Epson LQ-870

DIP Switches

The printers have two sets of DIP (Dual In-line Package) switches located on the front panel. These switches control certain printer functions and default settings, the details of which are listed below.

Character Table

The following table shows the international character sets that can be selected with these DIP switches when DIP switch SW1-4 is off.

The following table shows the graphics character sets that can be selected with these DIP switches when DIP switch SW1-4 is on.

Page Length Table

Product Controls

Reset - ALT + PAUSE + Power-On, until printer beeps once

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

Demo Page - TEAR OFF/BIN 1/BIN 2 + Power-On

Hex Dump Mode - LF/FF + LOAD/EJECT + Power-On

Paper Park - Press LOAD/EJECT button until continuous paper feeds backward to the paper park position

Microfeed Forward - Press ALT + LOAD/EJECT buttons to move the paper forward

Microfeed Backward - Press ALT + LF/FF buttons to move the paper backward

What is SmartPark?

SmartPark is an advanced paper handling feature. SmartPark allows consecutive use of continuous paper and single sheets without having to remove the continuous tractor paper. It parks the current paper choice out of the way, while positioning another for printing. The SmartPark feature is not available when using the printer in pull tractor position.

What is paper parking?

Paper parking allows the use of a single sheet or a cut-sheet feeder without having to remove the continuous forms. This feature is selected via the printer's control panel buttons.

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.

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

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.

Can I connect this printer to IBM mainframe (IBM 3270) and IBM minicomputer (AS/400 or System 3X) environments?

Yes, you can. For IBM mainframe environments, you can purchase an optional Type-B Coax interface card (C823141) which allows direct connectivity and emulates IBM printer models: 3287, 3268, 4214-1, and 4224 (non IPDS). For direct connectivity to IBM minicomputer environments emulating IBM printer models: 4210, 4214, 5225, 5224, 5256, 5219, and 3812, you will need the optional Type-B Twinax interface card (C823151).

Can I connect this to an Apple Macintosh computer?

You may be able to connect the parallel port of the printer to an Apple Macintosh using a "Grappler" or "PowerPrint." Grappler is manufactured by Orange Micro, Inc. PowerPrint is manufactured by GDT Softworks, Inc.

Why is there no online/offline button on the LQ-870?

To make the printers easier to operate, we have renamed the online/offline button to "PAUSE." The function of the switch is the same as online on previous EPSON models.

What are scalable fonts and why do I need them?

Typically, dot matrix printers have fixed sized fonts which are about 10 points. Scalable fonts are typefaces which, through special software located in the printer, can generate different size characters on the fly. EPSON is the first company to incorporate scalable fonts for laser-like printing in a dot matrix printer.

What does enhanced graphics mean?

Previously it took two passes of the print head to print at 360 dpi. With enhanced graphics it only takes a single pass to print true 360 dpi. This improvement allows for better quality text and graphics when printed with programs such as Microsoft Windows and other graphic environments.

What is the purpose of the Data light on the front panel?

The printer processes data in a band buffer. The data light will be on if there is data in the buffer which has not been printed.

How do I install the printer driver in Windows 3.1?

Insert the disk into the appropriate disk drive. Open the Control Panel and double-click on the Printers icon. In the Printers dialog box, click on the Add button. Select "Install Unlisted or Updated Printer," then click on Install. An Install Driver dialog box will appear on your screen. If the driver disk is in drive A: click on the "Browse" button and select the directory MSWIN. Click OK two times to get back to the Install Driver dialog box, then click OK again to see a list of printers. Choose the LQ-870 ESC/P2 driver and click OK to begin installing the driver. When the installation is complete, the LQ-870 ESC/P2 should appear in the Installed Printers box. Make sure the printer is on LPT1 or whichever LPT port you are using, then click on the Set as Default Printer button. Click on Close and you are done installing the printer driver.

Will this printer emulate an IBM Proprinter?

No, the printer does not support IBM emulation.

When I turn my printer on, the paper feeds through about one and a half pages, then stops. I hit the LOAD/EJECT button and it feeds more paper instead of ejecting backwards. Why won't it go to the right top-of-form position?

Check the front panel to see if the Bin 1 or Bin 2 light is on. If it is, turn the printer OFF and manually eject the continuous feed paper. Remove the paper from the tractor unit. Move the paper release lever on the right side of the printer all the forward, then all the way to the back. Move the lever forward and backward five times, then move it into the middle position. Hold down the ALT + PAUSE on the front of the printer. Keep holding these buttons down as you power-on the printer. Release the buttons after the printer emits one long beep. The printer should initialize properly and the Bin light should not be on. Reload the paper onto the tractor unit and try to print. If you are still having problems, repeat the above steps. If the problem still persists, have the printer taken in to be serviced.

My printer beeps five times and then shuts off. It won't even do a self-test anymore. How can I get my printer to work again?

Turn the printer off and remove the ribbon cartridge. Once the cartridge is removed, slide the print head all the way to the rightside of the printer carriage. Look into the printer, on the bottom left side you should see a small white lever. Push down on the lever to make sure it is still connected, then gently move the lever from side to side a few times. Next, take a hold of the print head and move it all the way to the left, then back to the right. Move the print head left to right five times, then position the printhead into the middle of the printer. Hold down the ALT + PAUSE on the front of the printer. Keep holding these buttons down as you power-on the printer. Release the buttons after the printer emits one long beep. The printer should initialize properly. If you are still having problems, repeat the above steps. If the problem still persists, have the printer taken in to be serviced.

Why won't my printer print bidirectional in Windows?

Since Windows is a graphic environment, the drivers are set to print unidirectional for better print quality. If you must print bidirectional, you can use the EPSON Scalable Font driver. The Scalable Font driver is available from the EPSON Website.

When printing from MS-DOS applications, I'm getting characters instead of lines.

To print lines instead of characters, the printer needs to be in graphics mode. Select a graphics character table (PC437). To switch to PC437, make sure dip switch 1, 2, 3 and 4 on bank 1 are all ON. Turn the printer OFF to save the setting. Turn the printer back ON and try printing again.

What are the default dip switch settings for the LQ-870?

The printer has two sets of dip switches. From the factory, dip switch 1-1/2/3 are ON, 1-4/5/6/7/8 are OFF. For the second set, dip switch 2-1/2/3/4 are all OFF. For more information on setting dip switches, please see Chapter 3 page 6 of your User's Manual.

I'm replacing my LQ-850 with the LQ-870. Can I use the same serial interface that I used on the LQ-850, with the LQ-870?

No, they cannot be interchanged. The LQ-850 uses a Type-A interface and the LQ-870 uses a Type-B interface. You can purchase an additional serial interface from EPSON Accessories.

Does the LQ-870 support Apple EtherTalk?

Yes, with the optional Ethernet/EtherTalk interface card available through EPSON Accessories.

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.

I'm trying to print a 3.5-inch wide by 1-inch long label. I set the printer up for a User Defined page size and it prints the first label, then the paper advances about a page and a half and prints the next label. How can I set the printer up to print one label after another from Windows?

If you are in Windows 3.1x using an ESC/P2 printer driver, you will not be able to choose a User Defined page size. The ESC/P2 drivers do not support User Defined page sizes. To use a User Defined page size, you will need to change your printer driver to an ESC/P printer driver such as the LQ-850/1050, LQ-510/550/1010, LQ-200, LQ-500, LQ-860+/1060+, LQ-2550, LQ-800/1000, or LQ-1500. If you are in Windows 95 or 98, you can use Microsoft's LQ-570, LQ-570+, LQ-870, LQ-1070, LQ-1070+, LQ-1170 and LQ-2170 ESC/P2 printer driver. The Windows 95 ESC/P2 drivers do support User Defined sizes. The above procedures apply any time you specify a User Defined page size such as checks, small envelopes, or sheet fed labels, to name a few.

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. Hold down the ALT and the LF/FF buttons to Microfeed the paper backward or the ALT and the LOAD/EJECT buttons to Microfeed the paper forward. 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. For more information on adjusting the page setting, please see your User's Manual.

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

Choose from any of the following printer drivers: LQ-2170, LQ-2070, LQ-570+/LQ-1070+, Action Printer 5000+, Action Printer 5000, LQ-870/1170, LQ-850+/1050+, LQ-850/1050, LQ-510/550/1010, LQ-670, LQ-200, LQ-500, LQ-860+, LQ-2550, LQ-2500, LQ-800/1000, LQ-1500.

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.

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.

My printer will not power-on at all when I connect the parallel cable. What should I do?

Disconnect the cable from the back of the printer and see if the power comes on. If the printer turns on after disconnecting the cable, you probably have a cable problem. Try a different cable, making sure that it is fully-shielded and preferably six-feet or less in length. If a different cable still has the same problem, try "masking" pin 31 on the cable connector that attaches to the printer. If you decide to mask pin 31, use masking or electrical tape.

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

When a printer prints garbage, it usually indicates a faulty cable or a loose connection. 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, have the printer taken in to be serviced.

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.

What is the recommended duty cycle for the printer?

The specification recommended is 25 percent. Epson'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.

Why does the printer stop or pause in the middle of a print job?

The printer has a built-in sensor that monitors the temperature of the print head. When the print head begins to get too hot, the printer may pause or slow down the speed of the print head unit to ensure that the print head does not overheat. If the print head begins to overheat, the thermistor will stop the print head completely until it has cooled down. Once the print head has sufficiently cooled down, the printer will resume the print job. Another reason for the printer to pause or stop can be that the printer is waiting for more data or is in the middle of processing data already received.

What are the most commonly used escape codes?

Some commonly used escape codes include (in decimal values) - Reset (27, 64); Set page length in lines (27, 67, n - where n is a number from 1 to 127); Carriage return (13); Line feed (10); Form feed (12); Select 1/8-inch line spacing (27, 48); 10 cpi (27, 80); 12 cpi (27, 77); Select bold font (27, 69); Cancel bold font (27, 70); Select italic font (27, 52); Cancel italic font (27, 53); Turn underline on/off (27, 45, n - where n equals 49=ON or 48=OFF); Select condensed print (15); Cancel condensed print (18). For more escape codes, please refer to the Command Summary of your User's Manual.

When printing a multiple page document on single sheets, the first page prints correctly, but the pages after start printing too low.

The difference in print position is usually caused by the page length setting in the software application program. Most applications have a default page length of 66 lines per page when using 11" continuous paper. When using single sheets, the printer automatically provides a small top and bottom margin. Since the top and bottom margins are non-printable areas, the maximum number of lines per page is reduced from 66 to 61 lines per page. Many applications have an option to change the number of lines per page. You should change the number of lines per page to 61. If the program offers a selection for "cut-sheet feeder," change the paper type to cut-sheet feeder.

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.

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.

What are the differences between the LQ-570 and the LQ-870?

The LQ-870 has a heavy duty print mechanism that increases print speeds. The LQ-870 also has a front push tractor position not available on the LQ-570. Additional features of the LQ-870 are character pitch selection from the front panel and the ability for continuous forms to exit either to the rear or to the front of the printer.