Pitney Bowes Addressright Da500 User Manual

TM  
AddressRight Printer  
DA500/DA550  
Operator Guide  
US English Version  
Notice  
The use of this information by the recipient or others for purposes other  
than the repair, adjustment or operation of Pitney Bowes equipment  
may constitute an infringement of patent and/or other intellectual  
property rights of Pitney Bowes or others. Pitney Bowes assumes no  
responsibility for any such use of the information.  
Except as provided in writing, duly signed by an officer of Pitney Bowes,  
no license, either express or implied, under any Pitney Bowes or any third  
party’s patent, copyright, or other intellectual property rights is granted  
by providing this information.  
SV61026 Rev. B  
Second Edition, July, 2004.  
©2004 Pitney Bowes Inc. All rights reserved.  
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any fashion or stored in a  
retrieval system of any type or transmitted by any means, electronically or me-  
chanically, without the express written permission of Pitney Bowes.  
We have made every reasonable effort to assure the accuracy and usefulness of  
this manual, however we can not assume responsibility for errors or omissions or  
liability for the misuse or misapplication of our products.  
Envelope Designer and SmartMailer are registered trademarks of Pitney Bowes,  
Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft  
Corporation.  
NOTE: DA500/DA550  
The similarity of the DA500 and DA550 printers allows their features and operation  
to be documented together. The principle difference in these printers is that the  
DA550 is a color printer that uses both a black and color ink cartridge. The DA500  
only uses a black ink cartridge.  
The photos and illustrations in this document are of the DA550 printer, but repre-  
sentative of each printer.  
Table of Contents  
Chapter 1, DA500/DA550 Overview  
Welcome to the DA500/DA550 ................................... 1-2  
Using This Guide......................................................... 1-2  
System Requirements................................................. 1-3  
Getting Help ................................................................ 1-3  
Online Help.............................................................. 1-4  
Phone Support ........................................................ 1-4  
Before You Call........................................................ 1-4  
The World Wide Web............................................... 1-4  
Printer Options ............................................................ 1-5  
Ordering Supplies ....................................................... 1-5  
Chapter 2, Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
Unpacking the Printer ................................................. 2-2  
Package Contents................................................... 2-3  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 ..................................... 2-4  
Choosing a Location for Your Printer ......................... 2-5  
Important Safety Notes............................................... 2-5  
Assembling the DA500/DA550 ................................... 2-6  
1. Attach the Wireframe to the Printer .................... 2-7  
2. Install the Sliding Fence ...................................... 2-8  
3. Position the Output Stacker Tray ........................ 2-9  
4. Connect the Parallel Cable or Serial Cable......... 2-10  
5. Connect the Power Cord .................................... 2-12  
6. Turn Power On .................................................... 2-12  
7. Install the Ink Jet Cartridges (Color & Black) ...... 2-13  
8.Removing the Ink Jet Cartridges ......................... 2-15  
Chapter 3, DA500/DA550 Basics  
Printer Features........................................................... 3-2  
Speed ...................................................................... 3-2  
Print Qualities .......................................................... 3-2  
Internal Fonts .......................................................... 3-2  
Font Size ................................................................. 3-3  
Material Thickness .................................................. 3-3  
Media Size............................................................... 3-3  
Approved Media Types ........................................... 3-3  
i
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Table of Contents  
Setting Up a Job ..................................................... 3-4  
1. Set the Separator Gap .................................. 3-7  
2. Center the Wireframe under the Material....... 3-9  
3. Set the Feed Angle ........................................ 3-11  
4. Position the Sliding Fence ............................. 3-12  
5. Load Material ................................................. 3-13  
6. Adjust the Position of the Feed Ramp........... 3-14  
7. Adjust the Media Thickness Lever................. 3-15  
8. Adjust the Exit Rollers.................................... 3-16  
9. Print a Test Piece ........................................... 3-18  
Chapter 4, Using the DA500/DA550 With Your  
Computer  
Printer Driver Software ............................................ 4-2  
Selecting Printer Properties .................................... 4-3  
Using the Printer Properties Window ..................... 4-4  
Selecting the DA500/DA550 Printer from a  
Windows Application......................................... 4-14  
Envelope Designer™ Plus ...................................... 4-15  
Chapter 5, Printer Maintenance  
Preventive Maintenance........................................... 5-2  
Cleaning ................................................................... 5-2  
Print Quality Problems ............................................. 5-2  
Exit Rollers ............................................................... 5-3  
Sensor...................................................................... 5-3  
Floor Assembly and Top Cover .............................. 5-3  
CMYK Printing Alignment (DA550 Only) ................. 5-4  
Chapter 6, Troubleshooting  
Problems and Solutions.......................................... 6-2  
Feed Problems .................................................. 6-2  
Print Quality Problems ....................................... 6-3  
Interface Problems ............................................. 6-4  
Connector Diagram............................................ 6-5  
Motor Problems ................................................. 6-6  
Barcode Problems ............................................. 6-6  
Other Problems ................................................. 6-7  
ii  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Table of Contents  
Appendix A, Control Panel Menus  
Using the Control Panel .......................................... A-2  
Using the Menus ...................................................... A-3  
Using the Main Menu ............................................... A-5  
Main Menu Diagram................................................. A-6  
1. Address Layout .............................................. A-7  
2. Print Quality ................................................... A-10  
3. Font Selection ................................................ A-12  
4. Barcode.......................................................... A-14  
5. Address Recovery.......................................... A-15  
6. Clear Counter ................................................. A-17  
7. Job Settings ................................................... A-17  
Using the Setup Menu ............................................. A-19  
Setup Menu Diagram ............................................... A-20  
1. Heavy Media Mode ........................................ A-21  
2. Test Print Head .............................................. A-21  
3. Purge Print Head............................................ A-22  
4. Lines Per Address .......................................... A-23  
5. Communications ............................................ A-23  
6. Hex Dump Mode............................................ A-26  
7. Language ....................................................... A-28  
8. Envelope Feed Delay ..................................... A-30  
9. Auto Envelope Eject....................................... A-30  
10. ROM Revision Number ................................ A-31  
Appendix B, Specifications  
DA500/DA550 Specifications .................................. B-1  
Index  
Index to the Contents of this Manual ...................... i-1  
iii  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Table of Contents  
iv  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Chapter 1  
The DA500/  
DA550 Printer  
Overview  
The Pitney Bowes DA500/  
DA550 is a versatile, easy-  
to-use desktop printer  
designed for addressing  
applications.  
This chapter explains  
what's in this guide, and  
tells you how to order sup-  
plies and where to get more  
information about using  
your DA500/DA550.  
In this chapter:  
Welcome to the DA500/DA550  
Ink Jet Printer......................... 1-2  
Using This Guide.................... 1-2  
System Requirements ........... 1-3  
Getting Help ........................... 1-3  
Printer Options....................... 1-4  
Ordering Supplies .................. 1-5  
1 • DA500/DA550 Printer - Overview  
Welcome to  
the DA500/  
DA550 Ink Jet  
Printer  
The Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 ink jet printer is a desk-  
top printer used to print addresses, graphics and other  
information, in color (DA550), on a wide range of material  
of various sizes, construction and composition. With the  
DA500/DA550 you can define the font, placement, print  
quality and bar code characteristics for your addresses.  
This Operator Guide shows you how to:  
Set up the DA500/DA550 printer  
Connect it to your computer  
Define your envelope layout  
Print a test mail piece  
Send a mail job to the printer from your computer  
application.  
Using This  
Guide  
Refer to this guide for information about printer setup,  
operation and troubleshooting. It is divided into the fol-  
lowing chapters:  
Chapter 1, Introduction  
Contains an overview of the DA500/DA550 Operator  
Guide, information about ordering supplies and a list of  
help resources.  
Chapter 2, Setting Up the the printer.  
Contains instructions for assembling your printer.  
Chapter 3, Printer Basics  
Explains how to set up your printer to run a job.  
Chapter 4, Using the Printer With Your Computer  
Contains instructions for installing the printer driver,  
selecting the printer from your software program and  
sending a mail job from your computer.  
Chapter 5, Printer Maintenance  
Describes how to keep the printer clean and functioning  
properly.  
1-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Printer - Overview • 1  
Chapter 6, Troubleshooting  
Contains a list of possible problems and their solutions.  
Using This  
Guide  
(continued)  
Appendix A, Control Panel Menus  
Explains the Main Menu and Setup Menu options avail-  
able on the DA500/DA550 control panel.  
Appendix B, Specifications  
Provides hardware and material specifications. Your  
printer will run at its best when your material conforms to  
our specifications.  
System  
Requirements  
In order to operate the DA500/DA550 with your computer,  
your system must meet the following requirements:  
CPU  
Pentium II 233 MHZ or greater  
64 MB or more preferred  
Operating System Windows 98/2000/NT/ME/XP  
Parallel Cable  
Or Serial Cable  
A parallel cable is supplied with your  
printer. If you choose to use another  
cable, make sure it isn't any longer  
than 10 feet.  
To use the serial port, a serial cable  
of no more than 15 feet in length is  
required.  
As you use your printer, there may be times when you  
need help to solve a specific application problem, or you  
may want additional information about printer operation.  
Pitney Bowes provides several information resources.  
Getting Help  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
1-3  
1 • DA500/DA550 Printer - Overview  
Online Help  
Getting Help  
(continued)  
The DA500/DA550 Print Driver has a built-in help system.  
To get to the driver, click on Properties from Windows  
print dialog box. Right-click on items in question for the  
"What's This" Help button.  
If you're using Pitney Bowes programs such as Envelope  
Designer™ or SmartMailer™, press the F1 key while  
you're using the program to display information about the  
open screen. Select the Help menu to display a list of  
topics or search for a term. Refer to the documentation  
supplied with these programs for more information.  
Phone Support  
If you need technical support, call the Pitney Bowes  
Customer Care Center at:  
1-800-522-0020  
Before You Call...  
Please see Chapter 6, Troubleshooting, for a description  
of common problems and their solutions. If you need to  
call, please have the following information at hand:  
Product name: DA500/DA550.  
Serial number: See back of unit.  
Nature of problem: What happens and when does  
it happen?  
The steps you've already taken to solve the prob-  
lem and the results.  
The World Wide Web  
We encourage you to visit our web site at:  
http://www.pb.com/support  
1-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Printer - Overview • 1  
You'll find the latest information about our products and  
services as well as answers to frequently asked technical  
questions.  
Printer  
Options  
Pitney Bowes offers several very useful options for your  
DA500/DA550:  
Envelope Designer™ Plus lets you create a profes-  
sional looking envelope in a matter of seconds.  
You don't have to bother with the print driver or  
make manual settings.  
The W853 Ink Dryer helps to eliminate smudging  
on difficult materials like glossy stock.  
The W760 Power Stacker holds up to 300 #10  
envelopes. It helps maintain a neat stack in ZIP  
Code order when you run long jobs.  
SmartMailer software refines and presorts mailing  
list entries to enable faster mail delivery at the  
lowest possible rates.  
Ordering  
Supplies  
You can order supplies for your DA500/DA550 printer  
directly through the Pitney Bowes Supply Line. To place  
an order, call:  
1-800-243-7824  
or, visit the website at:  
www.pb.com/supplies  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
1-5  
1 • DA500/DA550 Printer - Overview  
The following supplies are available for your DA500/  
DA550 printer:  
Ordering  
Supplies  
(continued)  
Single Black Ink Cartridge  
(order number 711-1)  
Single Color Ink Cartridge (DA550 only)  
(order number 660-5)  
4 Pack of Black Ink Cartridges  
(order number 660-9)  
1-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Chapter  
2
Setting Up the  
DA500/DA550  
Printer  
This chapter explains how  
to unpack, assemble and  
connect your new printer.  
In this chapter:  
Unpacking the Printer ............ 2-2  
Package Contents ................. 2-3  
Setting Up the  
DA500/DA550 ......................... 2-4  
Choosing a Location .............. 2-5  
Important Safety Notes ......... 2-5  
Assembling the  
DA500/DA550 ......................... 2-6  
Attaching the Wire Frame ...... 2-7  
Installing the Fence ................ 2-8  
Positioning the  
Output Stacker ....................... 2-9  
Connecting the Parallel or  
Serial Cable........................... 2-10  
Connecting the Power Cord 2-12  
Installing the Ink Jet  
Cartridge............................... 2-13  
Removing the Ink Jet  
Cartridge............................... 2-15  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
As you remove the DA500/DA550 contents from the box,  
check the parts against the list on the opposite page.  
Unpacking  
the Printer  
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
(Shipped Assembled)  
2-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
Unpacking  
the Printer  
Package Contents  
1. DA500 or DA550 Printer  
2. Output Stacker  
3. Wire Frame with Feed Ramp, Washer and  
Retaining Knob (Input Material Stacker as-  
sembled)  
4. Long Sliding Fence  
5. Power Cord  
6. Short Sliding Fence  
7. Parallel Cable  
Not Shown:  
Printer Driver Software (Envelope DesignerTM  
Plus)  
Ink Jet Cartridges (Color - DA550 only, and  
Black - both models)  
Quick Setup Instructions  
Printer Operating Guide  
Operator Training Guide  
POSTNET Certificate  
Installation Quality Report  
Operator Safety Tip Card  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-3  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
The assembled printer should look like the picture below.  
The parts you have to put together are identified.  
Setting Up the  
DA500/DA550  
Feed Ramp  
and Lock Knob  
Wireframe  
Input Stacker  
Sliding  
Fence  
Output Stacker  
Refer to this picture as you set up your printer. Follow the  
steps on pages 2-7 through 2-15. The following product  
orientation will be useful in performing these steps:  
Front is the area of the printer housing the LCD.  
Rear is the area of the printer with the cable  
interface panel.  
Left side is the input area of the printer.  
Right side is the output area of the printer.  
2-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
Follow these guidelines and safety precautions when  
selecting a location for your printer.  
Choosing a  
Location for  
Your Printer  
Place the printer on a table or other stable, level  
surface within the cable's length (Parallel 10 feet  
max. - Serial 15 feet max.) of your computer.  
Allow for adequate space. The DA500/DA550 is  
14.7 inches high, 16.2 inches wide and 21.7 inches  
deep, without the wire frame input stacker.  
Allow for adequate ventilation around the base and  
rear of the printer.  
Protect the printer from heat, dust and moisture.  
Avoid placing the printer in direct sunlight.  
Important  
Safety Notes  
To protect against electric shock, plug the machine  
into a properly grounded wall outlet. DO NOT use  
an adapter plug. Use of an adapter could compro-  
mise the ground and cause a possible shock  
hazard or damage to the equipment in the event of  
a short circuit.  
DO NOT remove the ground pin from the line cord.  
Avoid using outlets controlled by wall switches.  
Someone could accidently shut your printer off.  
The power cord wall plug is the primary means of  
disconnecting the machine from the AC power.  
The wall outlet should be near the machine and  
easily accessible.  
DO NOT route the power cord over sharp edges or  
trap it between pieces of furniture.  
Insure that there is no strain on the power cord  
where it passes between the equipment, walls or  
furniture.  
Be certain the area in front of the wall receptacle  
into which the machine is plugged is free from  
obstruction.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-5  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
Do not remove covers. The machine covers serve  
Important  
Safety Notes  
to enclose hazardous parts. If the machine has  
been dropped or has otherwise had the covers  
stressed in any way, report it to your Pitney Bowes  
Customer Service Representative.• Keep fingers,  
loose clothing, jewelry and long hair away from the  
moving parts.  
To reduce the risk of fire and/or electrical shock,  
do not attempt to disassemble this machine. If  
service is required, contact your Pitney Bowes  
Customer Service Representative.  
Use only Pitney Bowes approved supplied ink  
cartridges and cleaners. Read all instructions  
before attempting to operate the equipment.  
In addition, follow any specific occupational safety and  
health standards for your workplace or area.  
Once you've placed the printer in a suitable location,  
assemble the printer components in the following order:  
Assembling  
the DA500/  
DA550  
NOTE: Do not plug the printer into the power source  
until you've completed steps 1-4.  
1. Install the wireframe input stacker (page 2-7).  
2. Install the sliding fence (page 2-8).  
3. Position the output stacker (page 2-9).  
4. Connect the parallel or serial cable (page 2-10).*  
5. Attach the power cord and turn the printer ON  
(page 2-12).  
6. Install the ink jet cartridges (page 2-13).  
Instructions for installing each of these components  
start onthe next page.  
* Requires use of a small flat-head screwdriver.  
2-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
1. Attach the Wire Frame to the Printer.  
Assembling  
the DA500/  
DA550  
1. Hook the bottom edge of the wire frame under the  
tabs in the frame slide.  
(continued)  
2. Rotate the wire frame and insert the curved metal  
bar on the bottom of the frame into the height  
adjustment slot. See photos below.  
Tabs  
Lock  
Lever  
Height  
Adjustment  
Slot  
Lock  
Knob  
Curved  
metal Bar  
Wire Frame  
Bottom  
Edge  
3. Adjust the height of the wireframe so it's posi-  
tioned at about a 45 degree angle. Turn the lock  
knob on the side of the slide clockwise to hold the  
wireframe in position.  
You can adjust both the height and side-to-side  
position of the wireframe to accommodate the size  
and type of the material you're running. We talk  
about this in the next chapter.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-7  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
2. Install the Sliding Fence  
Assembling  
the DA500/  
DA550  
The DA500/DA550 has two fences—a long one and a  
short one. Use the short fence when printing material  
smaller than a #10 envelope. Use the long fence for larger  
material.  
(continued)  
Slide the square edge of the sliding fence into the slots on  
the frame slide as shown below. The fence fits snugly in  
the slots to ensure accurate positioning during operation.  
The next chapter explains how to set the fence to the  
width of the material you're running.  
Sliding Fence  
in Position  
2-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
3. Position the Output Stacker Tray  
Assembling  
the DA500/  
DA550  
Printed material is deposited in the output stacker tray.  
The tray can stack up to 150 #10 envelopes. Slide it under  
the output area of the printer as shown below, then center  
it on the output area. Right to left placement of the tray  
varies with the size of the media being printed.  
(continued)  
Output Stacker  
Tray  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-9  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
4. Connecting the Parallel Cable or Serial Cable  
Connecting  
the DA500/  
DA550 to Your  
Computer  
Use the parallel cable supplied to connect the DA500/  
DA550 to your computer, or use an approved serial cable.  
Each end of the parallel cable has a connector. One end is  
labelled “Printer” and the other is labelled “Computer.”  
1. To connect the Parallel Cable to the printer, align  
the end of the cable connector labelled “Printer”  
with the parallel port on the interface panel at the  
rear of the printer. (See the figure below.) Push the  
cable connector into the port.  
Serial Port  
Parallel Port  
Power Switch  
Fuse  
Power Receptacle  
2. Secure the connector by snapping the two wire  
clips over the corresponding tabs on the connec-  
tor, as shown in the figure below.  
2-10  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
3. Align the end of the cable connector labelled  
“Computer” with the printer port on your com-  
puter, then push the cable connector into the port.  
Secure the connection by tightening the screws on  
either side of the connector.  
4. To connect a Serial Cable to the printer, align the  
25 pin male connector end of the cable with the  
serial port on the left side of the printer's interface.  
Attach the cable to the printer and the computer's  
hex jack screws using the thumb screws in the  
connectors.  
5. Initialize the DA500/DA550's communication port  
by sending data to either the parallel or serial port.  
When the serial interface is used, the DA500/  
DA550 Communications menu settings must be  
configured to match the computer settings. Con-  
figure the computer to use either the XON/XOFF or  
DTR handshaking settings to communicate with  
the DA500/DA550 Use the following sub menus to  
change the DA500/DA550 serial communications:  
A. Baud Rate, B. Parity, C. Word Length and D.  
Line Termination.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-11  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
5. Connect the Power Cord  
Connecting to  
Power  
1. Connect the female end of the power cord to the  
power receptacle in the interface panel. Refer to  
the figure on page 2-10.  
2. Plug the male end of the power cord into a  
grounded outlet. Please review the safety informa-  
tion on pages  
2-9 and 2-10.  
Turning On  
the DA500/  
DA550  
6. Turn Power ON.  
Once you've connected the cable, press the printer’s  
power switch to the “|” (ON) position. The switch is lo-  
cated next to the power cord receptacle.  
When you turn the printer on:  
The LCD menu shows the "STARTUP" and "INI-  
TIALIZING" screens.  
After the print head carriage moves to the right and  
parks in the maintenance station, the LCD shows  
the "ON LINE" screen.  
2-12  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
7. Install the Ink Jet Cartridges (Color & Black).  
Installing and  
Removing the  
Ink Jet  
The printer uses Ink Jet Cartridges for printing. You must  
install a black only cartridge (DA500), or a black and a  
color cartridge (DA550), before you can print. To begin:  
Cartridges  
1. With the printer on, press the On Line key until the  
display reads OFF LINE.  
2. Open the Transport Door of the printer.  
3. Press the Cartridge+ key on the control panel to  
move the carriage to the middle of the printer.  
4. Remove the color (DA550 only) or black cartridge  
(both models) from its shipping container by  
peeling the top cover off. Be careful not to touch  
the copper ribbon.  
WARNING! The ink in the cartridge may be  
harmful if swallowed. Keep new and used  
cartridges out of reach of children. Discard  
empty cartridges immediately.  
5. Gently remove the tape covering the ink nozzles on  
the print cartridge. Be careful not to touch the  
copper nozzles.  
6. Gently insert the cartridge (color to the right, black  
to the left) into the carriage at approximately a 20  
degree angle with copper strip to the bottom and  
in first.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-13  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
7. Press down on the cartridge until it is seated.  
Installing and  
Removing the  
Ink Jet  
Cartridges  
(continued)  
8. Push the cartridge forward (away from you) until it  
snaps in place.  
Note: The print  
cartridge photos  
in this section  
are of the DA550  
printer. The  
DA500 has only  
one cartridge.  
9. Close the Transport Door.  
10. The prompt asks about resetting the ink level.  
Select "YES" if you have installed a new cartridge.  
Otherwise, select "NO".  
11. Press Enter. The display returns to the "OFF LINE"  
screen.  
IMPORTANT: When installing cartridges on the DA550,  
please immediately perform the CMYK Printing Align-  
ment procedure found on page 5-4.  
2-14  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer • 2  
8. Removing the Ink Jet Cartridges  
To remove or replace the ink jet cartridges, follow these  
steps:  
Installing and  
Removing the  
Ink Jet  
Cartridges  
(continued)  
1. With the printer on, press the On Line key until the  
display reads OFF LINE.  
2. Open the Transport Door of the printer.  
3. Press the Cartridge key on the control panel.  
This moves the carriage to the middle of the  
printer.  
4. To remove the ink jet cartridge (color or black),  
place your thumb on the grooved surface and  
press down until it pops loose.  
5. Lift the print cartridge out of the cradle.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
2-15  
2 • Setting Up the DA500/DA550 Printer  
This page is intentionally blank  
2-16  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Chapter  
3
DA500/DA550  
Basics  
In this chapter you'll learn  
about key features of the  
DA500/DA550 printer and  
how to adjust it to meet the  
requirements of your print  
jobs.  
In this chapter:  
Printer Features ..................... 3-2  
Set Up the Job ....................... 3-4  
Set the Separator Gap ........... 3-7  
Center the Wireform .............. 3-9  
Set the Feed Angle............... 3-11  
Position the Feed Fence...... 3-12  
Load Materials ..................... 3-13  
Adjust Feed Ramp ............... 3-14  
Adjust Media Thickness  
Lever ..................................... 3-15  
Adjust Upper Exit Rollers .... 3-16  
Print a Test Piece ................. 3-18  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
The DA500/DA550 has the following features:  
Speed (pieces per hour): up to 10,000 # 10 envelopes,  
Printer  
Features  
3 lines, 10 pt, Black  
Print Qualities  
Internal Fonts:  
Draft, Letter, Executive  
13 (14 including Code 3 of 9  
Barcode)  
Optional Font Card  
Font Point Size:  
4 to 30  
Material Thickness:  
0.003" to .118"  
Speed  
Printer speed refers to the number of pieces of mail that  
can be processed in an hour. The DA500/DA550 can  
process up to 10,000 number 10 envelopes per hour,  
depending on the address content and configuration.  
Printer speed depends on the number of characters per  
line, the number of lines, character size, font, interface,  
barcode, material size and graphics.  
Print Qualities  
The printer has three selectable print qualities: Draft  
(fastest speed), Letter (medium speed) and Executive  
(slowest speed).  
Internal Fonts  
A font is a set of characters (letters, numbers and sym-  
bols) that use the same typeface. The DA500/DA550 has  
thirteen (plus Code 39 barcode) different typefaces:  
Courier, Sans Serif, Roman, OCR A, Quincy, Springer,  
Hancock, Alpine, Baxter, Marina, Stencil, Windmill, and  
Silicon. You can select these fonts from the printer control  
panel menus.  
If you set up a print job from your computer, you can use  
any font that is available from your software application.  
3-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
Font Size  
Printer  
Font size refers to the size of each typeface. The DA500/  
DA550 uses from 4 to 30 point size for internal or down-  
loaded fonts.  
Features  
(continued)  
Material Thickness  
Thickness refers to the size of the material that is pro-  
cessed through the printer. The DA500/DA550 can handle  
material from .003" up to .118" thick.  
Media Size  
The DA500/DA550 can print on the following range of  
material sizes.  
Width  
Height  
Thickness  
Maximum  
Minimum  
12.5"  
(317.5 mm)  
15"  
(381 mm)  
.118"  
(3.0 mm)  
3 "  
(76 mm)  
5"  
.003"  
(.0762 mm)  
(127 mm)  
For envelope addressing purposes, the DA500/DA550 is  
compatible with any word processor or database applica-  
tion that can print a mailing label.  
Approved Media Types  
The printer can be used with the following types of mate-  
rial:  
Envelopes  
Booklets-Tabbed  
Catalog envelopes  
Postcards  
Self Mailers  
Paper  
All envelopes must be without windows, empty and  
unsealed. Any folded material needs to be tabbed.  
Refer to Appendix B, Specifications, for detailed specifica-  
tions for the DA500/DA550, including specific require-  
ments for using each type of material.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-3  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
Other printer features include:  
Printer  
Features  
(continued)  
Ink Jet technology with shuttling head.  
Interface to a standard IBM® compatible com-  
puter.  
Prints a USPS POSTNET certified bar code.  
LCD menu display available in seven languages.  
Memory capable of storing up to eight jobs.  
Printing virtually anywhere on an envelope.  
Graphic printing capability.  
Setting up a print job means adjusting the printer to  
accommodate the width, height, thickness and weight of  
your material.  
Setting Up A  
Job  
There are two things that determine how reliably your  
printer feeds: the setup adjustments and the quality of  
your material. A good setup minimizes misfeeds and jams.  
And your printer will perform at its best when you run  
material that falls within our published specifications.  
Please see Appendix B for complete material specifica-  
tions.  
The figure on the next page calls out key machine compo-  
nents, each of which is briefly described in the text that  
follows. Refer to the figure on the next page for compo-  
nent location.  
1. H-Block Separators  
Adjust to the thickness of your material. The gap between  
the H-Block separator fingers and the feed rollers should  
be just enough to allow a single piece to feed through the  
printer.  
3-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
2. Input Area  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Where you stack material for printing. You'll make most  
setup adjustments in this general area.  
3. Interface Panel (Not Shown)  
Located on the lower part of the rear cover, the panel has  
the ON/OFF switch, parallel cable connector and power  
cord receptacle.  
4. Wire Frame  
Supports the material stack. Adjust the feed angle to  
accommodate the weight of the material you're running.  
Adjust its side-to-side position so it's centered under the  
stack.  
5. Feed Ramp and Lock Knob  
The feed ramp adds a gentle slope to the stack to help  
feeding. Lower the feed ramp until the top of the bottom  
piece in the stack reaches the middle of the feed ram.  
Secure the feed ramp with the lock knob.  
6. Wireframe Slide  
Slides the wireframe side to side. Lock in position with the  
lock lever (Item 7).  
7. Wireframe Slide Lock Lever (Not Shown)  
Locks the wireframe slide in position.  
8. Feed Fence  
Helps confine the stack. Adjust to the width of your  
material plus 1/16" clearance.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-5  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
9. Control Panel  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Use the control panel buttons to access printer menus,  
define print options, run the print job, position the print  
carriage and turn the printer on and off line. See Appen-  
dix A, Printer Menus, for detailed instructions. If you have  
the DA500/DA550 print driver loaded on your computer,  
you can easily perform these functions from within your  
application.  
3
4
2
1
13  
12  
11  
10  
5
6
7
9
8
10. OutputStacker Tray  
Printed material is deposited in the stacker (catch) tray.  
The tray holds about 5" of material.  
11. Output Area  
Where printed material is ejected from the printer.  
12. Exit Rollers (Not Shown)  
Guides the printed material as it exits the printer. Adjust so  
that each roller overlaps the edge of the material by 1/4".  
13. Transport Door  
Open to gain access to the print cartridge and exit rollers.  
3-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
The following procedure describes the steps for setting up  
a job.  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
1. Set the Separator Gap  
Switching from one material type to another requires  
setting the gap between the separators and the feed roller  
before printing begins. To find the correct spacing, refer to  
the figure on the next page and follow the instructions  
below:  
1. Loosen the lock knobs to unlock all three  
H-Blocks.  
2. Lift all three H-Blocks to their highest position and  
lock in place.  
3. Place a sample piece of material into the input  
area. Align the sample with the left wall of the  
input area, then place it between the separator  
fingers (the lower section of the H-Blocks) and the  
feed roller.  
4. Lower only the H-Blocks that come in direct  
contact with the sample material. Make sure the  
material is between the separator fingers and the  
feed rollers, and that the separator fingers do not  
directly contact the feed rollers.  
5. Lock each separator in place.  
NOTE: If the separator gap is not set properly, the  
printer will misfeed or jam. If the gap is to big, the  
printer will feed doubles (two or more pieces at the  
same time). If the gap is too small, material will  
jam at the feed roller entrance. If you're running  
post cards and have feeding problems, set a  
smaller gap between the H-Block separators and  
feed rollers, or use thinner media.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-7  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
Setting the Separator Gap  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
H-Block Lock Knob  
Support Plate  
Place a  
sample piece  
against the  
input wall and  
between the  
separator  
fingers and the  
feed roller  
3-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Setup Example Using # 10 Envelopes:  
When you set the feed gap for a number 10 envelope, the  
width of the envelope will fall completely under the inside  
and middle H-Blocks, but only half way under the outer H-  
Block.  
1. In this case, remove the sliding fence, then follow  
this procedure: (refer to the figure on the next  
page)  
1. Slide the #10 envelope over until it is under both  
fingers of the outermost H-Block.  
2. Lower the outer H-Block so it contacts the mate-  
rial, then lock the H-Block in place.  
3. With all H-Blocks locked in position, slide the  
envelope back to its original position.  
2. Center the Wireform under the Material by doing the  
following:  
1. Place a sample piece of material in the feed area,  
up against the support plate.  
2. Push down on the wireframe lock lever to free the  
wireframe slide.  
3. Center the wireframe under your sample piece of  
material.  
4. Pull up on the lock lever to secure the wireframe in  
position.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-9  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Lock Lever  
3-10  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
3. Set the Feed Angle  
The feed angle of the wireframe input stacker depends on  
the type of material you're running:  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Heavy material:  
Standard material: adjust to the center  
adjust to a low angle.  
(45 degree Angle).  
Light material:  
adjust to a high angle.  
To make the adjustment:  
1. Loosen the lock knob on the wireframe slide.  
2. Move the wireframe up or down as required.  
3. Tighten the lock knob to secure the wireframe.  
Wire Frame  
Lock Knob  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-11  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
4. Position the Sliding Fence  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Your printer comes with two sliding fences—a long one  
and a short one. Use the long fence for number 10 enve-  
lopes and larger materials. Use the short fence for materi-  
als smaller than a number 10 envelope.  
To position the fence:  
1. Place a sample piece or trial stack of material in  
the input area.  
2. Slide the fence until it almost touches the stack of  
material.  
3. Check that there's about 1/16" clearance (the  
thickness of adime) between the fence and the  
stack.  
NOTE: Proper clearance is important. If you push the  
fence tight up against the stack, it could retard feeding  
and cause jams. If the clearance is too great, pieces  
could skew as they feed into the printer.  
Sliding Fence  
3-12  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
5. Load Material  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Once your printer is set up, you can load material and  
make a test print. Avoid misfeeds by following these  
precautions:  
1. Make sure the input area is free of dust and other  
matter.  
2. Take a manageable amount of material and while  
holding it as shown, fan all sides of the material to  
separate each piece. This step helps keep  
misfeeds to a minimum.  
3
4
Tamp the material on a flat surface, making sure  
that the stack is square.  
Shingle the stack as you load it into the input area.  
Load envelopes so the side to be printed faces up.  
Flaps should be down and oriented away from the  
feed roller (flaps trailing).  
5. Position the right edge of the envelopes flush  
against the support plate. Begin with just a few  
envelopes to start the stack and get the proper  
contour, then add several more pieces. Then, add  
the remainder of the stack.  
NOTE: Envelope feeding is generally more reliable if  
there are more than just a couple of envelopes in the  
input bin.  
6. Adjust the position of the feed ramp as described  
on the next page.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-13  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
6. Adjust the Position of the Feed Ramp  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
With a stack of material loaded:  
1. Loosen the lock knob that holds the feed ramp in  
position.  
2. Lower the feed ramp until the top of the bottom  
piece of the stack reaches the middle of the feed  
ramp.  
3. Tighten the feed ramp's lock knob to hold it in  
position.  
Feed Ramp  
At this point, it's a good idea to recheck your setup ad-  
justments:  
Is the separator gap adjustment correct?  
Is the wireframe centered under the material?  
Is the feed angle okay?  
Is there a slight clearance between the sliding  
fence and the edge of the stack?  
3-14  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
7. Adjust the Media Thickness Lever  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
The media thickness lever sets the distance between the  
printhead and the material. Use it to compensate for  
different material thicknesses. The lever is located inside  
the printer under the transport door, as shown below.  
Media Thickness  
Lever  
1. Set for approximate material thickness:  
• Up position for thicker material (.118")  
• Down position for paper or card stock (.010").  
2. Print a test piece (page 3-18) with the lever in the  
middle position. If the address appears blurred or too  
light, lower the lever; if the address appears smeared,  
raise the lever.  
A Note about Print Quality  
The DA500/DA550 is designed to feed and print on a  
range of materials with various finishes and coatings.  
However, the sharpness of the print may vary with differ-  
ent materials, depending on how absorbent the surface is,  
as well as other qualities.  
You'll get best results using white wove bonded stock.  
Printing is less sharp on Tyvek, recycled and glossy  
material. It is also possible that ink may not dry thoroughly  
on certain very glossy materials. Always test high gloss  
materials for their drying qualities before you buy them in  
quantity and attempt to run a print job.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-15  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
8. Adjust the Upper Exit Rollers  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
Adjust the upper exit rollers so the outside edge of the  
rollers overlap the left and right edges of the material by  
1/4". Slide the rollers from side to side to make the  
adjustment.  
IMPORTANT:  
Make sure the rollers do not touch any printed area  
of the material. If this happens, the rollers will act  
like a printing press and imprint a faint impression  
at incremental distances on the material. If this  
happens, move the roller or rollers toward the  
nearest clear zone, that is, an area free of printing.  
3-16  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
DA500/DA550 Basics • 3  
Output Stack Height  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
The output stacker holds up to five inches of material  
before it becomes necessary to remove the stack from the  
bin. The optional W760 stacker increases capacity to 300  
#10 envelopes.  
NOTE: As the stack approaches the 5" limit, there is a  
potential for stacking misfeed (pieces not neatly  
stacked one on top of the other). This can cause  
envelopes to stack out of ZIP Code sequence.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
3-17  
3 • DA500/DA550 Basics  
9. Print a Test Piece  
Setting Up A  
Job  
(continued)  
1. Make sure material is loaded properly. (Or you can  
use a single test piece if you'd like to check your  
setup adjustments.)  
2. Turn the printer ON. The On/Off switch is located  
on the interface panel at the rear of the machine.  
Wait for the printer to finish its startup routine and  
for the "ON LINE" screen to appear on the LCD.  
3. Press the On Line button on the printer control  
panel until the LCD display reads OFF LINE.  
4. Press the "Test Env." button. A single envelope will  
feed and a sample address should print.  
5. Check the print quality. If it's not what you want,  
adjust the media thickness lever (page 3-15) as  
required and run another test piece by pressing the  
Test Env. button on the interface panel at the rear  
of the machine.  
Test Env.  
Display  
On Line  
When you're satisfied with the setup adjustments, you're  
ready to run the job. The next chapter explains use of the  
printer with your computer.  
3-18  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Chapter  
4
Using the  
DA500/DA550  
With Your  
Computer  
This chapter has instructions for  
installing the DA500/DA550 printer  
driver and selecting the printer  
from a computer application.  
In this chapter:  
Printer Driver Software............. 4-2  
Selecting Printer Properties .....4-3  
Using the Printer Properties  
Windows.......................................4-4  
Selecting the DA500/DA550 Printer  
from a Windows Application ..4-14  
Envelope DesignerTM Plus .......4-15  
NOTE: Graphics that show the DA550  
also represent the DA500. Screen  
captures represent the Windows 2000  
operating system.  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
Before you can use your printer with your computer, you  
Printer Driver  
Software  
must install a printer driver. The driver gives your com-  
puter information about the printer you're using, and tells  
the printer about the settings you want to use in your  
print job.  
If you have not previously installed the printer driver on  
your computer, refer to the installation instructions fur-  
nished with it.  
The printer drivers are contained on the Envelope De-  
signer™ Plus CD that comes with your printer. Select  
"printer drivers" from the initial screen and follow the on-  
screen prompts.  
The product code is on the label sheet contained in the  
pack.  
4-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
This section describes printer properties and use of the  
windows for selecting the available options. To access the  
main properties window, follow these steps:  
Selecting  
Printer  
Properties  
1. Click the "Start" button in the task bar, then select  
"Settings".  
2. Click "Printers." The Printer window displays.  
3. Right click the Pitney Bowes icon, then left click the  
Properties option.  
The Properties window opens and displays seven tabs,  
each of which allows access to different printer options.  
Note that the General tab window displays when the  
Properties window opens.  
To access another option, left click on the appropriate tab.  
A window for the selected option displays.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-3  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
NOTE: An explanation of items in each windows is  
also available by doing the following:  
Selecting  
Printer  
Properties  
(continued)  
• Right click an item to display the "What's This"  
button.  
• Right or left click this button to display the  
information about the selected item.  
Use of the window for each tabbed item follows, starting  
with the General tab window.  
Using the  
Printer  
If the General tab window is not currently active, left click  
the General tab.  
Properties  
Window  
Use the Location area to specify where the printer resides.  
You can use alphanumeric characters in combination with  
any querty keyboard symbol to designate the site. For  
example, if your printer is in building 27 in area C, you  
could use 27/C as the Location entry.  
4-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
Use the Comment area to make a statement about the  
printer. For example, you might want to indicate what the  
printer should be used for and when it is available.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
If this printer is shared, the comment entered in this area  
displays on the computers sharing this printer.  
(continued)  
Click "Printing Properties" to change the printer's default  
settings. Default options include document orientation  
and paper source. Click "Advanced" in the Printing Prefer-  
ences window to access other settings such as, print  
quality and paper size.  
Click "Print a Test Page" to ensure your printer is con-  
nected and working to satisfaction. If the test page does  
not print, and if you have web access, click "Trouble-  
shoot...".  
The Print Troubleshooter website displays and helps  
guide you to the solution to your problem.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-5  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
To display the Sharing window, left click the Sharing tab  
in the Properties window.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
To configure the printer for private use, choose the "Not  
Shared" option. Only the user logged onto the computer  
will be able to use this printer.  
The window shown here is a standard Windows driver  
dialog, not developed by Pitney Bowes and not sup-  
ported by Pitney Bowes.  
The settings in this tab should not be changed as Pitney  
Bowes does not support networking it’s Envelope print-  
ers.  
4-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
To display the Port window, left click the Port tab in the  
Properties window.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
The displayed list shows the available ports, the associ-  
ated port monitor, and the printers that use the ports.  
To add another port to the display list, click "Add Port".  
Follow the subsequent prompts to identify and name the  
new port(s).  
To delete a port,select the desired port and then click  
"Delete Port".  
To set the transmissionretry value, click "Configure Port",  
enter the desired number of seconds, and then click "OK".  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-7  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
To display the Advanced window, left click the Advanced  
tab in the Properties window.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
To make the printer available 24/7, select the "Always  
available" option.  
To configure the printer for limited availability, select the  
"Available from" option, and then enter the desired time  
frame.  
NOTE: If a document is sent to the printer while it is  
unavailable, the document will be held (spooled) unitl the  
printer is available.  
Use the Priority area of this window to rank the status of  
document to be printed. Settings range from 1 to 99,  
with 1 indicating the highest priority.  
4-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
The name of the installed driver displays in the "Driver"  
area. This usually matches the name of the print device.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
To install a new driver, click "New Driver" to launch the  
Add Printer Driver Wizard. Follow the prompts to select  
and install the desired printer driver.  
Spooling and Printing Options  
Spooling is the process of storing the document on the  
hard disk and then sending it to the printer. Right click  
each option and read the 'What's This?" topic for more  
information.  
Choose the spooling options that best suit your needs:  
To have the document print ing in the back ground,  
select the "Spool print documents so program fin-  
ishes printing faster" option.  
To ensure that the whole document is ready at the  
same time for printing, select the "Start printing after  
last page is spooled" option.  
To start printing as soon as the first page of a docu-  
ment is received by the printer, select the "Start  
printing immediately" option.  
To send the document directly to the printer and by pass  
spooling, select the "Print directly to the printer" option.  
To direct the printer to check that its setup matches the  
document setup, select the "Hold mismatched docu-  
ments".  
When the option, "Print spooled documents first", is  
selected, the printer operates at maximum efficiency by  
selecting to printer documents that have completed  
spooling regardless of their designated priority.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-9  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
To direct the printer to keep printed documents in the  
queue, select the "Keep printed documents" option.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
To make the printer's advance d features available, select  
the "Enable advanced printing features" option.  
(continued)  
To change the default document properties:  
1. Click "Printing Defaults".  
2. Select the default options for document orientation  
and paper source.  
3. Click "Advanced" to access other settings such as,  
print quality and paper size.  
4. Click "OK" to return to the Printer Properties window.  
To change the default print processor and/or data type:  
1. Click "Print Processor...".  
2. Select from the options available.  
3. Click "OK" to return to the Printer Properties window.  
To insert a page between ech printed document:  
1. Click "Separator Page".  
2. Click "Browse" to search for the file containing the  
page you want to use as the Separator.  
3. Click "OK" to return to the Printer Properties window.  
4-10  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
To display the Color Management window, left click the  
Color Management tab in the Properties window.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
To allow the system to select the best colors from the  
available profile, choose the "Automatic"option. The  
"Automatic" option is the manufacturer-recommended  
choice.  
If you want to choose the desired colors, select the  
"Manual" option.  
Use the color profile portion of this window to:  
Add or remove color profiles associated with this  
printer.  
Change the default color profile.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-11  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
To display the Security window, left click the Security tab  
in the Properties window.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
Pitney Bowes does not recommend Networking. There-  
fore, adding or removing permissions should not be used  
at this time.  
4-12  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
To display the Device Settings window, left click the  
Device Settings tab in the Properties window.  
Using the  
Printer  
Properties  
Window  
(continued)  
Pitney Bowes recommends that you leave the manufac-  
turer-set default as it is in this window and refer to your  
envelope printing application to change envelope sizes.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-13  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
The following steps explain how to select the DA500/  
DA550 printer from a Windows software application. The  
steps are similar for most applications. You can also refer  
to your application's documentation for specific instruc-  
tions on installing selecting printers.  
Selecting the  
DA500/DA550  
Printer From  
a Windows  
Application  
1. Start the software application that you use when  
printing envelopes with the DA500/DA550 printer and  
open the file you want to use.  
2. From the File menu, select Print. The Print dialog box  
appears.  
3. Click on the arrow in the Printer Name box. When you  
click on the arrow, a drop-down list box appears  
containing the names of the available printers.  
The illustration below shows a typical print dialog box with  
the DA550 selected.  
4. Click "OK" to send the job to the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-14  
Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer • 4  
Once you've made this selection, your print job will auto-  
Selecting the  
matically go to the DA500/DA550 printer when you select  
File/Print provided the DA500/DA550 is selected as the  
default printer). Remember to change the printer selec-  
tion back to your regular printer for your other printing  
jobs.  
DA500/DA550  
Printer From  
a Windows  
Application  
(continued)  
The Pitney Bowes Envelope Designer™ Plus is an easy-  
to-use program that helps you create professional-looking  
envelope layouts quickly. With Envelope Designer™ Plus  
you can create and position a mailing address, return  
address, single-line message, barcode and graphics.  
Envelope Designer Plus has an extensive online help  
system and a Wizard that guides you through the entire  
design process.  
Envelope  
Designer™  
Plus  
Envelope Designer™ Plus virtually eliminates the need for  
setting up your envelope manually, using either the print  
driver options or the printer's control panel menu options.  
To access Envelope DesignerTM Plus:  
1. Click "Start" in the task bar.  
2. Select Programs.  
3. Select Pitney Bowes Printing, then left click Envelope  
Designer™ Plus. The program displays a sample  
envelope for you to customize.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
4-15  
4 • Using the DA500/DA550 with Your Computer  
This page is intentionally blank.  
4-16  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Chapter 5  
Printer  
Maintenance  
This chapter describes the  
maintenance procedures  
you should perform on a  
regular basis to keep your  
printer running trouble-free.  
In this chapter:  
Preventive Maintenance ........ 5-2  
Cleaning.................................. 5-2  
Print Quality Problems .......... 5-2  
Exit Rollers ............................. 5-3  
Sensor..................................... 5-3  
Floor Assembly and Top  
Cover....................................... 5-3  
CMYK Printing Alignment  
(DA550 Only) ........................... 5-4  
5 • Printer Maintenance  
The Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Ink Jet Printer is de-  
Preventive  
Maintenance  
signed for trouble- free service with a minimal amount of  
care. You should schedule regular cleaning of the Feed  
Rollers, Exit Rollers and Lower Guide.  
CAUTION  
Cleaning  
Clean print head, cartridge, ink surfaces and covers with plain  
water only. (Water works best!)  
Clean all rubber rollers with isopropyl, denatured and rubbing  
alcohol only.  
Use of any other cleaning solvents will void all warranties.  
Keep petroleum based cleaning solvents away from rubber or  
plastic parts. Anything but alcohol will cause premature break-  
down of the rubber compound.  
Print Quality  
Problems  
The print head performs a self cleaning cycle periodically.  
If print quality is unacceptable, try the following:  
Adjust the media thickness lever (page 3-15) to  
see if print quality improves.  
Clean the print head cartridge: dampen a soft  
cotton cloth with water and wipe the nozzles  
clean.  
Install a new ink cartridge (page 2-13).  
From the Setup Menu, select 3. Purge Printhead.  
The purging process clears any clogged ink on the  
print nozzle. Often this returns the print quality to a  
normal level. See Appendix A, Control Panel  
Menus, for information on using this feature.  
5-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Printer Maintenance • 5  
If the right and left exit rollers are misaligned, that is,  
contact printed surfaces, they can become contaminated  
with ink. Use water to dampen a soft cloth and remove  
the ink from the rollers.  
Exit Rollers  
Sensor  
A film and/or dust can build up on the sensors and couse  
misfeeds of the material. Lift the transport door and use  
compressed air to blow dust from the sensors. Cans of  
compressed air are available from many computer supply  
houses.  
Sensor Location  
Floor  
Assembly and  
Top Cover  
Periodically wipe the cover and floor assembly (feed deck)  
with a soft cotton cloth, dampened with water only.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
5-3  
5 • Printer Maintenance  
Your DA550 printer allows black (K) to print with color  
CMYK  
Printing  
Alignment  
(DA550 ONLY)  
(CMY) at the same time (known as CMYK printing).  
To ensure proper printing, the black (K) and color  
cartridges (CMY) need to be correctly aligned. The  
alignment procedure should be done whenever you  
replace any of your cartridges. Follow this procedure  
to align the cartridges:  
1. Turn ON the DA550. When the startup completes, the  
following screen displays.  
2. Press the Cartridge/+ button.  
3. Replace the ink print cartridge (if you haven't done so  
already). The following prompt displays. Press any key  
to continue.  
5-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Printer Maintenance • 5  
4. When the "Reset color (or black) Ink..." prompts  
displays, press Cartridge/+ to reset the ink if you have  
just installed a new cartridge; otherwise, press Eject/- if  
all you need to do is the alignment procedure.  
CMYK  
Printing  
Alignment  
(DA550 ONLY  
continued)  
5. When the "ALIGN INK CARRIDGES" prompt dis-  
plays, press (+ ):  
6. When the prompt for horizontal color alignment  
displays, insert an envelope into the printer and press  
ENTER.  
7. The following prompt displays and the sample shown  
on the next page prints on the envelope.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
5-5  
5 • Printer Maintenance  
CMYK  
Printing  
Alignment  
(DA550 ONLY  
continued)  
8. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to scroll through the  
selections (1-15) and choose the number that represents  
the best horizontal alignment of the upper and lower  
lines (for the color and black cartridges, respectively).  
9. Insert an envelope into the printer and press ENTER.  
The horizontal adjustment prompt displays and the  
sample shown on the next page prints on the envelope.  
5-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Printer Maintenance • 5  
CMYK  
Printing  
Alignment  
(DA550 ONLY  
continued)  
NOTE: The number you selected is highlighted  
(underlined) and all lines on the envelope should now  
be aligned.  
10. Press MENU to return to the alignment choice win-  
dow  
11. Press (+) or (-) to move to the vertical alignment  
screen..  
12. Insert an envelope into the printer and press ENTER.  
The vertical adjustment prompt displays and the sample  
shown on the next page prints on the envelope.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
5-7  
5 • Printer Maintenance  
CMYK  
Printing  
Alignment  
(DA550 ONLY  
continued)  
13. Press (+) or (-) to scroll through the selections (1-15)  
and choose the number that represents the best vertical  
alignment of the upper and lower lines (for the color and  
black artridges, respectively).  
14. Insert an envelope into the printer and press ENTER.  
The vertical adjustment prompt displays and the sample  
shown on the next page prints on the envelope.  
NOTE: The number you selected will be highlighted  
and all lines on the envelope should now be aligned.  
5-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Printer Maintenance • 5  
CMYK  
Printing  
Alignment  
(DA550 ONLY  
continued)  
15. Press MENU twice to return to the normal ON LINE  
screen.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
5-9  
5 • Printer Maintenance  
This page is intentionally blank.  
5-10  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Chapter 6  
Troubleshooting  
This chapter lists some com-  
mon printer problems and  
offers suggestions on how to  
fix them.  
In this chapter:  
Problems and Solutions 6-2  
Feed Problems ............... 6-2  
Print Quality Problems .. 6-3  
Interface Problems ........ 6-4  
Serial Pin Connector  
Diagram .......................... 6-5  
Motor Problems ............. 6-6  
Barcode Problems ......... 6-6  
Other Problems.............. 6-7  
6 • Troubleshooting  
Problems and  
Solutions  
Before contacting our Technical Operations Center or your  
Pitney Bowes Customer Service Representative, look for  
your problem below. If you can solve the problem yourself,  
you will be able to resume printing sooner.  
Problem  
Intermittent Feed  
Feed  
Problems  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Feed ramp not used.  
The feed ramp adds a gentle slope to the stack  
and helps feeding. If you're using the prop,  
check the H-Block gap for proper separation.  
Also make sure the wire frame is centered under  
the material. See pages 3-9.  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Dirty feed rollers.  
Clean the feed roller with denatured alcohol. DO  
NOT use any other solvents or detergents. They  
could damage the feed rollers.  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Paper dust present (yellow or white residue),  
blocking feed sensor.  
Clean sensor with compressed air  
(see page 5-3).  
Problem  
Multifeed (Feeds Doubles) or Skewing  
Reason:  
Separators (H-blocks) not set correctly. Also  
sliding fence set incorrectly.  
Solution:  
Adjust H-blocks to thickness of material. See  
page 3-7. Check sliding fence position. See  
page 3-12.  
6-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Troubleshooting • 6  
Problem  
Reason:  
Solution:  
No Print  
Print Quality  
Problems  
Ink cartridge problem.  
Purge ink cartridge (pg A-23).  
Clean cartridge jets with soft cotton  
cloth and water (in line with colors as  
shown).  
Change to a new cartridge.  
Problem  
Gray or Light Print - Black Ink  
Off Color or Low Intensity - Color Ink -  
DA550 only  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Ink supply is low.  
Check adjustment of the media thickness lever  
(page 3-15). If this fails to correct the problem,  
replace ink cartridge (pages 2-13, 2-15).  
Problem  
Address Smudging  
Reason:  
Incorrect media thickness lever setting.  
Ink may not dry on very high gloss material.  
Solution:  
Check whether media thickness lever is ad-  
justed too low (page 3-13).  
Try using less glossy material.  
Check exit rollers.  
Problem  
Address Printing is not Sharp  
Reason:  
Incorrect media thickness lever setting. Also,  
unsuitable material.  
Solution:  
Check whether envelope thickness lever is  
adjusted too high (page 3-15).  
Print quality is less sharp when using Tyvek,  
recycled or glossy media.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
6-3  
6 • Troubleshooting  
Problem  
Unwanted Bolding  
Print Quality  
Problems  
Reason:  
Escape sequence turning on bold or bold  
(continued)  
selection in printer's menu options is set to bold.  
Solution:  
Turn off bolding in software and/or turn bold  
selection in printer menu OFF. See Appendix A  
for instructions. If problem still exists, call Pitney  
Bowes for service.  
Problem  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Addresses "Walking"  
Incorrect Address Setup.  
Count carriage returns and line feeds and adjust  
Lines Per Address to the same number. Also  
check line termination: Typical, CR=CR; LF=LF.  
Other choices, (CR=CR+LF;LF=LF), (CR=CR;  
LF=CR+LF), (CR=CR+LF;LF=CR+LF), double  
spacing.  
Interface  
Problems  
Problem  
Reason:  
Solution:  
No Communications; Printer Does Not  
Respond  
Incorrect print driver, bad parallel or serial cable,  
bad printer controller board.  
Use DA500/DA550 print driver; replace parallel  
or serial cable. Make sure cable connections are  
tight, and that they are correct. Refer to serial  
pin diagram on the next page. If the problem still  
persists, call Pitney Bowes for service.  
Clear memory (pg A-16).  
Cycle power.  
6-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Troubleshooting • 6  
Connector  
Diagram  
Serial Pin Connector Diagram  
PRINTER  
DB25  
COMPUTER  
DB25  
1
2
3
5
6
7
20  
1
3
2
20  
7
5
CHS GND  
RXD  
TXD  
DTR  
SIG GND  
CTS  
CHS GND  
TXD  
RXD  
CTS  
DSR  
SIG GND  
DTR  
6
DSR  
DB25  
DB9  
1
2
3
5
6
20  
7
CHS GND  
TXD  
2
3
4
6
8
5
RXD  
TXD  
DTR  
DSR  
CTS  
SIG GND  
RXD  
CTS  
DSR  
DTR  
SIG GND  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
6-5  
6 • Troubleshooting  
Problem  
Motor Turning but no Feed Roller Move-  
ment  
Motor  
Problems  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Mechanical problem.  
Contact Pitney Bowes for Service.  
Barcode  
Problems  
Problem  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Barcode (Lower Right) is not Printing  
Barcode not enabled  
Turn barcode ON using Envelope Designer™  
Plus , or the DA500/DA550 print driver or the  
printer’s control panel menus.  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Missing ZIP Code.  
Insert ZIP Code.  
Invalid ZIP Code format.  
Check ZIP Code for invalid character. Example:  
Zero (0) can only be the number, not the letter  
(O). Verify that there is a dash inserted between  
the 5 + 4 ZIP Code Per DMM manual specifica-  
tions.  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Address too low.  
Verify the bottom of the last line of the address  
field is not less than 5/8" from bottom edge of  
the media.  
6-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Troubleshooting • 6  
Problem  
Address too High  
Barcode  
Problems  
(continued)  
Reason:  
Address field is within 1/10" of the top edge  
of the media.  
Solution:  
Move address field down to within DMM  
specifications.  
Other  
Problems  
Problem  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Paper Out or Paper Jam  
Input area is empty.  
Refill the input area.  
H-Block separators not adjusted correctly.  
Adjust the H-Blocks to the thickness of the  
material you're running. See page 3-7.  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Paper jam obstructing paper path.  
Clear obstructed path.  
Dirty paper feed sensor.  
Clean sensor with compressed air. See page  
5-3.  
Problem  
Shuttle Jam  
Reason:  
Envelope thickness lever is set too low for  
material.  
Solution:  
Open the transport door and adjust the media  
thickness lever. See page 3-15.  
Reason:  
Solution:  
Lower rail shaft dirty.  
Wipe lower rail shaft clean.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
6-7  
6 • Troubleshooting  
Problem  
Memory Card Error  
Other  
Problems  
(continued)  
Reason:  
The card was removed while the printer was  
reading it.  
Solution:  
Do not remove the card while the printer is in  
use. If the card has been removed, insert the  
card, turn the printer off, then turn the printer on  
again. use. If the card has been removed, insert  
the card, turn the printer off, then turn the printer  
on again.  
Problem  
Out of Memory  
Reason:  
The printer can run out of memory when  
downloading fonts or graphics.  
Solution:  
This generally means you’re trying to use a  
graphic (artwork) that’s too big or you have too  
many fonts or too large a font size. If the out-  
of-memory message appears, try reducing the  
size of your art and limiting the number and size  
of your fonts. Then shut the printer OFF, then  
ON and retry.  
6-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A  
Using the  
Control Panel  
Menus  
The printer menus are used  
to control how your printed  
material looks. This chapter  
describes each menu and  
its options.  
In this Appendix:  
Using the Control Panel ....... A-2  
Using the Menus ................... A-3  
Main Menu............................. A-5  
Setup Menu ......................... A-19  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use the buttons on the control panel to get to the printer  
Using the  
Control Panel  
menus, define the print options, run a print job, position  
the print carriage and turn the printer ON LINE and OFF  
LINE .  
You’ll normally perform these actions from within the  
application you’re using to set up your envelope  
layout.  
The buttons on the control panel perform the following  
functions:  
This Button...  
ON LINE  
Does This...  
Toggles (switches) between ON  
LINE (communicates with host)  
and OFF LINE (no communications  
withhost). Note that the functions  
of two buttons, Eject/- and Car  
tridge/+, vary, depending on  
whether the printer is ON LINE or  
OFF LINE .  
Eject/-  
(minus)  
When printer is OFF LINE, press to  
eject the last printed piece from the  
printer. When printer is ON LINE ,  
press to scroll through menu items  
from bottom to top.printer.  
A-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Menu  
Enter  
Displays the options on the Main  
Menu and the Setup Menu. The  
printer must be OFF LINE to  
accessthe menus.  
Using the  
Control Panel  
(continued)  
Press to select the currently  
displayed menu option.  
Cartridge/+(plus)  
With the printer OFF LINE , press  
to move the ink cartridge holder t  
o the center of the printer. This  
makes it easy to remove the car  
tridge.  
With the printer ON LINE , press  
to scroll forward through the  
menu options.  
Test Env.  
Prints a test envelope. This is very  
useful when you set up a print  
job.  
The DA500/DA550 has two menus, both displayed on  
the LCD:  
Using the  
Menus  
Use the Main Menu to control how your printed  
material looks.  
Use the Setup Menu to configure your printer so  
it will function correctly with your computer.  
NOTE: The printer must be OFF LINE to access the  
menu options.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-3  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
To select an option:  
Using the  
Menus  
(continued)  
1. Press the ON LINE button until the LCD mes-  
sage displays “OFF LINE ”.  
2. To access the MAIN MENU, press the Menu  
button.  
3. To access the SETUP MENU, press and hold the  
Menu button for four (4) seconds.  
4. Press the plus (+) or minus (–) buttons to move  
through the list of menu options.  
5. When the appropriate menu option appears,  
press the Enter button to display the choices  
associated with that option.  
6. Press + or – to scroll through the choices. When  
an option has an asterisk (*) in front of it, means  
that option is presently selected.  
Upon receipt of the printer from the factory, the  
asterisk is typically the default setting.  
When you press the Enter button to define a new  
option, an asterisk will appear before the se-  
lected option.  
7. Press the Menu button several times to back out  
of the Menu until the printer displays OFF LINE .  
Then press the ON LINE button to print  
A-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
The Main Menu options are:  
1. Address Layout  
Using the  
Main Menu  
2. Print Quality  
3. Font  
4. Barcode  
5. Address Recovery  
6. Clear Counter  
7. Job Settings  
NOTE: The settings you define in a software appli-  
cation such as SmartMailer™ override any settings  
you choose in the printer menus.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-5  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Main Menu  
Menu Options  
Using the  
Main Menu  
(continued)  
A. DISTANCE TO RIGHT  
B. DISTANCE TO BOTTOM  
C. LINE SPACING  
1. ADDRESS LAYOUT  
D. ORIENTATION  
E. ORIENTATION CONTROL  
2. PRINT QUALITY  
DRAFT  
EXECUTIVE  
LETTER  
3. FONT  
A. NAME  
B. SIZE  
C. WIDTH  
D. BOLD  
E. ITALIC  
F. OUTLINE  
A. LOCATION  
B. 5 DIGIT ON/OFF  
C. 9 DIGIT ON/OFF  
4. BARCODE  
5. ADDRESS RECOVERY  
6. CLEAR COUNTER  
7. JOB SETTINGS  
A. GET ADDRESS  
B. CLEAR MEMORY  
CLEAR ADDRESS (YES/NO)  
PIECE COUNTERS  
A. LOAD  
B. SAVE  
NOTE: To print a list of the Main Menu and Setup  
Menu settings, press the test button when ROM REV  
is displayed - in the Setup Menu.  
A-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use the Address Layout option to set up the way an  
address appears on the printed material. The printable  
width is limited to 9.4” from the right side of the mail  
piece. The printable height is 15” measured from the  
bottom edge of the mail piece.  
1. Address  
Layout  
Define the following options from this menu:  
A. Distance to Right (Left Margin)  
This option sets the start of the address (the left side of  
the address) as measured from the right side of the  
envelope. For # 10 envelopes this should be about  
5.5”.  
Press the + or – buttons to increase or decrease the  
Distance to Right, ( + MORE or – LESS) defined in  
inches or millimeters. The left margin is the distance  
measured from the right edge of the material to the first  
printable character. Press the Enter button to select the  
desired measurement.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-7  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
B. Distance to Bottom (Bottom Margin)  
1. Address  
Layout  
(continued)  
Use this option to set the distance from the top address  
line to the bottom of the envelope. For #10 envelopes  
this should be about two inches.  
Press the + or – buttons to increase or decrease the  
Distance to Bottom, (+ MORE or – LESS) defined in  
inches or millimeters. The bottom margin is the distance  
between the bottom edge of the material and base of first  
line of the address. Minimum distance between the last  
line of the address and the bottom edge of the material is  
5/8 inches. If less than 5/8 inches, the lower right  
barcode will not be printed. Press the Enter button to  
enable the desired measurement.  
C. Line Spacing  
Press the + or – buttons to increase or decrease the Line  
Spacing (i.e., 3, 4, 6, 8 lines/inch or Automatic), defined in  
lines per inch. Automatic line pitch selection is based on  
industry-standard definitions for line spacing for each  
print pitch and style selected. The printer will automati-  
cally select the correct setting for the font and size of the  
characters being printed.  
D. Orientation  
The choices are Normal and Inverted. Select Normal for  
most applications. This tells the printer that the bottom  
edge of the material feeds first, with the right side running  
against the right side of the printer.  
The Inverted option tells the printer that the top edge of  
the material feeds first. Select this option if, for example,  
you need to feed envelopes flap first.  
A-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
E. Orientation Control  
1. Address  
Layout  
(continued)  
The choices are Automatic and Manual. When Orienta-  
tion Control is set to Automatic, the printer acknowl-  
edges the orientation commands sent from the com-  
puter. Setting Orientation to Manual notifies the printer  
to use the menu settings for orientation.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-9  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
To use the Address Layout option:  
1. Address  
Layout  
(continued)  
1. Press the ON LINE button until the display reads  
OFF LINE.  
2. Press the Menu button to display the Main  
Menu.  
3. Press the + or - buttons to scroll through the  
Main Menu options until the address layout  
option appears on the LCD panel.  
4. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
5. Press the + or buttons to scroll through the  
address layout options.  
6. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option (A, B, C, D or E).  
7. Press the + or - buttons to scroll through the  
choices associated with each option.  
8. When you’ve finished making selections, press  
the menu button several times to back out of the  
menu until the printer displays OFF LINE. Then  
press the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-10  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use the print quality option to select the resolution of  
the printed addresses—Executive, Letter or Draft.  
2. Print Quality  
NOTE: All color print quality specifications only  
apply to the DA550.  
A. Executive Quality  
Black - 600 x 600 DPI  
Color 300 x 300 DPI  
This is the darkest of the three print qualities. It prints  
at the slowest speed, uses the most ink and delivers  
the best quality printout. Executive quality prints  
envelopes that require a professional appearance.  
B. Letter Quality  
Black - 300 x 600 DPI  
Color 300 x 200 DPI  
Letter quality is used for envelopes that require a  
finished, polished appearance.  
C. Draft Quality  
Black - 150 x 600 DPI  
Color 300 x 150 DPI  
This is the lightest of the three and prints at the fastest  
speed. Draft quality prints envelopes at the highest  
speed and saves ink.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-11  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
To use the Print Quality option:  
2. Print Quality  
(continued)  
1. Press the ON LINE button until the display reads  
OFF LINE .  
2. Press the Menu button to display the Main Menu.  
3. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the Main  
Menu options until the Print Quality option is  
displayed on the LCD panel.  
4. Press the Enter button to select the option you  
want.  
5. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the Print  
Quality options, until the desired option (Execu-  
tive, Letter or Draft) is displayed on the LCD  
panel.  
6. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option.  
7. After you’ve made your selection, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the Menu until  
the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press the  
ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-12  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
DA500/DA550 has thirteen available fonts (typefaces,  
plus barcode): Courier, Sans Serif, Roman, OCR A,  
Quincy, Springer, Hancock, Alpine, Baxter, Marina,  
Stencil, Windmill, and Silicon. All fonts are scalable  
from 4 to 30 point size, and can be printed in regular,  
bold, italic. and outline style.  
3. Font  
Selection  
The DA500/DA550 also supports downloaded fonts.  
This means that if you are using Windows, all the  
fonts installed in Windows are available. The options  
on this menu are Name, Width, Bold, Italic, and  
Outline.  
A. Name  
The printer has thirteen internal fonts as described  
above, and one barcode font.  
B. Size  
The font size (internal or external) can be set from 4  
to 30 point.  
C. Width  
The font width is Normal (100%), thin (75%), con-  
densed (50%), wide (125%) or expanded (150%).  
D. Bold  
This is the darkest imprint because character stroke  
weight (thickness of print) is increased. Use Bold to  
emphasize or highlight text in an address.  
E. Italic  
Italic characters have decreased stroke weight, print  
at an oblique angle and print somewhat lighter than  
standard or bold typefaces. Use italic to provide  
emphasis and add flair to address text that requires a  
finished, polished appearance.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-13  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
F. Outline  
3. Font  
Selection  
(continued)  
Use this option to print only the outline or the edge of the  
font’s shape. All records printed using Outline will appear  
as hollow text.  
To select the font options:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the Main  
Menu options until the “FONT” option displays on  
the LCD panel.  
2. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the Font  
options until the desired option appears on the  
LCD panel.  
3. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option (A, B, C, D, E or F).  
4. After making your selections, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the Menu until  
the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press the  
ON LINE button to enable the printer.o select the  
font options:  
Use this option to include a USPS-certified barcode on  
your mailpieces. The DA500/DA550 can print a 5- or 11-  
digit barcode. If you select Off, it means that if the com-  
puter sends a 5-digit ZIP Code, it won’t print a barcode;  
only the 9-digit ZIP Codes and Delivery Points will print.  
4. Barcode  
The options on the barcode menu are:  
Location,  
5-Digit On/Off  
9-Digit On/Off.  
A-14  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
A. Location  
4. Barcode  
(continued)  
Press the Enter and + buttons to select the Location  
where you want the barcode to print. (Lower Right  
Corner, Above Address, Below Address or turn  
Barcode Off).  
B. 5-Digit On / Off  
If a 5-digit barcode is required, selecting the 5-digit  
barcode option (5-Digit ON) lets you print either 5-digit  
or 11-digit barcodes as requested by the computer.  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Main Menu options until the BARCODE option  
displays on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Barcode options, until the desired option (A.  
Location and B. 5-Digit On/Off) displays on the  
LCD panel.  
4. Press the Enter button to select an option.  
Use this option to define where the U.S. Postal  
Service POSTNET™ Barcode will print.  
5. Press the Enter button at the 5-digit barcode  
prompt and use + or – to turn the option ON or  
OFF.  
6. After making your selections, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the menu  
until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press  
the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-15  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
C. 9-Digit On / Off  
If a 9-digit barcode is required, selecting the 9-digit  
barcode option (9-Digit ON) lets you print ONLY a  
4. Barcode  
(continued)  
9-digit barcode. NO 11 DIGIT BARCODE WILL PRINT.  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the Main  
Menu options until the BARCODE option displays  
on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Barcode options, until the desired option (A.  
Location and B. 5-Digit On/Off) displays on the  
LCD panel.  
4. Press the Enter button to select an option.  
Use this option to define where the U.S. Postal  
Service POSTNET™ Barcode will print.  
5. Press the Enter button at the 5-digit barcode  
prompt and use + or – to turn the option ON or  
OFF.  
6. After making your selections, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the menu until  
the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press the  
ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-16  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use this option to direct the printer’s memory to go  
back a certain number of addresses when an error  
occurs in order to reprint the address. The options on  
this menu are:  
5. Address  
Recovery  
A. Get Addresses  
B. Clear Memory.  
A. Get Addresses  
Select Get Addresses after a jam is cleared and you  
want to restart printing at the point where the printer  
left off just before the jam occurred. To retrieve any  
address in the data buffer, press the Enter button. The  
first 16 characters of the first line of the last address  
printed will be displayed on the LCD. Press the + or –  
buttons to scroll through the addresses. When the  
desired address appears, press the Enter button to  
print that address plus the remaining addresses in the  
buffer.  
NOTE: If you are using the windows NT operating  
system, only cryptic characters will appear.  
B. Clear Memory  
Select Clear Memory before you start a new batch  
printing. This is required because the memory will  
contain up to twenty addresses from the previous  
batch.  
To use this menu option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Main Menu options until the ADDRESS RECOV-  
ERY option displays on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-17  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
3. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
5. Address  
Recovery  
(continued)  
Address Recovery options until the desired  
option (A. Get Address or B. Clear Memory)  
displays on the LCD panel.  
4. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option.  
5. After making your selection, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the Menu,  
until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press  
the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
6. Clear  
Counter  
Use this option to clear the piece (batch) counter.  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Main Menu options until the option displays on  
the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the + or – button to select CLEAR PIECE  
COUNTER, (+ YES or – NO).  
4. After you’ve made your selection, press the  
Menu button several times to back out of the  
Menu, until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then,  
press the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-18  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
The DA500/DA550 Printer can hold eight job presets in  
memory. This eliminates the need for changes to the  
printer setup when you change print jobs. The options  
on this menu are:  
7. Job  
Settings  
A. LOAD  
B. SAVE.  
A. Load  
Select this option to retrieve a previous job setup. Press  
+ (for more) or – (for less) to increase or decrease the  
desired job number. Press the Enter button to select the  
desired option.  
B. Save  
Use this option to save the current envelope setup  
(address position, barcode position, number of lines per  
inch, and so on). The printer saves the setup as a job  
number (1 through 8). You must keep a record of these  
setups and the number you assigned. Press + (MORE)  
or – (LESS) to increase or decrease the desired job  
number. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-19  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
To use this option to direct the printer to Load or Save  
the Job Setting as a certain number:  
7. Job  
Settings  
(continued)  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the Main  
Menu options until the 7. JOB SETTINGS option  
appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the + or – buttons to select A. Load or B.  
Save.  
4. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option.  
5. After making your selection, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the Menu,  
until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press  
the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
NOTE: If your printer is attached to a computer,  
use thismenu to configure your printer so it is  
compatible with your computer’s setup.  
A-20  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
To access the Setup Menu, the printer must be  
OFFLINE. (The LCD display toggles between ON LINE  
and OFF LINE ).  
Using the Setup  
Menu  
If the printer is ON LINE , press the ON LINE button  
once so the LCD displays OFF LINE . Then, press and  
hold the Menu button for four seconds to display the  
Setup Menu.  
The Setup Menu options are:  
1. Heavy Media Mode  
2. Test Print Head  
3. Purge Print Head  
4. Lines Per Address  
5. Communications  
6. Hex Dump Mode  
7. Languages  
8. Envelope Feed Delay  
9. Envelope Auto Eject  
10. ROM Revision # and Maintenance Count  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-21  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Setup Menu  
Menu Options  
Using the  
Setup Menu  
(continued)  
1. HEAVY MEDIA MODE  
2. TEST PRINT HEAD  
3. PURGE PRINT HEAD  
4. LINES PER ADDRESS  
5. COMMUNICATIONS  
A. BAUD RATE  
B. PARITY  
C. WORD LENGTH  
D. LINE TERMINATION  
6. HEX DUMP MODE  
7. LANGUAGE  
A. SYMBOL SET  
B. INCH/MILLIMETER  
C. MENU LANGUAGE  
8. ENVELOPE FEED DELAY  
9. ENVELOPE AUTO EJECT  
10. ROM REVISION # AND  
MAINTENANCE COUNT  
NOTE: To print a list of the Main Menu and Setup  
Menu settings, press the test button when ROM REV  
displays.  
A-22  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
The only time you need to turn this mode on is when  
you are using long, heavy envelopes. This option in-  
creases motor torque. This option is normally OFF.  
1. Heavy  
Media Mode  
To use this option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until the 1. HEAVY MEDIA  
LOAD appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the + or – buttons to select:  
A. ON  
or  
B. OFF.  
4. Press the Enter button to select the desired  
option.  
5. After making your selection, press the Menu  
button several times to back out of the Menu,  
until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press  
the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-23  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Before you select this option, make sure that the material  
is loaded in the printer input area so you can print a test  
pattern.  
2. Test Print  
Head  
To use this option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until the 2. TEST PRINT  
HEAD option appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
The LCD will display “Print test pattern?”  
3. Press + for Yes to print the test pattern, or press –  
for No to cancel.  
If you press +, “Please wait...Test pattern is print-  
ing” displays. The printer prints a diagonal line  
across the material. If a gap is present within the  
diagonal line, the nozzle may be blocked and need  
to be cleaned.  
4. Press the Menu button to back out of the menu  
until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then press  
the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-24  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
The purging process clears any clogged ink on the print  
nozzle. Often this will return the print quality to a normal  
level.  
3. Purge Print  
Head  
To select this option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 3. PURGE TEST HEAD  
appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. To select Purge Print Head cycle, press Enter  
when the “Purge Print Head?” message dis-  
plays.  
This option can be enabled by pressing the +  
button (YES) or disabled by pressing the –  
button (NO). If enabled, the printer will display  
“Please wait...Ink Jets being purged”.  
4. Press the Menu button to back out of the menu  
until the printer displays “OFF LINE ”. Then  
press the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-25  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use this option to set the number of lines in the address  
field.  
4. Lines Per  
Address  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 4. LINES PER  
ADDRESS appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. The LCD displays “LINES/ADDRESS + (MORE) or  
– (LESS)”.  
The range is from 1 to 66 lines. To select the  
range, press the + button (MORE) or – button  
(LESS). The printer can print an address which is  
typically between 3 and 8 lines.  
4. Press the Menu button to back out of the menu  
until the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press  
the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-26  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Transmitting data from the computer to the DA500/  
DA550 is by way of the parallel interface or the serial  
interface. The printer automatically senses the interface  
through which data is being sent. When the computer  
uses the DA500/DA550’s parallel interface no commu-  
nication settings are required.  
5. Communications  
When the serial interface is used, the DA500/DA550  
Communications menu settings must be configured to  
match the computer settings. Configure the computer  
to use either the XON/XOFF or DTR handshaking  
settings to communicate with the DA500/DA550. Use  
the following sub menus to change the DA500/DA550  
serial communications:  
A. Baud Rate  
B Parity  
C. Word Length  
D. Line Termination.  
NOTE: To verify that the computer and the DA500/  
DA550 are communicating, with the printer on-line,  
type DIR>PRN and press Enter.  
A. Baud Rate  
The Baud Rate choices are (1200), (2400), (4800), (9600)  
and (19200).  
B. Parity  
Parity determines the integrity of data that is sent. The  
choices are (ODD), (EVEN) AND (NONE).  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-27  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
C. Word Length  
The choices are (7 DATA BITS) and (8 DATA BITS).  
5. Communications  
(continued)  
D. Line Termination  
Typical software line termination is CR=CR;LF=LF. If  
your software is not typical, the line termination can be  
modified. The menu choices are (CR=CR;LF=LF),  
(CR=CR+LF;LF=LF), (CR=CR;LF=CR+LF),  
(CR=CR+LF;LF=CR+LF).  
To use the Communications option:  
1. Press the ON LINE button until the display reads  
OFF LINE .  
2. Press the Menu button for four seconds to  
display the Setup Menu.  
3. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until the Communications  
option displays on the LCD panel.  
4. Press the Enter button to select the options you  
want. Continue to press menu, the + and -  
buttons and enter to scroll to and select the  
options’ next levels.  
A-28  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
The information provided here is for those customers  
who are technically inclined.  
6. Hex Dump  
Mode  
The Hex Dump Mode option causes the printer to print  
all commands and data it receives from the computer in  
a hexadecimal format. Use this feature to check the  
integrity of your data. When you enable this option,  
instead of addresses printing, a HEX dump of the data  
stream prints on the material.  
To use this option, the printer must be attached to a  
computer.  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 6. HEX DUMP MODE  
appears.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option  
which configures the printer to print raw ASCII  
data. This is very useful when troubleshooting  
computer (software) installation problems. See  
the HEX chart on the next page for review.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-29  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
6. Hex Dump  
Mode  
(continued)  
MSB  
0
0
16  
1
32 48 64 80 96 112  
DEC  
2
3
4
5
6
7
HEX  
0
0
NUL DLE  
SOH DC1  
STX DC2  
ETX DC3  
EOT DC4  
ENQ NAK  
ACK SYN  
BEL ETB  
SP  
!
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
:
@
A
B
C
D
E
F
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
[
`
a
b
c
d
e
f
p
q
r
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
A
B
C
D
E
"
3
#
$
%
&
s
t
4
5
u
v
w
x
y
z
{
6
LSB  
7
G
H
I
g
h
i
8
BS  
NT  
LF  
VT  
FF  
CR  
SO  
SI  
CAN  
EM  
(
9
)
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
SUB  
ESC  
FS  
*
J
j
+
,
;
K
L
k
l
<
=
>
?
\
|
GS  
M
N
O
]
m
n
o
}
RS  
^
-
DEL  
F
US  
/
_
Hex Chart  
A-30  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
EXAMPLE:  
6. Hex Dump  
Mode  
(continued)  
The capital letter A is a HEX 41. Find the letter A on  
the above chart, and look towards the top of the chart  
(MSB) and locate the HEX number 4. Then look to the  
left side of the chart (LSB) and locate the HEX number  
1. Therefore the HEX number is MSB=4 and LSB 1=  
41.  
This chart can be easily understood by memorizing  
five HEX codes: Capital A is 41 Hex, numbers are 30’s  
(0 is 30 HEX, 1 is 31 HEX etc.), Carriage Return (CR) is  
0D, Line Feed (LF) is 0A and Form Feed is 0C.  
When HEX Mode is disabled, a typical address will be  
printed on a single envelope. When Hex Mode is  
enabled, the same address will be printed on several  
envelopes (3 to 5) because HEX codes are two digits  
each separated by brackets. Since a capital letter A is  
a Hex [41], there are 4 elements printed for each  
character of the address.  
When reviewing addresses printed in HEX mode, start  
from the end of the address (ZIP Code 30’s number)  
and count backward toward the beginning of the  
address. Count the number of CRs [0D] and LFs [0A].  
Verify that the printer’s address setup has the same  
number of CRs and LFs as the address printed. If  
there is a variation in the number of CRs or LFs be-  
tween addresses, then the address MUST be termi-  
nated with a (form feed) FF [0C] (within the data sent  
to the printer).  
When you’re finished using this option, use the Menu  
button to back out of the menu until the printer dis-  
plays OFF LINE . Then press the ON LINE button and  
send addresses to the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-31  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
The DA500/DA550 has several language sets installed.  
The options on the language menu are: A. Symbol Set, B.  
Inch / Millimeter, C. Menu Language.  
7. Language  
A. Symbol Set  
The symbol set contains the International Standards  
Organization (ISO) character set substitution tables. They  
include the following:  
ISO 6 ANSI ASCII  
ISO 69 FRENCH  
ISO 21 GERMAN  
ISO 4 UK  
ISO 60 NORW/DAN  
ISO 11 SWED/FIN  
ISO 15 ITALIAN  
ISO 17 SPANISH  
ISO 61 NORW/DAN  
ISO 10 SWED/FIN  
ISO 16 PORTUGUESE  
ISO CHAR SET  
ISO 8859  
Roman 8  
WINDOWS LATIN  
PC 8  
B. Inch / Millimeter  
This option selects the printer Measurement system—  
Inch or Millimeter.  
A-32  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
C. Menu Languages  
7. Language  
(continued)  
This option changes the LCD control panel menu to the  
language you want. Supported languages are English,  
German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Polish.  
To use this option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 7. LANGUAGE ap-  
pears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press Enter to select the Language option you  
want to use—A, B or C.  
4. Press the + button or – button to view the menu  
languages available. Press Enter to select an  
option.  
5. When you’ve finished making selections, press  
the Menu button to back out of the menu until  
the printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press the  
ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-33  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use this option to feed very glossy material or if extra ink  
8. Envelope  
Feed Delay  
drying time is needed. This option slightly reduces the  
overall throughput of the printer.  
To use this option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 8. FEED DELAY appears  
on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
The time delay (0 to 30 seconds) can be adjusted  
by pressing the + button (MORE) or – button  
(LESS).  
3. When you’ve finished making selections, press the  
Menu button to back out of the menu until the  
printer displays OFF LINE . Then, press the ON  
LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-34  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
Use this option to automatically eject the last envelope  
in your job.  
9. Auto  
Envelope Eject  
To use this option:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 9. AUTO ENVELOPE  
EJECT appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the + button (ON) or the - button (OFF).  
4. Press the Menu button to back out of the menu  
until the printer displays “OFF LINE ”. Then,  
press the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
A-35  
Appendix A • Control Panel Menus  
This option is extremely useful whenever it is necessary  
10. ROM  
Revision  
Number  
to verify the Firmware Revision installed in the printer. It  
is also useful to determine if your printer requires an  
upgrade.  
The Maintenance Count, which is the total number of  
print cycles accumulated, is also displayed. This infor-  
mation is helpful in determining solutions to printer  
problems.  
To momentarily view the ROM Revision and the Mainte-  
nance Count:  
1. Press the + or – buttons to scroll through the  
Setup Menu options until 10. ROM REVISION  
NUMBER appears on the LCD panel.  
2. Press the Enter button to select this option.  
3. Press the Menu button to back out of the menu  
until the printer displays “OFF LINE ”. Then,  
press the ON LINE button to enable the printer.  
A-36  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix B  
DA500/DA550  
Specifications  
This Appendix contains  
detailed hardware and ma-  
terial specifications for the  
DA500/DA550 printer.  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Physical Dimensions  
14.7" (37.3 cm) high; 16.2" (41.2 cm) wide; 21.7" (55.1  
cm) deep (without wireform).  
Equipment  
Specifications  
Weight  
44.11 lbs. (20 kg), including print cartridges (B & C) and  
catch bin.  
Electrical  
Domestic (DA500/DA550): 120VAC, 60Hz, 1A  
International (DA500/DA550): 220-240VAC, 50Hz, 0.5A  
Agency Approvals  
UL/cUL/VDE-GS  
Interface  
Centronics Parallel and Serial.  
Control Language  
PCL5, modified  
Driver Compatibility  
Windows 98/2000/NT/ME/XP compatible. Below is a  
table of the Microsoft operating systems currently  
supported and the dates Pitney Bowes currently ex-  
pects to stop providing support for the drivers that run  
in conjunction with those systems.  
Microsoft’s  
Microsoft Windows "Not Supported"  
Last Date Pitney Bowes will support  
Microsoft Windows Operating System  
in conjunction with SmartMailer**  
July 31, 2006  
Recommended  
Operating System  
Date*  
Replacement  
98 and 98 (2nd ed.)  
Millennium (Me)  
NT 4.0  
June 30, 2006  
June 30, 2006  
June 30, 2003  
Windows 2000 Pro or XP Pro  
July 31, 2006  
July 31, 2004  
Windows 2000 Pro or XP Pro  
Windows 2000 Pro or XP Pro  
To be determined  
December 31, 2006 December 31, 2006  
March 31, 2007 March 31, 2007  
December 31, 2008 December 31, 2008  
XP Home  
2000 Professional  
XP Professional  
To be determined  
To be determined  
* As of 1/12/04 Source: Microsoft.com  
** Dates subject to change, including any change due to Microsoft’s support cessation dates or if USPS changes  
requirements. Should dates change, they will be posted on our web site at www.pb.com/support  
.
)
B-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Address Recovery  
Memory buffer holds a maximum of 20 addresses  
Equipment  
Specifications  
(continued)  
Print Modes (Print Resolution)  
Note: All color print quality specifications only  
apply to the DA550.  
•Draft:  
Black - 150 x 600 DPI  
Color - 300 x 150 DPI  
•Letter Quality:  
Black - 300 x 600 DPI  
Color - 300 x 200 DPI  
•Executive:  
Black - 600 x 600 DPI  
Color - 300 x 300 DPI  
Fonts  
Resident Fonts  
Courier, Sans Serif, Roman, OCR A, Quincy, Springer,  
Hancock, Alpine, Baxter, Marina, Stencil, Windmill,  
Silicon, and Code 39 Barcode (All fonts are scalable  
from 4 to 30 pt size.)  
Resident Font Enhancements  
Bold  
Expanded  
Outline  
Condensed  
Italic  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
B-3  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Downloadable Fonts  
Supports bitmapped, downloadable fonts.  
Equipment  
Specifications  
(continued)  
Cartridge Fonts  
Not Required. Fonts are downloaded with addresses.  
User-Definable Parameters  
Font Characteristics  
Address Placement  
Barcode Characteristics  
Print Quality  
Barcode Printing Position  
The DA500/DA550 can print a barcode in one of three  
positions:  
lower right of the envelope  
above the address block  
below the address block.  
Barcode Printing Types  
The DA500/DA550 can print the following barcodes:  
1-Dimensional  
The printer is capable of printing a USPS Certi-  
fied POSTNET barcode. All types of barcodes  
can be printable including FIM, 3 of 9, 4 state bar  
code (UK, Canadian, Euro, Asutralia, etc.) and  
others.  
The printer is capable of printing 5-, 9-, or 11-  
digit barcodes. 5-digit barcode printing may be  
disabled through menu selection.  
Delivery point barcode is generated by transmit-  
ting the three digits.  
The printer is capable of printing planet barcode  
used for delivery confirmation services.  
B-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix B • Specifications  
2-Dimensional  
The printer is capable of printing an USPS  
Certified IBIP barcode as well as all types of  
2-D barcodes defined for the countries (UK,  
Canadian, Euro, Australia etc.) and others to  
the defined standards. Reference applicable  
Postal Standards.  
FIM (Facing Identification Mark)  
The printer is capable of printing an approved  
FIM barcode to the defined standards. FIM is  
used to “face” first class mail with certain types  
of IBI (information-based indicia) mail. NOTE:  
Pitney Bowes Envelope DesignerTM Plus  
software does not support the creation of FIM  
barcode.  
Throughput  
Up to 10,000 pieces per hour, depending on color,  
print mode, media size, number of address lines, and  
barcode imprinting. The following throughput specifi-  
cations are based on using number 10 envelopes, size  
10 point type, 3 lines per address, 18 characters per  
line, no barcode, margin 5 inch (12.7 cm).  
Black Printing  
DA500  
Draft  
10,000/hr 10,000/hr 9,000/hr  
Draft Letter Executive  
10,000/hr 10,000/hr 9,000/hr  
Letter  
Executive  
DA550*  
*with no color ink cartridge installed  
DA550**  
Draft  
Letter  
Executive  
9,000/hr 9,000/hr 8,000/hr  
**with color ink cartridge installed  
Color Printing  
DA500  
DA550  
Not Available  
Draft Letter  
4,000/hr 4,000/hr 3,000/hr  
Executive  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
B-5  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Stacker Capacity  
Input Stacker: 200 #10 Envelopes  
Output Stacker: 150 #10 Envelopes  
Equipment  
Specifications  
(continued)  
Effective Print Area  
The printable width is 9.4 inches measured from the right  
side of the mailpiece. The printable height is 15 inches  
measured from the bottom edge of the mailpiece. See  
the figure below.  
Trailing Edge (Top)  
FeedDirection  
Flap on opposite side  
Right  
Left  
LeadingEdge(Bottom)  
NOTES:  
1. All edges are viewed from the front surface of the material.  
2. Two clear zones, each 0.3 inches wide, are required on the mailpiece  
to allow clearance for the exit rollers.  
3. Printing is allowed to the top edge of the media, however print  
quality will be degraded.  
4. The lower 5/8 inch of the material is reserved for the lower right  
barcode when it is used.  
B-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Printhead/InkJet Cartridges  
Cartridges: User-replaceable ink jet  
Single Black Ink Cartridge - 711-1  
Single Color Ink Cartridge - 660-5 - DA550 only  
4 Pack of Black Ink Cartridges - 660-9  
Equipment  
Specifications  
(continued)  
Print Position Accuracy  
For a #10 envelope (Acclaim #10 WW Commercial,Regular):  
Horizontal: within +/- 1.5mm  
Vertical: within +/- 1.5mm  
Skew: within +/- 1 degree  
For other media:  
Horizontal: within +/- 3.0mm  
Vertical: within +/- 3.0mm  
Skew: within +/- 2-1/2 degrees  
Environmental Limits  
Operating Conditions:  
Temperature: 55 to 95°F (12 to 35°C)  
Humidity: 8 to 80%  
Maximum Wet Bulb Temperature: 80°F (27°C)  
Storage Conditions  
Temperature (Printer): 42 to 100°F (5 to 40°C)  
Humidity (Supplies): 10 to 90%  
Maximum Wet Bulb Temperature: 85°F (29°C)  
Shipment Conditions  
Temperature (Printer): -40 to 140°F  
Humidity (Supplies): 5 to 100%  
Maximum Wet Bulb Temperature: 85°F (29°C)  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
B-7  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Noise Level  
Idle Mode: <6.6 Bel (A)  
Operating Mode: <7.3 Bel(A)  
Operator position: no more than 65 dBa referenced to  
20 µpa.  
Equipment  
Specifications  
(continued)  
Recommended Usage  
Pitney Bowes has tested this machine under many  
different conditions and recommends that you do not  
exceed the usage levels specified below:  
Monthly usage is 77,000 pieces  
NOTE: Usage beyond these recommended cycles is  
not covered under your Equipment Maintenance  
Agreement.  
Product life is 5 years or 4,620,000 cycles (whichever  
comes first)  
B-8  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Approved Media  
Material  
The paper types listed below are approved for use  
with the DA500/DA550 Printer. Please note that the  
dimensional limits above apply in all cases, and that all  
media (flats, envelopes, postcards, catalog envelopes,  
etc.) must be without windows, unstuffed and un-  
sealed.  
Specifications  
White Wove  
Bond paper  
Recycled paper  
Coated paper  
Card stock  
Brown kraft  
Manila  
Material Size and Thickness  
Width  
Height  
Thickness  
Minimum  
Maximum  
3"(76mm)  
5"(127mm)  
15"(381mm)  
.003"(.0762mm)  
.118"(2.99mm)  
12.5"(317.5mm)  
AlsoseethetableonpageB-11.  
Material Notes  
Envelopes have a flap along the long edge and are  
processed by the printer non-flap edge first. Enve-  
lopes may have either a diagonal or straight edge  
along the envelope flap.  
Booklets are defined as media having physical dimen-  
sions 6 x 9" or larger. Booklets have an opening along  
their long edge which is covered by a flap with an  
adhesive seal.  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
B-9  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Catalog envelopes have an opening along their short  
edge which is closed by a flap with an adhesive seal.  
Material  
Specifications  
(continued)  
Postcards have no folds or bends. The printable side  
may have a higher surface roughness than the non-  
printable side.  
Self-mailers may be of "C," "Z," or 1/2-folded con-  
struction. They may not exceed the maximum allow-  
able thickness as specified on the previous page and  
must be tabbed per postal regulations.  
A catalog may consist of multiple pages bound by  
adhesive or tabs on the feed edge or at 90 degrees  
with respect to the feed edge.  
Sheet stock may consist of 16 to 28 lb. bond as well  
as 60 to 80 lb. coated stock. The size and thickness  
constraints specified above apply.  
B-10  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Appendix B • Specifications  
Envelope Sizes  
Name  
Style  
Dimensions (Inch)  
Height x Width  
Dimensions (Metric)  
Height x Width  
#6-1/4  
#6-1/2  
#6-3/4  
#8-1/2  
#4  
3-1/2 x 6"  
89 x 152 mm  
165 x 165  
216 x 165  
261 x 261  
92 x 130  
Square  
6-1/2 x 6-1/2"  
Commercial 3-5/8 x 6-1/2"  
Square  
Baronial  
Baronial  
Baronial  
Baronial  
Official  
Official  
Official  
Official  
Official  
Official  
Official  
Official  
8-1/2 x 8-1/2"  
3-5/8" x 5-1/8"  
4-1/8 x 5-5/8"  
4-3/8 x 6-3/4"  
4-3/4 x 6-1/2"  
3-7/8 x 7-1/2"  
3-3/4 x 6-3/4  
3-5/8 x 8-5/8"  
3-7/8 x 8-7/8"  
4-1/8 x 9-1/2"  
4-1/2 x 10-3/8"  
4-3/4 x 11"  
5 x 11-1/2"  
3-7/8 x 7-1/2"  
9 x 12-3/4"  
6-3/8 x 9"  
4-1/2 x 6-3/8"  
4-3/8 8-11/16"  
#5  
105 x 142  
110 x 171  
121 x 165  
98 x 190  
#5-1/2  
#6  
#7-3/4  
#7  
95 x 171  
#8-5/8  
#9  
92 x 219  
98 x 225  
#10  
104 x 241  
114 x 263  
120 x 279  
127 x 292  
98 x 190  
#11  
#12  
#14  
Monarch  
C 4  
DIN C4  
DIN C5  
DIN C6  
229 x 324  
162 x 229  
114 x 162  
110 x 220  
C 5  
C 6  
DL  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
B-11  
Appendix B • Specifications  
This page is intentionally blank.  
B-12  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Index  
Index  
Cleaning  
Exit Rollers 5-3  
Index  
Floor Assembly and Top Cover 5-3  
Precautions 5-2  
Preventive Maintenance 5-2  
Print Head Cartridge 5-2  
Rubber Rollers 5-2  
Sensor 5-3  
Symbols  
5-Digit On / Off A-15  
9-Digit On/Off A-16  
Cleaning Printhead Cartridge 5-2  
Clear Counter  
A
Using Menu to A-18  
Clear Counter A-18  
Clear Memory A-16  
Communications A-27  
Baud Rate A-27  
Address High 6-7  
Address Layout  
Setting with Menu A-10  
Address Recovery  
DTR handshaking A-24  
Line Termination A-28  
parallel interface A-24  
Parity A-27  
serial interface A-24  
Word Length A-28  
XON/XOFF A-24  
Specification B-3  
Using Menu to invoke A-17  
Address Smudging 6-3  
Addresses "Walking" 6-4  
Agency Approvals B-2  
Approved Media B-9  
Approved Media Types 3-3  
Attach the Material Prop 2-7  
Auto Envelope Eject A-35  
Control Language B-2  
Control Panel 3-5  
Control Panel Buttons  
A-2  
CPU  
B
Recommended 1-3  
CMYK Printing Alignment (DA750 only) 5-4  
Barcode 4-15, A-14, A-15  
Barcode (Lower Right) is not Printing 6-5  
Barcode Options  
Setting with Menu A-14  
Barcode Printing B-4  
Barcode Problems 6-6  
Bold Type  
D
Distance to Bottom A-8  
Distance to Right A-7  
Downloadable Fonts B-4  
Draft Print Quality A-10  
Driver Compatibility B-2  
Driver, Software for Printer 4-2  
Drying Times B-2  
Unwanted 6-4  
C
Cartridge Fonts B-4  
Choosing a Location for Your Printer 2-5  
i-2  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Index  
Heavy Media Mode  
Using Menu to Select A-21  
Hex Dump Mode A-29, A-30, A-31  
E
Effective Print Area B-6  
Electrical  
Specifications B-2  
Envelope Designer™ 4-15  
Envelope Feed Delay A-34  
Envelope Sizes  
I
Important Safety Notes 2-5  
Inch / Millimeter  
Using Menu to Select A-29  
Inch/Millimeter A-29  
Ink Jet Cartridge 2-3  
Installing 2-13  
Listing of B-7  
Environmental Limits B-7  
Executive Print Quality A-10  
Exit Rollers 3-6, 3-16  
Cleaning 5-3  
Removing 2-15  
Input Area 3-4  
Installation Quality Report 2-3  
Installing  
Ink Jet Cartridge 2-13  
Interface  
Centronics Parallel B-2  
Interface Panel 3-4  
Interface Problems 6-4  
Intermittent Feed 6-2  
Internal Fonts 3-2  
F
Feed Angle 3-11  
Fence, sliding 3-5, 3-12  
Feed Gap, setting • 3-7  
Feed Problems 6-2  
Feed Roller  
Doesn't Move 6-6  
Floor Assembly and Top Cover  
Cleaning 5-3  
Font  
Selecting with Menu A-13  
Font Menu A-12, A-13  
Font Size 3-3  
J
Jam  
Fuzzy Printing 6-3  
Paper 6-7  
Shuttle 6-7  
Job Settings A-19  
G
Get Addresses A-16  
Getting Help 1-3, 1-4  
Glossy Material  
L
Language A-32  
Print Quality 3-15  
Letter Print Quality A-10  
Light Material 3-11  
Light Print 6-3  
H
Line Spacing A-8  
H-Block Separators 3-4  
Heavy Material 3-11  
Heavy Media A-23  
Lines Per Address A-26  
Loading Material 3-13  
Location, Barcode A-15  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
i-3  
Index  
M
P
Main Menu Options  
Address Layout A-7  
Barcode A-14, A-15  
Clear Counter A-17  
Fonts A-12, A-13  
Package Contents  
Unpacking the Printer 2-3  
Paper Jam 6-7  
Parallel Cable 2-3  
Cable Length 2-5  
Job Settings A-18  
Connecting 2-10  
Print Quality A-10, A-11  
Material  
Parallel Port  
Cable Length 1-3  
Loading 3-13  
Location of 2-11  
Material Notes B-9  
Material Size and Thickness B-7  
Material Thickness 3-3  
Media Size 3-3  
Media Thickness Lever 3-15 5-2  
Memory Card Error 6-8  
Menu Languages A-29  
Misfeeds 6-2  
Petroleum Based Cleaning Solvents 5-2  
Phone Support 1-4  
Physical Dimensions B-2  
PostNet Certificate 2-3  
Power Cord 2-3  
Connecting 2-12  
Receptacle Location 2-12  
Preventive Maintenance 5-2  
Print  
Motor Problems 6-5  
Multifeed (Feeds Doubles) 6-2  
No printing 6-3  
Print Driver  
Software 4-2  
Print Head  
N
Purge A-22  
Test A-21,  
Using Menu to A-21  
Print Modes (Print Resolution)  
Available B-3  
No Communications 6-4  
No Print 6-3  
Noise Level B-8  
O
Print Position Accuracy B-7  
Print Qualities 3-2  
Print Quality 3-15, A-11, A-12  
Setting with Menu A-10  
Print Quality Problems 5-2, 6-3  
Printer Does Not Respond 6-4  
Printer Driver Software 2-3  
Printer Features 3-3  
Printer Operating Guide 2-3  
Printhead  
Operating System  
Recommended 1-3  
Operator Safety Tip Card 2-3  
Ordering Supplies 1-5  
Orientation A-8  
Out of Memory 6-8  
Output Area 3-6  
Output Stack Height 3-17  
Output Stacker 2-3  
Output Stacker Tray  
Assembling 2-9  
Purging 5-2  
Printhead/InkJet Cartridge B-7  
i-4  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
Index  
Printing  
Light 6-3  
Setup Adjustments  
Exit Rollers 3-16  
Not Sharp 6-3  
Feed Angle 3-11  
Test Piece 3-18  
Feed Ramp 3-14  
Printing Alignment, CMYK (DA750 only) 5-4  
Problems and Solutions 6-2  
Purge Print Head A-25  
Purging Printhead 5-2  
Media Thickness Lever 3-15  
Output Stack Height 3-17  
Separator Gap 3-7  
SlidingFence 3-12  
Wireform 3-9  
Setup Menu  
Q
Communications A-27  
Envelope Auto Eject A-30  
Envelope Feed Delay A-30  
Heavy Media Mode A-23  
Hex Dump Mode A-26, A-27  
Language A-28, A-29  
Lines per Address A-26  
Purge Print Head A-25  
Rom Revision Number A-31  
Test Print Head A-24  
Setup Menu Graphic A-22  
Setup Menu Options  
Auto Envelope Eject A-30  
Envelope Feed Delay A-34  
Heavy Media A-22  
Quick Start Card 2-3  
R
Recommended Usage B-8  
Recycled Material  
Print Quality 3-15  
Resident Font Enhancements B-3  
Resident Fonts  
Listing B-3  
ROM Revision Number A-36  
S
Hex Dump Mode A-26, A-27  
Language A-32, A-33  
Lines per Address A-23, A-24, A-25  
Purge Print Head A-23  
ROM Revision Number A-36  
Test Print Head A-22, A-23  
Selecting the DA550 Printer From a Win-  
dows Application 4-14  
Sensor  
Cleaning 5-3  
Separator Gap 3-6  
Serial Cable 1-3, 2-11  
Cable Length 2-11  
Connecting 2-11  
Location of 2-5  
Setting Up the DA550 2-4  
Shingling  
Stack 3-11  
Shuttle Jam 6-7  
Sliding Fence 2-3  
Assembling 2-8  
Sliding Fence (short) 2-3  
Smudging  
Address 6-3  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  
i-5  
Index  
Throughput B-5  
Top Cover 3-6  
Specifications  
Address Recovery B-2  
Agency Approvals B-2  
Approved Media B-7  
Barcode Printing B-3  
Cartridge Fonts B-3  
Control Language B-2  
Downloadable Fonts B-3  
Driver Compatibility B-2  
Effective Print Area B-4  
Electrical B-2  
Troubleshooting 6-1  
Address Printing is not Sharp 6-3  
Address Smudging 6-3  
Address too High 6-7  
Addresses "Walking" 6-4  
Barcode (Lower Right)  
is not Printing 6-6  
Intermittent Feed 6-2  
Memory Card Error 6-7  
Motor Turning but no Feed Roller  
Movement 6-6  
Multifeed (Feeds Doubles) 6-2  
No Communications; Printer Does Not  
Respond 6-4  
Envelope Sizes B-9  
Environmental Limits B-4  
Fonts B-3  
Interface B-2  
Material Notes B-6  
Material Size and Thickness B-7  
Noise Level B-5  
No Print 6-3  
Out of Memory 6-8  
Paper Out or Paper Jam 6-7  
Shuttle Jam 6-7  
Physical Dimensions B-2  
Print Modes (Print Resolution) B-2  
Print Position Accuracy B-4  
Printhead/InkJet Cartridge B-4  
Recommended Usage B-5  
Resident Font Enhancements B-3  
Resident Fonts B-3  
Stacker Capacity B-4  
Throughput B-3  
Unwanted Bolding 6-4  
Tyvek  
Print Quality 3-14  
U
Unpacking the Printer 2-2  
Unwanted Bolding 6-4  
User-Definable Parameters B-3  
Weight B-2  
User-Definable Parameters B-4  
Using the Control Panel A-2  
Using the Menus A-3, A-4, A-5, A-6  
Using the Setup Menu A-21  
Using This Guide 1-2  
Speed  
Printer 3-2  
Stacker Capacity B-6  
Stacker Tray 3-6  
Standard Material 3-11  
Supplies  
W
Ordering 1-5  
Weight B-2  
Wire Frame 3-4  
T
Assembling 2-7  
Technical Support 1-4  
Test Piece 3-18  
Test Print Head A-24  
Wire Frame (Input Material Stacker) 2-3  
Wireform 3-9  
i-6  
Pitney Bowes DA500/DA550 Operator Guide  

Vector Compact Elite Vec010inv User Manual
Trion Cm Series User Manual
Ramsey Electronics Interface Board Kit Ib1 User Manual
Philips R03b4a70 User Manual
Manual Vacuum Brake Bleeder User Manual
Lexmark 2500 User Manual
GE 168948 User Manual
DELL SC5020 User Manual1
DELL S2218H User Manual
BROTHER FAX 930 User Manual