Epson LX-300

Product Controls: EPSON LX-300

Printer's Self-Test - LF/FF + Power-On

Hex Dump Mode - Font + LF/FF + Power-On

Default Setting Mode - Font + Power-On

Paper Park - Font + LF/FF, hold until continuous paper feeds backward to the paper park position

Microfeed Forward - Press Pause until printer beeps once and Font lights begin to flash, then press LF/FF to move the paper forward

Microfeed Backward - Press Pause until printer beeps once and Font lights begin to flash, then press Font 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.

What driver should I use if the LX-300 is not listed?

For color printing: LX-300, JX-80, EX-800; for monochrome printing: LX-810, LX-850, LX-800, LX-80/86, FX-850, FX-86e/800.

The printer is not starting at the right position on the paper. How can I change the top-of-form?

You can change the starting position by using the MICROFEED feature on the printer's control panel. Load your paper and wait until it stops feeding. Once it has stopped, press the PAUSE button until the printer beeps once and the FONT lights begin to flash. Use the LF/FF button to feed the paper forward or the FONT button to feed the paper backward. Once you have the paper where you want it, press the PAUSE button to exit the paper adjustment mode.

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.

Why is the printer beeping three times and the PAUSE light flashing continuously?

This indicates that the printer is out of paper. Make sure the paper release lever is in the correct position, then install the paper and try printing.

The printer beeps three times and the PAUSE light stays on.

Either the paper release lever is set to TRACTOR position before a cut sheet is ejected or the paper release lever is set to the FRICTION position before the continuous paper is ejected. Turn the printer off and remove the paper. Move the paper release lever into the correct position and reinstall the paper, then turn the printer back ON. If the problem still occurs, repeat the adjustment steps again. If the problems persists, have the printer taken in to be serviced.

Why does my printer print much slower 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 experiment with different LX series drivers to see if one will allow you to print bidirectional.

My printer is fine until I try to print anything from Windows 95 or 98. When I try printing, the printer goes offline.

Try running a self-test to ensure that the printer is operating properly. If the self-test prints fine, while connected to the computer, you may be having a communication problem between the printer and Windows 95 or 98. Take the printer into an EPSON Authorized Service Center to have a technician examine the printer.

Do I use dip switches to change the settings on my printer?

No, the LX-300 has built-in default settings that can be changed by using the front panel buttons. To enter the default setting mode, hold down the FONT button and power-on the printer. For more information on how to change the default settings, please see Chapter 2 page 20 of your User's Manual.

I'm replacing my LX-810 with the LX-300. Can I use the same serial interface that I used on the LX-810, with the LX-300?

No, the LX-300 does not have an optional slot to install an optional interface. The LX-300 has a built-in RS-232D serial interface.

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

No, this printer does not have the optional slot necessary to connect to mainframe and minicomputer systems.

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 XON/XOFF protocol, the XOFF signal may not reach the printer in time to delay data transmission which 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.

Can the FX-870 print text characters in a landscape orientation?

Yes, but the printer requires the use of a software application program because it does not include landscape characters as part of its built-in character set. When printing from MS-DOS, two popular software application programs for printing in landscape are Sideways and Always. Also, Microsoft Windows, using TrueType fonts, allows the printer to print in a landscape orientation.

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.

Will this printer emulate an IBM Proprinter?

No, the printer does not support IBM emulation.

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.

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.

Can I print on checks that are 3-inches in length?

Yes, you can print on special sized papers. If you are using Windows, you will need to setup the printer options for a User Defined Page Size in the Control Panel. If you are using an MS-DOS application, you will either need to send an ESC code or the application would have to be capable of sending a User Defined Page Size code to the printer. The dip switches on the front of the printer cannot be used to change the page size, the command must come from the application program you are sending the print job from.

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.

When printing from MS-DOS applications, I'm getting italic 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, enter your Default Settings mode and select character table PC437.

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 is the difference between the LX-810 and the LX-300?

The LX-300 has faster print speeds than the LX-810. There is also the option of upgrading the LX-300 to a color printer with the color option kit. Unlike the LX-810, the LX-300 comes standard with both parallel and serial ports.