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Control Panel

About Your Printer's Default Settings

Understanding default settings
Changing default settings

The default settings control many printer functions. While you can often set these functions through your software or printer driver, you may sometimes need to change a default setting from the printer's control panel using the default-setting mode.

For a detailed description of the settings you can change in the default-setting mode, see Understanding default settings. For instructions on changing the settings, see Changing default settings.

Understanding default settings

This section describes the settings and options available in the default-setting mode. These settings are shown in the following table and explained in detail after the table.

To access and change a setting, see Changing default settings.

Default-setting mode

*  This setting is available only in IBM PPDS emulation mode.

**  The options available for this setting vary depending on the country.

Skip over perforation

This feature is available only when continuous paper is selected. When you turn on this feature, the printer provides a one-inch (25.4 mm) margin between the last line printed on one page and the first line printed on the next page. Because most application program margin settings override margin settings from the control panel, you should use this setting only if you cannot set your top and bottom margins using your application.

Auto tear-off

When auto tear-off is on and you are using continuous paper with the front or rear push tractor, the printer automatically advances the paper perforation to the tear-off position, where you can easily tear off the printed page(s). When the printer receives data again, it automatically moves the paper back to the top-of-form position and starts printing, so you can use all of the next page.

When auto tear-off is off and you are using continuous paper with the front or rear push tractor, you need to move the perforation to the tear-off position manually by pressing the Tear Off/Bin button. See Using the Tear-off Function for more information.

Auto line feed

When auto line feed is on, the printer accompanies each carriage return (CR) code received with a line feed (LF) code.

Print direction

You can select auto print direction, bidirectional printing (Bi-D), or unidirectional printing (Uni-D). Printing is normally bidirectional; however, unidirectional printing allows for precise vertical printing alignment.

Software

When you select ESC/P, the printer operates in the EPSON ESC/P mode. When you select IBM PPDS, the printer emulates an IBM printer.

I/F (interface) mode

The printer provides a slot for an optional interface in addition to its built-in parallel interface and USB interface. You can choose Auto (automatic), Parallel, USB or Option for the interface mode. When you select Auto, the printer automatically selects the interface that is receiving data, and uses that interface until the end of the print job. The Auto setting allows you to share the printer among multiple computers without changing the interface mode.

If only one computer is connected to the printer, you can select Parallel, USB or Option, depending on which interface your computer uses.

Auto I/F (interface) wait time

When the printer is in the auto interface mode and it receives no data from the currently selected interface for the amount of time specified with this setting, it determines which interface is receiving data and switches to that interface. You can specify either 10 seconds or 30 seconds for the auto interface wait time.

Parallel I/F bidirectional mode

The Parallel Interface bidirectional transfer mode is used when this feature is on. If bidirectional transfer mode is unnecessary, turn this off.

Packet mode

Make sure to select AUTO when you print from Windows applications using the printer driver included in the Printer Software CD-ROM that comes with the printer. Turn this feature off if you have connection troubles while printing from applications based on other operating systems such as DOS.

0 slash

The zero character has a slash ( ) when this feature is on; it has no slash (0) when this feature is off. The slash allows you to easily distinguish between the uppercase letter "O" and a zero.

Buzzer (beeper)

The printer beeps when an error occurs. See Using the Error Indicators for more information on printer errors. If you do not want the printer to beep when an error occurs, turn off this setting.

Auto CR (carriage return)

This setting is available only in IBM PPDS emulation mode. When auto carriage return is on, each line feed (LF) code or ESC J code is accompanied by a carriage return (CR) code so the printer moves the next printing position to the left margin. When this setting is off, you must send a CR code after the line feed code to move the printing position to the left margin.

IBM character table

This setting is available only in IBM PPDS emulation mode. When you select Table 1, hex codes 00H to 1FH and 80H to 9FH of the character tables are used for the control codes. When you select Table 2, hex codes 00H to 1FH are used for the control codes and 80H to 9FH are used for characters.

Page length for front tractor

This setting allows you to set the page length (in inches) for the continuous paper loaded on the front push tractor.

Page length for rear tractor

This setting allows you to set the page length (in inches) for the continuous paper loaded on the rear push tractor.

Character table

You can select among various character tables.

International character set for italic table

You can select among several international character sets for the italic character table. Each character set contains eight characters that vary depending on the country or language, so you can customize the italic table to suit your printing needs.

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Changing default settings

Follow these steps to enter the default-setting mode and change the printer's default settings:

Note:

To print the language selection and default-setting mode instructions, you need three sheets of A4 or letter size single-sheet paper or three pages of continuous paper that is at least 279 mm (11 inches) long and 210 mm (8.3 inches) wide. See Loading Continuous Paper and Loading Single Sheets for instructions on loading continuous paper and single sheets.

If you use single sheets, you need to load a new sheet of paper each time the printer ejects a printed sheet from the paper guide.

Make sure paper is loaded and the printer is turned off.

Caution:

Whenever you turn off the printer, wait at least five seconds before turning it back on; otherwise, you may damage the printer.

Turn on the printer while holding down the Font button.

The printer enters the default-setting mode and prints the language selection instructions (one page).

Press the Font button until the Font and Pitch lights indicate the language you want, as described in the language selection instructions.

Press the Tear Off/Bin button to print the default-setting mode instructions (two pages) in the language you selected.

The printed instructions list the settings you can change, describe how to change them, and show you how the control panel lights help you make settings. Use these instructions to change the printer's default settings from the control panel.

Note:

The arrows in the instructions indicate the printer's current settings.

When you finish making settings, turn off the printer and exit the default-setting mode.

Note:

You may exit the default-setting mode by turning off the printer at any time. Any settings you have made remain in effect until you change them again.

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