THE RUGGED, FAST AND AFFORDABLE LETTER-QUALITY IMPACT PRINTER FOR THE BUSY OFFICE.
EPSON LQ-2080 Impact Printer
F E AT U R E S 24-pin, wide carriage printing Up to 400 cps print speed (fastest in its class) MTBF rating of 10,000 POH with 200-million strokes/wire print head life Prints up to 5-part (original +4) forms Front, Rear, Top and Bottom paper paths Long-life 8 million character printer ribbon Windows 95, Windows 3.1x, and Windows NT 3.51/4.0 printer drivers BENEFITS Sharp, easy-to-read letter quality printing of both text and numerals. Printing tasks are completed faster than comparable 24-pin printers. Reliable and trouble-free printing.
Lets face it. Most budget-priced, letter-quality impact printers leave a lot to be desired. Theyre either too slow, skimp on quality or have too few features. Enter the EPSON LQ-2080one of the best values in letter-quality, wide-carriage 24-pin printers ever. At a speedy 400 cps in high-speed draft mode, the EPSON LQ-2080 will make quick work of just about any job you give it, from continuous and multipart forms to envelopes, labels and invoices. You can also depend on the EPSON LQ-2080 for years of troublefree use. Its MTBF rating is an impressive 10,000 power-on-hours (POH) with a print head life rated at 200 million strokes/wire and a ribbon life rated at 8 million characters. The EPSON LQ-2080 can print up to 5-part (original + 4) forms. User-selectable front, rear, top and bottom paper paths let you load a variety of forms and quickly switch between them. And its zero-tear-off paper handling saves time and money by eliminating wasted pre-numbered and standard forms. Together, these features make the EPSON LQ-2080 an ideal choice for busy offices with a variety of printing tasks. Windows 95, Windows 3.1x and Windows NTTM 3.51/4.0 printer drivers are standard, as are 8 built-in bar code fonts. Optional network interface boards let you easily connect the EPSON LQ-2080 to an Ethernet network. Its backed by a two year limited warranty. Best of all, the EPSON LQ-2080s speed, reliability and versatility comes at a very attractive price, making it the impact printer that meets your business needs and fits well within your budget.
Prints most multipart forms with excellent legibility. Multiple paper paths allow printing on a variety of paper types without having to reload. Ribbons last longer than comparable printers saving both time and money. Compatible with most industry standard operating systems.
2361 McGaw Ave Irvine, California 92614 PHONE: (949) 660-7080 FAX: (949) 975-1557
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK PMS BLUE
PRI I T R SPECI S P E C N F IEC A T I O N S F I C A T I O N S Printing Method 24-pin, impact dot matrix Print Direction Bidirectional with logic seeking Print Speed High Speed Draft Draft Letter Quality 400 cps 300 cps 100 cps Paper Handling (cont) Paper path Cut sheet Front/rear entry; Continuous paper Front*/rear/bottom entry Line spacing 1/6" or programmable by 1/360" Input data buffer 64KB or 0KB (user selectable) Interface Standard Optional Bidirectional parallel interface (IEEE-P1284 nibble mode supported) Type B interface
Print Characteristics Character sets 14 international; 1 legal Character code tables 13 tables: Italic, PC437, PC850, PC860, PC861, PC863, PC865, Abicomp, BRASC II, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC858, 1508859-15 Bitmap fonts EPSON Draft 10, 12, 15 cpi EPSON Roman 10, 12, 15 cpi, proportional EPSON Sans Serif 10, 12, 15 cpi, proportional EPSON Courier 10, 12, 15 cpi EPSON Prestige 10, 12 cpi EPSON Script 10 cpi; EPSON OCR-B 10 cpi EPSON Orator 10 cpi; EPSON Orator-S 10 cpi EPSON Script C Proportional Scalable fonts EPSON Roman 8 to 32 points EPSON Sans Serif 8 to 32 points EPSON Roman T 8 to 32 points EPSON Sans Serif H 8 to 32 points Bar code fonts EAN-13, EAN-8, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 39, Code 128, PostNet Printable Columns Characters Per Line 10 cpi cpi condensed cpi cpi condensed cpi 204 Character Pitch (CP) 10 17.20 15
Printer Language ESC/P2TM and IBM 2391+ (IBM ProPrinter compatible) Reliability/Life Expectancy Mean print volume 10 million lines (except print head) MTBF 10,000 power-on hours (POH) @25% duty Print head life 200 million strokes/wire Ribbon life 8 million characters (48 dots/character) Control Panel Buttons Indicators Operate, Pause, Load/Eject, LF/FF, Tear Off/Bin, Font, Condensed Pause, Paper Out, Micro Adjust, Tear Off/Bin selection, Pitch Selection, Font Selection
Sound Level Approx. 54 dB(A) (ISO 7779 pattern) Environmental Conditions Temperature 41 to 95F; 5 to 35C Humidity 10 to 80% RH Power Requirements Voltage Frequency Power Consumption Physical Dimensions Width 25.2" (639mm) Length 10.1" (257mm) 120V 50 to 60Hz Approx. 34W (during Draft self test) Depth 15.4" (410mm) Weight Approx. 28.7 lb (13kg) C273001 S015086 C800321 C806731 C806741 C823642 C823622 C823151 C823141 C823121 C823071

Paper Handling Cut sheet size (single sheet or multipart) Width 3.9-16.5" (100-420mm) Length Max 16.5" (420mm) Envelopes-top entry No. 6, No. 10; 12 to 24 lb Card Width 3.9-5.8" (100-148mm) Length Max 5.8" (148mm) Continuous paper size (single sheet, multipart or labels) Width 4.0-16.0" (102-406mm) Length Max 22.0" (559mm) Paper thickness Cut sheet 0.0025-0.0055" (0.065-0.14mm) Cut sheet multipart forms thickness 0.0047-0.015" (0.12-0.39mm); 12 to 15 lb Card thickness 0.0087" (0.22mm); 51 lb Top entry Continuous paper multipart forms thickness 0.0025-0.015"(0.065-0.39mm) Paper feeding Friction feed (front/rear); Push tractor feed (front*/rear); Push/pull tractor feed (front*/rear); Pull tractor feed (front*/rear/bottom) Copies Original + 4 copies
Product/Accessories Part Numbers EPSON LQ-2080 printer EPSON LQ-2080 ribbon cartridge Push/Pull Tractor Unit High Capacity Cut Sheet Feeder Second-Bin Cut Sheet Feeder InterfacesType B Multiprotocol 10/100 Ethernet Print Server with AC Adapter Multiprotocol Series Mbps Ethernet Print Server Twinax Coax LocalTalk 32KB Serial Warranty Two year limited in the U.S. and Canada SupportThe Epson ConnectionTM Pre-Sales Support U.S. and Canada Automated Technical Support Internet Website *with optional Push/Pull tractor(s)
800-463-7766 800-922-8911 http://www.epson.com
Epson America, Inc. 20770 Madrona Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 Epson Canada, Ltd. 550 McNicoll, Willowdale, Ontario M2H 2E1 Epson Latin America, Inc. 6303 Blue Lagoon Drive, Miami, FL 33126 1-305-265-0092
Specifications are subject to change without notice. EPSON is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. The World Leader in Impact Printing and ESC/P2 are trademarks and Epson Connection is a servicemark of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. As an ENERGY STAR Partner, Epson America, Inc. has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service. Copyright 1999 Epson America, Inc. CPD-7819 50K 2/99

Printed on recycled paper

BLACK PMS BLUE

Printing starts at the arrow mark. The unprintable area is to the left of the arrow mark.

printable area

A The minimum top and bottom margins are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm). B The minimum left and right margins are 0.12 inch (3 mm). The maximum width is 16.0 inches (406 mm). The maximum printable width is 13.6 inches (345 mm). For paper wider than 13.8 inches (351 mm), the side margins increase to match the width of the paper.

Rear entry

Printing starts at 0 on the scale. The unprintable area is to the left of the 0.

Continuous paper

printable area A

A printable area

A The minimum top and bottom margins (above and below the perforation) are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm). B The minimum left and right margins are 0.51 inch (13 mm). The maximum width is 16.0 inches (406 mm). The maximum printable width is 13.6 inches (345 mm). For paper wider than 14.6 inches (371 mm), the side margins increase to match the width of the paper.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 5

Roll paper
Control Panel Buttons and Lights

Font button

Selects the font.

Font lights

Indicate which font is selected.
A A The minimum top and bottom margins are 0.17 inch (4.2 mm). B The minimum left and right margins are 0.12 inch (3 mm). The maximum printable width is 8.0 inches (203 mm).

Condensed button

Turns on the condensed mode.

Condensed light

Lights up when the condensed mode is on.

Safety Approvals

120 V model: Safety standards EMI 230 V model: Safety standards EMI Acoustic noise EN 60950 (TV) EN 55022 (CISPR pub. 22) class B AS/NZS 3548 class B Approx. 50 dB (A) (ISO 7779 pattern) UL 1950 CSA C22.2 No. 950 FCC part 15 subpart B class B CSA C108.8 class B

Pause button

Stops printing temporarily, and resumes printing when pressed again.

Pause light

On when the printer is paused. Flashes when the printer is in the micro adjust mode.

Paper Out light

On when no paper is loaded in the selected paper source or paper is not loaded correctly. Flashes when paper has not been fully ejected or a paper jam has occurred.

CE Marking

230 V model: Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC EMC Directive 89/336/EEC EN 60950 EN 55022 Class B EN 61000-3-2 EN 61000-3-3 EN 50082-1 IEC 801-2 IEC 801-3 IEC 801-4

Tear Off/Bin button

Advances continuous paper to the tear-off position. Feeds continuous paper backward from the tear-off position to the top-of-form position. Selects a cut-sheet feeder bin when the cut-sheet feeder is installed. Enters the card mode to print on postcards and envelopes.

Tear Off/Bin lights

t t t t
f f when continuous paper is in the tear-off position. o n when bin 1 of the optional cut-sheet feeder is selected. n o when bin 2 of the optional cut-sheet feeder is selected. n n when the printer is in the card mode. n = on, o = off, f = flashing

6 - EPSON LQ-2080

LF/FF button
Feeds paper line by line. Ejects a single sheet or advances continuous paper to the next top-of-form position when held down.
State of panel lights n Paper Out n Pause

Beep pattern

Problem Solution No paper is loaded in the selected paper source. Load paper in the printer. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

Load/Eject button

Loads a single sheet of paper. Ejects a single sheet of paper if a sheet is loaded. Loads continuous paper from the standby position. Feeds continuous paper backward to the standby position.

f Paper Out n Pause

The paper is not loaded correctly. Remove your paper and reload it correctly. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.
Paper is jammed in the printer. Clear the paper jam.

Micro Adjust

When the Pause button is held down for three seconds, the printer enters the micro adjust mode. Using the micro adjust feature, you can adjust the top-of-form or tear-off position with the D and U buttons.

Operate button

Continuous paper is not fed to the standby position. Tear off the printed document at the perforation; then press the Load/ Eject button. The printer feeds the paper to the standby position. Press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light.
Turns the printer on and off. The printer is off when the top of this button is even with the button protectors.
A single sheet of paper is not fully ejected. Press the Load/Eject button to eject the sheet. Then press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

Error Indicators

You can identify many common printer problems using the lights on the control panel. If your printer stops working and one or more control panel lights are on or flashing or the printer beeps, use the following table to diagnose and fix the problem.
State of panel lights n Pause Beep pattern Problem Solution The printer is paused. Press the Pause button to resume printing. Paper from another paper source is currently in the paper path. Move the paper release lever back to the appropriate position and press the Load/Eject button to feed the paper out of the paper path. Then set the lever to the position you want to use. Press the Pause button to turn off the Pause light, if necessary.

f Pause

The print head is overheated. Wait a few minutes; the printer resumes printing automatically once the print head cools.
f Paper Out f Pause f f Tear Off/Bin f f Font
An unknown printer error has occurred. Turn off the printer and leave it off for several minutes; then turn on the printer again. If the error recurs, contact your dealer.
n = on, f = flashing = short series of beeps (three beeps) = long series of beeps (five beeps) Note: The printer beeps once if you press a control panel button when the corresponding function is not available.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 7

Status Monitor
The EPSON Status Monitor 2 utility comes with your printer but is available only for use with Microsoft Windows 95 and 98. It allows you to monitor your printers status, alerts you when printer errors occur, and provides troubleshooting instructions when needed.

Available Paper Paths

Your printer provides a variety of paper paths for printing on continuous and single-sheet paper. As described in this section, paper can be fed into the printer from the top, front, bottom, or rear. Select the paper path that best suits your current printing needs.
Printing on Continuous Paper

Paper Positions

Top-of-Form Position
The top-of-form position is the position where the printer starts printing on a page of single-sheet or continuous paper.
You can choose from three tractor positions (front push, rear push, and pull) and three paper entry slots (front, rear, and bottom) for continuous paper printing. This section helps you determine which paper paths and tractor positions are best for your continuous paper printing needs.

Using a push tractor

If you often need to tear off sheets of continuous paper (for example, if you are printing purchase orders or sales slips), it is best to use a push tractor. This allows you to use the printers tear-off edge to easily tear off printed sheets of continuous paper at the perforation. Also, when continuous paper is loaded on a push tractor, you can load single sheets of paper from the paper guide without removing the continuous paper. There are two push tractor positions: front and rear. The tractors are installed in the front push and rear push positions when the printer is shipped. See the table below for details about the push positions and the corresponding paper-feeding paths.

Note: The tractor in the rear push position cannot be removed.
Tractor position Description To use the front push tractor, you need to purchase the optional tractor unit (C80032*), and install it in the front push position. To use this tractor, load paper in the front slot. If you print on thick paper such as multipart forms or continuous paper with labels, load the paper in the front paper slot because the paper path from this slot is almost straight. This reduces the chance of paper jams. To use this tractor, load paper in the rear slot. Note: Because thick multipart forms require a straight paper path, load them in the front slot. Caution: Do not load continuous paper with labels in the rear slot. The labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.
The letters ABC above are printed at the top-of-form position.

Tear-off Position

Your continuous paper is in the tear-off position when the perforation is aligned with the printers tear-off edge. You can easily tear off your printed document when your paper is in this position.

Standby Position

Your continuous paper is in the standby position when it is attached to the tractor but not loaded in the printer.

front push

rear push

8 - EPSON LQ-2080

Using a pull tractor (optional) Using the push and pull tractors in combination
If you often print on thick or heavy continuous paper, such as multipart forms or continuous paper with labels, use a tractor in the pull position. The pull tractor provides the best paper jam prevention, and allows you to load continuous paper from the front, rear, or bottom of the printer. However, you cannot use the tear-off feature with the pull tractor.
Note: If you plan to use a pull tractor, you can purchase the optional pull tractor (C80032V) and install it in the pull position.
To improve continuous paper feeding and reduce paper jams, you can use two tractors at the same time. This is especially helpful for printing on continuous preprinted forms, multipart forms, or labels, and for printing high-quality graphics. When using two tractors in combination, you can load paper in the front paper slot onto the front push and the pull tractors, or load paper in the rear paper slot onto the rear push and the pull tractors.

Combination Description To use the front push tractor with the pull tractor, you need to purchase an optional pull tractor (C80032V). Mount the tractor in the front push and pull position. front push and pull To use the rear push tractor with the pull tractor, you need to purchase the optional pull tractor (C80032*), and install it in the pull position. Note: Because thick multipart forms require a straight paper path, load them in the front slot. Caution: Do not load continuous paper with labels onto the rear push tractor even when it is used in combination with the pull tractor. If you load continuous paper with labels onto the rear push/pull tractor, the labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.
As shown in the table below, three paper entry slots are available for use with the pull tractor: front, bottom, and rear.
Paper slot Description If you print on thick paper such as multipart forms or continuous paper with labels, load it using the front paper slot because the paper path from this slot is almost straight. This reduces the chance of paper jams. front Because the bottom paper slot has the straightest paper path, it is ideal for printing on thick paper, such as multipart forms or continuous paper with labels. Note: When loading paper in the bottom slot, be sure to use a printer stand with an opening large enough so that the paper can feed through it without obstruction. You can also load continuous paper onto the pull tractor using the rear slot. Note: Because thick multipart forms require a straight paper path, load them in the front slot. Caution: Do not load continuous paper with labels in the rear slot. The labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam.

rear push and pull

bottom

EPSON LQ-2080 - 9

Printing on Single Sheets
Your printer has two paper entry slots for printing on single sheets: top and front. When continuous paper is loaded on the front or rear push tractor, you can load single sheets in the top or front slot without removing the continuous paper. This section helps you determine which paper slot best suits your single-sheet printing needs.
Loading paper in the top slot
Paper Release Lever Positions
You can load paper in the printer from various paper sources, such as the front push tractor or the paper guide. You set the paper release lever to indicate the paper source you want to use. The table below describes each paper release lever position.

Use the following table to set the paper thickness lever to match the thickness of your paper.
Paper type Ordinary (single sheets or continuous paper) Thin paper Carbonless multipart forms with: 2 parts (original + 1 copy) 3 parts (original + 2 copies) 4 parts (original + 3 copies) 5 parts (original + 4 copies) Continuous paper with labels Envelopes Postcards Lever position -1 or 0 -1 or 2 through 5 2
Note: If the printed image is smeared, you may need to set the paper thickness lever one position higher to improve print quality. If the printed image is faint or has many gaps, you may need to set the paper thickness lever one position lower to improve print quality.
Loading Continuous Paper with Labels
When printing on labels, use only labels that are mounted on continuous backing sheets with sprocket holes for use with a tractor feeder. Do not print labels on single sheets because the printer may not feed labels on a shiny backing sheet properly. Thick paper, such as continuous paper with labels, requires a straight or almost straight paper path. You can load labels in the front (push or pull tractor) or bottom (pull tractor) paper slot; however, for best results, use the tractor in the pull position and load paper in the front or bottom paper slot.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 11

You load labels the same way you load ordinary continuous paper, except you must set the paper thickness lever to 2 before printing.
Caution: Do not load continuous paper with labels in the rear paper slot because the paper path from the rear slot is curved; labels may come off their backing sheet inside the printer and cause a paper jam. Never use the tear-off feature (by pressing the Tear Off/Bin button or turning on the auto tear-off mode) to feed continuous paper with labels backward; they may come off their backing sheet and jam the printer. Because labels are sensitive to temperature and humidity, use them only under normal operating conditions, as follows: Temperature 59 to 77 F (15 to 25 C) Humidity 30 to 60%RH Do not load continuous paper with labels that is damaged, curled, or wrinkled. Do not leave labels loaded in the printer between jobs; they may curl around the platen and jam when you resume printing.
Using the Front Push Tractor (optional)
To use the front push tractor, you need to purchase the optional tractor unit (C80032*), and install it in the front push position. For more information on when to use the front push tractor, see Available Paper Paths on page 8.

1. Remove any printed pages of continuous paper that remain in the printer. Press the Tear Off/Bin button to advance them to the tear-off position, and tear them off.
Caution: Tear off your printed document before you press the Load/Eject button in the next step. Reverse feeding several pages at a time may cause a paper jam.
4. Replace the paper tension unit by lowering onto the printer mounting pegs. Then press down both ends of the unit until it clicks into place.
Never use the knob to eject paper while the printer is on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position.
2. Press the Load/Eject button to feed the continuous paper backward to the standby position. The paper is still attached to the push tractor but is no longer in the paper path. 3. Load single sheets in the top or front paper guide.
Switching to printing on continuous paper
To switch between printing on single sheets to continuous paper with the front or rear push tractor, follow these steps: 1. If a single sheet remains in the printer, press the Load/Eject button to eject it.
Caution: Never use the knob to eject paper while the printer is turned on; this may damage the printer. The knob can be used only when the printer is turned off.
5. Replace the paper guide and printer cover. Then close the paper guide cover.
2. Make sure that the tractor is installed in the push position you want to use. 3. Load continuous paper onto the front or rear push tractor as described earlier. The printer loads the continuous paper automatically when you begin printing.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 21

Adjusting the Top-of-Form Position
The top-of-form position is where the printer will start printing on the page. If your printing appears too high or low, follow the steps below to use the micro adjust feature to adjust the top-of-form position.
Caution: Never use the knob to adjust the top-of-form position while the printer is turned on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the top-of-form position. The knob can be used when the printer is turned off only. Note: Your top-of-form position setting remains in effect until you change it, even if you turn off the printer. The top margin setting made in some application software overrides the top-of-form position setting you make with the micro adjust feature. If necessary, adjust the top-of-form position using your software.
To adjust the top-of-form position for continuous paper loaded on the pull tractor, see the following example: First mark a point 0.26 inch (6.5 mm) above the papers perforation; then position the paper so that the mark is even with the top edge of the plastic ribbon cover. This gives you a 0.33 inch (8.5 mm) margin on the next page, which means the printer starts printing 0.33 inch (8.5 mm) below the perforation. If you mark a point 0.22 inch (5.5 mm) above the perforation, you get a 0.37 inch (9.5 mm) margin on the next page.

To automatically advance your printed documents to the tearoff position, you need to turn on the auto tear-off mode and select the appropriate page length for continuous paper in the default-setting mode. For instructions, see About Your Printers Default Settings on page 25. When auto tear-off is on, the printer automatically advances the paper to the tear-off position whenever it receives a full page of data or a form feed command followed by no more data.
Adjusting the tear-off position
Note: The printer has a minimum and a maximum tear-off position. If you try to adjust the tear-off position beyond these limits, the printer beeps and stops moving the paper.
5. After you set the tear-off position, press the Pause button to turn off the micro adjust mode. 6. Tear off the printed pages. When you resume printing, the printer automatically feeds the paper back to the top-of-form position and begins printing.
If your papers perforation is not aligned with the tear-off edge, you can use the micro adjust feature to move the perforation to the tear-off position. Follow the steps below.
Caution: Never use the knob to adjust the tear-off position while the printer is turned on; this may damage the printer or cause it to lose the tear-off position. The knob can be used when the printer is turned off only. Note: Your tear-off position setting remains in effect until you change it, even if you turn off the printer.
1. Make sure the Tear Off/Bin lights are flashing (the paper is at the current tear-off position). If necessary, press the Tear Off/Bin button to advance the paper to the tearoff position. 2. Open the paper guide cover. 3. Hold down the Pause button for about three seconds. The Pause light begins flashing and the printer enters the micro adjust mode.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 23

5. After you remove the new ribbon cartridge from the package, remove the separator from the middle of the ribbon cartridge and discard the separator. Then turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon.

separator

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge
Warning: If you just used the printer, the print head may be hot; let it cool before you replace the ribbon cartridge. Caution: Make sure the printer is off and unplugged from the electrical outlet. Moving the print head while the printer is on may damage the printer.

1. Make sure the printer is turned off. If the printer is connected to an electrical outlet, unplug it from the outlet. 2. Lift the printer cover by its back edge and then pull it straight up and off. 3. Slide the print head to the ribbon installation position (the indented portion of the paper tension unit) by hand.
Note: When you use the pull tractor, you can replace the ribbon cartridge even when the print head is not in the ribbon installation position. ribbon installation position

ribbon-tightening knob

6. Hold the cartridge with the ribbon-tightening knob up. Fit the two front notches ( ) of the ribbon cartridge over the small pegs on each side of the printer as shown below. Then lay the cartridge flat so that the rear notches ( ) fit over the corresponding pegs.
7. Gently press down the cartridge until both ends click into place. 8. Lift the ribbon guide of the ribbon cartridge ( ) and insert it firmly over the metal pins behind the print head ( ). Make sure the ribbon is not twisted or creased and that it is in place behind the print head. Press down the guide until it clicks into place.
4. If a cartridge is installed, grasp the cartridge and pull it slightly forward and up; the ribbon guide snaps away from the metal pins behind the print head. Properly dispose of the used ribbon cartridge.

ribbon guide

24 - EPSON LQ-2080
9. To remove any slack in the ribbon, turn the ribbontightening knob in the direction of the arrow shown in step 8. Then slide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves smoothly.
Your Printers Default Settings
The printers default settings control many printer functions. While you can often set these functions through your software or printer driver, you may sometimes need to change a default setting from the printers control panel using the defaultsetting mode. The following table lists the default settings (highlighted in bold text) and the options you can select in the default-setting mode. To change the default settings, see the next section, Changing Default Settings.
Settings Options Length in inches: 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 11, 70/6, 12, 14, 17 Length in inches: 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 11, 70/6, 12, 14, 17 On, Off On, Off On, Off Auto, Bi-D, Uni-D Auto, Parallel, Optional 10 seconds, 30 seconds ESC/P2, IBM 2391 Plus Standard model: Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 860, PC 863, PC 865, PC 861, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15 All other models: Italic, PC 437, PC 850, PC 437 Greek, PC 853, PC 855, PC 852, PC 857, PC 864, PC 866, PC 869, MAZOWIA, Code MJK, ISO 8859-7, ISO Latin 1T, Bulgaria, PC 774, Estonia, ISO 8859-2, PC 866 LAT, PC 866 UKR, PC APTEC, PC 708, PC 720, PC AR864, PC 860, PC 865, PC 861, PC 863, BRASCII, Abicomp, Roman 8, ISO Latin 1, PC 858, ISO 8859-15 Italic U.S.A, Italic France, Italic Germany, Italic U.K., Italic Denmark1, Italic Sweden, Italic Italy, Italic Spain1 O, On, Off On, Off On, Off On, Off On, Off OCR-B, Orator, Orator-S, Script C, Roman T, Sans Serif H On, Off Page length for front tractor* Page length for rear tractor*

10. Replace the printer cover.

Clearing Paper Jams

To clear a paper jam, follow these steps: 1. Press the Operate button to turn off the printer. 2. If a single-sheet of paper is stuck on the paper guide, gently remove it. 3. Remove the printer cover. If you are loading continuous paper from the rear slot, remove the paper guide. 4. If continuous paper is jammed in the printer, tear off the fresh supply at the perforation nearest the paper entry slot. 5. Turn the knob on the right side of the printer away from you to eject the paper in the printer. Remove any remaining pieces of paper.
Caution: Use the knob on the right side of the printer only to clear paper jams when the printer is off. Otherwise, you may damage the printer or lose the top-of-form or tear-off position.
Skip over perforation Auto tear off Auto line feed Print direction I/F mode Auto I/F wait time Software Character table
International character set for Italic table 0 slash High-speed draft Input buffer Buzzer Auto CR (IBM 2391 Plus)** A.G.M. (IBM 2391 Plus) ** Font Roll paper
6. Replace the printer cover, and the paper guide if necessary. Then close the paper guide cover. 7. Press the Operate button to turn on the printer. Make sure the Paper Out and Pause lights are off.
The options available vary depending on the country. These settings take effect only when IBM 2391 Plus emulation is selected.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 25

Changing Default Settings
Follow the steps below to enter the default-setting mode and change the printers default settings.
Note: To print the language selection and default-setting mode instructions, you need three sheets of letter- or A4-size single-sheet paper or three pages of continuous paper that is at least 11 inches (279 mm) long and 8.3 inches (210 mm) wide. If you use single sheets, you need to load a new sheet of paper each time the printer ejects a printed sheet. You may exit the default-setting mode at any time by turning off the printer when the printer is not printing.
Aligning Vertical Lines in Your Printout
If you notice that the vertical lines in your printout are not properly aligned, you can use the printers bidirectional adjustment mode to correct this problem.
Note: To complete the steps below, you need four sheets of A3-size singlesheet paper or four pages of continuous paper that are at least 11 inches (279 mm) long and 14.8 inches (376 mm) wide. If you use single sheets, you need to load a new sheet of paper each time the printer ejects a printed sheet onto the paper guide.
1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.
Caution: Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five seconds before turning it back on; otherwise you may damage the printer.
Follow these steps to perform the bidirectional adjustment: 1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.

2. Hold down the Condensed button while you press the Operate button to turn on the printer. The printer enters the default-setting mode and prints the language selection instructions (one page). 3. Press the Font button until the Font lights indicate the language you want, as described in the language selection instructions. 4. Press the Condensed button to print the default-setting mode instructions (two pages) in the language you selected. The printed instructions list the default settings you can change, describe how to change them, and show you how the control panel lights help you make settings. Follow these instructions to change the default settings using the buttons on the printers control panel.
Note: The arrows on the instruction sheets indicate the printers current settings.
2. While holding down the Pause button, press the Operate button to turn on the printer. The printer enters the bidirectional adjustment mode and then prints instructions and the first set of alignment patterns. 3. As described in the instructions, compare the alignment patterns and select the pattern with the best alignment. 4. Follow the instructions to print the remaining sets of alignment patterns and select the pattern with the best alignment in each set. 5. After you select the best pattern in the final set of alignment patterns, press the Operate button to turn off the printer and exit the bidirectional adjustment mode. Your selections are saved automatically.
5. When you finish making your settings, press the Operate button to turn off the printer and exit the default-setting mode. Any settings you make remain in effect until you change them again.

26 - EPSON LQ-2080

Printing a Self Test
Running the printers self test helps you determine whether the printer or the computer is the cause of a printing problem. You can print the self test using either single sheets or continuous paper.
Note: Use paper that is at least 14.8 inches (376 mm) wide, such as A3-size paper.

Printing a Hex Dump

If you are an experienced user or a programmer, you can print a hexadecimal dump to isolate communication problems between the printer and your software program. In hex dump mode, the printer prints all data received from the computer as hexadecimal values. You can print a hex dump using either single sheets or continuous paper.
Note: Use paper that is at least 8.3 inches (210 mm) wide, such as letter- or A4-size paper.
To perform a self test, follow these steps: 1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.
To print a hex dump, follow these steps: 1. Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.

2. To run the test using the Draft font, hold down the LF/FF button while you press the Operate button to turn on the printer. To run the test using the printers letter-quality fonts, hold down the Load/Eject button while you turn on the printer. Either self test can help you determine the source of your printing problem; however, the draft test prints faster than the letter-quality test. After a few seconds, the printer loads the paper automatically and begins printing the self test. A series of characters is printed.
Note: To temporarily stop the self test, press the Pause button. To resume the test, press the Pause button again.
2. To enter hex dump mode, hold down both the LF/FF and Load/Eject buttons while you press the Operate button to turn on the printer. 3. Open a software program and send a print job to the printer. Your printer prints all the codes it receives in hexadecimal format.
If the self test results are satisfactory, the printer is working properly and the problem probably results from your printer driver settings, application settings, computer, or interface cable. (Be sure to use a shielded interface cable.) If the self test does not print properly, there is a problem with the printer. See Problems and Solutions in your Users Guide for possible causes and solutions to the problem. 3. To end the self test, press the Pause button to stop printing and the Load/Eject button to eject the printed page. Then turn off the printer. If characters are printable, they appear in the right column as ASCII characters. Nonprintable codes, such as control codes, are represented by dots. By comparing the characters printed in the right column with the printout of the hexadecimal codes, you can check the codes the printer is receiving. 4. To exit hex dump mode, press the Pause button to stop printing and the Load/Eject button to eject the printed page(s). Then turn off the printer.

EPSON LQ-2080 - 27

Cleaning the Printer
To keep your printer operating at its best, you should clean it thoroughly several times a year. Follow these steps: 1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Then remove any paper loaded in the printer. 2. Remove the paper guide. If a pull tractor or an optional cutsheet feeder is installed, remove it. 3. Use a soft brush to carefully brush away all dust and dirt from the outer case and paper guide. 4. If the outer case or paper guide is still dirty, clean it with a soft, clean cloth dampened with mild detergent dissolved in water. Keep the printer cover in place and lower the paper guide cover until it lies flat on the top of the printer to prevent water from getting inside the printer.
Caution: Never use alcohols or thinners to clean the printer; these chemicals can damage the printer components as well as the case. Be careful not to get water on the printer mechanism or electronic components. Do not use a hard or abrasive brush. Do not spray the inside of the printer with lubricants; unsuitable lubricants can damage the printer mechanism. Contact an EPSON dealer if you think lubrication is needed.