Oki ML280 Elite User manual

ML280 ELITE
user's guide

PREFACE > 2
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this document is complete,
accurate, and up-to-date. The manufacturer assumes no responsibility for the results of
errors beyond its control. The manufacturer also cannot guarantee that changes in
software and equipment made by other manufacturers and referred to in this Guide will
not affect the applicability of the information in it. Mention of software products
manufactured by other companies does not necessarily constitute endorsement by the
manufacturer.
While all reasonable efforts have been made to make this document as accurate and
helpful as possible, we make no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, as to the
accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein.
The most up-to-date drivers and manuals are available from the Oki Europe website:
http://www.okieurope.com
Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.
Oki and Microline are registered trademarks of Oki Electric Industry Company Ltd.
Energy Star is a trademark of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Hewlett-Packard, HP, and LaserJet are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard
Company.
Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Apple, Macintosh and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc.
Other product names and brand names are registered trademarks or trademarks of
their proprietors.
As an Energy Star Program Participant, the manufacturer has
determined that this product meets the Energy Star guidelines for
energy efficiency.
This product complies with the requirements of the Council Directives
89/336/EEC (EMC) and 73/23/EEC (LVD) asamended where applicable
on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to
electromagnetic compatibility and low voltage.
NOTE
Energy Star does not apply to the DC version of this product.

CONTENTS > 3
CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Using this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Online usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Printing Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Contents and Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Removing the shipping restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Installing/Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . 11
Ribbon Cartridge Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing the Platen Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Adjusting the Head Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Fitting the Paper Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Setting up your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Power Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
For AC models:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
For DC models:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Rear feed continuous form fan-fold paper . . . . . . .17
Bottom feed continuous form fan-fold paper . . . .20
Top feed single sheet paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Testing your printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Computer Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Parallel (LPT) Connection, IEEE 1284 . . . . . . . . . . . 23
USB Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Serial Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Printer Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operating your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Front Panel Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Setting Printer Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Entering the MENU mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Default Menu selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Using the pull Tractor Unit (if fitted) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Using the Cut-sheet Feeder (if fitted) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
manual loading with the Cut-sheet Feeder
installed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Cut-sheet Feeder controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

CONTENTS > 4
Using the Roll Paper Stand (if fitted) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Loading the Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Adjusting the Printhead Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Testing your printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Clearing Paper Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Rear Feed Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Rear Feed, Repeating Paper Jams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Single Sheet Paper Jams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Parts and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Purchasing Parts & Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Oki contact details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

CONTENTS > 5
NOTES, CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS
CAUTION!
A caution appears in this manual like this. A caution provides
additional information which, if ignored, may result in equipment
malfunction or damage.
WARNING!
A warning appears in this manual like this. A warning provides
additional information which, if ignored, may result in a risk of
personal injury.
NOTE
A note appears like this. A note provides additional information to
supplement the main text.

INTRODUCTION > 6
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on purchasing this Oki printer!
In this chapter you will find a summary of the main features of your
printer followed by some advice on how to use this User’s Guide to get
the most from your printer.
The ML280 Elite is an entry level 9 pin dot-matrix printer. It is fast,
robust, compact and light. Outstanding reliability, compact size and
ease of use make it ideal for industrial workstation applications, as
well as customer service points in wholesale, retail and service
environments.
USING THIS MANUAL
This manual will lead you logically through the unpacking, setting up
and operation of your printer to help you to make the best use of its
many advanced features. Also included are guidelines for
troubleshooting and maintenance to ensure that it continues to
perform at its best. Instructions are also provided for adding optional
accessories as your needs evolve.
lThe User’s Guide has been written using one printer as a
model, and the illustrations/screenshots reflect this. What you
see will be appropriate to the model you are installing.
lThe User’s Guide has been designed to provide you with a
clear presentation on the installation and maintenance of your
new printer. This information is compiled in the logical
sequence required to result in a successful installation.
NOTE
lThe information in this manual is supplemented by the extensive
online help facility associated with the printer driver software.
lIn addition, we provide a Technical Reference Guide for those users
requiring more in-depth Technical information. This is available in
English only.

INTRODUCTION > 7
ONLINE USAGE
This manual is intended to be read on screen using Adobe Acrobat
Reader. Use the navigation and viewing tools provided in Acrobat.
You can access specific information in two ways:
lIn the list of bookmarks down the left hand side of your screen,
click on the topic of interest to jump to the required topic. (If
the bookmarks are not available, use the Table of Contents).
lIn the list of bookmarks click on Index to jump to the Index. (If
the bookmarks are not available, use the Table of Contents).
Find the term of interest in the alphabetically arranged index
and click on the associated page number to jump to the page
containing the subject.
PRINTING PAGES
The whole book, individual pages, or sections may be printed. The
procedure is:
1. From the toolbar, select [File], then [Print] (or press the
Ctrl + P keys).
2. Choose which pages you wish to print:
(a) All pages, for the entire manual.
(b) Current page for the page at which you are looking.

INTRODUCTION > 8
(c) Pages from and to for the range of pages you specify by
entering their page numbers.
3. Click on OK.

GETTING STARTED > 9
GETTING STARTED
LOCATION
lSelect a firm, solid surface on which to site your printer.
lAllow enough space around the printer to easily access the
platen knob and the various paper feed paths.
lMake sure a suitable grounded power outlet is available
nearby.
lRead the Installation Safety Booklet.
CONTENTS AND UNPACKING
lIf any items are missing, contact your dealer immediately.
lKeep your packing materials and carton in case you ever need
to ship or transport the printer.
1. Printer 6. Installation Safety booklet
2. Ribbon Cartridge 7. Pan European limited Warranty
3. Power Cord(s) - AC (3a);DC (3b) 8. Manual CD
4. Platen Knob 9. Driver CD
5. Sheet Separator 10. Setup Guide
1
2
3a
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
3b

GETTING STARTED > 10
Do not plug the printer into the AC supply until the following steps
have been completed:
REMOVING THE SHIPPING RESTRAINT
1. Remove any packing tape. Insert your hand in the top cover
slot (2) and remove the access cover (1) by lifting it.
2. Remove the printhead shipping restraint. Keep shipping
restraint for future use.
3. Reinstall the access cover.
2
1