Epson Stylus Color

Why can't I print from a particular Windows application in color?

Make sure the correct driver is selected and the Color option is enabled in the printer driver. Try printing again. If the image comes out monochrome, print from a resident program within Windows, such as Paintbrush. If the results are successful from Paintbrush, contact the software manufacturer of the application for assistance. If the results are not successful, troubleshoot the pertinent areas within Windows, such as the video driver.

I am printing from a Windows application. The printer was printing fine a minute ago and now nothing will print. How can I correct this?

First print a selftest page to determine that the printer is operating properly. If the selftest page looks fine, check the Stylus Color spool manager to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if the printer is held. If the printer is held, click Queue, then Setup. Note the spool directory, verify "Spool to local printer" is selected, enable "Use Print Manager for this port," and click "OK." To take the printer off of Hold, select EPSON Stylus Color, click Queue then click the word "Hold" to remove the check mark. This is the most probable solution. Try printing from Windows. If the problem persists, make sure the spool directory is spooling in a directory other than C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\TEMP, C:\DOS, or any software application directory, by checking the spool directory specified in the Spool Manager. Create a special spool directory such as C:\SPOOL (or a directory name that you prefer) off of the root directory from either FileManager or the DOS prompt. Change the spool directory in spool manager to C:\SPOOL in both queue setup and options. This normally corrects the problem. Refer to the User Manual for complete information about the spool manager.

The printed output I am getting unacceptable. What can I do to improve the quality?

Make sure the Economy light on the printer is not on, and if printing on EPSON special coated paper, ensure that you are printing on the coated side of the paper. If the Economy light is on, press the Economy/Condensed button multiple times until the Economy/Condensed lights are both off. Economy mode is only intended for printing rough drafts and should not be enabled for normal printing. Try printing again. If printing has not improved, perform a cleaning cycle. For COLOR Cleaning press the Pause button, then push ALT and Economy/Condensed; or for BLACK Cleaning press the Pause button, then ALT and Load/Eject. Print the selftest page to see if printing has improved (Power on the printer while holding down the Load/Eject button for 10 seconds or until the data light comes on or paper loads). If the quality is acceptable, verify that the correct driver is selected as the default driver. Make sure that COLOR is selected in the driver. Ensure that HALFTONING is NOT selected in the driver. You may want to manipulate the settings within the application to achieve the optimum print results. If the quality from the selftest page is not acceptable, replace the ink cartridge. Additional Troubleshooting information is located in the Users Manual. If the print quality is still unacceptable, have the printer sent in for repair.

I do not have the printers model name as a driver selection. Which printer should I select for my Windows/DOS application?

For color output choose an LQ-2550 or LQ-860 printer. For monochrome (Black/White) printing select one of the following LQ or Stylus models; LQ-2550, Stylus-(300, 400, 800, 800+, 1000), LQ-(570, 570+, 870, 870+, 1070, 1070+, 1170, 1170+), LQ-(850, 950, 1050).

I am getting the message "Disk is full" on my PC screen whenever I send something to print from Windows. How can I clear this?

Check to see if the Stylus Pro is set to Hold in the Epson Spool Manager. Delete any queued print jobs and remove the check mark from the word 'Hold' under the "Queue" menu and try printing again. If the printer was held, select Queue, then Setup. Note the Spool Directory, verify "Spool to local printer", enable Queue Print Manager and click on 'OK'. Clear queue, highlight Epson COLOR Stylus, select Queue and remove check mark from the word 'Hold'. This is the most probable solution. Try printing again from Windows. If the problem persists, delete all files with the extension .jnl or .tmp (*.jnl, *.tmp) from the spool directory. 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. Turn the printer and the PC off and back on and try printing again. This normally corrects the problem.

What are the Epson Spool Manager and Epson Despooler?

The Epson Spool Manager manages special spool files called "journal" files. These contain the print data in an unprocessed form. The Spool Manager sends this data to the Epson Despooler for processing. The Despooler processes the data in segments, called "bands". Once a band is finished, it is sent to the printer for printing. While the printer prints, the Despooler works on the next band.

When printing from Windows, the driver won't remember its last settings. What am I doing wrong?

The driver settings are stored along with your documents. The next time the document is opened, the driver settings will be restored. When you create a new document and print it for the first time, you will need to adjust the driver settings to fit your particular needs. The Stylus COLOR driver automatically reverts to its default settings each time you run your program, unless you are loading a document previously printed on the Stylus COLOR.

I am getting the message "Disk is full" on my PC screen whenever I send something to print from Windows. How can I clear this?

First, if LPT1.DOS is set as your default printer port, switch to the regular LPT1: Local Port. If this does not remove the error, using page 3-32 of the User's Manual as a guide, check the Stylus COLOR Spool Manager to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if the printer is Held. If the printer is Held, select Queue, then Setup. Note the Spool Directory, verify "Spool to local printer" is selected, enable "Use Print Manager for this port," and click "OK." To take the printer off of Hold, select EPSON Stylus COLOR, click Queue then click the word "Hold" to remove the check mark. This is the most probable solution. Try printing from Windows. If the problem persists, delete all files with the extension .jnl or .tmp (*.jnl, *.tmp) from the File Manager. If the problem still persists, make sure the spool directory is spooling in a directory other than C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\TEMP, C:\DOS, or any software application directory, by checking the spool directory specified in the Spool Manager. If the spool directory is listed as any of the preceding directories, create a unique spool directory such as C:\COLOR or C:\SPOOL (or a directory name that you prefer) on your root directory. You can create a new directory on your root directory from File Manager in Windows or from the MS-DOS Prompt. Change the spool directory in the Spool Manager to the new directory in both the Queue/Setup and in Options/Default Spool Directory. Turn the printer and the PC off and back on and try printing again. This normally corrects the problem.

I am getting the error, "Encountered error while processing band data, spool file is corrupt" when printing from my PC. How do I clear this?

Turn the printer and the PC off and then back on. If you are using Print Shop Deluxe, choose File, Preferences from the Print Shop menu and remove the check mark from "Fast Bitmap Printing Direct To Port." Using the printer User's Manual as a guide, check the Spool Manager setup to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if Spool Manager is Held. Delete any queued print jobs and remove the check mark from the word "Hold" under the "Queue" menu. Ensure that an "X" is in the "Use Print Manager for this port" box. Make sure the spool directory is spooling in a directory other than C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\TEMP, C:\DOS, or any software application directory, by checking the spool directory specified in the Spool Manager. If the spool directory is listed as any of the preceding directories, create a unique spool directory such as C:\COLOR or C:\SPOOL (or a directory name that you prefer) on your root directory. You can create a new directory on your root directory from File Manager in Windows or from the MS-DOS Prompt. Change the spool directory in the Spool Manager to the new directory in both the Queue/Setup and in Options/Default Spool Directory. Try printing again. If you get the same error message, reinstall the printer driver and try printing again. If the condition persists, obtain a replacement printer driver available from the EPSON Internet web site.

How can I increase the print speed on my PC?

The Troubleshooting Guide located in Chapter Six of the User's Manual gives detailed information regarding this issue. Use the guide as a reference to go over the Spool Manager setup. Color printing is a heavy draw on your CPU, memory, and hard disk, since color print jobs can produce 20-100 times as much data as a Black/White text print. The entire printing process includes the time it takes the PC to spool the job into the temporary directory. Creating a unique spool directory improves printing performance by eliminating the conflicts of spooling files with other Windows files. Also, maximizing your systems disk space and RAM will speed up the process. Lowering the print resolution and enabling "High Speed" in the driver will also help. In Control Panel, Printers, Connect option, disable "Fast Printing Direct to Port" and do not use Print Manager. Ensure that there is 150MB of free hard drive space available. Try to decrease the number of open applications running under Program Manager. Check the print options settings in "Printing Model/Options" screen. If MicroWeave is selected, printing will be much slower. To further increase print speed, do not select MicroWeave. Other ways to speed up printing include, turning off Halftoning, printing in monochrome instead of color, and printing in a lower resolution. Read the README file for more tips.

I have a picture of the printer (the Despooler) with the International NO symbol across it on my screen. How can I clear this?

Check the Spool Manager to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if the Spool Manager is Held. Delete any queued print jobs and remove the check mark from the word "Hold" under the Queue menu. Make sure there is paper loaded in the printer and try printing again.

Why can't I calibrate my printer on my PC?

The calibration program is a DOS utility program and should be run from DOS. The calibration program assumes the printer is attached to LPT1. Make sure the printer is connected to LPT1: and try again. If you want to use the printer on LPT2 or another port, connect it temporarily to LPT1 and after calibration you can connect it to the port you want to use for printing.

I can print from DOS fine, but I am getting garbage from my Windows applications. What's wrong?

Go to Windows and make sure the correct printer driver is selected. In Control Panel Printer Connect, try setting the printer port to LPT1.DOS, disable fast printing direct to port, and disable print manager. Reinstall the printer cable and try printing again. Try installing the Epson LQ-2550 as the Windows Default Printer. Go to Printer Setup, maximize the print resolution and change the paper source to "Sheet Feeder Bin 1". Try printing again. If this prints fine, get an updated version of the Stylus COLOR IIs driver. 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 the Windows standard VGA mode and try printing again. Make sure you write down the name of the video driver prior to changing the video driver to VGA. If the video driver is not the cause of the problem and the condition persists, move the cable and printer to another PC to determine if the problem is hardware or software related. A printer cable more than 10 feet could also cause this problem.

Whenever I try to print from my Macintosh, I get a type 11 error, my system locks up or a portion of my image doesn't print. What's wrong?

These issues are typically memory related errors. Check the available memory and its allocation. You may need to increase the memory allocation for your application, the EPSON Monitor, or both. Insure that the needed system resources are available. If you have background printing enabled, you may want to try disabling it. Some printing issues can also be caused by conflicts with Extensions and Control Panels. Turn off all third party Extensions and Control Panels that have been added to the system and restart.

What are the system requirements for using the printer on a Macintosh?

System 6.0.7 with at least 5MB of memory, System 7.0 - 7.1x with at least 6MB of memory (8MB recommended), and System 7.5 or later with at least 6MB of memory (8MB recommended). The printing process will be faster and more efficient if your computer has more than the minimum amount of memory required. Systems that only have the capability to install a maximum of 4MB of memory will not work with this printer.

What Macintosh computer systems are compatible with the printer?

All computers that have a minimum of 5MB of memory installed will work with this printer. Macintosh computers that are not compatible include the Mac 128K, 512K, 512Ke, Plus, SE, and Classic (these are only able to install a maximum of 4MB of memory).

When I print a document, the print job completes on my Macintosh screen, but nothing prints on the printer.

Ensure that the printer is plugged into the computer, the printer is turned on, and the printer is not paused. Also ensure that the correct port is selected in the Chooser. It may be a cable issue. Make sure you are using the right type of cable. The correct cable being used to connect to the built-in Macintosh port is a serial 8-pin male mini DIN to 8-pin male mini DIN (recommended cable to use is a Belkin Components cable, part #F2V024). If using AppleTalk, you will need to purchase LocalTalk or Phonet cables.

I have a Stylus COLOR but do not have the Macintosh driver. Where can I get a copy of the driver for the Macintosh?

The Stylus COLOR driver for the Macintosh can be downloaded free of charge from the EPSON Internet website.

When I install the Stylus COLOR driver on my Macintosh, where are the files placed on my hard disk?

The Stylus COLOR installer places the files in the following folders - MACINTOSH HARD DISK WINDOW: Bi-di Calibration Utility, Epson Namer, SYSTEM FOLDER: Epson Monitor (v1.0E), EXTENSIONS FOLDER (in the SYSTEM FOLDER): Epson Spool Folder (v1.0E to v1.21), AT-Stylus COLOR, ASFU Fixer (v1.0E to v1.20), Stylus COLOR, Epson Monitor (v1.20 to v1.21), Epson Monitor 2 (v2.01). Specific to v2.01 driver version - EPSON FOLDER: OPTIONS FOLDER & SPOOL FOLDER, OPTIONS FOLDER: Printer, Stylus Pro, Stylus Pro XL, Stylus COLOR II.

How do I connect a Stylus COLOR to the Macintosh?

The Stylus COLOR has a built-in Macintosh serial interface. The correct cable to use to connect to the built-in Macintosh port is a serial 8-pin male mini DIN to 8-pin male mini DIN. You would connect one end of the serial cable to the serial port on the printer, then plug the other end of the cable into the printer or modem port on the Macintosh. If using AppleTalk, you will need to purchase LocalTalk or Phonet cables.

How do I use the Stylus COLOR with a Macintosh AppleTalk or EtherTalk network?

First you need to purchase an optional LocalTalk or Ethernet interface card for the Stylus COLOR. After purchasing the interface, install the the card into the printer's optional interface slot. Then install the AT-Stylus COLOR printer driver from the Macintosh disk that originally came with the printer.

Foreground printing is fine on my Macintosh, but background printing either hangs or is extremely slow. What can I do to increase the speed?

The first suggestion is to add more RAM to your Macintosh to increase performance. The less RAM available, the more hard disk intensive your computer will be, resulting in slower operation. Keep in mind that print jobs have to be written to disk before they are sent to the printer. If you have RAM to spare (at least 12MB of real RAM), assign more RAM to the Epson Monitor utility under Get Info (Command-I). Disabling seldom used extensions may help. For computers with small amounts of RAM, turning off background printing in the Chooser is advisable. Users not faced with memory constraints have also reported improved performance when increasing the Mac's disk cache. Another suggestion is to simplify your print jobs (use Monochrome mode when printing black text, lowering resolution for draft documents). Always use a good cable. If you are using an outdated driver (anything lower than version 1.20), update the driver. Drivers can be downloaded from Epson's Web Site. PowerMacs have been known to benefit greatly from using Connectix Speed Doubler software. Your computer's hard disk could be fragmented and in need of some "cleaning up." Running a program like Norton Utilities may help if rebuilding the Desktop or using Apple's 1st Aid did not help. One or more extensions could be conflicting with the Stylus Color extension or using up all of your available RAM, forcing you to run mostly off the hard disk. Try booting with extensions off. You may also want to consider using Apple's Extensions Manager or Casady & Greene's Conflict Catcher. The last suggestion is to make sure that the paper thickness lever on the printer has not been set for envelope or thick paper (Chapter 2 page 6 - Loading envelopes).

I installed the printer driver on my Macintosh, but it isn't showing up in the Chooser. What went wrong?

The EPSON driver does not support QuickDraw GX. Therefore, this feature will need to be disabled. If your using system version 7.5 or later disable this feature, go to the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then open Extensions Manager and de-select "QuickDraw GX." After restarting, the printer will appear in the Chooser. If Quickdraw GX is off and there is still no printer icon in the Chooser, verify your system meets the minimum system requirements. Refer to your User's Guide for more information.

When printing from my Macintosh I always get a type -39 error. What should I do?

Make sure that the printer is functioning normally by running a printer test page. If the test page prints fine, but you still continue to get the error from the Macintosh, you may need to upgrade your System software. If you are running System 7.5.2, we would suggest that you upgrade to System 7.6.1 or higher. This is also suggested by Apple.

Can I connect the printer to both a PC and to a Macintosh?

Yes, both the serial and parallel interfaces can be connected to host computers. We recommend that you do not send print jobs from both computers at the same time. Some programs may send a partial print job to the printer and then pause for further processing. When it pauses for further processing, the printer's port may time-out and the printer may start to receive data from the other computer before the previous print job is complete.

Why does the Stylus COLOR print faster from the PC than from a Macintosh?

The printing architectures of the PC and the Macintosh are quite different. A lot more processing is required on the Macintosh to print a page. In addition, the Macintosh uses a serial interface to transfer information to the printer. A PC uses a parallel interface (much faster) to connect to the printer. To attempt to speed up printing on the Macintosh, try turning Background Printing OFF, set Virtual Memory to its default setting, allocate more memory to the application you are using, allocate more memory to the Epson Monitor (only if Background Printing needs to be ON), set Cache between 256K to 512K.

Why are my margins incorrect?

The paper may be loaded incorrectly. Make sure that the left and right edge guides are flush against both sides of the paper. Make sure the margins are set correctly in your software application, and make sure you are not trying to print outside of the printable area of the page for your paper size (printable area of the page specifications are available in the User's Manual). Make sure the correct paper size is selected in the printer driver settings. Also, check the settings on the paper menu in the printer driver to make sure they are correct for your paper size. Margins are not adjustable via the printer.

My printer was working fine, but now when I power it on it is making a Grinding sound. How can I correct this?

Turn the printer off and adjust the platen knob on the right side of the printer. Ensure that the knob is not pushed inward. From the side of the printer, the platen knob should project out approximately 0.25 inches. Push the platen knob in and out a few times while rotating the platen knob clockwise two or three turns, then power the printer back on. If the condition persists, have the printer sent in to be serviced.

Why am I getting horizontal lines through my printed text or graphics?

This phenomena is called banding and may be caused by a clogged nozzle. Print the selftest page by pressing the Load/Eject button while applying power to the printer. Check to see if white lines appear through your text. If the white lines are present, perform two cleaning cycles as described under the front cover of the printer; (COLOR Cleaning)-Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Economy Condensed, or (BLACK Cleaning)-Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Load/Eject. If the ink cartridge is new and the cleaning cycles did not correct the problem, print the default settings (Press Economy/Condensed and power the printer on) to ensure that "Autoline Feed" is off. If the "Autoline Feed" is off, and the test print still shows missing dots, have the printer sent in for repair. If the ink cartridge is old, and the cleaning cycles did not correct the problem, print the default settings to ensure that "Autoline Feed" is off. If the "Autoline Feed" is off, replace the ink cartridge. You may have to perform a few cleaning cycles after installing the new ink cartridge. Banding may also occur if the user turns the printer off by a power bar. If this is the case, the user may need to run up to 10 cleaning cycles to correct the problem. If the condition persists and it is visible in the demo page, the printer needs to be serviced. The Troubleshooting Guide located in Chapter Six of the User's Manual provides additional information.

One of my colors is missing. What should I do?

Calibrate colors in the driver setup to the specific application or image. Set to Default and adjust from there. Perform selftest (Press Load/Eject and power printer on) and check that seven colors are produced. If seven colors are not produced, print the default settings (Press Economy/Condensed and power printer on) to inspect dots. If test print shows missing dots, perform two cleaning cycles; (COLOR Cleaning)-Press the PAUSE Button, then, Alt and Economy Condensed 'OR' (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE, then, Alt and Load/Eject. Run the selftest again to see if printing has improved. If the selftest is still missing one of the four colors, try replacing the ink cartridge. If the condition persists, have the printer sent in for repair.

Can I print EPS files on the Stylus COLOR?

EPS files are Encapsulated PostScript files that are formatted to print on PostScript printers. To print EPS files, you can either export or convert the file to a TIFF or PICT format in your graphics application or you may consider purchasing Birmy Graphics PowerRIP software from EPSON Accessories.

Why won't the printer do a self-test?

Verify that the correct procedure for printing the self-test has been performed. This problem is commonly caused by not holding down the required button long enough. Power-On the printer while holding down the Load/Eject button until the data light comes on or the printer starts to load paper. If the print head moves back and forth, but there is no ink on the page, press Pause, then turn the printer off. Using the instructions on the inside front cover of the printer as a guide, perform three cleaning cycles. For COLOR Cleaning press the Pause button, then push ALT and Economy/Condensed; for BLACK Cleaning press the Pause button, then ALT and Load/Eject. Try running the self-test again. If the self-test still shows no ink on the page, contact the place of purchase for an exchange or send the printer in for service.

I am not getting black or color on the demo page. What's wrong?

Make sure the Economy light on the printer is not on. This will ensure that the Economy mode option is not selected. Using the instructions on the inside front cover of the printer as a guide, perform a three black then three color cleaning cycles. For BLACK Cleaning press the Pause button, then ALT and Load/Eject; for COLOR Cleaning press the Pause button, then push ALT and Economy/Condensed. If this does not correct the problem, replace the appropriate ink cartridge.

Even after calibrating, vertical lines aren't quite straight.

First ensure that the correct printer name has been selected. The calibration program shows values that increase by 2 at a time. Actually, you can enter any integer, including odd numbered values. Try using an odd number if you think the proper calibration value lies between two of the settings shown.

Calibration doesn't seem to have any effect. What should I do?

Make sure that whenever you turn off the printer, you are always using the printer's power button. Never use an external switch, such as a power strip, surge protector, or power protector, to turn off the printer. If you turn the printer off using an external switch, calibration settings will not be saved.

Is the printer Year 2000 ready?

Yes, the printer is Year 2000 ready.

Is the printer PostScript compatible?

The Stylus COLOR can be turned into a PostScript printer if used with the PowerRIP software made by Birmy Graphics. This software is available through EPSON Accessories.

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.

When I print from Appleworks 5.0.3 / 5.0.4 or Word 98 from my Macintosh (PowerMac / G3 / G4 / iMac / DV iMac) to my EPSON Stylus Color/Photo inkjet printer, some of the text is cut off on the right edge. What can I do to correct this?

Follow the steps below to correct the issue of characters clipping from Appleworks and Word 98.

Appleworks:

1) Open document.
2) Click on Edit, then Preferences.
3) Topic should be set to Text.
4) Under the Options, enable "Fractional Character Widths".
5) Click OK and print the document.
6) When the file is saved, it will save the setting along with it.

Word 98:

1) Open document.
2) Click on Tools, then Preferences.
3) Click on the Print tab.
4) Under the options for current document only, select "Fractional Widths".
5) Click OK and print the document.
6) When the file is saved, it will save the setting along with it.