Apple StyleWriter General Maintenance
Care, cartridge handling and service notes for the original Apple StyleWriter of 1991, from Apple's StyleWriter Technical Procedures and the StyleWriter Service Source. The later Apple StyleWriter II and Apple StyleWriter 1200 are different printers with their own page, Apple StyleWriter II General Maintenance. Fault-finding is on Apple StyleWriter Troubleshooting Guide.
The StyleWriter has no user-serviceable print head: the head is part of the disposable ink cartridge, and most of the printer's own maintenance (priming, purging, wiping and capping the nozzles) is done automatically.[1]
Safety and handling
[edit | edit source]The StyleWriter's mains supply is an external AC adapter delivering 9.5 V DC to the printer; inside the case the logic board makes +5 V, +14 V, −5 V and a print head heater voltage of up to 24.6 V.[2] Apple's handling rules:[3]
- The regulator Q14 and transistor Q13 that make the logic supply run at about 60 °C. Do not touch them with the printer on.
- Most plastic parts are glass-filled and their tabs snap easily. Use jeweller's screwdrivers and tweezers and do not force a tab.
- Do not move the carriage by hand, do not print with the front access door open, and do not oil the inside of the printer.
- Do not use ammonia-based cleaners on or near the printer.
- Wear an earthing strap. Static on the carriage contacts can change the chip resistors R4-R7 and chip capacitor C30 in the heater-voltage select circuit, so that the cartridge gets the wrong heater voltage and print quality falls off.
Ink
[edit | edit source]The ink is non-toxic but contains isopropyl alcohol and an indelible dye. Keep it away from mouths and eyes, and do not shake the cartridge. After months of use a mist of ink coats the inside of the front and lower access covers; wipe it off with a damp cloth before starting work.[3]
Ink conducts electricity. If ink gets onto a mechanical part or the logic board, switch the printer off and unplug the adapter, wipe the mechanical parts with a soft cloth, and clean the underside of the logic board components completely with tissue paper before switching on again.[3]
If the printer is moved or stored without a cartridge, ink left in the purge unit can run back and stain the inside. Run the purge three times with no cartridge fitted to clear it.[3]
Cartridges
[edit | edit source]- Do not open a new cartridge until you are ready to fit it. Take off the head cover and tape, and do not touch or wipe the nozzles; the cartridge cannot be cleaned.[1]
- With the power off, open the front access cover, put the cartridge over its mounting post and push down until it snaps in. Close the cover and purge before printing.[1]
- Leave the cartridge in the printer, including when moving it. A cartridge taken out must be sealed straight away with the orange tape and end cap kept from the new one; cellophane tape will not do, because its adhesive can block the nozzles.[1]
- An installed cartridge lasts about six months and a sealed one about 18 months. An expired cartridge does no harm to the printer but may need a lot of purging.[1]
Purging
[edit | edit source]Purge after fitting every new cartridge, and five times whenever print quality is poor. Purging forces air out of the nozzles:[1]
- Switch the printer off with its Power button.
- Hold down the Ready button.
- Press the Power button once and release both buttons together.
Switching off
[edit | edit source]Always switch off with the Power button. Three seconds later the printer caps the cartridge to stop it leaking or drying out. Pulling the adapter plug instead leaves the nozzles uncapped.[1]
Paper
[edit | edit source]Apple's paper is 16-24 lb (52-90 g/m²), with 20 lb recommended and 0.2 mm maximum thickness. The cut sheet feeder takes 50 sheets of 20 lb paper and the output tray 25. Feed single or heavy sheets through the front slot and envelopes, labels and transparencies through the rear slot; Apple recommends 3M CG3480 transparency film. Keep the printer at 15-30 °C and 20-70% humidity, away from draughts, fans and heat.[2] Set the forms thickness lever up for standard paper and down for envelopes, transparencies, labels and heavy paper.[4]
Cleaning
[edit | edit source]Apple's symptom chart for ink on the back of the paper is to clean the platen with a soft, dry cloth, then clean the platen rollers, then replace the rollers.[4] The platen cover is held by small hidden tabs that break easily. Apple's instruction is to remove it only to replace a broken one; a platen roller can be snapped out of its mounting holes with the cover in place.[5]
Fuse
[edit | edit source]The logic board has a 2.5 A, 250 V fuse (Apple spare 941-5224, pack of ten). It sits under the logic board cover on the bottom of the printer: remove the ink cartridge and the cut sheet feeder, release the two tabs on the bottom, lift the rear of the logic board cover, and lever the ends of the fuse out of its holder with a jeweller's screwdriver.[4][6] A blown fuse can come from the wrong adapter: the Macintosh Portable adapter fits the StyleWriter but has the opposite polarity.[7]
Parts
[edit | edit source]| Part | Apple number |
|---|---|
| Main logic board with fuse, Revision A / B | 661-0629 / 661-0716 |
| Printer frame assembly, Revision A / B (with cartridge hook, paper sensor, forms thickness lever and platen cover) | 661-0630 / 661-0718 |
| Paper sensor | 890-0286 |
| Cartridge hook kit | 076-0336 |
| Platen cover with rollers | 949-0309 |
| Output feed rollers (pack of 10) | 076-0335 |
| Operation panel assembly / cable | 982-0062 / 076-0389 |
| Cut sheet feeder, complete | 661-0628 |
| Fuse, 2.5 A 250 V (pack of 10) | 941-5224 |
Replace the logic board and the printer frame assembly like for like between Revisions A and B; see Apple StyleWriter#Revisions A and B.[6]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Apple StyleWriter Troubleshooting Guide
- Apple StyleWriter
- Apple StyleWriter Technical Procedures, StyleWriter Service Source
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Apple Computer, Inc., StyleWriter Technical Procedures (1991-1992), Basics, Ink Cartridge, pp. 1.17-1.19 (PDF pp. 21-23), hosted as File:Apple StyleWriter Technical Procedures March 1992.pdf. Source for: Apple and Canon cartridges both working; priming at power-on, before printing and every 12 seconds while printing; purging 0.1 ml of ink at the first power-on after the adapter is connected and after 72 hours idle; wiping after priming or purging, every 60 seconds while printing and before capping; capping five seconds after the last print command, when going off-line and three seconds after switching off; installing, purging and removing the cartridge; sealing a removed cartridge with its orange tape and end cap, not cellophane tape; shelf life about six months installed and 18 months in the package.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 StyleWriter Technical Procedures, Basics, Specifications, pp. 1.4-1.5 (PDF pp. 8-9), and Theory of Operation, Power Supply, p. 1.9 (PDF p. 13). Source for: the 9.5 V DC AC adapter, regional input voltages, 23 W at 120 V and 25 W at 220 V; the 2.5 A fuse and noise filter on the logic board; the internal +5 V, +14 V and −5 V supplies and the heater voltages of 22.2, 23.0, 23.8 or 24.6 V.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 StyleWriter Technical Procedures, Basics, Safety and Handling, pp. 1.15-1.16 (PDF pp. 19-20). Source for: regulator Q14 and transistor Q13 reaching about 60 °C; brittle glass-filled plastic tabs; the ink containing isopropyl alcohol and an indelible dye; ink mist inside the covers; the ink conducting electricity and the need to wipe it off the logic board before power is applied; ink flowing back from the purge unit if the printer is moved without a cartridge, and purging three times to clear it; static damage to the heater-voltage select resistors R4-R7 and capacitor C30; not moving the carriage by hand, not printing with the front access door open, not oiling the printer, not using ammonia-based cleaners, and switching off before unplugging.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Apple Computer, StyleWriter (Service Source), Troubleshooting, Symptom Charts, pp. 2-13 (PDF pp. 14-25), and Take Apart, Fuse, pp. 17-20 (PDF pp. 43-46), hosted as File:Stylewriter.pdf; described at StyleWriter Service Source.
- ↑ StyleWriter Service Source, Take Apart, Platen Cover and Rollers, pp. 8-11 (PDF pp. 34-37).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 StyleWriter Technical Procedures, Illustrated Parts List (PDF pp. 75-77). Source for: fuse 941-5224, 2.5 A 250 V, pack of 10; main logic boards 661-0629 (Rev. A) and 661-0716 (Rev. B); printer frame assemblies 661-0630 and 661-0718; paper sensor 890-0286; cartridge hook kit 076-0336; operation panel assembly 982-0062 and cable 076-0389; platen cover with rollers 949-0309; output feed rollers 076-0335; cut sheet feeder 661-0628; European and Australian AC adapters Z699-2050 and X699-2050.
- ↑ StyleWriter Technical Procedures, Basics, Power-On, Self-Tests, and Test Prints, p. 1.29 (PDF p. 33).