Epson TM-T81 User manual

English
User’s Manual
411829001

2TM-T81 User’s Manual
English
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of Seiko Epson Corporation. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the
information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book,
Seiko Epson Corporation assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability
assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Neither Seiko Epson Corporation nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third
parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of:
accident, misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this
product, or (excluding the U.S.) failure to strictly comply with Seiko Epson Corporation’s operating and
maintenance instructions.
Seiko Epson Corporation shall not be liable against any damages or problems arising from the use of any
options or any consumable products other than those designated as Original Epson Products or Epson
Approved Products by Seiko Epson Corporation.
EPSON is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation in Japan and other countries/regions.
NOTICE: The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.
Copyright © 2009 by Seiko Epson Corporation. All rights reserved.

TM-T81 User’s Manual 3
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Important Safety Information
This section presents important information intended to ensure safe and effective
use of this product. Read this section carefully and store it in an accessible location.
Key to Symbols
The symbols in this manual are identified by their level of importance, as defined
below. Read the following carefully before handling the product.
WARNING:
Warnings must be observed carefully to avoid serious bodily injury.
CAUTION:
Cautions must be observed to avoid minor injury to yourself, damage to your
equipment, or loss of data.
Safety Precautions
This section describes the warnings and cautions intended to ensure safe and
effective use of the TM-T81. Other warnings and cautions on handling of this
product for its safe and effective use are described in other sections of the manual.
WARNING:
If the TM-T81 produces smoke, a strange odor, or unusual noise, shut down the TM-
T81, unplug the power cable immediately, and then contact your dealer or an
Epson service center for advice. Continued use may lead to fire or electric shock.
Never attempt to repair this product yourself. Improper repair work can be
dangerous.
Never disassemble or modify this product. Tampering with this product may
result in injury or fire.
Be sure to use the specified power source. Connection to an improper power
source may cause fire.
Use the specified AC Adapter [Epson Model M159A/M159B (PS-180)] only.
Connection to an improper power source may cause fire.
Do not allow foreign matter to fall into the equipment. Penetration by foreign
objects may lead to fire.
If water or other liquid spills into this equipment, shut down the TM-T81, unplug
the power cable of the TM-T81 immediately, and then contact your dealer or
an Epson service center for advice. Continued use may lead to fire or shock.
If you open the DIP switch cover, be sure to close the cover and tighten the
screw after adjusting the DIP switch. Using this product with the cover open
may cause fire or electric shock.
Do not use aerosol sprayers containing flammable gas inside or around this
product. Doing so may cause fire.
Do not connect a telephone line to the drawer kick-out connector; otherwise,
the printer and the telephone line may be damaged.
CAUTION:
Do not connect cables in ways other than those mentioned in this manual.
Different connections may cause equipment damage or fire.
Be sure to set this equipment on a firm, stable, horizontal surface. The product
may break or cause injury if it falls.

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Do not use this product in locations subject to high humidity or dust levels.
Excessive humidity and dust may cause equipment damage or fire.
Do not place heavy objects on top of this product. Never stand or lean on this
product. Equipment may fall or collapse, causing breakage and possible injury.
To ensure safety, unplug this product before leaving it unused for an extended
period.
Before moving this product, be sure to unplug it and all the cables connected to it.
Restriction of Use
When this product is used for applications requiring high reliability/safety, such
as transportation devices related to aviation, rail, marine, automotive, etc.;
disaster prevention devices; various safety devices, etc.; or functional/precision
devices, etc.; you should use this product only after giving consideration to
including fail-safes and redundancies into your design to maintain safety and
total system reliability. Because this product was not intended for use in
applications requiring extremely high reliability/safety, such as aerospace
equipment, main communication equipment, nuclear power control equipment,
or medical equipment related to direct medical care, etc., please make your own
judgment on this product’s suitability after a full evaluation.
Caution Labels
The caution labels on the product indicate the following precautions.
CAUTION:
The thermal head can be very hot during printing and immediately after
printing. Touching it may cause burns. Be sure to do cleaning and other work
after the thermal head cools down. And be careful of the autocutter blade
located close to the thermal head. For the location of the thermal head and
the autocutter blade, see the illustration in “Cleaning the Thermal Head” on
page 9.
CAUTION:
Take care not to injure your fingers on the manual cutter
• When you remove printed paper
• When you perform other operations such as loading/replacing roll
paper
Purpose of This Manual
This manual provides information to operators of the TM-T81 printer to describe
basic operations to enable safe and correct use of the printer.
Unpacking
The following items are included with the standard specification printer. If any
item is damaged, contact your dealer.
❏Printer ❑Roll Paper (for operation check)
❏AC adapter ❑Power switch cover
❏Locking wire saddle (for USB interface models)
❏CD-ROM ❑User’s Manual (this manual)

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Part Names
Control Panel
ERROR LED: Orange
This indicates an error.
(Power) LED: Green
This LED is on when the printer is on.
FEED button
This button feeds paper.
Using the Power Switch Cover
The enclosed power switch cover ensures that the
power switch is not pressed accidentally. To use
this cover, install it as shown in the illustration.
You can turn on and off the power switch by
inserting a sharp-pointed object in the holes in
the power switch cover.
To detach the power switch cover, use a sharp-
pointed object.
WARNING:
If an accident occurs with the power switch
cover attached, unplug the power cord
immediately. Continued use may cause fire or
shock.
Control panel
Power switch
Cutter cover
Printer cover
Manual cutter

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Installing the Locking Wire Saddle
For USB interface models, the locking wire saddle is included to prevent the USB
cable from falling off the connector.
1. Insert the tip of the locking wire saddle into the leftmost hole in the back of
the printer.
2. Hook the USB cable with the locking wire saddle.
Installing Roll Paper
1. Place your fingers in the hollows under the printer cover shown in the
illustration below, and pull in the direction of the arrow to open the printer
cover.
2. Remove the used roll paper core if there is one.
Rocking wire saddle
Hollows

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3. Install the roll paper in the correct direction as shown in the illustration
below.
4. Pull out some roll paper as shown in the illustration below, and close the
printer cover.
5. Tear off the roll paper.
Troubleshooting
No lights on the control panel
Check whether the power supply cable is correctly connected to the printer and
the power outlet.
ERROR LED on (not flashing) with no printing
Check if the roll paper is correctly set, and the printer cover is closed properly.
ERROR LED flashing with no printing (and no paper jam)
Printing stops if the thermal head overheats and resumes automatically when it
cools.
If overheating is not the cause, turn the printer off, and after 10 seconds, back on.

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Removing Jammed Paper
CAUTION:
Do not touch the thermal head because it can be very hot after printing.
1. Turn the printer off, and open the printer cover.
If you cannot open it, see “Recovery of the Autocutter Blade” to unlock the
autocutter blade.
2. Remove the jammed paper, reinstall the roll, and close the printer cover.
Recovery of the Autocutter Blade
The autocutter blade may be locked because of a paper jam or a foreign object. If
the problem is not serious, the autocutter blade returns to its normal position
automatically, but if it does not recover, follow the steps below to move its
position manually.
1. Turn off the printer.
2. Place your fingers in the hollows next to the cutter cover, and remove the
cutter cover by pulling it as shown in the illustration below.
3. Turn the knob of the cutter blade in the direction of the arrow in the
illustration below until you see a triangle mark in the opening in the frame.
4. Attach the cutter cover.
Hollows
Triangle mark
Knob

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Cleaning the Thermal Head
CAUTION:
After printing, the thermal head can be very hot. Do not touch it and let it cool
before you clean it. Do not damage the thermal head by touching it with your
fingers or any hard object.
Turn off the printer and open the printer cover. As shown in the illustration
below, clean the thermal elements of the thermal head with a cotton swab
moistened with an alcohol solvent (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol).
Epson recommends cleaning the thermal head periodically (generally every
3 months) to maintain good print quality.
Setting the DIP Switches
Be sure to turn off the printer before
removing the DIP switch cover. If you
remove it when the printer is turned
on, the printer may be damaged
because of fire or electric shock.
1. Make sure the printer is turned
off, and turn over the printer.
2. Remove the DIP switch cover on
the bottom of the printer by
removing the screw as shown in
the illustration.
3. Set the DIP switch settings with a
sharp-pointed object.
4. Install the DIP switch cover, and
tighten the screw.
The new settings become effective
after the printer is turned on.
Thermal head
Autocutter blade
DSW1
DSW2
DIP switch cover
Bottom of
the printer

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DIP Switch Tables
DIP switch 1 (Serial Interface)
SW Function ON OFF
1-1 Data reception error Ignored Prints “?”
1-2 Receive buffer
capacity
45 bytes 4 KB
1-3 Handshaking XON/XOFF DTR/DSR
1-4 Data word length 7 bits 8 bits
1-5 Parity check Enabled Disabled
1-6 Parity selection Even Odd
1-7
1-8
Selects transmission speed. (See table below.)
Transmission speed
Transmission speed (bps)-bits per second 1-7 1-8
Adjustable by control commands
(default: 38400)
ON ON
4800 OFF ON
9600 ON OFF
19200 OFF OFF
DIP switch 2 (Serial Interface)
SW Function ON OFF
2-1 Handshaking
(BUSY condition)
Receive buffer
full
Offline or
Receive buffer
full
2-2 Reserved (Do not
change)
– Fixed to OFF
2-3
2-4
Selects print
density
See Table A.
2-5 Release condition
of receive buffer
BUSY (If receive
buffer capacity set
to 4 KB.)
Releases BUSY
when remaining
receive buffer
capacity
reaches
138 bytes.
Releases BUSY
when
remaining
receive buffer
capacity
reaches
256 bytes.
2-6 Reserved (Do not
change)
– Fixed to OFF
2-7 I/F pin 6 reset Enabled Disabled
2-8 I/F pin 25 reset Enabled Disabled
DIP switch 1 (Other than Serial Interface)
SW Function ON OFF
1-1 Auto line feed Always
enabled
Always
disabled
1-2 Receive buffer
capacity
45 bytes 4 KB
1-3~
1-7
Undefined – –
1-8 Reserved (Do not
change)
––
DIP switch 2 (Other than Serial Interface)
SW Function ON OFF
2-1 Handshaking
(BUSY condition)
Receives buffer
full
Offline or
receives buffer
full
2-2 Reserved (Do not
change)
– Fixed to OFF
2-3
2-4
Print density See Table A.
2-5 Release condition
of receive buffer
BUSY (If receive
buffer capacity
set to 4 KB.)
Releases BUSY
when remaining
receive buffer
capacity
reaches
138 bytes
Releases BUSY
when
remaining
receive buffer
capacity
reaches
256 bytes.
2-6
2-7
Reserved (Do not
change)
– Fixed to OFF
2-8 Reserved (Do not
change)
Fixed to ON –
Table A
Print density/low power SW 3 SW 4
Print density (Standard) OFF OFF
ON ON
Print density (Darker than standard) ON OFF
Print density (Darkest) OFF ON

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Specifications
dpi: dots per 25.4 mm (dots per inch)
Printing method Thermal line printing
Dot density 203 dpi × 203 dpi [dots per 25.4 mm {1"}]
Printing direction Unidirectional with friction feed
Printing width 72 mm {2.83"}, 576 dot positions
Characters per line
(default)
Font A, Special Font A: 48
Font B, Special Font B: 64
Character spacing
(default)
Font A: 0.25 mm (2 dots); Font B: 0.25 mm (2 dots)
Special Font A: 0.25 mm (2 dots); Special Font B: 0.25 mm (2 dots)
Character size Standard/Double-height/Double-width/Double-width and Double-height
Font A, Special Font A:
1.25 × 3.00 mm/1.25 × 6.00 mm/2.50 × 3.00 mm/2.50 × 6.00 mm
Font B: 0.88 × 2.13 mm/0.88 × 4.25 mm/1.75 × 2.13 mm/1.75 × 4.25 mm
Special Font B:
0.88 × 3.00 mm/0.88 × 6.00 mm/1.75 × 3.00 mm/1.75 × 6.00 mm
Number of characters Alphanumeric characters: 95, Extended graphics: 128 × 1 page
International character: 1
Thai characters: 128 × 3 pages (133 character types)
Vietnam characters: 128 × 2 pages (135 character types)
Printing speed Normal printing: 150 mm/s {5.91"/s} max.
Page mode, Bit image printing: 150 mm/s {5.91"/s} max.
Bar code, 2D code printing: 99 mm/s {3.9"/s} max.
The values are when the printer prints with density "Normal" at 24 V and 25°C
{77°F}
Speed is adjusted automatically depending on the voltage applied and head
temperature.
Paper feed speed Approx. 150 mm/s {approx. 5.91"/s} continuous paper feed
Line spacing (default) 3.75 mm
Character structure
(including 2-dot
horizontal spacing)
Font A, Special Font A: 12 × 24, Font B: 9 × 17, Special Font B: 9 × 24
<Thai characters size in Thai 1-pass mode (default)>
Font A: 12 × 46, Font B: 9 × 35, Special Font A: 12 × 24, Special Font B: 9 × 24
Roll Paper (single-ply) Size: 79.5 mm ± 0.5 mm {3.13" ± 0.02"},
Maximum outside diameter: 83 mm {3.27"}
Roll Paper spool diameter: Inside: 12 mm {0.47"}; Outside: 18 mm {0.71"}
Thermal paper type Specified: NTP080-80
Interface Serial (RS-232)/Parallel (IEEE1284)/USB (Full speed)/Ethernet (10/100Base-T)
Receive buffer 4 KB/45 bytes
Cash drawer function 2 drives
Supplied voltage DC 24 V ± 7%
Current consumption
(at 24V)
Mean: Approx. 1.4 A
Temperature Operating: 5 to 45°C {41 to 113°F}
Storage: –10 to 50°C {14 to 122°F}, except for paper
Humidity Operating: 10 to 90% RH
Storage: 10 to 90% RH, except for paper
Overall dimensions 145 × 144 × 189 mm {5.71 × 5.67 × 7.44"} (H × W × D)
Weight (mass) Approx. 1.7 kg {3.75 lb} (Roll paper excluded)

English
Printed in China