Epson LQ-680 Pro

Product Controls:

Printer's Self-Test - Load/Eject + Power-On (LQ) or LF/FF + Power-On (Draft)

Hex Dump Mode - Load/Eject + LF/FF + Power-On

Default Setting Mode - Font + Power-On

Reset - Condensed + Font

Quiet mode - Font + Condensed + Power-On

Paper Park - Hold Load/Eject button until continuous paper feeds backward to the paper park position

Microfeed Forward - Press Pause for 3 seconds (until Pause light flashes), then press Load/Eject to move the loading position down on the page

Microfeed Backward - Press Pause for 3 seconds (until Pause light flashes), then press LF/FF to move the loading position up on the page

Why does my printer print garbage from MS-DOS and Windows?

When a printer prints garbage, it usually indicates a wrong driver, faulty cable or a loose connection. First make sure you have the proper driver selected. Make sure the printer is in IBM mode if using the IBM driver. Make sure it is not set up for IBM mode if using the EPSON driver. Power OFF your printer and computer. Disconnect and reconnect the cable on the printer and computer. Once the cable has been reconnected, power the printer and computer back ON. Try printing from MS-DOS. If you are still getting garbage, change the cable. We recommend getting a fully shielded cable, preferably 6 feet or less in length. If you are still experiencing problems after changing your cable, you may have a computer or printer port issue. If you take the cable and printer to another computer and it works fine, have your computer's port checked by an authorized dealer. If it still gives you garbage from another computer, the printer may need to be serviced.

My printer prints fine from MS-DOS. Why am I getting garbage only in Windows?

First make sure you have the proper driver selected. Make sure the printer is in IBM mode if using the IBM driver. Make sure it is not set up for IBM mode if using the EPSON driver. If you have already reconnected the cable on the computer and the printer, changed to another cable, and are positive you are using a fully-shielded parallel cable, chances are that you are having a conflict in Windows. The Print Manager or the printer driver usually causes the conflict in Windows. Save your work, then exit Windows (this will clear the Print Manager of any pending print jobs). Go back into Windows and verify the printer driver that has been selected is correct. To verify the driver in Windows 3.x, go to the Control Panel and choose Printers. For Windows 95 or 98, click on Start, go to Settings, choose Printers. Make sure that the driver you have selected as your default printer is compatible. Try printing again. If you are still getting garbage, disable the Windows Print Manager. In Windows 3.x, go to the Control Panel, choose Printers, and remove the "x" from the box in front of Use Print Manager, then click Close. For Windows 95 or 98, click Start, go to Settings, choose Printers, point to the default printer then right click once on your mouse. Select Properties, go to the Details tab, click on the Spool Settings button, and choose the option "Print directly to the printer." Click OK to exit the Properties window, click OK again to save the new setting, exit the Printers window, then restart Windows 95 or 98. Try printing again. If this does not resolve your problem, take the cable and printer to another computer to determine if the problem is hardware related. If the printer prints fine from another computer, have your computer's port tested.

Why won't the printer print serially from my PC?

If you are using a straight through modem cable, change the cable to a null modem cable (pins 2 and 3 are reversed). If you are already using a null modem cable, ensure that the Default Settings for the serial port on the printer match the settings on your computer. There is always the possibility of a loose connection or a bad cable. Disconnect and reconnect the cable on the PC and the printer and try printing again. If you are still experiencing difficulty, try a different cable or take the printer to another computer to see if the computer's port is malfunctioning.

Draft is not on the list of fonts. Can I access the printer's front panel fonts from Windows?

You can access the Draft and resident printer panel fonts from Windows if you are using the LQ-570+, LQ-1070+ LQ-870 or LQ-1170 Scalable font drivers. Drivers can be downloaded from the EPSON Website.

What driver should I choose in my MS-DOS program?

Choose from any of the following printer drivers:

For EPSON ESC/P 2 mode choose: LQ-680, LQ-670, LQ-580/LQ-570e, LQ-2070/LQ-2080, LQ-2170/LQ-2180, LQ-870/LQ-1170, LQ-570/1070/570+/1070+, DLQ-3000/DLQ-3000+, DLQ-2000, LQ-1060, LQ-1050, LQ-2550, LQ-2500

For IBM mode choose IBM 2390 Plus.

What operating systems and workgroup environments does the LQ-680Pro support?

The LQ-680Pro is compatible with Windows 3.1x, 95, 98, 2000, Me, and NT 3.51/4.0 operating systems.

What printer control languages does the LQ-680Pro support?

It comes with ESC/P 2 and IBM 2390 Plus emulation.

What workgroup environments does the LQ-680Pro support?

Optional Coax, Twinax, LocalTalk, Serial, and Ethernet boards are available to connect to most any network.

What optional interface cards are compatible with the LQ-680Pro?

You can install an optional interface card to supplement your printer's built-in parallel interface and provide added network compatibility. The EPSON interface cards listed below are compatible with your printer. (Not all the interfaces in the table are available worldwide.)

• C82305* / C82306* - Serial interface card
• C82307* / C82308* - 32KB serial interface card
• C82312* - LocalTalk interface card
• C82313* - 32KB IEEE-488 interface card
• C82314* - Coax interface card
• C82315* - Twinaxial interface card
• C82345* - IEEE-1284 (Type B bidirectional) Parallel interface card
• C82362*/C82363*/C82364* - Ethernet interface card
• C82384* - EpsonNet 10/100 Base Tx Int. Print Server

The asterisk (*) is a substitute for the last digit, which varies by country. When you use Ethernet interface card C82363*, you need to attach the optional interface adapter (C82525*) to the interface card.

Caution: If you install the C82305 * /C82306 * optional serial interface card, be sure to set the transfer speed to one of the following: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 bps

What is the recommended duty cycle for the printer?

The specification recommended is 25 percent. Epson America's definition of a 25 percent duty cycle stands for the printer printing (not idle) for two hours per day based on an eight hour day at 22 days per month.

What are the most commonly used escape codes?

For escape codes, please refer to the Command Summary of your User's Manual. If you need to use advanced escape codes for programming purposes, you can purchase an ESC/P Reference Manual from the EPSON Store.

What is short form tear-off for?

The short form tear-off feature automatically feeds the perforation of continuous paper to the tear-off position of the top cover when printing is complete. When printing, the paper feeds back to the top-of-form loading position. Note: This feature does not work from all software.

I'm printing serial, my baud rate is at 9600, and intermittently the printer will lose data. What can I do to correct this?

If you are using a non-buffered serial interface board and XON/XOFF is enabled, the XOFF signal may not reach the printer in time to delay data transmission that would result in an overflow and loss of data. If you can use a DTR setting, change XON/XOFF to DTR. If you must use XON/XOFF, try decreasing the baud rate. Another option would be to purchase a 32KB buffered serial interface card (C823071). The buffered serial interface has a flag reset timing, which sets aside additional buffer space to "catch" the data overflow. The flag reset timing feature settings are selectable through dip switches on the serial interface card. XON/XOFF won't work on a network.

I was printing labels and one of the labels peeled off. Now my paper won't feed. Can I remove the platen to get the label out?

No, you cannot remove the platen from the printer. If you press the LF/FF button and the label does not appear on the platen for you to remove, you will need to take the printer in to be serviced. When printing labels, it is recommended that you only print with a pull tractor. Labels have a tendency to curl and peel off underneath the platen when being fed through the rear push tractor. Never back labels out of the printer.

How do you select bar codes on my printer?

The eight built-in bar codes are only selectable through software using an ESC code sequence. The built-in bar codes include: EAN-13, EAN-8, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 39, Code 128, and POSTNET.

How can I change the printer's default settings?

There are two ways to change the default settings on the printer. You can use the EPSON Remote! utility program to change the printer's default settings from your computer or you can change the default settings manually with the printer's front control panel buttons.

What is micro-adjustment used for?

The micro-adjustment feature allows you to make fine top-of-form adjustments and short form tear-off position adjustments in increments of 1/180th of an inch. The printer remembers adjustments made to continuous paper, even after the printer is turned off. When micro-adjust reaches the minimum or maximum adjustment point, the printer will begin to beep continuously.

Can I use the platen knob to load and adjust paper?

No, the platen knob is not to be used to load or adjust paper. The knob should only be used to clear paper jams after the printer has been turned off. Use the Load/Eject button to load or remove paper and the Microfeed feature to adjust the top-of-form position of the paper.

Can the LQ-680Pro accommodate continuous multipart paper?

Yes. In addition to single sheet document printing capabilities, the LQ-680Pro comes standard with a rear push tractor. The rear push tractors allow the LQ-680Pro to switch easily between hand fed documents fed through the front paper tray or continuous paper using rear push tractor.

Can the EPSON LQ-680Pro automatically feed individual multipart forms?

Yes, by using an Optional Cut Sheet Feeder, the LQ-680Pro can automatically feed individual multipart documents or sheets of paper.

There is paper loaded on the tractor unit. Why won't the printer load paper?

Make sure the paper source lever is set to the tractor position. Facing the back of the printer, make sure the paper is loaded over to the left side of the printer. The paper sensor is located on the left side of the printer. If the sensor does not sense that there is paper loaded, the printer will not operate properly.

The printer starts printing too far down the page. Is there any way I can adjust the starting point of the print job?

There is a feature called Microfeed that allows you to adjust the top-of-form (TOF) position in increments of 1/180th of an inch. To use this feature, load the paper into the printer. Press the Pause button for three seconds (until Pause light flashes), then press LF/FF to move the paper forward or press Load/Eject to move the paper backward. Once you have the TOF position set where you want it, send a print job. The printer will remember the TOF setting and will position the print head accordingly for the next page.

The single sheet paper is feeding in crooked or keeps jamming. What should I do to correct this?

Remove the paper guide and install it as described in "Attaching the paper guide" in Chapter 1 of your users manual. Move the edge guides so that they match the width of your paper. Be sure you're using the right type of paper. Also, use only new, clean sheets of paper.

The printer has stopped printing and the pause light is flashing. Why has the printer stopped printing?

The print head may be overheated. Wait a few minutes and the printer should resume printing automatically. If the printer does not start printing again, please contact EPSON technical support for assistance.