Printer Setup
Purpose: physical setup of the printer

1. Install paper and ribbons into printer.
2. attach proper cable for interface. More on interfaces..
3. make necessary printer settings. More on printer settings…

Initial Test
Purpose: checks basic printer functioning independent of connection or computer

1. Run self test. More on self test.
2. Check settings shown in self-test printout
3. Adjust printer settings to agree with computer connection. Make changes with dip switches on printer (serial, parallel) or over the network (Ethernet)

Printer Installation
Purpose: Install Windows driver for support of specific printer, selection of port used to connect to printer

1. Download and install Windows driver for the printer type and connection in use. More on downloading Epson POS printer drivers for Windows.
2. After installing drivers run standard Windows print test to confirm installation

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POSprint Tests

Purpose: Tests printer operation when connected to the computer. Two test modes, include a test using installed Windows drivers and a direct connection test that connects to the printer directly through the connection in use.

POSprint, Windows Test

Purpose: Checks operation of printer using installed Windows driver

1. Select Windows print tab from the POSprint screen
2. Select the installed printer from the list of printers in the pull down. If printer is not in list then check Windows driver installation.
3. If Epson printer drivers are installed, confirm that the Epson service is running. (indicator should show green.)
4. Press the "Windows Print" button - a line of print should happen
5. If line is printed, test is good. If no line is printed then there may be a problem with the printer, the drivers or the connection between printer and computer. You should conduct the direct print test to confirm basic functionality

 

POSprint, Direct Connection Test

Purpose: Checks printer operation by means of a direct connection through the interface. This test does not use the installed Windows drivers.

Note: If the Epson port service is running (see above) then ports may be locked and may not be accessible using the direct connection method. You should turn off the Windows print spooler service when running these tests (see note).

1. Choose the interface type (parallel, serial, USB, Ethernet) from the may POSprint screen. More on interface types.
2. Enter the connection settings specific to the connection (serial, parallel, TCP)
3. Press the ‘Send’ button to send text.
4. If text is printed, test passes. If the printer passed this test but failed the Windows driver test previously then go back and check the  the port settings in Windows driver  to see that  they are the same as used in the direct connection test. Verify the connection type (i.e. serial) and the port settings (i.e. 19200 baud, COM 1, etc) are the same.
5. If no text is printed then test has failed. Double check the port settings using the self test, check the cable is correct and correctly connected, check that the Epson port service and Windows print spooler is turned off (if running) and check that you have attached the printer through the correct connector on the computer. If serial, parallel or USB, check that the port you are connecting to is also shown in the Windows Device Manager. If using an Ethernet or wireless connection check that the IP address of the printer is in the subnet of the computer you are running.

 POSprint, serial port test

1. You must select the correct COM port in use. Check the physical connection on the computer. Check the Windows Device Manager to confirm that the port is working.
2. The baud rate you select must be the same as rate set on the printer using the DIP switches. If unsure of the baud rate, run the self test
3. You must use the correct cable to connect the printer to the computer. The most common is a null modem cable, many systems use a plastic adapter that connects with an Ethernet type cable (this remains a serial connection, not an Ethernet connection). If printer passes self test, the settings are correct and verified, then check to see the cable is correct.  More on connecting a serial interface.

POSprint, parallel port test

1. You must select the correct LPT port in use. Check the physical connection on the computer. Check the Windows Device Manager to confirm that the parallel port is working.
2. You must use the correct printer cable to connect the printer to the computer. If printer passes self test, the settings are correct and verified, then check to see the cable is correct.  More on connecting a parallel interface.

POSprint, USB port test

1. The USB interface is not supported in the direct connection test. You must use the Windows driver test.  More on connecting a USB interface.

POSprint, TCP test

1. You must change the IP address  of the printer or the computer to be on the same subnet so the computer can communicate with the printer. This can be done by changing the IP of the printer or done by changing the IP of the computer. Once connected you can change the IP of the printer to its final value. More on configuring the TCP port.
2. Use the ‘Change Settings’ to access the printer network interface using your browser on your computer (must be on the same subnet).
3. Specify a new IP address of the printer. Change back the subnet.
4. Use the Ping Test to check for basic network connection between the computer and the printer.
5. If the Ping Test fails then double check the local IP address of the computer as well as the IP address of the printer. Certain firewalls can block the connection. The printer could also have the ping reply disabled (see Network card settings).
6. Press the "Send" button  and see if text is printed. If it has then test has passed. If it doesn't then check the connectivity and the settings once again. If possible, you may want to test the printer off the network using a simple network switch or router connected to the printer and a single computer.

Tip: You can directly connect a printer with an Ethernet interface to a computer using a crossover cable (not the same as a patch cable). This special cable allows you to bypass using a router or switch to connect a computer to a printer for testing. To use this setup set the IP address of the computer and the printer statically, both in the same sub domain, with different addresses. For example if the printer was set to 192.168.192.168, the computer could be set to 192.168.192.167. After proper set-up you should be able to open and talk to the printer directly.

POSprint, direct print features

• Aside from printing text the  POSprint utility accepts certain macro commands that allow you to print, the date, time or serial message ID.
• The POSprint utility also has the ability to issue Escape commands to utilize some of the enhanced functionality of the printer including formatting, paper handling and issuing extra printer features like kick out command for a cash drawer. Consult your printers detailed documentation for information on obtaining these commands.
• The POSprint utility has the ability to do a continuous print test where the printer will continue to print the sample line. You can set the pause, in seconds, between the printing of the next line.