Epson PLQ-20 User manual

24-pin Dot Matrix Printer
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 the 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.
EPSON and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
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.
Copyright © 2004 by Seiko Epson Corporation, Nagano, Japan.
®
Reference Guide
NPD0748-00

2
Contents
Chapter 1 SettingupthePrinter
UnpackingthePrinter...................................... 7
Removetheprotectivematerials ........................ 7
AssemblingthePrinter..................................... 8
ConnectingthePrintertoYourComputer.................... 12
Connectingtheprinter................................ 12
PlugginginthePrinter................................ 13
InstallingthePrinterSoftware.............................. 13
Installing the software in Windows XP, Me, or 2000. . . .... 13
Installing the software in Windows 98
orWindowsNT4.0 ................................ 14
ForDOSprograms................................... 18
Chapter 2 Safety Instructions
Warnings,Cautions,andNotes............................. 20
HotPartsCautionSymbol ................................. 20
ImportantSafetyInstructions............................... 20
Chapter 3 Paper Handling
LoadingPassbooks ....................................... 28
LoadingSingleSheets..................................... 29
Adjustingthetop-of-formposition.......................... 31
Adjustingtheprintingstartposition......................... 33

3
Chapter 4 Printer Software
AboutYourPrinterSoftware............................... 36
UsingthePrinterDriverwithWindowsMeand98............ 36
Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 37
AccessingtheprinterdriverfromtheStartmenu......... 39
Changingtheprinterdriversettings.................... 40
Using the Printer Driver with Windows XP, 2000,
andWindowsNT4.0 ................................... 41
Accessing the printer driver from Windows applications . . 42
AccessingtheprinterdriverfromtheStartmenu......... 44
Changingtheprinterdriversettings.................... 46
PrinterDriverSettingsOverview........................... 47
UsingEPSONStatusMonitor3............................. 49
SettingupEPSONStatusMonitor3..................... 50
AccessingEPSONStatusMonitor3..................... 51
SettingUpYourPrinteronaNetwork....................... 52
Sharingtheprinter................................... 52
Settingupyourprinterasasharedprinter............... 54
Settingfortheclients ................................. 58
InstallingtheprinterdriverfromtheCD-ROM........... 65
CancelingPrinting........................................ 67
UninstallingthePrinterSoftware........................... 68
Uninstalling the printer driver
andEPSONStatusMonitor3........................ 68
Chapter 5 Control Panel
ButtonsandLights........................................ 74
Functionsauxiliary................................... 77
CompressPrintingMode.................................. 79
AboutYourPrinter’sDefaultSettings ....................... 79
Understandingdefaultsettings ........................ 80
Changingdefaultsettings............................. 94
AligningVerticalLinesinYourPrintout..................... 96

4
Chapter 6 Problem Solver
DiagnosingtheProblem................................... 99
Usingtheerrorindicators............................. 99
EPSONStatusMonitor3............................. 102
PrintingaSelf-Test.................................. 102
PrintingHexDump ................................. 103
ProblemsandSolutions .................................. 105
Powersupplyproblems.............................. 106
Paperloadingorfeedingproblems.................... 107
Printingpositionproblems........................... 108
Printingorprintoutqualityproblems.................. 109
Networkproblems.................................. 114
CorrectingUSBProblems................................. 115
ClearingPaperJams ..................................... 119
ContactingCustomerSupport............................. 120
ForusersinNorthAmerica........................... 121
ForusersinAustralia................................ 122
ForusersinSingapore............................... 124
ForusersinThailand................................ 124
ForusersinIndonesia ............................... 125
ForusersinHongKong.............................. 126
ForusersinMalaysia................................ 127
ForusersinIndia ................................... 128
ForusersinthePhilippines........................... 130
Chapter 7 Options and Consumables
RibbonCartridge........................................ 132
GenuineEpsonribboncartridge....................... 132
Replacingtheribboncartridge........................ 132
RollPaperHolder ....................................... 138
Assemblingtherollpaperholder...................... 138
Installingtherollpaperholder........................ 139
Loadingrollpaper .................................. 140
Removingrollpaper................................. 143
PrintServer............................................. 143
Others.................................................. 144

5
Appendix A Product Information
PrinterandRibbonCartridgeParts......................... 146
Printerparts........................................ 146
Ribboncartridgeparts............................... 147
PrinterSpecifications..................................... 148
Mechanical......................................... 148
Electronic.......................................... 150
Electrical........................................... 155
Environmental...................................... 156
Paper.............................................. 156
Magnetic stripe reader/writer
(horizontallyinstalledonly)........................ 156
CommandLists ......................................... 168
StandardsandApprovals................................. 169
CleaningthePrinter...................................... 170
TransportingthePrinter.................................. 171
Glossary
Index

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 6
Chapter 1
Setting up the Printer
UnpackingthePrinter...................................... 7
Removetheprotectivematerials ........................ 7
AssemblingthePrinter..................................... 8
ConnectingthePrintertoYourComputer.................... 12
Connectingtheprinter................................ 12
PlugginginthePrinter................................ 13
InstallingthePrinterSoftware.............................. 13
Installing the software in Windows XP, Me, or 2000. . . .... 13
Installing the software in Windows 98
orWindowsNT4.0 ................................ 14
ForDOSprograms................................... 18

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 7
Unpacking the Printer
These items are included in the box with your printer.
Remove the protective materials
Follow the directions written on the cardboard box to remove the
protective materials.
Save all packing and protective materials in case you need to ship
the printer in the future.
power code
printer
ribboncartridgeUser’sGuide

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 8
Assembling the Printer
1. Make sure the printer is turned off and unplugged.
2. Hold both sides of the printer cover and move it upward to
open it.
3. Push the release lever to move the upper mechanism forward.
Make sure that you push the lever until it clicks.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 9
4. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer by hand.
5. Remove the ribbon cartridge from the package.
6. Place the plastic hooks on the ribbon cartridge into the slots
of the printer. Then press both sides of the cartridge until it
clicks into place.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 10
7. Hold both sides of the ribbon guide and pull it down until it
is out of the cartridge.
8. Put the ribbon guide at the bottom of the print head and push
it up until it clicks into place.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 11
9. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into
place.
cCaution:
The ribbon should not be twisted or creased.
10. Pull the release lever back to move the upper mechanism to
its original position. Make sure that you pull the lever until it
clicks.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 12
cCaution:
Make sure that you move the upper mechanism by pulling
the release lever. Do not pull the mechanism by hand. It may
damage the printer.
11. Close the printer cover.
Connecting the Printer to Your Computer
Connecting the printer
Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off, then
connect the interface into the printer and computer. Use USB,
Serial, or Parallel cable to connect the printer and computer.
Note:
The interface cable connectors have only one correct orientation. Ensure
the correct orientation of a connector before inserting it into the
appropriate port.
USB
Serial
Parallel

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 13
Plugging in the Printer
Make sure the printer is turned off, then plug the power cord into
the printer’s AC inlet and a properly grounded electrical outlet.
Installing the Printer Software
Installing the software in Windows XP, Me, or 2000
Note:
❏Installing the printer software for Windows XP or 2000 may require
administrator privileges. If you have problems, ask your
administrator for more information.
❏Turn off all virus protection programs before installing the printer
software.
1. Make sure that the printer is turned off, then insert the User
CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
The SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT dialog box
appears.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 14
Note:
If the SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT dialog box does not
appear, double-click Epsetup.exein the CD-ROM.
2. Read the license agreement. If you agree with the terms, click
Agree.
3. Click Install and then follow the on-screen instructions.
4. After you install the driver, change the software setting from
PR2 to ESC/P. See “Changing default settings” on page 94 for
details.
Installing the software in Windows 98 or Windows
NT 4.0
Note:
❏Installing the printer software for Windows NT 4.0 may require
administrator privileges. If you have problems, ask your
administrator for more information.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 15
❏The examples in the following section are from the Windows 98
operating system. They may vary in appearance from what actually
appears on your screen; however, the instructions are the same.
1. Make sure that the printer is turned off, then insert the User
CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.The SOFTWARE LICENSE
AGREEMENT dialog box appears.
Note:
If the SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT dialog box does not
appear, double-click Epsetup.exein the CD-ROM.
2. Read the license agreement. If you agree with the terms, click
Agree.
3. Click the name of the printer that you have.
4. Click Install and then follow the on-screen instructions.
5. When prompted, insert your Windows CD-ROM, and click
OK.
When the Windows installation screen is displayed, close the
screen to continue with the driver installation.
Note:
❏If your PC shipped with Windows pre-installed, Setup may
complete without requiring the Windows CD-ROM, and your
printer is ready to use.
❏If you receive a message saying the drive is not accessible, click
Canceland try again.
❏If you are using Windows NT, go to step 7.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 16
6. Click Browseto select the appropriate path for the printer
driver, then click OK and follow the instruction on the screen.
Note:
If you are using Windows NT, insert your Windows CD-ROM
when prompted on the screen.
7. Select the appropriate file in the folder, then click OK.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 17
8. When prompted, insert the User CD-ROM, then click OK.
Note:
❏If you receive a message saying the drive is not accessible, click
Canceland try again.
❏If a “System Error” message appears, click Cancel.Theexact
message differs depending on your version of Windows.
❏If you are using Windows NT, you do not need to specify a path.
❏If you are using Windows 98, the Printer Utility Setup may
start. If it does, follow the instructions on the screen.
9. Setup is complete. Your printer is ready to use.
10. After you install the driver, change the software setting from
PR2 to ESC/P. See “Changing default settings” on page 94 for
details.

Chapter 1 Setting up the Printer 18
For DOS programs
To control the printer from DOS application programs, you need
to select the printer you are using.
If the list in your application does not include your printer, choose
the first available printer from the list below.
Choose the Epson printer at the appropriate step in the
installation or setup procedure. If the list in your application does
not include your printer, choose the first available printer from
the list below:
Note:
The printer on this list are also available for PLQ-20M printers.
Once the printer software has been successfully installed onto
your computer, your printer is ready to use.
PLQ-20 LQ-510/550/1010
LQ-2090 LQ-200
LQ-2080/2180 LQ-500
LQ-2070/2170 LQ-860+/1060+
LQ-1070/1070+ LQ-2550
LQ-870/1170 LQ-2500
LQ-850+/1050+ LQ-800/1000
LQ-850/1050 LQ-1500

Chapter 2 Safety Instructions 19
Chapter 2
Safety Instructions
Warnings,Cautions,andNotes............................. 20
HotPartsCautionSymbol ................................. 20
ImportantSafetyInstructions............................... 20

Chapter 2 Safety Instructions 20
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
wWarnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
cCautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation
of your printer.
Hot Parts Caution Symbol
Important Safety Instructions
Read all of these safety instructions before using the printer. In
addition, follow all warnings and instructions marked on the
printer itself.
When setting up the printer
cCaution:
Be sure the AC power cord meets the relevant local safety
standards.
❏Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a
radiator or heat source.
KThis symbol is placed on the print head and other
parts to indicate that they may be hot. Never touch
those parts just after the printer has been used. Let
them cool for a few minutes before touching them.