Epson FX-286 User Manual - Page 37

Chapter 2 Using the FX-286 with Commercial Software You've now completed setting up your new FX-286 printer and the self test has confirmed that the printer is operating correctly. You're ready to print your first document. Although you could use BASIC or another language for your first effort, a word processor will probably make things easier, and also give you a chance to explore the capabilities of the FX-286 printer. Using the FX-286 with Word Processors Most word processing programs support the Epson FX printers because of their widespread use and standardized print codes. To use the FX-286 with most word processing programs, all you have to do is to tell the program that you are using an Epson FX printer. When you do this, the word processing program automatically sends the correct information to the printer. This process is normally part of the setup or installation process. Many word processors have special utility programs for different printers, called printer drivers. This is usually a short question-andanswer session in which the program asks two or three basic questions. To set up a program for use with the FX-286, give the following answers. Question What computer are you using? Answer The name of your computer What printer are you using? FX-286 (see following paragraph for additional explanation) What type of interface are you using? Parallel or serial, depending on your cable and computer 2-1