Epson ActionPrinter 3250 - ActionPrinter-3250 Impact... Dimensions

EPSON AMERICA INC. EPSON
Product Support Bulletin
Subject: AP-3250 Commonly Asked Questions and Answers
Date: 4/3/92 PSB No: P-0084A
Page(s): 1 of 6
Originator: SLS/JV
This bulletin answers some commonly asked questions about the AP-3250 printer.
The questions and answers are listed below.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE AP-3250
1. Q. What is the AP-3250 printer?
A. The AP-3250 is Epson’s first narrow carriage light duty printer specifically
designed to meet the unique needs of the entry-level home computer
user. Listed below are some of the key features of the AP-3250 printer:
- Epson ESC/P 2 command set
- Built-in paper cassette, holds up to 50 single sheets of letter size
paper
- Roman and Sans Serif fonts, scalable from 8 to 32 points
- High resolution 360 x 360 DPI bit-image graphics
- Convenient, easy-to-use two button control panel
- Print Speed: 200 CPS Draft at 12 CPI
72 CPS Letter Quality at 12 CPI
- Quiet operation, only 50 dB(A)
- Built-in 11KB input buffer
- Small size and small footprint
- Epson’s two year limited warranty with unlimited 800 number free
technical support
2. Q. Is the AP-3250 printer a replacement or addition to the Epson printer line?
A. The AP-3250 print is a replacement product. It replaces the AP-3000 /
LQ-200 printer.

PSB No: P-0084A
Page: 2 of 6
3.
Q. What is the Epson ESC/P 2 command set?
A. As the leading impact printer vendor, the Epson Standard Codes for
Printers (ESC/P) has become a de facto standard for most dot matrix
printers. Epson Standard Codes are featured by most other vendors as
an immediate entry into a wide range of third party software. As the
market continues to develop new requirements, Epson has moved to
improve its standard by offering a version called ESC/P 2.
4.
Q. What are the benefits of ESC/P 2?
A. The features of ESC/P 2 are divided into two categories: Scalable Fonts,
and Enhanced Graphics.
SCALABLE FONTS: ESC/P 2 provided access to Scalable Roman and
Sans Serif fonts. The Scalable Fonts are available in even increments
from 8 to 32 points. In addition to these sizes, 10.5 and 21 point sizes are
also available. Epson printers with ESC/P 2 perform the calculations
necessary to scale the fonts. The Scalable Fonts are most easily selected
within application software programs that provide ESC/P 2 printer drivers.
ENHANCED GRAPHICS: ESC/P 2 also provides Enhanced Graphics
capabilities in certain software applications supporting the raster graphics
mode of ESC/P 2. Enhanced Graphics is defined as a finer, more
accurate placement of printed dots leading to greater clarity of text and
sharper more detailed graphics in graphical printing environments such as
Microsoft Windows or Lotus 1-2-3. Enhanced Graphics also allows for
true 360 horizontal DPI printing with a single pass of the print head,
creating better print quality and faster print speeds than other dot-matrix
printers.
5. Q. When printing multi-page documents, what would cause the AP-3250 to
print the first page correctly but print too low on the following pages?
A. This difference in print position is easy to adjust in most software
application programs. Most application programs have a default page
length of 66 lines per page when using 11" continuous paper. Since the
AP-3250 uses single sheets of paper, it automatically provides a small top
and bottom margin. Since these margins are non-printable area, the AP-
3250’s maximum number of lines per page when using 11” singe sheet
paper is 61 lines. Most software application programs include an option to

6. Q. Why is a ON-LINE/OFF-LINE or PAUSE button not present on the
AP-3250’s front panel?
A. The AP-3250 printer was designed to be as easy to use as possible.
Because of this, the AP-3250 was designed any unnecessary buttons.
The AP-3250 automatically goes into a ready condition after being
powered on. (See the question below for additional information.)
7.
Q. Why does the AP-3250 produce two (2) long and two (2) short beeps
when first power-on?
A. The AP-3250 produces these beeps at power-on to indicate that it has
completed its power-on initialization process and is ready to print.
8.
Q. What are the product codes for AP-3250 options and supplies?
A. Listed below are the product codes for the AP-3250 optional push tractor
and ribbon cartridge.
S015032
C800262 Fabric Ribbon Cartridge Push Tractor
9.
Q. What is the advantage of purchasing an optional Push Tractor?
PSB No: P-0084A
Page: 3 of 6
adjust the maximum number of lines per page. Decreasing the program’s
maximum number of lines per page by 5 (e.g. 61 lines) should correct for
this print position difference.
A. The optional Push Tractor allows the AP-3250 to use continuous narrow
carriage paper while still maintaining the ability to use the AP-3250’s built-
in single sheet paper cassette. When using the optional push tractor, the
AP-3250 can accept a two part carbonless multi-part form with a total
thickness up to 0.18mm.
10. Q. What interface does the AP-3250 come standard with?
A. The AP-3250 comes standard with a built-in Centronics compatible parallel
interface.

PSB No: P-0084A
Page: 4 of 6
11. Q. How do I use the AP-3250 to operate with serial communications?
A. The AP-3250 only operates with parallel communications.
12. Q. If a printer driver selection is not shown for the AP-3250 in my application
software programs, which printer driver selection should I choose?
A. The recommended printer driver selections for the AP-3250 are listed
below in order from best to worst.
AP-3250 BEST
LQ-570/1070
LQ-870/1170
LQ-510
LQ-860
LQ-850
LQ-200
LQ-500
LQ-2550
LQ-2500
LQ-800
LQ-1500
Generic Epson WORST
To take full advantage of the AP-3250’s features, including ESC/P 2,
choose one of the first three printers listed above. If none of these printer
selections are available from within your application software, contact your
software manufacturer to determine whether they offer a printer driver
update or if they plan to make one available in the future.
13. Q. What are the AP-3250 printer’s rated text mode print speeds?
A. The AP-3250 printer’s print speeds are listed below
Characters/inch Draft CPS LQ CPS Printable Columns
10
167
60 80
12
200
72 96
15
250
90 120
17.1
103 103 137
20
120 120 160
Note: CPS = Characters Per Second

PSB No: P-0084A
Page: 5 of 6
14. Q. Does the AP-3250 use DIP switches?
A. No, the AP-3250 does not use DIP switches. The various features
settings are selected through use of the two buttons on the printer’s front
panel.
15. Q. Can the AP-3250 print on labels?
A. Yes, the AP-3250 can print on labels. The optional pull tractor is used to
load continuous labels.
16. Q. Can the AP-3250 print on envelopes?
A. Yes, the AP-3250 can print on envelopes. The envelopes are loaded at
the rear of the printer by using the printer’s manual insertion slot.
(Note:
The printer must be placed in the upright position first.)
17. Q. Can the AP-3250 print on legal size paper?
A. Yes, the AP-3250 can print on legal paper. Legal size paper is loaded at
the rear of the printer by using the printer’s manual insertion slot.
(Note:
The printer must be placed in the upright position first.)
18. Q. The AP-3250’s User’s Guide lists information on 120, 220 and 240 volt
versions of this printer. How can I purchase a 220 or 240 volt version of
this printer?
A. The AP-3250 is available only in the 120 volt configuration in the U.S.A..
19. Q. Can the AP-3250 print in landscape orientation?
A. Yes, but the AP-3250 requires the use of a software application program
because landscape characters are not included in its built-in characters
set. Two very popular software application programs for printing in the
landscape mode are Sideways and Always.

PSB No: P-0084A
Page: 6 of 6
20. Q. Why is the AP-3250’s parallel cable connector located on the side of the
printer instead of the rear like most other printers?
A. Since the AP-3250 may be operated in two different positions it was
necessary to relocate the parallel cable connector to the side of the
printer.
21. Q. Can different fonts be selected on the AP-3250’s front panel?
A. Yes, different fonts may be selected from the AP-3250’s front panel by
using the font button. However, all font selections made from the front
panel can be overridden by an software application program. The
recommended method to select fonts is through the program that you are
using to print. If the program does not provide font selection abilities, then
the printer’s font panel is very useful.
22. Q. When printing high density (360 x 360 DPI) bit-image graphics why does
ink smearing sometimes occur on the outside edges of the printout with
certain print patterns?
A. The AP-3250 builds the graphic image by making multiple passes when
printing high density graphics. Dependant upon the printed pattern and
the ink absorption factor of the paper being used, ink smearing may occur
on the edges of the printed pattern. This occurrence is much less
noticeable when printing at resolutions lower than 360 x 360 DPI. Should
this phenomenon be encountered, select a lower graphic resolution in your
software program.

EPSON AMERICA INC.
EPSON
Product Support Bulletin
Subject:
Understanding and Using ESCP/2 Commands and Syntax
Date: 12/4/91
Page(s): 1 of 14
PSB No: P-0082
Originator: JW
This bulletin provides detailed explanations and illustrations for some of the more
commonly used printer commands used in ESC/P2 Listed below are the
commands discussed in this bulletin.
Command Command Name PSB Page
ESC X m n1 n2 Select Pitch and Point Size
2
ESC ( C m1 m2 n1 n1 Set Page Length in Defined Units 5
ESC(vm1 m2 n1 n2 Set Relative Vertical Position 6
ESC(Vm1 m2 n1 n2
Set Absolute Vertical Position 8
ESCtn
Select Character Table
9
ESC ( t n1 n2 d1 d2 d3
Assign Character Table
10
ESC( ^ n1 n2 d1...d2
Print Data as Characters
14

PSB No: P-0082
Page: 2 of 14
ESC X m n1 n2
(Select Pitch and Point Size)
C X m n1 n2 is the command for selecting pitch and point size where m, n1 and
n2 are variables. The variable "m" is used to select the pitch which is the character
spacing. The variable "n1" selects the point size and the variable “n2”, at this time,
will always be 0 (zero). The variables "m" and "n1" are explained below.
The values used for ’m’ are 0,1,18,21,24,30,36,42,48,60, and 72. If "0" is
used as the value for ”m”, there will be no change in pitch. If "1" is used as the
value for "m", the character pitch will be proportional spacing. To determine the
character pitch for all other values of "m", divide 360 by "m".
For example, if m=60
then 360 divided by 60 equals 6 and the character pitch is 6 characters per inch. If
m=30, the character pitch is 12 characters per inch.
For the Roman and Sans Serif fonts, the values used for "n1" are 0,16,20,21,24,
28,32,36,40,42,44,48,52,56,60 and 84. For all other fonts, the values used for
"n1" are 0,21, and 42. The actual point size that will print is n1 divided by 2. For
example, if n1=20, the point size is 10. If n1=48, the point size is 24.
NOTE:
When selecting a point size larger than 24 (the value for n1 is greater than 48)
select proportional spacing (m=1) for the character pitch.
In the Basic programming language, the command would look like this.
LPRlNT CHR$(27);"X";CHR$(1);CHR$(48);CHR$(0);”This is 24 point proportional
spaced”
Chr$(27) is ESC, chr$(1) selects proportional spacing, chr$(48) selects 24 point
character size. At this time, n2 is always zero (0).

PSB No: P-0082
Page: 3 of 14
10 INPUT “Point Size”;A$
20 B=VAL(A$)*2
21 RESTORE 70
22 FOR X=1 TO 16
23 READY
24 IF B=Y THEN GOTO 30
25 NEXT X
26 CLS
27 PRINT A$ ” is not a valid point size choice.”
20 GOTO 10
30 C=VAL(A$)
40 LPRINT CHR$(27);“X”;CHR$(1);CHR$(B);CHR$(0);”These are “;A$;” point
characters”
50 LPRINT CHR$(27);“(v”;CHR$(2);CHR$(C);CHR$(C);CHR$(0)
60 GOTO 10
70 DATA 0,16,20,21,24,28,32,36,40,42,44,48,52,56,60,64
Line 10 - allows you to specify the point size desired.
Line 20 -
computes the value for “n1” in the ESC X command.
tine 21 - check to ensure that a valid point size was input
If the point size is
valid, the program jumps to line 30. If the point size is not valid, the
program prints a message on the screen and starts over again.
Line 30 - computes the value for “n1” for advancing paper using the ESC ( v
command.
Line 40 - sends the “Set Pitch and Point Size” command to the printer. (Note: The
pitch is set for proportional spacing for all point sizes to ensure proper
character spacing regardless of the point size.)
Line 50 -
sends the “Set Relative Vertical Position” command to the printer. This
command advances the paper in preparation for printing the next line.
Line 60 causes the program to start again at the beginning.
NOTE: To halt the program, hold down the “Ctrl” key and press the “C” key.

PSB No: P-0082
Page: 4 of 14
These are 8 point characters
These are 10 point characters
These are 10.5 point characters
These are 12 point characters
These are 14 point characters
These are 16 point characters
These are 18 point characters
These
are 20 point characters
These are 21 point characters
These are 22 point characters
These are 24 point characters
These are 26 point characters
These are 28 point characters
These are 30 point characters
These are 32 point characters