Epson Stylus Color IIs

Product Controls: Epson Stylus COLOR IIs

Cleaning Cycle - Pause and then ALT + Pause (printer on)

Printer's Self-Test - Load/Eject + Power Switch

Hex Dump Mode - Load/Eject + Pause + Power Switch

Demo Page - ALT + Power Switch

Default Setting Mode - Pause + Power Switch

Non-Smear printing feature - ALT + Load/Eject + Power Switch

How do I install the ink cartridge?

Use the inside front cover of the printer as a reference. Press pause, press and hold ALT for five seconds. Remove the yellow tape seal from the top of the ink cartridge and insert it into the printer. Press the locking clamp down firmly, you should hear a good solid click. Press the ALT button, when the pause light stops flashing the printer is ready. In either case, initial installation or replacement, snap the locking clamp down firmly to ensure the inner seal is broken. The Setup Guide pages 1-5 through 1-9 has a detailed step-by-step procedure including diagrams for installing the ink cartridges.

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.

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.

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.

My printer's control panel locks up after I print a document from Windows. The buttons on the panel do not respond unless I disconnect the parallel printer cable from the back of the printer. What's wrong?

Some computers send an initialize/reset signal during the boot-up process. If the printer cable picks up any noise during this process, the initialize line will not complete its reset phase and cause the control panel to lock. Try booting the computer to Windows, then turn the printer ON using the printer's power switch and try printing again. A defective cable can also cause this situation. Make sure you are using a fully-shielded parallel cable, preferably 6 feet or less.

Can you help me install the driver in Windows 95 or 98?

In Windows 95 click the "Start" button and then select "Run". Insert the driver disk into the floppy drive and type A:\setup. The screens that follow will prompt you through the setup procedure. Page 2-4 of the "Setup and Software Guide for Windows" outlines the procedure.

How can I increase my print speed from my PC?

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 B/W text print. The entire printing process includes the time it takes the PC to spool the job into the temporary directory. Creating a special 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 Printer setup, try setting the printer port to LPT1.DOS, disable fast print direct to port, and do not use print manager. Ensure that there is 150MB of free hard drive space available.

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 am printing from a Windows application. The printer was printing fine a minute ago and now nothing will print. What's wrong?

First print a demo page to determine that the printer is operating properly. If the demo page looks fine, check the COLOR Stylus spool manager to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if the printer is held. If the printer is held, select the Stylus COLOR IIs and highlight it, then 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 COLOR IIs, 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. Refer to Page 3-15 of the Stylus COLOR IIs Reference Guide for further assistance.

How do I install the printer driver in Windows 3.1 ?

From Windows Program Manager, click on 'File', then 'Run', then type A:\Setup and press 'Enter'. Highlight the Stylus COLOR IIs from the list of printer models and Click on "Continue". The Stylus COLOR IIs driver will be installed as your default printer on LPT1. If you are upgrading the printer driver, and you already have the Stylus COLOR driver installed, select the Stylus COLOR IIs from the list of printer models and Click on "Continue". The Epson group and program icons will be automatically created, and include the spool manager, EPSON Stylus Help, and Epson Stylus Readme file. The driver installation information is located in chapter 2 of the "Setup and Software Guide for Windows".

I did not receive a printer driver disk with this printer. How can I obtain an EPSON Stylus COLOR IIs printer driver?

First select an alternate driver choice (LQ-2550 or LQ-860) from page 2-7 of the "Setup and Software Guide for Windows" until you receive or download the printer driver. The driver is available on the Epson Website.

The output I am getting is 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, check to ensure that the you are printing on the coated side of the paper. If the Economy light is on, hold down the ALT button, and press Load/Eject until both Economy/Condensed lights are off. Economy mode is only intended for printing rough drafts and should not be enabled for normal print. Try printing again. If printing has not improved, perform a cleaning cycle (COLOR Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Print Mode, or (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause. Print the demo page to see if printing has improved (Power on the printer while holding down the ALT button for 10 seconds; until 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. Manipulate the Stylus driver settings. You may also want to manipulate the settings within the application to achieve the optimum print results. If the quality from the demo page is not acceptable, check the type of paper being used. The EPSON special coated paper which is specifically made for the Stylus inkjet series printers, delivers the best printed output. If the problem persists, replace the ink cartridge. The trouble shooting guide located in chapter six of the Users Manual provides additional information. If the print quality is still unacceptable,have the printer sent in for repair.

I do not have the Stylus COLOR IIs 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. How can clear this?

Using page 2-11 of the printers Users Manual as a guide, check the COLOR Stylus spool manager to make sure the correct settings are enabled. Check to see if spool manager is stalled. 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" box. 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 in both queue setup and options to C:\SPOOL. Turn the printer and the PC off and back on and try printing again. This normally corrects the problem.

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

Make sure you have the correct driver selected, the color selection enabled and ensure the color head is installed. Try printing again. If the image comes out monochrome, try printing from another program within Windows. If the results are successful, contact the software manufacturer of the particular application. If the results are not successful, further troubleshoot the pertinent areas within Windows using chapter three of the Users Manual as a guide.

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.

I am getting the error message 'Printer is not responding" on my PC screen in Windows. How can I clear this?

Turn the printer and the PC off and back on and try printing again. Determine whether you cannot get anything to print from DOS or Windows, or both. If you are not getting anything from only one platform, further troubleshoot the pertinent areas within that platform. If you are not getting anything from both DOS and Windows, the problem is either the cable, the port assignment or a bad printer port. Reinstall the printer cable and try printing again. If the condition persists, replace the cable and try printing from a different PC.

I loaded your Windows 95 or 98 driver and now my printer prints very slow and my colors look awful, what is the problem?

First, print the demo page to determine that the printer is operating properly. Verify that you are using the latest Epson driver and not the Microsoft Windows 95 or 98 driver. To determine which driver is currently installed, go to the Windows 95 or 98 Start menu, and select "settings" and then "printers". Right click once on the Stylus Color IIs icon then click on properties and then details. Click once on the word "Setup" and then click once on the word "About". Under the "Version Information" Box, make sure that the "Driver ver." specified is "2.03". If not, load the driver disk provided by Epson.

Can I connect this printer to a MAC?

No, this printer is not compatible with a Macintosh computer.

Can I use sheet labels with this printer?

The printer is capable of printing sheet labels designed specifically for ink jet printers. To avoid paper jams, manually load sheet labels into the printer, one sheet at a time.

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.

My print looks wavey or stair steps, what should I do?

Print the demo page to ensure the printer is operating properly. If the print is normal, try moving the printer to another computer to eliminate the possibility of a deffective printer cable, parallel port or software problem. If the problem persists, try recalibrating the printer with the Calibrat.exe utility program. Try printing again. If the problem persists, the printer may need to go in for service.

My document looks smeared with ink, what should I do?

Try cleaning the plastic output guide inside the printer with a soft dry cloth. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

According to my manual I have a carriage error, how come?

Power the printer off. Make sure the transportation key that holds the printhead in place is removed along with any other packing materials. Once the key is removed, power the printer back on. If the problem persists, try performing the printer reset function. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center. If the printer is within the dealers exchange period, have the printer exchanged.

If I have a stack of paper in the paper tray when I turn on my printer, all the sheets are pulled into the printer at the same time causing a paper jam. How can I correct this?

Turn the printer OFF and carefully remove any jammed paper from the printer. Reinstall paper into the printer by first fanning the stack of paper and inserting it into the paper tray. Do not force the paper into the tray, let the paper drop in and rest on the paper stop. If you force the paper in too far it will come in contact with the platen roller, causing the printer to grab the entire stack when the printer is turned on. Make sure that the paper thickness lever is set to single sheets, not envelopes, and the thickness adjustment lever is set to 0. Power the printer ON. If the problem still persists, try a fresh stack of paper. If the printer is located in a humid environment, the paper may be collecting moisture from the air causing the pages to stick together.

I have just installed the ink cartridges and the ink out light flashes and the pause light stays on. How can I clear my printer?

Make sure the yellow tape is removed from the top of the cartridge and that the cartridge is correctly installed; follow the procedure for replacing the ink cartridge in the Reference Guide. Turn the printer off and back on. If the condition persists, follow the procedures for replacing the ink cartridges and lift the print head locking lever and snap it down firmly to ensure that you have broken the new seal. You should hear a good solid click. If you continue to have difficulties, the printer may need to go in for service. If the printer is within the dealers exchange period, have the printer exchanged.

Will the Stylus Color IIs print 360 dpi and 720 dpi mode on plain paper?

The Stylus Color IIs is designed to print 360 dpi color and monochrome on plain paper. In the 720 dpi mode the printer is designed to print monochrome only on plain paper.

The printer is not producing any black ink and the error light keeps flashing. How can I resolve this problem?

Slow flashing indicates the ink level is low, fast flashing indicates the printer is out of ink. Using the inside front cover of the printer as a guide, perform a cleaning cycle (BLACK Cleaning) Press PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause. If the problem persists, replace the black ink cartridge and try printing again. If you continue to have problems, have the printer sent in for repair.

Why am I getting white horizontal lines through my text?

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 the white lines are present, perform two cleaning cycles; (COLOR Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause, or (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause. If the cleaning cycles do not correct the problem, perform default settings (Press the Pause button and power the printer on) to ensure that "Autoline Feed" is off. If the condition persists, have the printer sent in for service. The trouble shooting guide located in chapter six of the Users Manual provides additional information.

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

If this is a new installation or if the cartridges have been recently replaced, follow the procedure for replacing the ink cartridges and try lifting the print head locking lever and snapping it down firmly to ensure that you have broken the cartridge seal. You should hear a good solid click. Try running the demo page again. Perform two cleaning cycles; (COLOR Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause, or (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause. If this does not correct the problem, the printer may need to go in for service. If the printer is within the dealers exchange period, have the printer exchanged.

This is a brand new printer. Why won't it do a selftest?

Verify that the correct procedure for printing the selftest 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 ALT button until the data light comes on and the printer starts to load the paper. If the printhead is moving back and forth but there is no ink on the page, press pause, then turn the printer off. Perform two cleaning cycles; (COLOR Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause, or (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause. Try performing the selftest again. If selftest still shows no ink on the page, ensure that the ink cartridges have been properly installed. Follow the procedures for replacing the ink cartridges and try lifting the print head locking lever and snapping it down firmly to ensure that you have broken the cartridge seal. You should hear a good solid click. Try the selftest again. If the problem persists, contact the place of purchase for an exchange or have the printer sent in to be serviced.

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. If the color is still missing perform selftest (Press Load/Eject and power printer on) and check that seven colors are produced. If seven colors are not produced, print 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 Pause 'OR' (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE then, Alt and Pause. Run the selftest again to see if printing has improved (Power on the Printer while holding down the Load/Eject Button. If the selftest shows no dots of one of the four colors, try replacing the ink cartridge. If the condition persists, have the printer sent in for repair.

My text looks dark gray. How can I get the printer to print my text a truer black?

First, make sure the black cartridge is installed and the economy light on the printer is not on. This will ensure that the economy mode option is not selected. Perform a black cleaning cycle; (BLACK Cleaning) Press the PAUSE button, then ALT and Pause. Run the print demo to see if printing has improved (Power on the Printer while holding down the ALT-Button). If this does not correct the problem, replace the black ink cartridge. If the black text on the demonstration page is acceptable, the problem may be a setting in the printer driver. The monochrome setting in the driver will produce a truer black than the color setting. Enabling "microweave" and "disabling ink density correction" within the Stylus COLOR IIs printer will also give a darker truer black output.

The printhead assembly is not moving over so that I can install the ink cartridge. What should I do?

Refer to the underside of the printer's front cover as a guide. Ensure that the cartridge installation procedure has been followed. Press the pause button and check to see if the light comes on. If the light does not come on, disconnect the printer cable and try it again. If the problem still persists, the printer may need to go in for service. If the printer is within the dealer's exchange period, have the printer exchanged.

The printer is severely malfunctioning (no power, loud noises) what should I do?

Remove the printer cable from the printer and verify the power source. Make sure that all packing material has been removed (head lock transportation key, etc.). Power the printer off and back on and perform the reset function on the printer. If the problem persists, take the printer to an Epson Authorized Service Center.

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.

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.