to the top-of-form position. Top-of-form is the first line on which printing can start. After loading paper, the printer goes into online mode. 11. Print a sample page and check the page margins. Make the following adjustments, as necessary: • Horizontal alignment. Move the forms tractors as required.
PAPER HANDLING Loading Continuous Forms (Rear Feed) A tractor is supplied as standard and is attached to the front of the printer. It can be attached to the rear of the printer. You can also buy a tractor unit as an additional rear tractor unit. A maximum of 8-ply media can be fed from the rear tractor unit. • Put the paper table in the normal mode when the rear tractor unit is to be used. For reinstalling the tractor unit for rear feed, see page 2-10 to 2-13. 1.
PAPER HANDLING Tearing Off Continuous Forms Your printer has a special “tear-off edge” that allows you to tear off printed pages without wasting paper. The tear-off edge is located on the front and rear of the printer. To tear off continuous forms using the tear-off edge: 1. Press the TEAR OFF button. The bottom perforation of the last page advances to the tear-off edge.
PAPER HANDLING 2. Tear the paper off at the perforation. Tearing off continuous forms (front feed) Tearing off continuous forms (rear feed) 3. User's Manual Press any button to retract the forms back to the top-of-form position.
PAPER HANDLING FEEDING AND POSITIONING PAPER The following functions are available whether the printer is online or offline. Line Feed/Form Feed Use the line feed/form feed function to move paper forward. • Pressing and holding down the LF/FF button feeds one sheet of paper. • Pressing the LF/FF button once advances the paper one line (do not hold the button more than three seconds). Micro Feed Use the micro feed function to fine tune the position of the paper.
PAPER HANDLING TIPS ON PAPER HANDLING General Tips • Use high-quality paper. Do not use paper that is wrinkled or curled at the edges. • Do not use paper with staples or metal parts. • Do not use paper with unpredictable variations in thickness, such as paper with partial multilayers, paper with embossed printing, and labels with the backing sheet exposed. • Store paper in a clean, dry environment. Multipart Forms • Avoid using carbon-interleaved single sheets if possible.
PAPER HANDLING 3-24 User's Manual
CHAPTER 4 PRINTING PRINTING This chapter describes the following everyday printing operations: MULTIPART FORMS (HI IMPACT MODE) • Using multipart form (hi impact mode) • Starting, stopping, or resuming printing • Removing printed pages • Clearing the print buffer 4 Instructions for loading paper are given in Chapter 3. This printer has enough capability to print multipart forms. When superior copy capability is required, use the hi impact mode.
PRINTING SELECTING PRINT FEATURES The print features you select determine how your printed pages will look. Print features include the following: • Print quality • Fonts • Pitch (characters per horizontal inch) • Page length and width • Line spacing (lines per vertical inch) To select print features, you can use either commercial software or the printer control panel. The method you use depends on the capabilities of your software.
PRINTING Using Commercial Software Many commercial software packages offer a wide variety of print features, including some features that are not supported by this printer. For example, software often provides a wider range of font sizes than the printer can accommodate. Software also allows you to specify multiple fonts on a page. To determine which features your software supports and how to select them, refer to your software documentation.
PRINTING Selecting MENU1 or MENU2 When you first turn the printer on, MENU1 is selected. To change to MENU2 or back to MENU1, proceed as follows: 4-4 1. Press the ONLINE button to place the printer offline. 2. Repeatedly press the ONLINE and LF/FF buttons. The lighted indicator (1 or 2) shows the menu selected. When the menu selection is changed, the font (font, pitch, and quality) assigned in the selected menu becomes valid.
PRINTING Table 4.1 MENU1 and MENU2 Settings Setting Print Feature Default Settings For easy reference, check (9) or record your default settings in the space below.
PRINTING 3. STARTING OR STOPPING PRINTING Press the ONLINE button to return online. You are ready to print using the selected menu. Starting Printing Before you start to print, make sure that paper is loaded. To start printing, press the ONLINE button to place the printer online. Then start your software. Stopping Printing To stop printing immediately, press the ONLINE button to place the printer offline.
PRINTING CAUTION When printing remaining lines, be careful not to print on the platen. Printing on the platen may damage both the platen and the print head. Continuing printing after supplying paper 1. Install paper on the forms tractors or on the cut sheet stand, or in the cut sheet feeder bin, as described in Chapter 3. 2. To load the first sheet of paper, press the LOAD button. The PAPER OUT indicator will turn off. 3. Press the ONLINE button to place the printer online.
PRINTING REMOVING PRINTED PAGES This section describes the best methods for removing single sheets or continuous forms paper after printing. Removing Single Sheets When you print using software, the printer automatically ejects each sheet of paper when the end of the printed page is reached. To eject sheets manually, use one of the following methods: • Press and hold down the LF/FF button to execute a form feed.
CHAPTER 5 USING SETUP MODE USING SETUP MODE Your printer has two modes: normal and setup. Normal mode is used for everyday printer operations and is explained in Chapters 3 and 4. 5 Setup mode serves two purposes. It enables you to: • Select the printer’s optional settings • Help diagnose printer problems These setup mode functions can be done either offline, using the printer control panel (offline setup), or remotely, using a setup program in your computer system or software (online setup).
USING SETUP MODE • Head Gap Adjustment Items and Options • Exiting and Saving To restore the printer default settings (factory defaults or power-on defaults), see the section Resetting Defaults later in this chapter. For information on using the SELF-TST, HEX-DUMP, and V-ALMNT functions, see the section Using the Diagnostic Functions later in this chapter. For Experienced Users: Once you are familiar with setup mode, you may want to use the flowchart at the end of this chapter for quick reference.
USING SETUP MODE 4. When the printer enters offline setup mode, it prints the following information. Initial printout in setup mode The initial printout contains a header, help menu, and <> menu. The header tells you that the printer is offline and in setup mode. The help menu provides a quick summary of how to use setup mode. The <> menu lists all of the functions available to you in setup mode.
USING SETUP MODE When you enter setup mode, the following <> menu is OVERVIEW OF SETUP MODE << FUNCTION >> SAVE&END MENU1 HEX-DUMP V-ALMNT printed: MENU2 INITIAL HARDWRE ADJUST CONFIG GAP-ADJ DEFAULT LIST SELF-TST Table 5.1 summarizes the purpose of each function. Table 5.1 Setup Mode Functions Function Purpose SAVE & END Exits setup mode and saves any changes made while in setup mode. MENU1 and MENU2 Assigns print features to MENU1 and MENU2 on the printer control panel.
USING SETUP MODE The first three MENU1 items and their options are shown below. Items are enclosed in single brackets < >. < EMULATE>DPL24C+ PRSTG12 N.SAN-N LETTER XL24E ESC/P2 COMPRSD N.SAN-B BOLDFCE N.SAN-I PICA 10 TIMLS-N REPORT DRAFT HI-DRFT CORRESP TIMLS-B OCR-B TIMLS-I OCR-A DOWNLD0 COUR-N DOWNLD1 COUR-B To select an option from the - menu: 1.
USING SETUP MODE Summary of setup mode 5-6 User's Manual
USING SETUP MODE 4. Select the current emulation. Since you do not want to change the emulation, press the “T” button to select the current emulation and print the next item, and its options. 5. Change the font to Prestige Elite 12. Press the “TEAR OFF” or “LOAD” button once to position the cursor on the left edge of the aluminum print guide on PRSTG12. Press the “T” button to select PRSTG12 and print the next item, , and its options. 6. Select the current print quality.
USING SETUP MODE Points to Remember • Whenever you enter setup mode, short help menus are printed at the top of the page. Help menus are also printed when you select the SELF-TST, HEX-DUMP, or V-ALMNT functions. Use help menus for quick reference while in setup mode. • When printing the items and options for each function, you can only print one item at a time. However, you can move either forward or backward in the item list. To move forward (print the next item), press the T button.
USING SETUP MODE 2. Select the LIST function. Repeatedly press the “TEAR OFF” or “LOAD” button to position the cursor on the left edge of the aluminum print guide on LIST. Next press the S button or the T button to select the LIST function. The printer starts to print a list of the currently selected options. The preselected factory settings, also called factory defaults, are shown on the opposite page. When the printer finishes printing the list of options, it reprints the <> menu. 3.
USING SETUP MODE *1 FORMAT to CD are not printed when PARALEL option is selected for INTRFCE. It is printed equipped with RS-232C. *2 TEAR-EN is printed when AUTO option is selected for TEAROFF.