Recommended Impact Printers
We build Lot Wizard using Okidata printers
Lot Wizard impact-printer forms are designed to work with any dot-matrix printer. However, they perform best with Okidata printers. Specifically, our system aligns pre-printed forms most accurately with the following dot-matrix printers:
- Okidata ML 320 Turbo
- Okidata ML 321 Turbo
- Okidata ML 420 Turbo
How To Set Up Your Printer
Visit our YouTube Channel for more information on setting up your printer to work with Lot Wizard.
1. Adjust External Parts
Adjust the printer to your paper size
- Paper Guides (1) – Set left guide to 1/16″ from the right guide stop. Adjust the right guide to fit paper.
- Position Paper Lever (3) to location labeled “top”. This is the middle position.
- On-Off Switch (4) – Power “on”.
- Control Panel (6) – Lot Wizard will automatically override the Print Quality and Character Pitch (no action needed)
2. Print Current Settings
View your current factory settings
- Load plain paper into printer.
- Select (in this order) SHIFT(5) + SEL(1) on the control panel. (The printer enters Menu Mode).
- Load a plain sheet of paper and select PRINT to view all current settings. Settings print in three columns:
- GROUP
- ITEM
- SETTING
3. Adjust Internal Settings
Moving through the menu
- When the printer is in Menu Mode you can move forward or backward through the menu
- To move forward press GROUP, ITEM, or SET, whichever is appropriate.
- To move backward press and hold SHIFT, then GROUP, ITEM, or SET.
Menu Mode
Use the front panel keys to change the default settings for the printer parameters. These changes save automatically upon exiting the mode.
Change Settings
- GROUP to print (skip to) the next group (with SHIFT key, prints previous group)
- ITEM to print (select) the next setting (with SHIFT key, prints previous item)
- SET to change the setting
Update the following four (4) settings to match (using the instructions above):
- Printer Control – Emulation Mode – IBM PPR
- Top Feed – Bottom Margin – Invalid
- Set-up – Paper Out Override – Yes
- Set-up – Auto Select – Yes (optional)
4. Install Printer Driver
Driver Recommendations
The drivers we recommend all come with Windows and require no discs or downloads. Try the drivers in the order they are listed below.
Windows 10 and Windows 8
- Okidata /D (IBM) driver This driver is listed under the manufacturer “Okidata”. It will be named to correspond with your particular printer. For example, Okidata ML 320 Turbo/D (IBM).
- Generic IBM Graphics 9 pin This driver is listed under the manufacturer “Generic” on the Printer Driver Selection menu.
5. Connect to Lot Wizard
Connect printer for pre-printed forms
- In Lot Wizard, select File from the menu bar
- Select Default Forms Printer
- Choose your Okidata Printer
Default Report Printer refers to the printer used for PDF forms or reports.
For more help configuring Okidata printers for Lot Wizard, visit our YouTube Channel.
Aligning Forms in Dot-matrix Printers
Although more and more forms can be printed in Lot Wizard using modern laser and ink jet printers, a dot-matrix or impact style printer may be required to print car deal forms. Not because of our software, but because your state government or a bank you finance with may require carbon copy multi-part forms. Modern printers like ink jet and laser printers do not strike paper to transfer output to the second or third layers on carbon copy forms. Older printers formally called “dot-matrix” are nicknamed impact printers because they do exactly that–impact the paper. This is required to transfer data to multiple layers of paper.
We recommend the Okidata 320/420 and 321/421 printers simply because our office is full of them. We have used the Okidata printers for years, and therefore, we have a great understanding of how they work with Windows computers. Other impact printers will work but we cannot offer support for these.
Read on to learn how to align forms in an Okidata printer while using Lot Wizard, or watch our video that demonstrates this process.
- Set the paper lever to TOP
- Position the left paper guide
- Insert the form into the printer correctly
- Follow the “Align on” instructions from Lot Wizard
- Fine tune with vertical and horizontal alignment controls
Set Paper Lever to “TOP”
If you have continuous-form paper in the path, press PARK to remove it before loading your documents.
- Make sure the printer is on and the SEL light is off.
- Place the paper lever in the position marked “TOP”.
Position the left paper guide
- Slide the left paper guide so that there is an approximate 1/8″ gap as shown:
Insert the form into the printer
- Make sure the left edge of paper is touching the left paper guide.
Follow the “Align on” instructions from Lot Wizard
- Make sure to take note of the alignment window which will instruct you where to align the form for proper printing. The printer has a red line on a clear piece of plastic that indicates the baseline position of the output. Lot Wizard’s align on instruction will tell you which line to match up with this red marker.
Fine tune with vertical and horizontal alignment controls
If the print drifts above or below the line follow the procedure below:
- Start the form you need to adjust from Step 6 Document Printing
- Click OK on the options screen to get to the “Alignment Window”
- Click on the “Alignment” button. The “Form Alignment Settings” window will open.
- Use the Line Feed Drift Adjustment slide bar to align the print vertically. For instance, if you are printing above the line, then move the bar down. If you are printing below the line, then move the bar upwards.
- Use the Horizontal Adjustment slide bar to align the print horizontally. Using the same method as above, if it is printing too far left, then move the slide bar a little to the right. If it is printing too far right, then move the slide bar to the left.
- Click “OK” once you have made your adjustments.
- A new window asking if you wish to save the changes to your Defaults will appear. Click “Yes”.
Print your document once again to view the adjustments. Use trial and error may come into play with aligning your forms perfectly, since printers and their environments vary with use.
Take Lot Wizard for a Spin!
Try Lot Wizard free for 30 days. No credit card required.