To stop printing temporarily, press the Pause button.
To end the self test, make sure the printer is not printing.
Press LF/FF to eject the sheet; then turn off the printer.
Here is part of a typical self-test printout: <=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcd =>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcde
>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdef ?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefg @ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\l]^_'abcdefgh ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefghi BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefghij
If the self test did not print satisfactorily, see Chapter 3. If it prints correctly, go on to the next section.
Connecting the Printer to Your Computer
Your printer includes both a Centronics-compatible parallel interface and an EIA-232D serial interface. Before you begin, place the printer upright, as shown below. (This makes it easier to connect the cable.)
Connect your computer to the desired interface as described below. You can connect cables to both interfaces; the printer switches automatically to the appropriate interface when it receives data.
Connecting to the parallel interface
You need a shielded, twisted-pair cable (not longer than 2 meters-6 feet) to use the parallel interface. 1. Turn off both the computer and the printer. Plug the parallel cable connector securely into the printers parallel interface. Squeeze the wire clips together until they lock in place on either side of the connector.
Guide the interface cable through the slot on the side of the printer as shown in the illustration on page 1-16 so that it does not block the paper supply.
Note: If there is ground wire at the end of the cable, attach it to the
ground connector to the right of the interface as shown in the
illustration on page 1-15.
3. Plug the other end of the cable into the computers parallel interface. (If there is a ground wire at the end of the cable, attach it to the ground connector at the back of the computer.)
Connecting to the serial interface
1. Turn off both the computer and the printer. Plug the serial cable connector securely into the printers serial interface. Tighten the screws on either side of the connector.
Guide the interface cable through the slot on the side of the printer so that it does not block the paper supply.
Plug the other end of the cable into the computers serial interface; then tighten the screws on either side of the connector. (If there is a ground wire at the end of the cable, attach it to the ground connector at the back of the computer.) Use the Printer Setting mode to change the baud rate, parity bit, data length, or ETX/ACK handshaking if necessary. See Changing the Printer Settings in Chapter 2.

Setting Up Your Software

Most software lets you specify the type of printer you use so that you can take full advantage of the printers features. Your software probably provides an installation or setup section that includes a list of printers.

Microsoft Windows 3.1 and all windows programs
If Windows is installed on your computer system, follow the steps below to install the right driver for your printer. Your printer will work correctly for all your Windows programs, such as Word for Windows, Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows, and CorelDRAW. If Windows is not already installed on your system, run the Windows setup program as described in the documentation that comes with the program. Follow steps 4 through 10 below when you reach the section about choosing a printer. 1. In the Main window, double click the Control Panel icon.
2. Double click the Printers icon. 3. 4. Choose the Add>> button. From the list of printers box, select LQ-300. If neither printer is available, choose the first available printer from the following list. If you plan to use color, you must choose either ActionPrinter 3260, LQ-150, LQ-860, or LQ-2550. The other printers cannot use color. ActionPrinter TM 3260 LQ-150 LQ-860 LQ-2550 LQ-570+ Stylus TM 800 5. 6. 7. LQ-870 ActionPrinter 3250 Any LQ printer EPSON printer
Choose the Install button. A dialog box may instruct you to insert a diskette. (If necessary, insert the diskette required.) Choose the Setup button. Select the appropriate resolution.
If you selected the LQ-860, LQ-2550, LQ-570+, or LQ-870 printer, select Sheet Feeder - Bin 1 as the Paper Source. This step is very important for proper page breaks in your documents. Choose the OK button.
10. Highlight EPSON LQ-300 (or the printer you added) and click the button labeled Set As Default Printer. 11. Click the Close button.
Using non- Windows software
From the list of printers box, choose LQ-300. If neither printer is available, choose the first available printer from the following list. If you plan to use color, you must choose either ActionPrinter 3260, LQ-150, LQ-860, or LQ-2550. The other printers cannot use color. ActionPrinter 3260 LQ-150 LQ-860 LQ-2550 LQ-570+ Stylus 800 LQ-870 ActionPrinter 3250 Any LQ printer EPSON printer
If your software does not list the LQ-300, you may want to contact the software manufacturer for an update.
Using the Control Panel. Lights and buttons. Selecting fonts. Printing on Single Sheets. Loading single sheets. Getting the results you expect. Printing on Continuous Paper. Printing in the push tractor position. Printing in the pull tractor position. Printing on Special Paper. Adjusting the paper-thickness lever. Multi-part forms. Labels. Envelopes. Using the Printer Setting Mode. Printer setting descriptions. Changing the printer settings. Installing and Using Options. Single-bin Cut-Sheet Feeder Pull Tractor Unit. Color Upgrade Kit. 2-2 2-2 2-4 2-5 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-8 2-13 2-17 2-17 2-19 2-20 2-21 2-22 2-23 2-25 2-29 2-29 2-33 2-35

Never feed labels backward through the printer; they can easily peel off the backing and jam the printer. If a label does become stuck in the printer, contact your dealer.

Envelopes

You can feed envelopes individually using the paper guide. Before loading an envelope, set the paper-thickness lever to position 4 or 5. See page 2-18. To load an envelope, follow the steps used to load single sheets in Running the Self Test on page 1-10. Insert the wide edge of the envelope into the printer first, printable-side down. When you insert the envelope between the paper guides, push it firmly and hold it until it feeds into the printer.
Use envelopes only under normal temperature and humidity conditions. Make sure the printing stays entirely within the printable area. The print head must not go past the left or right edge of the envelope or other thick paper. (See the Appendix for specifications.) Its a good idea to print a test sample using a normal single sheet of paper before you print on the envelopes.
Using the Printer Setting Mode
Your printer has internal settings that control simple functions such as the page length and character set. These settings take effect each time you turn on the printer, so they are also called default settings. For most users, the factory settings are best, but you can change these settings if necessary. The table below lists all the settings you can change.
Function Character table* Page length Skip-over-perforation Auto tear off Graphic print direction Software AGM Auto line feed Interface Bit rate Parity bit Data length EXT/ACK State reply
Options PC437, PC850, PC860, PC863, PC865, PC861, BRASCII, Abicomp 11, 12, 8.5, 70/6 inches On, Off On, Off Unidirectional, Bidirectional
ESC/P 2, IBM X24E On, Off On, Off Auto (10 sec. wait), Auto (30 sec. wait), Parallel, Serial 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 bps None, Odd, Even 7 bit, 8 bit Disable, Enable On, Off
* In certain areas, the following character tables are available: PC437. PC850, PC864, PC437 Greek, PC852, PC853, PC855, PC857, PC866, PC869, IS0 Latin IT, IS0 8859-7, Code MJK, MAZOWIA, Bulgaria
Because software settings always override the printer's default
settings, use your software program to control the printer, if possible.

See your software documentation for more information.

2-22 Using the Printer

Printer setting descriptions
This section describes all the settings available in the Printer Setting mode. Character table Character tables contain the characters and symbols used in different languages. Your printer includes a wide variety of character tables. See the Appendix for specific characters. Page length This option is available only when you use continuous paper with the tractor. You can set the page length to 8 1/2, 11, 12, or 70/6 (the length of A4 paper) inches. Skip-over-perforation When you turn on this feature, the printer skips over the perforations of continuous paper, providing a 1-inch margin between the last line printed on one page and the first line printed on the next. Because most software programs set their own top and bottom margins, you should use this feature only if your program does not provide them. This feature does not affect single-sheet paper. Auto tear off When you use continuous paper with the push tractor, this feature advances the paper perforation to the tear-off position where you can easily tear off the printed pages. When the printer receives data, it automatically reverses the paper to the top-of-form position and starts printing, so you can use all of the next sheet. When you use the tractor to print on labels, set this feature to Off.
Graphic print direction You can choose unidirectional or bidirectional as the print direction for graphics. The printer usually prints text bidirectionally for fast printing and prints graphics unidirectionally for precise vertical alignment of print dots. To print graphics faster, select bidirectional printing. Software You can select the kind of printer commands used by your printer. When you select ESC/P 2TM, the printer emulates an EPSON ESC / P 2 printer. When you select IBM X24E, the printer operates as an IBM ProprinterTM X24E. If possible, choose an EPSON ESC/ P 2 printer in your software programs. This will allow you to use the most advanced font and graphics handling available. (Emulation means that the printer can understand and respond to commands as if it were an X24E.) AGM (Alternate Graphics Mode) When A.GM is set to On, the printer can use high-resolution 24-pin graphics commands. The default setting is off. When you select IBM X24E, this setting is available. Auto line feed When the auto line feed feature is on, each carriage return (CR) code is accompanied by a line feed (LF) code. If your printed text is unexpectedly double-spaced, set this feature to Off. If text lines print on top of each other, set it to On.

Interface When this feature is set to Auto, the printer determines which interface is receiving data and switches to that interface until the end of the print job (when no data is received from the selected interface for the amount of time specified). You can specify either 10 seconds or 30 seconds. Set this option to Parallel only if you want the printer to ignore data from the serial interface or to Serial only if you want the printer to ignore data from the parallel interface. Bit rate, parity bit, data length, and ETX/ACK These options are available only when the interface is set to Serial. See your computer manual for the appropriate settings. State reply For normal operation, leave this option set to Off (default).
Changing the printer settings
If you cannot use your software program to change the printers settings, you can use the Printer Setting mode. Heres how:
Caution: To print the help text, use paper at least 210 mm (8.3 inches) wide for single sheets or 240 mm (9.5 inches) for continuous paper; otherwise the print head prints directly on the platen. Also make sure you have enough sheets of paper because the printer prints several pages of help text.
Turn off the printer. Make sure the paper is loaded correctly.
Hold down the Font button while you turn on the printer. If you are using single sheets, insert a sheet of paper. The printer automatically loads the paper and prints out a table of languages from which you can choose. You can print help text in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish as shown in Table A below.

Table A

Font lights language English French German Italian Spanish on, = off, = flashing
To choose a language, press the Font button repeatedly until the Font lights match your desired selection. For example, to choose Spanish, press the Font button until Font 1 is on and Font 2 is flashing. Press the LF/FF to select the language. The printer prints the current settings in the language of your choice, and then stops. Press the Font button now to print help text that guides you through the operations. The printed instructions include submenu tables that list all of the settings you can change and show you how the control panel lights appear for each selection. After printing is finished, go on to step 6.
If you have changed the printer settings before and do not need the help text, you can skip this step by pressing LF/FF instead of

the Font button.

6. At this point, you are in Table B. Press the Font or LF/FF
button to move through the printer settings listed in Table B, and notice how the control panel lights change to indicate your position.

Slide the left edge guide of the cut-sheet feeder so it is aligned with the triangular guide mark. Next, slide the right edge guide to roughly match the width of your paper. Slide the paper support midway between the edge guides.
Pull the paper-set levers all the way forward until the edge guides retract and lock open to allow for paper loading.

2-30 Using the Printer

Take a stack of paper and fan it. Next, tap the side and bottom of the paper on a flat surface to even up the stack.
Do not use envelopes, multi-part forms, carbon paper, or
labels in the cut-sheet feeder.
Insert up to 50 sheets of paper along the left edge guide. Adjust the position of the right edge guide so that it matches your papers width. Make sure the position of the guide allows the paper to move up and down freely.
10. Push the paper-set levers back to clamp the paper against the guide rollers. 11. To reinstall the paper guide, remove the wire paper supports from the edge guides of the paper guide. Insert the two stacker supports packed with the cut-sheet feeder into the notches on the edge guides.
12. Attach the paper guide to the cut-sheet feeder as shown below.
13. Open the printer cover. Place the printout guide in the middle. Close the printer cover. Note:
The printout guide comes packed with your printer, not with the cut-sheet feeder. See Unpacking the Printer on page 1-2.
14. Slide the left edge guide of the paper guide to the center until it stops at the diamond-shaped guide mark. Then slide the right edge guide to the opposite guide mark. You can easily switch between continuous paper and cut-sheet feeder operation. See Switching back to single sheets on page 2-12 for details.
Note: When you print several pages of continuous paper, fold the first
printed page forward at the perforation affer it emerges from below the printer cover. This helps the printer feed the printed
pages properly and prevents paper jams.
To remove the paper guide from the cut-sheet feeder, press both
release tabs and pull out the paper guide.

Pull Tractor Unit

An additional pull tractor (C80030*) is available as an option. You can improve the performance of continuous paper handling by using two tractors at the same time. This is especially useful with continuous pre-printed forms, multi-part forms, and labels. 1. Make sure the paper-release lever is pulled forward to the continuous paper position. Install the built-in tractor in the push tractor position. Install the optional tractor in the pull tractor position. See page 2-13. Load continuous paper on the sprocket units of the push tractor. (See Printing on Continuous Paper on page 2-7.) Turn on the printer. Hold down the LF/FF button to feed paper forward one page.

3-6 Troubleshooting

Paper Handling Single sheets do not feed properly
Paper does not feed. Continuous paper may be left in the printer. Remove the continuous paper. Set the paper-release lever to the singlesheet position. Insert a new sheet. Move the paper a little to the left. Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. Turn off the printer and pull out the paper. Insert a new sheet straight into the paper guide. Be sure youre using the right type of paper. See the paper specifications in the Appendix. Check to see that the printer cover is closed. Paper does not eject completely. Use the LF/FF button to eject the page. Make sure the printer cover is closed. The paper may be too long. Use paper that is within the specified range. See the paper specifications in the Appendix.

Troubleshooting 3-7

Continuous paper does not feed proper/y
The tractor does not feed the paper. Check that the paper-release lever is pulled forward to the continuous paper position. If not, move the lever to the correct position. The paper may have come off the tractor. Reattach the paper to the tractor. Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. Make sure the paper guide is in the upright position. The position of your paper supply may be preventing it from feeding straight. Make sure the paper supply is not obstructed. Make sure your paper supply is positioned within 1 meter (3 feet) of the printer. Make sure the printer cover is closed. Make sure the edge guide positions are correct. Position the edge guides at the diamond-shaped guide marks. Check that the holes on the sides of the paper are aligned with each other. Also, make sure the sprocket units are locked and their covers are closed. Check that the paper size and thickness are within the specified range. See the paper specifications in the Appendix.

3-8 Troubleshooting

The paper does not eject properly. When using the pull tractor, tear off the paper entering the printer, then press the LF/FF button to feed the paper forward. When using the push tractor, tear off the paper at the last printed page, then press the Font and LF/FF buttons together to feed the paper backward. When you switch between single sheets and continuous paper, the beeper sounds once and the Pause light comes on. You may have tried to change the paper-release lever position while paper remained in the printer. Return the paper-release lever to the previous position and eject the paper. Then change the paper-release lever position.

With the color upgrade installed, operate properly

the printer does not

The lights on the control panel do not go on. The motor in the color upgrade kit may not be installed or may not be installed correctly. Follow the instructions on page 2-35.

Troubleshooting 3-11

The desired color or certain characters are not printed. Your software program may not be set up properly for color printing. Use the programs setup (or install) procedure to check the printer settings and adjust as needed. If your software program is capable of sending control codes, select the color using the ESC r command. (See the Command Summary in the Appendix.) The top or bottom edge of the characters are a different color from the rest. Check the characters printed in red. If the top edge is blue, move the color ribbon adjustment lever forward. If the bottom edge is yellow, move the lever backward. Then print another self test to check your adjustment. Repeat this process until the ribbon is properly adjusted. The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See page 2-35.

3-12 Troubleshooting

Printer Specifications. Printing. Paper. Mechanical. Electrical. Environmental. Safety approvals.
A-2 A-2 A-4 A-6 A-7 A-7 A-8
Interface Specifications. A-8 Parallel interface. ,. A-8 Serial interface. A-8 Command Summary. Sending printer commands. Using the command summary. General operation. Paper feeding. Page format. Print position motion. Font selection. Font enhancement. Spacing. Character handling. Bit image. Graphics. Color printing. Character Tables. A-10 A-10 A-10 A-11 A-11 A-11 A-12 A-13 A-14 A-15 A-16 A-18 A-19 A-19 A-20

Appendix A-1

Printer Specifications
Print method: Print speed:
Quality Draft Characters per inch Letter Quality Characters/second/line* 67 80

24-pin impact dot matrix

* The paper-thickness lever position or an overheated print head may slow down the printing speed.

Printing direction:

Bidirectional logic-seeking for text and unidirectional for graphics. (Bidirectional for graphics can be selected with the Printer Setting mode or a software command.) 1/6 inch, 1/8 inch, or programmable in increments of 1/360 inch. 80 ms per 1/6-inch line; 3.3 inches/ second with continuous feed. 80 characters at 10 cpi; 96 char. at 12 cpi; 120 char. at 15 cpi; 137 char. at 17 cpi; 160 char. at 20 cpi

8KB 10 KB

Envelopes:

Size: Thickness: Weight:
No. 6: 166 x 92 mm (6.5 x 3.6 inches) No. 10: 240 x 104 mm (9.5 x 4.1 inches) 0.16 to 0.52 mm (0.0063 to 0.0197 inch) to 91 g/m (12 to 24 lb) Use envelopes only under normal temperature and humidity conditions.
Printable area: Single sheets and envelopes
A The minimum top margin is 5.3 mm (0.2 inch). B The minimum left margin is 3.0 mm (0.12 inch). The minimum right margin is 3.0 mm (0.12 inch). However, the maximum printable width is 203 mm (8.0 inches). C The minimum bottom margin is 9.0 mm (0.35 inch).

Appendix A-5

Continuous paper
B B A The minimum top and bottom margins above and below the perforation are 9.0 mm (0.35 inch). B The minimum left and right margins are 13 mm (0.51 inch). The maximum printable width is 203 mm (8.0 inches).

Mechanical

Paper-feed methods: Friction Push tractor Pull tractor Push/pull tractor (with optional pull tractor C80030*) Cut-sheet feeder (option C80637*)

Ribbon:

Black ribbon cartridge (#7753) Film ribbon cartridge (#7768) Color ribbon cartridge (SO1 5077)
Life expectancy at 48-dot character 2 million characters 0.2 million characters Black: 1 million characters Cyan: 0.7 million characters Magenta: 0.7 million characters Yellow: 0.5 million characters

MTBF: Print head life:

4000 power-on hours 200 million strokes/wire (black) 100 million strokes/wire (color)

A-6 Appendix

Dimensions and weight: (Without tractor unit)
Width: 366 mm (14.4 inches) Depth: 275 mm (10.8 inches) Height: 141 mm (5.6 inches) Weight: Approx. 4.3 kg (9.5 lb)

Electrical

120 V model:
Rated voltage Input voltage range Rated frequency range Input frequency range Rated current Power consumption

220-240 V model:

AC 120 V AC 103.5 to 132 V 50 to 60 Hz 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 1.4 A Approx. 30 W (during self-test printing in draft mode at 10 cpi) AC 220-240 V AC 198 to 264 V 50 to 60 Hz 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 0.7 A Approx. 30 W (during self-test printing in draft mode at 10 cpi)

Environmental

Temperature:
Operation: Operation (film ribbon) Operation (envelopes, labels, or recycled paper): Storage:
5 to 35C (41 to 95F) 15 to 35C (59 to 95F) 15 to 25C (59 to 77F) -20 to 55C (-4 to 131F)
Humidity (without condensation):
Operation: Operation (film ribbon): Operation (envelopes, labels, or recycled paper): Storage:
5 to 80% RI-I 10 to 80% RI-I 20 to 60% RI-I 5 to 85% RH

Using the command summary
The following section lists and describes all the commands by topic. If a command has no parameters, it is merely listed. If it has parameters, they are explained. The parameters are indicated by lowercase italicized letters, usually n. The examples below show how the parameters are indicated. ESC @ is a command with no parameters. ESC U 1 / 0 is a command that uses 1 to turn the feature on and 0 to turn it off. ESC K n1 n2 is a command with two parameters. ESC D nn is a command with a variable number of parameters. For further information about using printer commands, see the comprehensive ESC/P Reference Manual published by EPSON.

A-10 A p p e n d i x

General operation
ASCII Dec. Hex. Description

ESC @ ESC U 1/0 ESC EM n

Initialize Printer Turn Unidirectional Mode On/ Off Control Paper Loading/Ejecting n = "R" Eject a sheet

Paper feeding

CR FF LF ESC 0 ESC 2 ESC 3 n ESC + n

0D 0C 0A 33 2B

Carriage Return Form Feed Line Feed Select 1/8-inch Line Spacing Select 1/6-inch Line Spacing Set n/180-inch Line Spacing Set n/360-inch Line Spacing

Page format

ESC (c nn
Set Page Format ESC (c 40 m1 m2 n1 n2
m= m1 + m2 x 256 m: Top margin in defined units n = n1 + n2 x 256

ESC ( C nn

n: Bottom margin in defined units Set Page Length in Defined Unit ESC ( C 20 n1 n2 n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Number of defined units Set Page Length in Lines n = Number of lines (1-127)

ESC C 0 n ESC N n

ESC O ESC l n ESC Q n

4F 6C 51

Set Page Length in Inches n = Number of inches (1-22) Set Bottom Margin for Continuous Paper n = Number of lines (1-127) Cancel Top/Bottom Margin for Continuous Paper Set Left Margin n = Left margin column Set Right Margin n = Right margin column

Print position motion

ESC $ n1 n2
Set Absolute Horizontal Print Position n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Specifies print position from left margin in defined units Before you define the unit, the default is l/60-inch for this command. Set Relative Horizontal Print Position

OF 12 OE 53 54

Select Condensed Printing Cancel Condensed Printing Select Double-Width Printing (one line) Turn Double-Width Printing On/Off Cancel Double-Width Printing (one line) Turn Double-Height Printing On/Off Select Double-Strike Printing Cancel Double-Strike Printing Select Superscript Printing Select Subscript Printing Cancel Superscript/Subscript Printing

A-14 Appendix

ESC ( - nn

ESC- 1/0 ESC q n

45 113
Select Line /Score ESC ( -301 n1 n2 n1 = 1: Underline 2: Strikethrough 3: Overscore n2 = 0: Cancel score line selected by n 1: Single continuous line 2: Double continuous line 5: Single broken line 6: Double broken line Turn Underline On/Off Select Character Style n = 0: Normal style 1: Outline 2: Shadow 3: Outline with shadow

Spacing

ESC SP n

ESC ( U nn

ESC c n1 n2 99
Set Intercharacter Space n = Number of units of space added to the space between characters (1-127) Units are 1/120 inch (draft) and 1/180 inch (LQ and proportional) Define Unit ESC ( U 10 n Define positioning unit as n/3600 inch n = 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 n = 10: default Set Horizontal Motion Index (HMI) Select Pitch in n/ 360-inch units Total units = n1 + n2 x 256

Appendix A-15

Character handing

ESC ( t nn

40 116

ESC t n

Assign Character Table ESC (t 30 d1 d2 d3 Assign character table set by d2 and d3 to table d1 d1 = 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, or 3 d2 d3 Character Table Italic PC 437 (USA, standard Europe) PC 437 Greek (Greek)* PC 850 (Multilingual) PC 853 (Turkish)* PC 855 (Cyrillic) PC 860 (Portuguese) PC 863 (Canadian-French) PC 865 (Norwegian) PC 852 (East Europe)* PC 857 (Turkish)* PC 864 (Arabic)* PC 866 (Russian)* PC 869 (Greek)* PC 861 (Icelandic) BRASCII (Braz. Port.) Abicomp (Braz. Port.) MAZOWIA (Polish)* Code MJK (CSFR)* IS0 8859-7 (Latin/Greek)* IS0 Latin 1T (Turkish)* Bulgaria (Bulgarian)* * Available only in certain areas Select Character Table Select character table n assigned by ESC ( t n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2", or 3 n = 2: Remaps download characters from O-127 to 128-255

A-16 Appendix

ESC R n

ESC & nn

ESC : 0 n 0

ESC % n

ESC 7 ESC ( ^ nn
Select an International Character Set 8: Japan n = 0: U.S.A. 9: Norway 1: France 10: Denmark II 2: Germany 11: Spain II 3: U.K. 4: Denmark I 12: Latin America 13: Korea 5: Sweden 6: Italy 64: Legal 7: Spain I Define User-defined Character ESC & 0 n1 n2 d0 d1 d2 data n1 = First character number n2 = Last character number d0 = Left space of character d1 = Body width of character d2 = Right space of character data: 3 bytes required for each column; super/subscripts require only 2 bytes per column Copy ROM to RAM n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 9 n: Typeface Select User-defined Set n = 0: Normal set 1: User-defined set Enable Printing of Upper Control Codes This command enables the printing of codes 128-159 Enable Upper Control Codes Cancels ESC 6 Print Data as Characters ESC ( ^ n1 n2 data n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Amount of data data: The following n bytes of data printed as characters

Ribbon installing, 1-6-9 replacing 1-9 Running self test, 1-10-12
Page length, 2-22-23 Paper continuous, 2-7-17 printing on special, 2-19-21 single sheet, 2-5-6 Paperhandling, troubleshooting, 3-7-9 Paper Park, 2-3 Paper-thickness lever, adjusting 2-17 Parallel interface, 1-13-14 Parity bit, 2-22, 2-25 Pause button, 2-3 light, 2-2 Plugging in the printer, 1-9 Power supply, troubleshooting, 3-2-3
Safety information, v-vi, 4-5 Selecting fonts, 2-4 Self test, 1-10-12 Sending printer commands, A-10 Serial interface, 1-15-16 Setting up the printer, 1-l-16 your software, 1-16-18 Settings, changing printer, 2-22-28 Single sheets, 2-5-6 Single-bin Cut-Sheet Feeder, 1, 2-29-33 Skip-over-perforation, 2-22-23 Software, setting up your, 1-16-18, 2-22, 2-24

2 Index

Spacing, character, A-15 Special paper, 2-17-21 Specifications interface, A-8-9 printer, A-2-8 State reply, 2-22, 2-25
Tractor, 1, 2-7 pull, 2-7, 2-1317 push, 2-7-12 unit, 2-33-34 Troubleshooting, 3-1-12
Unpacking printer, 1-2 Upgrade kit, color, 2-3538 Using command summary, A-10 control panel, 2-2-4 parallel interface, 1-13-14 printer, 2-1-38 serial interface, 1-13, 1-15-16
Warnings, cautions, and notes, 3 Where to get help for United Kingdom users, iv for United States users, iii Windows, Microsoft, 1-17
EPSON OVERSEAS MARKETING LOCATIONS

EPSON AMERICA, INC.

20770 Madrona Ave. P.O. Box 2842 Torrance, CA 90509-2842 Phone: (BOO) 922-1 Fax: (310) 782-5220

EPSON UK LTD.

Campus 100, Maylands Avenue. Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7TJ, U.K. Phone: 0442-61144 Telex: 5182467

EPSON DEUTSCHLAND GmbH

Zlpicher Strae 6, 40549 Dsseldorf Germany Phone: (0211) 56030 Telex: 8584786

EPSON FRANCE S.A.

68 bis, rue Marjolin 92300, Levallois-Perret, France Phone: (1) 4087-3737 Telex: 610657
EPSON AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.
1/70 Gibbes Street, Chatswood 2067 NSW. Phone: 2-4 15-9000 Fax: 2-4 17-0077
EPSON SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
No. 1 Raffles Place #26-00 OUB Centre, Singapore 0104 Phone: 5330477 Fax: 5338 119

EPSON HONG KONG LTD.

Rooms 4706-10, 47/F, China Resources Bldg., 26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Phone: 5854300 Fax: 8277083
EPSON ELECTRONICS TRADING LTD. (TAIWAN BRANCH]
10F, No. 287 Nanking E. Road, Sec. 3, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Phone: (02) 717-7360 Fax: (02) 712-9164

EPSON ITALIA S.p.A.

V.le F.lli Casiraghi Sesto S.Giovanni Ml, Italy Phone: 2-262331 Fax: 2-2440750

EPSON IBERICA S.A.

Av. de Roma, 18-Cerdanyola del Valles Barcelona, Spain Phone: 582.15.00 Fax: 582.15.55
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION (Hirooka Office)
80 Harashinden, Hirooka Shiojiri-shi, Nagano-ken 399-07 Japan Phone: (0263) 52-March

EPSON LQ-300

Character fonts:

n----7 paper supports

EPSON Roman EPSON Sans Serif EPSON Courier EPSON Script Draft condensed
Roman-T Sans Serif-H EPSON Prestige Draft
Character tables: One italic and 8 graphic character tables. (15 graphic character tables are available in certain areas.) Character sets: / switch 14 international character sets and 1 legal character set Print ribbon shifting Black, Magenta, Cyan, and Yellow
Color printing (optional): Method Ribbon color

Couriers 0

amsuifo 0
Single sheets (CSF): Width: Length: Thickness: Weight: 182 to 216 mm (7.2 to 8.5 inches) 210 to 364 mm (8.3 to 14.3 inches) 0.07 to 0.12 mm (0.0028 to 0.0047 inch) 64 to 91 g/m2 (18 to 24 lb) Cl Use 90 g/m2 (24 lb) paper only under normal temperature and humidity conditions. 148 to 257 mm (5.8 to 10.1 inches) Max. 364 mm (14.3 inches) 0.065 to 0.14 mm (0.0025 to 0.0055 inch) 52.3 to 90 g/m2 (14 to 24 lb) paper under normal conditions. 0 Use 90 g/m2 (24 lb) paper only under normal temperature and humidity conditions. 101 to 254 mm (4 to 10 inches) Four sheets (one original plus three copies) 0.065 to 0.32 mm (0.0025 to 0.012 inch) total 52.3 to 82 g/m2 (14 to 22 lb) for one sheet 40 to 58.2 g/m2 (12 to 15 lb) per sheet in multi-part forms a Use only two- or three-part carbonless multi-part forms fed with the tractor. Q When using side-crimped multi-part forms, raise the paper guide to keep the printing position accurate. a When using the push tractor, the printing position for the last page may not be accurate because the page comes off the tractor.

Printer Specifications

Printing
Print method: Print speed: 24-pin impact dot matrix Width: Length: Thickness: Weight:
Single sheets (manual insertion):

Le4terQuatity

12 is 10 12
The paper-thidoress lever posltbn or an oveftmmd Pttnt head may slowdcwnthephtiarg~.

Printing direction:

Bidirectional logic-seeking for text and graphics. Unidirectional for graphics can be selected with the Printer setting mode or a software command. l/6 inch, l/8 inch, or programmable in increments of l/360 inch.
Continuous paper: Width: Copies: Thickness: Weight:

Line spacing

Paper feed speed 80 ms per l/6-inch line; 3.3 inches/second with continuous feed. Printable columns: 80 characters at 10 cpi 96 characters at 12 cpi 120 characters at 15 cpi 137 characters at 17 cpi 160 characters at 20 cpi 8KB 10KB
Input buffer: Download memory:

Dot Matrix Printers

10/2/94

EPSON LQ-300-1

Note: Use recycled paper under normal conditions only. If ribbon consumption or paper jamming increase, use a higher grade of paper Labels: size: 101 to 254 mm (4.0 to 10.0 inches) width for backing sheet 63.5 x 23.8 mm (2.50 x 0.94 inches) minimum for a label 0.07 to 0.09 mm (0.0028 to 0.0031 inches) for backing sheet 0.16 to 0.19 mm (0.0063 to 0.0075 inches) total 68 g/m2 (17 lb) for label only 0 Use only continuous type labels and usethemonlywiththetractor. P Use labels only under normal temperatureand humidity conditions. No.6 166x92mm (6.5~3.6inches) No. x 104 mm (9.5 x 4.1 inches) 0.16 to 0.52 mm (0.0063 to 0.0197 inches) 45 to 91 g/m2 (12 to 24 lb) 0 Use envelopes only under normal temperature and humidity conditions.

Continuous paper

Thickness:

Weight:

A TheminimumtopandbottommPrginsaboveandbekwthepertoration~ 9.0 mn (0.35 inch). B Themlnimuml~aMJrlgMmarghs~13mm(0.51inch). The maximum printaWe wklth is 203 mm (6.0 inches).

Mechanical

Paper-feed methods: Friction Push tractor Pull tractor Push-pull tractor (with optional pull tractor unit C800301). Cut-sheet feeder (option C806371)
Envelopes: size: ThiCkMSS: Weight

Ribbon:

Printable area: Single sheets and envelopes

4ooopower~hours

Print head life:

l3iXbdOnS

and weight: (Without tractor unit) Electrical
A Theminlnwmtapmat$n&55mm(02inch). 6 The minillmnn bit margin is 3 mm (0.12 inch). Theminimomti@tmarghis3mm(0.12inch). HtmBver,the- prlntrblew#his203mm(8inches). C The minimum bottom matgln is 9.0 mm (0.35 inch).
200 million strokes/wire (black) 100 million strokes/wire (color and film) 366 mm (14.4 inches) Width 275 mm (10.8 inches) Depth: 141 mm (5.6 inches) Height: Approx. 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) weight:
Rated voltage AC 120 V Input voltage range Rated frequency range Input frequency range Ratedcurrent Power consumption AC 103.5 to 132 V 50 to 60 Hz 49.5 to 60.5 Hz 1.1 A Approx. 30 W (during self-test printing in Draft mode at 10 cpi)

EPSON LQ-300-2

Environmental
Temperature: Operation: 5 to 35OC (41 to 95F)
Serial interface specifications
The serial interface has the following characteristics. Bit rate: Word length: Data format Start bit Parity bit Stop bit Handshaking: Parity check: Connector: 300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600,19200 (selectable) 7 or 8-bit (selectable) 1 bit Odd, even, or none (selectable) 1 bit DTR protocol, XON/XOFF protocol ETX/ACK protocol (selectable) Odd, even, or no panty bit (selectable) ETA standard, 25pin, D-SUB, female

COMector

Operation (film ribbon): 15 to 35OC (59 to 95OF) Operation (envelopes, labels, or recycled paper): 15 to 25OC (59 to 77OF) Storage: -20 to 55OC (-4 to 13lOF)
Humidity (without condensation): Operation: 5 to 80% RH
Synchronization: Asynchronous
Operation (film ribbon): lOtow%RH Operation (envelopes, labels, or recycled paper): 2oto6o%RH Storage: 5 totE%RH
Serial pin assignments The following table lists the serial connector pin assignments and describes their respective interface signals. ~PlnNaIsgml
1 Rateah hIld (ffi) TmmiIWData(TXCWD).

Safety approvals

Safety standards:.-\ US model European model RFk US model European model FCC part 15 subpart B class B Vfg 243 (VDE 0878 part 3, part 30) EN 55022 (CISPR Pub. 22) Class B UL1950 with D3, CSA22.2 No.950 with D3 EN 60950 (TUV) IEC 950 (SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, SETI)

!- p-w=

RbwsdmsaisQound Rbkh8ahnmnimdawidd out

Fbaiuadoeb(Fu(DIRD)

fh-bS@nd(RTSIRS)

Rbbrhesraoeimd~d

kw* Rebmphbrdahamlrds@@s camecbdtoun20

srpnrl-W90)

ihrseohamd ~~T~~~IARu~(DTRER)

out out

PoiliveMenhepinbrismadytoacuwtdah rdmgdwhmReprWrisnotrsdy

The Control Panel

sul8selifCourie* 0

Interface Specifications

Your printer is equipped with an ETA-232D serial interface and a Centronics@~ompatible parallel interface. The printer switches automatically to the appropriate interface when it receives data.

Parallel interface specifications
The parallel interface has the following characteristics. Data format: 8-bit Synchronization: STROBE pulse Handshaking: Signal level: Connector: BUSY and ACKNLG signals TTL compatible 36-pin 57-30360 Amphenol connector or equivalent
You can control simple printer operatio-uch as line feeding, form feeding, loading and ejecting paper, and selecting fonts-with the buttons on the control panel. The control panel lights show the printers status and the current font.

EPSON LQ-300-3

Lights and buttons

Pause Light

Character Fonts
The orange Pause light is on when the printer stops
printing. Each time you turn on the printer, the light flashes briefly. When the printer is out of paper, the light flashes and the beeper sounds three times. The light also flashes when you can tear off the last sheet of continuous paper at the edge of the printer cover. The POUS light goes on and the beeper sounds ifan error occurs.
To choose one of the seven internal fonts listed on the control panel, press the Fo$ button. The two font lights come on (0), go off(O), or flash (0) to show the current. selection. Press the button repeatedly to cycle through all of the available selections; stop when you reach the desired font Your Action stays in effect until you change it again or turn off the printer. However, any font choices you make with your software will cancel your control panel selection. The table below shows how the Font lights appear for each selection.
Font LigW EPSON Roman EPSON Sans Setif EPSON Courier EPSON PrWige EPSON Sctipt EPSON Dmlt DfaBoimdmmd O=on l
Font 1 and Font 2 lights The green Font lights, 1 and 2, indicate the current font

setting-

Font button
. through the printer fonts listed on the control panel. When you press the button, the Font lights change to indicate your current selection.
Press the Font button during normal operation to cycle

0 is is

If you hold down the Font button while you turn on the
printer, you enter the Printer Setting mode, where you can change many of the printers settings. During normal operation, you can press this button briefly to feed paper line by line. Hold it down to load a single sheet, or to advance continuous paper to the next top-of-form position. You can also press LF/FF to *a

LF/FF button

=ofi 6sflashing
If you want to make sure the printer is working correctly, you can also use this button to run the self test To start the self test, hold down the U=/FF button while you turn on the printer.
Printer Settings Your printer has internal settings that control simple functions such as the page length and character set. These settings take effect each time you turn on the printer, so they are also called default settings. For most users, the factory sett@s are best, but you can changethesesettingsifnecessary. The table on the next page lists all the settings you can change.

Pause button

Press the POW button to stop the printer temporarily during printing or the self test. Press it again to resume activity. Paper Park Press the Font arsd LF/FF buttons together to feed continuous paper backward to the paper-park position. Micro Adjust While in this mode, you can adjust the loading position by pressing the LF/FF button or the Font button.

EPSON LQ-300-4

Graphic print direction You can choose unidirectional or bidirectional as the print direction for graphics. The printer usually prints text and graphics bidirectionally for fast printing. To print graphics unidirectionally for precise vertical alignment of print dots select unidirectional printing. software You can select the kind of printer commands used by your printer. When you select ESC/P 2, the printer emulates an EPSON ESC/P 2 printer. When you select IBM@ X24E, the printer operates as an IBM Proprinter X24E. If possible, choose an EFSON ESC/P 2 printer in your software programs. This will allow you to use the most advanced font and graphics handling available. (Emulation means that the printer can understand and respond to commands as if it were an X24E.) AGM (Alternate Graphics Mode) When AGM is set to On, the printer can use high-resolution 24pi.n graphics commands. The default setting is off. When you select IBM X24E, this setting is available. Auto line feed When the auto line feed feature is on, each carriage return (CR) code is accompanied by a line feed (LF) code. If your printed text is unexpectedly double-spaced, set this feature to Off. If text lines print on top of each other, set it toon. Interface When this feature is set to Auto, the printer determines which interface is receiving data and switches to that interface until the end of the print job (when no data is received from the selected interface for the amount of time specified), You can specify either 10 seconds or 30 seconds. Set this option to Parallel only if you want the printer to ignore data from the serial interface or to Serial only if you want the printer to ignore data from the parallel interface. Bit rate, parity bit, data length, and ETX/ACK These options are available only when the interface is set to Serial. See your computer manual for the appropriate settings. State reply For normal operation leave this option set to Off (default).
Incerteinareas,Ulefdlowing~ertaM~,are~e:
Pc437, Pc050, Pc864, Pu37GLeek, Pc8s2,Pctl53, Pcass, Pc857, PO866, PC869, IS0 Latin IT, IS0 88597, code MJK, MAZOWIA, Bulgaria

Note: Because @ware settings always ommide the printer0 dejblt settings, use your sojbare program to control the printer, if possible. See your @ware documentatim~ more ittformafion. Character table ,*.-. Character tables contain the characters and symbols used in different languages. Your printer includes a wide variety of character tables. Page length This option is available only when you use continuous paper with the tractor. You can set the page length to 8.5, 11,12, or 70/6(the length of A4 paper) inches. Skip-over-perforation When you turn on this feature, the printer skips over the perforations of continuous paper, providing a l-inch marginbehyeenthelastiineprintedono~pageandthe first line printed on the next. Because most software programs set their own top and bottom margins, you should use this feature only if your program does not provide them. This feature does not affect single-sheet paper* Auto tear off When you use continuous paper with the push tractor, this feature advances the paper perforation to the tear-off position where you can easily tear off the printed pages. When the printer receives data, it automatically reverses the paper to the top-of-form position and starts prinsoyoucanuseallofthenextsheet.Whenyouusethe tractor to print on labels, set this feature to off. *--.

EPSON LQ-300-5

Changing the printer settings
If you cannot use your software program to change the printers settings, you can use the Printer Setting mode. Heres how: El To print the help text, use paper at least 210 mm (8.3 inches) w&for single Sheets or 240 kn (9.5 inches) for wntinuous~ paper; otherwise the print heud prints directly on the platen. Also make sure you have enough sheets qf paper because the printer prints several pages #help text. 1. Turn off the printer. Make sure the paper is loaded correctly. 2. Hold down the Font button while you turn on the printer. If you are using single sheets, insert a sheet of paper. The printer automatically loads the paper and prints out a table of languages from which you can choose. You can print instructions in Eqlish, French, German, Italian or Spanish, as shown in Table A below. Table A

Font lights 1

Table B

Caution:

EXT/ACK -tareply

Table E TableE 4

0=on,*=otf,~=nashing

Wifurge

0 English
ti French.Gamafl llaliall spanll
For example, if you want to change the Interface setting, press Font or LF/FF until Font 1 is flashing, Font 2 is off, and the Pause light is flashing. The printer beeps once each time you press the button while in Table B. When you reach the setting that you want to change, press the Pause button once. The printer beeps twice and enters a submenu table for that setting. For example, if you choose Interface and then press Pause, you enter Table H. See the appropriate table in your help text. Press the Font button to move through the se&ngs in the table. The printer beeps twice each time you press the Font button while in a submenu table. When the control panel lights match your desired setting, press the Pause button to make your selection. The printer saves the new setting and returns to Table B. lO.ReFt steps 6 through 9 for each additional setting you want to change, or skip to step 11 to exit the Printer Setting mode. ll.Whenyouarefinished,tumtheprinteroff.Anysettings you have made remain in effect until you change them again. ,--.

O=on,O=off, t5=lhshing

To choose a language, press the Font button repeatedly until the Font lights match your desired selection. For example, to choose Spanish, press the Font button until Font 1 is on and Font 2 is flashing. Press LF/R to select the language. The printer prints the current settings in the languae of your choice, and then

StOpS.

Press the Font button now to print help text that guides you through the operations. The printed instructions include submenu tables that list all of the settings you can change and show you how the control panel lights appear for each selection. After printing is finished, go on to step 6. If you have changed the printer settings bejke and do not need the help text, you can skip this step by pressing LF/FF instend #the Font buttan. 6. At this point, you are in Table B. Press the Font or LF/FF button to move through the printer m listed in Table B, and notice how the control panel lights change to indicate your position

EPSON LQ-300-6

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge
Before installing the ribbon cartridge, make sure the printer is turned off. 1. Open the printer cover to the upright position+ then pull it up to remove it.
4. Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then press both sides of the cartridge down firmly to fit the plastic hooks into the printer slots.
5. Use a pointed object, such as a ball point pen, to guide the ribbon between the print head and ribbon guide. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place; it should not be twisted or creased.
wathg: 0 Never moue the print head while the printer is turned on; this
2. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer.
can damage the printer. Also, if you have just used the printer, let the print head cool for a few minutes before you touch it.
6. Slide the print head from side to side to make sure it moves smoothly. 7. Re-install and close the printer cover. When your printing becomes faint, you need to replace the ribbon cartridge. To remove the old ribbon cartridge, first move the print head to the center of the printer. Then grasp the ribbon cartridge handle on either side and lift it out of the printer.
3. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack from the ribbon so it is easier toinstall.

Running the Self Test

The built-in self test function demonstrates that the printer is working properly. You can run the test with either continuous paper or single sheets; this section describes the easier way, with single sheets. la You should use paper at least 210 mm (8.3 inches) wide to run the self test; otheruise, the print heud prints directly on the pl&n.

EPSON LQ-300-7

1. Make sure the printer is turned off and the paper-release lever is pushed back to the single-sheet position. Raise the paper guide upright. 4. Slide a sheet of paper down firmly between the edge guides until it meets resistance. The printer loads the sheet automatically.
Caution: RI Always close the printer cover while the printer is printing.

While hokling down the LF/FF button turn on the printer. Release the button after the Pause light flashes. The beeper sounds three times, indicating the printer is out of paper* The printer cm& helps the paperfeed prqxrly. 5. To stop printing temporarily, press the Taupe button 6. To end the self test, make sure the printer is not printing. Press LF/FF to elect the sheet; then turn off the printer.

Setting Up Your software

Most software lets you specify the type of printer you use so that you can take full advantage of the printers features. Your software probably provides an mstallation or setup section that includes a list of printers.
Microsoft Windows 3.1 and all Windows progr;ilms
If Windows is installed on your computer system, follow the steps below to install the right driver for your printer. Your printer will work correctly for all your Windows programs, such as Word for Windows, Lotus l-2-3 for Windows, and CorelDRAW? If Windows is mt already installed on your system, run the Windows setup program as described in the documentation that comes with the program. Follow steps 4 through 10 below when you reach the section about choosing a printer. 1. In the Main window, double click the Control Panel icon. 2. Double click the Printers icon. 3. Choose the Ad&> button.
Slide the left edge guide until it locks in place at the triangular guide mark Next, adjust the right edge guide to match the width of your paper.

EPSON LQ-300-8

4. From the list of printers box, select LQ-300. If it is not available, choose the first available printer from the following list. If you plan to use color, you must choose either ActionPrinter 3260, LQ-150, LQ-860, LQ-2550. The other printers cannot use color. ActionPrinter~ 3260 LQ-150 w-860 LQ-2550 LQ-570+ Stylus &IO@ LQ-870 ActionPrinter 3250 Any LQ printer EPSON printer
Adjusting the Loading Position
If you want to adjust the position where printing begins on the page, follow these steps (these instructions also work when you use the pull or push tractor): With paper loaded, hold down the Pause button until the printer beeps once and the Font light begins to flash. Press the LF/FF button to feed the paper forward, or press the Font button to feed the paper backward. (Press either button as many times as necessary until you reach the desired position.) To complete the adjustment, press the Pause button or send data from your computer.
5. Choose the Install button. A dialog box may instruct you to insert a diskette. (If necessary, insert the diskette required.) 6. Choose the Setup button. 7. Select the appropriate resolution. 8. If you selected the LQ-860, LQ-2550, LQ-570+, or LQa70 printer, select Sheet Feeder - Bin 1 as the Paper Source. This step is very important for proper page breaks in your documents. 9. Choose the OK button. lO.Highlight EPSON LQ300 (or the printer you added) and click the button labeled Set As Default Printer. 11.Click the Close button. ,f---Y

Printing on Continuous Paper
Your printer can handle continuous paper with a width of 101 mm (4.0 inches) to 254 mm (10.0 inches). Depending on where you position the tractor, you can use it as a pull tractor or a push tractor. These guidelines can help you decide where to position the tractor: Do you want to switch between printing on single sheets and continuous paper without removing the paper supply? Will you tear off continuous paper sheet-by-sheet? If yes, use the tractor in the push tractor position. (The printer comes with the tractor installed in this positim) seethe following section. Are you printing on labels? If yes, use the tractor as a pull tractor. If your documents require a more precise print position, use the optional pull tractor (C800301) in addition to the built-in tractor in the push tractor position.
Using non-Windows software
From the list of printers box, choose LQ-300. If it is not available, choose the first available printer from the following list. If you plan to use color, you must choose either ActionPrinter 3260, LQ-150, LQ-860, LQ-2!550. The other printers cannot use color. ActionPrinter 3260 LQ-150 LQ-860 LQ-2550 LQ-570+ Stylus 800 LQ-870 ActionPrinter 3250 Any LQ printer EPSON printer
Printing in the push tractor position
When using the push tractor, it is a good idea to set the Auto tear off feature in the Printer Setting mode to on. Heres how to load continuous paper using the push tractor: 1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Remove the paper guide and place the paper-release lever in the continuous paper position.
If your software does not list the LQ-300, you may want to contact the software manufacturer for an update.

EPSON LQ-300-9

2. Release the sprocket units by pulling the sprocket locks forward. 5. To separate the incoming paper from the printed paper, attach the paper guide by holding it horizontally and fitting its notches over the printers mounting posts as shown below. Then slide the paper guide toward the front of the printer until you feel it click. f----*
3. Slide the left sprocket unit using the scale on the printer as a guide. The printer prints to the right of the position marked 0. Rush the sprocket lock lever back to lock it in place. Then slide the right sprocket unit to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support so it is midway between the sprocket units.

6. Slide the left edge guide to the center until it stops at the diamond-shaped guide mark. Then slide the right edge guide to the opposite guide mark.
4. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight leading edge. Open~sprocketcwers.Fit~firstholesof~paper over the sprocket pins and then close the sprocket covers. Slide the right sprocket unit to remove any slack in the paper and lock it in place. Now the paper is in the paper-park position. Note: a Do not use the knob tofeed pper, othemise the tqof$rm pition may be alteredfrom the next page. a Make sure your paper supply is positioned within I meter
7. Make sure the printer cover is closed. Then turn on the printer. When the printer receives data, it begins printing automatically. 8. When you finish printing (the printer receives no data for three seconds) the printer feeds the perforation of the continuous paper to the edge of the printer cover so that you can tear off the last sheet. The POUW light flashes.

(3 feet) of the printer.

P Set the auto tear o$@ature in the Printer Setting mode to on. Otherwise, the printer does notfeed the perforation to the edge of the printer cover. P If the perjkation and the edge of the printer cmer do not match, adjust the paper position byfillowing the steps in Adjusting the loading position, while the Pause light is flashing. When you send more data, the paper automatically feeds back to the loading position

EPSON LQ-300-10

Switching back to single sheets
To switch to single sheets, press the Font and LF/FF buttons at the same time; the printer feeds the paper backward into the paper-park position. Caution: ca Always tear off paper before back-feeding; back-feeding too many sheets can cause a paper jam. 4. Release the sprocket units by pulling the sprocket locks forward.
Printing in the pull tractor position
To load continuous paper using the pull tractor, you must move the tractor to the pull tractor position; as described in steps 1 through 3 below. If your tractor is already installed in this position, make sure the printer is off and skip to step 5. caution: a When using the pull tractor, set the auto tear offfeature in the Printer Setting mode to 8; otherwise the paper may jam. 1. Turn the printer off; then remove the paper guide. Pull the paper-release lever forward to the continuous paper position. 2. Squeeze the tractors lock tabs gently and pull the tractor away from the printer. Remove the printer cover. 5. Insert the paper into the paper slot as shown below and pull it up. Position the paper using the scale on the printer as a guide. The printer prints to the right of the position marked 0.

Note: Make sure your paper supply is positioned within I meter (3 feet) of the printer. 6. Slide the left sprocket unit so that its sprockets match the position of the holes in the paper and lock the unit in place. Then slide the ri&t sprocket unit to match the width of your paper, but do not lock it. Move the paper support midway between the two sprocket units.
3. Lift the tractor forward to the mounting slot at the top of the printer and tilt it into place as shown below. Then push the tractor onto the posts until the notches snap into place.

_-Y---.

EPSON LQ-300-11
7. Make sure your paper has a clean, straight leading edge. Open the sprocket covers. Fit the first holes of the paper over the sprocket pins and then close the sprocket covers. Slide the right sprocket unit to remove any slack in the paper and lock it in place.
Installing the Color Upgrade Kit
The optional Color Upgrade Kit (C832111) includes a color ribbon cartridge and a motor unit. Heres how to install the kit:
1. Turn off the printer and remove the printer cover. If the
original ribbon cartridge is installed, remove it. Then slide the connector cover on the printer and pull it out as shown below.
To separate the incoming paper from the printed paper, attach the paper guide. Hold it horizontally and fit its notches over the printers mounting posts. Then slide the paper guide toward the back of the printer until you feel it click Slide the left edge guide to the center until it stops at the diamond-shaped guide mark; slide the right edge guide to the opposite guide mark. 10. Attach the printer cover and adjust the paper position with the knob. Turn the knob until the perforation between pages is just above the print head. 11. Make sure the printer cover is closed. Then turn on the printer. When the printer receives data, it begins printing automatically. If you want to change the position where printing begins on the page, press LF/FF to advance the page to the next top-of-form position and then follow the steps to adjust the loading position. To eject the paper, tear off the paper enter@ the printer; then press the LF/FF button to feed the paper forward.
2. Install the motor unit in the right hand corner of the printer, with the gear facing the center of the printer. Push it down firmly to fit the metal pins into the slots.
3. Insert the motor unit plug into the connector on the printer.
4. Slide the print head to the middle of the printer. Remove the retaining tape from the cartridge and then slide the movable ribbon guide on the color ribbon to the center of the cartridge.

EPSON LQ-300-12

5. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob in the direction of the arrow to remove any slack in the ribbon. Note: When you print using the color ribbon, print speed may be reduced. To switch to the black ribbon, remove the color ribbon and then install the black ribbon To remove the color ribbon, press down on he motor unit and pull out the cartridge as shown below. You do not have to remove the motor unit.

6. Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then press both sides of the cartridge firmly to fit the plastic hooks into the printer slots.
Information Reference List
Engineering Change Notices NCWS Product Support Bulletins
None 7. Turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into place; it should not be twisted or creased. 8. Replace the printer cover. After you install the color ribbon cartridge, run the self test. If the top or bottom edge of the characters in the self test are a different color from the rest, adjust the ribbon angle with the color ribbon adjustment lever.
Technical Information Bulletins None Related Documentation
TM-LQ300 PL-LQEPSON LQ-300 Service Manual EPSON LQ-300 Parts Price List EPSON LQ-*300 Users Guide

EPSON LQ-300-13