Epson Stylus Color 400

Product Controls: Epson Stylus COLOR 400

Printer's Self-Test - Press the Load/Eject button and Power-On the unit

Cleaning Cycle Black/Color - Press the Cleaning button

First Ink Cartridge Installation (takes approximately 5 minutes) - Turn the printer on and the print head will automatically move slightly to the left. Remove the yellow tape seals from the black and color ink cartridges. Do not remove the white label from the top of either ink cartridge. The ink in a cartridge missing the white label will be exposed to air and will thicken such that print head clogging and possible print head failure can occur. If the white label has been removed from an ink cartridge, the cartridge will not function correctly and it will need to be replaced. More importantly, to avoid potential damage to the printer, do not install a cartridge from which the white label has been removed. Install the black and color ink cartridges, then press the cleaning button to begin charging the ink delivery system.

Install Ink Cartridge when an ink out condition occurs - Hold the cleaning button until the print head will moves to the left. Remove the yellow tape seal from the ink cartridge and then install it. Do not remove the white label from the top of the ink cartridge. The ink in a cartridge missing the white label will be exposed to air and will thicken such that print head clogging and possible print head failure can occur. If the white label has been removed from the ink cartridge, the cartridge will not function correctly and it will need to be replaced. More importantly, to avoid potential damage to the printer, do not install the cartridge if the white label has been removed. Press the Cleaning button again to charge the ink delivery system.

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.

How do I install the printer driver in Windows 3.1x?

Insert the EPSON printer software CD in your CD-ROM Drive. From Program Manager, click on File, then select Run. At the Command Line type D:\EPSETUP and press Enter. Click the Install button. An EPSON Stylus Color 400 icon will appear. Click OK to install the printer driver. The installer creates an EPSON group for your printer software icons and makes your printer the Windows default printer.

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.

I do not have the Stylus COLOR 400 as a driver selection. Which printer should I select for my DOS application?

The Stylus COLOR 400 will work only with Windows based applications. If the Stylus COLOR 400 driver is not available, use the Generic Text Only driver.

How do I install the driver in Windows 95 or 98?

Insert the EPSON printer software CD in your CD-ROM Drive. If Windows 95 or 98 launches the install program automatically, click on the Install button. If the installer doesn't launch automatically, click the Start button and select Run. Type D:\SETUP and press Enter. Select the Epson Stylus COLOR 400 then click OK. The installer creates an EPSON folder for your printer software icons and adds an icon for your printer to the Printers folder.

I am having difficulty installing Sierra Print Artist from my EPSON software CD onto my PC. What should I do?

First, make sure your computer meets the minimum requirements for Print Artist. Second, skip the system test when installing Print Artist. If you have already run the system test during a previous installation attempt, then delete the SIERRA.INI file from your computer (located in the C:\WINDOWS directory) and then install the software without running the system test.

What are the Spool Manager4 and EPSON Despooler?

The Spool Manager4 creates and manages special spool files called "journal" files. These contain the print data in an unprocessed form. The Spool Manager4 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.

Why am I getting error messages when printing?

If you see conflict error messages or printing is very slow, the problem may be caused by temporary files in the EPSON Spool Manager temporary file directory. To change the Spool Manager settings, you will first need to make a unique directory on your hard drive, such as C:\SPOOL. Open the Spool Manager4 and make sure the EPSON Stylus COLOR 400 is selected. Click on Options, select Default Spool Directory. Change the directory to the new directory you created and click OK. Open the Queue, Setup and make sure the spool directory changed to the new unique directory. Make sure the box for "Use Print Manager for this port" is not checked, then click OK. Close the Spool Manager, restart the computer and try printing again.

I'm getting an error, "Encountered error while processing band data, spool file is corrupt." How do I clear this?

If you are using Print Shop Deluxe, choose File, Preferences from the Print Shop menu and remove the check mark from "Fast Bitmap Printing." 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. 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 for download from the EPSON's Internet Web Site.

When I print from Windows 3.x, I'm getting the message "Disk is full" on my PC screen. How can I clear this?

In the Program Manager, go to Control Panel, select Printers. If you are printing to LPT1.DOS, change the port setting to LPT1:Local port. Check to see if there are any stalled print jobs in the Spool Manager. Delete any stalled print jobs. Create a new unique directory on your hard drive, such as C:\SPOOL. Open the Spool Manager4 and make sure the EPSON Stylus COLOR 400 is selected. Click on Options, select Default Spool Directory. Change the directory to the new directory you created and click OK. Open the Queue, Setup and make sure the spool directory changed to the new unique directory. Make sure the box for "Use Print Manager for this port" is not checked, then click OK. Close the Spool Manager, restart the computer and try printing again.

Why doesn't the Status Monitor box in Windows 95 or 98 appear with the Despooler?

The Windows Print Manager may be interfering with the Status Monitor. Open the Spool Manager4 and make sure the EPSON Stylus COLOR 400 is selected. Click on Queue, Setup and make sure the box for "Use Print Manager for this port" is not checked, then click OK. Close the Spool Manager. Next, click Start, select Settings, Printers. With your right-mouse button, click on the EPSON Stylus COLOR 400 icon and select Properties. Click on the Details tab, click on the Spool Settings button and make sure the Enable bi-directional support for this printer option is turned on, then click OK. The Status Monitor should now appear when you send your next print job.

Why are some characters incorrect or garbled?

Make sure you are using the correct driver. Select the Stylus COLOR 400 as your default printer driver. Check to see if there are any stalled print jobs in the Spool Manager. Delete all stalled jobs and resume printing. The interface cable may not be securely connected. Turn off the printer and computer. Disconnect and reconnect the cable on both the printer and computer. Make sure the printer is fully-shielded and meets the printer's specifications.

Why doesn't the Status Monitor show the ink levels in Windows 95 or 98?

The Windows Print Manager may be interfering with the Status Monitor. Open the Spool Manager4 and make sure the EPSON Stylus COLOR 400 is selected. Click on Queue, Setup and make sure the box for "Use Print Manager for this port" is not checked, then click OK. Close the Spool Manager. Also, the parallel cable should be IEEE-1284 compatible for the Status Monitor feature to function.

Are there drivers for Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0?

Yes, for Windows NT 4.0 use the file SC4112E.EXE, disk version 1.12E. The driver is available for download from the EPSON Internet Web Site. Currently, there is no driver available for Windows NT 3.51.

I am unable to print from a DOS application. What can I do?

Since the Stylus Color 400 is not an ESC/P2 printer, this may cause incompatibility with certain DOS applications. Try using a Generic text only printer driver. The Stylus Color 400 was designed for use with the Windows environment.

How can I increase my print speed?

Is your using single sheet paper to print, check that the printers blue paper thickness lever is set to single sheets, not envelopes. One thing to keep in mind is that color print jobs can produce 20-100 times as much data as a monochrome (black/white) text print, which makes color printing a heavy draw on your CPU, memory, and hard disk. The entire printing process includes the time it takes the to spool the job into the spool directory or folder. Increasing or maximizing physical RAM, lowering the print resolution, and enabling "High Speed" in the driver will also help speed up the process. Ensure that you have at least 150MB of free hard drive space available. On a PC creating a unique spool directory improves printing performance by eliminating spooling conflicts within Windows. Regularly defragmenting (DEFRAG) your hard drive In the Control Panel will also help. Also in Control Panel, Printers, click on Connect and disable "Fast printing direct to port". To increase the speed when printing black text only, set your printer driver to the Black ink option, try setting the Print Quality to Economy, turn MicroWeave off and High Speed on, and choose No Halftoning.

How do I calibrate my printer?

To align the print heads, make sure that paper is loaded and the printer has power. Access the Utility tab located in your printer driver settings. Click the Print Head Alignment icon and follow the instructions on the screen to print a test page and select the correct alignment.

I removed the white label from the top of one of my ink cartridges. What should I do?

Do not install the cartridge. If you have already installed it and the printer is printing correctly, change the cartridge immediately. If you have already installed the cartridge, or if a previously installed ink cartridge was missing its white label at the time it was installed, and now the nozzle check will not print completely even after running cleaning cycles, your printer may need a service.

The quality of my printed output is unacceptable. What can I do to improve this?

Verify that you are using the correct printer driver for your printer model. Make sure that the printer's paper adjust lever is set to 0 for regular paper and + for envelopes or thicker media. If MicroWeave is off, turn this feature on. If High Speed is on, turn it off. Make sure the Media Type setting matches the paper or media loaded. Also, the Halftoning and Color Adjustment Mode options may be set incorrectly for your document type. Let the printer driver automatically select the settings for the best quality. The paper you are using may be damaged, old, dirty or loaded incorrectly. Remove the paper and reload a new stack ensuring that the printable side is face up. If your output is faint, check the printer driver to make sure you have selected a print resolution other than Economy. For vertical banding, rough or grainy images run the Print Head Alignment utility to align the print heads for precise vertical lines. If the image does not contain the colors you expected, the color settings on your application software may need adjustment. Refer to your software documentation for help on adjusting colors. If the previous steps do not resolve the issue, the print head nozzles may be clogged. From the Utility section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 6 cycles if necessary. If the nozzle check prints completely, and you're still experiencing a problem, make sure you are using the most current version of the printer driver. You can obtain the latest printer driver from the EPSON web site. The resolution of your image may also be set too low. Increase the image resolution using your image-editing software, or decrease the size of the image. Another troubleshooting test to try is moving the printer to another computer. This will eliminate the possibility of a defective printer cable, parallel port, or software issue. If you're still experiencing a problem, try replacing the ink cartridge and make sure you are using a genuine EPSON ink cartridge which has a white label on top of it. If the white label has been removed from the ink cartridge, do not install the cartridge. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the white label on it may damage the printer.

My printouts are missing color and/or black print. How can I resolve this issue?

If the printer is printing blank pages, make sure you are using the correct printer driver and make sure the paper size is correctly selected in the driver. If the printer is printing black only, the Ink option in the printer driver may be set to Black instead of Color or a setting in the software may be set to print black only. Also, the print head nozzles may be clogged. From the Utility section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 6 cycles if necessary. If the nozzle check is not printing completely, and if the head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, try replacing the ink cartridge.

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.

What is the correct way to load transparency paper?

Insert the EPSON transparency sheet making sure that the notch is at the top right side of the sheet when facing the front of the printer. Please refer to your User's Guide for detailed information.

If I want to clear the printer's memory, what should I do?

Make sure that you cancel the print job from the computer before you try to clear the printer's memory. After canceling the print job, turn the printer off. Wait a few seconds, then turn on the printer.

Will the Stylus COLOR 400 print 360 dpi and 720 dpi on plain paper?

Yes, the Stylus COLOR 400 can print 360 x 360 dpi and 720 x 720 dpi in color and monochrome on plain paper.

I just set the unit up and both Ink Out and Paper Out lights are on solid and the Power light is flashing. What's wrong?

This normally indicates a carriage error. If the printer has not made any noises for more than five minutes, turn off the printer. Open the cover and check for any obstructions. Power on the printer to see if the error still occurs. If the unit still gives an error, it may need to be serviced.

Why won't the printer feed paper?

Power the printer on and press the Load/Eject button to see if paper will load. If no paper loads, make sure the paper isn't curled or creased, it isn't too old, isn't loaded above the arrow on the left edge guide, and that the paper isn't jammed in the printer. Reload the paper making sure the paper edge guide is adjusted to fit the paper's width. If the Paper Out light is on solid or flashing, power the printer OFF and remove the printer cable. Make sure all the packing materials are removed. If the problem persists, the printer may need to be sent in for service.

The power light is on, but nothing prints.

Make sure the printer cable is connected. Turn off the printer and computer, then make sure the printer cable is securely connected to the printer and computer ports. Try printing again. If the cable was not the problem, turn off the printer and computer, disconnect the interface cable and run a printer check (as described in Chapter 3 of your User's Guide). If the printer check works, check the application software for correct installation. Check to make sure that your computer has enough memory to handle the data in your print file. You may want to try reducing the resolution of your image, select fewer colors, or add more memory to the computer. If you are still having difficulty printing, try checking the Spool Manager to see if there are stalled print jobs. Delete any stalled jobs and resume printing. If the printer sounds like it is printing, but there is no ink on the page, the print head nozzles may be clogged. From the Utility section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 6 cycles if necessary. If the nozzle check is not printing completely, and if the head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, try replacing the ink cartridge. Any ink cartridge installed into the printer must have a white label on top of it. If the white label has been removed from the ink cartridge, do not install the cartridge. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the white label on it may damage the printer.

The black or color Ink Out light is flashing or on.

If the light is flashing, the ink supply is getting low and you will need to replace the cartridge soon. If the light is on solid, the ink cartridge is completely empty and will need to be replaced in order to continue printing. Make sure you only remove the yellow tape seal from the top of any ink cartridge you install into the printer. If the white label has been removed from the ink cartridge, the cartridge will not function correctly and it will need to be replaced. More importantly, to avoid potential damage to the printer, do not install the cartridge if the white label has been removed.

Why are the colors in my image incorrect?

The colors displayed on your monitor and the printed colors may not match. This is due to the fact that your monitor and printer use different technologies to represent colors, your printed colors cannot exactly match the colors you see on your monitor screen. See the Color Guide for a complete description of printed colors. Check the ink setting in the printer driver; make sure it is set to Color, not Black. Make sure the Media Type setting matches the paper or media loaded. Let the printer driver automatically select other settings for the best quality. Check to see that the paper is loaded correctly by removing the paper and reloading it, making sure that the printable side is face up. Try changing the Halftoning and Mode options in the printer driver. If either setting is inappropriate for your document type, the color may appear incorrectly. You can also adjust various color settings in your printer driver and possibly your application software to correct color problems in your image. Also, the print head nozzles may be clogged. From the Utility section found in the EPSON printer driver, clean the print heads by performing a head cleaning followed by printing a nozzle check pattern. A head cleaning and nozzle check must be performed as a cycle. After printing a nozzle check, examine the printed dot pattern. Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If there are gaps in the dot pattern, continue with another cycle. Perform up to 6 cycles if necessary. If the nozzle check is not printing completely, and if the head cleanings do not help the nozzle check pattern to print completely, try replacing the ink cartridge. Any ink cartridge installed into the printer must have a white label on top of it. If the white label has been removed from the ink cartridge, do not install the cartridge. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the white label on it may damage the printer.

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

Turn the printer OFF and remove the printer cable from the printer. Verify the power source. Make sure that all packing material has been removed (transportation screw, tape, Styrofoam, etc.). Reconnect the printer cable and power the printer back ON. If the problem persists, the printer may need to be sent in for service.

All lights are off. Why won't the printer initialize?

The printer may not be receiving any power. Turn the printer off. Remove the interface cable from the back of the printer, unplug the power cord, plug it back into the outlet, and try turning the power on again. If you still do not get power to the printer, try another outlet. Make sure the outlets you are connecting to are not controlled by a switch or timer and are able to operate other equipment.

Can I use sheet labels with this printer?

Yes, EPSON makes Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheets. To avoid paper jams, only load one Photo Quality Self Adhesive Sheet at a time. Also, set the Media Type in the printer driver to the "Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper" setting.

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 there a postscript driver available for this printer?

Epson does not have any postscript drivers available for this printer.

How do I find the serial number for Photo Deluxe ?

The serial number is printed in the ColorPak jumpstart guide but only in the Macintosh section.

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.