Oki MICROLINE ML310 User manual

OKI®®
®®
®MICROLINE®310
Printer Handbook
P/N 59342501

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information
in this document is complete, accurate and up-to-date. Oki
Data assumes no responsibility for the results of errors
beyond its control. Oki Data also cannot guarantee that
changes in software and equipment made by other
manufacturers, and referred to in this handbook, will not
affect the applicability of the information in this manual.
Mention of software products manufactured by other
companies does not necessarily constitute endorsement by
Oki Data.
© 2002 by Oki Data.
Written and produced by the Oki Data Training and
Publications Department. Please address any comments on
this publication to:
Training & Publications Dept.
Oki Data Americas, Inc.
2000 Bishops Gate Blvd.
Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054-4620
OKI, OKIDATA and MICROLINE are registered
trademarks of Oki Electric Industry Company, Ltd.
ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson
Corporation (SEC), registered in the U.S. and other
countries.
Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and other countries.
Year 2000 Compliance
All products currently sold by Oki Data are Year 2000
Compliant. Each product contains information technology
that accurately processes date and time data between the
years 1999 and 2000, and carries no issue for the
September 9, 1999 (9999) programming concern. These
products, when used in combination with products
purchased from other manufacturers, whose products
properly exchange data and time information, will
accurately process the date and time. All future products
are committed to meeting the same Year 2000 compliance.
ENERGY STAR
As an ENERGY STAR®Partner, Oki Data
has determined that this product meets
the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy
efficiency.

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Printer Handbook: English 3
Important Safety Instructions
• Be certain that your power source matches the rating
listed on the back of the printer. If you aren’t sure,
check with your dealer or with your local power
company.
• Your printer has a grounded, 3-prong plug as a safety
feature. It will only fit into a grounded outlet. If you
can not plug it in, chances are that you have an older,
non-grounded outlet. Contact an electrician to have it
replaced with a grounded outlet. Do not use an adapter
to defeat the grounding.
• To avoid damaging the power cord, do not put anything
on it or place it where it will be walked on. If the cord
becomes damaged or frayed, replace it immediately.
Your OKI printer has been carefully designed to give you
years of safe, reliable performance. As with all electrical
equipment, there are a few basic precautions you should
take to avoid hurting yourself or damaging the printer:
• Carefully read all setup and operating instructions. Be
sure to save all documents for future reference.
• Read and follow all warning and instruction labels on
the printer itself.
• Place your printer on a firm, solid surface. If you put in
on something unsteady, it might fall and be damaged.
• Avoid overheating the printer. Do not place it on a soft
surface, such as a rug, sofa, or bed. The vents may be
blocked, causing the printer to overheat.
• The printer must be installed near a power outlet which
will remain easily accessible.

|Safety4
• If you’re using an extension cord or power strip with the
printer, make sure that the total of the amperes required
by all the equipment on the extension is less than the
extension’s rating. Generally, the total ratings of all
equipment plugged into any one power line should not
exceed 15 amperes. Don’t exceed this unless you know
that the power line your equipment is plugged into has a
rating above 15 amperes.
• Unplug the printer before you clean it. Use only a damp
cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
• To protect your printer from overheating, make sure no
openings on the printer are blocked. Do not put the
printer on or near a heat source, such as a radiator or
heat register. If you put the printer in any kind of
enclosure, make sure it is well ventilated.
• The printhead can get quite hot when it has been
printing for a length of time. Do not touch the printhead
until it has had a chance to cool off.
• Do not use your printer near water. Do not spill liquid
of any kind into it.
• Do not poke anything into the ventilation slots on the
sides of the printer. You could get a shock or cause a
fire.
• Aside from the routine maintenance described in this
document, don’t try to service the printer yourself.
Opening the cover may expose you to shocks or other
hazards. Don’t make any adjustments other than those
outlined in the document. You might cause damage
requiring extensive repair work.
• If anything happens that indicates that your printer is
not working properly or has been damaged, unplug it
immediately and have your printer serviced.
These are some of the things to look for:
– The power cord or plug is frayed or damaged.
– Liquid has been spilled into the housing, or the
printer has been exposed to water.
– The printer has been dropped or its cabinet has
been damaged.
– The printer doesn’t function normally when you’re
following the operating instructions.

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Printer Handbook: English 5
Table of Contents
Setting Up ............................................................. 6
Components .................................................................. 6
Remove the Shipping Materials ................................... 7
Install/Replace the Ribbon Cartridge ........................... 8
Install the Platen Knob ............................................... 10
Install the Paper Separator .......................................... 10
Install the Power Cord ................................................. 11
Connect To the Computer ............................................ 11
Load Paper .................................................................. 12
Loading Continuous Form Paper for Bottom Feed . 13
Loading Continuous Form Paper for Rear Feed ..... 16
Loading Single Sheets ............................................. 19
Run the Self Test ......................................................... 20
Controlling the Printer ...................................... 21
The Front Panel .......................................................... 21
Printer Driver .............................................................. 23
Appendix A: Replacement Parts ...................... 25
Appendix B: Control Circuit Board Switches 27
Appendix C: Specifications ............................... 29
Index ................................................................... 31

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6
Setting Up
Components
Unpack the box and check for the following:
✔Interface cables and paper are sold separately.
ML310 Printer
Ribbon cartridge
Platen knob
Power cord
Paper separator
• Grounding screw (not illustrated: see “Connect to the
Computer” later in this section)
• CD (not illustrated)
✔If any of these items is missing or damaged, see your
dealer for a replacement.

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Printer Handbook: English 7
Remove the Shipping
Materials
1Remove any packing tape.
2Check for a protective film on the front panel, and
remove it.
3Lift off the acoustic cover.
4Pull up on the access cover to unsnap it, then remove it.
5Remove the shipping retainer that secures the printhead
during shipment. Save it in case you ever need to ship
the printer.

|Setting Up8
2Center the printhead (1) so that it’s away from the bail
rollers. Make sure the bail is closed (lever back).
à
Leave the clear plastic ribbon shield (1) on the
cartridge! Use only genuine Oki Data ribbon
cartridges.
Install/Replace the Ribbon
Cartridge
1If necessary, lift off the acoustic cover and remove the
access cover.
ë Caution! It is recommended that the printer be
switched off prior to removing the access cover. The
printhead can get very hot during extended periods
of printing—be sure to let it cool off before you
touch it.

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Printer Handbook: English 9
3If you are replacing the ribbon cartridge, grasp the
sides of the cartridge at either side of the printhead
(Caution! printhead can be HOT!), then lift the used
cartridge out and discard it.
4With the knob side up, tilt the new ribbon cartridge onto
the printhead plate so that it slides into the area of the
plate that is closest to the front of the printer, then lower
the ribbon shield over the printhead (Caution! Printhead
may be HOT!), aligning the tabs with the inserts on the
printhead plate.
✔If the ribbon won’t load easily, turn the knob slightly
until the x-shaped notch on the bottom of the ribbon
cartridge aligns with the x-shaped insert on the ribbon
plate.
5Press on the cartridge until you feel it snap into place.
6If you are replacing the ribbon cartridge, put the access
cover back on and press down until it snaps into place,
then replace the acoustic cover.

|Setting Up10
Install the Platen Knob
Insert the knob in the hole on the right side of the printer,
lining up the notch in the knob with the pin on the shaft.
Install the Paper Separator
Place the tabs (1) on the paper separator into the slots (2)
on the printer, then press down to snap it in place.

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Printer Handbook: English 11
Install the Power Cord
1Make sure the printer is turned off.
2Plug the power cord supplied with your printer into the
power socket (1).
à
The outlet voltage must match the voltage marked
on the printer label.
3Plug the opposite end into a grounded outlet.
Connect To the Computer
✔The interface cable is not supplied with the printer.
1Insert the plug into the parallel port on the back of the
printer (1) and secure it with the wire clips (2).
2If necessary, use the grounding screw suplied with the
printer to attach the frame ground wire to the hole (3) at
the right of the parallel port.
3Connect the other end of the cable to the computer.
4Turn the printer on.

|Setting Up12
Load Paper
✔The maximum usable thickness of multi-part forms is
0.014 inch (0.36 mm).
Set the Printhead Gap Lever
Before you load continuous paper, be sure to set the blue
printhead gap lever (1) as follows:
• position 1 for 1- or 2-part paper
• position 2 for 3- or 4-part paper
• position 3 for 5-part, extra-thick paper.
Paper Lever Positions
= Continuous Forms
= Single Sheet
Bail Lever Positions
Open Closed

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Printer Handbook: English 13
Loading Continuous Form Paper for
Bottom Feed
1Set the printer on a slotted printer stand (optional,
available from third party), aligning the opening in the
base of the printer with the slot on the stand.
2Place the paper stack on the bottom of the printer stand.
✔ If the printer is on and selected (SELECT light on),
press the SELECT button to deselect it.
✔ If you are reloading paper, remove the acoustic cover
and the access cover.
3Pull the paper lever (1) forward (continuous forms
position) and open the bail lever (2).

|Setting Up14
4Slide the paper through the opening in the base of the
printer, then push the paper lever (1) back (single sheet
position) and turn the platen knob (2) to move the paper
up level with the paper bail (3).
5Pull the paper lever forward.
6Pull up the lock levers (1) to release the tractors and
open the tractor covers (2).
✔ The pins (1) at either end of the platen are not used
with the pull tractor installed. Please leave them
locked in place.

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Printer Handbook: English 15
7Slide the tractors to align them with the edges of the
paper, then set the paper holes on the tractor pins (1).
Make sure the paper covers the groove on the left side
of the platen, then slide the tractor guide (2) to the
center of the paper.
8Adjust the tractors so that the paper holes are centered
on the pins, then close the tractor covers.
9Space the rollers on the paper bail evenly across the
paper, then close the bail lever.
10 Use the platen knob to advance the paper up to the
second sheet, then move the paper up to where you
want the first line of printing to begin (top of form).
The position you have selected will be set
automatically when you turn the printer on.
✔ If the printer is on, press the TOF SET button while
the printer is deselected (SELECT light off) to set
the position as the top of form.
11 Put the access cover back on and press down until it
snaps into place, then replace the acoustic cover.

|Setting Up16
Loading Continuous Form Paper for
Rear Feed
1Place the paper stack behind the printer.
✔ If the printer is on and selected (SELECT light on),
press the SELECT button to deselect it.
✔ If you are reloading paper, remove the acoustic cover
and the access cover.
2With the paper separator lying flat on the printer, slide
the guides (1) to their widest position.
3Pull the paper lever (1) forward (continuous forms
position) and open the bail lever (2).

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Printer Handbook: English 17
4Insert the paper in the slot in the paper separator and
guide it into the printer underneath the platen.
5Push the paper lever (1) back (single sheet position) and
turn the platen knob (2) to move the paper up level with
the paper bail (3).
6Pull the paper lever forward.

|Setting Up18
7Pull up the lock levers (1) to release the tractors and
open the tractor covers (2).
✔ The pins (1) at either end of the platen are not used
with the pull tractor installed. Please leave them
locked in place.
8Slide the tractors to align them with the edges of the
paper, then set the paper holes on the tractor pins (1).
Make sure the paper covers the groove on the left side
of the platen, then slide the tractor guide (2) to the
center of the paper.
9Adjust the tractors so that the paper holes are centered
on the pins, then close the tractor covers.
ë The paper may jam or cause other problems if it is
stretched too tightly or left too loose on the pins. If
the sprocket holes stretch or tear during printing,
readjust the pins.

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Printer Handbook: English 19
10 Space the rollers on the paper bail evenly across the
paper, then close the bail lever.
11 Adjust the paper guides on the back of the paper
separator so that they are as close to the edges of the
paper as possible without touching it.
12 Use the platen knob to advance the paper up to the
second sheet, then move the paper up to where you
want the first line of printing to begin (top of form).
The position you have selected will be set
automatically when you turn the printer on.
✔ If the printer is on, press the TOF SET button while
the printer is deselected (SELECT light off) to set
the position as the top of form.
13 Put the access cover back on and press down until it
snaps into place, then replace the acoustic cover.
Loading Single Sheets
✔ If the printer is on and selected (SELECT light on),
press the SELECT button to deselect it.
1Use the platen knob to remove any continuous forms
paper from the print path.
2Remove the acoustic cover.
3Raise the paper separator to the upright position, then
slide the guide (1) to the position marked for single
sheets (2).

|Setting Up20
4Push the paper lever back (single sheet position).
5Insert a single sheet of paper.
6Remove the access cover and open the bail lever.
7Use the platen knob to wind the paper through to the
front of the printer, guiding it under the open bail, then
close the bail lever.
8Use the platen knob to adjust the place on the sheet
where the first line of printing will begin (top of form).
The top of form you have selected will be set
automatically when you turn the printer on.
✔ If the printer is on, press the TOF SET button while
the printer is deselected (SELECT light off) to set
the position as the top of form.
9Replace the access cover.
10 Press the SELECT button to reselect the printer (the
SELECT light will come on).
Switching Back to Continuous Forms
1Open the bail lever and move the paper lever to the
continuous forms position.
2Remove the printed sheet from the printer.
3Load the continuous forms paper (see the appropriate
section under Load Paper in this manual).
Run the Self Test
Hold down the LINE FEED button while turning on the
printer.
✔The first line of the self test contains information on the
version printer you’re using. If you should call for
information or service, please have a self-test printout
handy so that our customer Service Representative can
determine exactly what model printer you have.