Epson Stylus Color User manual

Where to Find Information
This User’s Guide
Provides you with all the information you need to use your
EPSON Stylus Photo and consumable products, from setting
up to troubleshooting.
Online Help (Windows only)
Provides you with detailed information and instructions on the
Windows-based printer software that controls your printer.
(Online help will be automatically installed when you install
the printer software.) See Chapter 4 for information on
accessing online help.
EPSON Answers (Windows CD-ROM only)
Provides you with additional information on using your
printer and printing with colors. Here’s what you’ll find in
EPSON Answers:
qHow To displays a step-by-step guide for using your
printer, information about printer maintenance, and
instructions on replacing consumable products.
qProblem Solver helps you fix common printing problems
when you encounter them.
qTest 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.
qColor Guide explains the ABC’s of color printing and
shows you how to get impressive results from your printer.
(A printed Color Guide is also included with your printer.)
LEPSON Stylus Photo
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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
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 and EPSON ESC/P Raster and
EPSON Stylus are trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft 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 © 1996 by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Nagano, Japan.
User’s Guide
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title page
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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 Photo
Model: P952A
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
February 1997
M. Hamamoto
President of EPSON EUROPE B.V.
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Contents
Safety Instructions
Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1
A few precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-2
ENERGY STAR Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-3
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
When using your printer with a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
When using your printer with a Macintosh . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Consumable products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Chapter 2 Getting Started
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 Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Connecting the Printer to Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Installing the Printer Software in Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Installing the software for Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Using your printer on a network with Windows 95 . . . . 2-16
Installing the software for Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
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Connecting the Printer to Your Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Installing the Printer Software in Your Macintosh . . . . . . . . 2-21
Installing the printer software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Printer software components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Using the Chooser to select your printer . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
Chapter 3 Starting to Print
Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Printing with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Printing with a Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Chapter 4 Using the Printer Software for Windows
Introducing the Printer Software Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Accessing the Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
From Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Using the Automatic Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Using the Predefined Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Customizing the Print Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Saving your settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Making the Media Type Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Using EPSON Printer Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
EPSON Status Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Nozzle Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Head Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Print Head Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Understanding the EPSON Spool Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Checking printer status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Getting Information Through Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
From Windows applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
From Windows 95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
From Windows 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
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Chapter 5 Using the Printer Software for Macintosh
Introducing the Printer Software Functions . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Using the Automatic Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Using the Predefined Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Customizing the Print Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Making your settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Saving your settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Choosing your settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Modifying visual effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Controlling the printing quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Changing the Paper Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Defining a Custom Paper Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Using EPSON Printer Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
EPSON StatusMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Nozzle Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Head Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Print Head Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Using the EPSON Monitor2 Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Chapter 6 Printing on Special Paper
Choosing Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
About special media cleaning sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Loading Special Paper and Other Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Loading Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Loading Transparencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Using EPSON Photo Paper (S041134) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Removing the perforated margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Storing EPSON Photo Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
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Chapter 7 Maintenance and Transportation
Replacing an Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Chapter 8 Troubleshooting
Diagnosing the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Error indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Status Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Printer operation check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Paper handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14
Printing quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
Printer utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-23
Increasing the Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-25
Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-26
Using the Head Cleaning utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-27
Using the control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
Aligning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
Ink Cartridge Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-31
Contacting Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-35
For United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland users . . . 8-35
For Australian users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
For Singapore users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
For Hong Kong users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
For Philippines users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-41
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Appendix A Tips for Color Printing
Basics of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Image Resolution and Image Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Basics of Color Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7
Appendix B Specifications
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Ink cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6
Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-7
Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8
Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8
Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8
Safety approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9
Interface Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
Parallel interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
Serial interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11
Glossary
Index
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Safety Instructions
Important Safety Instructions
Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference.
Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer.
qDo not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a
radiator or heat source.
qPlace the printer on a flat surface. The printer will not
operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.
qDo not block or cover the openings in the printer’s cabinet.
Do not insert objects through the slots.
qUse only the type of power source indicated on the printer’s
label.
qConnect 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.
qDo not use a damaged or frayed power cord.
qIf 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.
qUnplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp
cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer.
qExcept as specifically explained in this guide, do not
attempt to service the printer yourself.
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Safety Instructions 1

qUnplug 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.
qIf 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.
qDo not put your hand inside the printer or touch the ink
cartridges during printing.
qDo not move the print head by hand; otherwise you may
damage the printer.
qUnder normal circumstances, ink will not come out of the
cartridges. 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.
qKeep ink cartridges out of the reach of children.
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qDo not dismantle the ink cartridges or try to refill them.
This could result in damage to the print head.
qOnce 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.
qInstall the ink cartridge immediately after you remove it
from its package. Leaving the cartridge unpacked for a long
time before use may result in reduced print quality.
qDo not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the
cartridge carton. For best results, use up the ink cartridges
within six months of installing them.
qDo not shake an ink cartridge; this can cause leakage.
qAlways turn the printer off using the Ppower button.
When this button is pressed, the Ppower light flashes
briefly then goes out. Do not unplug the printer or turn off
the power to the outlet until the Ppower light is off.
qBefore transporting the printer, make sure the print head is
capped in the far right position and the ink cartridges are in
place.
ENERGY STAR Compliance
As an ENERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has
determined that this product meets the ENERGY
STAR guidelines for energy efficiency.
The International ENERGY STAR Office Equipment Program
is a voluntary partnership with the computer and office
equipment industry to promote the introduction of
energy-efficient personal computers, monitors, printers, fax
machines, and copiers in an effort to reduce air pollution
caused by power generation.
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Safety Instructions 3

For United Kingdom Users
Use of options
Epson (UK) Limited shall not be liable against any damages or
problems arising from the use of any options or consumable
products other than those designated as Original EPSON
Products or EPSON Approved Products by Epson (UK)
Limited.
Safety information
wWarning: This appliance must be earthed. Refer to rating plate
for voltage and check that the appliance voltage corresponds to
the supply voltage.
Important: The wires in the mains lead fitted to this appliance
are coloured in accordance with the following code:
Green and yellow ---- Earth
Blue ---- Neutral
Brown ---- Live
If you have to fit a plug:
As the colours of the mains lead of this appliance may not
match coloured markings used to identify the terminals in a
plug, please proceed as follows:
The green and yellow wire must be connected to the terminal
in the plug which is marked with the letter E or the Earth
symbol (G).
The blue wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug
marked with the letter N.
The brown wire must be connected to the terminal in the plug
marked with the letter L.
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4 Safety Instructions

If damage occurs to the plug, replace the cord set or consult a
qualified electrician.
Replace fuses only with a fuse of the correct size and rating.
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.
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6 Safety Instructions

Chapter 1
Getting to Know Your Printer
Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
When using your printer with a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
When using your printer with a Macintosh . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Options and Consumable Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Consumable products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
1
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Getting to Know Your Printer 1-1

Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions
load/eject
button
paper support
edge guides
printer cover
sheet feeder
paper support extension
output tray
output tray
extension
c-1
ink cartridge clamps
adjust lever
black ink out
light
color ink out
light
cleaning
button
paper out light power light
power
button
print head
c-2
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Buttons
Button Function
P
power
Turns the printer on and off. Clears the print buffer if
pressed twice while the power is on.
E
load/eject
Loads or ejects paper if pressed and released within
two seconds. Resumes printing if pressed after a
paper out error.
R
cleaning
Moves the print head to the replacement position if
pressed for about three seconds while the Bor Aink
out light is flashing or on. Returns the print head to its
home position after ink cartridge replacement.
Performs print head cleaning if pressed for about three
seconds when both the Band Aink out lights are off.
Lights
The lights on the front of the printer indicate the printer status,
such as receiving data, paper jam, or low on ink. The following
table describes what the lights mean.
PSBAPrinter Status
N---Printer is on.
F---Receiving data, replacing an ink cartridge,
charging ink, or cleaning the print head.
-N- - Paper out. Load paper in the sheet feeder; then
press the Eload/eject button to resume printing.
-FO O
Paper jam. Take all the paper out of the sheet
feeder, reload the paper, then press the E
load/eject button. If the light continues to flash, turn
off the printer and gently pull out any paper that
may be jammed in the printer.
- - F-Ink low. The black ink cartridge is nearly empty.
Obtain a black ink cartridge (S020093).
- - N-Ink out. The black ink cartridge is empty. Replace
the black ink cartridge (S020093).
---FInk low. The color ink cartridge is nearly empty.
Obtain a color ink cartridge (S020110).
---NInk out. The color ink cartridge is empty. Replace
the color ink cartridge (S020110).
N= on, O= off, F= flashing, - = irrelevant
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System Requirements
When using your printer with a PC
To use your printer, you need Microsoft Windows 3.1,
Windows for Workgroups, or Windows 95; and a shielded,
twisted-pair parallel cable.
To install and use the printer software (printer driver and
utilities) included on the CD-ROM or floppy disk packed with
your printer, the following is required:
Minimum system Recommended system
80386/25 MHz processor Pentium or higher processor
16MB RAM 32MB RAM or more
20MB hard disk space 50MB or more free hard disk space
VGA monitor VGA or better monitor
If you decide to use the EPSON Answers online guide included
with your printer software, your system should also meet the
following requirements:
qAt least 20MB of free disk space for full program installation
qDouble-speed CD-ROM drive (Quad-speed or faster
recommended)
For more details on EPSON Answers, see your CD-ROM
booklet.
Your computer dealer can help you update your system if it
does not meet these requirements.
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