Epson 480SX Installation guide

Printer Basics
Printed on recycled paper.
English

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Copyright Notice
All rights reserved. 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. The
information contained herein is designed only for use with this EPSON printer. EPSON is not
responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.
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 for 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.
Trademarks
EPSON and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks and Micro Piezo is a trademark of SEIKO
EPSON CORPORATION.
PhotoEnhance is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.
General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be
trademarks of their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.
The ENERGY STAR emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.
CPD-10103
Copyright © 2000 by Epson America, Inc. 6/00

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Contents
WELCOME! 1
About Your Software 1
About Your Documentation 3
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips 3
Windows System Requirements 4
Important Safety Instructions 5
Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions 6
VIEWING YOUR ELECTRONIC PRINTER MANUAL 7
Accessing Your Electronic Printer Manual 7
Navigating Your Electronic Printer Manual 8
PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH 9
Basic Printing 9
Loading Paper 9
Opening the Printer Software 10
Selecting Printer Software Settings 11
Controlling Printing 13
Using PhotoEnhance, Custom, and Advanced Settings 14
Using PhotoEnhance 14
Using Custom Settings 15
Using Advanced Settings 15
Using Special Papers 16
EPSON Photo Paper 16
Envelopes 18
Selecting the Correct Media Type 19

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MAINTAINING YOUR PRINTER 21
Cleaning the Print Head 21
Printing a Nozzle Check 22
Using the Head Cleaning Utility 23
Aligning the Print Head 24
Replacing an Ink Cartridge 25
Ink Cartridge Precautions 26
Replacing a Low or Empty Ink Cartridge 27
Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge 28
Cleaning the Printer 29
Transporting the Printer 30
PROBLEM SOLVING 31
Identifying Printer Parts 32
Problems and Solutions 33
Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Software 33
Problems with Printing 34
Problems Getting Good Print Quality 36
Problems with Paper Feeding 38
Solving Miscellaneous Printout Problems 40
Uninstalling and Reinstalling Printer Software 40
Where To Get Help 41
EPSON Technical Support 41
EPSON Accessories 42
Bonus Software Technical Support 42
INDEX 43

1
Welcome!
Your EPSON Stylus®COLOR 480SX is a user-friendly, photo quality printer
that’s perfect for printing all your home projects—from homework assignments
and envelopes to full-color greeting cards and banners.
The printer comes with these features:
■EPSON’s exclusive Micro Piezo™ink jet technology for cleaner printed dots
■Resolutions up to 720 by 720 dpi (dots per inch), even on plain paper
■Four-color printing for photo quality color and sharp black text from separate
black and color ink cartridges
■No front panel control buttons or lights—just follow the on-screen
instructions to control all printing and maintenance functions
About Your Software
The printer software CD-ROM includes all the software you need for printing:
■Your printer driver runs your printer and lets you control how your documents
look. You can’t use your printer without it.
■Your electronic Reference Guide gives you complete information about your
printer. (You need an HTML browser—such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer
or Netscape®Navigator,
®version 3.0 or later—to view the guide.)

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■Your bonus software:
If you haven’t yet installed the printer software or Reference Guide from your
CD-ROM, see the Start Here sheet for instructions.
ArcSoft™PhotoPrinter™2000
A photo layout program that lets you print your images in
creative formats, such as multiple photo montages, framed
or bordered pictures, and calendars. Using a variety of
templates, you can print your photos almost any way you
can think of.
ArcSoft PhotoFantasy™2000
Lets you create “photo fantasies” by combining your
personal photos with a wide selection of hilarious fantasy
backgrounds.
DogByte®Greeting Card Store®SE
An easy-to-use program for creating custom greeting cards
and matching envelopes for any occasion. Choose from
hundreds of pre-made designs and customize them however
you like, with imported digital photos, personal message
text, special effects, and drag-and-drop graphics from the
program’s library.
Alfy.com
A shortcut on your desktop lets you view a one minute Alfy
movie introducing you to this fun, creative children’s web
portal.

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About Your Documentation
To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here sheet. This book
contains system requirements, important safety information, and instructions on:
■Viewing your electronic printer manual
■Printing with Windows®
■Using special papers
■Maintaining the printer
■Solving basic problems
You’ll find your product warranty on page 48.
For more details about printing with, maintaining, or troubleshooting your
printer, see your electronic Reference Guide. For instructions on viewing it, see
page 7.
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips
Please follow these guidelines:
Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
Notes contain important information about your printer.
Tips contain additional hints for better printing.

4
Windows System Requirements
To use your printer and its software, your system should have:
■An IBM®compatible PC with at least a 486/66 MHz (for Windows 98),
Pentium®133 MHz (for Windows 2000), or 486/25 MHz (for Windows 95
or Windows NT®4.0) processor (Pentium or higher processor recommended)
■Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000
■At least 16MB (for Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0) or 32MB (for
Windows 2000) of RAM (32MB for Windows 95 or 98, or 64MB for
Windows NT 4.0 or 2000 recommended)
■At least 50MB of free hard disk space (100MB recommended)
■VGA, Super VGA, or better display adapter and monitor
■Double-speed (2x) CD-ROM or DVD drive (quad-speed [4x] or faster
recommended) for installing the printer software
■For parallel connection: a high-speed, bidirectional, IEEE-1284 compliant
parallel cable (6 to 10 feet long); the cable must have a D-SUB, 25-pin, male
connector for your computer and a 36-pin, Centronics®compatible connector
for the printer.
For USB connection: an EPSON®USB/Parallel Adapter cable.

5
Important Safety Instructions
Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure you
use the printer safely and effectively:
■Be sure to follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.
■Use only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s label.
■Connect all equipment to properly grounded power outlets. Avoid using
outlets controlled by a wall switch or automatic timer, or those on the same
circuit as photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch on and off.
■Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be easily unplugged.
Placez l’imprimante près d’une prise murale où la fiche peut être débranchée
facilement.
■Do not let the power cord become damaged or frayed.
■If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the total ampere rating
of the devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cord’s
ampere rating. Also, make sure the total ampere rating of all devices plugged
into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlet’s ampere rating.
■Unplug the printer’s power cord from the electrical outlet when you don’t use
the printer for a long period of time.
■Keep your printer and computer system away from potential sources of
electromagnetic interference, such as loudspeakers or cordless telephone base
units.
■Avoid locations for the printer that are subject to rapid changes in heat or
humidity, shocks or vibrations, or dust.
■Leave enough room around the printer for sufficient ventilation.
■Do not place the printer near a radiator or heating vent or in direct sunlight.
■Place the printer on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the printer base
in all directions. The printer won’t operate properly if it is tilted.
■Leave enough room at the front of the printer for paper to eject smoothly.
■Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s case or insert objects
through the slots.

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■Unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp cloth only. Do not spill
liquid on the printer.
■Except as specifically explained in this manual, do not attempt to service the
printer yourself.
■Unplug the printer and refer to your warranty on page 48 for service
instructions.
Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions
■Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and do not drink the ink.
■Under normal circumstances, ink will not come out of the cartridge. If it does
get on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. If it gets in your eyes, flush
them immediately with water.
■Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the cartridge during
printing.
■Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may damage the printer.
■Install the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it from its foil package.
Leaving the cartridge unpacked for a long time before use may result in
reduced print quality.
■Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the cartridge package.
For best results, use up the ink cartridges within six months of installing them.
■Do not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.
■Once you install an ink cartridge, do not open the clamp or remove the
cartridge except to replace it with a new one. The cartridge may become
unusable otherwise.
■Do not dismantle the ink cartridges or try to refill them. This could result in
damage to the print head.
■Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is capped in the far
right position and the ink cartridges are in place.

7
Viewing Your Electronic
Printer Manual
Your printer software CD-ROM includes an electronic Reference Guide for your
printer. The manual is in HTML format, so you need a browser—such as Internet
Explorer or Netscape Navigator, version 3.0 or later—to view it. If you are using a
different browser, the pages may not display correctly. (A browser is not included
on the printer software CD-ROM.)
Accessing Your Electronic Printer
Manual
You can view your electronic Reference Guide from the CD-ROM or copy it to
your hard drive and view it from there. Follow these steps:
1. Insert your printer software CD-ROM.
2. Double-click My Computer, double-click your CD-ROM or DVD
drive icon, then double-click the Epson icon. You see the Main Menu.
3. Double-click View Electronic Documentation. This submenu appears:
4. You can either view the manual
from the CD-ROM (View
Reference Guide) or copy the
manual to your hard drive (Install
Reference Guide) and view it
from there. For details on viewing
the manual, see the next section.
Once you’ve copied the manual to
your hard drive, you can access it at
any time. Select Start, Programs,
EPSON, and double-click ESC480
Guide.

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Navigating Your Electronic Printer
Manual
When you first open the Reference Guide, you see this screen:
Click a topic on the left to expand the table of contents. After expanding the table
of contents, you can click on the topic you want to view.
If there’s a right arrow , click it to view subtopics, then click on a topic to go
to it. Click the down arrow to close a subtopic list.
Click here to
expand the
table of
contents
Closed list,
click to
expand
Click to go
to topic

9
Printing from Start to Finish
Here’s what to do to print a basic document—such as a memo, newsletter, or
photograph—from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling the
print job. Follow the instructions in “Basic Printing” below.
If you’re already familiar with EPSON ink jet printing, you can skip ahead to
“Using PhotoEnhance, Custom, and Advanced Settings” on page 14.
For instructions on using special papers—such as EPSON Photo Paper or
envelopes—see page 16.
Basic Printing
This section describes these basic steps for printing with Windows:
■Loading paper
■Opening the printer software
■Selecting printer software settings
■Controlling printing
Loading Paper
Make sure your printer and
computer are turned on.
Place your paper against the
right edge of the sheet feeder
and slide the left edge guide
against the paper.
Slide paper against
the right edge
Load paper only up
to this arrow

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Keep the following in mind when loading paper:
■Load the printable side face up. It’s usually whiter or brighter than the other
side.
■Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first.
■Don’t load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide.
Opening the Printer Software
After you open your application program and create your document, you’re ready
to select your printer software settings.
From the File menu, click Print. You see your application’s Print dialog box (your
dialog box may look slightly different):
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If you’re printing on envelopes or other special paper sizes or types, see
page 16 for loading instructions.
Click here to open
your printer software
Select your printer here

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Make the following selections on the Print dialog box:
■Make sure EPSON Stylus COLOR 480 is selected.
■Click the Properties button. (If you see a Setup, Printer, or Options button,
click it. Then click Properties on the next screen.)
Selecting Printer Software Settings
Once you click Properties, you see your printer software Properties dialog box.
The most important thing to remember is to set the correct Media Type for the
paper you’re using. If necessary, click the Main tab to display the settings shown
below:
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If you click the print icon on your application’s tool bar instead of selecting
Print from the File menu, you may not get the option to change the printer
software settings before printing.
Select higher-quality, faster
printing, or in between
Select the type of paper you loaded
Select Automatic mode
Select the Ink color
Click OK

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Make the following settings on the Properties dialog box:
■Choose the paper you’re printing on (click the
arrow to scroll through the Media Type list). If
you’re not sure which setting to select, see page 19.
■Set the Ink option to Color to print a color
document. To print a black text document, click
Black.
■Set the Mode option to Automatic. It’s the easiest way to get good printing
results on all types of paper.
■Set the slider in the Mode box to Quality or Speed to select high resolution,
faster printing, or an in between setting. (The slider may not be available for
your paper type.)
■Click OK to return to your application’s Print dialog box.
Selecting Windows Default Settings
The printer settings you make apply only to the application you’re currently using.
If you usually print one type of document in different applications—for example,
black ink on legal size paper—you can change the default printer settings for all
your programs. You do this using the Windows Printers utility:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then select Printers.
2. Right-click the EPSON Stylus COLOR 480 icon.
3. Select Properties (Document Defaults in Windows NT; Printing
Preferences in Windows 2000).
4. Click the Main tab.
5. Select the default settings you want to use for all your applications. Click OK
when you’re finished.
You can always change the default settings in your application when you want to
print different types of documents. You can also save a group of common settings;
see the electronic Reference Guide (described on page 7) for details.
For more information about printer settings, click the Help button. Or you
can right-click any item on the screen and then click What’s This?.

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Controlling Printing
At the Print dialog box, click OK (or maybe Print) to start printing.
After a moment, the Progress Meter appears and shows the progress of your print
job. You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart printing. You can also see
how much ink you have left and view printing tips.
For more advanced printer settings, see the next section. For more information on
printing—for example, previewing your printout, changing the paper size, or
adding a watermark—see your electronic Reference Guide (described on page 7).
Click to start printing
Click to cancel printing
Does not appear if
you are printing
over a network
Click to pause or resume
printing

14
Using PhotoEnhance, Custom, and
Advanced Settings
When you’re printing special projects, you can customize your printer software
settings, as described in these sections:
■“Using PhotoEnhance” below
■“Using Custom Settings” on page 15
■“Using Advanced Settings” on page 15
For additional information on these settings, see the electronic Reference Guide, as
described on page 7.
Using PhotoEnhance
The printer software includes PhotoEnhance™options that increase image
brightness and contrast to improve the appearance of low-resolution photos. You
can also add special effects, such as Soft Focus.
To use PhotoEnhance, you must select Color ink; you cannot turn on
PhotoEnhance with Black ink selected.
If your photograph was taken with a digital camera, you can select Digital
Camera Correction to give your printed images the appearance of photographs
taken with a film camera.
For more fine-tuning, you can select from a list of specialized settings for
photographs, such as People or Nature, or select special filters, such as Soft
Focus or Sepia.
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If you’re printing high-resolution images, you may want to use the
Automatic setting instead, as described on page 11.
PhotoEnhance does not affect your original image; it only affects your
printout. Printing with PhotoEnhance may take longer on some systems
and images.

15
Using Custom Settings
Your printer software includes custom project types with preset printing options.
This lets you quickly select a color-matching method for your project. You can
select from these project types:
■ICM (Image Color Matching; Windows 95, 98, and 2000 only):
For printing documents created in an ICM compatible application.
■sRGB (standard Red Green Blue; recommended only with Windows 98 or
Windows 2000): For printing documents created in an sRGB compatible
application using sRGB colors, such as those designed for the World Wide
Web. See your Windows 98 or Windows 2000 online help for details.
To access these settings, click Custom, then click the Custom Settings list to
open it.
Using Advanced Settings
For maximum control over your project, you can customize your print settings—
such as Print Quality and Gamma—and use special effects.
To access these settings in your printer software, click Custom and then click the
Advanced button.
After you customize your print settings on the Advanced dialog box, you can save
them as a group so you can reuse them whenever you print a similar project. See
your electronic Reference Guide (described on page 7) for details.
You can also fine-tune these settings on the Advanced dialog box to fit
your individual needs, as described below.

16
Using Special Papers
How can you get the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text?
Always use EPSON’s special ink jet papers. Instructions for printing on EPSON
Photo Paper and on envelopes are given in the following sections.
For instructions on loading and using other EPSON special ink jet papers, see
your electronic Reference Guide, as described on page 7.
For a list of EPSON special ink jet papers and ordering information, see the inside
front cover.
EPSON Photo Paper
You can use EPSON Photo Paper to print photographs that look almost as good as
the ones you get from film processing. Photo Paper is available in a variety of sizes.
Keep the following in mind when using EPSON Photo Paper:
■Always load the paper with the whiter (glossier) side facing up.
■Load Photo Paper or Panoramic Photo Paper one sheet at a time. Use a support
sheet if it is included in the paper package.
■Select Photo Paper as the Media Type setting.
■To keep your printouts looking their best, store them in a resealable plastic bag
or other airtight covering and protect them from heat, humidity, and direct
sunlight. Return unused paper to the original package as soon as you finish
printing.
If you’re using letter-size or A4-size Photo Paper, follow the instructions on page 9
to load and print on the paper. If you’re using 4 ×6-inch or Panoramic Photo
Paper, see the next sections.