Lexmark E234 - Manual

Notices 9 Printer energy consumption The following table documents the power consumption characteristics of the printer. The power consumption levels listed in the previous table represent time-averaged measurements. Instantaneous power draws may be substantially higher than the average. Power Saver...

Printer overview 11 1 Printer overview 250-sheet tray Paper support 150-sheet output bin Operator panel Manual feeder Front cover Optional 550-sheet drawer Rear paper exit Power button Dust cover(some models)

Printer overview 12 The operator panel has 5 lights and 2 buttons. Note: The Continue button also functions as a light. • Press and release Continue to resume printing. • Press and release Continue twice quickly to display a secondary error code. • Press and release Cancel to cancel the job currentl...

Print media tasks and tips 13 2 Print media tasks and tips Section Page What types of print media can be loaded? 14 Where can print media be loaded in the printer? 15 Tips on choosing the right print media 16 Tips on storing print media and supplies 18 Tips on preventing jams 19 How to load the 250-...

Print media tasks and tips 14 What types of print media can be loaded? Get the most out of your printer by properly loading the trays. Never mix media types within a tray. Source Sizes Types Weight Capacity * (sheets) Tray 1 (250-sheet tray) A4, A5, JIS B5, letter, legal, executive, folio, statement...

Print media tasks and tips 15 Where can print media be loaded in the printer? Your printer has two standard paper sources: an automatic 250-sheet paper feeder (Tray 1) and a single-sheet manual feeder. Use Tray 1 for most print jobs. Use the manual feeder for a single piece of paper, transparency, e...

Print media tasks and tips 16 Tips on choosing the right print media Selecting the right paper or other media reduces printing problems. For best print quality, try a sample of the paper or other media you are considering before buying large quantities. Refer to the Card Stock & Label Guide avai...

Print media tasks and tips 17 Envelopes • Use envelopes made from 24 lb (90 g/m 2 ) bond paper. • Do not use envelopes that: – Have excessive curl – Are stuck together – Are damaged in any way – Contain windows, holes, perforations, cutouts, or embossments – Use metal clasps, string ties, or metal f...

Print media tasks and tips 18 Card stock • Preprinting, perforation, and creasing can significantly affect the print quality and cause media handling or jamming problems. • Avoid using card stock that may release hazardous emissions when heated. • Do not use preprinted card stock manufactured with c...

Print media tasks and tips 19 Tips on preventing jams You can avoid most paper jams by correctly loading paper and specialty media in the printer. The following hints can help you avoid paper jams: • Do not load wrinkled, creased, or damp paper. • Never mix media types within a tray. • Flex, fan, an...

Print media tasks and tips 20 How to load the 250-sheet and 550-sheet trays Follow these instructions to load paper in the 250-sheet tray and 550-sheet tray. 1 Remove the tray. Note: If you are going to load legal or folio size paper, you have to extend the length of the paper tray. See “Extending t...

Print media tasks and tips 23 Extending the tray for legal or folio size paper To load legal or folio size paper, you need to extend the paper tray. You should also attach the dust cover on the back of the printer to protect the tray while it is extended. 1 Press down on the latch at the back of the...

Print media tasks and tips 24 How to load the manual feeder The manual feeder is located at the front of your printer and can only feed one sheet of print media at a time. You can use the manual feeder to make quick runs of paper types or sizes that are not currently loaded in the paper tray. For in...

Print media tasks and tips 25 How to use the rear exit The single-sheet rear exit provides a straight-through paper path to help reduce curling and potential jams. This is especially useful for specialty media, such as transparencies, envelopes, labels, card stock, or index cards. To use the rear ex...

Print media tasks and tips 26 How to clear paper jams When a paper jam occurs, the printer stops and the operator panel’s Paper Jam and Continue lights come on. Press and release Continue twice quickly to display the specific secondary error paper jam light sequence. See “Secondary error codes” on p...

Print media tasks and tips 28 4 Lift the flap at the front of the printer and remove any jams beneath the flap. 5 Open the rear exit and remove any jams. 6 After you have cleared the jams, reinstall the print cartridge assembly, make sure all printer covers and trays are closed, and then press Conti...

Printing tasks 29 3 Printing tasks Section Page How to manually feed a print job 30 How to print on both sides of the paper (manual duplex) 32 How to print multiple page images on one page (N-up printing) 34 How to print a booklet 35 How to print a poster 36 How to print on letterhead 37 How to canc...

Printing tasks 30 How to manually feed a print job The manual feeder is located at the front of your printer and can only feed one sheet of print media at a time. For information on acceptable print media to use in the manual feeder, see “What types of print media can be loaded?” on page 14 . When u...

Printing tasks 32 How to print on both sides of the paper (manual duplex) Printing on both sides of the paper reduces printing costs. Although you can use Tray 1 or the 550-sheet tray to print the first side of the duplex job, only use Tray 1 to print the second side. You can choose how you want you...

Printing tasks 33 4 Select either Long Edge or Short Edge. 5 Select Manual 2-sided printing. 6 Click the Paper tab. 7 Select the appropriate Input options for your print job. 8 Click OK. 9 Click OK on the Print window. The printer prints every other page of the document first. Once the first side of...

Printing tasks 34 How to print multiple page images on one page (N-up printing) The Multipage Printing (N-up) setting is used to print multiple page images on a single page. For example, 2-Up means two page images are printed on one page, 4-up means four page images are printed on one page, and so o...

Printing tasks 35 How to print a booklet The Booklet setting lets you print multiple pages in booklet form without having to re-format your document so the pages print in the proper order. The pages print so that the finished collated document may be folded along the center of each page to form a bo...

Printing tasks 36 How to print a poster The Poster setting lets you print a single image across several pages. Once printed, you can combine the pages to create one large image. 1 From the computer’s software application, select File Æ Print. 2 Click Properties (or Options, Printer, or Setup, depend...

Printing tasks 37 How to print on letterhead To print on letterhead, make sure the paper is loaded with the proper orientation. 1 Make sure the letterhead is properly loaded according to the paper source you are using: • Tray 1 or 2—Load the letterhead paper with the design side facing down. The top...

Printing tasks 38 How to cancel a print job A print job can be canceled from the operator panel or from your computer. The Cancel job light sequence is displayed on the operator panel while the job is being cancelled. From the printer operator panel Press and release Cancel to cancel the job current...

How to install options 39 4 How to install options Section Page How to access the system board 40 How to add a memory card 44 How to install a 550-sheet drawer 45 How to get the printer driver to recognize installed options 46

How to install options 40 How to access the system board To install a memory card you must access the printer system board. CAUTION: Turn the printer off and unplug the power cord before continuing. 1 Open the front cover by pressing the button on the left side of the printer and lowering the cover.

How to install options 43 How to reattach the system board cover When you are finished adding a memory card, be sure to properly reattach the system board’s metal cover. 1 Insert the two tabs on the right side of the metal plate into the holes toward the back of the system board and rotate the syste...

How to install options 44 How to add a memory card The system board has one connector for an optional memory card. The printer can support up to 128MB of additional memory (for a total of 144MB) for the Lexmark E234 and up to 128MB (for a total of 160MB) for the Lexmark E234n. CAUTION: If you are in...

How to install options 45 How to install a 550-sheet drawer Your printer supports one optional drawer that lets you load up to 550 sheets of paper. CAUTION: If you are installing a 550-sheet drawer after setting up the printer, turn the printer off and unplug the power cord before continuing. 1 Unpa...

How to install options 46 How to get the printer driver to recognize installed options After the printer is turned on, the printer driver should automatically recognize an option you installed. If it does not, you can add it manually. Note: If you have not installed your printer driver yet, follow t...

Using the operator panel 47 5 Using the operator panel Section Page Overview of the operator panel 48 Understanding the operator panel lights 49 Operator panel codes 54

Using the operator panel 48 Overview of the operator panel The operator panel has 5 lights and 2 buttons. Note: The Continue button also functions as a light. • Press and release Continue to resume printing. • Press and release Continue twice quickly to display a secondary error code. • Press and re...

Using the operator panel 49 Understanding the operator panel lights The operator panel lights mean different things, depending on their sequence. Lights that are off, on, and/or blinking indicate printer conditions such as printer status, intervention, or service. The following tables show the most ...

Using the operator panel 51 Secondary errors • When the Error and Continue lights are both on, a secondary error has occurred. • When the Paper Jam and Continue lights are both on, a paper jam secondary error has occurred. Press and release Continue twice quickly to display the secondary error code ...

Using the operator panel 52 Secondary Error codes Printe r c o ndit ion Paper jam codes Comple x page In su ffic ien t pr in te r m e m o ry In su ffic ien t colla tio n a re a Fo n t e rr o r P ape r jam a t t h e inp u t se nsor * P aper jam in the ma n ual f e e der P aper jams as it e x its th e...

Using the operator panel 54 Operator panel codes Below are explanations of what the primary light sequences, or codes, and secondary error codes mean and what you can do to clear them. Primary codes Ready / Power Saver Light sequence: • Ready—On What this light sequence means: • The printer is ready...

Using the operator panel 55 Busy Light sequence: • Ready—Blink What this light sequence means: • The printer is busy receiving and processing data or printing. • The printer is printing a directory, font list, menu settings pages, or Print Quality Test Pages. What you can do: • Busy: – Wait for the ...

Using the operator panel 56 Hex Trace Ready Waiting Light sequence: • Ready—Slow blink What this light sequence means: The printer is in the Ready mode and Hex Trace is active. What you can do: • Advanced users can use Hex Trace to help troubleshoot printing problems. After resolving the problem, tu...

Using the operator panel 57 Flushing / Resolution reduced Not ready Light sequence: • Ready—Blink • Error—Blink What this light sequence means: • The printer is flushing corrupted print data. • The printer is processing data or printing pages, but the resolution of a page in the current print job is...

Using the operator panel 58 Close door Load media Light sequence: • Error—On What this light sequence means: The printer door is open. What you can do: Close the door. Light sequence: • Continue—On • Load Paper—On What this light sequence means: The printer is out of media, or the media did not feed...

Using the operator panel 59 Load manual feeder Print side two of a duplex job Light sequence: • Continue—On • Load Paper—Blink What this light sequence means: The printer prompts you to load a single sheet of media in the manual feed. What you can do: • Load media, with the side to be printed facing...

Using the operator panel 60 Invalid engine code / Invalid network code Toner low Light sequence: • Ready—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The code in an internal print server has not been programmed, or the programmed code is not valid. What you can do: Download valid network code to th...

Using the operator panel 61 Photoconductor kit near full Replace photoconductor kit Light sequence: • Continue—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—Blink What this light sequence means: The photoconductor kit’s drum is almost full and will need replacing soon. Note: The Toner Alarm (see page 99) must be tu...

Using the operator panel 62 Replace photoconductor kit (printer hard stop) Unsupported toner cartridge / Toner cartridge is not installed Light sequence: • Continue—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—Blink • Error—Blink What this light sequence means: The photoconductor kit’s drum is full and needs repla...

Using the operator panel 63 Change invalid toner cartridge Programming engine code / Programming system code Light sequence: • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—On • Error—Blink What this light sequence means: The toner cartridge you are using was not designed for your printer. What you can do: Install a ton...

Using the operator panel 64 Cancel job / Reset printer Service error Light sequence: • Continue—On • Ready—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—On • Load Paper—On • Paper Jam—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: • The current print job is canceled. • The printer is resetting to the user default se...

Using the operator panel 65 Printer error Paper jam printer error Light sequence: • Continue—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The printer has one of the following errors: • Memory is full or is insufficient to save what is in the buffer. • A page is too complex to print or is shorter th...

Using the operator panel 66 Secondary error codes • When the Error and Continue lights are both on, a secondary error has occurred. • When the Paper Jam and Continue lights are both on, a paper jam secondary error has occurred. Press and release Continue twice quickly to display the secondary error ...

Using the operator panel 67 Paper jam at the input sensor Paper jam in the manual feeder Light sequence: • Continue—On • Ready—On • Paper Jam—On What this light sequence means: A paper jam has occurred at the input sensor, which can be either after the paper leaves the tray and enters the printer or...

Using the operator panel 68 Paper jams as it exits the tray into the printer Paper jams as a printed job exits the printer Light sequence: • Continue—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—On • Paper Jam—On What this light sequence means: A paper jam has occurred as the paper is exiting the paper tray and en...

Using the operator panel 69 Paper jam in Tray 1 Paper jam in Tray 2 Light sequence: • Continue—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—On • Load Paper—On • Paper Jam—On What this light sequence means: A paper jam has occurred in Tray 1. What you can do: Clear the paper jam. See “How to clear paper jams” on pa...

Using the operator panel 70 Complex page Insufficient printer memory Light sequence: • Continue—On • Ready—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The page may not print correctly because the print information on the page is too complex (that is, too large for the printer’s memory). What you c...

Using the operator panel 71 Insufficient collation area Light sequence: • Continue—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The printer memory does not have the free space necessary to collate the print job. This may happen due to one of these errors: • Memory is f...

Using the operator panel 72 Font error Network interface errors Light sequence: • Continue—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—Blink • Error—On What this light sequence means: The printer has received a request for a PPDS font which is not installed. What you can do: • Press and release Cancel to cancel t...

Using the operator panel 73 Error communicating with the host computer Host interface disabled Light sequence: • Continue—On • Paper Jam—Blink • Error—On What this light sequence means: The printer has lost the connection to an external print server (also called an external network adapter or ENA). ...

Using the operator panel 74 Memory full Light sequence: • Continue—On • Ready—On • Toner Low/Replace PC Kit—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The printer is processing data, but the memory used to store pages is full. What you can do: • Press Continue to clear the message and continue pr...

Using the operator panel 75 Short paper Light sequence: • Continue—On • Ready—On • Load Paper—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The paper length is too short to print the formatted data. This occurs when the printer does not know the media size loaded in the tray, or there is a problem f...

Using the operator panel 76 Invalid engine code Invalid network code Light sequence: • Ready—On • Load Paper—On • Error—On What this light sequence means: The code in an internal print server has not been programmed, or the programmed code is not valid. What you can do: Download valid engine code to...

Understanding the printer configuration menus 77 6 Understanding the printer configuration menus Printing the Printer Settings Configuration sheet To help resolve printing problems or to change printer configuration settings, advanced users can print the Printer Settings Configuration sheet for inst...

Understanding the printer configuration menus 78 Configuration menus overview Menus are represented by Ready , Toner Low/Replace PC Kit , Load Paper , and Paper Jam light sequences. Menu items and their settings are indicated by Error and Continue light sequences. • Press and release Cancel to advan...

Understanding the printer configuration menus 79 Network menu Use the Network menu to change printer settings on jobs sent through a network port (either Standard Network or Network Opt <x>). Setting Use this setting to: Values NPA Mode Send print jobs to the printer and query printer status i...

Understanding the printer configuration menus 80 Parallel menu Use the Parallel menu to change printer settings on jobs sent through a parallel port. Setup menu Use the Setup menu to configure how the printer formats the end of a line depending on the computer system being used. Setting Use this set...

Understanding the printer configuration menus 81 USB menu Use the USB menu to change printer settings on jobs sent through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. Utilities menu Use the Utilities menu to troubleshoot printer problems. Setting Use this setting to: Values NPA Mode Send print jobs to the pr...

Software and network tasks 83 How to install drivers for local printing A local printer is a printer attached to your computer using a USB or parallel cable. The printer driver is software that lets your computer communicate with your printer. The procedure to install drivers depends on the operatin...

Software and network tasks 84 5 Select Suggested, and then click Next. The Suggested option is the default installation for local and network-attached setup. If you need to install utilities, change settings, or customize device drivers, select Custom, and follow the instructions on your screen. 6 S...

Software and network tasks 86 Creating a queue in Print Center or Printer Setup Utility (depending on your version of Mac OS X) 1 Install a printer PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file on your computer. a Download the package for your printer from the Lexmark Web site at www.lexmark.com. After ...

Software and network tasks 87 Linux Local USB printing is supported on Linux platforms such as Red Hat and SuSE Linux. The Linux packages are available on the drivers CD and on our Lexmark Web site at www.lexmark.com. The User’s Guide in each package gives detailed instructions for installing and us...

Software and network tasks 88 How to print the menu settings and network setup pages To print the menu settings page and network setup page, press the Continue button from the Ready state. • On the menu settings page: – Verify that the options you installed are correctly listed under “Installed Feat...

Software and network tasks 89 How to configure for TCP/IP If you have TCP/IP available on your network, we recommend that you assign an IP address to the printer. Assigning a printer IP address If your network is using DHCP, an IP address is automatically assigned after you connect the network cable...

Software and network tasks 90 How to set up the printer for network printing After you have assigned and verified the TCP/IP settings (see “How to configure for TCP/IP” on page 89), you are ready to install the printer drivers on each network computer. Windows In Windows environments, network printe...

Software and network tasks 92 Shared printing from a server using Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 After connecting your printer to a Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 computer (which will act as a server), follow these steps to configure your network ...

Software and network tasks 93 6 Click OK . Note: If you are missing files, you may be prompted to provide the server operating system CD. 7 Check the following to make sure the printer was successfully shared. • The printer object in the Printers folder now has a shared indicator. For example, in Wi...

Software and network tasks 94 4 Select the network printer from the Shared printers list. If the printer is not listed, enter the path of the printer in the text box. The path will look similar to the following: \\<server host name>\<shared printer name> The server host name is the name ...

Software and network tasks 95 Macintosh (Web) Note: A PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file provides detailed information about the capabilities of a printer to your Macintosh computer. To print to a network printer, each Macintosh user must install a custom PostScript Printer Description (PPD) ...

Software and network tasks 96 • If the PPD file displayed in the PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file portion of the menu is correct for your printer, then printer setup is complete. • If the PPD file displayed in the PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file portion of the menu is not correct ...

Software and network tasks 97 6 Verify printer installation: a Click Applications Æ TextEdit. b Choose File Æ Print Æ Summary. The Summary window shows the PPD installed for your printer. • If the PPD file displayed in the Summary window is correct for your printer, then printer setup is complete. •...

Software and network tasks 98 Using the printer resident Web page If you have a network model, your printer has a resident Web page which you can access from your browser. To access the resident Web page, type the printer’s IP address in the URL address field of your browser (for example, http://192...

Software and network tasks 99 Using the Local Printer Settings Utility The Local Printer Settings Utility, located on the drivers CD, lets you change printer settings not available from your printer driver (for example, activating Alarm Control if you want the printer to sound an alarm when it needs...

Supplies information 100 8 Supplies information Section Page What supplies do I need and how do I order them? 101 How to conserve supplies 101 How to know when you need new supplies 102 How to change a toner cartridge 104 Lexmark Return Program 107 Recycling Lexmark products 107 How to change a phot...

Supplies information 101 What supplies do I need and how do I order them? There are only two supply items that have to be replaced on a regular basis: the toner cartridge and the photoconductor kit, which together comprise the print cartridge assembly. The photoconductor kit typically lasts up to 30...

Supplies information 102 How to know when you need new supplies The following sections describe a couple ways to determine when new supplies are needed. Checking the toner and photoconductor levels You can determine approximately how much toner is left in your cartridge and how full the photoconduct...

Supplies information 103 Recognizing the operator panel light sequences The operator panel displays certain light sequences to let you know when the toner level is low or when it’s time to replace the photoconductor kit. Note: The operator panel may also display other light sequences in conjunction ...

Supplies information 104 How to change a toner cartridge Warning: When replacing a toner cartridge, do not leave the new cartridge exposed to direct light for an extended period of time. Extended light exposure can cause print quality problems. 1 Open the front cover by pressing the button on the le...

Supplies information 105 2 Remove the toner cartridge: a Press the button on the base of the print cartridge assembly. b Pull the toner cartridge up and out using the handle. 3 Unpack the new toner cartridge. Note: You can use the packing material from the new cartridge to ship the old cartridge bac...

Supplies information 107 Lexmark Return Program The Lexmark Return Program is an environmental program in which Lexmark sells new toner cartridges at a special price with the agreement that you will return them, at no cost, only to Lexmark for recycling. Regular toner cartridges without this agreeme...

Supplies information 108 How to change a photoconductor kit Warning: When replacing a photoconductor kit, do not leave the toner cartridge or the new photoconductor kit exposed to direct light for an extended period of time. Extended light exposure can cause print quality problems. 1 Open the front ...

Supplies information 109 2 Pull the print cartridge assembly out of the printer by pulling on the toner cartridge handle. Note: Do not press the button on the print cartridge assembly. Place the print cartridge assembly on a flat, clean surface. 3 Remove the toner cartridge: a Press the button on th...

Troubleshooting 111 9 Troubleshooting Section Page General problems 112 Print quality problems 114 • How to clean the printhead lens 118

Troubleshooting 112 General problems Problem / Question Solution / Answer What do the blinking lights mean? See “Understanding the operator panel lights” on page 49 for information about what each light pattern means. Why am I missing characters when I print on envelopes? If you see voids (missing c...

Troubleshooting 114 Print quality problems You can solve many print quality problems by replacing a supply or maintenance item that has reached the end of its intended life. Use the following table to find solutions to print quality problems. Symptom Cause Solution White lines • The printhead lens i...

Troubleshooting 118 How to clean the printhead lens You can solve some print quality problems by cleaning the printhead lens. 1 Turn the printer off. 2 Open the front cover by pressing the button on the left side of the printer and lowering the cover.

Index 121 Index Numerics 550-sheet drawer 45 A Auto CR after LF (Setup menu) 80 Auto LF after CR (Setup menu) 80 B booklets 35Busy light 55buttons 48 C canceling a print job 38card stock 18cleaning the printhead lens 118 clearing paper jams 26configuration menus Network MAC Binary PS 79NPA Mode 79Se...