Tips | Printing Trouble Shooter

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS – PRINTING PROBLEMS

Printing problems can occur for a number of reasons and can be generally split into the following areas:-
• A Hardware fault on the computer, printer or cable.
• Incorrect cabling.
• Incorrect configuration of the computer, printer driver/software application or printer.
The following document contains some typical printing errors which occur and suggestions for rectifying them. As the majority of printing problems occur due to incorrect configuration of the printer or printer driver/software application particular attention should be made to the installation notes in the user's guides for both hardware and software.

Printer does not print                       [Back to Top]

1. Will the printer perform a self test ? (Refer to the printers user's manual)
2. Is the printer powered on and in a ready state ? (Refer to the printers user's manual)
3. Does another printer attached to the same cabling work ? If not check the cabling, computer interface and software configuration. (when printing via a serial port - null modem cables will generally not work, and should be replaced by a RS232 printer cable -). If it does has the faulty printer been configured correctly, pay particular attention to DIP switches on optional interfaces if fitted or printer DIP switch and SelecType settings.

Printer prints garbage.

1. Is the correct printer driver installed and printer configured correctly ? check that the printer emulation matches the printer driver emulation.
2. If the printer is attached to a serial interface, check interface settings on both the computer and printer ? e.g. baud rate, parity and word length.
3. Change the cable.
4. Does another printer attached to the same cabling print correctly ? If not check the cabling, computer interface and software configuration. (when printing via a serial port - null modem cables will generally not work, and should be replaced by a RS232 printer cable -). If it does has the faulty printer been configured correctly, pay particular attention to DIP switches on optional interfaces if fitted or printer DIP switch and SelecType settings.

Printer prints data correctly but page formatting is incorrect.

1. Has the correct paper size and type been specified in the printer driver/application ?
2. Are the margins, including headers and footers, setup in the application within the range supported by the printer ?
3. Check the printer driver being used is the latest version.

iMac Troubleshooter                        [Back to Top]

Q: How can I verify that the iMac Update 1.0 is installed or not?

A: From the iMac's desktop, select File, Fine and type Mac OS ROM and click on Find. Highlight the Mac OS ROM and select File and click on Get Info. The Created date should be August 28, 1998 or later. If it is not, you will need to download and install the iMac Update 1.0 from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. If you have problems downloading or installing the iMac Update 1.0, please contact Apple Technical Support.

Q: When I print from my iMac the printer prints garbage. What should I do to resolve this situation?

A: If the USB cable is connected to the iMac's keyboard, try using the USB port on the right side of the iMac instead. This port is located behind a panel on the iMac. If you need additional USB ports we recommend obtaining a USB Hub.

Q: If I restart my iMac my printouts will print with large gaps between the text or an image. How can I resolve this?

A: To correct this issue, download and install the iMac Update 1.0 from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. If you have problems downloading or installing the iMac Update 1.0, please contact Apple Technical Support.

Q: I encounter problems when I try printing long documents on the Stylus Color 600 and an iMac. Is there anything I can do to resolve this?

A: Yes, to correct this issue, download and install the iMac Update 1.0 from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. If you have problems downloading or installing the iMac Update 1.0, please contact Apple Technical Support.

Q: What do I need to do before installing the printer driver on my Apple iMac.

A: It is highly recommended that you download and install the iMac Update 1.0 from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. Also, be sure to download and install the latest EPSON USB driver for your printer from EPSON's web site.

Q: When I go to print with my Stylus Color 600 or Stylus Photo EX I get a -192 error. What can I do to resolve this?

A: To correct this issue, from the iMac's desktop select File, Find and type the name EPSON and click on Find. Highlight all the items labeled EPSON and move them to the Trash. Restart the iMac and reinstall the printer driver from the USB/Parallel adapter kit CD-ROM or the driver from EPSON's Website. Do not install the driver that came with your EPSON printer.

Q: How can I verify that the iMac Update 1.0 is installed or not?

A: From the iMac's desktop, select File, Fine and type Mac OS ROM and click on Find. Highlight the Mac OS ROM and select File and click on Get Info. The Created date should be August 28, 1998 or
later. If it is not, you will need to download and install the iMac Update 1.0 from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. If you have problems downloading or installing the iMac Update 1.0, please contact Apple Technical Support.

Q: Can I use the USB/Parallel adapter kit with my Stylus Color 740?

A: The USB/Parallel adapter kit is not necessary to connect the Stylus Color 740 with the Apple iMac. The Stylus Color comes with a built in USB port, therefore the only cable needed is a standard USB
A/B cable. NOTE: that you will also need to download and install the USB printer driver for iMac from EPSON's Website as well as the iMac Update 1.0 from Apple at http://swupdates.info.apple.com. If you have problems downloading or installing the iMac Update 1.0, please contact Apple Technical Support.

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