Epson Stylus Color 500

Product Controls: Epson Stylus COLOR 500

Printer's Self Test - Press the Color cleaning button and Power-On the unit

Demonstration Page - Press the Black cleaning button and Power-On the unit

Cleaning Cycle Black - Press the Black cleaning button to begin cleaning the Black print head

Cleaning Cycle Color - Press the Color cleaning button to begin cleaning the Color print head

Hex Dump Mode - Press the Black cleaning + Color cleaning and Power-On the unit

Default Setting Mode - Press the Load/Eject and Power-On the unit

Install Cartridge - Remove the yellow tape seal from the ink cartridge. 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. Hold the Load/Eject button until print head moves to the left, install the ink cartridge, and press Load/Eject again to charge 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.

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 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 500 as a driver selection. Which printer should I select for my MS-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. Please note that these drivers are emulations and will not support the full graphics capabilities of the printer, such as 720 dpi printing.

Are there drivers for Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0?

Yes, for Windows NT 4.0 the driver file name is SC5103E.EXE (Zenographics SuperPrint driver version 1.03E). For Windows NT 3.51, the driver file name is ZSP50LE2.EXE or ZSP50LE2.ZIP (Zenographics SuperPrint driver version 4.0LE). The Zenographics driver is available from Epson's Internet Site.

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

Insert the disk labeled "EPSON Printer Driver for Stylus COLOR 500 Setup disk #1" into your floppy drive. In Windows, go to the Program Manager, click on File, then select Run. At the Command Line type A:\ or B:\setup and press Enter. Select the Epson Stylus COLOR 500 then click OK. After the system is finished installing files from Disk 1, Windows will ask you to insert the "Epson Stylus COLOR 500 Printer Driver Setup Disk 2." Insert Disk 2 into the floppy drive and press Enter. The Epson Stylus COLOR 500 driver is automatically installed as your default printer on LPT1. If you will be printing on a port other than LPT1, you need to change the port setting in the Control Panel. When installation is complete, an EPSON Group with program icons is created which includes the EPSON Printer Calibration, Spool Manager3, EPSON Stylus Help, and the EPSON Stylus Readme file icons.

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

Insert the disk labeled "EPSON Printer Driver for Stylus COLOR 500 Setup disk #1" into your floppy drive. In Windows 95 or 98, click the Start button and select Run. Type A:\ or B:\setup and press Enter. Select the Epson Stylus COLOR 500 then click OK. After the system is finished installing files from Disk 1, Windows will ask you to insert the "Epson Stylus COLOR 500 Printer Driver Setup Disk 2." Insert Disk 2 into the floppy drive and press Enter. The Epson Stylus COLOR 500 driver is automatically installed as your default printer on LPT1. An Epson group is added to your Start/Programs list and includes the EPSON Printer Calibration, Spool Manager3, EPSON Stylus Help, and the EPSON Stylus Readme file icons.

How do I calibrate my Stylus COLOR 500 on my PC?

There are three ways to calibrate the Stylus COLOR 500. You can use the EPSON Printer Calibration icon in Windows, the ecalib.exe file from DOS at directory C:\CALIBRAT, or from the printer's control panel. If you run the calibration from your computer, make sure that the printer name you select and the actual printer to be calibrated is the same, then confirm that the printer is connected to the correct LPT port. If you do not choose the correct printer and port settings, you may cause damage to the printer. Make sure that the cable is secure and try calibrating the printer again. If you still cannot calibrate the printer, try another cable or move the printer to another computer to eliminate the possibility of a defective printer cable, parallel port, or software problem. If you cannot calibrate the printer from your computer using either of the calibration utility programs, calibrate the printer using the printer's control panel. For more information on calibrating the printer, please refer to Chapter 6 page 9 of your User's Guide.

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

Make sure that the paper thickness lever is set for the correct setting. Make sure the default setting for Economy is OFF. Economy mode is only used for printing rough drafts. Make sure you have selected the color option and 360 or 720 dpi as the resolution. If 180 dpi is selected, the printer uses less ink and makes the output lighter. If printing on special EPSON paper, make sure you are printing on the correct side of the paper. Try printing again. If printing has not improved, perform a cleaning cycle, then print a demonstration page to see if print quality is acceptable. You may need to run several cleaning cycles to improve the print quality. If print looks wavy, try calibrating the printer with the EPSON Printer Calibration utility program. If the quality is satisfactory, verify that the correct driver is selected as the default printer. For Windows 95 or 98 users verify that you are using the EPSON driver and not the Microsoft Windows 95 or 98 driver If the Auto option was selected as the Document Type in the driver, try another option, like Graph, Photo, or Video (whichever is appropriate for your print job). You can also choose different Color Balance and Halftoning options in the Graphics tab. You may need to manipulate the settings within the application and the printer driver to achieve optimum print results. If the quality from the demonstration page is not acceptable, check the type of paper being used. The special EPSON papers deliver the best printed output. If the problem persists, try a new genuine EPSON color 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.

I'm printing from a Windows application and the printer was printing fine, but now nothing will print. What happened?

Print a demonstration page to determine that the printer is operating properly. If the demonstration page prints, check the Spool Manager3 to see if there are any held print jobs. If the printer is Held, select Queue, then choose Setup. If the spool directory is at C:\WINDOWS, C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\DOS, or any software application directory, create a unique spool directory on your root directory. Change the spool directory in the Spool Manager3 to the new directory in both the Options/Default Spool Directory and in Queue/Setup. For Windows 3.1x, choose "Spool to local printer" and enable "Use Print Manager for this port." For Windows 95 or 98, choose "Spool to local printer" and ensure that "Use Print Manager for this port" is not selected. Delete any queued print jobs. Highlight the Stylus COLOR 500, select Queue, then click on "Hold" to remove the check mark. The printer status should be Idle. Click on Start, select Settings, then choose Printers. Point to the Epson Stylus COLOR 500 icon and right click your mouse button once. Make sure that there is a check mark in front of "Set As Default," then click on Properties. Click on the Details tab, then click on the Spool Settings button. Select "Print directly to the printer" and click OK. Click on the Port Settings button and remove the check marks in front of "Spool MS-DOS print jobs" and "Check port state before printing," then click OK. Exit the Printers window and restart the computer. Once you are back in Windows, try printing again. This normally corrects the problem.

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." Print a demonstration page to determine that the printer is operating properly. If the demonstration page prints, check the Spool Manager3 to see if there are any held print jobs. If the printer is Held, select Queue, then choose Setup. If the spool directory is at C:\WINDOWS, C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\DOS, or any software application directory, create a unique spool directory on your root directory. Change the spool directory in the Spool Manager3 to the new directory in both the Options/Default Spool Directory and in Queue/Setup. For Windows 3.1x, choose "Spool to local printer" and enable "Use Print Manager for this port." For Windows 95 or 98, choose "Spool to local printer" and ensure that "Use Print Manager for this port" is not selected. Delete any queued print jobs. Highlight the Stylus COLOR 500, select Queue, then click on "Hold" to remove the check mark. The printer status should be Idle. Click on Start, select Settings, then choose Printers. Point to the Epson Stylus COLOR 500 icon and right click your mouse button once. Make sure that there is a check mark in front of "Set As Default," then click on Properties. Click on the Details tab, then click on the Spool Settings button. Select "Print directly to the printer" and click OK. Click on the Port Settings button and remove the check marks in front of "Spool MS-DOS print jobs" and "Check port state before printing," then click OK. Exit the Printers window and restart the computer. Once you are back in Windows, try printing again. This normally corrects the problem. If you get the same error message, reinstall the printer driver and try printing again. If the condition persists, obtain a replacement Stylus COLOR 500 driver available for download from the Internet Web site.

When I print from Windows 3.1x, 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, click on Connect and change the port setting to LPT1:Local port. If the printer is Held in the Spool Manager3, select Queue, then choose Setup. Make a note of the spool directory, choose "Spool to local printer," and enable "Use Print Manager for this port." Delete any queued print jobs. To enable the queue, highlight the Stylus COLOR 500, select Queue, then click on "Hold" to remove the check mark. Try printing from Windows. If the problem persists, check the spool directory in the Spool Manager3 to make sure the printer is spooling in a directory other than C:\WINDOWS, C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, C:\DOS, or any software application directory. If the spool directory is listed as any of the preceding directories, create a unique spool directory on your root directory. Change the spool directory in the Spool Manager3 to the new directory in both the Options/Default Spool Directory and in the Queue/Setup. This normally corrects the problem.

I can print from DOS fine, but I get garbage from my Windows 3.1x applications. What's wrong?

Disconnect the printer cable from the PC and the printer. Go to Windows and make sure the correct printer driver is selected. In the Control Panel, select Printers and disable the Print Manager. Also in the Control Panel, Printers, click Connect, and disable "Fast printing direct to port." Reconnect the printer cable and try printing again. If you still get garbage, install the EPSON LQ-2550 as the Windows Default Printer driver. 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, try reinstalling the printer driver. Some video drivers cause conflicts with the printer driver. To determine if there is a conflict, change the video driver to the Windows standard VGA mode, reinstall the printer driver, and try printing again. Make sure you write down the name of the original video driver prior to changing it to VGA. If you are unsure of how to change your video driver, contact your computer manufacturer or Microsoft Technical Support. 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 long or not fully-shielded could also cause this problem. We recommend getting a fully-shielded parallel cable, 6 feet or less in length.

What does the EPSON StatusMonitor do?

The EPSON StatusMonitor keeps track of the amount of ink the printer has available. Open your hard drive, double-click on the EPSON StatusMonitor and click on Serial. Select the Ink Monitor (Paper Monitor is not supported for this printer), then click on Execute. A window appears showing you a black bar for the black ink cartridge and a striped color bar for the color ink cartridge. Click Close to exit the Ink Monitor, then click Quit to exit the EPSON StatusMonitor.

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.

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.

Sometimes I get garbage when printing from my Macintosh. Other times the printer will not print anything at all. What's wrong?

Your Spool Folder, which is opened every time you send a job, may be holding too many files. If there are files being held in this folder, you may have trouble printing. To check the Spool Folder, open your hard drive, go to the Systems Folder, then go to Extensions. In Extensions, open the EPSON Folder, then open the Spool Folder. If there are held jobs, trash the entire folder. Empty the trash and try printing again. This normally resolves the issue. Also, check the Chooser and confirm that AppleTalk is inactive if the printer is connected to the printer port.

How do I install a printer driver on a Macintosh?

Start or restart your Macintosh with Extensions OFF. Before installing the driver, go the Chooser, ensure AppleTalk is inactive, then close the Chooser. Insert Disk 1 into your floppy disk drive. A window should open up with the icons for the Installer, Installer Script, Install Files, README1st, and TeachText. Double-click on the Installer icon, then click Continue. Select the Serial Driver Package and click on Install. After the system has finished installing files from Disk 1, the disk will be ejected and you will be prompted to insert Disk 2. Remove Disk 1 and insert Disk 2 to continue installation. When the system is finished installing files from Disk 2, you will be asked to insert Disk 1 again. Remove Disk 2 and insert Disk 1 to complete the installation. Make sure your printer is ON, then Restart. Disk 1 will be ejected automatically while the Macintosh restarts. After restart, go to the Chooser and select the Stylus COLOR printer icon. If the port setting is correct, click Confirm. A window will appear with the message "Your printer is Stylus 500." Click OK. Disable Background printing. If you must use Background printing, your system must have a minimum of 6MB of unused RAM that can be dedicated to the EPSON Monitor2 and your operating system. If you are using Background printing, go to the EPSON Monitor2, go to File and select Get Info. Change the Minimum amount setting to 2000 and the Preferred amount setting to 3000, then close the EPSON Monitor2.

Whenever I power up my Macintosh the printer switches from the printer port to the modem port. How can I correct this?

Make sure AppleTalk is inactive in the Chooser. Go to the Extensions Manager and disable Apple Share, File Share, and Printer Share. Open Preferences and drag the AppleTalk, File Share, and Printer Share preferences to the trash. Restart the Macintosh and go to the Chooser. In the Chooser set any other unused printers on the printer port, then set Stylus Color on the printer port and confirm it. Restart the Macintosh again and check to see if the Stylus Color stays on the printer port.

I installed the printer on my Macintosh and it confirms as the Stylus COLOR instead of the Stylus 500. What should I do?

Check to make sure the printer in on-line and ready to receive data. Confirm that the Chooser port and the port on the printer are the same and the cable is connected at both ends. Make sure the cable is a serial cable (Belkin F2V024-06 serial cable is recommended), not an AppleTalk cable. Try to confirm the printer again. If the problem persists, there may be an extensions conflict. Set the computer for minimal system extensions and enable the printer driver, restart the system and try to confirm the printer again. If this does not resolve the problem, the printer may need to be serviced and you should contact the EPSON Connection for further assistance.

I already selected my printer in the Chooser. Why am I getting a message saying, "Sorry Stylus Color can't be used"?

This message indicates that there is something wrong with the driver or the way it was installed. This usually occurs when you have a system crash while printing due to low system resources (not enough memory). When this happens, the driver is corrupted and therefore thinks that the printer is not available. You will need to remove and reinstall the driver. To remove the driver, save any open files, then exit all applications. Open the Hard Disk, the System Folder, then the Extensions folder. In the Extensions folder, find the Epson Folder, the Epson Monitor 2, and the Stylus Color files. Drag these three files to the trash and empty the trash. The driver files have now been removed. Restart the Macintosh while holding down the Shift key (starting with Extensions off). After the Macintosh restarts, reinstall the printer driver.

How do I calibrate the printer from my Macintosh?

Double-click the Bi-D Calibration icon, choose the Stylus COLOR 500, then click OK. Click Preview to print the current calibration settings. If the current settings are acceptable, exit the calibration by clicking on Quit, then OK. There are five alignment patterns. Each pattern can be chosen individually to be calibrated. For example, if alignment Pattern 5 is not aligned correctly, select Pattern 5 from the list and click Start to print the Pattern 5 Test Alignment Sheet. This prints different alignment patterns that you can choose from. After the Test Alignment Sheet is finished printing, enter the number of the pattern that looks aligned and click OK. The printer will print a Pattern 5 Confirming Alignment Sheet for verification. This procedure can be repeated for other patterns or you can exit the utility by clicking Quit, then click OK. To save the calibration, turn the printer OFF and back ON.

I've changed all cabling twice. Why can't I see the Stylus printer on my LocalTalk network?

The printer does not support network options. You need to connect the printer with a serial cable.

The ColorSync option of the EPSON Macintosh driver is grayed out. Why can't I select it?

ColorSync must be active to select this option in the driver. Enable ColorSync in the Control Panels section of the Extensions Manager and restart.

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.

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". If you using a Macintosh disable background printing in the Chooser. If you must use Background printing, allocate more memory to the Epson Monitor. 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.

I can't print from a particular application. What's wrong?

Make sure that the driver is installed correctly, the printer and driver are set on the right port setting, and for Windows ensure that the spool settings are correct. Try printing from the application you are having problems with. If you still continue to have problems, try another application. If another application prints fine, there may be a problem with the program you are attempting to use. Contact the manufacturer of the software program for further assistance.

I have the printer connected to my PC and my Macintosh. It prints fine from the PC. Why won't it print from the Macintosh?

Print the Default Settings (Load/Eject + Power-On) on the printer to verify that the Interface mode is set to Auto, not Parallel. The Auto setting allows the printer to automatically switch between the parallel and serial interfaces. If printing from both the PC and Macintosh, you may also want to consider changing the Auto interface wait time to 30 seconds (default is 10 seconds). This sets the time period for the printer to wait for data from the current interface and not accept data from the other interface.

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.

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.

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 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.

Will the Stylus COLOR 500 print 360 dpi and 720 dpi on plain paper?

Yes, the Stylus COLOR 500 can print 360 x 360 dpi and 720 x 360 dpi in color and monochrome on plain paper.

Why does my printer keep feeding multiple sheets of paper?

Remove all paper from the input tray and move the paper thickness lever between the single sheet and envelope position a few times. Make sure that the paper thickness lever is pulled forward for single sheet printing, then open the cover and check the paper thickness adjustment lever. Move the paper thickness adjustment lever between the zero (0) and plus (+) position a few times. Make sure that the paper thickness adjustment lever is pushed back to zero for normal paper handling. Fan and straighten about 25-75 sheets of paper. Reload the paper without pushing down on the stack. Keep the stack of paper perpendicular to the table the printer is sitting on. Put the stack of paper into the tray, let go and the stack will fall back into the tray. Press the Load/Eject button to see if the printer feeds the paper correctly. If it continues to pull in multiple sheets of paper, the printer may need to be serviced.

How do I install the ink cartridge?

With the printer ON, press the Load/Eject button for five seconds or until the print head moves to the left. Remove the yellow tape seal from the top of the ink cartridge. 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. Lift the ink cartridge clamps, then insert the cartridges into the printer. Push down on the clamps until they lock into place. Press the Load/Eject button again to begin charging the ink delivery system, which takes approximately two minutes. When the printer is done charging, the Power light will stop flashing. Detailed instructions and illustrations can be found in Chapter 1 of the User's Guide, beginning on page 7.

I just installed the ink cartridges and both of the Ink Out lights are on solid. How can I clear my printer?

Make sure that the cartridges were installed correctly. Follow the procedures for installing cartridges as shown on the inside of the printer cover, but DO NOT remove the ink cartridges. Lift the ink cartridge clamp on both cartridges and ensure that the yellow tape seal has been completely removed from the top of each cartridge. Also, make sure you are using a genuine EPSON ink cartridges which have white labels on top of them. Do not install any cartridge from which the white label has been removed. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the white label on it may damage the printer. If you have already installed a cartridge which is missing the white label, or if a previously installed ink cartridge was missing its white label at the time it was installed, and now head cleanings do not help the demonstration page or self test to print completely, your printer may require a service. Close the clamps until they snap into place, ensuring you have broken the seals. Press the Load/Eject button to begin charging the ink delivery system. If reclamping the cartridges does not resolve the problem, replace the ink cartridges with new genuine EPSON cartridges. If you continue to have difficulties, the printer may need to be sent in for a service.

Why won't the printer do a self test?

If the printer stops after printing one page simply press the Load/Eject buttont. Unlike previous ink jet models, the Stylus COLOR 500 is designed to pause after the initial printing of the self test. If nothing prints, 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 Color Cleaning button (3 seconds) until the Power light begins to flash or the printer begins to load paper. If the print head moves back and forth, but there is no ink on the page, turn the printer OFF. Wait a few seconds, then turn the printer back ON and perform a cleaning cycle on each of the cartridges. Try printing the self test again. If the self test still shows no ink on the page, ensure that the ink cartridges have been properly installed. Follow the procedures for replacing the ink cartridges, but DO NOT remove them. Lift the ink cartridge clamp on both cartridges and ensure that the yellow tape seal has been completely removed from the top of each cartridge. Also, make sure you are using genuine EPSON ink cartridges which have white labels on top of them. Do not install any cartridge from which the white label has been removed. Using an ink cartridge which does not have the white label on it may damage the printer. If you have already installed a cartridge which is missing the white label, or if a previously installed ink cartridge was missing its white label at the time it was installed, and now head cleanings do not help the demonstration page or self test to print completely, your printer may require a service. Close the clamps until they lock into place, ensuring you have broken the seals. Press the Load/Eject button to begin charging the ink delivery system. After the cartridges are done charging, try the self test again. If the problem persists, run the cleaning cycles again or replace the ink cartridges. If you continue to have difficulties, the printer may need to be sent in for service.

The printer makes a beeping noise during printing. Is this normal?

Yes, this is a normal occurrence. The printer slightly charges all ink nozzles about every 0.8 seconds to prevent ink from drying in the nozzle cavity.

I just installed the ink cartridge, but the Power light is still flashing and the printer is just sitting there. The manual says, "Never turn the printer off when the power light is flashing." What should I do?

Ensure the ink cartridge clamps are locked down, the carriage is clear of any packing material, and the transportation screw is removed. If the printer has been going through this cycle for more than 10 minutes, power the printer off and then back on again. The printer should initialize normally. If the Power light continues to flash, the printer may need to be sent in for a service.

One of my colors is missing or the colors are not correct. What should I do?

Set the printer driver to Default and adjust from there. Perform a self test to check that all seven colors are produced. If all seven colors do not appear, perform a cleaning cycle, then run the self test again to see if printing has improved. You may need to run several cleaning cycles before the print quality improves. If this is a new installation or if the cartridges have recently been replaced, follow the procedure for replacing the ink cartridges again, but DO NOT remove the cartridges. Lift the ink cartridge clamp, then lock it back down into place. Press the Load/Eject button to begin charging the ink delivery system. Print the demonstration page or self test again. If the demo or self test is still missing one or more colors, 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. If you have already installed a cartridge which is missing the white label, or if a previously installed ink cartridge was missing its white label at the time it was installed, and now head cleanings do not help the demonstration page or self test to print completely, your printer may require a service.

My document looks smeared with ink. What can I do?

Clean the inside of the printer with a soft damp cloth to remove excess ink that may be causing the output to appear smeared. Refer to the User's Guide, Chapter 6 page 8 for further information on maintenance of the printer. Make sure you are printing on the correct paper type for the resolution being used. If you are printing on special EPSON paper, ensure you are printing on the correct side of the paper. If the problem persists, the printer may need to be sent in for service.

Why is it that after I print envelopes I sometimes have problems feeding regular paper?

After printing envelopes, make sure that you adjust the paper thickness lever prior to inserting the paper. If you insert the paper first, then adjust the lever, the new position will not be recognized.

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

Turn the printer OFF and remove the printer cable from the printer to 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.

The Paper Out light is flashing rapidly, but there is paper loaded in the printer. What's wrong with the printer?

When the Paper Out light flashes rapidly, the printer thinks there is a paper jam or carriage error. Power the printer OFF and remove the printer cable. Make sure the transportation screw that holds the print head in place is removed along with all other packing materials. Power the printer back ON. If the problem persists, have the printer sent in for service.

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.

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.

I have 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 demonstration page or self test will not print completely even after running cleaning cycles, your printer may need a service.

Is there a postscript driver available for this printer?

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

Where can I obtain the serial number for the Adobe PhotoDeluxe so that I can register it?

To obtain a serial number, please contact EPSON's Telephone Helpline.

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.