All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Seiko Epson Corporation. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, Seiko Epson Corporation assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Neither Seiko Epson Corporation nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the U.S.) failure to strictly comply with Seiko Epson Corporations operating and maintenance instructions. Seiko Epson Corporation shall not be liable against any damages or problems arising from the use of any options or any consumable products other than those designated as Original EPSON Products or EPSON Approved Products by Seiko Epson Corporation. EPSON and EPSON ESC/P are registered trademarks and EPSON Stylus and EPSON ESC/P 2 are trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. Action Printer is a trademark and EPSON Connection is a service mark of Epson America, Inc. CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe Information Service CorelDRAW is a registered trademark of Core1 Systems Corporation. IBM Proprinter is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks. Copyright 1994 by Seiko Epson Corporation, Nagano, Japan.

Users Guide

FCC Compliance Statement

For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. WARNING The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the users authority to operate the equipment.

For Canadian Users

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. Le present appareil numrique n met pas de bruits radiolectriques dpassant les limites applicables aux appareils numriques de Classe B prescrites dans le rglement sur le brouillage radiolectrique dict par le Ministre des Communications du Canada.

Introduction 1

Energy Star Compliant
This printer complies with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Energy Star program, which promotes the manufacture of energy-efficient printers, computers, and monitors. The EPA estimates that if all desktop computers, printers, and other peripheral devices met Energy Star standards, energy cost savings would exceed $1 billion annually and carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 20 million tons.
The Energy Star emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.

Finding Your Way Around

This manual provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions for setting up and operating your printer. Chapter 1 describes how to unpack, set up, test, and connect the printer to your computer. Be sure to read this chapter first. Chapter 2 includes information on how to get the printing results you want and how to install options. Chapter 3 offers simple tips on solving printing problems. If printing results are not what you expect or the printer does not work properly, turn here for help. The Appendix covers the printers specifications and lists programming commands. An index at the back of the manual helps you find information on specific topics quickly.

2 Introduction

Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation.

of your printer.

Introduction 3
Important Safety Instructions
Read all of these instructions before you set up your printer. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer. Unplug the printer from the wall outlet before you clean it, and use a damp cloth for cleaning, not liquid or aerosol cleaners. Do not use your printer near water or spill any liquid on it. Do not place the printer on an unstable cart, stand, table, or other surface that may allow the printer to fall. Do not block any slots or openings in the cabinet. These are provided for the ventilation necessary to ensure reliable operation and protection from overheating. Placing the printer on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface may block the openings. Also, do not place the printer in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation is provided. Never place the printer near or over a radiator or heat register. Use the type of power source indicated on the label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company. This printer may be equipped with a plug having a third (grounding) pin, which fits only into a grounding-type outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, have an electrician replace your obsolete outlet, Do not defeat the purpose of the grounding-type plug. Do not put your printer where the cord will be walked on.

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

Using the Control Panel

You can control simple printer operationssuch as line feeding, form feeding, loading and ejecting paper, and selecting fontswith the buttons on the control panel. The control panel lights show the printers status and the current font.

Lights

and buttons
Pa use light 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 Pause light goes on and the beeper sounds if an error occurs. Font 1 and Font 2 lights The green Font lights, 1 and 2, indicate the current font setting. For more about selecting fonts, see page 2-4. While in the micro adjust mode, the Font lights flash. See Adjusting the loading position on page 2-5.
Font button Press the Font button during normal operation to cycle through the printer fonts listed on the control panel. When you press the button, the Font lights change to indicate your current selection. For more about choosing a font, see page 2-4. 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. For more about printer settings, see page 2-22. LF/FF button 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 eject a page. 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 LF/FF button while you turn on the printer. For complete instructions, see page 1-10. Pause button Press the Pause button to stop the printer temporarily during printing or the self test. Press it again to resume activity. Paper Park Press the Font and LF/FF buttons together to feed continuous paper backward to the paper-park position. See Printing in the push tractor position on page 2-8. Micro Adjust While in this mode, you can adjust the loading position by pressing the LF/FF button or the Font button. See Adjusting the loading position on page 2-5. Using the Printer

Selecting fonts

To choose one of the seven internal fonts listed on the control panel, press the Font button. The two font lights come on (0), go off (), 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 selection 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.

O = on, = off,

= flashing
Printing on Single Sheets
You can use the paper guide to print on single sheets with a width of 182 mm (7.2 inches) to 257 mm (10.1 inches). Note:
You can install an optional cut-sheet feeder to load up to 50 sheets automatically. See page 2-29 for details.

Loading single sheets

You load single sheets as shown in Running the Self Test in Chapter 1. For normal use, turn on the printer without pressing any other buttons. The Pause light flashes briefly, and the printer loads the sheet automatically. When the printer receives data, it begins to print. Note:
Do not use the knob to ,feed paper; otherwise the loading position m a y be altered from the next page. 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): 1. 2. With paper loaded, hold down the Pause button until the printer beeps once and the Font lights begin 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.
Getting the results you expect
When you print on single sheets, you may notice that the printer prints the first page of your file correctly, but then prints too low on the next page, or that it prints the last few lines from one page onto the next. This happens because single sheet handling differs slightly from continuous paper handling. Its easy to adjust the printer so that you get the right results. Simply change the settings in your software program as described below. 1. When you install a software program, it normally asks you what printer you are using. Make sure you choose the correct printer. See Chapter 1 for instructions. Many programs have an option that you can use to set the maximum lines per page. If you are using standard 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper, set the lines per page to 61.
Note: To find the right lines-per-page setting for paper other than 8 1/2 x 11, create a test document using your software program. Set your top and bottom margins to 0 and then create a file of numbered lines from 1 to 66. When you print your file, notice the last number printed on the first page. This is your maximum

Use the table below to select the appropriate paper thickness.
Paper type (Reserved) Standard paper (single sheets or continuous) Multi-part forms I Lever position -1 0

2-sheet

3-sheet
4-sheet Envelopes 20 lb 24 lb (Reserved)
Close the cover. When you finish printing, move the paper-thickness lever back to position 0.
When you choose lever positions 2-6, the print speed is reduced.

Multi-part forms

You can use the built-in tractor to print on carbonless multi-part forms of up to four parts (one original plus three copies). Before you print on the forms, set the paper-thickness lever as described in the previous section. These tips will help you get good results: Load multi-part forms with the tractor only, not in the cut-sheet feeder or paper guide. For instructions, see Printing on Continuous Paper on page 2-7. Use only multi-part forms that are free of wrinkles and waves. Never load multi-part forms joined by metal staples, tape, or continuous gluing. If you need to adjust the loading position, use your software program or change the loading position as described on page 2-5. When you use multi-part forms, raise the paper guide as shown.
If you print on multi-part form without raising the paper guide,

the paper may jam.

labels
You must use the tractor as a pull tractor to print on labels. Keep these tips in mind: Choose labels mounted on a continuous backing sheet with sprocket holes made for use with a tractor. Do not print labels as single sheets, because the shiny backing sheet almost always slips a little. You load labels the same way you load continuous paper, except that the paper-thickness lever should be set to 1. See page 2-13 for loading instructions. Because labels are especially sensitive to temperature and humidity, use them only under normal operating conditions. Make sure the printing stays entirely within the printable area. (See the Appendix for specifications.) Do not leave labels loaded in the printer between jobs; they curl around the platen and may jam when you resume printing. To remove the labels from the printer, tear off the fresh supply at the rear of the printer; then press LF/FF to advance the remaining labels out of the printer.
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.

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.

Table B

Font lights 1

Pause light

Setting

Character table

submenu

Table C

Page length Skip-over-perforation
Auto tear off Graphic print direction

Table D

Table E

Table E Table F

Software

Table G

AGM Auto line feed

Interface Bit rate

Parity bit

Table H

Table I Table J Table K Table E Table E

Data length

EXT/ACK State reply = on, = off, = flashing
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 printed help text. Press the Font button to move through the settings 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.

10. Repeat steps 6 through 9 for each additional setting you want to change, or skip to step 11 to exit the Printer Setting mode. 11. When you are finished, turn the printer off. Any settings you have made remain in effect until you change them again.
Installing and Using Options
Single-bin Cut-Sheet feeder
The optional Single-bin Cut-Sheet Feeder (C80637*) handles up to 50 sheets of standard bond paper ( 82 g/m 2 or 22 lb) without reloading. Follow these steps to install the cut-sheet feeder:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off. Remove the paper guide.
2. If the tractor is installed in the pull-tractor position, remove it and reinstall it in the push-tractor position. 3. Make sure the paper-release lever is in the single-sheet position. 4. Hold the cut-sheet feeder in both hands and press on the latch levers. Fit the notches in the cut-sheet feeder over the mounting posts on the printer. Releasing the latch levers locks the cut-sheet feeder in place.
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.

Power Supply Power is not being supplied
The lights on the control panel do not go on. Check that the power cord is properly plugged into the electrical outlet. If the electrical outlet is controlled by an outside switch or automatic timer, use a different outlet. Plug another electrical device, such as a lamp, into the outlet to determine whether the outlet is operating properly.

3-2 Troubleshooting

The lights come on briefly and then go off. The lights stay off even when the power is turned on again. Check that the printers voltage rating matches the voltage of your electrical outlet. If the voltages do not match, unplug the printer and contact your dealer immediately. Do not reconnect the power cord to an electrical outlet.

Printing

The printer does not print
The Pause light is off but nothing is printed. Check that the software is installed properly for your printer, as described on page 1-16. Check the softwares printer settings. Check both ends of the interface cable. Make sure the cable meets both the printer and computer specifications. The Pause light is flashing and the printer beeps three times. The printer may be out of paper. Load paper in the printer. The printer sounds like it is printing, but nothing is printed. The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See page 1-6. The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge.

Troubleshooting 3-3

The printer makes a strange noise, beeps once, and then abruptly stops printing. Turn off the printer and check for a paper jam, a ribbon jam, or other problems. Let the print head cool. Then try to print again. If the printer still does not print correctly, contact your dealer. The beeper sounds once and the Pause light comes on. An error has occurred. Turn off the printer and turn it on again. If the Pa use light stays on, check for a paper jam or ribbon jam. Turn the printer off and clear the jam. If an error occurs when you switch between single sheets and continuous paper, make sure the paper-release lever is in the correct position. If the printer still does not work correctly, turn off the printer and contact your dealer or qualified service person.
The print is faint or uneven

Use recycled paper under normal conditions only. If ribbon consumption or paper
jamming increase, use a higher grade of paper.

A-4 Appendix

Labels:

Thickness:

Weight:
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 inch) for backing sheet 0.16 to 0.19 mm (0.0063 to 0.0075 inch) total 68 g/m2 (17 lb) for label only Use only continuous type labels and use them only with the tractor. Use labels only under normal temperature and humidity conditions.

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)

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
n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Moves current print position in

ESC \ n1 n2

defined units Before you define the unit, the default is l/120-inch in draft and 1/180-inch in LQ for this command. ESC ( V nn Set Absolute Vertical Print Position ESC( V 20 n1 n2 n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Specifies print position from top margin in defined units

A-12 Appendix

ESC ( v nn
Set Relative Vertical Print Position
ESC ( v n1 n2 n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Moves current print position in

ESC D nn

HT ESC B nn

VT ESC J n

defined units Set Horizontal Tabs Up to 32 tabs (1-255) entered in ascending order Terminated by 0 Tab Horizontally Set Vertical Tabs Up to 16 tabs (1-255); last n should be 0 Tab Vertically Advance n/180-inch

Font selection

ESC k n

ESC X nn

Select Typeface n = 0: Roman 4: Script 1: Sans Serif 10: Roman T 2: Courier 11: Sans Serif H 3: Prestige Select Font by Pitch and Point ESC X m n1 n2 m: Set pitch to 360/m cpi m = 0: No change in pitch m = 1: Select proportional m = 0, 1, 18, 27, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 60, or 72
n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Set point size in 0.5 points
Total points = (n1 + n2 x 256) x 0.5 n = 0: No change in point n = 0, 16, 21, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, or 64 (for Roman, and Sans Serif) n = 0, 21, 42 (for other typeface) Cancel ESC X with ESC P, M, g, p, !, or @

Appendix A-13

H e x. Description
ESC I ESC M ESC g ESC p l/O ESC x n ESC 4 ESC 5 ESC E ESC F ESC ! n

50 4D 46 21

Select 10.5 Point, 10 cpi Select 10.5 Point, 12 cpi Select 10.5 Point, 15 cpi Turn Proportional Mode On/Off Select Draft or Letter Quality 1: Letter Quality n = 0: Draft Select Italic Font Cancel Italic Font Select Bold Font Cancel Bold Font Master Select To find the value of n, add together the numbers of the typestyles you want to combine from the list below: 16: Double-strike n = 0: 10 cpi 32: Double-width 1: 12 cpi 2: Proportional 64: Italic 4: Condensed 128: Underline 8: Bold

Font enhancement

ASCII Dec. H e x. Description
SI DC2 so ESC W 1/0 DC4 ESC w 1/0 ESC G ESC H ESC S 0 ESC S 1 ESC T

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

Bit image

ESC * nn
Select Bit Image ESC * m n1 n2 data n = n1 + n2 x 256 n: Total columns Total data = (n1 + n2 x 256) x t f = Number of data bytes per column m: Specifies dot density
Adjacent dots print enabled enabled disabled disabled enabled enabled enabled enabled enabled enabled disabled
Horizontal density (dpi) 360
Vertical density (dpi) 180

Pins 24

A-18 Appendix

Graphics

ESC ( G nn
Select Graphics Mode ESC ( G 10 n n = 1 or 49 Cancel Graphics mode with ESC @ Print Raster Graphics ESC. c v h m n1 n2 data c = 0: Full graphics mode 1: Compressed mode v = 10, 20: Dot density for vertical in 3600/v dpi h = 10, 20: Dot density for horizontal in 3600/h dpi m: Number of vertical dots 1 m T24 n: Number of horizontal dots Total dots = n1 + n2 x 256 The following combination is not allowed: v = 10 and h = 20

ESC. nn

Color printing

ESC r n

Select Printing Color The variable n selects the printing color according to the table below. n = 0: Black 4: Yellow 1: Magenta 5: Red 2: Cyan 6: Green 3: Violet

Character Tables

These character tables are selected with the Printer Setting mode or by using a command. All tables except the italic character table are the same as the PC437 table for hex codes 00 through 7F, so only the PC437 table is shown completely. The rest of the tables show only the characters for hex codes 80 through FF. The tables with an asterisk (*) after the table name are available in certain areas only. PC437 (USA, standard Europe)

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)

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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