Page 3 While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, Epson America, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of Epson America, Inc.
Page 4: Important Safety Instructions
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference. 2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. 3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning the outside of the unit.
Page 5 10. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total of the ampere ratings on the products plugged into the extension cord do not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.
Page 6: Table Of Contents
Contents Introduction Features ......... . . 1 Options .
Page 7 Using Short Tear-off ....... . 3-24 Selecting an International Character Set ....3-28 Choosing a Character Set .
Page 8 Chapter 9 Command Summary Using the Command Summary..... . . Commands in Numerical Order ..... . Commands Arranged by Topic.
Page 9: Introduction
Features In addition to the high-quality printing and ease of operation you have come to expect from Epson printers, the LQ-850 and LQ-1050 offer the following features: • Easy paper handling, featuring automatic single-sheet loading.
Page 10: Options
A variety of printer options is available for use with your printer. For detailed information on using these options, see Chapter 5. To locate or purchase options or supplies, call Epson Accessories, Inc. at 1800-873-7766. Single-bin and Double-bin Cut Sheet Feeders...
Page 11 Pull Tractor Unit (#7311/#7312) This option improves the performance of continuous paper handling. It is especially useful with continuous multi-part forms. Film Ribbon Cartridge (#7768/#7770) The optional film ribbon cartridge provides you with even higher quality printing than the standard fabric ribbon. Introduction 3...
Page 12: About This Manual
Chapter 5. About This Manual This user’s manual provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions on setting up and operating your Epson printer. Finding your way around Chapter 1 contains information on unpacking, setting up, testing, and connecting the printer. Be sure to read and follow these instructions first.
Page 13 Chapter 4 shows you how to get the most from your printer. It • includes advice on the use of software commands and graphics, and creating your own user-defined characters. See Chapter 9 for a useful summary of printer commands. If the printer does not operate properly or the printed results are •...
Page 14: Where To Get Help
Epson is confident that this policy will provide you with the assistance you need. Call the Epson Consumer Information Center at 1213-782-2600 for the following: The location of the nearest Epson dealer.
Page 15: Chapter 1 Setting Up The Printer
Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer Unpacking the Printer....... 1-2 Checking the Parts.
Page 16: Unpacking The Printer
Unpacking the Printer Checking the Parts When you unpack the printer, make sure that you have all the parts shown below and that none have been damaged. Cross-head screwdriver Setting Up the Printer...
Page 17: Removing The Protective Materials
After removing the parts, save the packing materials in case you ever need to transport your printer. The ribbon cartridge that comes with the LQ-850 is #7753; #7754 comes with the LQ-1050. Removing the Protective Materials The printer is protected during shipping by two locking brackets, two locking tabs, and a print head protector.
Page 18 2. Remove any pieces of white packing material you find inside the printer. 3. Remove the print head protector. 4. Use the cross-head screwdriver that came with the printer to remove the two red screws. Setting Up the Printer...
Page 19 5. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. Setting Up the Printer...
Page 20 6. Remove the left and right locking tabs. 7. Attach the printer cover unit. Setting Up the Printer...
Page 21 8. Close the paper guide cover. WARNING: Be sure to remove all protective materials before you turn on the printer. Setting Up the Printer...
Page 22: Choosing A Place For The Printer
Choosing a Place for the Printer There are several important things to consider when selecting a place to set up your printer. Keep the following in mind: Place the printer on a flat, hard, stable surface. A soft surface, • such as a padded counter or carpeted area, will block the ventilation slots and may cause overheating.
Page 23 The illustration below shows a good printer arrangement. Note: Before using a printer stand, read these requirements and suggestions. The stand should be able to support at least twice the weight of the printer. Never use a stand that supports the printer at an angle of more than 15 degrees from horizontal.
Page 24: Assembling The Printer
Assembling the Printer After you’ve decided on the best place to set up your printer, the next step is to install the platen knob. Installing the Platen Knob You use the platen knob to feed the paper manually in the event of a paper jam or other paper feeding problem.
Page 25: Installing The Ribbon Cartridge
2. Push firmly on the platen knob until it fits against the printer case. CAUTION: Do not use the platen knob to adjust the position of the paper. This interferes with the automatic paper loading system and may cause a paper jam. Installing the Ribbon Cartridge Your printer’s ribbon cartridges are designed for easy installation and removal.
Page 26 3. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. CAUTION: Never move the print head while the printer is turned on because this can damage the printer. Also, if you have been using the printer, the print head may be hot;...
Page 27 5. Hold the ribbon cartridge by its black, fin-like handles with the exposed ribbon away from you. (The LQ-850 ribbon cartridge has only one handle.) Push the cartridge firmly into position, making sure the plastic hooks fit into the slots inside the printer. Note: Press lightly on both ends of the cartridge to make sure the plastic hooks are properly seated.
Page 28 6. Use a pointed object, such as a ballpoint pen, to guide the ribbon between the print head and ribbon guide while you turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place. 7. Slide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves smoothly.
Page 29: Attaching The Paper Guide
CAUTION: Film ribbon cartridges must be used and stored within the following temperature ranges: Operation: 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C) Storage: -22°F to 104°F (-30°C to 40°C) Storing and using a film ribbon at high temperatures shortens the ribbon’s life expectancy, which is normally 200,000 characters (#7768) or 300,000 characters (#7770).
Page 30 2. Raise the paper guide until it locks into place. Note: To lower the paper guide, lift up slightly to release it from its locked position; then gently lower it down onto the printer. Setting Up the Printer 1-16...
Page 31 Attach the printer cover by fitting the hooks on the cover into the notches at the front of the printer and tilting the cover back into place. Close the paper guide cover. 1-17 Setting Up the Printer...
Page 32: Testing The Printer
Testing the Printer Now that your printer is fully assembled, you can use its built-in self test function to see that the printer is working correctly before you connect it to a computer. You should perform this test to make sure that your printer was not damaged during shipping and that the ribbon is correctly installed.
Page 33: Running The Self Test
Running the Self Test The self test prints out the settings of the printers DIP switches and the characters in the printer’s memory. The test can be run in either SuperDraft, normal draft, or Letter Quality (LQ) mode. You select the draft mode or Letter Quality mode, depending on which button you hold down as you turn on the printer.
Page 34 2. Push the paper release lever back to the single-sheet position. 3. While holding down the LINE FEED button (draft mode) or FORM FEED button (Letter Quality mode), turn on the printer. The printer beeps several times and the POWER and PAPER OUT lights come on.
Page 35 4. Move the left edge guide to the right or left until it rests against the triangular guide mark on the paper guide 5. Adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper. Setting Up the Printer 1-21...
Page 36 6. Next, slide a sheet of paper down between the edge guides until it meets resistance. After about two seconds, the printer loads the paper automatically and then starts the self test. A list of DIP switch settings is printed first, followed by a series of characters.
Page 37 7. When you wish to stop the test, press the ON LINE button. If the test results are not satisfactory, see Solving Any Self Test Problems later in this chapter for possible causes and solutions. Note: To resume the test, press the ON LINE button once more. 1-23 Setting Up the Printer...
Page 38 8. To end the self test, press the FORM FEED button to eject any paper that is still loaded. Then turn off the printer. WARNING: After turning the power off, always wait at least five seconds before turning it back on. Turning the power on and off rapidly can damage the printer.
Page 39 Here are parts of typical self tests. Normal draft mode a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z { ¦ } ~ ! ” # $ % & ’ ( ) * + , - . b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z { ¦...
Page 40 SuperDraft mode ! ” # $ % , & . ’ ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; < = > ? @ A B C D E F G H I J K L M ! "...
Page 41: Solving Any Self Test Problems
Turn off the printer and disconnect the cable from the host computer. Try the self test again. If the printer still does not print the self test correctly, contact your Epson dealer or Epson authorized service center. Setting Up the Printer 1-27...
Page 42 Set the paper thickness lever to match the thickness of your paper. See The Paper Thickness Lever in Chapter 2. The print head is damaged. Stop printing and contact your Epson dealer to have the print head replaced.
Page 43 (continued) Dots are missing in random positions. If the printer still does not print the self test correctly, contact your Epson dealer. Solution There is either too much slack in the ribbon or the ribbon has come loose and caught on something. Stop printing, turn off the printer, and reinstall the ribbon cartridge.
Page 44: Connecting The Printer To Your Computer
Connecting the Printer to Your Computer Your printer has two separate interface connections: a parallel interface and an RS-232C compatible serial interface. If you are not sure which one is required by your computer, check your computer manual for this information. If you have a suitable shielded cable, you should be able to connect to most computers immediately.
Page 45: The Parallel Interface
The Parallel Interface Connect the parallel interface cable as described below: 1. Make sure that both your printer and computer are turned off. 2. Plug the cable connector securely into the printer. 3. Squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on either side of the connector.
Page 46: The Serial Interface
4. If your cable has a ground wire, connect it to the ground screw beneath the interface connector. 5. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer. If there is a ground wire at the computer end of the cable, attach it to the ground connector at the back of the computer.
Page 47 2. Plug the connector securely into the printer. WARNING: Do not plug more than one interface cable into the printer at once. This may damage the printer. 3. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer. Setting Up the Printer 1-33...
Page 48: Setting Up Your Application Software
LQ-1500 If none of these printers is listed, select the first one available on the following list: LQ, EX, FX, LX, RX, MX, Epson printer, Standard printer, Draft printer. To use all of the features of the printer, however, it is best to use a program with the LQ-850 or LQ-1050 on its menu.
Page 49: Chapter 2 Paper Handling
Chapter 2 Paper Handling Using Single Sheets ....... . . 2-2 Loading Paper .
Page 50: Using Single Sheets
Using Single Sheets Your printer can accommodate single sheets up to a maximum width of 10.1 inches (257 mm) on the LQ-850 and 14.3 inches (364 mm) on the LQ-1050. If you do most of your printing on single sheets, you may find it more convenient to install the optional cut sheet feeder.
Page 51 3. Turn on the printer. The POWER and PAPER OUT lights come on. Note: Do not insert paper in the printer before turning on the printer. 4. Move the left edge guide until it rests against the guide mark. (You may want to change this position later, depending on the margin settings of your application program.) Paper Handling 2-3...
Page 52 Adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper. Slide the paper down between the edge guides until it meets resistance and the PAPER OUT light goes off. After about two seconds, the printer loads the paper automatically, and is set ON LINE so that it can accept data from your computer.
Page 53: Reloading During Printing
WARNING: Never advance the paper using the platen knob except in the case of a paper jam or other paper feed problem. Using the platen knob while the printer is on may damage the printer and affect the loading and short tear-off positions.
Page 54: Using Continuous Paper
Using Continuous Paper The tractor built into your printer is remarkably easy to load and operate. Its low-profile design takes up little space and can handle paper up to 10.0 inches or 254 mm wide on the LQ-850 and up to 16.0 inches or 406 mm wide on the LQ-1050.
Page 55: Loading Continuous Paper
Be sure to align the paper supply with the paper loaded in the tractor so that the paper feeds smoothly into the printer. Loading Continuous Paper 1. Be sure that the printer is turned off. 2. Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper position.
Page 56 3. Open the paper guide cover and remove the paper guide. 4. Attach the paper rest. Paper Handling...
Page 57 5. Release the sprocket units by pulling the sprocket lock levers forward as shown below. 6. Slide the left sprocket unit all the way to the left and press the lever back to lock it in place. Paper Handling 2-9...
Page 58 Note: The first printable column position is indicated by the mark shown in the illustration below. 7. Slide the right sprocket unit so that it roughly matches the width of your paper, but do not lock it. 2-10 Paper Handling...
Page 59 8. Move the paper support midway between the two sprocket units. 9. Open both sprocket covers. CAUTION: Make sure that the first sheet of paper has a clean, straight edge before inserting it into the printer. 2-11 Paper Handling...
Page 60 10. Fit the first four holes in the paper over the pins of both sprockets. 11. Close the sprocket covers. 2-12 Paper Handling...
Page 61 12. Slide the right sprocket unit to a position where the paper is straight and has no wrinkles. Then lock it in place. 13. Reattach the paper guide on top of the paper as shown below. Then slide the edge guides together so that they meet at about the middle of the paper’s width.
Page 62 Note: For normal use, the paper thickness lever is set to position 2. If you are using special paper, see The Paper Thickness Lever later in this chapter for details. 14. Close the paper guide cover and turn on the printer. 15.
Page 63 16. Press the ON LINE button to set the printer on line so that it can accept data. The printer remembers the loading position and advances each page to the same position. If you need to adjust the loading position, use the micro-adjustment feature.
Page 64: Switching Between Continuous And Single Sheets
Switching Between Continuous and Single Sheets Even with continuous paper loaded in the printer, the SmartPark feature allows you to easily switch to single-sheet printing without removing the continuous paper from the tractor. Switching to Single Sheets To switch from continuous paper to single sheets, follow the steps below.
Page 65 2. Tear off any outgoing sheets. If the paper has advanced past the print head, you need to press the FORM FEED button to advance your document to a point where it can be easily removed. CAUTION: Make sure you tear off your printed document before pressing the LOAD/EJECT button.
Page 66 3. Press the LOAD/EJECT button to feed the continuous paper backward out of the printer and into the standby position. The paper is still attached to the tractor but no longer in the paper path. The PAPER OUT light comes on when the paper is completely out of the paper path.
Page 67 4. Push the paper release lever back to the Single-Sheet Position 5. Lift the paper guide until it locks into place. Paper Handling 2-19...
Page 68 6. Move the left edge guide until it rests against the guide mark. Adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper. 7. Close the paper guide cover. Paper Handling 2-20...
Page 69: Switching Back To Continuous Paper
8. Slide a sheet of paper down between the edge guides until it meets resistance and the PAPER OUT light goes off. After about two seconds, the printer loads the paper automatically and sets itself ON LINE. Switching Back to Continuous Paper It is also easy to switch back to printing with continuous paper.
Page 70 1. Open the paper guide cover. 2. Lift up slightly on the paper guide and then lower it onto the back of the printer. 2-22 Paper Handling...
Page 71 3. Slide the left and right edge guides together so that they meet at about the middle of the continuous paper's width. 4. Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper position, then close the paper guide cover. 2-23 Paper Handling...
Page 72 5. Press the LOAD/EJECT button to feed the continuous paper to the loading position. Then, press the ON LINE button to set the printer on line so that it can accept data. 2-24 Paper Handling...
Page 73: Printing On Special Paper
Printing on Special Paper In addition to printing on single sheets and continuous paper, your printer can also print on a wide variety of paper types, including multi-part forms, labels,, and envelopes. If you are printing preprinted or multi-part forms or labels, it is recommended that you use the optional pull tractor.
Page 74 Note: For normal use, set the paper thickness lever to position 2 on the scale. If you have installed the optional film ribbon cartridge, and you want to use the single sheets or continuous paper, set the paper thickness lever to position 1. The following table gives you general guidelines for selecting the right paper thickness lever position for the type of paper you are using:...
Page 75 To change the paper thickness setting, follow these steps. 1. Make sure that the printer is turned off. Then remove the printer cover. WARNING: If the printer has just been in use, the print head may be hot. Be careful not to touch it. 2-27 Paper Handling...
Page 76 2. Select the paper thickness you want according to the table below. For normal use, the lever should always be set to position 2 on the scale. 3. Reattach the printer cover unit. Paper Handling 2-28...
Page 77: Multi-Part Forms
To help you check the position of the paper thickness lever, the orange MULTI-PART light on the control panel comes on if the lever is set to position 4 or higher. WARNING: Always return the lever to position 2 when you go back to printing on ordinary paper.
Page 78: Labels
Also, never use the short tear-off function with labels. (Be sure to set DIP switch 2-7 to OFF.) If a label does become stuck in the printer, contact your Epson dealer. Because labels are especially sensitive to temperature and humidity, always use them under normal operating conditions.
Page 79 To eject labels from the printer, follow these steps: 1. Open the paper guide cover and remove the paper guide. 2. Tear off the sheet of Labels at the perforation behind the push tractor. Paper Handling 2-31...
Page 80: Envelopes
3. Press the ON LINE button to set the printer off line. Then press the FORM FEED button to eject the labels. Envelopes You can feed envelopes individually using the single-sheet loading feature. Before loading envelopes, adjust the position of the paper thickness lever according to the Paper Thickness Lever table earlier in this chapter.
Page 81 When manually feeding an envelope, you may have to push it down slightly to get it to feed properly. After about two seconds, the envelope loads automatically. CAUTION: The printable area for envelopes is shown on the next page. The print head must not go past the left or right edge of the envelope or other thick paper.
Page 82 CAUTION: Envelope printing is available only at normal temperature (41°F to 95°F or 5°C to 35°C). To make sure that the printing fits within the printable area, always print a test sample using a normal sheet of paper before printing on envelopes.
Page 83: Chapter 3 Using The Printer
Chapter 3 Using the Printer Operating the Control Panel ......Selecting Typestyles Character Fonts ........3-6 Character Spacing .
Page 84: Operating The Control Panel
Operating the Control Panel The indicator lights give you the current status of the printer. The buttons and paper handling functions let you control many of the printer settings. Lights Using the Printer MULTI-PART (orange) On when the paper thickness lever is set to position 4 or higher.
Page 85 Buttons BIN 1/BIN 2 When the printer is on line, press this button to select either bin 1 or bin 2 of the double-bin cut sheet feeder. The beeper sounds once if you select bin 1 and twice if you select bin 2. ON LINE This button controls the printer’s on line and off line status.
Page 86 SelecType Using the Printer FONT Press this button to select a font. The orange indicator lights show which font you select. See Selecting Typestyles later in this chapter for more information. PITCH Press this button to select the character spacing. You can choose 10 CPI, 12 CPI, 15 CPI, or PS (proportional spacing).
Page 87: Other Control Panel Features
Other Control Panel Features The control panel of your printer also gives you access to several special functions. Self test: Micro-adjustment: Data dump: Input buffer control: To enable or disable the input buffer, press the Draft, SuperDraft, and Letter Quality self test functions are built into the printer.
Page 88: Selecting Typestyles
Character Fonts The printer has ten built-in fonts: draft, Epson Roman, Epson Sans Serif, Epson Courier, Epson Prestige, Epson Script, OCR-B, OCR-A, Epson Orator, and Epson Orator-S. You can select eight of the built-in fonts using SelecType. When you press the FONT button, the printer scrolls through the built-in fonts on the control panel.
Page 89 To select a font, press the FONT button until the corresponding orange indicator light (or lights) come on. When the top light is on, draft is selected. When the top two lights are on, Epson Roman is selected. When only the second light is on, Epson Sans Serif is selected.
Page 90 Epson Roman Epson Sans Serif Epson Courier Epson Prestige Epson Script Using the Printer...
Page 91 Note: The OCR-B and OCR-A fonts can be read by an optical character reader (also known as a document reader or image scanner) for input into another computer. Print enhancements, such as bold and underlining, cannot be read by a character reader. Epson Orator Epson Orator-S Using the Printer...
Page 92: Character Spacing
To select character spacing, press the PITCH button until the indicator light of the desired character spacing comes on. The table below shows the character spacings available with each font. Font Draft Epson Roman Epson Sans Serif Epson Courier Epson Prestige Epson Script OCR-B OCR-A...
Page 93: Condensed Mode
The following printout compares the three pitches with proportional spacing. T h i s i s 1 0 c p i p r i n t i n g . This is 12 cpi printing. This is 15 cpi printing. This is proportional spacing.
Page 94: Setting The Dip Switches
Setting the DIP Switches The printer has two sets of DIP switches located on the back panel. By changing the settings of these switches, you can control various printer features, such as the character set and page length. The new settings become effective when you turn on, reset, or initialize the printer.
Page 95: The Dip Switch Tables
The DIP Switch Tables The tables below describe the DIP switch settings. DIP Switch 1 Description International character set/ Graphics character set 1-4 Character set Print direction for graphics SuperDraft Cut sheet feeder mode Skip over perforation DIP Switch 2 SW Description Page length selection Interface type/parity...
Page 96: Using The Printer
Table 1 International character sets SW 1-1 SW 1-2 SW 1-3 SW 1-4 Country France Germany Denmark I Sweden Italy Spain See Selecting an International Character Set later in this chapter for other character sets. International character sets are selectable only when DIP switch 14 is off.
Page 97 1200 bps 300 bps Table 4 Graphics character sets Graphics character set PC 437 (United States) Epson Extended Graphics PC 850 (Multilingual) PC 860 (Portugal) PC 863 (Canada-French) PC 865 (Norway) Graphics character sets are selectable only when the DIP switch 1-4 is on.
Page 98: The Dip Switch Functions
Either setting can be overridden by a software command (ESC U). To achieve precise vertical alignment without the slower printing speed caused by unidirectional printing, see your Epson dealer for adjustment of your bidirectional print settings. Tear-off mode When DIP switch 2-7 is on, the short tear-off mode is on.
Page 99 SuperDraft When DIP switch 16 is off, SuperDraft is selected. When the DIP switch is on, normal draft is selected. SuperDraft prints at 300 characters per second but produces characters that are not as fully formed as the ones produced with normal draft. If you select a feature such as emphasized, double-strike, or condensed in SuperDraft mode, the printing speed will temporarily switch to normal draft speed until the enhancement is turned off.
Page 100: Page Length
Page Length To obtain one of the four page lengths, set DIP switches 2-1 and 2-2 according to the Page length selection table. The page lengths are: 8.5 inches (216 mm), 11 inches (279 mm), 11.7 inches (296 mm), and 12 inches (305 mm).
Page 101: Skip Over Perforation
Skip Over Perforation By changing the setting of DIP switch 1-8, you can set skip over perforation to on or off. If this feature is on when using continuous paper, a one-inch margin is provided between the last printable line on one page and the first printable line on the next page.
Page 102 Note: Most application programs take care of top and bottom margins. Use skip over perforation only if your program does not provide these margins. The skip over perforation setting can be set to values other than one inch by using the ESC N command. See the Command Summary in Chapter 9 for details.
Page 103: Adjusting The Loading Position
Adjusting the Loading Position The loading position is the position of the paper when it has been automatically loaded by the printer. This position is important because it determines where the printing begins on the page. If the printing is too high or too low on the page, change the loading position using the micro-adjustment feature described in the next section.
Page 104: Using Micro-Adjustment
Using Micro-adjustment 1. Make sure that the printer is turned on and that either a single sheet or continuous paper is ready to be loaded. 2. A single sheet loads automatically. For continuous paper, press the LOAD/EJECT button to feed paper to the loading position. Then press the ON LINE button;...
Page 105 Note: When the paper reaches the factory-set loading position, the printer beeps and micro-adjustment feeding pauses for a moment before continuing. You can use this factory setting as a reference point when adjusting the printer’s loading position. When the paper reaches either the minimum or maximum top margin, the printer beeps and the paper stops moving.
Page 106: Using Short Tear-Off
Using Short Tear-off When you are finished printing, the short tear-off feature automatically feeds the perforation of the continuous paper to the tear-off edge of the printer cover so that you can tear off the last sheet. When you resume printing, the paper feeds backward to the loading position.
Page 107 CAUTION: Never use short tear-off with labels. Otherwise, labels may come off their backing and jam the printer. When you have finished printing, and if the perforation is at the top of form position, the printer automatically feeds the perforation of the continuous paper to the tear-off edge of the printer cover.
Page 108: Adjusting The Tear-Off Position
Adjusting the Tear-off Position If the paper’s perforation does not meet the tear-off edge, follow these steps to adjust the tear-off position. 1. Make sure the printer feeds the paper to the tear-off position after printing the document. The MULTI-PART light should begin blinking, indicating that you can now use the micro-adjustment feature to make fine adjustments to the tear-off position.
Page 109 2. To make fine adjustments to the tear-off position, press the FORM FEED button to feed the paper forward or the LINE FEED button to feed it backward. You can now tear off your document from the perforation and resume printing. The printer remembers this new tear-off position even after the printer is turned off and on again.
Page 110: Selecting An International Character Set
Selecting an International Character Set International character sets provide you with characters and symbols used in other languages. You can select one of eight international character sets by changing the DIP switch settings. Whenever the printer is turned on, reset, or initialized, the character set selected by the DIP switches becomes the default character set.
Page 111 In addition to the eight character sets shown on the previous page, the seven international character sets that follow can be selected with a software co mmand, ESC R. For more information, see the Command S ummary in Chapter 9. Country 23 24.
Page 112: Choosing A Character Set
Choosing a Character Set DIP switch 1-4 selects either the italic character set or a graphics character set. The graphics character sets contain international accented characters, Greek characters, mathematic symbols, and character graphics for printing lines, comers, and shaded areas. If you have an IBM ®...
Page 113 When DIP switch 1-4 is on, the graphics character set is determined by the settings of DIP switches, 1-1,1-2, and 1-3. Graphics character set PC 437 (United States) Epson Extended Graphics PC 850 (Multilingual) PC 860 (Portugal) PC 863 (Canada-French) PC 865 (Norway) The graphics character sets are also called code page tables.
Page 114: Using The Data Dump Mode
Using the Data Dump Mode The data dump mode is a special feature that makes it easy for experienced users to identify the cause of communication problems between the printer and application programs. The data dump mode gives a printout of the codes reaching the printer. To use the data dump mode, follow these steps: 1.
Page 115 3. Run any program that causes the printer to print (either an application program or one in any programming language). Your printer prints out all the codes sent to the printer, as shown below. (In order to print the last line, you will have to take the printer off line.) 5 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 5 4...
Page 116 The chart below interprets the first eight codes. codes Command ESC @ 1B 40 ESC R0 1B 52 00 ESCt1 1B 74 01 Using the Printer 3-34 Function Initialize printer Select USA character set Select PC 437 (Epson Extended Graphics)
Page 117: Chapter 4 Software And Graphics
Chapter 4 Software and Graphics Enhancing Your Printing ......4-2 Print Quality and Fonts ......4-2 Character Spacing .
Page 118: Enhancing Your Printing
Enhancing Your Printing You can obtain a wide variety of printing effects with your printer from changing the number of characters per inch to using special effects on selected words and phrases. This section gives you a sampling of the features you may select with your software.
Page 119: Character Spacing
Character Spacing To add greater variety to your documents, the printer has three cpi spacings, as well as proportional spacing. Each one can be selected with a software command. See Chapter 8 for a table that shows which character spacings are available for each font.
Page 120: Character Size
The following printout compares 10 cpi spacing with proportional spacing: T h i s i s 1 0 c p i p r i n t i n g . This is proportional spacing. Note: Proportional spacing is not available in the draft mode. See the Print Size and Character Width commands in Chapter 9.
Page 121: Special Effects And Emphasis
Both 10 and 12 cpi printing and proportional spacing can be reduced to about 60 percent of their normal width using the condensed mode. This mode is particularly useful for printing wide spreadsheets because condensed 12 cpi printing allows you to print up to 160 characters on an 8-inch line.
Page 122: Italic Printing
Emphasized and double-strike printing Emphasized and double-strike printing can give words and phrases added prominence. In emphasized mode, the printer prints each character twice as the print head moves across the paper, with the dots in the second pass printed slightly to the right of the first pass. This process produces darker, more fully formed characters.
Page 123 Underlining, strike-through, and overlining The underline, strike-through, and overline modes are useful for highlighting selected text. This feature can be used to score spaces, subscripts, and superscripts without a break You can choose from a variety of line styles, including single, double, broken, or continuous.
Page 124: Selecting Typestyles With Master Select
Selecting Typestyles With Master Select Your printer has a special ESCape code called Master Select that allows you to choose many combinations of these cpi, 12 cpi, proportional spacing, condensed, emphasized, double- strike, double-wide, italics, and underline. For more information on sending ESCape codes to your printer, see Chapter 9.
Page 125 For example, to print a title you may want to use double-wide 12 cpi characters printed in the double-strike mode. You would add three numbers together to calculate the value of n. 12cpi Double-strike 16 Double-wide n = 49 After calculating the value of n, you use the Master Select command to send the value to the printer.
Page 126: Graphics
Graphics The dot graphics mode allows your printer to produce pictures, graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial image you can create. Because many commercial software programs use graphics, you may be able to print pictures and graphs like the ones on this page and the next by simply giving your software a few instructions.
Page 127: The Print Head
I n c o m e B r e a k d o w n The Print Head To understand dot graphics you need to know a little about how your printer’s print head works. The print head has 24 pins. As the print head moves across the page, electrical impulses cause the pins to fire.
Page 128 closely at a newspaper photograph, you will find that it is made up of thousands of small dots. Your printer also forms its images with patterns of dots, as many as 360 dots per inch, horizontally and 360 dots per inch, vertically. The images printed by this printer can, therefore, be as finely detailed as the ones at the beginning of this section.
Page 129 Pin labels To tell the printer which pins to fire in each column, you first divide each of the vertical columns into three sections of eight pins each and consider each section separately. Since there are 256 possible combinations of the eight pins in each section, you need a numbering system that allows you to use a single number to specify which of the 256 possible patterns you want.
Page 130: The Graphics Command
With this numbering system, any combination of the eight pins adds up to a decimal number between 0 and 255, and no numbers are duplicated. Because there are 24 pins in each column, you must make a calculation for each of the three sections in each column. As you can see, this method of planning and printing dot graphics requires considerable calculation.
Page 131: Column Reservation Numbers
In this command, m selects the graphics option and n1 and n2 specify the number of columns to reserve for graphics. The available graphics options are listed below: Option Single-density Double-density High-speed double-density* Quadruple-density* CRT I CRT II Single-density Double-density CRT III Triple-density Hex-density*...
Page 132: A Simple Graphics Program
For example, if you wish to send 1632 columns of graphics data, n1 should be 96 and n2 should be 6 because 1632 = 96 + (6 x 256). The printer interprets the number of bytes specified by n1 and n2 as graphics data, no matter what codes they are.
Page 133: Designing Your Own Graphics
Designing Your Own Graphics With what you know now, you can use the simplest application of graphics—calculating by hand the data to print the graphic image. While this method is the most tedious, it helps you understand dot graphics. It is also useful for small graphic elements that are used many times.
Page 134 Write the assigned values of the pins next to your design, then total the values for each column of dots. These totals are the values that you send to the printer as graphics data to print the design. Below is the same grid divided into three sections to make the data calculation easier.
Page 135 Below is the BASIC program that prints the design shown on the previous pages. Note that the data numbers in lines 80 through 140 are the same numbers that are at the bottom of each section in the last illustration. The WIDTH statement in line 10 is for IBM PC BASIC;...
Page 136: Individual Graphics Option Commands
Notice that the dots overlap quite a bit. This design was printed using the triple-density, 24-pin graphics option because the density is the same (180 dots per inch) in both directions. Adding the following lines to the preceding program causes the pattern to print 10 times in a row as shown below: 15 FOR C=l TO 10;...
Page 137 The reassigning command The LQ-850 and LQ-1050 have a command that allows you to change the graphics option assigned to any of the four individual graphics option commands. The command looks like this: The letters represents the command that you wish to change the assignment for (K, L, Y, or Z) and m is the number of the graphics option that you want to assign to it.
Page 138: User-Defined Characters
User-defined Characters With this printer, it is possible to define and print characters of your own design. You can design an entirely new alphabet or typeface, create special characters for use as mathematical or scientific symbols, or create graphic patterns with user-defined characters to serve as building blocks for larger designs.
Page 139 Design grids To design a character you use a grid that is 24 dots high-one dot for each pm on the printer’s print head. The width of the character matrix depends on the character set in use. For draft characters, the grid is nine dots wide, for Letter Quality it is 29 dots wide, and for proportional characters it is 37 dots wide.
Page 140: Defining Your Characters
There is one restriction in designing characters. Dots in the same row may not print in adjacent columns. This means that there must be an empty dot position both to the left and right of each dot that prints. This is true in draft, Letter Quality, and proportional mode. Defining Your Characters The first step in defining characters is to place the dots on a grid just as you want them to print.
Page 141 Data numbers The bits within each byte have values of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128. In the vertical column of dots, the bits are arranged so that the most significant bit (with a value of 128) is at the top of the column and the least significant bit (with a value of 1) is at the bottom.
Page 142: Sending Information To Your Printer
You have seen how to design a character by placing dots on a grid and translating the dots to decimal equivalents. The last step in defining a character is sending this information to your printer. Sending Information to Your Printer The printer loads characters in the print style (Letter Quality, draft, or proportional) that the printer is currently using.
Page 143 Following the specification of the range of characters to be defined in this command are three data bytes, d0, dl, and width of the character and the space around it. The left space (in dot columns) is specified by The second byte, are printed to make up the character.
Page 144 This example of a character definition program should make this clear: 10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"x0" 30 LPRINT "@@"; 50 FOR I-1 TO 27 60 READ A: LPRINT CHR$(A); 70 NEXT I 100 LPRINT "@@@@@" 120 LPRINT "@@@@@" 130 END 160 DATA 4,0,0,2,0,0,1,0,0 In line 10, the ESC x0 command selects draft printing.
Page 145: Printing User-Defined Characters
Printing User-defined Characters If you entered the previous program example, you defined an arrow and placed it in the RAM location for ASCII code 64 (replacing the @ sign). You can now print out a three-line sample of your work. The first and third lines (printed by lines 80 and 120) print the normal @ sign.
Page 146: Copying Rom Characters To Ram
Copying ROM Characters to RAM After running the program, if you select the user-defined character set and try to print other characters, the only one that will print is your arrow. Since no other characters are in the printer’s user- defined RAM, there is nothing else to print.
Page 147: Letter Quality Characters
Letter Quality Characters If you select Letter Quality printing with the ESC xl command, you can design user-defined characters using up to 29 columns of the Letter Quality/Proportional grid. The dot columns are spaced closer together horizontally than draft dot columns (the horizontal dot spacing is 1/360th of an inch as opposed to 1/120th of an inch for draft characters).
Page 148: Mixing Print Styles
Since superscript and subscript characters are smaller, when you define them you only need two bytes of data for each vertical row of dots. Design grids for these characters are shown in the figure below: Draft pica Mixing Print Styles You can use each of the three userdefined character modes (draft, Letter Quality, and proportional) in combination with most of your printer’s various print styles.
Page 149 If you define characters in one mode, then switch to another mode and select the user-defined character set, the command is ignored and nothing is printed. The user-defined character definitions, however, remain unaffected. If you switch back to the mode in which they were defined, you can then select and print them.
Page 150: Chapter 5 Using The Printer Options
Chapter 5 Using the Printer Options The Cut Sheet Feeder ....... Installation .
Page 151: The Cut Sheet Feeder
The Cut Sheet Feeder The optional cut sheet feeder makes it possible to handle single- sheet paper more easily and more efficiently. Up to 150 sheets of standard bond paper can be fed automatically into the printer without reloading. You can also feed envelopes using the cut sheet feeder.
Page 152: Installation
Installation 1. Assemble the cut sheet feeder following the instructions provided in its accompanying manual. 2. Make sure the printer is turned off. Then remove the printer cover unit and the paper guide. Using the Printer Options...
Page 153 3. Push the paper release lever back to the single-sheet position. 4. Remove the paper tension unit by pressing the levers back to open the mounting latches. At the same time, lift up on the front of the unit. Using the Printer Options...
Page 154 5. Tilt the cut sheet feeder slightly forward to fit the notches at the base of the unit over the pins on the printer. Then tilt the feeder back until it rests on top of the printer. 6. Separate the paper guide cover (transparent gray plastic) from the printer cover.
Page 155 7. Raise the cut sheet feeder’s paper path guide and attach the printer cover. Using the Printer Options...
Page 156 8. Close the paper path guide. 9. Turn on the cut sheet feeder mode by setting DIP switch 1-7 to on. Using the Printer Options...
Page 157: Paper Handling
Note: Always make sure that the printer is turned off before changing the DIP switch settings. 10. Turn on the printer. Paper Handling 1. Make sure that the cut sheet feeder mode is turned on with DIP switch 1-7. 2. Pull the left and right paper set levers of the selected bin all the way forward until the paper guides retract and lock open to allow for paper loading.
Page 158 3. Slide the left paper guide to where the fin on the edge guide matches the arrow on the panel. Next, slide the right paper guide so that it roughly matches the width of your paper. 4. Take a stack of paper and fan it as shown. This keeps the paper from sticking and ensures that only one sheet feeds at a time.
Page 159 Note: For best results, use typewriter quality paper. If you plan to use paper with a glossy or textured surface, test it before using it to print documents. Do not use multi-part forms, carbon paper, or labels in the cut sheet feeder. 5.
Page 160 6. Push the paper set levers back until they clamp the paper against the guide rollers. The levers will not close completely if too much paper is used. If this happens, remove some paper from the stack and try again. 7.
Page 161: Testing The Printer In The Cut Sheet Feeder Mode
Testing the Printer in the Cut Sheet Feeder Mode When you perform the cut sheet feeder self test, the printer counts the number of lines on the page. As shown on the following page, the number of lines counted is printed out at the bottom of the first test page.
Page 162 2. While holding down the LINE FEED button, turn on the printer. (For Letter Quality mode, press the FORM FEED button instead of the LINE FEED button.) A part of the printout of the first sheet is shown below. The printout of the second sheet is similar to the original self test described in Chapter 1.
Page 163: Loading Envelopes
3. The self test continues until the paper runs out or until you press the ON LINE button. To stop the test, press the ON LINE button. Note: To resume the test, press the ON LINE button once more. 4. To end the self test when paper is loaded, press the LOAD/EJECT button to eject the paper.
Page 164 2. Push down on the two front levers on the left and right paper guides until they lock into position. 5-15 Using the Printer Options...
Page 165: Operating The Cut Sheet Feeder
3. Take a stack of envelopes and fan it; then tap the stack on a flat surface to even the edges. Insert the envelopes into the front bin. 4. Press the LOAD/EJECT button to load an envelope. Then press the ON LINE button to start printing.
Page 166 When the specified paper bin is empty, the printer automatically goes off line and the PAPER OUT light goes on. To resume printing, add more paper and press the ON LINE button. Note: If you turn off your printer during the time the printer detects a paper out or paper jam condition, any data remaining in the printer’s buffer is discarded.
Page 167: Using Continuous Paper
Software operation The following commands cause the printer to eject the sheet in the printer without loading the next sheet. Form Feed ESC EM R: Ejects a sheet in the cut sheet feeder mode Note: The ESC EM command is a software command used to control the operation of the cut sheet feeder.
Page 168 2. Install the cut sheet feeder as described in this section, making sure that DIP switch 1-7 is set to on. 3. If a single sheet is still in the printer, eject it by pressing the LOAD/EJECT button. 5-19 Using the Printer Options...
Page 169 4. To switch from the cut sheet feeder to continuous paper, pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper position. You do not need to change the setting of DIP switch 1-7. Using the Printer Options 5-20...
Page 170 5. Raise the paper path guide until it clicks open. This guide directs the flow of continuous paper out of the front of the printer. 6. Press the LOAD/EJECT button to load continuous paper. Note: With the paper release lever forward and the printer off line, the control panel functions normally, allowing you to use the micro-adjustment feature to finely adjust the loading position of your paper.
Page 171 2. Close the paper path guide and set the printer on line. 3. Push the paper release lever back to the single-sheet position. Using the Printer Options 5-22...
Page 172: Loading Single Sheets
Loading Single Sheets Your cut sheet feeder also has a single-sheet loading feature. This feature is especially useful because it allows you to switch to a different type or size of paper without replacing the stack of paper already in your cut sheet feeder. 1.
Page 173: Removing The Cut Sheet Feeder
4. Press the LOAD/EJECT button to load the sheet. Note: If you want to load two or more consecutive single sheets, pull the paper set levers on the cut sheet feeder forward. Removing the Cut Sheet Feeder 1. Turn off the printer and remove any paper stacked in the cut sheet feeder.
Page 174 3. Tilt the back of the cut sheet feeder forward to release its notches from the printer’s pins. Then lift up and remove the cut sheet feeder. 5-25 Using the Printer Options...
Page 175 4. Replace the paper tension unit as shown below. Tilt the unit back and position the back notches on the unit over the rear mounting pins of the printer. Press the levers open as you tilt the unit toward you until the front latches click in place over the front mounting pins located behind the paper bail.
Page 176 Removal of the cut sheet feeder is now completed. Be sure to store the removed cut sheet feeder in its original box and packing materials. 5-27 Using the Printer Options...
Page 177: The Pull Tractor
The Pull Tractor The optional pull tractor provides optimum continuous paper handling. The pull tractor is especially useful with continuous preprinted forms, multi-part forms, and labels. Use of the pull tractor is also recommended for obtaining the highest quality graphics. For best results, use the pull tractor along with the built-in push tractor as described in this section.
Page 178 3. Remove the paper tension unit by pressing the levers back to open the mounting latches. At the same time, lift up the front of the unit. 4. Hold the pull tractor with the knob to the right. Fit the rear notches on the tractor over the rear mounting pins of the printer, as shown in the following illustration.
Page 179 5. Tilt the tractor unit toward you until the front latches click in place over the front mounting pins of the printer. 6. Pull the paper release lever all the way forward to the continuous paper position. CAUTION: You cannot use the short tear-off function with the pull tractor.
Page 180: Paper Handling
Paper Handling 1. With the printer cover unit removed, load continuous paper in the push tractor as described in Chapter 2. However, position the left sprocket unit about l/4 inch from the left before locking it in place. When you have paper loaded, turn on the printer. 2.
Page 181 Never use the platen knob to feed the paper CAUTION: while the printer is turned on. If you need to adjust the loading position, use the micro-adjustment function described in Chapter 3. 3. Open the sprocket covers of the pull tractor and pull the sprocket lock levers toward you to release them.
Page 182 4. Adjust the sprocket units so that they are parallel with the push tractor sprockets. Place the paper supports evenly between the sprocket units. (There is only one paper support on the LQ-850.) 5. Fit the holes of the paper over the tractor pins on the sprocket units, adjusting the position of the sprocket units as necessary.
Page 183 If the paper does not fit exactly onto the tractor pins or if the paper buckles, press in on the pull tractor knob and turn it in the desired direction until the paper fits properly. Close the sprocket covers. 5-34 Using the Printer Options...
Page 184 8. See that the paper is not crooked or wrinkled and lock the sprocket units in place. Make sure that the sprocket units of the two CAUTION: tractor units are properly aligned. 9. Slide the rollers on the paper bail bar so they are evenly distributed across the width of your paper, making sure that the right and left rollers are at both edges of your paper.
Page 185 10. Attach the paper guide. Then slide the edge guides together so they meet at about the middle of the paper's width. 11. Install the pull tractor cover. 12. Press the ON LINE button to set the printer on line. Note: Do not use the short tear-off feature with the pull tractor.
Page 186: Removing The Pull Tractor
Removing the Pull Tractor 1. Remove the pull tractor cover and the paper guide. 2. Tear off any printed sheets or extra blank sheets. 5-37 Using the Printer Options...
Page 187 3. P r e s s t h e O N L O A D / E J E C T o u t o f t h e p a p e r p a t h t o t h e s t a n d b y p o s i t i o n . T h l i g h t c o m e s o n w h e n t h e p a p e r i s c o m p l e t e l y path.
Page 188 4. Remove the continuous paper from the push tractor unit. Then, push the paper release lever backward. 5. Turn off the printer. Then, pressing the tabs on the pull tractor, tilt it back and lift it off the printer. 5-39 Using the Printer Options...
Page 189 6. Replace the paper tension unit as shown below. Tilt the unit back and position the back notches on the unit over the rear mounting pins of the printer. Press the levers open as you tilt the unit forward until the front latches click in place over the front mounting pins located behind the paper bail.
Page 190: The Interface Boards
You can increase the printer’s data buffering capacity by an additional 32 KB (about 10 pages). If you are unsure whether you need an optional interface or would like to know more about interfaces, contact your Epson dealer. Using the Printer Options 5-41...
Page 191: Compatible Interfaces
Compatible Interfaces The following is a list of Epson interfaces that are compatible with your printer. Interface number #8143 #8148 #8165 C823032 C823021 Note: Some interfaces may not be available in all countries. All Epson interfaces have the Epson name printed on them. If the...
Page 192 Removing the upper case 1. Turn off the power to the printer and the computer. Next, unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet and disconnect the interface cable from the printer. WARNING: High voltages are present inside the printer when the power is on.
Page 193 3. Using a cross-head screwdriver, remove the two retaining screws: one located at the front of the printer, the other at the back near the printer’s fan. 4. Detach the upper case by pressing in on the two retaining clips inside the front of the printer.
Page 194 5. Partially raise the upper case. Look under the control panel and notice the clip that secures the control panel to the upper case. Now reach under the control panel and release the front clip. 6. Slip the control panel back through the upper case. Using the Printer Options 5-45...
Page 195 7. With the control panel free of the upper case, tilt the case straight back to detach the rear hinges, and then lift it off. 8. Remove the shield plate above the parallel interface by pressing in on the plastic clips located at the back of the plate. (The following illustration shows a rear view of the printer.) Using the Printer Options 5-46...
Page 196 9. Remove the power cable attached to the main board by grasping the clip at its base and pulling gently, but firmly, straight up. You may need to move the clip back and forth slightly as you pull upward to free it from the board. 10.
Page 197 Installing the board There are two basic types of interface board designs, which slightly change the way they are installed in the printer. The frame ground wire is attached for one type and not attached for the other. This difference does not affect the operation of the interface in any way. Check to see which type of interface board you have and then follow the instructions for that type of board.
Page 198 2. Use the CG screw to attach the round end of the FG wire to the main board and position the other end as shown. 3. Reattach the power cable, making sure that the small fins on the white plastic clip are toward the inside of the printer. Take extra care to see that the holes of the clip are aligned with the pins of the connector.
Page 199 4. Fit the interface board under the built-in tractor aligning the board with the CN2 connector on the main board and with the interface port of the back of the printer. Carefully insert the pins on the optional interface board into the mating connector on the main board.
Page 200 If the FG wire is attached, follow these steps: Set the DIP switches on the interface board according to the manual accompanying your interface board. (If you are installing the #8l43 board, see the next section, #8143 New Serial Interface.) Carefully place the interface next to the printer as shown below.
Page 201 3. Reattach the power cable, making sure that the small fins on the white plastic clip are toward the inside of the printer. Take extra care to see that the holes of the clip are aligned with the pins of the connector.
Page 202 5. Secure the board with three of the screws provided. Attaching the upper case 1. Fit the rear hinges of the upper case into the openings in the lower case; then partially lower the upper case. 5-53 Using the Printer Options...
Page 203 Take care not to pinch the FG wire between the CAUTION: upper and lower sections of the case. 2. Slide the control panel out through the upper case. Make sure the control panel cable is clear of the upper case. Then reinsert the control panel into the upper case.
Page 204: 8143 New Serial Interface
4. Secure the upper case with the two retaining screws. 5. Replace all parts and options you removed earlier. Before you use the optional interface board, be CAUTION: sure to disconnect the interface cable for the printer’s built- in parallel or serial interface. Two interface cables must not be installed at the same time.
Page 205 For all other data transfer conventions, such as word structure or communications protocol, use the information in the manual supplied with your #8143 optional interface. Baud rate selection You can select baud rates from 75 to 19,200 BPS (Bits Per Second). When setting the baud rate, make sure that your printer’s input buffer is enabled by setting the LOAD/EJECT button (the beeper sounds twice if the input buffer is enabled), and that you use the bit...
Page 206: Chapter 6 Maintenance
Chapter 6 Maintenance Cleaning the Printer ....... . Replacing the Ribbon ....... Transporting the Printer.
Page 207: Cleaning The Printer
Cleaning the Printer To keep your printer operating at its best you should clean it thoroughly several times a year. Follow the steps below: 1. Make sure that the printer is turned off. Then remove the paper guide and any installed option 6-2 Maintenance...
Page 208 Be careful not to get water on the printer mechanism or electronic components. Do not use a hard or abrasive brush. Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants; unsuitable oils can damage the mechanism. Contact your Epson dealer if you think lubrication is needed. Maintenance 6-3...
Page 209: Replacing The Ribbon
Replacing the Ribbon Replace the ribbon when the printout becomes too faint. The following Epson replacement ribbon cartridges are available: Standard ribbon Printer LQ-850 #7753 LQ-1050 #7754 Notes: Use the optional film ribbon only when you need especially high quality printing. For everyday operations, use the standard ribbon.
Page 210 2. To remove the ribbon cartridge, grip it by the two black handles and lift the cartridge straight up and out of the printer. (Ribbon cartridges #7753 and #7768 have only one handle.) 3. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. Maintenance 6-5...
Page 211 4. To remove slack in the new ribbon, turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow. 5. Push the new ribbon cartridge firmly into position, making sure the plastic hooks fit into the slots, as shown below. Note: Press lightly on both sides of the cartridge to make sure the hooks are properly inserted.
Page 212 6. Use a pointed object, such as a ballpoint pen, to guide the ribbon between the print head and ribbon guide while you turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place. Be careful not to puncture the ribbon. 7.
Page 213 8. Reattach the printer cover unit. Maintenance...
Page 214: Transporting The Printer
Transporting the Printer Before you transport your printer some distance, carefully replace it in the original box and packing materials, as described below. 1. Turn off the printer, then remove any installed options. 2. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet and disconnect the interface cable between the printer and the computer.
Page 215 5. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. While holding the paper bail bar open, reattach the left and right locking tabs. 6. Slide the print head all the way to the left. Using the enclosed cross-head screwdriver, reattach the two red screws. Maintenance 6-10...
Page 216 7. Insert the print head protector as shown below. 8. Reattach the printer cover unit. WARNING: When you carry the printer, never hold it by the compartment cover on the right side. If this cover comes off, you may drop the printer. 6-11 Maintenance...
Page 217 9. Fit the printer back into the white packing material and then back into its original box. Maintenance 6-12...
Page 218: Chapter 7 Troubleshooting
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting Problems and Solutions ......7-2 Power Supply........7-4 Printing .
Page 219: Problems And Solutions
Problems and Solutions This chapter discusses problems you may encounter while operating your printer and their likely solutions. If you are having difficulty achieving the desired printing result, first locate the problem in the table below and then see the appropriate page for the solution.
Page 220: Troubleshooting
Options Using the cut sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly. Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed properly. Using an optional interface, the printer does not operate properly. See 7-27 See 7-31 See 7-35 Troubleshooting 7-3...
Page 221: Power Supply
If the voltages do not match, unplug 'the printer and contact your Epson dealer immediately. Do not reconnect the power cord to an electrical outlet. The problem may lie with the electrical outlet.
Page 222: Printing
Printing Problem The printer does not print. The ON LINE light is on but nothing is printed. The ON LINE light is off. The PAPER OUT light is on. Solution The software may not be installed properly for your printer. Check the printer settings and make the necessary changes.
Page 223 Turn off the printer, check for paper jams or other problems, then turn the printer back on. If the printer still does not print correctly, contact your Epson dealer. The print head is overheated. Wait a few minutes; the printer resumes printing automatically when the print head cools.
Page 224 See Chapter 2. The print head is damaged. Stop printing and contact your Epson dealer to have the printer repaired. There is either too much slack in the ribbon or the ribbon has come loose and gotten caught on something.
Page 225 Chapter 9 for information on using fonts. The wrong character table is selected. If your application program is capable of sending control codes, specify the Epson Extended Graphics character table using ESC t 1. See Chapter 9. You can also select the graphics character table by changing a DIP switch setting.
Page 226 Problem Printed characters are not what you expected (continued). Graphic characters or lines are being printed instead the selected italic characters. The wrong international characters are being printed. Solution The wrong character table is selected. If your application program is capable of sending control codes, specify the italic character table using ESC t 0.
Page 227 Problem Printed characters are not what you expected (continued). The wrong graphics characters are printed. The characters printed are smaller than expected. The typestyle selected by SelecType is not printed. Troubleshooting 7-10 Solution The wrong graphics character set is selected. To set the desired graphics character set, turn off the power and set DIP switches 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 to the correct positions for the graphics...
Page 228 Problem Printed characters are not what you expected (continued). The printer prints a series strange characters. The print position is not what you expected. Printing starts too high or too low on the page. Text is printed on the same line. Text is printed with an extra blank line in between.
Page 229 Problem The print position is not what you expected (continued). Text is printed with an extra blank line in between, even after setting the auto line feed setting to off. Line spacing is incorrect. One line of printing has taken up two lines. Troubleshooting 7-12 Solution...
Page 230 Problem The print position is not what you expected (continued). Page length does not match the length of the paper. Regular gaps occur in the printout. Solution The page length may be set incorrectly. Change the page length setting with DIP switches 2-1 and 2-2.
Page 231 Problem The print position is not what you expected (continued). Skip over perforation is set, but the perforation fall does not in the center the skip. Troubleshooting 7-14 Solution The page length for continuous paper may be set incorrectly. Set DIP switches 2-1 and 2-2 to the correct positions for the page length you want.
Page 232: Problem Solution
Chapter 1. If the self test works properly, the printer is all right, and the problem probably lies in the computer, the software, or the cable. If the self test does not work, contact your Epson dealer. Solution The printer is usually set for bidirectional printing.
Page 233: Paper Handling
Paper Handling The following section guides you through problems in handling single sheets and continuous paper. If you are having problems using the optional cut sheet feeder or pull tractor, see the section on options later in this chapter. Problem Single sheets do not feed properly.
Page 234 Problem Single sheets do not feed properly (continued). The LOAD/EJECT button was pressed and the platen rotated, but paper was not fed. When the LOAD/EJECT button is pressed, the paper jams. Solution The paper release lever may be set in the wrong position.
Page 235 Problem Single sheets do not feed properly (continued). When the LOAD/EJECT button is pressed, the paper feeds through and then out printer. feed The paper crooked. The paper does not fully eject. Troubleshooting 7-18 Solution The paper may have been between the edge guides before the printer was turned on.
Page 236 Problem Continuous paper does not feed properly. When the LOAD/EJECT button is pressed, the platen does not rotate and paper does not feed. When the LOAD/EJECT button is pressed, the platen rotates but paper does not feed. Solution You may be trying to feed paper using the control panel buttons while the printer is on line (ON LINE light on).
Page 237 Problem Continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). feed The paper crooked or the paper jams. Troubleshooting 7-20 Solution The paper supply may be obstructed by a cable or some other object. Make sure that the paper feeds smoothly into the printer. See Chapter 2.
Page 238 Problem Continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). The paper feed is crooked or the paper jams (continued). Regular gaps occur in the printout. Solution The sprocket lock levers may be unlocked, or the sprocket covers may be open. Position the sprocket units to match the width of your paper.
Page 239 Problem Continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). Skip over perforation does not function. Skip over perforation is set, but the perforation does not fall in the center of the skip. The loading position the paper shifts slightly while printing several pages.
Page 240 Problem Continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). The short tear-off function is selected (DIP switch 2-7 is on), but it does not work. The LOAD/EJECT button is pressed to eject the paper, the paper feed stops, and paper does not fully eject or it jams.
Page 241 LOAD/EJECT button. Also, make sure that DIP switch 2-7 (short tear-off) is off. If a label does become jammed in the printer mechanism, see your Epson dealer for assistance. Pull the paper release lever forward to the continuous paper position, set the paper, then press the LOAD/EJECT button.
Page 242 Problem Switching between single sheets and continuous paper cannot be performed properly (continued). The paper release lever is correctly set continuous paper, but when the LOAD/EJECT button is pressed, the platen rotates backward and the paper comes off the sprockets. When the LOAD/EJECT button is pressed to load a single sheet from...
Page 243 Paper Handling Problem Switching between single sheets and continuous paper cannot be performed properly (continued). Even with the paper release lever set correctly to the single- sheet position, the single sheet and continuous paper feed together and jam. The short tear-off function does not operate properly.
Page 244: Options
Options Problem Using the cut sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly. The LOAD/EJECT button is pressed, but the platen does not move and the paper does not feed. After a print command is sent from the computer, the platen does not move and the paper does not feed.
Page 245 Problem Using the cut sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly (continued). After a print command is sent from the computer, the platen rotates, but paper does not feed. The PAPER OUT light is on. Troubleshooting 7-28 S o l u t i o n DIP switch 1-7 is set to off.
Page 246 Problem Using the cut sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly (continued). After a print command is sent from the computer, the platen rotates, but paper does not feed. The PAPER OUT light is on (continued). Two or more sheets feed at the same time.
Page 247 Options Problem Using the cut sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly (continued). The paper feed is crooked. You tried to manually insert a single sheet, but instead paper was fed from the cut sheet feeder's bin. Troubleshooting 7-30 Solution The paper may be old or creased.
Page 248 Problem Using the cut sheet feeder, the paper does not feed properly (continued). One page of printing has spread to two pages. When printing envelopes, the envelopes either do not feed or feed incorrectly. Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed...
Page 249 Problem Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). Paper feed is crooked or the paper jams. Troubleshooting 7-32 Solution Something may be obstructing the paper feed, like an object on top of the paper stack or a cable caught on the paper.
Page 250 Problem Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). Paper feed is crooked or the paper jams (continued). Several lines of space occur in the printout. Skip over perforation is set, but it does not work.
Page 251 Problem Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous paper does not feed properly (continued). Skip over perforation is set, but the skip has shifted from the perforation, or the perforation does not fall in the center of the skip.
Page 252 Problem Using an optional interface, the printer does not operate properly. The printer does not print or the printout is not what you expected. Solution The interface board may be loose or not properly connected. Check that the interface board is correctly inserted into the connector on the main board.
Page 253 If the printer still does not operate properly after checking the above points, run a self test of the interface to make sure that there are no on-board defects. If any abnormality is found, contact your Epson dealer. Note: If you are still having problems after working through the...
Page 254: Chapter 8 Technical Specifications
Chapter 8 Technical Specifications Printer Specifications ....... 8-2 Printing ......... 8-2 Paper..
Page 255: Printer Specifications
Printer Specifications Printing Print method: Print speed: Quality Characters per Inch SuperDraft Normal draft Letter Quality Printing direction: Line spacing: Paper feed speed: Technical Specifications 24-pin impact dot matrix Characters/second/line Bidirectional logic-seeking for text and graphics. Unidirectional for graphics. (Unidirectional can be selected with a DIP switch or by using the proper software command.) l/6 inch or programmable in increments of...
Page 256 10, 12, 15 10, 12, 15 96 standard ASCII character set (including italic characters) 14 international character sets 1 Legal character set Epson Extended Graphics character set 5 graphics character sets Technical Specifications 8-3 Maximum printed characters LQ-850 LQ-1050 Family...
Page 257: Paper
Paper Paper feeding methods: Paper width and length: Paper Single sheet width length Continuous paper width Envelopes Labels Technical Specifications Friction Built-in push feed tractor with paper tension unit Pull tractor (optional) Single-bin or double-bin cut sheet feeder (optional) LQ-850 7.2 to 10.1 inches (182 to 257 mm) 7.2 to 14.3 inches...
Page 258 Single sheet Printable area: Note: For the LQ-850, printing on paper from 9 to 10.1 inches wide increases the minimum right and left margins to 0.53 inches. Technical Specifications 8-5...
Page 259 Note: The minimum for the right and left margins increases to 0.98 inch (25.0 mm) when printing on IO-inch wide paper on the LQ-850 or on l6-inch wide paper on the LQ-1050. Note: Envelope printing is only available at normal operating conditions.
Page 260 Paper weight: Paper thickness: Number of copies: Notes: The use of 24 lb paper is only available at normal temperature. Printing past the edge of envelopes, multi-part forms, labels, or paper that is thicker than normal can damage the print head.
Page 261: Mechanical
Mechanical Ribbon: MCBF: MTBF: Print head life: Dimensions and weight: LQ-850 (80) Height 5.6 inches (142 mm) Width 17.0 inches (430 mm) Depth 14.2 inches (360 mm) Weight approx. 19.8 lb (9 kg) Technical Specifications Black ribbon cartridge #7753/#7754: Life expectancy (in Letter Quality characters, at 48 dots/character) 2 million characters Film ribbon cartridge #7768/#7770:...
Page 262: Electrical
Electrical Voltage: Power consumption: Frequency: Insulation resistance: Dielectric strength (between AC line and chassis): Environmental Temperature: Humidity (without condensation): Operation angle: Shock: V&ration: 120 VAC ± 10% (self test printing: draft mode) LQ-850: 55 W LQ-1050: 60 W 49.5 ± 0.5 Hz 10M ohms between AC power line and chassis Can withstand 1.00 kV rms...
Page 263: Interface Specifications
Interface Specifications Your printer is equipped with both a parallel and a serial interface. For specifications on optional interfaces, see the manuals provided with the interfaces. Parallel Interface Pin assignments for the parallel interface Connector pin assignments and a description of their respective interface signals are shown in the following table.
Page 264 Signal Return P i n Signal SLCT AUTO FEED G N D CHASSIS G N D G N D 19-30 INIT E R R O R G N D SLCT IN Direction Description O U T A HIGH signal indicates that the printer is out of paper.
Page 265 The column heading “Direction” refers to the direction of signal flow as viewed from the printer. “Return” denotes the twisted-pair return, to be connected at signal ground level. For the interface wiring, be sure to use a twisted-pair cable for each signal and to complete the connection on the return side.
Page 266: Serial Interface
Printing enabled/disabled signals and control conditions The table below shows the relationship between printing being enabled or disabled, the on line/off line status, and the receipt of the data on/off control characters, DC1 or DC3. O N L I N E S L C T I N D C 1 / D C 3 E R R O R B U S Y (Indicator on line Low (J9...
Page 267: Error Handling
Signal level Mark (1) -3 V to -27 V Space (0) +3 V to +27 V Handshaking Handshaking by DTR signal or X-on/X-off. The DTR signal changes to mark-meaning the printer is not ready to receive data-when the number of bytes free in the input buffer goes down to 256. The signal changes to space-meaning that the printer is now ready- when the number of bytes in the input buffer rises to 528.
Page 268: Option Specifications
Option Specifications Cut Sheet Feeder Dimensions and weight: Option no. #7339 #7340 #7346 #7348 Dimensions: mounted on printer. Bin and Stacker capacity: Height Width 13.6 inches 16.93 inches 14.33 inches 4.84 lbs (345 mm) (430 mm) 23.82 inches 14.33 inches 6.6 lbs 13.6 inches (605 mm) (345 mm)
Page 269 Reliability (total cycle of bin 1 and bin 2) MCBF: Paper: #7339 Paper width #7346 #7340 #7348 Paper length Paper thickness Paper weight Paper storage condition: Environmental Temperature: Humidity (without condensation): Notes: 24 lb paper printing is only available at normal operating conditions.
Page 270: Initialization
Initialization There are three ways that the printer can be initialized (returned to a fixed set of conditions). Hardware initialization Software initialization These three kinds of initialization have slightly different effects. In particular, ESC @ does not initialize the printer mechanism, clear the input data buffer, or clear the user-defined character set.
Page 271: Default Settings
Default Settings The following table shows the default conditions that become valid when the printer is initialized. Item Top of form position Left and right margins Line spacing Vertical tab position Horizontal tab positions VFU channel Font selection Character spacing Condensed mode Special printing effects User-defined characters...
Page 272: Chapter 9 Command Summary
Chapter 9 Command Summary Using the Command Summary..... . . Examples ........Control Key Chart.
Page 273: Using The Command Summary
Using the Command Summary This chapter lists and describes all the commands available on the printer. The first part of this chapter lists all commands in numerical order and gives the number of the page where each is fully described. If you know which command you are looking for, consult the numerical list.
Page 274: Examples
All three formats are equivalent, so you can pick the one best suited to your purpose. Variables are represented by italicized letters such as n, nl, and m. The variables are explained in the comments section. Note: Some application programs use control key sequences. See the Control Key Chart later in this chapter.
Page 275: Control Key Chart
Using the Command Summary For the following commands that use only 0 or 1 for the variable, either the decimal or hexadecimal values 1 and 0 or the ASCII characters 1 and 0 can be used: ESC U, ESC x, ESC p, ESC W, ESC S, ESC-, ESC %, and ESC w. For example, in BASIC you can turn on proportional spacing with either of these statements: LPRINT CHR$(27);"p";CHR$(l)
Page 276: Commands In Numerical Order
Commands in Numerical Order The following list shows control codes and ESC sequences with their decimal and hexadecimal values, and the page where the description of the command can be found. ASCII Dec. D C 2 D C 3 D C 4 ESC SO ESC SI ESC EM...
Page 277 ASCII Dec. ESC * ESC + ESC - ESC / ESC 0 ESC 2 ESC 3 ESC 4 ESC 5 ESC 6 ESC 7 ESC : ESC < ESC = ESC > ESC ? ESC @ ESC A ESC B ESC C ESCCO ESC D...
Page 278 ASCII Dec. ESC N ESC O ESC P ESC Q ESC R ESC S 0 ESC S l ESC T ESC U ESC W ESC Y ESC Z ESC \ ESC a ESC b ESC g ESC k ESC l ESC p ESC q ESC t...
Page 279: Commands Arranged By Topic
Commands Arranged by Topic This following section lists and describes all the commands by topic. See the Quick Reference card at the back of this book for a handy list of commands by topic. Printer Operation Initialization ESC @ Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal:...
Page 280: Printing Direction
Format: A S C I I c o d e : D C 3 Decimal: H e x a d e c i m a l : 1 3 Comments: Puts the printer into the deselected state until the select printer code (DC1) is received.
Page 281 ESC U Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Turns the mode on 0: Turns the mode off Printing is normally bidirectional. This command selects unidirectional printing for more accurate positioning. ESC EM Format: ASCII code: Decimal:...
Page 282: M S B C O N T R O
MSB Control MSB means the Most Significant Bit. MSB control (ESC =, ESC >, and ESC #) does not work for graphics or user-defined characters. ESC = Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal Comments: Sets the MSB of all incoming data to 0. Some computers always send data with the MSB set to 1, which means that italics or character graphics are always printed.
Page 283: Data Control
Commands Arranged by Topic Format: ASCII code: Decimal: H e x a d e c i m a l : 0 7 Comments: Sounds the printer’s beeper. Data Control Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: OD Comments: Prints the data in the print buffer and returns the print position to the left margin.
Page 284: Vertical Motion
Vertical Motion Form feeding Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: OC Comments: Prints the data in the print buffer and advances the paper to the top of the next form according to the current page length. The default page length is 66 lines; you can change the page length with ESC C.
Page 285 ESCCO Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Sets the page length to n inches. The value of n must be from 1 to 22. The top of form position is reset to the current line. Overrides the DIP switch page length setting. ESC N Format: ASCII code:...
Page 286 Line feeding Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: OA Comments: When this command is received, the data in the print buffer is printed and the paper advances one line in the current line spacing. ESC + Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Sets line spacing to n/360 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands.
Page 287 Commands Arranged by Topic ESC 2 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/6 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. This line spacing is the default at power on. ESC 3 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments:...
Page 288 ESC J Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Advances the paper n/180 of an inch. The value of n must be from 0 to 255. This command produces an immediate line feed but does not affect subsequent line spacing and does not produce a carriage return.
Page 289 ESC b Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal : Comments: Functions the same as ESC B, except that the variable c selects a channel for the vertical tabs, which must be from 0 to 7. Therefore, up to eight sets of vertical tabs can be set. The channels are selected by ESC /.
Page 290: Horizontal Motion
Horizontal Motion Margins ESC I Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Sets the left margin to n columns in the current character size. Settings made in the proportional mode are treated as 10 cpi. This command clears previous tab settings and all previous characters in the print line.
Page 291 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: H e x a d e c i m a l : 0 8 Comments: Prints out data in the print buffer, then moves the print position one space to the left. Backspacing is possible up to, but not beyond, the left margin setting.
Page 292 ESC \ Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Determines the position (relative to the current position) at which printing of subsequent data will start. To find nl and n2, first calculate the displacement required in dots. If the displacement is to the left, subtract it from 65536.
Page 293: Overall Printing Style
ESC D Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: This command allows setting of up to 32 horizontal tabs, which are entered as nl, n2, n3, etc., (from 1 to 255) with the number 0 character terminating the command. The tab settings must be entered in ascending order.
Page 294 ESC k Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: This command affects only the Letter Quality typestyle, not draft. If n = 0, the Roman typestyle in the printer is used. To select one of the other typestyles, use the family number of the font as shown below.
Page 295: Print Size And Character Width
Print Size and Character Width ESC P Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Selects 10 character per inch printing. This command is normally used to cancel 12 or 15 cpi. ESC M Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Selects 12 character per inch printing. ESC g Format: ASCII code:...
Page 296 ESC p Format: A S C I I c o d e : E S C Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Turns proportional mode on and off. The following values can be used for n: 1: Turns mode on. 0: Turns mode off. The width of proportional characters varies from character to character.
Page 297 ESC SI Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Duplicates the SI command and the function of the CONDENSED button on the control panel. Format: A S C I I c o d e : D C 2 Decimal: H e x a d e c i m a l : 1 2 Comments: Cancels condensed mode set by SI, ESC SI, or SelecType and returns printing to normal.
Page 298 ESC SO Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Duplicates the SO command. ESC W Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Doubles the width of all characters. The following values can be used for n: 1: Turns mode on. 0: Turns mode off. Format: A S C I I c o d e : D C 4 Decimal:...
Page 299: Print Enhancement
ESC w Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Doubles the height of all characters. The following values can be used for n: 1: Turns mode on. 0: Turns mode off. You may need to adjust line spacing to compensate for the height of these characters.
Page 300 ESC F Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Cancels the emphasized mode selected by ESC E. ESC G Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Makes text bolder by printing each line twice. ESC H Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Cancels the double-strike mode selected by ESC G.
Page 301 ESC S 0 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Prints characters about two-thirds of the normal character height in the upper part of the character space. ESC S l Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Prints characters about two-thirds of the normal character height in the lower part of the character space.
Page 302 ESC (- Format: ASCII code: Decimal: H e x a d e c i m a l : 1 B Comments: Use decimal or hexadecimal values for all variables, not ASCII characters. Use the following values for the first 3 variables: nl must be 3.
Page 303 3: Selects outline with shadow. This command is valid for all characters, with the exception of character codes B0H to DFH, F4H, and F5H (176 to 223, 244, and 245 decimal) in the Epson Extended Graphics character table. Command Summary 9-32...
Page 304: Word Processing
Word Processing ESC a Format: A S C I I c o d e : E S C Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Sets the type of justification. The following values can be used for n: 0: Selects left justification. 1: Selects centering. 2: Selects right justification.
Page 305: Select Italic Mode
Character Sets ESC t Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Selects the character table used by codes 128 to 225. Selecting a graphics character set does not disable italic printing. Italic printing can still be selected by ESC 4. The following values can be used for 0: Selects italics character table.
Page 306 ESC 5 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Cancels the mode selected by ESC 4. ESC R Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Selects one of the international character sets. The following values can be used for n: 0 = USA 1 = France 2 = Germany 3 = England...
Page 307 User-defined Characters See Chapter 4 for sample programs and full information on this topic. ESC & Format: ASCII code: Decimal: H e x a d e c i m a l : 1 B Comments: This command allows characters to be redefined in the currently selected mode.
Page 308 ESC % Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: This sequence is used to print the user-defined (download) character set. ESC & is required to define the character set. The following values can be used for n: 0: Selects the normal set. 1: Selects the user-defined set.
Page 309 Graphics See Chapter 4 for sample graphics programs. See the table under ESC * for graphics modes. ESC K Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Turns on 8-pin, single-density graphics mode. The total number of columns = nl + (n2 x 256). ESC L Format: ASCII code:...
Page 310 ESC Z Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Turns on S-pin, quadruple-density graphics mode. The total number of columns = nl + (n2 x 256). ESC * Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Turns on graphics mode m. See the following table for details on the available modes.
Page 311 ESC ? Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: Changes from one graphics mode to another. The variable s is a character (K, L, Y or Z). The variable m corresponds to the mode m in the ESC * command. Command Summary 9-40 Reassign Graphics Mode...
Page 312: Appendix
Appendix Proportional Width Table ......Character Sets ........A-6...
Page 313: Proportional Width Table
Proportional Width Table This table lists the widths of your printer’s proportional characters. The values given are in 360ths of an inch. (For example, a value of 36 is 36/360ths of an inch.) You may need to enter these widths into a special table for your processing program so it can calculate the number of proportional characters that will fit on a line.
Page 314 Code Width Code 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 24/16 30/20 36/24 36/24 42/28 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 42/28 36/24 42/28 36/24 36/24 30/20 24/16 30/20 24/16 30/20 30/20 18/12 30/20 36/24 30/20 Width 36/24 30/20 24/16...
Page 315 Code Code Width 30/20 30/20 18/12 18/12 18/12 36/24 36/24 36/24 42/28 42/28 30/20 30/20 30/20 36/24 36/24 36/24 36/24 42/28 30/20 30/20 36/24 42/28 30/20 30/20 18/12 30/20 36/24 36/24 36/24 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 Width 30/20 3O/20...
Page 316 30/20 30/20 30/20 F f 5 Width 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 30/20 24/16 30/20 36l24 36l24 30/20 30/20 30/20 42/28 18/12 30/20 30/20 36/24 36/24 30/20 36/24...
Page 317: Character Sets
Character Sets The italics character set or a graphics character set is selected by DIP switch 1-4 or the ESC t software command. The graphics character sets are selected by DIP switches 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 when DIP switch 1-4 is on. For the graphics character sets, the ESC 6 or ESC 7 software command lets you select whether to print hex codes 80 to 9F as characters (ESC 6) or control codes (ESC 7).
Page 318 Graphics Character Sets PC 437 (United Stafes)-Epson Extended Graphics CODE PC 850 (Multilingual) CODE...
Page 319 PC 860 (Portugal) PC 863 (Canada-French) CODE...
Page 320 PC 865 (Norway) CODE...
Page 321: Bidirectional Printing
Glossary Note that these definitions apply specifically to printers. If a word is italicized, see that topic for more information. application program A software program that helps you carry out a particular task, such as word processing or financial planning. ASCII Acronym for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
Page 322 byte A unit of information consisting of eight bits. carriage return (CR) The control code that returns the print position to the left margin. When issued together with a line feed, the print position moves to the left margin of the next line. In bidirectional printing, the print head may not physically move to the left margin.
Page 323: Graphics
data dump Sometimes called hex dump. A troubleshooting feature. When the printer is in the data dump mode, each code that it receives is printed in hexadecimal notation. decimal See number systems. default A value or setting that takes effect when the equipment is turned on, reset, or initialized.
Page 324 ESCJP Abbreviation for Epson Standard Code for Printers. The system of commands lets you perform software control of your primer from your computer. It is standard for all Epson primers and supported by most application software for personal computers. font A font is a style of type designated by a family name.
Page 325: Input Buffer
input buffer The memory in the printer in which data sent from the computer is stored while waiting to be printed. interface The means of connection between the computer and printer. See also parallel interface and serial interface. italic A typestyle in which the characters slant. This sentence is italicized. Also, a character table that contains italicized characters and symbols.
Page 326 number systems Three number systems are commonly used with printers: binary is base 2 and uses only the digits 0 and 1. All information in computer systems is handled in binary form represented by electrical signals that are on or off. A binary digit is often called a bit;...
Page 327: Print Quality
Parity Parity is a method for a computer and primer to check the reliability of data transmission. platen The black roller that provides the backing for the paper during printing. print quality Your printer has three types of print quality: draft, SuperDraft, and Letter Quality.
Page 328: Unidirectional Printing
self test A method of checking the operation of the printer. When the self test is run, the printer prints out its current DIP switch settings and the characters that are stored in its ROM (Read Only Memory). serial interface A serial interface transmits data one bit at a time.
Page 329 user-defined characters Characters that are defined and stored in the printer by the user. Also known as download characters. A character spacing of 10 characters per inch. This is often the standard or default pitch. A character spacing in which each character is slightly narrower than normal, so that there are 12 characters per inch.
Page 330 3-6-10,8-3 size, 4-4-5 spacing, 3-4,3-10-11,4-3-4 style, 9-32 width, 9-24-28 Character sets, 3-28-31,8-3, 9-34-35, A-6-9 choosing, 3-28-31 Epson Extended Graphics, A-7 graphics, 3-13,3-15,3-30-31, A-7-9 international, 3-13-14, 3-28-29 italics, 3-13, 3-30, A-6 selecting, 9-34 Code page tables, see Graphics character sets...
Page 331 Emphasizing text, 4-5-8, 9-28-29 Index Envelopes, 2-25-26,2-32-34 cut sheet feeder, S-14-16 manual feed, 2-33 printable area, 2-33-34 Epson Extended Graphics character set, 3-15,3-31, A-7 Error handling, #8Ml43 serial interface, 5-56 ESCape codes, see Commands Film ribbon, 1-15,6-4 Fixed character spacing, 4-3...
Page 332 Initialization printer, 9-8-9 specifications, 8-17-18 Input buffer control, 3-5 Interface boards, 5-41-56 choosing, 5-41 coax, 5-41-42 frame ground wire, 5-48, 5-51-53 IEEE-488,5-41-42 installing, 5-42-55 new serial interface #8143, 5-55-56 parallel, 5-41-42 serial, 5-41-42 Twinax, 5-41-42 Interface type/parity, 3-13-14 International character sets DIP switch settings, 3-13-14 selecting, 3-28-29,9-35 Italic character set, 3-13, 3-30...
Page 333 Packing materials, 1-3-4,6-9,6-12 Page length, 9-13-14 selection, 3-13,3-15,3-18 Paper feeding, 84 length, 8-4 loading, 2-2-5 manual feed, 1-10 positioning 2-6 printable area, 8-5-6 reloading, 2-5 single sheets, 1-15,2-2-5 specifications, 8-4-7 supply, 1-9,2-6-7 thickness, 8-7 weight, 8-7 width, 8-4 Paper edge guides, 1-21,2-3-4, 2-13 Paper guide attaching, 1-15-17...
Page 334 Printing enhancing, 4-2-9 problems, 7-5-15 speeds, 4-2 Problems, 7-2-37 options, 7-27-37 paper handling, 7-16-26 power supply, 7-4 printing 7-5-15 solutions, 7-2-37 Proportional spacing, 3-4,3-10, 4-3-4,4-8,9-25 Proportional width table, A-2-5 Protective materials, 1-7 removing, 1-3-7 Pull tractor, 5-28-40 continuous paper, 5-28-36 installing 5-28-30 paper handling, 5-31-36...
Page 335 Tear-off mode, see Short tear-off Tear-off position, adjusting, 3-26-27 Technical specifications, see specifications Tractor, see Pull tractor Troubleshooting, 7-2-36 options, 7-27-36 paper handling, 7-16-26 power supply, 7-4 printing, 7-5-15 Typestyles, selecting, 3-6-11, 4-8-9,9-23 Underline mode, 4-5, 4-7-8, 9-32 Underlining, 4-3,9-31 Unidirectional mode, 9-9-10 printing, 3-16,8-2...
Page 336 Quick Reference...
Page 337 Commands Arranged by Topic This section lists all the commands, The page numbers in Chapter 9 where a complete description of the command can be found. Printer Operation Data Control Code Vertical Motion the columns on the right are the numbers in Function Carriage Return...
Page 338 Horizontal Motion Overall Printing Style Code ESC x ESC k Print Size and Character Width Print Enhancement Word Processing Code ESC a ESC SPfsoacel Function Select Letter Quality or Draft Select Typestyle Family Master Select Function Select Justification Set Intercharacter Soaca Page 9-22 9 2 3...
Page 339: Character Table
Character Tables cods ESC t ESC 4 ESC 5 ESC R User-defined Characters Code ESC & ESC : ESC % ESC 6 ESC 7 Graphics The DIP Switch Tables DIP Switch 1 DIP Switch 2 Description Page length selection Interface type/parity Baud rate Short tear-off mode Auto line feed...
Page 340 built-in push tractor...

This manual is also suitable for:

Lq-850x Lq-1050 Lq-850

Epson LQ-1050X User Manual

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer

Chapter 2 Paper Handling

Chapter 3 Using the Printer

Chapter 4 Software and Graphics

Chapter 5 Using the Printer Options

Chapter 6 Maintenance

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting

Chapter 8 Technical Specifications

Chapter 9 Command Summary

Quick Links

Chapters

Troubleshooting

Related Manuals for Epson LQ-1050X

Summary of Contents for Epson LQ-1050X