EPSON Stylus C42 Series ® Printer Basics Copyright Notice 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 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. A Note Concerning Responsible Use of Copyrighted Materials Digital cameras and scanners, like photocopiers, conventional cameras, and ink jet printers, can be misused by improper copying and reprinting of copyrighted material. While some countries' laws permit limited copying of copyrighted material in certain circumstances, those circumstances may not be as broad as some people assume. EPSON encourages each user to be responsible and respectful of the copyright laws when using digital cameras, scanners, and ink jet printers. Trademarks EPSON, EPSON Stylus, EPSON Photo Stickers, and MicroWeave are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. EPSON Print Lab, SoundAdvice, and EPSON Store are service marks, and PhotoEnhance is a trademark of Epson America, Inc. 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. The ENERGY STAR emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service. Copyright © 2002 by Epson America, Inc. 6/02 2 Contents WELCOME! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Your Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 13 17 20 22 23 23 24 25 25 26 27 29 30 31 PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting the Settings You Use Most Often . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing on a Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macintosh OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing on Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting the Correct Paper Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MAINTAINING YOUR PRINTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running the Head Cleaning Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing an Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ink Cartridge Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aligning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transporting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SOLVING PROBLEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diagnosing Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running a Printer Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup and Software Installation Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paper Feeding Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscellaneous Printout Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reinstalling Printer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macintosh OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where To Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 33 34 35 36 36 37 38 41 42 43 43 44 44 46 REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Windows System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Macintosh System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 54 55 56 EPSON INK JET PAPERS AND INK CARTRIDGES . . . . . . . . . HOW TO ORDER EPSON INK AND PAPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Welcome! Printing with your EPSON Stylus® C42 printer is easy, friendly, and fast. Simple enough for even the most inexperienced user, the Stylus C42 prints everything from school reports to family photos with great results. For added value, it supports a wide range of EPSON® special media, including ® Glossy Photo Greeting Cards, Photo Stickers, and special photo papers in a variety SM of sizes and finishes. Visit the EPSON Store at www.epsonstore.com for a complete list. It's a good idea to check EPSON's support web site periodically for free updates to your printer software. Visit http://support.epson.com. Download instructions are posted for your convenience. About Your Documentation To set up your printer and install your Windows® XP or Macintosh® software, see the Start Here sheet. To install your Windows 98, Me, or 2000 printer software, see the Installing Software for Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 booklet. This booklet also contains safety instructions, your printer warranty, and other important information. This online manual contains information about: I I I I Printing with Windows or on a Macintosh Maintaining the printer Solving basic problems System requirements and printer specifications Welcome! 5 Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips Please follow these guidelines: Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury. Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment. Notes contain important information about your printer. Tips contain additional hints for better printing. Welcome! 6 Printing From Start to Finish Before you start, make sure your printer software is installed as described on the Start Here sheet or Installing Software for Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 booklet. No matter what you print, you need to remember two things: I Use the right paper. For the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text, always use EPSON ink jet papers. Choose the right Paper Type setting (Media Type setting on the Macintosh). Your printer automatically adjusts itself for each type of paper. That's why this setting is important. It tells your printer what kind of paper you're using. So remember to check your Paper Type setting every time you print. If you're not sure which setting to use with your paper, see page 22. I Follow the instructions in these sections: I I I I I Loading Paper on page 8 Printing in Windows on page 9 Printing on a Macintosh on page 13 Printing on Envelopes on page 20 Selecting the Correct Paper Type on page 22 Printing From Start to Finish 7 Loading Paper Make sure your printer and computer are turned on. 1. Place your paper against the right edge of the sheet feeder, behind the tab. 2. Press in the locking tab on the left edge guide and slide it against the paper. Load paper behind the tab Press the locking tab and slide the left edge guide against the paper 3. Pull out the output tray extension. Follow these guidelines when loading paper: I I I I I I Always load the short edge first, even when you're printing landscape oriented documents. Load the printable side face up. It's usually whiter or brighter than the other side. Load letterhead or preprinted paper into the printer top edge first. Don't load paper above the arrow on the left edge guide. Load the following media types one sheet at a time: Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets, Photo Stickers, and Panoramic Photo Paper. , If you're using special media, follow the instructions that came with the media. Printing From Start to Finish 8 Printing in Windows Here's what to do to print a basic document--such as a newsletter or school project. Make sure you have paper in the printer, as described on page 8. After you create your document in a software program, follow these steps to print. 1. From the File menu, click Print. You see a Print window (your window may look different): Select your printer here Click here to open your printer software 2. Make sure EPSON Stylus C42 Series is selected. 3. Click the Properties or Preferences button. (If you see a Setup, Printer, or Options button, click it. Then click Properties or Preferences on the next screen.) Printing From Start to Finish 9 You see your printer Properties (or Preferences) window. 1 Choose your document type 2 Choose your paper type . . . 3 and paper size 4 Click here 4. Select the type of document you're printing: I I I I I Draft: Text: For rough drafts on plain paper. Saves ink. For text-only documents, like letters or reports. Delivers high-quality text printing. Text & Image: For documents that have both text and images, like newsletters. Photo: For photos and graphics, when you want good quality with faster printing. For photos or graphics, when you need highest quality printing. Because this setting increases resolution, it also increases print time. Photo RPM: 5. Load the right paper for your document. See page 8 for loading instgructions. Printing From Start to Finish 10 6. If you loaded special paper, choose the correct paper type (click the arrow to scroll through the Type list). If you're not sure which setting to select, see page 22. 7. Select your paper size (click on the arrow to scroll through the Size list). 8. If necessary, select your page orientation: Portrait for documents that are longer than they are wide, or Landscape for documents that are wider than they are long. 9. You can also make these settings: I I I I I Photo Enhance: Improves the appearance of low-resolution and improperly exposed photos. Does not work when Black Ink Only is selected. (Image Color Matching): Matches colors on your printout as closely as possible to the colors you see using ICM-compatible monitors or scanners. Prints using only black ink. ICM Black Ink Only: Reverse Order: Prints your document so that the pages are in the right order when you retrieve them from the paper tray. Lets you see what your printout will look like before you print. Print Preview: For more information about printer settings, click the Help button, or right-click any item on the screen and then click What's This?. 10. Click OK to return to the Print window. Then click OK (or Print) to start printi ...