INSTALLATION AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Autodesk Device Interface driver for
EPSON ink jet printers for
AutoCAD 386 DOS Extender
Releases 10, 11, 12 and 13
Driver version 2.10
IMPORTANT NOTICE - DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
This ADI driver was developed by Seiko Epson Corporation.
It is supported by Epson, not Autodesk.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
(c) Copyright 1995 Seiko Epson Corporation
All Rights Reserved
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Autodesk, AutoCAD and ADI are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk Device Interface is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc.
ABOUT THESE INSTRUCTIONS
This document explains the installation and use of Epson's protected-
mode Autodesk Device Interface (ADI) plotter driver designed for use
with Epson's ESC/P 2 ink jet printers and AutoCAD 386. This driver
makes your Epson printer operate as an AutoCAD plotter. You can use
the driver with AutoCAD 386 (DOS Extender) Releases 10 and higher
that support ADI plotter drivers.
In addition to these instructions, please read the AutoCAD
Installation and Performance Guide concerning plotting with
protected-mode ADI devices, the AutoCAD User's Guide section on
plotting, and your printer's User's Guide.
INSTALLING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
To install the driver, copy the driver file PLEPSIJ.EXP from the
distribution media to the directory on your hard disk that
contains AutoCAD driver files.
AutoCAD plotter-driver files have the form: PL*.EXP. These files
start with the letters PL and have the extension .EXP. The location
of plotter-driver files depends on the release of AutoCAD.
Usually, the plotter-driver files are located in the directories
listed below in Table 1.
Table 1
AutoCAD AutoCAD driver directory,
Release location of plotter-driver files
------- --------------------------------
13 C:\ACADR13\DOS\DRV
12 C:\ACAD\DRV
10, 11 C:\ACAD
Install the driver file using the COPY command at a DOS
prompt. Use the appropriate command listed below in Table 2 for your
release.
Table 2
AutoCAD
Release COPY command to install driver file
------- -----------------------------------
13 COPY A:\PLEPSIJ.EXP C:\ACADR13\DOS\DRV\PLEPSIJ.EXP
12 COPY A:\PLEPSIJ.EXP C:\ACAD\DRV\PLEPSIJ.EXP
10, 11 COPY A:\PLEPSIJ.EXP C:\ACAD\ADIPLOT.EXP
If the distribution disk is not in drive A, or the driver file is not in
the A drive root directory, substitute the correct drive and directory
for "A:\".
If your AutoCAD plotter driver files are on a different drive or in a
different subdirectory, substitute the correct drive and directory name.
Note: for Releases 10 and 11, you must change the name of the driver
file in the driver directory to the special name "ADIPLOT.EXP". The
Release 10 and 11 copy command listed above changes the name as you
copy the file. For Releases 12 and 13, copy the driver file name
"PLEPSIJ.EXP" without change into the driver directory.
CONFIGURING AUTOCAD
You need to configure your printer as an AutoCAD plotter before
you can plot.
1. Start AutoCAD.
2. Release 13: Choose Configure under the OPTIONS menu or
enter "CONFIG" at AutoCAD's command prompt.
Release 12: Choose Configure under the FILE menu or
enter "CONFIG" at AutoCAD's command prompt.
Releases 10 & ll: Select "Configure AutoCAD" from
AutoCAD's Main Menu.
3. Your current configuration will be displayed.
Press Enter until the AutoCAD configuration menu appears.
4. Select "Configure plotter".
(Do not select "Configure printer-plotter" in Releases 10 & 11.)
5. Releases 12 & 13: Choose "Add a plotter." AutoCAD will display
the plotters which have drivers available.
"Epson ESCP/2 Ink Jet printers" should appear
as one of the plotter choices. Choose this.
If it does not appear, check the installation of
the driver file using the directions above.
Releases 10 & 11: Select "ADI P386 plotter" from the list of
displayed plotters.
6. Select your printer model and answer the screen prompts to
configure settings for the printer. Additional information
on the printer settings is provided below.
7. After you are done changing the Epson printer settings,
answer any additional screen prompts about plot settings and
printer ports.
8. Exit from AutoCAD's configuration process. Make sure you save
your configuration when prompted to do so.
EPSON PRINTER SETTINGS
During configuration, you see a menu of Epson printer settings.
Enter the desired number to change any of the settings. Information
on some of the settings is provided below.
Paper-save mode
If you set the paper-save mode to yes, the printer will suppress
plotting of blank areas at the top and bottom of the plot in order to
save paper. We recommend that this feature be turned on when you are
using continuous fan-fold paper. If you are using cut sheet paper,
it is best to set paper save mode to no
Paper size
Set the size of the paper that you load into your printer. If the
paper size that you want does not appear in the menu, change the
paper feed setting to get additional paper size choices for different
paper feed method methods.
You can also select a user-defined paper size. Feed the shorter edge
of a user-defined paper into the printer.
Microweave
Microweave, which provides smoother printing of shaded regions,
is available on certain printer models. Set microweave to yes for
best print quality. Set microweave to no for fastest plots.
Maximum megabytes of RAM to use
This setting tells the driver how much memory it can request from
AutoCAD. The plotter driver composes the plot image in the
computer's RAM (Random Access Memory) before it sends the data to the
printer. To optimize plotting speed, allocate as much RAM as
possible; however, make sure this setting is less than the amount of
actual memory that is available to AutoCAD. Caution: if the setting
is larger than AutoCAD's available actual memory, AutoCAD will swap
itself and the driver data in and out of memory during plotting,
causing extremely long plot times.
Line width units
Among the options for Releases 10 and 11, you can select the units
for setting line widths. Line widths will be specified as integer
values multiplied by the units that you select.
PLOTTING
Make sure your printer is connected, turned on, and on-line.
Releases 12 & 13
1. Issue the Plot command from within the drawing editor.
A plot configuration dialogue box will appear, allowing you to
check and change the plot settings.
2. Choose the "Device and Default Selection" button to select the
Epson printer as the current plotter.
3. Choose the "Change Device Requirements" button to make changes
to the Epson printer settings.
4. In the main plot configuration dialogue box, use the
"Pen Assignments" button to change the printed colors and
line thicknesses.
5. Make any additional changes to the settings in the plot
configuration dialogue box.
6. Press Enter or select OK to start printing.
Releases 10 and 11
1. Either issue the Plot command from within the drawing editor,
or select the plot file option from AutoCAD's main menu.
2. Select the portion of your drawing that you want to plot.
3. AutoCAD will display the Epson printer settings and AutoCAD's
plot settings. You will be asked:
Do you want to change anything? <N>
Answer yes if you want to change anything. Otherwise, press
ENTER to proceed plotting with the displayed settings.
Note: You must also answer yes to display the current color, pen
and linetype settings in order to change pens and line types.
If you do answer yes in order to make changes, you will see a table
of entity colors, the associated pen numbers, and line types or
widths. If you again answer yes when asked, you can reassign
pen numbers (colors) and line types (line widths) to each entity
color. Review the suggestions given below on line width choices.
The default linetype for each color after initial configuration is
set to 0.01 inches. Change these pen and linetype assignments now
if you desire. AutoCAD will remember your changes between plots.
4. Answer any remaining screen prompts and printing will begin.
STOPPING THE PLOT
To stop the plot while AutoCAD is sending data to the printer, press
Control-C. In release 10, type STOP and press Enter.
LINE WIDTHS
When plotting lines more than one dot wide, be careful when setting
the plot region of your drawing. If a wide line is along the edge
of the selected plot area, part of the line may extend over the
edge where it will not print. For example: if you choose "extents"
to select your plot region with a drawing that includes a wide border
line, AutoCAD assumes the plot extends only to the center of the
border line and does not print the outer half of the line. The
border line will end up only half as wide as you expected. To avoid
this, select the plot region using a window or a view that includes
extra space to plot the wide lines.
In Releases 12 & 13, set the line width directly for each drawing
color. Choose the Pen Assignments button on the plot configuration
dialogue box.
In Releases 10 and 11, AutoCAD assigns a plotter pen and a printer
linetype to each color in your drawing. You can adjust these
assignments at each plot time. The driver and printer use the
linetype value (0 to 255) to set the width of the plotted lines. You
are asked, during initial configuration, to select the units used to
set the line widths. Line type 0 is always the minimum that the
printer can produce. Choices for units are 1 mm, 0.1 mm, .01 inch,
and .005 inch.
Also in AutoCAD Releases 10 and 11, be careful with filled solids and
wide polylines. AutoCAD expects a specific pen width (usually 0.01
inches) for drawing filled entities with multiple line passes. To
plot filled entities, change AutoCAD's pen width setting to the same
as your linetype choice for these entities. AutoCAD asks for a
default pen width during the configuration dialogue, and you can
reset AutoCAD's pen width setting before each plot.
COLORS
You can assign a different printer pen color to each color in your
drawing. Generally, use the default assignments where the drawing
color number equals the printer pen color number. Note: AutoCAD
labels drawing color number 7 as "white", but the printer pen number
7 prints as solid black. Pen 8 is also solid black, but on a color
printer pen 8 always prints black using a composite mixture of the
color inks.
In Releases 12 & 13, 255 different printer pen colors can be plotted
at the same time. Choose the Pen Assignments button on the plot
configuration dialogue box.
In Releases 10 and 11, AutoCAD limits you to only 15 of the 255
different printer pen colors in the plot at one time. You will be
able to assign a pen number to only the first 15 drawing colors in
your drawing. Any drawing color above 15 will plot in the pen color
assigned to drawing color 15. For Releases 10 and 11, use only
colors 1 through 15 in creating your drawing. Then, when plotting,
you can reassign any of the 255 pen colors to the first 15 drawing
colors.
SPOOLING
In Releases 11 through 13 the driver uses AutoCAD dispatcher
functions for all communication with the printer. As a result, the
driver supports the use of an optional separate spooler. The use and
configuration of a spooler is described in your AutoCAD Installation
and Performance Guide.
USE PLOT-TO-FILE TO PLOT TO PORT
You can use AutoCAD's plot-to-file feature to send the plot output to
a file, and also to direct the output to one of the computer's ports
such as LPT1 or COM1. Using plot-to-file to plot to a port is useful
in the following situations.
Avoid the stop after plot setup: After you have requested a plot
from AutoCAD, AutoCAD normally pauses for hardware set up. To
resume, you must press Enter. To avoid this stop every time you
request a plot, use plot-to-file to plot to a port.
Network printing: The driver uses special AutoCAD functions
to transfer printer data to the computer's parallel or serial ports.
This enables AutoCAD to redirect data for AutoCAD's spooling and
plot-to-file features. However, because AutoCAD uses low level
functions to access the port controllers, network software may not be
able to capture plot data directed to a port. Also, before sending
data, AutoCAD queries the port. In a network setup or with a printer
switch box, the port may appear "not ready" to AutoCAD and the plot
will never get going. If you are having problems transferring data
to a network or a switch box, the solution may be to route the plot
data through AutoCAD's "plot-to-file" feature. Then AutoCAD will use
higher-level operating system functions to transfer data to the port.
The network or switch box should then be able to capture the data.
Follow these steps to configure AutoCAD to use plot-to-file to
plot to a port:
A. Configure default plot file name.
1. Choose Configure, from AutoCAD's main menu, or under the Files
pull-down menu (Release 12), or under the Options menu (Release 13).
2. Choose Configure operating parameters.
3. Choose Default plot file name.
4. For the file name, enter the name of the port from which
the network will be expecting to capture plot data. Examples
are: LPT1, LPT2, or COM1. Enter just the four characters of
the port name, without a period or extension. If your network
requires plot to an actual file, enter that directory and file
name instead.
B. Configure plotter.
1. If you have not yet configured the plotter driver in AutoCAD,
follow the instructions above in the section CONFIGURING AUTODAD.
2. Since you will be plotting to a file, don't worry about any
questions asking you to select the port. Just choose anything.
3. When you get to the question that asks "Do you want to plot to
a file?", enter Yes.
C. At plot time.
1. Set up the plot as described in the PLOTTING section above.
2. Release 12 or 13:
In the Plot Configuration dialogue box, set the "plot to
file" box if it doesn't have an X. You shouldn't have
to, but if you do select the "File Name" button, enter the
networks expected port name as described above in A. After
entering the port name (without a period or extension) you may
get a message "The specified file already exists. Do you want to
replace it?". No problem, because it's a port and will always
already exist. Answer yes. Finish up the plot configuration and
the press Enter or OK to begin printing.
Releases 10 or 11
Check the list of plot settings that AutoCAD will display.
Included is a line: "Plot will (not) be written to a selected file."
If the plot will not be written to a file, then enter yes to change
the settings. Then answer yes to the question "Write plot to file?"
when you get to it.
If the plot will already be written to a file, and your other plot
settings are correct, enter no to proceed with the plot.
---------- END OF INSTALLATION AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ----------
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.