Brother MP-21 User manual

Mobile Full Color Inkjet Printer MP-21C/CDX
Quick Setup Guide
Read this guidebook first to set up your printer and
prepare your computer for the printer.
Be sure to save all packing materials and the outer
carton.
The steps required for setting up the printer varies by model. Follow the order of setting up as
shown in the chart below.
MP-21CDX
MP-21C Printer Interface Card Parallel Cable Optional
PA-21MP Page
A: Printer Interface Card 114
B: PC Card Cable 227
C: Parallel Cable 118
D: Ink 332210
E: Printer Driver 443313
The product names in this guidebook are trademarks or registered trademarks of each manufacturer. The specifications are
subject to change without notice.
©1998 Brother Industries Ltd.

UJ5394001 A
Printed in Japan

1
SETTING UP THE PRINTER
UNPACKING YOUR PRINTER
Setting Up
✒Note
After you have unpacked your printer, save the carton box and packing
materials in case you want to move or ship the printer.
1. After unpacking the printer, remove the protective parts.
Fig. 1 Removing the Protective Parts
2. Check and see that you have all the items shown below.
Fig. 2 Components in the Printer Carton Box
PC Card Cable
User’s Guide
Quick Setup Guide
Parallel Interface Cable
(MP-21CDX only)
Floppy Disks
AC adapter -100V
(MP-21CDX only)
Printer
AC adapter -200V
(MP-21CDX only)
Printer Interface Card
(CI-100-PC Card)
Auto Cut Sheet Feeder
(MP-21CDX only)
Ink Cartridges
(LC03BC, LC03MY)

2
✒Note
You may have some additional parts not listed above depending on which
country you live in.
Parts supplied with your printer
Model MP-21 C MP-21CDX
Printer 
Ink Cartridges 
Printer Interface Card 
PC Card Cable 
Auto Cut Sheet Feeder × (Option) 
AC Adapter × (Option) 
Parallel Interface Cable × (Option) 
!
Caution
Be sure to follow the steps below in the correct order to ensure correct
printer operation.
The steps required for setting up the printer varies by model. Follow the order of
setting up as shown in the chart below.
MP-21CDX
MP-21C Printer Interface Card Parallel Cable Optional
PA-21MP Page
A: Printer Interface Card 114
B: PC Card Cable 227
C: Parallel Cable 118
D: Ink 332210
E: Printer Driver 443313
Computer Requirements
The following are the minimum computer requirements to setup and
operate the printer.
CPU: i486DX4 66MHz or higher
RAM: 8MB or more (16MB recommended)
Hard Disk Drive:40Mbyte free space available
OS: Windows3.1x/95/98

3
ABOUT YOUR PRINTER
Printer Overview
Fig. 3 Front View
Fig. 4 Rear View
Fig. 5 Inside the Printer
1) MP-21CDX or optional SF-21MP users only
2) MP-21CDX or optional PA-21MP users only
Top Cover
PC Card Cable
Ink Cartridges
(LC03BC, LC03MY)
Printer Interface Card
(CI-100)
Release Lever
AC Adapter Connector
Paper Feeding Slot Guide
Auto Cut Sheet Feeder -1
AC Adapter- 2
Parallel Interface Cable -2
Straight Paper Path Slot
Print Head
Printer Stand

4
A: INSTALLING THE PRINTER INTERFACE CARD
If you are not going to use the printer through the Printer Interface Card,
skip sections ‘A’and ‘B’ and go straight to section ‘C’.
However, we recommend that you install the Printer Interface Card
Driver at this point whether or not you intend to use the printer through
the Printer Interface Card.
!
Caution
DO NOT remove the Printer Interface Card and the PC Card Cable when
LEDs are on or blinking. Before you remove them, press the (On/Off)
button and wait until all the LEDs are off.
✒Note
• Before installing the Printer Interface Card Driver, check that your
computer is connected to a live power source or your computer has
enough battery power left.
•
••
• If you remove the printer cable or turn the printer off while you are
inserting the Printer Interface Card into the PC Card slot, and the
printer does not work correctly after that, remove the Printer Interface
Card from the slot and insert the card again and re-start the Printer
Interface Card Driver installation.
•
••
• Before you install the PC Card Driver, be sure to set the Power Save
mode of your computer off. For details, see your computer's manual.
Installing the Printer Interface Card Driver in Windows3.1
1.Make sure that the computer is turned off.
2.Connect the PC Card Cable to the Printer Interface Card. Insert the
Printer Interface Card into the PC Card slot of your computer with the
label side face up. Be sure to insert the card fully into the slot.
Fig. 6 Inserting the Printer Interface Card
3. Turn your computer on and start Windows 3.1.

5
4. Insert the supplied disk (Printer/PC Card Driver disk1) into your
floppy disk drive A (or drive B).
5. Choose Run from the File menu in the Program Manager.
6. Type A:\CARDINST (or B:\CARDINST for drive B) in the Command
Line box.
7. Choose the OK button or press the Enter key.
8. Follow the installation instructions that appear on the display monitor.
9. When the installation is complete, remove the disk from your floppy
disk drive.
10. Restart your computer.
11. Turn off your computer.
✒Note
The ‘Config.sys’ file and ‘Autoexec.bat’ file in your system have been
changed. The originals are saved as ‘Config.up1’ and ‘Autoexec.up1’.

6
Installing the Printer Interface Card Driver in Windows95 / 98
1.Make sure that the computer is turned off.
2.Connect the PC Card Cable to the Printer Interface Card. Insert the
Printer Interface Card into your computer’s PC Card slot with the label
side face up. Be sure to insert the card fullyinto the slot.
3.Turn your computer on.
4.When the ‘New Hardware Found’ screen appears, select the second
option “Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacture” and
press ‘OK’.
5.Insert the supplied disk (Printer/PC Card Driver disk1) into your
floppy disk drive: (drive A in most cases) and press ‘OK’.
✒Note
If the following screen appears, type "A:" (Or your floppy disk drive
name) and press the 'OK' button.
6.Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
7.Restart your computer.
✒Note
If you have only one PC card slot in your PC, you will need to copy the
contents of the Printer Interface Card Driver onto your hard disk.
✒Note
If the Printer Interface Card is not detected by the PC, open "Device
Manager" in the "System" folder in "Control Panel". Find "Unknown
Device" and delete it.
✒Note
If you are using a type of computer that allows you to connect a Floppy
Disk Drive to the printer port, remove the Floppy Disk Drive before you
restart your computer.

7
B: CONNECTING THE CABLES - PC Card Cable
Connect Your Printer To Your Computer
You can connect the printer through the Printer Interface Card or through
the Parallel Interface cable (MP-21CDX or PA-21MP users only).
How to connect the PC card cable to your computer and
printer
1. Connect the PC Card Cable to the printer.
Fig. 7 Connecting the PC Card Cable

8
C: CONNECTING THE CABLES - Parallel Interface Cable
How to connect the AC Adapter and Parallel Interface Cable to
your computer and printer (MP-21CDX or optional PA-21MP
users only)
✒Note
Only the MP-21CDX model is shipped with an AC Adapter and Parallel
Interface Cable. If you would like to purchase them as an option, the
order number is PA-21MP.
1. Connect the AC Adapter to your printer and plug it into the mains.
Fig. 8 Connecting the AC Adapter
2.Connect the Parallel Interface Cable to the printer.
Fig. 9 Connecting the Parallel Interface Cable

9
3. Connect the Parallel Interface Cable to your computer.
Fig. 10 Connecting the Parallel Interface Cable
✒Note
You need to use the AC adapter when you connect using the parallel
interface cable.
✒Note
This printer does not support ECP mode.
If the printer port is set as an ECP port, change it to be a bi-directional
port. See your PC’s manual for how to change the printer port.
1. Click 'Start' and select 'Printer' from the 'Setting' tab.
2. Click the right mouse button on the 'MP-21C' icon and click
'Properties'.
3. Click the 'Details' tab and select 'LPT1' from the 'Print to the
following port' drop down list.

10
D: INSTALLING THE INK CARTRIDGES
Installation
How to install the ink cartridges
!
Caution
When you connect the printer through the Printer Interface Card, make
sure that the PC Card Cable is connected securely and your PC is on.
1. Turn the Printer Stand at the bottom of the printer outwards so that the
printer will be stable.
2. Make sure that the LEDs are on. If the LEDs are off, press the
(On/Off) button to turn the printer on. Open the top cover.
Fig. 11 Open the Top Cover
Warning
DO NOT push the shutter with your fingers.
Sharp pins are in the Ink Cartridge Slot. If you touch them, it might
cause injury.
✒Note
If the LEDs do not come on, even after you pressed the (On/Off)
button, go back to ‘A’ and ‘B’ and repeat these operations again.
3. Open an ink cartridge bag and take the cartridge out of the bag.

11
4. Insert the new LC03BC ink cartridge, making sure it is inserted in the
correct position referring to the indications on the label. Push it fully
into the slot using both hands. Make sure that the (BC)LED turns
off.
Fig. 12 Install BC Ink Cartridge
!
Caution
• Be sure to insert the ink cartridge securely.
• Do not push down on the printer when you install the ink cartridges.
5. Repeat actions 3 to 4 and install the LC03MY ink cartridge into your
printer and make sure that the (MY)LED goes off.
Fig. 13 Install MY Ink Cartridge

12
6. Close the top cover. Your printer will automatically carry out head
cleaning and become ready to print. When the printer is carrying out
head cleaning, all the LEDs blink alternately. It takes about 8 minutes
to finish the head cleaning, wait until the LEDs stop blinking.
!
Caution
• Once you have installed a cartridge, DO NOT take it out until you
need to replace it with a new one, otherwise the print quality may be
reduced.
• If the Ink LEDs ( (BC)LED and (MY)LED) and the
(Alarm) LED are on after you have installed the ink cartridges,
check that the ink cartridges are installed correctly.
• If you take an ink cartridge out, do not re-use it.
• The print head may be damaged if you install ink cartridges other than
Brother original or if you use refilled ink cartridges. You might void
your warranty.
• Do not insert or remove ink cartridges while the printer is doing the
following;
*printing
*cleaning the print head (when all the LEDs are blinking in turn.)
*feeding or ejecting paper
• When you insert ink cartridges, place the printer on a flat surface and
take care not to insert the ink cartridges upside down.
• Use the ink cartridge up within 6 months after you installed it into the
printer.
• It takes several minutes for the printer to clean its print head. DO
NOT turn off the printer when all the LEDs are blinking in turn.
• After carried out head cleaning, sometimes ink stains the first print
page. We recommend you print a test page right after you have carried
out head cleaning.

13
E: INSTALLING THE PRINTER DRIVER
Installing the Windows 95/98 Printer Driver
You need to configure Windows95/98 for the printer by installing the
printer driver fromthe supplied disks into Windows95/98.
1. Make sure that your computer is on.
2. Make sure that your printer is on.
✒Note
If the "New Hardware Found" screen appears, press the 'Cancel' button.
3. Click the Start button and choose Run.
4. Insert the supplied disk for Windows95/98 (Printer/PC Card Driver
disk 1) into your floppy disk drive: (drive A in most cases).

14
5. Type A:\SETUP and choose the OK button or press the Enter key.
✒Note
If you use a drive other than drive A, type the drive name in the “Copy
manufacturers files from” box on the screen.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
7. When installation is complete, remove the disk from the drive.
8. Restart your computer.

15
Installing the Windows3.1 Printer Driver
You need to set up this printer by installing the printer driver into
Windows3.1. Since the supplied printer driver is compressed on the disks,
be sure to use the supplied Setup program to install them as follows :
1. Start Windows3.1.
2. Insert the supplied disk (Printer/PC Card Driver disk 1) into your
floppy disk drive A (or drive B).
3. Choose Run from the File menu in the Program Manager.
4. Type A:\SETUP (drive A in most cases ) in the Command Line box.
Fig. 14 Windows3.1 screen
5. Choose the OK button or press the Enter key.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the display monitor.
7. When the installation is complete, remove the disk from your floppy
disk drive.
8. Restart your computer.

16
After Installing the Printer Drivers
Monitor Calibration procedure
The printer driver needs to know the color settings of your monitor in
order to be able to correctly reproduce colors that you see on your monitor
screen.
1. Run the Monitor Calibration program.
2. Select the Advanced button.
3. Carry out the adjustment for the color level and balance for all three
colors following the instructions on the screen.
4. Click OK to save the settings.
After you have installed the printer drivers, try the ‘Test Print’ from the
printer driver as follows.
✒Note
When the color level and balance does not match exactly, select the ones
that are the closest.
Test Print
1. Select ‘Maintenance’ from the MP-21C series group in Windows.
2. Click ‘Test Print’.
✒Note
•
••
• When you do the Test Print, insert A4 or Letter size plain paper into
the printer.
•
••
• After you have printed out a test page and if you find white lines in
the printout, press the Clean button to clean the print head or do so
from the maintenance tool of the printer driver.

17
Adjusting Vertical Lines
If the vertical lines are not straight, carry out the Vertical Alignment
adjustment from the printer driver.
When you do this, load A4 or Letter size plain paper. For how to load
paper, see Chapter 2 in the User’s Guide.
1. Select ‘Maintenance’ from the MP-21C series group in Windows.
2. Click 'Vertical Alignment.'.
If you are using the printer through the Printer Interface Card, the printer
will carry out adjustment for slow speed mode.
If you are using the printer with the AC adapter, the printer will carry out
adjustment for fast speed mode.
See Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 below. From the adjustment pattern page which
the machine has just printed out, select the pattern number which looks
most like Fig. 15 for both slow speed mode and fast speed mode.
Fig. 15 Good Sample
Fig.16 Bad Sample
✒Note
• If you are not sure which number pattern is the right one, select the
one where the short and long vertical lines on the adjustment pattern
are matched or the closest.
• If you can find more than one pattern in which the short and long
vertical lines are matched, compare the grayshaded part and select the
number pattern in which all the check patterns look the same.
• When the AC Adapter is not connected, the printer carries out only
slowspeed mode vertical lines adjustment. When you use the AC
Adapter, connect the AC Adapter and tryadjusting the vertical lines
again fromthe driver.
• If you cannot correct the vertical alignment at the first setting, you can
repeat the alignment procedure through the printer driver.