Epson Stylus color 200 User manual

COLOR INK JET PRINTER

User’s Guide

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.

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, EPSON Stylus, and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks and

EPSON ESC/P 2 is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.

EPSON Connection is a service mark of Epson America, Inc.

Software 2000 is a trademark of Software 2000 Ltd.

Windows Printer driver copyright Software 2000 Ltd Oxford, England.

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.

Printed on recycled paper with at least 10% post-consumer content

Printer Parts

paper support

control panel

printer cover

sheet feeder

edge

guides

parallel interface

connector

power switch

paper

thickness

lever

ink cartridge

clamp

print head

unit release

lever

print head unit

thickness

adjustment

lever

FCC Compliance Statement

For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital

device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide

reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This

equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed

and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or

television reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a

particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television

reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is

encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures.

❑Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

❑Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

❑Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the

receiver is connected.

❑Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will

invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which

exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the

user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this

equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused

interfaces. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could

void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from

digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian

Department of Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites

applicables aux appareils numériques de Classe B prescrites dans le règlement sur le

brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.

Contents

Introduction

Getting the Most Out of Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1

If You Are New to Color Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-3

Energy Star Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-4

Energy-saving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-5

How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-5

Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-6

Electronic Support Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-7

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-9

Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Setting Up the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Selecting a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Attaching the Paper Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Plugging In and Turning On the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Charging the Ink Delivery System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Checking the Paper Thickness Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Testing the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17

Connecting the Printer to Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18

Chapter 2 Installing and Using the Printer Software

Installing the Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Installing the Software for Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Installing the Software for Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Installing a Driver for DOS Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Accessing the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Accessing the Driver From Windows Applications . . . . . 2-9

Accessing the Driver From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Accessing the Driver From Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

iii

Using the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Changing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Using Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Accessing Online Help From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Accessing Online Help From Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Chapter 3 Paper Handling

Choosing Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Setting the Paper Thickness and Adjustment Levers . . . . . . . 3-3

Paper Thickness Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Thickness Adjustment Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Loading Plain Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Loading Special Papers and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Loading Special Papers and Transparencies . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Chapter 4 Controlling the Printer

Managing Print Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Using the Printer’s Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Using the Default Setting Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Chapter 5 Maintenance

Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Changing the Print Head Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Replacing an Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Selecting the Correct Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Removing and Installing an Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

Calibrating the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12

Calibrating the Printer From Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13

Calibrating the Printer From DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14

Chapter 6 Troubleshooting

Diagnosing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Problems With Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Paper Handling Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13

Paper Jam Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13

Paper Feeding Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14

Other Paper Handling Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14

Appendix A Technical Specifications

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-8

Safety Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-8

Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-8

Parallel Interface Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-9

Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-9

Reverse Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-11

Timing Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-14

Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-14

Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-15

Appendix B Commands and Character Tables

Command List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Character Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

International Character Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-7

Characters Available With the ESC ( ^ Command . . . . . B-8

Glossary

Index

Introduction

The EPSON®Stylus®COLOR 200 is an affordable, high-quality

ink jet printer that can print up to 16 million colors at high

resolution to produce full-color, photo-quality images. It also

produces realistic grayscale images, laser-quality text, and line

art. The printer’s ink jet technology allows it to operate quietly,

keeping your workspace peaceful.

The Stylus COLOR 200 is easy to install and use. You simply

set it up, connect it to your computer, and install the printer

software, as described in this book. The printer has a built-in

parallel interface so you can connect it to any IBM®PC

compatible computer.

The printer software includes a “driver” that controls printing

and lets you choose from a wide variety of printer settings. You

can change settings to improve print quality, speed up

printing, or achieve special printing effects. And to make your

selections easy, the driver includes an option that analyzes each

page and automatically adjusts the settings before printing it.

Getting the Most Out of Your Printer

To achieve the highest quality printout, you should know a few

of the elements that contribute to outstanding color printing:

❑Resolution is a measure of the amount of detail that can be

represented on the page. The higher the resolution, the

more detailed and realistic the image, and the longer it

takes to print. For printed images, resolution is measured

in dots per inch (dpi). Your printer has three resolutions:

720 dpi, 360 dpi, and Economy (180 dpi).

Introduction 1

Use 720 dpi for the best possible images. For high-quality

images in less time, use 360 dpi. When speed is important

and draft quality is good enough, use Economy (180 dpi).

❑Paper type and quality are very important. Although you

get good results with plain bond paper, you will get better

results by using coated or glossy papers because they do

not absorb as much ink.

To ensure the best possible quality, EPSON offers special

coated papers, glossy papers, and transparencies that are

specially formulated for the inks used by the printer.

You can order these products from EPSON Accessories at

(800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). In Canada, call

(800) BUY-EPSON for sales locations. (For information

about special papers and other media, see Chapter 3.)

❑EPSON ink cartridges (black and color) are specially

formulated to work with EPSON papers and your printer

software to deliver the best looking images. Always use

genuine EPSON ink cartridges and do not refill them.

Other products may cause damage not covered by

EPSON’s warranty.

❑Printer driver settings control every aspect of how your

printer prints, so be sure to select the driver settings that

are appropriate for your images each time you print.

The basic driver settings include document type, paper type

and size, resolution, and print head unit. Optional settings

that you may or may not need to check include halftoning,

color adjustments, and the printing mode options described

below.

2 Introduction

❑Printing mode options affect the speed and accuracy

with which the print head sprays ink onto the paper.

MicroWeave mode applies ink in an intricate pattern to

eliminate the possibility of banding (light, horizontal lines)

that can sometimes occur in normal mode. High Speed

mode prints bidirectionally (one line from right to left and

the next from left to right) to speed up printing. You should

use MicroWeave mode when printing detailed graphic and

photographic images. High Speed mode is good for all

draft copies and for printing text; however, the vertical

alignment in your images may not be as precise.

If You Are New to Color Printing

Color printing with the EPSON Stylus COLOR 200 produces

amazing images, whether you print text, graphics, line

drawings, photographs, or documents containing many

different image types. However you use your color printer,

keep the following in mind:

❑Leave a large amount of hard disk space free to make room

for your color images. A full-page color photographic

image may require 40MB or more of disk space, depending

on the resolution. To reduce file size, you can decrease the

size and resolution of your images using your printer

driver and application software.

❑Color printing takes time because of the complex

processing required to create a color image. How much

time depends on the size and type of your image, the

resolution you use, and the speed of your computer.

However, the fantastic results make the time spent well

worth it.

Introduction 3

❑Your screen colors will not exactly match the printed colors

because your computer monitor and printer use different

methods to produce the colors you see. If you scan

images using a scanner, the image goes through another

interpretive process that also affects the color.

Monitors and scanners produce colors by combining red,

green, and blue—the RGB method. Monitor can produce

up to 16 million colors by turning on and off the tiny red,

green, and blue phosphors contained in each pixel on the

screen. Colors produced this way differ from colors

produced by your printer’s cyan, magenta, and yellow ink

colors—the CMY method.

Your printer driver settings help you closely match colors for

your image type, resolution, and paper or other media. If

you need extreme precision in matching colors, you can use

a color calibration system available with many software

applications. If you use a scanner, make sure your scanning

software is set to the correct setting for ink jet printers.

Also, your application may include image editing

capabilities that let you adjust the colors.

Energy Star Compliance

As an Energy Star Partner, EPSON has determined

that this product meets the Energy Star guidelines

for energy efficiency.

The EPA estimates that if all desktop computers, printers, and

other peripheral devices met Energy Star standards, energy

cost savings would exceed $1 billion annually and carbon

dioxide emissions would be reduced by 20 million tons.

All of EPSON’s ink jet printers conform to Energy Star

standards.

4 Introduction

Energy-saving Tips

Here are a few tips you can use to be even more energy-wise:

❑If your monitor isn’t Energy Star compliant, turn it off

when you’re not using it.

❑Turn off your computer, printer, and monitor each day

when you are done using them.

❑Use the print preview option in your software so you can

catch errors before you print something.

❑If you have an electronic mail system available to you, send

e-mail rather than memos. Not only is this faster, but you’ll

save paper and storage space too.

How to Use This Manual

This manual contains all the information you need to set up

and use your printer.

Chapter 1,“Setting Up the Printer,” provides simple steps for

setting up your printer, running its self test, and connecting it

to your computer.

Chapter 2,“Installing and Using the Printer Software,”

explains how to install and access the printer software and

gives guidelines for selecting printer driver settings.

Chapter 3, “Paper Handling,” explains how to select the right

paper or other media for your print job and load it in your

printer.

Chapter 4, “Controlling the Printer,” provides instructions for

managing the printer’s operation using the Spool Manager, the

printer’s control panel, and Default setting mode.

Introduction 5

Chapter 5, “Maintenance,” gives instructions for cleaning the

print heads, changing the print head unit, replacing the ink

cartridge, and cleaning, transporting, and calibrating the

printer.

Chapter 6, “Troubleshooting,” contains guidelines for solving

any print quality or printer operation problems you may have.

Appendix A, “Technical Specifications,” gives the

specifications for the Stylus COLOR 200 printer.

Appendix B, “Commands and Character Tables,” lists the

ESC/P 2emulation commands supported by the printer and

shows the printer’s built-in character tables.

A Glossary and Index are included at the end of the book.

Where to Get Help

If you purchased your printer in the United States or Canada,

EPSON provides customer support and service through a

network of Authorized EPSON Customer Care Centers.

EPSON also provides the following services when you dial

(800) 922-8911:

❑EPSON fax-on-demand technical information library

❑Product literature on current and new products

❑Assistance in locating your nearest Authorized EPSON

Reseller or Customer Care Center

❑Technical information on the installation, configuration,

and operation of EPSON products

❑Customer relations.

6 Introduction

You can purchase ink cartridges, paper, parts, printed manuals,

and accessories for EPSON products from EPSON Accessories

at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). In Canada, call

(800) BUY-EPSON for sales locations.

If you purchased your printer outside the United States or

Canada, contact your EPSON dealer or the marketing location

nearest you for customer support and service.

If you need help with any software program you are using,

see the documentation for that program for technical support

information.

Electronic Support Services

If you have a modem, the fastest way to access helpful tips,

specifications, drivers, application notes, and bulletins for

EPSON products is through the online services below.

World Wide Web

If you are connected to the Internet and have a Web browser,

you can access EPSON’s World Wide Web site at

http://www.epson.com. EPSON’s home page links users to

What’s New, EPSON Products, EPSON Connection,

SM Corporate

Info, and EPSON Contacts. Link to the EPSON Connection for

the latest drivers and FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and

the EPSON Chat area. To get in touch with EPSON around the

world, EPSON Contacts includes Contact Information for local

EPSON subsidiaries.

EPSON FTP Site

If you have access to the Internet and an FTP client, you can

download drivers, FAQs, and sample files from EPSON’s FTP

site. Use your FTP client or Web browser to log onto

ftp.epson.com with the user name anonymous and your

e-mail address as the password.

Introduction 7

EPSON Fax-on-Demand service

You can access the EPSON fax-on-demand technical

information library by calling (800) 922-8911 or (800) 442-2110.

To receive information, you must provide a fax number.

EPSON Download Service

You can call the EPSON Download Service at (310) 782-4531.

Make sure your communications software is set to 8 data bits

with 1 stop bit, no parity bit, and a modem speed up to

28.8 Kbps. See your communications software documentation

for more information.

EPSON Forum on CompuServe

CompuServe®members can call the Epson America Forum

on CompuServe. If you are already a member, simply type

GO EPSON at the menu prompt to reach the Forum.

If you are not currently a member, you are eligible for a free

introductory membership as an owner of an EPSON product.

This membership entitles you to:

❑An introductory credit on CompuServe

❑Your own user ID and password

❑A complimentary subscription to CompuServe Magazine,

CompuServe’s monthly publication.

To take advantage of this offer, call (800) 848-8199 in the United

States and Canada and ask for representative #529. In other

countries, call the following U.S. telephone number:

(614) 529-1611, or your local CompuServe access number.

8 Introduction

Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety

instructions to make sure you use the printer safely and

effectively.

❑Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with

a damp cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer.

❑Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a

radiator or heating vent.

❑Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet

or insert objects through the slots.

❑Use only the type of power source indicated on the

printer’s label.

❑Connect all equipment to properly grounded power

outlets. Avoid using outlets on the same circuit as

photocopiers or air control systems that regularly switch

on and off.

❑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 of all devices plugged into the

wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.

❑Except as specifically explained in this User’s Guide, do not

attempt to service the printer yourself.

❑Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service

personnel under the following conditions:

If the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered

the printer; if the printer has been dropped or the cabinet

damaged; if the printer does not operate normally or

exhibits a distinct change in performance. Adjust only those

controls that are covered by the operating instructions.

Introduction 9

Chapter 1

Setting Up the Printer