PLQ-20 Banking Printer

The Epson PLQ-20 is a 24-pin dot matrix printer designed with the ability of handling passbooks up to 2.6mm thick and is easily integrated into existing IT environments with ESC/P2, IBM emulation settings and Olivetti PR2E default settings. Standard Parallel, Serial and USB interfaces, and optional connection via USB to wired and wireless networks, feature on the PLQ-20 for flexible connectivity. For ongoing performance and reliability, the PLQ-20 features a long ribbon life of up to 5 million characters, a mean volume between failure (MVBF) of 7 million lines, a mean time between failure (MTBF) of 10,000 power-on hours and a print head life of 400 million strokes/wire.

TECHNICAL SHEET

Printer Type Print Method Print Head Print Colour Print Direction Control Code Print Speed Impact Dot Matrix 24 pins Black Bi-direction with logic seeking PR2 emulation, ESC/P2, IBM PPDS emulation Print Characteristics Character International, Germany, Portugal, Spain1, Denmark/Norway, France, Table Italy, Sweden/Finland, Switzerland, Great Britain, USA ASCII, Greece, Israel, Spain 2, USSR, Yugoslavia, Olivetti TCV 370, Canada, SDC, Turkey, Arabic, CIBC, ISO8859-1 Latin1, ISO8859-9 Latin5, ISO8859-2 Latin2, ISO8859-5 Cyrillic, ISO8859-15, ISO8859-6 Latin Arabic, ISO8859-7 Greek, ISO8859-8 Hebrew, 1252(PC-WIN LATIN1), 1250(PC-WIN LATIN2), OLI-UNIX, PC-437 International, PC-220 Spain2, PC-865 Nordic, PC-Denmark/Norway, PC-Denmark OPE, PC860 Portugal, PC-863 Canadian French, PC850 Latin1, PC-858 Latin Euro, PC-857 Turkish Latin5, PC-852 Latin2, PC-851 Greek, PC-210 Greek, PC-855 Cyrillic, PC-862 Hebrew, PC-864 Arabic, PC-866 Cyrillic, OCR-A Bit Map Font Bar Code Epson Super Draft(Olivetti), Epson Draft(Olivetti), Epson Roman(Olivetti), Epson Sans Serif(Olivetti), Epson OCR-B(Olivetti), Epson OCR-A(Olivetti) EAN-13, EAN-8, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 39, Coda bar(NW-7), Industrial 2 of 5

PR2 Emulation

High Speed Draft 10cpi 12cpi Draft 10cpi 12cpi NLQ 10cpi 12cpi LQ 10cpi 12cpi Printable Columns 480 cps 432 cps 360 cps 360 cps 180 cps 180 cps 120 cps 144 cps

ESC/P2

480 cps 576 cps 360 cps 432 cps 120 cps 144 cps
Interface Bi-directional parallel interface (IEEE-1284 nibble mode supported) Serial Interface USB Interface ver. 1.1 Input Buffer
10cpi 12cpi 13cpi 15cpi 16.6cpi 17.1cpi

Characters per Line

155 161
64 Kbyte Ribbon Cartridge Colour Type Ribbon Life Black Fabric Approx. 5 million characters (LQ 10cpi, 48 dots / character) Approx. 10 million characters (Draft 10cpi, 24 dots / character)
Microelectronic Computer Systems Pty Ltd A.B.N. Unit 26, 380 Eastern Valley Way Chatswood NSW 2067 Australia Tel. Fax Web site http://www.microelectronic.net/mcs
Specifications are subject to change without notice All trademarks are acknowledged
Paper Handling Paper Path Passbook Manual Insertion (front in, front out / front in, rear out) Horizontal Width Length Vertical Width Length Cut Sheet Size Width Length Paper Thickness Passbook Total Maximum Cover Page Each Page Cut Sheet Single Sheet Multi part Copy Acoustic Noise PLQ-20 PLQ-20M Line Spacing 110 - 241.3 mm 127 - 220 mm 110 - 241.3 mm 85 - 220 mm 65 - 245 mm 67 - 297 mm 2.6 mm 0.2 - 0.5 mm 0.1 - 0.15 mm 0.065 - 0.19 mm 0.12 - 0.53 mm
Reliability Mean print volume between failure (MVBF) 7 million lines (except print head) MTBF Print Head Life Control Panel 3 switches and 5 LEDs Environmental Conditions (Operating) Temperature Humidity Electrical Specification Rated Voltage Rated Frequency Power Consumption Dimensions Width Depth Height Weight 384 mm 280 mm 203 mm 7.7 kg (PLQ-20), 8.7 kg (PLQ-20M) 220 - 240VAC 50 - 60 Hz Approx. 60W (ISO/IEC10561 Letter Pattern) Energy Star Compliant 5 to 35 C 10 to 80 % RH 10000 POH 400 million strokes / wire

1 original + 6 copies 53 dB(A) 55 db(A) 4.23 mm ISO7779 pattern ISO7779 pattern
Printer Driver / Utility OS Utility Microsoft Windows 98/2000/Me/XP and Microsoft Windows NT operating system Version 4.0 Epson Status Monitor3 (Microsoft Windows 98/2000/Me/XP and Microsoft Windows NT operating system Version 4.0 environment only)
Options Ribbon Cartridge (black) Roll Paper Holder Space Saving Kit EpsonNet 802.11b Wireless Ext. Print Server EpsonNet 10/100 Base Tx USB Print Server S015339 C811141 C80220* C82396* / C82397* / C82398* C82402*

The default unit varies depending on the command and print quality, as follows: ESC ( V ESC ( v ESC ( C ESC ( c ESC \ (LQ mode) ESC \ (draft mode) ESC $ <MOVX> (dot) <MOVY> 1/360 inch 1/360 inch 1/360 inch 1/360 inch 1/180 inch 1/120 inch 1/60 inch 1/360 inch 1/360 inch
This command is available only on printers featuring ESC/P 2. The parameter and related commands highlighted in bold are new to this command and only apply to the Stylus COLOR and later inkjet printer models.
HT, VT, CR, LF, FF, Set the Printing Area, Select the print position, Graphics mode
Select 1/8-inch line spacing
Sets the line spacing to 1/8 inch

1/6-inch line spacing

Changing the line spacing does not affect previous settings for vertical tabs or page length. This command uses the ASCII code for the character 0 (zero), not a capital O or the number 0.
ESC 2, ESC 3, ESC +, ESC C, ESC N, ESC B, LF, Setting page length, Moving the vertical position
Changing the line spacing does not affect previous settings for vertical tabs or page length. This command uses the ASCII code for the character 0 (zero), not the number 0.
ESC 2, ESC 3, ESC N, ESC C, ESC B, LF, Setting page length, Moving the vertical position
Select 1/6-inch line spacing
Sets the line spacing to 1/6 inch
This command uses the ASCII code for the character 2, not the number 2. Changing the line spacing does not affect previous settings for vertical tabs or page length.
ESC 0, ESC 3, ESC +, ESC C, ESC N, ESC B, LF, Setting page length, Moving the vertical position
ESC 0, ESC 3, ESC N, ESC C, ESC B, LF, Setting page length, Moving the vertical position
Set n/180-inch line spacing
Sets the line spacing to n/180 inch
This command uses the ASCII code for the character 3, not the number 3. Changing the line spacing does not affect previous settings for vertical tabs or page length.
ESC 0, ESC 2, ESC +, ESC N, ESC C, ESC B, LF, Setting page length, Moving the vertical position
Set n/216-inch line spacing
Sets the line spacing to n/216 inch
ESC 0, ESC 2, ESC N, ESC C, ESC B, LF, Setting page length, Moving the vertical position
Set n/360-inch line spacing

+ 2B 43

Sets the line spacing to n/360 inch

ActionPrinter L-1000, LQ-400, LQ-500, LQ-2550

ESC -, Score

Select superscript/subscript printing

S 53 83

Prints characters that follow at about 2/3 their normal height; the printing location depends on the value of n as follows: n = 1 or or 48 Lower part of the character space Upper part of the character space
Normal (non-super/subscript) characters
This command does not affect graphics characters. The width of super/subscript characters when using proportional spacing differs from that of normal characters; see the super/subscript character proportional width table in the Appendix. The underline strikes through the descenders on subscript characters during underlining. Use the ESC T command to cancel super/subscript printing. When point sizes other than 10 (10.5) and 20 (21) are selected in multipoint mode, super/subscript characters are printed at the nearest point size less than or equal to 2/3 the current size. When 8-point characters are selected, super/subscript characters are also 8-point characters.

ESC T, Super/subscript

This command does not affect graphics characters. The width of super/subscript characters when using proportional spacing is the same as that of normal characters. The underline strikes through the descenders on subscript characters during underline mode. Use the ESC T command to cancel super/subscript printing.
FX-850, FX-1050 Selecting double-height printing overrides super/subscript printing; super/subscript printing resumes when double-height printing is canceled.
Cancel superscript/subscript printing

T 54 84

Cancels super/subscript printing selected by the ESC S command
Normal (non-super/subscript) printing

ESC S, Super/subscript

Select character style

q 71 113

Turns on/off outline and shadow printing, according to the parameters below: n=Turn off outline/shadow printing Turn on outline printing Turn on shadow printing Turn on outline and shadow printing
Outline/shadow printing off
This command is available only on 24 and 48-pin printers. This command does not affect graphics characters.

* The ESC. 2 and ESC ( i commands are available only with the Stylus COLOR and later inkjet printer models.
ESC., ESC. 2, ESC ( i, Sending graphics data, Graphics mode, Binary Mode Commands

ESC ( i

Select MicroWeave

i 69 105

Turns MicroWeave print mode off and on: n = 0 or or 49 MicroWeave off MicroWeave on
MicroWeave printing takes longer, but improves printout appearance by reducing banding. This command is only available during raster graphics printing. Sending an ESC @ or ESC ( G command turns MicroWeave printing off. Always send this command before loading paper

Stylus COLOR

ESC., ESC. 2, ESC ( G, ESC @, Sending graphics data, Graphics mode

Print raster graphics

. 2E 46
c=0 c=1 v = 5,10, 20 h = 5,10, 20 m = 1, 8, nL nH d 255
The following vertical and horizontal printing resolution combinations are available: v h v (dpi) h (dpi) m 1, 8, or 360 1, 8, or 360 1, 8, or 24 Stylus COLOR only 5 5

1 (with speical paper)

Prints dot graphics in raster format (row by row, left to right) Allows compression of graphics data during raster graphics printing; counters can be included with data to specify the number of times to repeat a particular byte of data Parameters are used as described below: c=v h m nL, nH Full graphics mode (noncompressed) Compressed raster graphics (Run Length Encoding) mode Vertical resolution in dpi720, 360, 180 (3600/v dpi) Horizontal resolution in dpi720, 360, 180 (3600/h dpi) Vertical dot count (rows of dot graphics) Horizontal dot count (columns of dot graphics), according to the following formula:
(horizontal dot count) 256 (horizontal dot count) 256
Total number of data bytes, according to the following formula:

k = m INT

(nH 256) + nL + 7 8
During full graphics mode: Graphics data During RLE compressed raster graphics mode (ESC. 1): The first data byte is treated as a counter. Graphics data bytes then alternate with a data counter byte (run-length data compression), as follows:

0 (counter byte) 127

Counter specifies the number of data bytes following according to the formula below.
(counter byte) + 1 = (number of data bytes to follow) or (counter byte) = (number of data bytes to follow) (counter byte) 255
Counter specifies the number of times to repeat the next byte of data according to the formula below.
256 (counter byte) + 1 = (number of times to repeat next byte) (counter byte) = 257 (number of times to repeat next byte)
Use only one image density and do not change this setting once in raster graphics mode. Parameters in bold are new to this command and apply to the Stylus COLOR and later printer models. When MicroWeave is selected, the image height m must be set to 1. Special coated stock paper available from EPSON is required when printing raster graphics at 720 dpi. This command is available only on printers featuring ESC/P 2. This command can be used only during graphics mode, entered by sending the ESC ( G command. The combination of v = 10 and h = 20 (360 dpi by 180 dpi) is not possible. You can specify the horizontal dot count in 1-dot increments. If the dot count is not a multiple of 8, the remaining data in the data byte at the far right of each row is ignored. The final print position is the dot after the far right dot on the top row of the graphics printed with this command. Repetitive data bytes can be mixed with data blocks in the same command. You cannot move the print position in a negative direction (up) while in graphics mode. Also, the printer ignores commands moving the vertical print position in a negative direction if the final position would be above any graphics printed with this command.

Print data that exceeds the right margin is ignored. Do not specify the vertical movement in increments smaller than the current print density.
Vertical and horizontal resolutions of 720 dpi are available only with the Stylus COLOR.
ESC ( G, Sending graphics data, Raster graphics

ESC. 2

Enter TIFF compressed mode
v = 5,10, 20 h = 5,10, 20 vertical resolutions in dpi720, 360, 180 (3600/v dpi) horizontal resolutions in dpi720, 360, 180 (3600/h dpi)
The following vertical and horizontal printing resolution combinations are available: v h v (dpi) h (dpi) Stylus COLOR only 5 5

720 (with special paper)

Enters TIFF raster graphics compressed mode The following commands are availiable in TIFF mode (all other codes are ignored): <XFER> <MOVX> <MOVY> <COLR> <CR> <EXIT> <MOVXBYTE> <MOVXDOT> Transfer raster graphics data Set relative horizontal position Set relative vertical position Select printing color Carriage return to left-most print position Exit TIFF mode Set <MOVX> unit to 8 dots Set <MOVX> unit to 1 dot
This mode allows compression of graphics data during raster graphics printing.
This command can be used only during graphics mode, which is entered by sending the ESC ( G command. This command pertains only to Stylus COLOR and later printer models. Use only one image density and do not change this setting after entering raster graphics mode. Do not overwrite image data. The horizontal positioning should be a multiple of 8, otherwise the printers throughput will decline. The combination of v = 10 and h = 20 (360 vertical dots by 180 horizontal dots) is not possible.
Special coated stock paper available from EPSON is required when printing raster graphics at 720 dpi. Do not specify the vertical movement in increments smaller than the current print density.
ESC., ESC ( G, ESC @, Sending graphics data, Graphics mode, Binary Mode Commands

Select bit image

* 2A 42
0 nL nH 31 m = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 32, 33, 38, 39, 40, 71, 72, 73
Prints dot-graphics in 8, 24, or 48-dot columns, depending on the following parameters: m nL, nH Specifies the dot density (see table below) Specifies the total number of columns of graphics data that follow
(number of dot columns) = ((nH 256) + nL) nH = INT
(number of dot columns) 256 (number of dot columns) 256

d1. d k

Bytes of graphics data; k is determined by multiplying the total number of columns times the number of bytes required for each column (see the table below)
Dot density Parameter m in ESC * command 72 73
Horizontal density (dpi) 360 360
Vertical density (dpi) 24 pin 48 pin N/A 360 N/A 360 N/A 360
Adjacent dot printing Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes

F = 0 then #BC = parameter where 0 #BC 15 F = 1 then #BC = number of parameter counter where #BC = 1, 2
Moves relative vertical position by dot. The new vertical position = current position + (parameter). Moves the horizontal print position to 0 (left-most print position). Positive value only is allowed. The print position cannot be moved in a negative direction (up).
This command is available when the ESC. 2 TIFF compressed graphics mode is selected. The unit for this command is determined by the ESC ( U set unit command. After the vertical print position is moved, all seed row(s) are copied to the band buffer. Settings beyond 22 inches are ignored.
ESC. 2, ESC ( i, ESC ( U, ESC ( G

<COLR>

Class 2 ASCII <COLR> Binary 1000 xxxxB
1000 0000B 1000 0001B 1000 0010B 1000 0100B Black Magenta Cyan Yellow
Moves the horizontal print position to 0 (left-most print position). (TIFF format) Selects the band buffer color.
This command is available when the ESC. 2 TIFF compressed graphics mode is selected. Parameters other than those listed above are ignored. Combinations of colors are not available and will be ignored.

ESC. 2, ESC r, ESC ( G

<CR>
Carriage return to left-most print position
Class 1 ASCII <CR> Binary 1110 0010B
Moves the horizontal print position to 0 (left-most print position).

ESC. 2, ESC ( G

<EXIT>
Exit TIFF compressed mode
Class 1 ASCII <EXIT> Binary 1110 0011B
Exits TIFF compressed raster graphics mode. Starts printing of stored data. Moves the horizontal print position to 0 (left-most print position).
This command is available when the ESC. 2 TIFF compressed mode is selected.
<MOVXBYTE> Set <MOVX> unit to 8 dots
Class 1 ASCII <MOVXBYTE> Binary 0010 0100B
Sets the increment of <MOVX> unit to 8. Starts printing of stored data. Moves the horizontal print position to 0 (left-most print position). Does not move the vertical print position.
The unit for this command is determined by the ESC ( U set unit command. This command is available when ESC. 2 TIFF compressed mode is selected. Execute command ESC ( G before sending this command. Execute this command immediately after entering raster graphics mode by sending the ESC. 2 command.

Cancel italics with the ESC 5 command and set the following traits of the characters you plan to define: Print quality Size (either normal or super/subscript)24/48-pin printers only Proportional or fixed character spacing24/48-pin printers only
The printer stores user-defined characters in RAM memory; you must tell the printer to find characters in RAM memory if you want to print user-defined characters. If you plan to use many of the standard characters along with your user-defined characters, use the ESC : command to copy the currently selected character table to the printers RAM memory. This allows you to print user-defined characters without having to switch from ROM to RAM characters and back again each time. Define and send the data to the printers RAM memory using the ESC & command. Switch to RAM characters. The printer then uses the user-defined characters when printing text.
Note: On 24/48-pin printers, you can use the ESC t 2 command to copy character data (including user-defined characters) from codes 0 to 127 to codes 128 to 255. This is desirable if you wish to print codes between 0 and 127 as usual while having access to user-defined characters. If you plan to use the ESC t 2 command to access user-defined characters on an ESC/P 2 printer, make sure you do not assign a registered character table to active Table 2 with the ESC ( t command. Once you have assigned a registered table to Table 2, you cannot use it for user-defined characters (until you reset the printer with the ESC @ command).
Planning user-defined characters
User-defined characters are defined based on a combination of several traits. This combination of traits determines the number of dots that can be defined (and the amount of data that must be sent) for each character. These traits, and the maximum recommended size for each combination of traits is shown in the table below. Exceeding the width for the following fixed pitches may not allow for sufficient spacing between characters. 24/48-pin printers (height width) Traits Draft fixed-pitch

fixed-pitch

proportional super/subscript
super/subscript, proportional
Recommended size (10 cpi) (12 cpi) (15 cpi) (10 cpi) (12 cpi) (15 cpi) (10 cpi) (12 cpi) (15 cpi) 16 37
9-pin printers (height width) Traits Recommended size Draft NLQ Note: For 9-pin printers, NLQ user-defined characters are available only on LX-series printers.
The diagrams below show the planning grids for LQ, NLQ, and draft mode characters.

24/48-pin

15 cpi 12 cpi 10 cpi Proportional LQ
15 cpi 12 cpi 10 cpi Proportional Super/Subscript
15 cpi 12 cpi 10 cpi Draft
12 cpi 10, 12 cpi NLQ 10 cpi Draft
Follow the steps below to plan a user-defined character. 1. First determine the type of characters you wish to define (for example, 24-pin, LQ-mode, 12-cpi characters). Consult the chart above for the maximum recommended dot-matrix size for your selected characters (the maximum for the example in step 1 is 24 dots high 30 dots wide). On the appropriate grid for your chosen character attributes, fill in the dots you wish to print to form your character. Keep the following restrictions in mind: You cannot print consecutive horizontal dots on 24-pin printers, or in draft-mode on 9-pin printers. The printer ignores the second of any consecutive horizontal dots. For example, the printer ignores the dots circled below.

NLQ-mode characters: ESC & NUL n m [0 a 0 d0 d1 d2. dk] The value for n is the location of the first consecutive character you wish to redefine; m is the last character. See the ASCII character table in the Appendix for the order of the characters. To define just one character, n is the same as m. Parameter a is called the attribute byte; the purpose of the attribute byteis different for draft and NLQ characters. Both explanations are included below.
The attribute byte for draft 9-pin characters With draft 9-pin characters, the attribute byte sets the following parameters of the character you are defining: The pin group (the upper 8 pins or the lower 8 pins Select the upper 8 pins if your character has no descenders. Select the lower 8 pins if your character has descenders. The ending column (during proportional spacing)
The beginning column (during proportional spacing)
This information is stored within the attribute byte as shown below.
bit value: vit number: 1 0
end column number start column number pins to use
To determine the value of the attribute byte, add up the numbers for the parameters you wish to set. Attribute byte table Beginning Column Column Value number 7 112
Note: The beginning column and ending column settings are only used during proportional spacing. During proportional spacing, the columns to the left of the beginning column and to the right of the ending column are cut off. Proportional spacing is not available on LX-series printers.
For example, to define a character that begins in column 2 and ends in 9 (during proportional spacing) and is printed with the upper 8 pins, determine the attribute byte as follows: Value 128 = 169
Beginning column is 2 Ending column is 9 Upper 8 pins Total attribute byte
You must send an attribute byte for each character you define.
The attribute byte for NLQ 9-pin characters With NLQ characters, the attribute byte determines the width of the character only. Determine the width of your pattern data in columns (1 to 12) and set the attribute byte equal to the number of columns. Repeat the data within the brackets for each character you are defining. You must send an attribute byte for each character you define. Examples The following example replaces the + character with the following 9-pin, draft, user-defined character:

The method of accessing characters in other areas varies depending on the type of printer. There are two ways to access user-defined characters 0 to 31.
The first method is available only on ESC/P 2 printers. After changing to RAM characters with the ESC % 1 command, use the ESC ( ^ command to send character data. All data sent with the ESC ( ^ command is treated as character data. See ESC ( ^ in the Command Summary for details. The table of accessible characters is as follows:
The second method is to select ESC % 0 (ROM character printing) and then send the ESC t 2 command. ESC t 2 copies all user-defined characters to the upper half of the character memory, and leaves the lower half as ROM characters. (In other words, the ESC t 2 command adds 128 to the user-defined character codes.)
The codes between 128 and 159, as well as between 0 and 31, are usually treated as control codes. Send the ESC I and ESC 6 commands to access characters 128 to 159 and the 18 non-control codes between 0 and 31. The table of accessible characters then appears as below:
You can change up to 12 of the characters in the current character table with the ESC R command. These 12 characters are called international character sets because they correspond to characters commonly used in several foreign languages. The format for this command is as follows: ESC R n The parameter n determines which character set is selected. The table below shows these characters and their codes in the Helvetica typeface, as well as the value of the parameter used in the ESC R command to select each character set.

Select a Font

ESC/P 2 includes the ESC X command for selecting scalable fonts; differences in handling scalable fonts are discussed in each section. The term font is often confused with typeface. Because the electronic printer field has evolved from basic beginnings, these two terms have often been used interchangeably. However, fonts are defined by six attributes:
Attributes Character table Point size (height) Typeface Pitch (proportional/fixed spacing) Style (italics/normal) Weight (bold/normal) ESC/P 2 ESC t, ESC ( t ESC X ESC k ESC X, ESC c ESC 4, ESC 5 ESC E, ESC F Previous ESC/P levels ESC t ESC w ESC k ESC P, M, g, p, W, ESC SP, SO, SI, DC2, DC4 ESC 4, ESC 5 ESC E, ESC F
Each time you change one of the above attributes, the printer selects a new font. If a font matching the selected attributes is not available in the printers ROM memory, the printer manufactures a temporary font with those attributes. You can set these attributes in any order; changing one attribute does not affect any other attribute. However, the printer selects fonts internally in the above order, so using that order is the most efficient. You can modify each font with several enhancements, as follows: Double-strike Score Shadow/outline ESC G, ESC H ESC ( -, ESC ESC q

Super/subscript

The super/subscript command prints characters at approximately two-thirds the currently selected point size. Superscript characters are printed in the upper two-thirds of the normal character space; subscript characters are printed in the lower two-thirds. Super/subscript is available in both normal and multipoint modes. Following are examples of super/subscript characters.
The commands for super/subscript printing and their format is as follows: ESC S 1 ESC S 0 ESC T Selects subscript printing Selects superscript printing Cancels super/subscript printing
Note: You cannot print graphics characters as super/subscript characters. See Proportional character widths in the Appendix for information on the proportional width of super/subscript characters. During underline printing, the underline strikes through the descenders on subscript characters. During multipoint mode, the available point size nearest to two-thirds the size of the current font is selected for super/subscript characters. If the current point size is 8 points, super/subscript character size is not reduced.
Select Supporting Features
Other features that affect the appearance of characters and graphics are unidirectional and color printing.
Normally, printing is bidirectional. Although the print head positions dots very accurately, print head movement has a slight effect on dot position. This effect is sometimes noticeable when printing graphics that include continuous vertical lines or large point-size characters. To achieve maximum alignment accuracy, use the unidirectional feature. During unidirectional printing, the print head prints only from left to right. Select unidirectional printing as follows: ESC U 0 ESC U 1 Selects bidirectional printing (cancels unidirectional) Selects unidirectional printing
Use the ESC r command to select the print color on printers capable of color printing. The format of the ESC r command is as follows: ESC r 0 ESC r 1 ESC r 2 ESC r 3 ESC r 4 ESC r 5 ESC r 6 Black Magenta Cyan Violet Yellow Red Green
Note: Printers not capable of color printing ignore this command. Other colors are possible by overprinting the above colors. When combining yellow with other colors, always print yellow dots first (this prevents soiling of the print side of the ribbon). ESC/P 2 printers can print only black, magenta, cyan, and yellow during graphics mode. When printing in extended graphics mode selected with the ESC. 2 command, use the binary mode command <COLR> to select the color. Extended graphics mode is only available on the Stylus COLOR and later high-resolution printer models. For more information, see Extended ESC/P 2 Programming Guide later in this section.

example 7: Interleaved 2 of 5, CD: Printer, HRI: none 1B ; Barcode command and data length 02 ; Barcode type k = Interleaved 2 of ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 03 ; Control flags c 37 ; Barcode Data 34 ; 39 ;
example 8: Interleaved 2 of 5, CD: Host, HRI: print Next example is that 0 is added automatically, in the case that the data number is odd. 1B ; Barcode command and data length 02 ; Barcode type k = Interleaved 2 of ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 00 ; Control flags c 37 ; Barcode Data 34 ; 39 ;
example 9: UPC-A, CD: Host, HRI: Print, Flag Char.: center 1B ; Barcode command and data length 03 ; Barcode type k = UPC-A 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 00 ; Control flags c 36 ; Barcode Data 35 ;
example 10: UPC-A, CD: Printer, HRI: print, Flag Char.: under 1B ; Barcode command and data length 03 ; Barcode type k = UPC-A 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 05 ; Control flags c ; Barcode Data 31 ;
example 11: UPC-A, CD: Printer, HRI: none, Flag Char.: center 1B ; Barcode command and data length 03 ; Barcode type k = UPC-A 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 03 ; Control flags c ; Barcode Data 31 ;
example 12: UPC-E, CD: Host, HRI: print Next example is that of barcode data compacted in accordance with specifications by the printer. 1B ; Barcode command and data length 04 ; Barcode type k = UPC-E 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 00 ; Control flags c 36 ; Barcode Data 35 ;
example 13: UPC-E, CD: Printer, HRI: none Next example is that of the barcode data compacted in accordance with specifications by the printer. 1B ; Barcode command and data length 04 ; Barcode type k = UPC-E 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 03 ; Control flags c ; Barcode Data 31 ;
example 14: UPC-E, CD: Host, HRI: print 1B 0E 00 ; Barcode command and data length 04 ; Barcode type k = UPC-E 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 00 ; Control flags c ; Barcode Data ;
example 15: UPC-E, CD: Printer, HRI: print 1B 0D 00 ; Barcode command and data length 04 ; Barcode type k = UPC-E 02 ; Module width m = 2 dots / 180 inch 00 ; Space adjustment value s = +0 dots / 360 inch 7D 00 ; Bar length v1, v2 = 125 / 180 inch 01 ; Control flags c 30 ; Barcode Data

2003 S: Standard model N: NLSP model Command ESC @ ESC A ESC B ESC C ESC C0 ESC D ESC E ESC F ESC G ESC H ESC I ESC J ESC K ESC L ESC M ESC N ESC O ESC P ESC Q ESC R Initialize printer Set n/72-inch line spacing Set vertical tabs Set page length in lines Set page length in inches Set horizontal tabs Select bold font Cancel bold font Select double-strike printing Cancel double-strike printing Select character/control codes Advance print position Select 60-dpi graphics Select 120-dpi graphics Select 12-cpi Set bottom margin Cancel bottom margin Select 10-cpi Set right margin Select an international character set 0 USA 1 France 2 Germany 3 United Kingdom 4 Denmark I 5 Sweden 6 Italy 7 Spain I 8 Japan (English) 9 Norway 10 Denmark II 11 Spain II 12 Latin America ESC S ESC T ESC U ESC W ESC Y ESC Z ESC \ ESC ^ ESC a ESC b ESC e Select superscript/subscript printing Cancel superscript/subscript printing Turn unidirectional mode on/off Turn double-width printing on/off Select 120-dpi, double-speed graphics Select 240-dpi graphics Set relative horizontal print position 60 or 120-dpi graphics Select justification Set vertical tabs in VFU channels Set fixed vertical tab increment Description S FX-890 N FX-890 S FX-2190 N FX-2190
2003 S: Standard model N: NLSP model Command ESC f ESC g ESC i ESC j ESC k Description Horizontal/vertical skip Select 15-cpi Select immediate print mode Reverse paper feed Select typeface 0 Roman 1 Sans serif ESC l ESC m ESC p ESC r ESC s ESC t Set left margin Select printing of upper control codes Turn proportional mode on/off Select printing color Select low-speed mode Select character table 0 Table 0 Italic 1 Table 1 Graphics ESC w ESC x ESC y DEL Turn double-height printing on/off Select near-letter quality or draft Select Draft/Super Draft Delete last character in buffer S FX-890 N FX-890 S FX-2190 N FX-2190
This section lists the features and options of all dot-matrix printers made by EPSON for the American, European, and Pacific markets (excluding Japan). Listed first are 24/48-pin printers followed by 9-pin printers. Please note the following: The year listed under Year introduced is approximate; models debut at different times in different countries. Even though the market region is listed as America, Europe, or Pacific, not all countries in those regions may market that particular printer. The same model name may appear several times because the features or commands available on that printer changed from approximately the date listed. The last digit of some option model numbers varies depending on where the option is sold; however, the option itself is the same no matter where it is purchased. The buffer size is adjustable by DIP switch or SelecType on many printers. Always make sure the buffer is set to the highest size before defining user-defined (download) characters.

RGB Red, green, and blue. These colors, in phosphors radiated by the computer monitors electron gun, are used to create the additive system array of screen colors. reset Returning the printers settings to their original values, or defaults. Performed by sending a command or an INIT signal, or by turning the printer off and then back on. resolution The number of dots per inch used to represent an image. roll paper Paper that comes in rolls and that can be fed through the printer when an optional rollpaper holder is attached. scalable fonts A font that can be selected on the basis of the point size and is available in specific increments over a wide range of values. Scalable fonts are available only on printers featuring ESC/P 2. SIDM Serial, impact, dot-matrix. Printers that process data line by line, and form characters by striking small pins against a ribbon that in turn strikes the paper. SNIJ Serial, non-impact, ink jet. Printers that process data line by line, and form characters by transferring ink dots onto paper through small ink jets. single-sheet paper Single, unconnected sheets of paper that can be fed into the printer by hand, by cut-sheet feeder, or by paper cassette. style The font attribute that determines whether or not characters are printed at a slant. Two style settings are available: italics and normal. subscript Printing in which each character is printed at about two-thirds the normal height, in the lower part of the character space. subtractive colors Colors produced by pigments that absorb some colors of light and reflect others. See also CMYK. superscript Printing in which each character is printed at about two-thirds the normal height, in the upper part of the character space. TIFF compressed mode Extended raster graphics compression mode available on the Stylus COLOR and later printer models. This mode uses TIFF (Tagged-Image File Format) compression. tof See top-of-form.

G-8 Glossary

throughput A measure of the number of printed pages per minute that can be produced by a printer. top-of-form The first printable vertical position on the paper. Programs should be written so the actual top-of-form position matches the printers top-of-form setting. typeface Refers to a set of characters or symbols that share a common design. Typefaces are referred to by family names such as Roman, Prestige, or Script. In computer terminology, the term typeface is often used interchangeably with font. unidirectional printing Printing in one direction only. Unidirectional printing is useful for printing graphics because it allows more precise vertical alignment than bidirectional printing. user-defined characters Custom characters that you define and store in RAM memory. By switching to RAM character printing, you can print user-defined characters just as you would normal characters. Also known as downloaded characters. weight The font attribute that determines the thickness of the lines composing each character. Two weight settings are bold and normal.

Control codes in code table, A-36 printing, C-157 upper codes treated as control codes, C-155C156 upper codes treated as printable characters, C153C-154 Copying characters to RAM, C-89C-90, R-24 Counter data-length, R-81R-82 repeat, R-81R-82 cpi. See Characters per inch. Cut-sheet feeder paper handling with, C-159C-160 printing area, R-5, R-7
Fonts attributes, C-120C-122, R-42 scalable, R-43 selecting, R-42 standard, R-43 Form feed, C-29C-30 Full graphics mode, C-171, C-174, R-75, R-80
Graphic character table, C-78, C-79, R-15 Graphics bit-image, C-179C-182, R-65, R-66R-72 raster, R-65, R-73R-83 text printing with, R-4 Graphics mode commands available, R-74 entering, R-73 exiting, R-73 extended raster, R-83 full, C-171, C-174, R-75, R-80
Data-length counters, R-81R-82 Default unit, C-50, R-5, R-11, R-13, R-57 Deleted commands, 3, C-5 Dot columns of bit-image graphics, R-67 Dot density of bit-image graphics, R-67 of raster graphics, R-75 Dot-matrix printer, 1 Double-height, C-150C-151, R-43R-44 Double-strike canceling, C-125C-126, R-51 selecting, C-123C-124, R-51 Double-width, R-43R-44 canceling for one line, C-146C-147 printing on/off, C-148C-149 selecting for one line, C-142C-145 Download characters, R-17 Draft ANK characters, C-95, C-96 printing, C-93C-95, R-43 user-defined characters, R-19
Height, character commands affecting, C-99, C-102C-107 selecting point size, R-45 user-defined characters and, R-19 High nibble value, R-103 HMI. See Horizontal motion index. Horizontal dot density of bit-image graphics, R-67 of raster graphics, R-75 Horizontal motion index, C-101, R-49 Horizontal position in binary mode setting 1-dot unit for, C-226 setting 8-dot unit for, C-225 setting relative, C-220 Horizontal print position absolute, C-31C-32 graphics, R-57 moving, R-57R-59 moving to the next tab, C-43C-44 relative, C-33C-36 text, R-57 Horizontal tab, C-61C-62, R-57, R-59
Ejecting paper, C-159C-160 Enhancements double-height, C-150C-151 double-strike, C-125C-126, C-142C-145, R-51 Double-strike, C-123C-124 double-width, C-146C-147, C-148C-149 outline, C-135, R-52 score, C-129C-130, R-53 selecting, C-120C-122 shadow, C-135, R-52 ESC/P 24/48-pin, 2, C-9 9-pin, 2, C-9 printer control language, 1 ESC/P 2 24/48-pin, 2, C-9 extended, R-99 printer control language, 1 programming guide, R-99 Extended raster graphics, R-65, R-83, R-99