Epson Stylus 800

Product Controls: Epson Stylus 800

Reset - ALT + Economy/Condensed + Load/Eject + Pause + Power Switch

Cleaning Cycle - Pause and then ALT + Pause

Self-Test - Font + Power Switch

Hex Dump - Font + Load/Eject + Power Switch

Demo Page - ALT + Power Switch

Default Setting - Economy/Condensed and then ALT for second page

Clear Buffer - ALT + Pause

Microfeed Forward - ALT + Font

Microfeed Backward - ALT + Economy/Condensed

Install Cartridge - Pause and then press ALT + Pause, (carriage should move to the ink replacement position), install cartridge, press ALT to charge ink delivery, Pause should flash, after flashing stops, the printer is online and ready to print.

I was previously printing fine from within any windows based application, but now nothing prints, what's wrong?

First print a demo page to determine that the printer is operating properly. If the demo page looks fine, check the Stylus spool manager to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if printer is held. If the printer is held, select Queue, then Setup. Note the Spool Directory, verify "Spool to local printer", enable Queue Print Manager and click on 'OK'. Clear queue, hi-light Epson Stylus 800, select Queue and remove the check mark from the word 'Hold'. This is the most probable solution. Try printing again from Windows. If the problem persists, make sure that it is spooling in a directory other than C:\WINDOWS\TEMP or C:\TEMP by checking the spool directory specified in spool manager. If the spool directory is C:\WINDOWS\TEMP or C:\TEMP, create a special spool directory C:\SPOOL (or a directory name that you prefer) off of the root directory from either Filemanager or the DOS prompt. Change the default spool directory in spool manager to C:\SPOOL in both queue setup and options. This normally corrects the problem.

Which printer should I select from my DOS based applications?

The LQ-570 driver is the best selection. Refer to the recommended driver selection listed on page 1-18 of the user's manual.

I can print from DOS fine, but I receive garbage from any Windows applications.

Ensure the correct default printer driver is selected. Disable the print manager and fast printing direct to port in the control panel. Try selecting LPT1.DOS instead of LPT1, reinstall the cable and try printing again. Sometimes the video driver causes a conflict with the printer driver. To determine if this is the cause of the problem, change the video driver to standard VGA and try printing again. If the problem persists change the printer cable, move the printer and cable to a different computer to determine if the problem is hardware or software related.

I can print from Windows, but I cannot print from any DOS based applications.

Try printing from the DOS prompt "C:\>", by entering "DIR >LPT1". If nothing prints, try printing to the LPT2 or LPT3 port. If successful, check the printer driver selection within the software program. Make sure the LQ or Stylus 800 driver is selected. Make sure the printer is set on the correct LPT port setting (the port should be set to the successful LPT port used from the DOS prompt - LPT1, LPT2, LPT3).

Why can't I print from one particular windows application, but I can print fine from other windows applications?

Make sure that the correct printer driver and port are selected within the application that is not printing. Try printing again. If the problem persists, select the LQ570 printer as an alternative printer driver and try printing again. If the results are still unsuccessful, open the Windows Write program and try printing again. If you successfully printed from Windows Write, contact the software manufacturer.

After replacing the ink cartridge, the printer runs through the motions of printing, however there is no ink printed on the paper.

Ensure the proper procedures for installing an ink cartridge was done. Next, perform at least two cleaning cycles(press the pause button, and then hold down the ALT and Pause button on the printer panel to initiate a cleaning cycle). Print out the demonstration page (press the ALT button while applying Power). If the problem persists and there is no improvement, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

My print quality is very poor. How can I improve the quality?

Make sure the economy light is not selected. If the economy light is not on, perform two cleaning cycles. Try printing the demo page to see if printing has improved. If printing has not improved, try using a fresh pack of paper. If this does not eliminate the problem, replace the ink cartridge.

My printer will not feed paper. What's wrong?

Make sure the "paper out" light is not on. This would indicate the printer is not sensing the loaded sheets of paper. If the "paper out" light is on and the paper is installed correctly, try fanning and reloading the paper. Check to make sure the rear paper guide is attached to the printer. Press the load eject button to load a sheet of paper. If the problem persists take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

My characters are not aligning vertically on my printouts. How can I correct this?

Use the calibration utility which is included on the Epson driver disk. The calibration program is a DOS utility program and should be run from DOS. The calibrat.exe file is used to correct vertical alignment problems. Put the driver disk in the A drive i.e. A:\>Calibrate and then hit enter.

I just replaced the ink cartridge. My "ink out" light is still on. How can I clear this problem?

Reinstall the ink cartridge and perform two cleaning cycles. Try printing the demo page (press the ALT button while applying power to the printer). If the condition is still present, power the printer off and then initiate the ROM reset by holding down ALT + Economy/Condensed + Load/Eject while applying power to the printer. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

My printer is performing continuous cleaning cycles.How can I clear and reset my printer?

It is normal for the printer to perform a cleaning cycle periodically during the initial power up. If the cleaning cycle continues longer than five minutes it would be considered abnormal First, perform a ROM reset by holding down ALT + Economy/Condensed + Load/Eject while applying power to the printer. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

I am receiving white horizontal lines through my text when the demo page is printed.

This phenomena is called banding and may be caused by a clogged nozzle. Print the demo page by pressing the ALT button while applying power to the printer. Check to see if white lines appear through your text. If white lines are present, perform two cleaning cycles as described under the front cover of the printer; press the pause button, and then hold down the ALT and Pause button on the printer panel to initiate a cleaning cycle. Print the default settings mode (press Pause and then ALT for second page) to ensure that the Auto Line Feed setting is set to off. Print the demo page again. If the demo page still shows missing dots, try reinstalling the ink cartridge. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

How do I clear a paper jam?

Power the printer off. Remove the back cover and remove any paper caught in this area. Apply power while holding down all panel buttons except the font button. Try loading the paper again.

When I print a two page document, I receive a blank page after each printed page.

Check the driver selection, make sure the Stylus 800 or LQ driver is selected as the default printer. If LQ is the selected driver, make sure the paper source setting is set to bin one or tray. Make sure the setting is not on tractor. Also check the margin settings and lines per page setting in the software. Make sure the lines per page is not greater than 61 lines and the top and/or bottom margins are set to .5 instead of 1 inch.

My "Data" and "Paper Out" lights are flashing, how can I clear my printer?

Initiate a ROM reset (press Pause + ALT + Economy/Condensed + Load/Eject while applying power to the printer). Reinstall the ink cartridge with the power off. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

My printer starts beeping when powered on.

Perform a ROM reset (press Pause + ALT + Economy/Condensed + Load/Eject while applying power to the printer). If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

My printer will not power on

Remove the printer cable and unplug the printer from the power source; surge protector, power strip or outlet. Connect the power cable in a different outlet and power the printer on. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

Parallel Port Scanners

Sometimes Epson printers have problems working with Parallel port scanners, as the scanner software will conflict with the Epson printer management software. To disable the Epson software,

• Click on Start / Programs / Epson / Spool Manager.
• Highlight your printer in the Spool Manager Program.
• Click on Queue, then Setup.
• Under the General tab, make sure there is a check in the box "Use Print Manager for this Port".
• Click on Ok, then Queue, then click on Exit.
• Click on Start / Settings / Printers.
• Highlight your printer, then click on File and then Properties.
• Click on the Details tab, and then click on Port Settings.
• If there is an X next to "Spool MS-DOS Print Jobs" then click on the X to deselect it.
• If there is an X next to "Check Port State Before Printing" then click on the X to deselect it.
• Click on Ok, then click on Ok again.
• Close any open Windows down, then Reboot the computer.