Epson Stylus C42UX manual

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Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    EPSON Stylus ® C42 Series User’s Manual[...]

  • Page 2

    2 Copyright Notice All rights reserved. No part of this publicatio n may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, o r transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The in formation contained herein is designed only for use [...]

  • Page 3

    Contents 3 Contents WELCOME! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 About Your Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 PRINTING FROM START TO FINISH . . . [...]

  • Page 4

    Contents 4 SOLVING PROBLEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Diagnosing Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Running a Printer Check . . .[...]

  • Page 5

    Welcome! 5 Welcome! Printing with your EPSON Stylus ® C42 printer is easy, friendly, and fast. Simple enough for even the most inexperienced user, the Stylus C42 prints everything from school reports to family photos with great results. For added value, it supports a wide range of EPSON ® special media, including Glossy Photo Greeting Cards, Phot[...]

  • Page 6

    Welcome! 6 Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips Please follow these guidelines: Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury. Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment. Notes contain important information about your printer. Tips contain additional hints for better printing.[...]

  • Page 7

    Printing From St art to Finish 7 Printing From Start to Finish Before you start, make sure your printer software is installed as described on the Start Here sheet. No matter what you print, you need to remember two things: ■ Use the right paper. For the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text, always use EPSON ink jet papers. ?[...]

  • Page 8

    Printing From St art to Finish 8 Loading Paper Make sure your printer and computer are turned on. 1. Place your paper against the right edge of the sheet feeder, behind the tab. 2. Press in the locking tab on the left edge guide and slide it against the paper. 3. Pull out the output tray extension. Follow these guidelines when loading paper: ■ Al[...]

  • Page 9

    Printing From St art to Finish 9 Printing in Windows Here ’ s what to do to print a basic document — such as a newsletter or school project. Make sure you have paper in the printer, as described on page 8 . After you create your document in a software program, follow these steps to print. 1. From the File menu, click Print . You see a Print win[...]

  • Page 10

    Printing From Start to Finish 10 You see your printer Properties (or Preferences) window. 4. Select the type of document you ’ re printing: ■ Draft : For rough drafts on plain paper. Saves ink. ■ Text : For text-only documents, like letters or reports. Delivers high-quality text printing. ■ Text & Imag e : For documents that have both t[...]

  • Page 11

    Printing From Start to Finish 11 8. If necessary, select your page orientation: Portrait for documents that are longer than they are wide, or Landsca pe for documents that are wider than they are long. 9. You can also make these settings: ■ PhotoEnhance : Improves the appearance of low-resolution and improperly exposed photos. Does not work when [...]

  • Page 12

    Printing From Start to Finish 12 When you ’ re finished using yo ur printer, make sure yo u press the P power bu tton to tu rn it off. Ne ver use a power s trip or exte rnal switch to turn off the pr inter. Selecting the Settings You Use Most Often Your printer settings apply only to the program you ’ re currently using. If you usually print on[...]

  • Page 13

    Printing From Start to Finish 13 1. From the File menu, select Page Setup . You see a screen like this: 2. Select your printer from the Format for menu. 3. Select the Paper Size, Orientation, and any other settings you want to use and click OK . 4. Select Print from the File menu. You see a screen like this: Select you r printer from the Format for[...]

  • Page 14

    Printing From Start to Finish 14 5. Select Print Settings from the pull-down menu. You see a group of settings like this: 6. Select the following settings: ■ Load the right paper for your document in the printer. If you loaded special paper, choose the correct paper type in the Media Type list. If you ’ re not sure which setting to choose, see [...]

  • Page 15

    Printing From Start to Finish 15 7. To select a specific print quality setting, click Advanced Settings and chose a setting from the Print Quality menu: ■ Economy or Economy Plus , for printing drafts. Saves ink. ( Economy Plus is only available if you select Black .) ■ Normal , for everyday printing needs ■ Fine , when you want a higher reso[...]

  • Page 16

    Printing From Start to Finish 16 If you click the Print Center icon and then double-click the C42 Series (USB) icon in the Printer List, you see a screen like this: From here you can monitor the progress of your print job or do one of the following: ■ Click the print job, then click Delete to delete it ■ Click the print job, then click Hold to [...]

  • Page 17

    Printing From Start to Finish 17 Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x Here ’ s what to do to print a basic document — such as a newsletter or school project — if your Macintosh is running OS 8.5.1 to 9.x. Make sure you have paper in the printer, as described on page 8 . After you create your docume nt, follow these steps to print. 1. From the File menu,[...]

  • Page 18

    Printing From Start to Finish 18 4. From the File menu, select Print . You see a window like the following: 5. Make the following settings: ■ Choose the paper you ’ re printing on (click the arrow to scroll through the Media Type list). If you ’ re not sure which setting to select, see page 22 . ■ Set the Ink option to Color to print a colo[...]

  • Page 19

    Printing From Start to Finish 19 ■ Click Custom , and then click the Advanced button that appears to select a higher resolution or to change color management settings. Print Quality settings include Economy and Economy Plus for draft printing, Normal for everyday printing needs, Fine when you want a higher resolution for text or text and graphics[...]

  • Page 20

    Printing From Start to Finish 20 Printing on Envelopes You can load up to 10 envelopes at a time. Follow these steps to print on No. 10 size envelopes: 1. Load the envelopes short edge first against the right edge of the sheet feeder, behind the tab. The printable side should be up, and the flap side should be down and on the left. 2. Press in the [...]

  • Page 21

    Printing From Start to Finish 21 5. Do one of the following to view a preview of your envelope: Windows: Click the Print Preview box, then click OK to close your Properties window. Click Print on the Print window. Macintosh OS X: Click the Preview button on the Print Settings menu. Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x: Click the button on the printer settings[...]

  • Page 22

    Printing From Start to Finish 22 Selecting the Correct Paper Type Your printer automatically adjusts itself for the type of paper you select in your print settings. That ’ s why the Paper Type setting (Media Type setting in Macintosh) is so important. It tells your printer what kind of paper you ’ re using and adjusts the ink coverage according[...]

  • Page 23

    Maintaining Your Printer 23 Maintaining Your Printer This chapter describes maintenance procedures to keep your printer working at its best, and preparation steps for moving your printer. Follow the instructions here for: ■ Cleaning the Print Head below ■ Replacing an Ink Cartridge on page 25 ■ Aligning the Print Head on page 29 ■ Cleaning [...]

  • Page 24

    Maintaining Your Printer 24 Running the Head Cleaning Utility 1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the red b error light is off. (If the red light is flashing or on, you may need to replace the ink cartridge; see page 25 for details.) 2. Do one of the following: ■ Windows : Right-click the printer icon on your taskbar (in t[...]

  • Page 25

    Maintaining Your Printer 25 Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern Examine the nozzle check pattern you printed. Each colored square should be solid, with no gaps or lines, as shown: ■ If your printout looks okay, you ’ re done. ■ If you see any white lines or gaps (as shown), clean the print head again; see page 24 for instructions. Replacing an[...]

  • Page 26

    Maintaining Your Printer 26 When a cartridge is more than six months old, you may need to replace it if printouts don ’ t look their best. If the quality doesn ’ t improve after cleaning and aligning the print head, you can replace the cartridge even if the b error light is off. Use these EPSON ink cartridges within six months of installing the[...]

  • Page 27

    Maintaining Your Printer 27 Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges Be sure you have a new ink cartridge before you begin. Once you start the ink cartridge replacement procedure, you must complete all the steps in one session. 1. Make sure the printer is turned on and not printing (the green P power light should be on, but not flashing). Then open t[...]

  • Page 28

    Maintaining Your Printer 28 5. Insert the new cartridge and press down firmly on the clamp. Make sure the clamp is closed completely. 6. Press the ( maintenance button. If the other cartridge needs to be replaced, the print head moves into loading postion. Repeat steps 4 through 6. 7. Wait until ink charging is finished. (The green P power light st[...]

  • Page 29

    Maintaining Your Printer 29 Aligning the Print Head If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may need to align the print head. Your printer must be connected directly to your computer (not over a network) to use the Print Head Alignment utility. Load plai n paper that ’ s at least 21.0 cm (8.2 7 in) wide to prevent ink from sprayi[...]

  • Page 30

    Maintaining Your Printer 30 5. Click Realignment to print another test page. Make sure the pattern numbered 8 in each row is the best aligned. If not, repeat steps 4 and 5. 6. When you ’ re finished, click Finish . Cleaning the Printer To keep your printer working at its best, you should clean it several times a year. 1. Turn off the printer and [...]

  • Page 31

    Maintaining Your Printer 31 Transporting the Printer If you move your printer some distance, you need to prepare it for transportation in its original box or one of a similar size. To avoid damage, always leave the ink cartr idges installed when transportin g the printer. Be sure to remove the tape used in step 4 after installing the printer in its[...]

  • Page 32

    Solving Problems 32 Solving Problems This section gives you the basics for diagnosing and solving printer problems. First see “ Diagnosing Printer Problems ” on page 34 to help determine what the cause of the problem may be. Refer to the pictures on page 33 if you need help identifying parts of the printer. It ’ s a good idea to check EPSON ?[...]

  • Page 33

    Solving Problems 33 Printer Parts Power button and light Maintenance button and error Paper support Printer co ver Output tray Left edge guide Print head (ink cartridge holders)[...]

  • Page 34

    Solving Problems 34 Diagnosing Printer Problems First, check the printer ’ s lights as described below, or run a printer check as described on page 35 . Lights Explanation Green P power light flashes The printer is receiving a print job, replacing an ink cartridge, charging ink, or cleaning the print head. Red b error light is on Your paper ran o[...]

  • Page 35

    Solving Problems 35 Running a Printer Check You can run a printer check to determine whether a problem comes from the printer itself or some other source. The printer check also shows how much black and color ink you have left. 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off. Then disconnect the USB cable from the printer. 2. Make sure le[...]

  • Page 36

    Solving Problems 36 Problems and Solutions Setup and Software Installation Problems The printer makes noise after ink cartridge installation. ■ The first time you install ink cartridges, the printer must charge its print head for about 90 seconds. Wait until charging finishes (the green P power light stops flashing) before you turn off the printe[...]

  • Page 37

    Solving Problems 37 ■ In Windows 2000 or XP, don ’ t select Block under Control Panel > System > Hardware > Driver Signing ; select Ignore or Warn instead. ■ Make sure your Windows system was not upgraded from Windows 95. The USB Printer Device Driver may not install correctly if you upgraded from Windows 95. ■ Make sure the USB Co[...]

  • Page 38

    Solving Problems 38 Your printer makes noise when you turn it on or after it has been sitting for a while. Your printer is performing routine maintenance. Printing is too slow. Make sure your system meets the requirements listed on page 46 or page 47 . If you ’ re printing a high-resolution image, you need more than the minimum requirements liste[...]

  • Page 39

    Solving Problems 39 ■ Run the Print Head Alignment utility; see page 29 for instructions. Your printout is blurry or smeared. ■ Make sure your paper isn ’ t damp or curled, or loaded face down (the printable side should be face up). ■ Use a support sheet with special paper, or try loading your paper one sheet at a time. ■ Use EPSON papers[...]

  • Page 40

    Solving Problems 40 You see wrong or missing colors. ■ Make sure your printer software is not set to use black ink only. ■ The print head nozzles may need cleaning; see page 23 for instructions. ■ The ink cartridges may be old or low on ink. To replace an ink cartridge, see page 25 . ■ Try turning off PhotoEnhance. ™ ■ For Macintosh, tr[...]

  • Page 41

    Solving Problems 41 Paper Feeding Problems Paper doesn ’ t eject fully or is wrinkled. ■ If the paper doesn ’ t eject fully, you may have set the wrong paper size. Press the b maintenance button to eject the paper, and then select the correct paper size. ■ If it ’ s wrinkled when it ejects, the paper may be damp or too thin. Paper doesn ?[...]

  • Page 42

    Solving Problems 42 Miscellaneous Printout Problems The image is inverted, as if viewed in a mirror. ■ Turn off the mirror setting in your application program. ■ For Macintosh, turn off Flip Horizontal in the Advanced window of your printer driver (Macintosh OS 8.5.1 to 9.x) or Print Settings window (Macintosh OS X). The printer prints blank pa[...]

  • Page 43

    Solving Problems 43 Uninstalling and Reinstalling Printer Software You may need to uninstall and then reinstall your printer driver and utilities. For example, this might be necessary when you upgrade your Windows operating system. Windows 1. Click Start, and select Programs or All Programs. 2. Point to Epson or EPSON Printers , then select EPSON P[...]

  • Page 44

    Solving Problems 44 Macintosh OS X You can reinstall your printer software over your currently installed printer software. Follow these steps: 1. Insert the EPSON CD-ROM in your drive. 2. Double-click the EPSON CD-ROM icon to open its window. Then double-click the C42Series.pkg file. 3. If you set up an administrator password when you installed OS [...]

  • Page 45

    Solving Problems 45 Where To Get Help EPSON provides technical assistance 24 hours a day through the electronic support services and automated telephone services listed below: Use EPSON paper and inks to get the best results from your EPSON printer! You can purchase ink cartridges, paper and accessories anywhere genuine EPSON consumables are sold. [...]

  • Page 46

    Requirements a nd Specification s 46 Requirements and Specifications This chapter includes system requirements and printer specifications. Windows System Requirements To use your printer and its software, your system should have: ■ A Microsoft ® Windows compatible PC with at least a Pentium ® -equivalent processor (233 MHz or faster recommended[...]

  • Page 47

    Requirements a nd Specification s 47 Macintosh System Requirements To use your printer and its software, your system should have: ■ An Apple ® iMac ™ series, Power Macintosh, ® G3, or G4 with native USB port ■ Macintosh OS 8.5.1 through Mac OS X (Macintosh OS 9 or later recommended) ■ At least 32MB of available RAM for OS 8.5.1 through OS[...]

  • Page 48

    Requirements a nd Specification s 48 Specifications Printer specifications Printing Printing method On-demand ink jet Nozzle configuration Black 48 nozzles Color 45 nozzles (15 each: cyan, magenta, yellow) Print direction Bidirectional with logic seeking Print speed 12 ppm Input buffer 12KB Mechanical Paper feed method Friction Paper path Sheet fee[...]

  • Page 49

    Requirements a nd Specification s 49 * Check the label on the back of the printer for your printer ’ s voltage. ** Stored in shipping container * The figure given is based on continuous printing after ink replacement. The actual print capacity may vary. ** Ink thaws and is usable after approximately 3 hours at 25 ° C (77 ° F). To ensure good re[...]

  • Page 50

    Where to Purchase EPSON Ink and Paper 50 Where to Purchase EPSON Ink and Paper Use genuine EPSON paper a nd inks to get the best results from your EPSON printer. You can purchase ink cartidges, paper and accessories anywhere genuine EPSON cons umables are sold. Please call (800) 463-7766 for dealer referra l. The availability of paper types varies [...]

  • Page 51

    Index 51 Index A Accessories, 45 Aligning print head, 29 to 30 Authorization screen, Macintosh OS X, 44 Automatic mode, Macintosh, 14, 18 B Background printing, 18 Banding, 38 Best Photo setting, 10, 40 Blank pages, 42 Blurry images, 39 Bright White Paper, 22, 50 Buttons, 33 C Cable, printer, 46, 47 Cancelling printing Macintosh, 16, 19 Windows, 11[...]

  • Page 52

    Index 52 I ICM, 11, 40 Incorrect characters, 42 Incorrect colors, 40 Incorrect margins, 42 Ink cartridge cartridge life, 49 level of ink in, 11, 18, 25 to 26 ordering, 25 to 26, 50 print capacity, 49 replaci ng, 25 to 26 safety instructions, 26 specif ication s, 49 Ink Jet Transparencies, 22, 50 Ink level, checking Macintosh, 18, 25 Windows, 11, 25[...]

  • Page 53

    Index 53 Printing control ling, 11, 16 , 19 on envelopes, 20 to 21 slow, 38 with Macintos h, 12 to 19 with Windows, 9 to 12 Problems installing software, 36 to 37 miscellaneous, 42 paper feeding, 41 print quality, 38 to 40 printer, 37 to 38 Progress meter, 11, 16, 19 Properties window, 10 Q Quality Type setting, 10 Quality/Speed setting, 14, 18 R R[...]