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Troubleshooting
Power supply problems
Paper loading or feeding problems
Printing position problems
Printing or printout quality problems
Most problems you may encounter while operating your printer have simple solutions. Use the information in this section to find the source of and solution to printer problems that occur.
Determine the type of problem that occurred, and see the appropriate section below:
You can also use the self test to determine whether the printer or the computer is causing the problem. See Printing a Self Test for instructions on printing a self test. To pinpoint communication problems, experienced users may want to use the printer's hex dump mode described in Printing Hex Dump.
To clear a paper jam, see Clearing a Paper Jam.
The control panel lights come on briefly but then go off and stay off. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The printer's voltage rating does not match the voltage of your electrical outlet. |
Check the printer and the outlet voltage ratings. If the voltages do not match, unplug the printer immediately and contact your dealer.
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The printer does not work and the control panel lights are off. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The printer is turned off. | Turn on the printer. The Power light comes on. | ||||
The power cord is not properly plugged into the electrical outlet; or if your power cord is not permanently attached to your printer, the power cord is not properly plugged into the printer. | Turn off the printer and make sure the power cord is firmly plugged into the electrical outlet and the printer, if necessary. Then turn on the power switch. | ||||
The electrical outlet is controlled by an outside switch or automatic timer. | Use a different outlet. | ||||
The electrical outlet does not work. |
Plug another electrical device, such as a lamp, into the outlet to check if the outlet is working properly. If it is not, use a different outlet. |
The printer does not load single-sheet paper or does not feed it properly. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Continuous paper is in the paper path. | Press the Load/Eject button to remove the continuous paper. Select Manual/CSF as the paper source on the control panel and insert a new sheet. (See Switching to single sheets for more information.) | ||||
Tractor is selected as the paper source on the control panel. |
Select Manual/CSF as the paper source on the control panel. (See Buttons and Lights.) |
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The platen rotates but the printer does not feed the paper. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Tractor is selected as the paper source on the control panel. |
Select Manual/CSF as the paper source on the control panel. (See Buttons and Lights.) |
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Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The paper guide is not properly installed. | Remove the paper guide and install it as described in "Attaching the paper guide" in the Setup Guide. | ||||
The edge guide is not positioned correctly. | Move the edge guide so that they match the width of your paper. | ||||
You may not be using the right type of paper for the printer. | Be sure you're using the right type of paper. See Paper. | ||||
The paper is old or creased. |
Use only new, clean sheets of paper.
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The printer does not fully eject the paper. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
You may not be able to fully eject your paper using the LF/FF button. | Use the Load/Eject button to eject the paper. | ||||
Your paper may be too long. |
Make sure the page length of your paper is within the specified range. See the single-sheet paper specifications in Single sheets. Also check and adjust the paper size setting in your application or the printer driver. |
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When the printer ejects the paper, the Paper Out flashes and the Pause light comes on. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The printer has not fully ejected your paper. |
Remove the paper by hand; the Paper Out light goes out. If you are printing a multiple-page document, insert a new sheet of paper into the paper guide. The Pause light goes out and the printer automatically loads the paper and resumes printing. |
The printer does not load continuous paper or does not feed it properly. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Manual/CSF is selected as the paper source on the control panel. | Select Tractor as the paper source on the control panel. (See Buttons and Lights.) | ||||
The paper has come off the tractor. |
Reattach the paper to the tractor as described in Loading Continuous Paper. |
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When you send data or press the Load/Eject button, the platen rotates but the printer does not feed the paper. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Manual/CSF is selected as the paper source on the control panel. | Select Tractor as the paper source on the control panel. (See Buttons and Lights.) | ||||
The paper has come off the tractor. | Reattach the paper to the tractor as described in Loading Continuous Paper. | ||||
The paper has been fed back to the standby position. |
Press the Load/Eject button to load the paper. |
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Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The paper supply is obstructed. | Make sure the paper supply is not obstructed by a cable or some other object. | ||||
The paper supply is not aligned with the printer. | Make sure you align your paper supply with the paper loaded in the tractor so the paper feeds smoothly into the printer. See Positioning the continuous paper supply. | ||||
The paper supply is too far away from the printer. | Make sure that your paper supply is within 1 meter (3 feet) of the printer. | ||||
The holes on the sides of the paper are misaligned. | Check that the holes on the sides of the paper are aligned with each other. Also make sure the sprocket units are locked and their covers are closed. | ||||
The paper-thickness lever is set incorrectly. | Set the paper-thickness lever to match the thickness of your paper. See Adjusting the Paper-Thickness Lever. | ||||
Your paper may be the wrong size or thickness for the printer. | Make sure that the paper size and thickness are within the specified ranges. See Paper for information on the continuous paper specifications. | ||||
The sprocket units are positioned incorrectly for the width of paper you are using. |
Adjust the position of the sprockets to remove any slack along the width of the paper.
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The printer does not eject your continuous paper properly. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
You may be trying to feed too much paper backward. | If you are using normal continuous paper, tear off the last printed page and press the Load/Eject button to feed the paper backward. If you are using labels, tear off the paper entering the printer, and then press the LF/FF button to feed the labels forward. | ||||
Your paper may be too long or too short. | Make sure the page length of your paper is within the specified range. See Paper for information on the continuous paper specification. | ||||
The paper size setting in your application or the printer driver may not match the size of the paper you are using. | Check the paper size setting in your application or the printer driver. | ||||
The printer's page length setting for the tractor may not match the size of the continuous paper you are using. | Check Page length for tractor of the printer's default settings. See Changing default settings. | ||||
Paper is jammed inside the printer. |
Clear the paper jam as described in Clearing a Paper Jam. |
The platen rotates but the cut-sheet feeder does not feed the paper. | |
Cause | What to do |
The cut-sheet feeder is installed incorrectly. | Reinstall it correctly. See Installing the cut-sheet feeder. |
Tractor is selected as the paper source on the control panel. | Select Manual/CSF as the paper source on the control panel. (See Buttons and Lights.) |
The right and left paper guides are too close to the paper stack, preventing the paper from feeding smoothly. | Adjust the paper guides to match the width of your paper. |
Paper is jammed inside the printer. | Clear the paper jam as described in Clearing a Paper Jam. |
There are only a few sheets of paper left in the bin. | Add more paper. |
You may have loaded too many sheets in the bin. |
Remove some sheets. See Paper for information on the types and quantity of paper that can be loaded with the cut-sheet feeder. |
The cut-sheet feeder feeds more than one sheet at a time. | |
Cause | What to do |
You may have loaded too many sheets in the bin. | Remove some sheets. See Paper for information on the types and quantity of paper that can be loaded with the cut-sheet feeder. |
Sheets of paper are stuck together. |
Remove the paper stack, fan it, and then reload it. |
Paper feeding is crooked. | |
Cause | What to do |
The right and left paper guides are too far apart. | Position the paper guides to match the width of your paper. |
The paper is old or creased. | Use only new, clean sheets of paper. |
You may not be using the right type of paper for the cut-sheet feeder. For example, your paper may be too heavy or too light. |
Make sure your paper meets the requirements of your printer and cut-sheet feeder. See Paper for information on the paper specifications. |
When the printer ejects the paper, the Paper Out flashes and the Pause light comes on. | |
Cause | What to do |
The printer has not fully ejected your paper. |
Remove the paper by hand; the Paper Out light goes out. Press the Pause button to resume printing. |
When you try to load single-sheet paper manually, the printer loads the paper from the cut-sheet feeder. | |
Cause | What to do |
The paper was not properly loaded in the paper guide. |
Load the paper in the paper guide as Loading single sheets from the front. |
One page of your document is printed on two pages. | |
Cause | What to do |
The paper size setting in your application software does not match the size of the paper loaded in the printer. |
Adjust the paper size setting in your application or the printer driver. |
The printer does not load the paper you want when you switch between the cut-sheet feeder and the tractor. | |
Cause | What to do |
The paper source is not selected correctly. |
Select the proper paper source on the control panel. (See Buttons and Lights.) |
Your printing appears too high or low on the page. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The paper size setting in your application software or printer driver does not match the size of the paper you are using. | Check the paper size setting in your application or printer driver. | ||||
The printer's page length setting for the tractor does not match the size of the continuous paper you are using. | Change Page length for tractor setting using the printer's default-setting mode. See Changing default settings. | ||||
The top margin or top-of-form position setting is incorrect. | Check and adjust the margin or top-of-form position settings in your application software. See Printable area for more information. You can also adjust the top-of-form position using the Micro Adjust function. However, settings made in Windows applications override settings made in the Micro Adjust mode. See Adjusting the top-of-form position. | ||||
The printer driver settings you want to use are not selected in your software. | Choose the correct printer driver setting from the Windows desktop or in your application before printing. | ||||
You moved the paper using the knob while the printer was on. |
Adjust the top-of-form position using the Micro Adjust function. See Adjusting the top-of-form position.
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The printer prints on (or too far away from) the perforation of your continuous paper. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The tear-off position setting is incorrect. |
Adjust the tear-off position using the micro adjust feature. See Adjusting the top-of-form position.
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You moved the paper using the knob while the printer was on. | Adjust the tear-off position using the Micro Adjust function. See Adjusting the top-of-form position. | ||||
The printer you want to use is not selected in your software. | Choose the correct printer from the Windows desktop or in your application before printing. | ||||
The paper size setting in your application or printer driver does not match the size of the paper you are using. | Check the paper size setting in your application or printer driver. | ||||
The printer's page length setting for the tractor does not match the size of the paper you are using. |
Change Page length for tractor setting using the printer's default-setting. See Changing default settings. |
The Pause light is off but the printer does not print. | |
Cause | What to do |
The interface cable is not plugged in securely. | Check that both ends of the cable between the printer and the computer are plugged in securely. If the cable is connected correctly, run a self test as described in Printing a Self Test. |
Your interface cable does not meet the printer and/or computer specifications. | Use an interface cable that meets the requirements of both the printer and computer. See the Setup Guide and your computer documentation. |
Your software is not properly set up for your printer. |
Make sure that your printer is properly selected in your application software. If necessary, install or reinstall the printer driver software. Refer to the Setup Guide for detailed instruction. |
The Paper Out and Pause lights are on and the printer does not print. | |
Cause | What to do |
The printer is out of paper for the selected paper source. | Make sure the correct paper source is selected on the control panel, and load paper in the current paper source. Press the Pause button to resume printing. |
Paper on the paper guide is positioned too far to the left, right or inside for the paper sensor to detect it. |
Move the paper a little to the right, left or inside. When it is positioned properly, the Paper Out and Pause lights go off. |
The printer sounds like it is printing, but nothing prints. | |
Cause | What to do |
The ribbon cartridge is not installed properly. | Reinstall the ribbon cartridge as described in Replacing the ribbon cartridge. |
The ribbon is worn out. | Replace the ribbon cartridge as described in Replacing the ribbon cartridge. |
The paper source is not selected correctly. |
Select the desired paper source on the control panel. See Buttons and Lights. |
The printer makes a strange noise and stops abruptly. | |
Cause | What to do |
The paper is jammed. | Clear the paper jam as described in Clearing a Paper Jam. |
The ribbon is jammed because it has too much slack or it is worn out. |
Remove any slack from the ribbon by turning the ribbon-tightening knob, or replace the ribbon cartridge. See Replacing the ribbon cartridge. |
The printer stops printing and the Pause light flashes. | |
Cause | What to do |
The print head is overheated. |
Wait for a few minutes; the printer resumes printing automatically once the print head cools. |
Part of the printout is missing, or dots are missing in random positions. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The ribbon cartridge is not installed properly. | Reinstall the ribbon cartridge as described in Replacing the ribbon cartridge. | ||||
There is too much slack in the ribbon or the ribbon has come loose. |
Remove any slack in the ribbon by turning the ribbon-tightening knob, or replace the ribbon cartridge as described in Replacing the ribbon cartridge. |
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Lines of dots are missing in the printout as shown below. | |||||
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Cause | What to do | ||||
The ribbon cartridge is not installed correctly, and the ribbon is twisting or slackening. | Stop printing and reinstall the ribbon cartridge as described Replacing the ribbon cartridge. | ||||
The print head is damaged. |
Stop printing and contact your dealer to have the print head replaced.
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Incorrect characters are printed. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Your printer and the computer may not be communicating correctly. | Make sure that you use the correct interface cable and that the communications protocol is correct. Refer to the Setup Guide and your computer documentation. If you installed the optional serial interface card, also see Interface Cards. | ||||
The wrong character table is selected in your software. |
Select the correct character table in your software or the printer's default settings. Note that the character table setting in your software overrides the settings made in the default-setting mode. |
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The font or characters set in your application software cannot be printed. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Your application software is not correctly configured for your printer. |
Make sure that your application software is correctly configured for your printer. See your application documentation. |
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The printer does not print the font you selected on the control panel or in the default settings. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Software settings override settings you make in the control panel or in the default settings. |
Use your software to select the font. |
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Printing starts too high or too low on the page. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The paper size settings in your application software do not match the size of the paper loaded in the printer. | Change the paper size settings in your application software or printer driver to match the size of the paper you are using. | ||||
The top margin or loading position setting is incorrect. | Check and adjust the top margin and loading position settings in your software, or adjust the top-of-form position using the Micro Adjust function. See Printable area and Adjusting the top-of-form position. However, settings made in Windows applications override settings made on the control panel. | ||||
Top margin and loading position settings made in your Windows applications override settings you make in the SelecType mode. |
Use your application software to make these settings.
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All the text is printed on the same line. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
No line feed command is sent at the end of each line of text. |
Turn on the auto line feed option in the default-settings mode, so that the printer automatically adds a line feed code to each carriage return. See Changing default settings. |
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The printout has extra blank lines between lines of text. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Two line feed commands are being sent at the end of each line of text. | Turn off the auto line feed option in the default-settings mode. See Changing default settings. | ||||
The line space setting in your application software is incorrect. |
Adjust the line space setting in your application software. |
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The length of the printing on the page does not match your paper length. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The paper size setting in your application or the printer driver may not match the size of the paper you are using. | Check the paper size setting in your application or the printer driver. | ||||
The printer's page length setting for the tractor may not match the size of the continuous paper you are using. | Check Page length for tractor of the printer's default settings. See Changing default settings. | ||||
Printing starts lower on the page than you expect, or the bottom of a page is printed at the top of the next page. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
The lines-per-page, top and bottom margin, or form length setting is incorrect. |
Adjust these settings in your application software, as follows: If your application software has a lines-per-page setting, set it to 66 for letter size paper or 70 for A4 size paper. If your software does not have a lines-per-page setting, try decreasing the top margin or increasing the bottom margin, or both, until you get the results you want. Adjust the form length setting if your software has this option. |
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Vertical printed lines are not aligned. | |||||
Cause | What to do | ||||
Bidirectional printing, which is the printer's standard printing mode, may be out of alignment. |
Use the printer's bidirectional adjustment mode to correct this problem. See Aligning Vertical Lines in Your Printout. |
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Version 1.00E, Copyright © 2002, SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION |