Epson Stylus Color 300 User manual

Where to Find Information
This User’s Guide
Provides you with information on using your EPSON Stylus
COLOR 300 and consumable products, from setting up to
troubleshooting.
Online Help
Provides you with detailed information and instructions on the
Windows printer software that controls your printer. Online
help will be automatically installed when you install the printer
software. See Chapter 3 for information on accessing online
help.
EPSON Answers (CD-ROM only)
Provides you with additional information on using your
printer and printing with colors. EPSON Answers will be
automatically installed if you install the CD-ROM version of
the printer software. Here’s what you’ll find in EPSON
Answers:
❑How To displays a step-by-step guide for using your
printer, information about printer maintenance, and
instructions on replacing consumable products.
❑Problem Solver helps you fix common printing problems
when you encounter them.
❑Test Print lets you print a test page to check the results of
settings you have made and provides links to other sections
of EPSON Answers based on the results.
❑Color Guide explains the ABC’s of color printing and
shows you how to get impressive results from your printer.
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Color Ink Jet 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 CORP.
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 CORP. 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 CORP.’s operating and maintenance instructions.
SEIKO EPSON CORP. 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 CORP.
Microsoft and Windows 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 © 1997 by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Nagano, Japan.
User’s Guide
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Declaration of Conformity
According to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014
Manufacturer: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Address: 3-5, Owa 3-chome, Suwa-shi,
Nagano-ken 392 Japan
Representative: EPSON EUROPE B.V.
Address: Prof. J. H. Bavincklaan 5 1183
AT Amstelveen
The Netherlands
Declares that the Product:
Product Name: Ink Jet Printer
Type Name: EPSON Stylus COLOR 300
Model: P870C
Conforms to the following Directive(s) and Norm(s):
Directive 89/336/EEC:EN 55022 class B
EN 61000-3-2
EN 61000-3-3
EN 50082-1
IEC 801-2
IEC 801-3
IEC 801-4
Directive 73/23/EEC: EN 60950
June 1997
M. Hamamoto
President of EPSON EUROPE B.V.
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Contents
Safety Information
Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1
A few precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-2
ENERGY STAR Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-4
For United Kingdom Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-4
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-5
Chapter 1 Getting to Know Your Printer
Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Chapter 2 Setting Up the Printer
Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Attaching the Paper Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Choosing a Place for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Using a printer stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Plugging in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Installing the Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Installing the Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Installing the software for Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Installing the software for Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
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Chapter 3 Starting to Print
Loading Plain Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Accessing the Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
From Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Getting Information Through Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
From Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Chapter 4 Printing on Special Paper
Setting the Paper Thickness and Adjust Levers . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Setting the paper thickness lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Setting the adjust lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Loading Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Chapter 5 Maintenance and Transportation
Replacing the Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Aligning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
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Chapter 6 Troubleshooting
Diagnosing the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Error indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Printer operation check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Paper handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Printing quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Increasing the Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Contacting Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
For United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland users . . 6-24
For Australian users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
For Singapore users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
For Hong Kong users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
For Philippines users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29
Appendix Printer Specifications
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Printable area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4
Ink Cartridge (S020138) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7
Safety Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7
Glossary
Index
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Safety Information
Important Safety Instructions
Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference.
Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.
❑Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a
radiator or heat source.
❑Place the printer on a flat surface. The printer will not
operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.
❑Do not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet.
Do not 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 use a damaged or frayed power cord.
❑If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure
the total ampere rating of all 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 before cleaning. Clean with a damp
cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer.
❑Except as specifically explained in this guide do not
attempt to service the printer yourself.
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Safety Information 1

❑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.
❑If you plan to use the printer in Germany, observe the
following:
To provide adequate short-circuit protection and over-current
protection for this printer, the building installation must be
protected by a 16 Amp circuit breaker.
Bei Anschluß des Druckers an die Stromversorgung muß
sichergestellt werden, daß die Gebäudeinstallation mit
einem 16 A-Überstromschalter abgesichert ist.
A few precautions
Even if you are familiar with other types of printers, be sure to
read through the following list of precautions before operating
your ink jet printer.
❑Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the ink
cartridge during printing.
❑Do not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may
damage the printer.
❑Under normal circumstances, ink will not come out of ink
cartridges. If ink gets on your skin, wash it off with soap
and water. If it gets in your eyes, flush them immediately
with water.
❑Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children.
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