Epson 300 User Manual
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Epson 300 User Manual

Epson 300 User Manual

Color inkjet printer
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See also: User Manual , Instruction and Installation Manual
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 CORP.
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 CORP. 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 CORP.'s operating and maintenance instructions.
SEIKO EPSON CORP. 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 CORP.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines 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 © 1998 by Epson America, Inc.
CPD-6707
Printed on recycled paper.
User's Guide

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Summary of Contents for Epson 300

  • Page 1 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 CORP. nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this...
  • Page 2 FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Using a printer stand ..... . Plugging in the Printer ..... . .
  • Page 4 ......5-9 Transporting the Printer ..... . . 5-10 .
  • Page 5 Error indicators ......Printer operation check .....

  • Page 6: Important Safety Instructions

    Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer. Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a radiator or heat source. Place the printer on a flat surface. The printer will not operate properly if it is tilted or at an angle.

  • Page 7: A Few Precautions

    Do not put your hand inside the printer or touch the ink cartridge during printing. Do not move the print head by hand; this may damage the printer.
  • Page 8 P power light flashes until the print head is capped, which means it is at rest in the far right position. Do not unplug the printer or turn off the power to the outlet until the P power light stops flashing. The printer caps the print head when no data is received for several seconds.
  • Page 9 Getting to Know Your Printer Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions ... . System Requirements ......

  • Page 10: Printer Parts And Control Panel Functions

    Printer Parts and Control Panel Functions paper thickness paper support lever edge guides power switch control panel left edge guide lock lever printer cover sheet feeder paper out cleaning ink out light button load/eject power light button light ink cartridge clamp...
  • Page 11 Returns the print head to its home position after ink cartridge replacement. Performs print head cleaning if pressed for 3 seconds when the Lights The lights turn on or flash to indicate the printer status. Printer Status Printer is on. — —...

  • Page 12: System Requirements

    System Requirements To use your printer with a PC, you need Microsoft 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Window 95, or Windows 98; and a shielded, twisted-pair parallel cable. The following table shows the system requirements for using just the printer software (printer driver and utilities) included on the CD-ROM packed with your printer.

  • Page 13: Options And Consumable Products

    Options and Consumable Products Interface cables EPSON supplies several types of interface cables. You can use any interface cable that meets the specifications listed below. See your computer manual for any additional requirements. Parallel Interface Cable (shielded) C83602 from D-SUB...

  • Page 14: Warnings, Cautions, And Notes

    EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Paper (Letter) EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies (A4) EPSON Ink Jet Transparencies (Letter) EPSON Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheet (A4) S041106 EPSON Photo Paper (4 x 6 in.) Note: Ink jet printers are particularly sensitive to the condition of your paper.

  • Page 15: Where To Get Help

    You can call the EPSON Download Service at (800) 442-2007. Set your communications software to 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity.
  • Page 16 Computer configuration Description of the problem You can purchase ink cartridges, paper, manuals, accessories, and parts from EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer referral. Note: If you need help using another manufacturer’s software with an EPSON product, see the documentation for that program for technical support information.
  • Page 17 Using a printer stand ..... . Plugging in the Printer ..... . .

  • Page 18: Unpacking The Printer

    This chapter explains how to set up your printer. If you did not already do this as described in the Start Here guide, follow the procedures here. (If you did set up your printer, skip to Chapter 3.) Unpacking the Printer...

  • Page 19: Attaching The Paper Support

    Place the printer close enough to the computer for the interface cable to reach it easily. Leave enough room on the table at the front of the printer for the paper to flow freely out of it. Leave adequate room for easy operation and maintenance.

  • Page 20: Using A Printer Stand

    Also keep it away from direct sunlight, strong light, or heat sources. Avoid places subject to shocks and vibrations. Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be easily unplugged. Note for French-speaking users: Placez l’imprimante près d’une prise de contacte où...

  • Page 21: Plugging In The Printer

    Plugging in the Printer 1. Make sure that the printer is turned off. 2. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical outlet. Installing the Ink Cartridge Warning: The ink cartridge is a self-contained unit. Under ordinary use, ink will not leak from a cartridge. If ink does get on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Page 22 1. Turn on the printer. The P power light and the light come on. 2. Hold down the P power light begins flashing, and the print head moves slightly left to the ink cartridge replacement position. Caution: Do not move the print head by hand. Always use the cleaning button to move it.
  • Page 23 3. Open the printer cover. 4. Lift up the ink cartridge clamp as far as it will go. Remove the protective material from the cartridge holder. 5. Open the ink cartridge package. Next, remove only the yellow tape seal from the top of the cartridge as shown below.
  • Page 24 6. Lower the ink cartridge into the holder with the label face up and the arrow mark pointing to the rear. Do not push down on the ink cartridge. arrow mark Setting Up the Printer (S020138)
  • Page 25 Caution: During the ink charging process, the P power light flashes. Never turn off the printer while the P power light is flashing; this can result in incomplete charging of printer ink. cleaning button, the printer...

  • Page 26: Connecting The Printer To Your Pc

    Connect the printer to the computer as follows: 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. 2. Plug the cable connector securely into the printer’s interface connector. Then squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on both sides.

  • Page 27: Installing The Printer Software

    The printer software on your CD-ROM includes: EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 printer driver. The printer driver is software that runs, or “drives”, your printer. With it, you can select settings such as print quality, media type, and paper size.

  • Page 28: Installing The Software For Windows 95 Or Windows 98

    CD-ROM drive and the file “Setup.exe” in the root directory. 5. Click OK. You see the EPSON Printer Utility Setup screen: 6. Make sure EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 is selected, and click OK to start the installation. 7. When the installation is complete, click OK. You see the EPSON window.

  • Page 29: Installing The Software For Windows 3.1

    (Substitute the correct drive letter if your CD-ROM is not drive D.) 5. Select the Stylus COLOR 300 in the EPSON Printer Utility Setup dialog box. Then click OK to start the installation. 6. When the installation is complete, click OK.

  • Page 30: Making Diskettes Of The Printer Software

    Making diskettes of the printer software You can make a diskette version of the printer software (driver, utilities, and online help) on your CD-ROM if desired. You’ll need two 1.44 MB, high-density diskettes. Follow the same steps above for installing the printer software, but when you get to the Run dialog box, type EPSETUP instead of SETUP.
  • Page 31 ......Accessing the Printer Driver and Utilities ... .

  • Page 32: Loading Plain Paper

    Loading Plain Paper This section describes how to load plain paper in the printer. You can also print on ink jet paper, transparencies, index cards, photo-quality glossy paper/film, photo paper, envelopes, and adhesive sheets. For instructions on using special media, see Chapter 4, “Printing on Special Paper.”...
  • Page 33 2. Push down the left edge guide lock lever and slide the left edge guide to the left as far as it will go. 3. Load a stack of paper with the printable surface up and the right edge of the paper resting against the right side of the sheet feeder.
  • Page 34 Then rest the paper against the paper support. This step ensures that the paper is properly loaded in the paper path and will prevent it from getting jammed in the printer. Starting to Print...

  • Page 35: Accessing The Printer Driver And Utilities

    Accessing the Printer Driver and Utilities There are two ways to access the printer driver: from the Windows Start menu or Program Manager, or from your applications. The method you choose depends on how you want the settings to take effect:...

  • Page 36: From Windows 95 Or Windows 98

    Control Panel icon. 2. Double-click the Printers icon. 3. Select the Stylus COLOR 300 from the Installed Printers list. 4. Choose Setup. You see the Main menu of the printer driver window. The Main and Paper menus contain the printer driver settings.

  • Page 37: Getting Information Through Online Help

    From Windows 95 or Windows 98 Start menu To access online help directly from Start, click the Start button, point to Programs and Epson, and then click EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 Help. You see the help contents window. Starting to Print...

  • Page 38: From Windows 3.1 Program Manager

    From Windows 3.1 Program Manager To access online help directly from Program Manager, open the EPSON program group and click the EPSON Stylus COLOR 300 Help icon. You see the help contents window. Starting to Print...
  • Page 39 Chapter 4 Printing on Special Paper Setting the Paper Thickness and Adjust Levers ..Setting the paper thickness lever ....Setting the adjust lever .

  • Page 40: Setting The Paper Thickness And Adjust Levers

    Before you start printing on special paper, you may need to change the paper thickness lever and the adjust lever settings. Note: When changing these settings, make sure the printer is paused and no paper is in the sheet feeder or the paper path. Setting the paper thickness lever The paper thickness lever has two settings: plain paper and thick paper.

  • Page 41: Setting The Adjust Lever

    When you print on thick paper such as envelopes or if ink smears on your documents, set the adjust lever to the “+” position. To change the setting, open the printer cover and position the lever as shown below. Lever Position...

  • Page 42: Loading Special Paper And Other Media

    You can achieve good results on most plain bond paper. For better results, EPSON provides special media such as coated papers and glossy paper/film. For a list of EPSON special media, see page 1-6 or “Printing Supplies” in online help.

  • Page 43: About Special Media Cleaning Sheets

    About special media cleaning sheets Some EPSON special media, such as Photo Quality Glossy Film and Transparencies, have a cleaning sheet packed with the media. Every time you finish printing a package of paper that includes a cleaning sheet, feed the cleaning sheet through the printer or you may experience paper loading problems.

  • Page 44: Loading Envelopes

    Do not use envelopes that are curled or folded. Also avoid using envelopes that are too thin; they may curl during printing. Select Plain Paper as the Media Type setting in the printer driver. Printing on Special Paper Load envelopes top edge...
  • Page 45 Aligning the Print Head ..... . Cleaning the Printer ......

  • Page 46: Replacing The Ink Cartridge

    If you need to replace the ink cartridge with a new one before the V ink out light flashes, see “Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems” on page 6-22. EPSON recommends the use of genuine EPSON ink cartridges. Other products not manufactured by EPSON may cause damage to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.
  • Page 47 Note: If you press the T cleaning button for three seconds when the V ink out light is off, the printer starts cleaning the print head. The print head automatically returns to the home (far right) position after about 60 seconds if you don’t begin the installation procedure.
  • Page 48 5. Lift the cartridge out of the printer and dispose of it properly. Do not take the used cartridge apart or try to refill it. Warning: If ink gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If ink gets into your eyes, flush them immediately with water.
  • Page 49 8. Press the ink cartridge clamp down until it locks in place. 9. Press the cleaning button again to return the print head to the far right position. The printer charges the ink delivery system for about one minute. Caution: The P power light continues to flash while the printer performs the ink charging operation.

  • Page 50: Cleaning The Print Head

    This ensures that the nozzles are delivering ink properly. You can clean the print head from your computer with the Head Cleaning utility in the printer software, or from the printer itself by using the printer’s control panel buttons. Note: Print head cleaning uses ink.
  • Page 51 T cleaning button to return the print head to its home position. 2. Hold down the cleaning button for three seconds. The printer starts cleaning the print head and the P power light begins flashing. Caution: This operation takes about one minute to complete. Never turn off the printer while the P power light is flashing.

  • Page 52: Aligning The Print Head

    A4 size paper loaded short edge first. Otherwise, the print head will spray ink directly onto the platen. 2. Access the printer driver as described in Chapter 3, then click the Utility tab at the top of the printer software window.

  • Page 53: Cleaning The Printer

    Cleaning the Printer To keep your printer operating at its best, you should clean it thoroughly several times a year. 1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Then unplug the power cord. 2. Remove any paper from the sheet feeder.

  • Page 54: Transporting The Printer

    1. Open the printer cover and make sure the print head is positioned at the far right of the printer. If not, turn on the printer and wait until the print head returns to the far right position.
  • Page 55 Error indicators ......Printer operation check .....

  • Page 56: Diagnosing The Problem

    Diagnosing the Problem If you find something wrong with your printer, you may be able to solve the problem by: Checking the “Error indicators” (see below). Performing a “Printer operation check” (see the next page). Trying the recommended solutions in “Problems and Solutions”...

  • Page 57: Printer Operation Check

    Follow these steps: 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. 2. Unlock the wire clips on both sides of the interface connector and remove the ground connector, if necessary. Then disconnect the cable from the printer’s interface connector.
  • Page 58 The printer prints an operation check page including the version of your printer’s ROM, the ink counter code, and a nozzle check pattern. Here is a typical printout: The above sample is in black and white, but the actual test prints in color (CMYK).

  • Page 59: Problems And Solutions

    5. Turn off the printer after it finishes printing one page. If the operation check page results appear as shown in step 4, the printer is all right and the problem probably lies in the printer software settings, application settings, the interface cable, or the computer itself.

  • Page 60: Power Supply

    Cause The printer’s voltage rating does not match the voltage of your electrical outlet. The printer does not work and the control panel lights are off. Cause The printer is turned off. The electrical outlet is controlled by an outside switch or automatic timer.

  • Page 61: Operation

    6-3. Use an interface cable that meets both printer and computer specifications. See page 1-5. Make sure that your printer is selected in your software. If you cannot select your printer, install or reinstall the printer software as described in Chapter 2.
  • Page 62 Select Use Print Manager for this port in the Queue Setup window. To access this window, double-click the EPSON Spool Manager4 icon in the EPSON folder and select Setup from the Queue menu. Try reducing the image resolution of your document in your image-editing software.
  • Page 63 Color documents print out in black and white. Cause Your printer is not selected in your software. Color printing is not selected in your application or in the printer driver. For Windows 95, choose a lower resolution setting as the Color Palette setting.
  • Page 64 Printing starts too high or too low on the page. Cause Margins are set incorrectly in your application. The size of the paper loaded in the printer does not match the paper size setting within your application. Print speed is not what you expect. Cause...
  • Page 65 What to do Make sure Use Print Manager for this port is not checked. Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Epson, and click Spool Manager4. Then click Setup on the Queue menu in the EPSON Spool Manager window.

  • Page 66: Paper Handling

    See “Loading Plain Paper” on page 3-2. Turn off the printer and gently pull all of the paper out of the printer. If it tears and pieces remain inside the printer, open the printer cover; then remove any remaining pieces of paper.
  • Page 67 The printer loads more than one sheet at a time. Cause The paper may have been loaded too deeply into the printer. Too many sheets are loaded in the sheet feeder. The edge guides are not set correctly. The paper thickness lever or the adjust lever position may not be set correctly.
  • Page 68 Troubleshooting What to do Press the load/eject button to eject the paper. Use paper that meets the paper requirements for this printer. See “Paper” in the Appendix. What to do Fan the stack of paper and straighten it before loading.

  • Page 69: Printing Quality

    Use new paper. Select Automatic on the printer driver’s Main menu and make sure the Media Type setting is appropriate for the type of paper loaded in the printer. See online help. To access online help, see page 3-7. What to do Do not store your paper in a damp or humid environment.
  • Page 70 Special paper was loaded without the support sheet or a regular sheet of paper under it. Multiple sheets of EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film are loaded. Ink has leaked on the platen. 6-16 Troubleshooting...
  • Page 71 See page 5-2. Make sure the Media Type setting matches the type of paper loaded in the printer. To access online help, see page 3-7. What to do Align the print head. See page 5-8.
  • Page 72 6-18 Troubleshooting What to do Make sure you load the correct paper in the printer and that you select the same media type in your application and/or the printer driver. For information on Media Type settings in the printer driver, see online help.
  • Page 73 The Media Type setting does not match the loaded paper. Change the Media Type setting in your printer driver to match the type of media you have loaded, or load media that matches the Media Type setting. See online help.
  • Page 74 Color dots are missing in printed characters or graphics. The printed color image has gaps or faint areas. Cause The color print head nozzles are clogged. Black dots are missing in printed characters or graphics. The printed black image has gaps or faint areas. Cause The black print head nozzles are clogged.

  • Page 75: Increasing The Print Speed

    For this reason, it is important to be selective in your use of color if you also require a faster print speed. The following table shows the factors that inversely affect print speed and print quality (increasing one will decrease the other). Printer driver settings Print Quality High Speed Halftoning...

  • Page 76: Fixing Ink Cartridge Problems

    Once you remove an ink cartridge, it becomes unusable and cannot be reinstalled even if ink remains. Otherwise, it may damage the printer or cause the ink level sensor to malfunction. 1. Make sure the printer is on, then open the printer cover. 6-22 Troubleshooting...
  • Page 77 Caution: The P power light continues to flash while the printer performs the ink charging operation. Never turn off the printer while the P power light is flashing. Doing so can result in incomplete charging of ink.

  • Page 78: Appendix

    Appendix Printer Specifications Printing ....... . Paper ....... . .

  • Page 79: Printing

    Since the quality of any particular brand or type of paper may be changed by the manufacturer at any time, EPSON can not attest to the quality of any non-EPSON brand or type of paper. Always test samples of paper stock before purchasing large quantities or printing large jobs.
  • Page 80 0.006 to 0.02 inch (0.16 mm to 0.52 mm) 12 lb (45 g/m ) to 24 lb (90 g/m A6 (105 mm 148 mm) Special papers distributed by EPSON 210 mm 297 mm Letter 8.5 11 inches (216 mm 279 mm)

  • Page 81: Printable Area

    Envelopes A: The minimum top margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm). When loading multiple sheets of EPSON Photo Quality Glossy Film, the minimum top margin is 1.2 inches (30 mm). B: The minimum left margin is 0.12 inch (3.0 mm).

  • Page 82: Ink Cartridge (S020138

    ** It thaws and is usable after approximately 3 hours at 77°F (25°C). Caution: EPSON recommends the use of original EPSON ink cartridges only. Other products not manufactured by EPSON may cause damage to your printer not covered by EPSON’s warranties.

  • Page 83: Mechanical

    Rated frequency range Input frequency range Rated current Power consumption Note: Check the label on the back of the printer for the voltage of your printer. Printer Specifications Friction Sheet feeder, rear entry About 100 sheets at 17 lb (64 g/m Storage Width: 15.6 inches (396.7 mm)

  • Page 84: Environmental

    UL 1950 with D3, CSA C22.2 No.950 with D3 EN60950 (TÜV and NEMKO) FCC part 15 subpart B class B, CSA C108.8 class B EN 55022 (CISPR Pub. 22) class B EN 50082-1 EN 61000-3-2 EN 61000-3-3 AS/NZS 3548 class B Printer Specifications...
  • Page 85 Printing in which the print heads print in both directions. This increases the speed of printing. A binary digit (0 or 1), which is the smallest unit of information used by a printer or computer. brightness The lightness or darkness of an image.
  • Page 86 A software program that sends instructions to a computer peripheral to tell it what to do. For example, your printer driver accepts print data from your word processor or graphics application and sends instructions to the printer on how to print this data.
  • Page 87 See interface. printable area The area of a page on which the printer can print. It is smaller than the physical size of the page due to margins. printer driver A software program that sends commands for using the features of a particular printer.
  • Page 88 The first step in printing. The printer driver converts the print data into codes that your printer understands. This data is then sent to the printer directly or to the print server. spool manager The software program that converts print data into codes that your printer understands.
  • Page 89 1-4 NERGY STAR Envelopes, loading, 4-2–3, 4-6 printable area, A-4 specification, A-3 EPSON special media, 1-5–6, 4-2–5. See also online help Error Diffusion, 6-21. See also online help Error indicators, 6-2 Flip Horizontal setting, 6-21. See also online help Halftoning, 6-21.
  • Page 90 5-6. See also online help Online help, 3-7–8 Operation check page, 6-3–5 Options, 1-5–6 IN-2 Paper envelopes, 4-6, A-2–4 EPSON special, 1-5–6, Chapter 4 loading, 3-2–4, 4-4–5 printable area, A-4 specifications, A-3–4 support, 1-2, 2-3 thickness lever, 4-2 Power button, 1-2–3...
  • Page 91 Reverse Order, 6-21. See also online help Safety approvals, A-7 instructions, 1 3 Self adhesive sheets, 4-2–5, A-3 Self test. See Printer operation check Settings adjust lever, 1-2, 4-3 paper thickness lever, 1-2, 4-2 printer driver. See online help Special media, 1-5–6 loading, 4-4–5...

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Stylus color 300

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