Neopost AS 268p User manual

AS 226p - AS 268p
PRINTER
USER'S GUIDE

Issue 19/11/2004 - 4129543G/A

TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
Table of Contents
Section 1 – Getting Acquainted 1
Operator View
Rear View
Control Panel
1
2
3
Section 2 – Installing the Printer 5
Choosing a Location
Connecting the AS 226p/AS 268p
Connecting the Computer
Installing the Inkjet Cartridges
Setting up the Feed
Installing the Printer Driver
5
5
5
6
6
7
Section 3 – Operating the AS 226p/AS 268p 9
Printer Control Panel
Printer Driver Properties
Printing from Microsoft Word
Print Recovery after Jam
9
10
14
16
Section 4 – Maintenance 17
The Inkjet Cartridge
Jams in the Printer
Replacing the Sheet Separators
Replacing the Feed Rollers
Cleaning
17
19
19
20
21
Section 5 –Trouble Shooting 23
HP Inkjet Print Cartridges
The Printer
23
24
Appendices 25
Appendix A – Specifications
Appendix B – Supplies and Optional Hardware
25
26
Index 27

ii
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
THIS EQUIPMENT PRESENTS NO PROBLEM WHEN USED PROPERLY. HOWEVER,
CERTAIN SAFETY RULES SHOULD BE OBSERVED WHEN OPERATING THE AS
226p/AS 268p PRINTER.
BEFORE USING THE PRINTER, YOU SHOULD READ THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY
AND FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES, SAFETY WARNINGS, AND
INSTRUCTIONS:
9Keep hands, hair, and clothing clear of rollers and other moving parts.
9Avoid touching moving parts or materials while the machine is in use. Before clearing a jam, be sure machine
mechanisms come to a stop.
9Always turn off the machine before making adjustments, cleaning the machine, or performing any maintenance
covered in this manual.
9Use the power cord supplied with the machine and plug it into a properly grounded wall outlet located near the
machine and easily accessible. Failure to properly ground the machine can result in sever personal injury and/or
fire.
9The power cord and wall plug is the primary means of disconnecting the machine for the power supply.
9DO NOT use an adapter plug on the line cord or wall outlet.
9DO NOT remove the ground pin from the line cord.
9DO NOT route the power cord over sharp edges or trapped between furniture.
9Avoid using wall outlets that are controlled by wall switches, or shared with other equipment.
9Make sure there is no strain on the power cord caused by jamming between the equipment, walls or furniture.
9DO NOT remove covers. Covers enclose hazardous parts that should only be accessed by a qualified service
representative. Report any damage of covers to your service representative.
9This machine requires periodic maintenance. Contact your authorized service representative for required
service schedules.
9To prevent overheating, do not cover the vent openings.
9Use this equipment only for its intended purpose.
In addition, follow any specific occupational safety and health standards for your workplace or area.
This manual is intended solely for the use and information of Neopost, its designated agents, customers,
and their employees. The information in this guide was obtained from several different sources that are
deemed reliable by all industry standards. To the best of our knowledge, that information is accurate in
all respects. However, neither Neopost nor any of its agents or employees shall be responsible for any
inaccuracies contained herein.
AstroJetTM is a registered trademark of Astro Machine Corp.
Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Corporation.
Windows 95 and Windows 98 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher

SECTION 1
GETTING ACQUAINTED
1
Section 1 – Getting Acquainted
AJ AS 226p Shown
Operator View
1. Exit Guides – These guides help the media to exit the printer.
2. Print Head Assembly – The AS 226p is equipped with six printheads arranged
on two rails and can print an image up to 3” wide. The AS 268p is equipped
with eight printheads arranged on two rails and can print and image up to 4”
wide.
3. Medial Sensor – The media sensor is located behind the print head assembly.
4. Safety Cover – The safety cover encloses the printheads.
5. Rear Paper Guide – This guide is positioned at the rear of the media.
6. Rear Paper Support – The media is supported while being fed.
7. Control Panel – The controls for the printer are located here. The knob is the
media thickness control.

SECTION 1
GETTING ACQUAINTED
2
AS 226p Shown
Rear View
1. Main Power Switch and Power Receptacle – The power cord is plugged in
here and the switch turns the printer ON and OFF.
2. Main Power Fuse – This fuse protects all of the electronic circuits in the
printer.
3. Motor Circuit Breaker – The motor circuit breaker protects the motor from
overloads.
4. Cartridge Docking Station – The ink cartridges are stored here when not in
use.
5. Rear Paper Support – The media is supported while being fed.
6. Rear Paper Guide – This guide is positioned at the rear of the media.
7. Side Guides – The side guides position the media in the printer.
8. Parallel Port – Connects the printer to the parallel port on your computer.
9. USB Printer Port – Connects the printer to your computer using the USB port.

SECTION 1
GETTING ACQUAINTED
3
Control Panel
1. MEDIA THICKNESS – This knob is used to adjust the height of the print
heads to compensate for different media thickness.
2. ON LINE key – The indicator on this key lights when data is sent to the AS
226p/AS 268p and they are ready to begin printing. This key also turns the
printer off line so that the menu mode can be accessed.
3. FAULT Indicator – This indicator lights when there is a problem with the
printing process.
4. -key – In the menu mode this key will scroll to the previous selection.
5. +key – When the printer is in the menu mode this key will scroll to the next
selection.
6. ENTER key – This key starts and stops the printing.
7. MENU key – This key causes the printer to enter the menu mode where several
operator functions can be accessed.
8. OPERATOR DISPLAY – Indicates the printer’s status including menus and
error messages.
9. RESET key – This key will reset the printer to its wait state.
10. TEST PRINT key – Pressing this key will put the printer in the test mode and
send a sample copy to check the printer’s output.
NOTE: A complete description of the functions and operation of the printer keys can be
found in Section 3 – Operating the AS 226p/AS 268p.

SECTION 1
GETTING ACQUAINTED
4
Notes

SECTION 2
INSTALLING THE PRINTER
5
Section 2 – Installing the Printer
Before using the printer the following must be done:
•Choose a location for the Printer
•Plug in the printer and connect it to the computer
•Install the Inkjet Cartridges
•Set up the feed on the printer
•Install the AS 226p/AS 268p Printer Driver software on the computer
Choose a Location
The printer should be placed on a sturdy worktable or cabinet at least 12 inches from any walls. Protect the
printer from excessive heat, dust, and moisture – avoid placing it in direct sunlight.
Connecting the Printer
Plugging in the Printer
Make sure that the main power switch of the AS 226p/AS 268p Printer is in the OFF position.
1. Connect one end of the power cord to the rear of the
AS 226p/AS 268p in the corresponding receptacle.
2. Depending on the version 115 volt or 220 volt, plug
the other end into a 115 or 220 Volt AC, 50/60 Hz.
Grounded outlet.
CAUTION
Do not use an adapter plug or extension cord
to connect the printer to the wall receptacle.
Do not use outlets controlled by wall switches.
Do not use an outlet that shares the same
circuit with large electrical machines or
appliances.
Connecting to the Computer
Plug the parallel printer cable from your computer into the
rear of the printer and latch the two locking clips. You may
also connect the printer through a USB connection if you are
using Windows ME, 2000, NT, or XP. The cable used to
connect the AS 226p/AS 268p to the computer must not
exceed 6 feet long.

SECTION 2
INSTALLING THE PRINTER
6
Install the Inkjet Cartridges
The AS 226p/AS 268p can be configured with up to six inkjet cartridges. The cartridges are installed as follows:
•Remove the inkjet cartridge from its packaging, taking care not to touch
the copper contacts, the metal plate, or the gold printhead. Remove
the protective tape from the printhead.
•The cartridges are held in place by a latch lever mounted on the inkjet
cartridge holder. Release the lever by raising it vertical.
•With the cartridge’s printhead pointing down, slide the cartridge into
the holder and push down and toward the contacts in the holder.
•Make sure the cartridge is seated in the holder then close the latch lever
to secure the cartridge in the holder. Do not force the lever into
place. (See the diagram.)
•Repeat the above for the remaining cartridges.
NOTE: For optimum image quality during the run, refer to
"Cleaning the Printhead”.
The ink in the cartridge may be harmful if
swallowed. Keep new and used cartridges
out of reach of children. Discard empty
cartridges immediately.
Setting up the Feed
1. Release the separator-locking lever located on the
operator’s side of the feeder and raise the separators
to the up and locked position. Move the side guides
out to their extreme open position. Place one piece
of media in the center of the feed table.
2. There are four separators on the feeder. Use the two
center separators for narrow media and all four
separators for wide media. Place the media under
the separators and lower the separators so that they
rest on the media.
3. Rotate the locking lever up to lock the separators in
place.

SECTION 2
INSTALLING THE PRINTER
7
4. Loosen the knobs on the side guides. Adjust the side
guides to within 1/32-inch of the media. Then tighten
the knobs.
5. Adjust the back guide so that the media is raised
approximately 1/2-inch and rests on the curve of the
back guide. When running 10 inch or longer or heavy
media you may have to set the back guide so that it
just touches the back of the media.
6. Feed a piece of media through the printer and adjust
the two exit guides so that they ride on the media. To
prevent smearing, make sure that the exit guides do
not track over any printed information
7. Turn the AS 226p/AS 268p on and then turn the
media thickness knob to set the initial print head
height as follows:
NOTE: These are initial settings. It may be necessary to adjust the MEDIA THICKNESS control to
optimize the print quality
8. Press the ONLINE key, and then press the ENTER key, to test feed media.
NOTE: The AS 226p/AS 268p is supplied with a hard tip separator, which is installed on the unit when
you receive it. It is used for media such as envelopes, books, and stuffed envelopes. A soft tip
separator is available for use with single sheets of paper and thin card stock. Refer to Section 5 –
Maintenance for instructions on how to change them.
Installing the Printer Driver
A dedicated printer driver is included with the printer. It must be
installed on your computer before you install the AstroPrint
Software. Follow the steps below to install the driver:
NOTE: The driver for the printer should be installed using
the steps below.
Media Thickness Dial Setting
.004” to 1/32” 0 to 2
1/32” to 1/8” 2 to 3
1/8” to 5/16” 3 to 7
5/16” to 3/8” 7 to 10

SECTION 2
INSTALLING THE PRINTER
8
1. If you have, any applications running on your computer close them and restart the computer before beginning
the driver installation.
2. Install the CD in the CD drive and click on START. Then click on RUN, then type the following; D:\Setup.exe
(where D is the CD drive) then click OK.
3. The “Add Printer Wizard (n.nn)” window will open, and then click Next>.
4. Type in your Name and Company and click Next>.
5. Select the printer port LPT1. Then click Next>. The “Add Printer Wizard” will appear. Select your printer
from the table below, then click Next>
Printer Driver
AS 226p Address Printer 6
AS 268p Address Printer 8
6. The next screen allows you to “Name
Your Printer”. Unless you have
another printer of the same name on
your system or network ignore this
step and click Next>.
7. Click Finish to complete the
installation.

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
9
Section 3 – Operating the AS 226p/AS 268p
Once the Printer Driver is installed on your computer, you are ready to start printing. This section is divided into
three parts. The first describes the function of the printer control panel. The second section describes the driver
properties and the various options available when you run a job. The third section describes how to set up a job to
print from Microsoft Word.
The Printer Driver that you installed on your computer in Section 2 should be set as the default driver. It will then
be accessible through your applications such as Microsoft Word. Other types of applications and database
management software will work in a similar manner using the AS 226p/AS 268p Driver.
This Section further assumes that you have connected the AS 226p/AS 268p to your computer.
Printer Control Panel
When you first turn the printer ON, the light in the TEST PRINT key lights and the display becomes active. At this
point, the printer is ready to print if it is connected to your computer.
The printer control panel keys can be used to access various functions that help the operator control the printer.
These functions and their operation are as follows:
ENTER key
The ENTER key is used to start the printer printing under production situations. When the printer is placed in any
of the menu modes, the ENTER key is used to choose the options available.
TEST PRINT key
Pressing the TEST PRINT key momentarily places the printer in the test print mode. The word “Working “appears
in the lower half of the display and after a short period of time the display changes to “Enter to feed”. Pressing the
ENTER key will start the printing process and print the test print. To stop the feeding press, ENTER again.
To restore the printer to the normal ready mode press the ON LINE key to take the printer off line and then press
and hold the RESET key until the light on the TEST PRINT key blinks. The printer is then restored to its normal
ready state.
Pressing and holding the TEST PRINT key will cause the printer to enter the “Service Menu” where the various
functions of the printer can be tested. To exit the “Service Menu” turn the printer OFF, the ON again. The service
menu is primarily used by service to diagnose problems should they occur. You can use the “+” or “-“ key to scroll
through the menu. Pressing the ENTER key will test the function. To restore the printer to its normal print mode,
turn it OFF then ON.
To check the level of the ink cartridges when you enter the Service Menu press the “-“ key and the amount of ink
remaining will appear as a percentage in the lower half of the display window.
MENU key
The MENU key is used to access the special features built into the printer. The basic features are accessed by
momentarily pressing the MENU key. Use the “+” or “-“ keys to access the features. The features available under
this mode of operation are as follows:
Clear Batch Counter – Pressing the ENTER key will clear the number in the upper right hand corner of the
display. Resetting the counter is usually performed at the start of each job. Turning OFF the printer will not
reset this counter.

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
10
Purge – The purging function is useful to clear the printhead nozzles when the machine has been sitting idle
for a period. To activate the purge, press the ENTER key and feed media. To stop the purge press, ENTER
again.
Print Enhancement – Pressing the “+” or “-“ key will bring this message up in the display. The print
enhancement feature is used when printing to ensure that the nozzles on the printhead stay open and prevent
the loss of the descender on letters such as “y” or “q” and accent marks that do not appear in every address.
Pressing the ENTER key will turn this function ON or OFF. The function will remain as changed until the
operator changes it again. Turning the printer ON and OFF will not affect the setting.
Installing New Printheads – The printer is capable of telling you when a printhead is running low of ink. To
use this feature press the MENU key momentarily, then use the “+” or “-“ key to highlight “Enter when head
(n) is filled”. Press the ENTER key and install a new cartridge. Repeat for each cartridge you install. When
the ENTER key is pressed the display will change to “Head (n) has a new cartridge”. To check the level of ink
in the cartridges, Press and hold the TEST PRINT key until the “Service Menu” appears. Use the “+” or “-“
key to scroll to the “Service Menu: Ink Levels, 100%100%100%”. This will show how much ink remains in
the cartridge.
NOTE: This feature only works if the cartridges remain in the original head where they were installed. If you
swap the cartridges from one head to another, the levels will not be accurate.
There is a second set of menus available in the display. To activate them press and hold the MENU key until
the “Setup Menu” appears. You can step through these items with the “+” or “-“ key.
Total Count – The total count displayed is the total number of prints that have passed through the printer. It is
non-resettable.
BIOS Version – The version of the BIOS is displayed in this menu when the “+” key is pressed once. From
time to time, it may be necessary to upgrade the BIOS in the printer. When this is done, the new BIOS version
can be checked in this manner.
Bulk Ink – This feature is not used on the AS 226p/AS 268p. No provisions are made to install the larger
cartridges.
+ / - key
In the various menu modes, these keys are used to step through the options.
ON LINE key
The printer automatically goes on line and the light in the ON LINE key lights when there is information from the
computer to print. Pressing the ON LINE key during the printing operation will take the printer off line and stop
the printing. To reset the printer to its ready state, turn it off line then press and hold the RESET key until the light
in the TEST PRINT key blinks.
RESET key
The RESET key is used to clear the printer memory and return it to the wait state. This key only functions if the
printer is off line.
Printer Driver Properties
NOTE: The references in this manual are to the AS 226p printer. They also apply to the AS 268p printer.
The difference is that the AS 226p printer has six printheads and the AS 268p has eight printheads.
The printer driver describes to the printer how to print your job. It controls the operation of the printer and allows
you to send fixed and variable text and graphics to the printer.
Within your data, management software is a print function. In
that, print function is a properties button. It is through the
properties that you control the output of your printer. The
following describes the properties windows for the AS 226p/AS
268p and how to use them to customize the output of your printer.
To start printing click on File, then Print. The Print window will
open. If you wish to print the job click on OK. If you wish to

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
11
use the special features built into the AS 226p/AS 268p drivers. Clicking on the Properties button will open the
properties window in Windows 95, 98, NT, or ME.
If you are using Windows 2000 or XP the window on the
right will open. Clicking on Advanced will open the Options
window. In the following illustrations the windows for
Windows 95, 98, NT, and ME will be on the left. The
windows for Windows 2000 and XP will be on the right.
When the properties window opens you are presented with several tabs in Windows 95 and 98. The following are
standard windows printer driver functions and should be left at their defaults: Graphics, Fonts, and Device
Options. The Features and Print Heads tabs are used to setup, change, and adjust the printer.
Features Tab
The Features Tab/ Advanced Options depending on the operating system is used to change the speed and
resolution of the Printer, to add a delay to the feed to provide separation between the pieces, and to print and overlay
with the job. The first feature is the Print Quality, which has two settings. One for the Resolution of the print
quality and the second for the appropriate speed. Changing the resolution to a higher number e.g. 200 DPI to 600
DPI will increase the quality of the image. When the resolution is changed, the Belt speed (IPS) is automatically
changed to the optimum speed for the resolution selected. You can, however change the speeds to a lower speed as
follows:

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
12
The Feed Delay can be used to put more space between the pieces as they are being printed. This will give the first
piece printed more time to dry before the next piece is printer. The adjustment range is in 0.1-second increments.
This feature works at all speeds.
The Overlay feature is used to save time printing when you are combining a database with fixed information or
graphics. The default is “No overlay”.
Resolution Speeds available
150 DPI Low, Medium, Medium High,
and High
200 DPI Low, Medium, and Medium
High
300 DPI Low, and Medium
600 DPI Low

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
13
To use the Overlay feature, first create a layout in an application such as Microsoft Word. Place all of the fixed
information and graphics on this layout. Open the layout and go to Print in the File menu. Click on Features and
then click on Overlay. Select “Contains overlay” from the box, and then click on Apply and OK.
Next, click OK on the “Print” window. The overlay will down load and the printer will start running.
Now open the job that contains the variable data and using File then Print from the drop down menu open the
“Print” window for the application. Click on Properties then on the Features tab. Then click on the drop down
menu under Overlay and click on Previous job contains overlay. Click Apply, then OK. When the Print window
reappears, click OK to send the job to the printer. To start printing press the ENTER key on the printer.
If you wish to print a second job using the same overlay, simply open that job and send it to the printer. If the next
job does not contain an overlay, then click on Properties in the “Print” window, select Overlay, then No overlay.
Click Apply, then OK.
To print the next job with a different overlay, repeat the process for the first overlay.
NOTE: Turning the printer OFF, then ON will clear the overlay and the job.
Print Heads Tab
The purpose of the Print Heads tab is to permit slight (0.001-inch) adjustment to the position of the print heads to
each other. The adjustment is used to precisely align the three printheads when printing graphics or type that
extends beyond the width of one printhead. Each head can be moved +/- 0.048-inch in 0.001-inch increments.
If you want to move the printhead toward the lead edge of your layout then it should be moved in the “-“ direction.
To move the head away from the lead edge move it in the “+” direction.
When the printer is turned off, the changes that you make in this manner go back to the original settings.
Inverse Printing
The Paper tab contains one element that is used to reverse or invert the printing on the AS 226p/AS 268p.
In normal operation the printing is read from the operator side of the printer. It is sometimes necessary to turn the
printing direction 180 degrees from the normal direction. This occurs when because of the layout or the method of
binding the media must be fed in the reverse direction.
Clicking on the paper tab and then on the paper source will permit you to reverse the printing direction 180 degrees.
The rest of the settings on this tab should be left as they are. Paper size is always “Max Print Area” and Orentation
is always “Portrait”. Do not change them.

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
14
Printing from Microsoft Word
If you are not using a specific program designed for mailing applications it is possible to print your mail pieces
using Microsoft Word. This section will cover how to layout a piece and to print from Microsoft Word.
To begin open a new page and turn on the tool bar for Mail
Merge. Under Print, select the Address Printer 6 as the default
printer. Go to Page Setup in the File menu. Set all of the
margins to “0”.
NOTE: The printer must be selected before you do the
setup so that the setting will be registered.
Next, select the Page Size tab and Custom Page. The size of
the layout should be 3-inches high for the AS 226p or 4-inches
high for the AS 268p, by the length of the piece you are
intending to print. In our example, we have selected the width
of a # 10 envelope, 9.5-inches. The orientation of the piece is
always Portrait. The effective printing area of the AS 226p is
3-inches by 17-inches and 4-inche by 17 inches for the AS
268p. When you have completed this step click OK.
The next step is to create a text box so that you can position the address the proper distance from the lead edge of the
piece. Once the page layout is set, you might want to save it as a template for use later.

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
15
When you have completed the steps above the layout for an AS 226p should look like the one below.
NOTE: When setting up a layout for the AS 226p/AS 268p, be aware that the printheads are aligned in four
banks and these banks can be aligned so that you can print up to 3” wide with the AS 226p or 4” wide with
the AS 268p on your media, or spread the printing over the width of the media. There are two printheads
that will print 1” or 1 1/2” of information depending on the printer and two single heads that will print 1/2”
of information depending on the printer model. How you position them is up to the requirements of the job.
Click on Tools and then Mail Merge. The “Mail Merge
Helper “ window will open. Click On Create, then
Envelopes. The “Microsoft Word” window will open.
Click on the Active Window button, and then click on
the Get Data button. Next, click on Open data source.
Locate the data file you intend to use. In our example,
we are using a Microsoft Excel file. Select the file and
the “Microsoft Excel” window opens select entire
spreadsheet and click OK.
Next, click on Edit Main Document and then click on
Close.
Use the Mail Merge Tool Bar, click on Insert Merge
Field, and begin to build the layout by inserting the
address fields.
When you have completed setting
up the layout, click on the Mail
Merge icon on the tool bar and
the “Merge” window will open.
In the Merge to menu, there are
several choices for where how the
data is exported. The two that
concerns us is “New Document”
and “Printer”. If you choose
“New Document”, the merge will
be created in your word
application with a separate record
for each address. If you choose
“Printer”, the merge will send directly to the printer and each record will be printed.

SECTION 3
OPERATING THE AS 226p/AS 268p
16
The next selection is “Records to be merged”. You can select All or From.
The last selection is “When merging records”. The default is “Don’t print blank lines when data fields are empty.”
This should be left checked.
Clicking on Merge will start the process of merging the documents.
If you chose to send the merge directly to the printer and the printer is connected to the computer and turned ON, the
printer will start. Pressing the ENTER key will start the printing process.
If you have a graphic or fixed text to be printed with the data, refer to the section on Overlays.
Print Recovery After Jam
If the media should jam in the printer during the run, it is possible to recover up to 10 pieces that might be lost. If a
jam occurs, the printer control panel will display “Jam: Reprint Lost pieces”.
To recover the lost pieces do the following:
1. Press the MENU key and use the +key to step to the “Address Recovery” routine.
2. Press the ENTER key and the following display will appear “Enter: Recover 1 piece”.
3. Use the +key to select the number of pieces you wish to recover.
NOTE: The next two pieces are in the printer buffer when the jam occurred, so if you want to recover the
piece that jammed step to 2 pieces. If you want to recover, the piece before the piece that jammed and the
next piece enter three. You can recover from 2 to 10 pieces that were printed by using the + key to step to the
number of pieces you wish to recover.
4. Next, press the ENTER key again to register the number of pieces to be recovered.
5. Then press the ENTER key again to restart the printer.
6. You may repeat this process as many times as required. When you reach the end of the database if the last
piece jams, then enter 1 piece to be recovered.