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

*  After this is printed, press the Set (Tear Off/Bin) button to print all current settings.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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. Turn this feature off if you have connection troubles while printing from applications based on other operating systems such as DOS.

Character table

You can select among various character tables. This setting is used when you print without using the printer driver.

When using the printer driver, change the settings on the printer driver. For details, see Printer driver settings overview (for the FX-2175 users) or Printer driver settings overview (for the FX-875 users).

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.

Manual feed wait time

This setting allows you to set the amount of wait time between when paper is inserted into the paper guide and it is fed. If the paper feeds before you can adjust its position properly, you should increase the wait time.

Buzzer

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.

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Changing default settings

The following table shows the basic function of each button in the default setting mode.

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

Note:

Before entering the default-setting mode, you need to load A4 or letter size single-sheet paper or continuous paper that is at least 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.

For your safety, Epson recommends operating the printer with the printer cover closed. The printer will function with the printer cover open or removed, but maximum safety is achieved when the cover is closed.

If you turn off the printer prior to exiting default-setting mode, any changes you may have made are canceled and not saved.

Make sure paper is loaded.

Press the Menu (Pitch and Tear Off/Bin) buttons until the printer beep once and the Menu lights (both the Tear Off/Bin lights) turn on.

The printer enters the default-setting mode and prints a message asking if you wish to print all of the current settings.

If you want to print the current settings, press the Set button. If you want to bypass printing of the current settings, press the Item button or the Item button.

The printer prints the first menu and the current value of the menu.

Press the Item button or the Item button to select the menu parameters which you wish to change. Press the Set button to scroll through the values within the selected parameter until you find the desired setting. After setting the selected parameter to the desired setting, you may either continue to make changes to other parameters by pressing the Item button or the Item button, or exit the default-setting mode by pressing the Menu (Pitch and Tear Off/Bin) buttons.

Note:

You cannot change the setting value to the previous item. You have to press the Set button until the value you want is selected.

When you finish making settings, press the Menu (Pitch and Tear Off/Bin) buttons.

The Menu lights (both of the Tear Off/Bin lights) turn off and the printer exits the default-setting mode.

The settings you made is saved as new default value.

Note:

If you turn off the printer prior to exiting default-setting mode, any changes you may have made are canceled and not saved.

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