Epson Lq 300 User Guide

							6.Insert the ribbon cartridge into the printer as shown; then
press both sides of the cartridge firmly to fit the plastic
hooks into the printer slots.
7.Turn the ribbon-tightening knob to help feed the ribbon into
place; it should not be twisted or creased.
8.Replace the printer cover.
After you install the color ribbon cartridge, run the self test as
shown on page 1-10.
Using the Printer2-37 
						

							If the top or bottom edge of the characters in the self test are a
different color from the rest, adjust the ribbon angle with the
color ribbon adjustment lever. See page 3-12 for details.Note:When your print using the color ribbon, print speed my be reduced.
To switch to the black ribbon, remove the color ribbon and then
install the black ribbon as shown on page 1-6. To remove the
color ribbon, press down on the motor unit and pull out the
cartridge as shown below. You do not have to remove the
motor unit.
2-38
Using the Printer 
						

							Chapter 3
TroubleshootingProblems and Solutions.......................
3-2Power Supply............................
3-2Power is not being supplied..................
3-2Printing................................
3-3The printer does not print...................
3-3The print is faint or uneven...................
3-4Dots are missing in printed characters or graphics.....
3-5Printed characters are not what you expected........
3-5The print position is not what you expected.........
3-6Paper Handling...........................
3-7Single sheets do not feed properly...............
3-7Continuous paper does not feed properly..........
3-8Options................................
3-9When you use the cut-sheet feeder, the paper does not feed
properly.............................
3-9Switching between the cut-sheet feeder and the push
tractor does not work properly................
3-11Using the pull tractor with the push tractor, continuous
paper does not feed properly.................
3-11With the color upgrade installed, the printer does not operate
properly.............................
3-11Troubleshooting 3-1 
						

							Problems and SolutionsMost problems you may encounter while operating your
printer have simple solutions.
You can check the operation of your printer using the self test.
See “Running the Self Test” on page 1-10. If the self test works
properly, the problem probably lies in the computer, the
software, or the interface cable. If the self test does not work,
contact your dealer or qualified service person for assistance.
Note:If you are an experienced user or a programmer, you can print a
hexadecimal dump to isolate communication problems between the
printer and computer. To print a hex dump, turn off the printer.
Next, hold down the LF/FF and FONT buttons while you turn on the
printer. Then send data from your computer. The printer prints all
the codes it receives in hexadecimal format.
Power Supply
Power is not being supplied
The lights on the control panel do not go on.Check that the power cord is properly plugged into the
electrical outlet.
If the electrical outlet is controlled by an outside switch or
automatic timer, use a different outlet.
Plug another electrical device, such as a lamp, into the outlet to
determine whether the outlet is operating properly.
3-2 Troubleshooting 
						

							The lights come on briefly and then go off. The lights stay off
even when the power is turned on again.Check that the printer’s voltage rating matches the voltage of
your electrical outlet. If the voltages do not match, unplug the
printer and contact your dealer immediately. Do not reconnect
the power cord to an electrical outlet.
PrintingThe printer does not print
The Pause light is off but nothing is printed.Check that the software is installed properly for your printer,
as described on page 1-16. Check the software’s printer settings.
Check both ends of the interface cable. Make sure the cable
meets both the printer and computer specifications.
The Pause light is flashing and the printer beeps three times.The printer may be out of paper. Load paper in the printer.
The printer sounds like it is printing, but nothing is printed.The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See
page 1-6.
The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge.
Troubleshooting 3-3 
						

							The printer makes a strange noise, beeps once, and then abruptly
stops printing.Turn off the printer and check for a paper jam, a ribbon jam, or
other problems. Let the print head cool. Then try to print again.
If the printer still does not print correctly, contact your dealer.
The beeper sounds once and the Pause light comes on.An error has occurred. Turn off the printer and turn it on again.
If the Pa use light stays on, check for a paper jam or ribbon jam.
Turn the printer off and clear the jam.
If an error occurs when you switch between single sheets and
continuous paper, make sure the paper-release lever is in the
correct position.
If the printer still does not work correctly, turn off the printer
and contact your dealer or qualified service person.
The print is faint or uneven
Printed characters have parts missing at the bottom.The ribbon cartridge may not be installed properly. See
page 1-6.
The printout is faint.The ribbon may be worn out. Replace the ribbon cartridge as
described on page 1-6.
3-4 Troubleshooting 
						

							Dots are missing in printed characters or graphics
A line of dots is missing in the printout.The print head is damaged. Stop printing and contact your
dealer to have the print head replaced.
Dots are missing in random positions.Either there is too much slack in the ribbon or the ribbon has
come loose. Reinstall the ribbon cartridge as described on
page 1-6.
Printed characters are not what you expected
The typestyles or characters you sent with your software did
not print.Check that the software is correctly configured for your printer.
For instructions, see page 1-16.
The font selected on the control panel does not print.Your software may be overriding your control panel setting.
Use the font setting in your software program.
Troubleshooting 3-5 
						

							The print position is not what you expected
Printing starts too high or too low on the page, or the bottom part
of one page is printed at the top of the next page.See “Getting the results you expect” on page 2-6.
It is also possible to adjust the loading position using the LF/FF
button in the micro adjust mode. To use micro adjust, see
 Adjusting the loading position” on page 2-5.
Page length does not match the length of the paper.Check the page length set by your software and adjust it if
necessary.
If you are using continuous paper, change the page length in
the Printer Setting mode. See “Changing the printer settings”
on page 2-25.
Regular gaps occur in the printout.Skip-over-perforation may be on. Set skip-over-perforation to
Off in the Printer Setting mode. See “Changing the printer
settings” on page 2-25.
3-6 Troubleshooting 
						

							Paper Handling
Single sheets do not feed properlyPaper does not feed.Continuous paper may be left in the printer. Remove the
continuous paper. Set the paper-release lever to the single-
sheet position. Insert a new sheet.
Move the paper a little to the left.
Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams.Turn off the printer and pull out the paper. Insert a new sheet
straight into the paper guide. Be sure you’re using the right
type of paper. See the paper specifications in the Appendix.
Check to see that the printer cover is closed.
Paper does not eject completely.Use the LF/FF button to eject the page.
Make sure the printer cover is closed.
The paper may be too long. Use paper that is within the
specified range. See the paper specifications in the Appendix.
Troubleshooting 3-7 
						

							Continuous paper does not feed proper/y
The tractor does not feed the paper.Check that the paper-release lever is pulled forward to the
continuous paper position. If not, move the lever to the correct
position.
The paper may have come off the tractor. Reattach the paper to
the tractor.
Paper feeding is crooked or the paper jams.Make sure the paper guide is in the upright position.
The position of your paper supply may be preventing it from
feeding straight. Make sure the paper supply is not obstructed.
Make sure your paper supply is positioned within 1 meter
(3 feet) of the printer.
Make sure the printer cover is closed.
Make sure the edge guide positions are correct. Position the
edge guides at the diamond-shaped guide marks.
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.
Check that the paper size and thickness are within the specified
range. See the paper specifications in the Appendix.
3-8 Troubleshooting