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ViewPlus Ink Attachment Manual
Revision: 20080227






























Table of Contents


I.   Introduction

A.  Preface

B.  FCC Compliance Statement

C.  Safety Instructions

D.  Specifications

II.   Installation

A.  Items in the Box

B.  Unpacking

C.  Installing the Hardware

D.  Installing the Printer Driver

E.  Installing Tiger Software Suite

III.   Set Defaults for Printer

A.  Windows Printer Defaults

IV.   Braille, Translation and Printing

A.  ViewPlus Tiger Software Suite (TSS)

B.  Fonts

C.  Math and Braille

D.  Printing First Documents

V.   Ink Attachment Maintenance

A.  Ink Attachment Maintenance Menu

B.  Ink-Emboss Alignment

C.  Replacing the Ink Cartridges

VI.   Support, Maintenance and Warranty

A.  Training and Support Packages

B.  Maintenance

C.  Warranty









I. Introduction

A.   Preface

ViewPlus Ink Attachment
For your Pro Embosser
User's Manual

Congratulations on owning a ViewPlus Ink Attachment!

This HP Inkjet device transforms your ViewPlus Pro to an embossing printer. This manual will introduce you to the basic information regarding your newly converted embossing printer. The ViewPlus Technologies web site is another resource for information on your ViewPlus embosser including examples, tutorials, and other useful downloads.
 
Keep up to date by checking the ViewPlus Technologies website at: http://www.ViewPlus.com
 
Model Number VPT9009-00
USER'S Manual


B.   FCC Compliance Statement

Compliance Statement (USA)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
  • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
  • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. 
FCC Warning: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Compliance Statement (Canada)
This digital apparatus is in conformity with standard NMB-003 of Canada.
Cet appareil numérique est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
 
Compliance Statement (Germany)
Bescheinigung des Herstellers/Importeurs:
Hiermit wird bescheinigt, dass der Drucker der Maschinenlärminformationsverordnung 3. GSGV, 18.01.1991 entspricht: Der höchste Schalldruckpegel beträgt 70 dB(A) oder weniger gemäß EN27779-1991.
 
Compliance Statement (Europe)
Warning: This product meets the interference requirements of EN55022. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio interference in which case, the user may be required to take adequate measures.
 
Compliance Statement (Korea)
This apparatus complies with CISPR22 requirements.
 
International Compliance
 
EN55022:1994              Emissions series
EN55024:1998              Immunity characteristics
EN61000-3-2:1995        Power line harmonics
EN61000-3-3:1995        Power line flicker
EN61000-4-2:1995        Electrostatic discharge
EN61000-4-3:1995        Radiated susceptibility
EN61000-4-4:1995        Electrical fast transient/burst
EN61000-4-5:1995        Surge
EN61000-4-6:1996        Conducted immunity
EN61000-4-11:1994      Input voltage interruptions/DIPS


C.   Safety Instructions

Read all the following safety instructions before using the ViewPlus Pro Ink Attachment. In addition, always follow all warnings and instructions marked on the printer itself. All safety instructions listed in your ViewPlus Pro manual continue to apply. 
  • Do not place printer with the ink attachment on an unstable surface.
  • Do not place printer with the ink attachment near a radiator or heat source.
  • Do not block or cover slots and openings in the printer's cabinet; do not insert objects through slots.
  • Use only the type of power source indicated on printer's label.
  • Connect all equipment to properly grounded electrical outlets.
  • Do not connect the ink attachment to any external power supply.
  • Do not use frayed or damaged power cord.
  • The use of an extension cord with the printer is not recommended.
  • Detach printer from power during the ink attachment installation or removing process.
  • Unplug printer before cleaning it; always clean it with a piece of damp cloth only.
  • Do not spill liquid into printer or the ink attachment.
  • Except as specifically explained in the user's manual, do not attempt to service the printer by yourself.
  • Detach the printer from power source and refer to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
    • If the power cord or plug is damaged 
    • If liquid has entered the printer or the ink attachment.
    • If printer or ink attachment have been dropped or the cabinet is damaged.
    • If the printer or ink attachment do not operate properly or exhibits a distinct change in performance.
  • Only adjust those controls that are covered by the operating instructions.


D.   Specifications

 
ViewPlus Ink Attachment for the Pro Embosser
Character Sets
Use any font at any size
Print Resolution
100 dots per inch
Print Speed
100 combined print & braille characters per second in draft mode using text produced with ViewPlus Formatter
Print Mechanism
Uses two HP C6602A cartridges, capacity: 15mg of ink, equals approx. 7 million characters
Paper Feed Method
Tractor feed only
Paper Size
Any tractor-fed Braille or office paper 4-16 inches wide
Paper Weight
Any weight from thin computer paper (starting at 75 g/m2) to thick card stock, photo paper or Braille paper (up to 230 g/m2)
Ink Attachment Dimensions
     Length
     Width
     Height
     Weight
 
6.0 inches (15.2 cm)
29.6 inches (75.3 cm)
5.8 inches (14.7 cm)
11.4 pounds (5.171 kg)
Ink Attachment Materials
     Case
     Base
 
UL approved High Impact Polystyrene
Stainless Steel
Connectivity
USB and Parallel connection through ViewPlus Pro
Power Consumption
Standby < 0.5 W
Average Print 100 mA @ 5 V, 1 A @ 38 V
Computer Requirements
     Operating System
     Memory
 
Windows 2000 or later
256 MB or more
Embosser Requirements
     Embosser type
     Firmware
 
ViewPlus Pro
Version 3.0.0 or later (if your embosser was purchased before 1/1/04, please contact ViewPlus Technologies for a free firmware upgrade)





II. Installation

A.   Items in the Box

  • 1 Ink Attachment Unit
  • 1 Installation CD with User's Manual in html
  • 2 Ink Cartridges


B.   Unpacking

Please save the original box and packing materials. If for any reason you need to ship your unit in the future, you must properly re-pack it for protection against damage during shipping.
 
With your ViewPlus Pro Embosser close by, carefully remove the Ink Attachment unit for installation. The print head in the Pro Ink Attachment has been secured for shipment with a green tie. Please remove this tie before continuing the installation process. To access the tie, remove the warning label and slide open the ink cartridge door. The printhead and the tie should then be visible and the tie can be easily removed.
 

Printhead with green tie that needs to be removed before use.


C.   Installing the Hardware

Please follow the easy steps that are part of your Setup Instructions to install your Pro Ink Attachment. They can also be found on your installation CD.



D.   Installing the Printer Driver

If you have previously installed a ViewPlus embosser, old driver files must be removed before installing new ones. To remove previous versions of Tiger Professional files:
    • Insert the installation CD.
    • Explore your system until you get to your CD drive (drive "D:" on most computers). 
    • Right click on your CD drive and choose "Open" from the menu. 
    • Double click the "TigerCleanUp" file. 
    • A dialog box will pop up informing users that "This will remove old Tiger Professional files from your system". Click OK. 
    • When the files have been deleted, another dialog box will pop up informing the user that the files have been removed. Click OK. 
    • You may now proceed with ViewPlus Pro Ink installation. Note: If you had a previous version of Tiger Professional software installed on your computer, you MUST reboot your computer in step 2 of the ViewPlus Pro installation. 
Please follow the easy steps that are part of your Setup Instructions to install your Tiger driver. They can also be found on your installation CD.



    E.   Installing Tiger Software Suite

    To use your Pro Ink Attachment to its full potential, installation of the Tiger Software Suite 2.0 or above is necessary. The Tiger Software Suite is part of your embosser package. Instructions for installation and use come with the software package.





    III. Set Defaults for Printer

    A.   Windows Printer Defaults

    After installation and setup are completed, changing your default settings to settings that will be used the most often will save time in the future.
     
    To set the default settings on your printer, enter the printer properties page for your Pro Series embosser through Start>Printers and Faxes on Windows XP or Start>Settings>Control Panel>Printers and Faxes on Windows XP, right click on your Pro Ink embosser and choose 'Printer Properties'. Within the Tiger Tab of the properties window, you'll find several new options.
     
    The Quality Settings for the ink output include a setting for Dithering which determines the pattern for printing grey areas, and Print Quality to choose between draft, normal, or best. The print quality setting determines how much ink is used by the Ink Attachment for printing. In Draft mode the Ink Attachment only prints a single amount of ink per character onto the paper. In normal mode the Ink Attachment uses twice the amount of ink per character. In Best mode the Ink Attachment uses the same amount of ink as in Normal mode, but the ink head sweeps twice over the paper. This results in four times the amount of ink used per character.
     
    Under How to Print, you can choose solely emboss output, only ink output, or both. If you check Emboss the printer will emboss every page. If you check Ink the printer will print every page in ink. If you check both Emboss and Ink, the printer will print and emboss every page combined. If you check 2 in 1 the printer will emboss all odd pages and ink every next even page on top of the preceding odd page.
     
    Note: The 2 in 1 option has the higher priority, so if you check all three boxes the outcome will be as if you only checked 2 in 1.





    IV. Braille, Translation and Printing

    A.   ViewPlus Tiger Software Suite (TSS)

    Most braille should be produced using the Tiger Software Suite. The Tiger Software Suite is part of your embosser package. Instructions for installation and use come with the software package.


    B.   Fonts

    Tiger screen fonts are alternative braille fonts installed during the installation of the ViewPlus embosser driver. They can be chosen as output options in Tiger Software Suite (TSS) and other software programs, like MathType. Tiger screen fonts appear as standard text characters on the screen and print as braille dot patterns.
     
    It is very important to use the default font size and spacing for braille fonts. If the font size or spacing is changed, the braille will not be printed with the correct standards. For Tiger fonts, a point size of 36 is suggested. Most other braille fonts will use a point size of 29.
     
    Characters or text not translated to braille will print as graphic images of the visual character.This enables embossing of visual print characters. More information about the fonts included can be found on your installation CD in the Tiger/Docs folder. 


    C.   Math and Braille

    MathType by Design Science can be used with the Tiger fonts for producing spatial math equations. More information on MathType can be found on the ViewPlus website.


    D.   Printing First Documents

    Now that the installation and printer default setup is complete, you should be set to print a document. These are the steps that you should follow to print: 
    • Open the document to be printed.
    • Open the program's File menu and choose Print.
    • On the Print dialog, make sure a ViewPlus embosser is selected. Click on the printer properties button and ensure that the correct paper size and Tiger printing options are selected. Click OK on the printer properties dialog when you are finished. Then click OK on the Print dialog to start the print job.
    • If you are using form feed paper when the printer is finished, take the printer offline and press the up arrow button to advance the paper enough so you can detach it. Press the down arrow button after you have detached the paper to move the paper to the ready position. The printer will automatically be turned online.
    • There are example documents and tips for using various Windows applications at: http://www.viewplus.com
     
     





    V. Ink Attachment Maintenance

    A.   Ink Attachment Maintenance Menu

    After installation, an Ink Attachment Maintenance Menu supplement can be found with your Pro unit's operator panel.
     
    Press on the Pro's Menu button to enter the ViewPlus Pro Ink printer's Main Menu. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to get to the 'Advanced menu >' option. Press SELECT to enter. Use the UP and DOWN keys again to look for the menu item 'Inkjet >'. This item appears only after the Ink Attachment option is installed. Press SELECT to enter the Inkjet maintenance menu.
     
    Navigating through the sub menu with the UP and DOWN keys will lead to following information (given in written and spoken messages). Press the SELECT button to enter any the following submenus:
    • Fill status of the two inkjet cartridges which is displayed in percentage from 100% (full cartridge) down to 1%.
    • The ink attachment firmware revision number.
    • The product serial number, which can be accessed by pressing SELECT from this sub menu item.
    • The Ink-Emboss Alignment submenu ('Ink-Emb align >'). Press SELECT to enter this sub menu. See the next section for further explanation. 
    Exit the menu level by level using the BACK key, or press ONLINE to leave the Main Menu altogether in one step.


    B.   Ink-Emboss Alignment

    The Ink-Emboss Alignment Menu can be entered through the Ink Attachment Maintenance Menu. SELECT menu item 'Ink-Emb align >'. This menu will give you the option to print a calibration pattern, and to set an alignment value.
     
    Print the pattern first by pressing SELECT when menu item 'Print ink align.' appears. The printer will emboss and overprint a row of rectangular shapes. Numbers will be printed below each rectangle.
     
     
    Picture shows example print out of an Ink-Emboss calibration pattern.
     
    Look for the box where the ink and embossed shape overlay the best. Then go to menu item 'Set InkEmb alig.' and press SELECT. Use the UP and DOWN keys to choose the value which is written underneath your selected box on the paper. Press SELECT to save the setting.


    C.   Replacing the Ink Cartridges

    To replace ink cartridges slide open the top panel on the Ink Attachment housing all the way. The carriage will automatically move into position so that the cartridges are accessible through the opening. The ViewPlus Pro Ink will display 'Housing open!' to notify the user of an open Ink Attachment housing. Pull upwards on the tail of the cartridge to remove a cartridge.
     
    Unpack a new cartridge to load. Be sure to remove the little plastic strip covering the cartridges' nozzle. Insert the new cartridge before you close the Ink Attachment housing again; otherwise the printer will report an error of an inkjet cartridge missing, but it will print anyway. When you close the ink housing after replacing a cartridge, the printer will perform a cleaning procedure.
     
    The printer will recognize that an ink cartridge has been exchanged and display 'Repl. Cart. 1? SELECT'. Press SELECT to confirm if you put in a new cartridge. SELECT will reset the cartridge ink level counter. Any other button will NOT reset the ink level counter and the printer will not be able to display the correct ink fill status for the lifetime of this new cartridge. To cancel this interrogation press ONLINE.
     
    The cleaning procedure will also test the integrity of the ink cartridges. It will test every nozzle and show an error message if there is a problem with one of the cartridges. In this case, one or more of the nozzles of an ink cartridge are damaged and new ink cartridge is needed. If you continue printing with a damaged cartridge, the printout will not be correct.





    VI. Support, Maintenance and Warranty

    A.   Training and Support Packages

    Tutorials and other support materials are available on the ViewPlus website. For these resources and other support inquiries, please visit http://www.viewplus.com/support.
     
    Additional training and support is available for purchase through your authorized ViewPlus distributor or from ViewPlus Technologies.



    B.   Maintenance

    It is important to choose a suitable location for the ViewPlus embosser. The cable length between the printer and the host computer should not exceed ten feet (three meters). The location should be sturdy and flat. The printer should not be exposed to direct sunlight, extreme heat, cold, dust or humidity. The AC power outlet must be compatible with the plug of the printer's power cord. Dot quality should be monitored; poor alignment can cause permanent damage to the platen of the ViewPlus embosser.
     
    Software updates can be downloaded from the ViewPlus Technologies web site. You should occasionally check the website for the latest developments. 


    C.   Warranty

    ViewPlus Technologies has a 1 year full parts and service warranty for the ViewPlus Pro Ink Attachment. There is a 30 day unconditional return policy in US.
     
    The full warranty information was shipped with your ViewPlus embosser. In order to get service and technical support, it is necessary to completely fill out and return the warranty form. You will be asked for the serial number of your ViewPlus embosser when you call for support or request online support. There are several ways to register the warranty: 
    • To register by mail, complete the warranty form, cut it out, and mail it to ViewPlus Technologies.
    • To register by fax, complete the form and fax it to ViewPlus Technologies at (541) 738-6505.
    • To register online, access our website at http://www.viewplus.com/support/warranty/