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What should a perfect user manual contain?
First and foremost, an user manual of OKI Microline 521 should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of OKI Microline 521
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the OKI Microline 521 item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the OKI Microline 521 item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards
Why don't we read the manuals?
Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of OKI Microline 521 alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of OKI Microline 521, and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the OKI service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of OKI Microline 521.
Why one should read the manuals?
It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the OKI Microline 521 item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.
After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.
Table of contents for the manual
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Page 1
Chapter 0 Manual Front Cover MICROLINE ® 520/521 Printer Handbook 59256804 Printed in USA Division of Oki America, Inc. ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Chapter 1 Unpacking Unpacking Choose a sturdy table, desk or printer stand to place your printer on when you remove it from the carton. Be sure to save all packing materials in case you need to ship the printer again. Check the box for these contents: 1) Printer 2) Ribbon cartridge 3) Power cord Note: Interface cable and paper are sold separately.I[...]
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Remove The Protective Film Remove The Protective Film Peel the clear protective film from the carriage cover (1). Lift up on the ridged area at either end of the carriage cover ( 2 ), and peel the clear protective film from the access cover ( 3 ). Press the carriage cover back into place. ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Remove The Shipping Retainers Remove The Shipping Retainers Open the access cover ( 1 ) by grasping the tabs at either end and lifting. Remove the printhead shipping retainer ( 2 ), leaving the cover open. Grasp the front edge of the paper separator ( 3 ) and pull it up. Remove the styrofoam shipping retainer, then lower the paper separator and pre[...]
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Install (or Replace) The Ribbon Cartridge Install (or Replace) The Ribbon Cartridge Note: Be sure to use only ribbons specifically for use with MICROLINE 520/521 printers. For best results, use genuine OKIDATA ribbons, Part No. 52107001. With the access cover open, slide the printhead ( 1 ) to the center of the platen. Caution!!! Printhead may be h[...]
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ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Connect to Power and Computer Connect to Power and Computer You must supply the cable for connecting your printer to your computer. A shielded cable is required in order to ensure compliance of this equipment with FCC regulations. Make sure both the printer and the computer are OFF. Plug the power cord into the back of the printer ( 1 ). Plug the o[...]
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Power Up Power Up Turn the printer on. The printhead will cross back and forth along the platen, and the pins will gently fire to determine the printhead gap setting. The POWER light will come on. The ALARM light will also come on, but don't be concerned: it's just telling you that there is no paper loaded. ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Chapter 2 Loading paper Your printer has provision for · Single sheets (top feed) · Continuous-forms (rear feed) You can also install options: · Cut Sheet Feeder, for top feed, holds 100 sheets · Push and/ or Pull Tractors, for bottom feed of continuous forms, including - labels - heavy card stock - multi-part forms Note: See the instructions p[...]
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Loading Rear- Feed Paper Loading Rear- Feed Paper The rear-feed path is recommended for printing reports, etc., on single-thickness, continuous-form paper. For graphics or charts, it's best to use the single-sheet paper path. Note: If you have any paper in the paper path, be sure to remove it from the path before installing rear-feed paper! Mo[...]
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marks ( 7 ) on the printer indicate the left edge position for the two most common paper sizes. Lock the left tractor in place by pushing back on the lock lever. Adjust the right tractor so that the paper holes are centered on the pins (careful if paper is stretched too tight or left too loose, it can jam and cause problems), then lock the right tr[...]
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Loading Single-Sheet Paper Loading Single-Sheet Paper The single sheet path is best for letterhead stationery, memos, and envelopes and is recommended for printing graphs and charts because it provides the most accurate control of the paper. Note: If you have any continuous-form paper in the paper path, you must press the PARK button on the front p[...]
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ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Setting Top of Form Setting Top of Form Make sure the printer is deselected (SEL light off if necessary, press SEL button to deselect printer). Hold down the SHIFT button ( 1 ) and press: FF/ LOAD button ( 2 ) to move the paper up in micro increments (TOF lower on page), or LF button ( 3 ) to move the paper down in micro increments (TOF higher on p[...]
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Temporarily Changing Top of Form Setting Temporarily Changing Top of Form Setting To temporarily change the Top of Form setting for a particular print job, deselect the printer (press SEL button) and press the LF button (1 ) until you reach the TOF position you want to use. The printer will retain this setting until you turn it off. ML520/521 ( 96-[...]
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Resetting Top of Form to Default Resetting Top of Form to Default To reset the Top of Form to the factory default, turn off printer, then hold down the QUIET ( 2 ) and PARK ( 3 ) buttons while turning printer back on. ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Tear Feature Tear Feature When you're using continuous forms with either the built-in rear-feed tractor or the optional bottom- feed push tractor, you can use this feature to advance the forms up to the tear position so you can easily tear off a printed sheet without wasting paper or readjusting the printer. To do this, press the TEAR button ([...]
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Forms Tear- off Feature Forms Tear-off Feature Note: Never Engage the Forms Tear-off when printing on labels! The Forms Tear-off feature can be engaged to automatically move the paper up to the tear position after the selected interval (500 milliseconds, 1 second, or 2 seconds). The page will stay in the tear-off position until the printer receives[...]
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Paper Park Feature Paper Park Feature To switch from continuous form paper to another paper path, tear off the printed pages, then press the PARK button ( 1 ). The continuous-form paper immediately retracts from the paper path. ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Switching Paper Paths Switching Paper Paths To switch to single-sheet feed, tear off any printed pages, then press PARK. Swing the wire guide up into the paper separator, and swing the separator upright. Move the paper lever to TOP. Load single sheet paper.To switch to continuous- form feed, press FF/ LOAD to remove single sheet from paper path if [...]
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Clearing Paper Jams - Rear Feed Jams Clearing Paper Jams Note: Always turn the printer off before you turn the platen knob! Clearing Rear Feed Jams To clear a rear- feed paper jam, turn off printer then turn the platen knob to back the paper out of the printer. Remove any ripped pieces of paper. Reload the paper, turn the printer back on and press [...]
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Clearing Single Sheet Feed Jams Clearing Single Sheet Feed Jams Turn the printer off, then rotate the platen knob to back the jammed paper out of the carriage. If necessary, open the access cover and lift off the pull-up roller assembly ( 1 ) to provide access to remove any ripped pieces from around the carriage. Check the baseline for the Top of F[...]
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Chapter 3 Testing Your Printer: Rolling ASCII & Font Sample Tests After you've installed ribbon and paper, you're ready to run the self tests. Do this any time you want to make sure the printer is functioning properly. Font Sample Test Hold down the LF button while turning on the printer to produce a limited sample of the available pr[...]
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Chapter 4 Basic Terminology Printer Commands Basic Terminology Printer Commands Printer commands are signals sent by your computer to the printer which guide and control the operation. They usually begin with the ESC character and can be sent in decimal, ASCII, or hexadecimal form. Note: If youre using commercial software with an appropriate printe[...]
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Emulations Emulations Your printer has three emulations: · IBM Proprinter III (factory default) · Epson FX · OKIDATA Microline Standard ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Changing Emulations Changing Emulations Your printer is set at the factory for the IBM Proprinter III emulation. To change the emulation, enter the Menu mode by holding the SHIFT button while pressing the SEL button. The following line will print: Printer Control Emulation Mode IBM PPR Press the SET button until the emulation you wish to select pri[...]
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Printer Drivers Printer Drivers Commercial software packages use printer drivers to control the appearance of printed documents. A printer driver is a set of printer commands which cause the printer to perform various functions at the request of the software. When you use your printer with a software package, you must use the software to select a p[...]
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Selecting a Printer Driver Selecting a Printer Driver The drivers in the table below are listed by decreasing compatibility with your printer: use one as close to the top of the list as possible. If your software does not have a printer driver from near the top of the list, call them to see if they have added any drivers to those supplied when you [...]
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Chapter 5 Control Panel Indicator Lights Control Panel Indicator Lights ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Control Panel Buttons: Print Mode Control Panel Buttons: Print Mode ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Control Panel Buttons: Menu Mode Control Panel Buttons: Menu Mode ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Print Mode Print Mode The seven buttons to the left on your control panel are multi-function buttons. In the print mode, they are used to manipulate the paper (see the illustration on the first page of this chapter).The PRINT QUALITY and CHARACTER PITCH buttons on the right side of the control panel are used to select the quality and size of the pr[...]
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Selecting Print Quality Selecting Print Quality Press the PRINT QUALITY button successively until the light underneath the print quality you wish to engage is lit: Note: Your printer also prints bar codes accessible through printer commands. For more information on programming barcodes, mail your request for # MS- 8837 OKIDATA MICROLINE Reference M[...]
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Selecting Character Pitch Selecting Character Pitch Note: If the SI command is received from your software, the character pitch selected on the control panel will be overridden by the SI command. Character pitch determines the width of the individual characters and is measured in characters per inch (cpi). Press the CHARACTER PITCH button successiv[...]
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Available Fonts Available Fonts Typeface Spacing NLQ Courier 10 cpi*, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, Proportional NLQ Letter Gothic 10 cpi*, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, Proportional Utility (Gothic) 10 cpi*, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, Proportional High Speed Draft (Gothic) 10 cpi*, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi Bar Code Code 39, UPC A, U[...]
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Menu Mode Menu Mode When your printer is in the Menu Mode, you can use the front panel controls to change the defaults for the printer parameters, including emulation, page length, line spacing, typeface, pitch, etc. The changes you make in the Menu Mode will automatically be saved in your printer's memory when you exit the Menu Mode and will [...]
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The Menu Mode: Entering, Exiting and Reseting Entering The Menu Mode To place your printer in the Menu Mode hold the SHIFT button while pressing the SEL button. The MENU light will come on and, if the printer was selected, the SEL light will go out. Exiting The Menu Mode To exit the Menu Mode, hold the SHIFT button and press the SEL button. The MEN[...]
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Sample Default Menu Printout Sample Default Menu Printout Note: To print out a list of your current Menu settings, enter the Menu Mode, then press the PRINT button. ML520/521 ( 96-02-04 )[...]
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Summary of Menu Settings Summary of Menu Settings The table below details all possible entries in the printer Menu. The defaults are the First Item in the Settings. Group Item Settings Printer Control Emulation Mode IBM PPR, Epson FX, ML Font Print Mode Utility, NLQ Courier, NLQ Gothic, HSD Font Pitch 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17.1 cpi, 20 cpi Font P[...]
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Bottom Feed Gap Control Auto Gap,Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Top Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI Top Feed Bottom Margin Valid, Invalid Top Feed Page Width* 13.6, 8 Top Feed Page Length 11,11- 2/ 3, 12, 14, 17, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5 Top Feed Gap Control Auto Gap,Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Top Feed Wait Time 1 sec, 50[...]
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Explanation of Menu Items Explanation of Menu Items These explanations are in alphabetical sequence. Line Spacing, Form Tear-Off, Skip Over Perforation, Page Length, and Gap Control appear several times in the menu. 7 or 8 Bit Graphics. Choose graphics your system uses: 7 or 8 (factory default) dots in each column printed. Auto CR (IBM). If you wis[...]
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then hold down theSEL key while turning the printer on. Page Length. Selects the length of the paper you're using. Page Width (Model 521 only). Choose 8 for letter- size paper. Paper Out Override. Senses when less than one inch of paper remains and stops printing. Choose Yes to override the detector. Caution!! This can cause loss of data and d[...]
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Chapter 6 Problem Solving Problem Solving Problem: Nothing happens when I turn on the printer. Solution: The printer may not be plugged in. Check the power cord connection to the outlet and to your printer. If you're using a power strip, make sure it's turned on. Check to be sure that the fuse hasn't blown or that the circuit breaker[...]
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Problem: The first line is printing too far down on the page and I can't get it any higher using the SHIFT and LF/MicroFeed Down buttons. Solution: The setting for the Top of Form (TOF) will be restricted if you have the Forms Tear- Off feature engaged when you set the TOF. To correct for this, you must reset the TOF with the Forms Tear- Off d[...]
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Maintenance Cleaning the Housing Maintenance Cleaning the Housing You should clean the printer every six months (or after about 300 hours of operation).Turn the printer OFF and remove the paper from the path. Open the access cover and remove the pull- up roller assembly ( 1 ). Use a clean, dry cloth to dust the area around the carriage shaft and pl[...]
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Appendix A Specifications Printhead 9 pins, 0.34 mm diameter, automatically adjusting to paper thickness, with thermal protection Print Speed Mode Characters per second at 10 Cpi High Speed Draft (HSD) 427 cps Utility 320 cps Near Letter Quality (NLQ) 80 cps Characters per Line (CPL) Setting ML520 ML521 10 cpi 80 cpl 136 cpl 12 cpi 96 cpl 163 cpl 1[...]
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Paper Specifications Dimensions (W ´ ´ D ´ ´ H) Model 520: 17 ´ 15 ´ 6½ inches (431 ´ 380 ´ 166 mm) Model 521: 23 ´ 15 ´ 6½ inches (585 ´ 380 ´ 166 mm) Weight Model 520: 17 lb. 10 oz. (8 kg) Model 521: 23 b. 2 oz. (10.5 kg) Environmental Requirements Parameter Range Operating Temperature 41 to 104° F (5 to 40° C) Storage Temperature[...]