Dell 1815dn User Guide

							Understanding the Printer Software31
2
Understanding the Printer Software
Software Overview
After setting up your printer and connecting it your computer, install the drivers and utilities from 
the 
drivers and utilities CD included with your printer. If you purchased a Dell computer and your 
printer at the same time, the drivers and utilities are automatically installed. You don’t need to 
install them. The 
drivers and utilities CD contains the following:
• Dell Printer Drivers- enables your computer to communicate with your printer. To use your printer 
as a printer in Windows, you must install the printer driver(s). For information about installing 
the printer drivers in Windows, see Installing Dell Software For Local Printing on page 32.
• Dell Printer Configuration Web Tool- enables you to monitor the status of your network printer 
without leaving your desk.
• Printer Settings Utility- enables you to set up fax phonebook and the printers other options from 
your computer desktop. It also allows you to update the printer firmware. You can also configure 
the scan destination application that is launched when you access 
Scan and then PC menu. 
•Dell
 Toner Management SystemTM- displays the status of the printer and the name of the job 
when you send a job to print. The Dell Toner Management System window also displays the level 
of toner remaining and allows you to order replacement toner cartridges. 
• PaperPort- enables you to scan documents, create PDFs, and turn your scanned images into 
editable Microsoft
 Word, Excel, or text files. PaperPort provides improved scanning features and 
supports annotations on all image types. PaperPort’s enhanced search feature allows you to find 
items by specific item properties. 
• Dell ScanCenter
TM- This is the front-end that enables you to quickly scan documents into a 
variety of applications, such as e-mail, photo editors, and text editors.
• Scan Driver- TWAIN or Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) drivers are available for scanning 
documents on your printer.
• User’s Guide- HTML documentation provides detailed information about using your printer.
• Set IP- Use this program to set your printer’s TCP/IP addresses. For details about this program, see 
the Network Printer User’s Guide on the network utilities CD.
• PS driver- Postscript Printer Description (PPD) file. You can use the PostScript driver to print 
documents.
• Network Scan- enables you to scan a document on your printer and save it to a network-connected 
computer.
• PC-Fax/Network-Fax- enables you to send a fax from your computer. 
• Linux driver- enables you to print and scan in a Linux environment.
• Macintosh printer driver- enables you to use your printer with a Macintosh computer.
 
						

							32Understanding the Printer Software
Installing Dell Software For Local Printing
A local printer is a printer attached to your computer using a USB cable. If your printer is attached to a 
network instead of your computer, skip this step and go to Installing Dell Software For Network 
Printing on page 35.
 NOTE: If you attach a USB printer cable while your printer and computer are powered on, the Windows hardware 
wizard launches immediately. Cancel the screen and use the 
drivers and utilities CD to install the Dell software.
1
Make sure that the printer is connected to your computer and powered on. Close all unnecessary 
programs. 
 NOTE: If the printer is not connected to your computer when you install the Dell software, the No Printer 
Found screen appears. Follow the instructions to install the software.
2
Insert the drivers and utilities CD.
3If required, press the Language button to select a language.
4Select Personal Installation and click Next.
5Select Typical Installation and click Next to install the User’s Guide, the printer drivers, scanner driver 
and PaperPort as the default settings.
To install selected software including the Postscript driver, select 
Custom Installation and click Next. 
You can change the destination folder.
6When the installation is complete, print a test page. Click Finish and close the wizard. You are now 
ready to print.
If you did not cancel the hardware wizards, refer to the following instruction for installing the printer 
driver for your operating system.
Windows XP:
1Make sure that the printer is connected to your computer and powered on.
2When the hardware wizard screen appears, insert the drivers and utilities CD and click Next.
 NOTE: For each wizard that appears, select Recommended, click Next, select CD-ROM Drives, and then 
click Next through the wizard screens. 
3
The scanner driver is automatically loaded first from D:\1815\Scan\WINXP2K\p3scan.inf, where “D” 
is your CD drive. 
4Click Next.
5Click Fi n i s h, and a second hardware wizard appears. The printer driver is automatically loaded from 
D:\1815\Printer\GDI\WinXP\delr1.inf, where “D” is your CD drive.
6Click Next, and then click Finish.
 
						

							Understanding the Printer Software33
Windows 2000:
1Make sure that the printer is connected to your computer and powered on.
2When the hardware wizard screen appears, insert the drivers and utilities CD and click Next.
 NOTE: For each wizard that appears, select Search for a suitable driver for my device (Recommended), click 
Next, select CD-ROM Drives, and then click Next through the wizard screens. 
3
The scanner driver is automatically loaded first from D:\1815\Scan\WINXP2K\p3scan.inf, where “D” 
is your CD drive.
4Click Next. 
5Click Fi n i s h, and a second hardware wizard appears. The printer driver is automatically loaded from 
D:\ delr1.inf, where “D” is your CD drive.
6Click Next, and then click Finish.
Windows 98:
1Make sure that the printer is connected to your computer and powered on.
2When the hardware wizard screen appears, insert the drivers and utilities CD and click Next.
3Select Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended), and click Next.
4Select Specify a Location, and then click Browse.
5Select D:\USB, where “D” is your CD drive. 
6Click OK, and then click Next three times. The driver installs.
7Click Fi n i s h, and a second wizard appears.
8If the CD menu screen appears above the wizard, click Add New Hardware Wizard from the Windows 
taskbar.
9Click Next. Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended) is selected.
10Click Next. D:\USB is selected. 
11Click Next two times. The driver installs. 
12Click Fi n i s h, and a third hardware wizard appears. 
13Click Next. Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended) is selected.
14Click Next, click Browse, select the location D:\1815\Scan\WIN98ME, and click OK. 
15Click Next two times. The driver installs. 
16Click Fi n i s h.
 
						

							34Understanding the Printer Software
Windows Me:
1Make sure that the printer is connected to your computer and powered on. 
2When the hardware wizard screen appears, Automatic search for a better driver for your device 
(Recommended)
 is selected. 
3Insert the drivers and utilities CD and click Next. The driver installs. 
4Click Fi n i s h, and a second wizard appears. 
5If the CD menu screen appears above the wizard, click New Hardware Wizard from the Windows 
taskbar.
6Click Next. Automatic search for a better driver for your device (Recommended) is selected. 
7Click Next. The driver installs.
8Click Fi n i s h.
If the CD software installation menu does not appear, follow these instructions:
1Click Start → Run → Browse to D: (where “D” is your CD drive). 
2Select Setup, click Open, and then click OK.
3Click Personal Installation.
4Click Typical Installation or Custom Installation. (If you choose Custom Installation, select from the 
available software options and click 
Next.)
5After installation, you may click Print Test Page. 
6Click Fi n i s h.
Assigning an IP Address
Before using the printer on the network, you must set an IP address, subnet mask, and gateway for the 
printer. To automatically set the IP address, a DHCP or BOOTP server must exist on the network.
To configure the IP address manually, you can use the supplied 
drivers and utilities CD. Print the 
Network Configuration page of the printer to see the current network configuration and MAC address. 
You will need this information to configure the printer for the network.
1Make sure that the printer is connected to your network and powered on. Close all unnecessary 
programs.
2Insert the drivers and utilities CD.
3If required, press the Language button to select a language.
4Select SetIP Address Utility. The list of printers available in the network displays.
5Select the printer you want to assign an IP to. The printer’s default IP address is on the Configuration 
page.
6After you assign the IP address for the printer, exit the program.
 
						

							Understanding the Printer Software35
Installing Dell Software For Network Printing
When you connect your printer to the network, configure the TCP/IP settings for the printer before you 
install the Dell software on each network printer.
You can install the Dell software on the network computers locally or remotely.
 NOTE: You need administrative access to install printer drivers on the network computers.
1
Make sure that the printer is connected to your network and powered on. Close all unnecessary 
programs. For details about connecting to the network, see page 26.
2Insert the drivers and utilities CD.
3If required, press the Language button to select a language.
4Select Network Installation and click Next.
5If you want to install the drivers on this computer for network operation, select Local Installation, and 
click 
Next.
If you want to install the Dell software on the remote computers or network servers on the same 
network, select 
Remote Installation. The domain administrator’s ID and password are required. Select 
the client computer(s) in the same domain on a network and click 
Next.
 NOTE: Both server computer and client computer should be one of the following OS: Windows XP, 
Windows 2000, Windows NT4.0
 
NOTE: The server computer should be able to resolve the client computer name into an IP address.
6
The list of printers available on the network appears. Select the printer you want to install and click 
Next.
If you do not see your printer in the list, click 
Update to refresh the list or click Add Printer to add your 
printer to the network. To add the printer to the network, enter the port name and an existing IP 
address for the printer.
If you want to install the printer on a server, select the 
I am setting up this printer on a server check 
box.
7A list of the printer drivers and utilities appears. Click and select the required drivers and utilities you 
will use and click 
Next.
8The list of printers available on the network appears. Select the printer you want to install and click 
Next.
If you do not see your printer in the list, click 
Update to refresh the list or click Add Printer to add your 
printer to the network. To add the printer to the network, enter the port name and an existing IP 
address for the printer.
9The screen displays the printer drivers installed on your computer. You can change the printer name, 
set this printer as a default to be shared on the network. Click 
Next. 
10When you finish with printer installation, you may print a test page. Click Fi n i s h.
 
						

							36Understanding the Printer Software
Uninstalling Software
Remove the printer drivers if you are upgrading the software or if your driver installation fails. You can 
remove the software using the 
drivers and utilities CD or Windows uninstall.
 NOTE: Close all programs before uninstalling software, and restart your computer after completing the uninstall 
process.
1
Fro m  t h e Start menu, select Programs or All Programs → DELL → DELL Printers → Dell Laser 
MFP 1815
 → Dell MFP Software Uninstall. 
2Select the software you want to remove.
3When your computer prompts you to confirm your selection, click Ye s. The selected driver and all its 
components are removed from your computer.
4Click OK.
5Restart your computer.
 
						

							Loading Print Media37
3
Loading Print Media
Print Media Guidelines
The following tables provide information on standard and optional sources, including the print 
media sizes you can select from the paper size menu and supported weights.
 NOTE: If you use a print media size not listed, select the next larger size.
Print Media Sizes and Support
Legend
Y- indicates SupportDimensions Paper Tray
(tray 1 and 
optional tray 2)Bypass Tray Duplex 
Printing
Print Media Size
A4 8.27 x 11.7 in. 
(210 x 297 mm)Y Y Y
A5 5.83 x 8.27 in. 
(148 x 210 mm)Y Y -
A64.13 x 5.85 in.
(105 x 148.5 mm)YY-
JIS B5 7.17 x 10.1 in. 
(182 x 257 mm)Y Y -
ISO B56.93 x 9.84 in.
(176 x 250 mm)Y Y -
Letter 8.5 x 11 in. 
(215.9 x 279.4 mm)YYY
Legal 8.5 x 14 in. 
(215.9 x 355.6 mm)YYY
Executive 7.25 x 10.5 in.
(184.2 x 266.7 mm)Y Y -
Oficio8.5 x 13.5 in.
(216 x 343 mm)YYY
Folio8.5 x 13 in.
(216 x 330 mm)YYY
 
						

							38Loading Print Media
Print Media Supported
Envelope 7-3/4 
(Monarch)3.875 x 7.5 in. 
(98.4 x 190.5 mm)-Y-
Envelope COM-104.12 x 9.5 in. 
(105 x 241 mm)-Y-
Envelope DL 4.33 x 8.66 in. 
(110 x 220 mm)-Y-
Envelope C5 6.38 x 9.01 in. 
(162 x 229 mm)-Y-
Envelope C6 4.49 x 6.38 in. 
(114 x 162 mm)-Y-
Custom3 x 5 in. to 8.5 x 14 in.
(76 x 127 mm to 216 
x 356 mm)-Y-
Print Media Paper Tray Bypass Tray Standard Output 
Tr a y
Paper
YY Y
Card Stock -Y Y
Transparencies-Y -
Labels -Y Y
Dual-web and Integrated 
Labels -Y Y
Envelopes-Y Y
Legend
Y- indicates SupportDimensions Paper Tray
(tray 1 and 
optional tray 2)Bypass Tray Duplex 
Printing
Print Media Size
 
						

							Loading Print Media39
Print Media Types and Weights
Print Media Type Print Media Weight
Tray 1 and 
Optional Tray 2Bypass Tray
PaperXerographic or 
business paper 60-90 g/m
2 grain long
(16-24 lb bond) 60-135 g/m2 grain long
(16 to 36 lb bond) 
Card stock-maximum 
(grain long)
a
a. Grain short is preferred for papers over 163 g/m2 (43 lb bond).
Index Bristol  - 120 g/m2 (31 lb) 
Tag - 120 g/m
2 (31 lb) 
Cover - 135 g/m
2 (35 lb) 
Card stock-maximum 
(grain short)
aIndex Bristol  - 163 g/m2 (43 lb) 
Tag - 163 g/m
2 (43 lb) 
Cover - 163 g/m
2 (43 lb)
Transparencies Laser printer  - 138-146 g/m
2
(37-39 lb bond)
Labels-maximumPaper - 163 g/m
2
(43 lb bond) 
Dual-web paper  - 163 g/m
2
(43 lb bond) 
Polyester - 163 g/m
2
(43 lb bond) 
Vinyl - 163 g/m
2
(43 lb liner) 
Integrated FormsPressure- sensitive 
area (must enter 
the printer first) -135-140 g/m
2 
(36-40 lb bond)
Paper base (grain 
long)- 75-135 g/m
2
(20-36 lb bond) 
Envelopes 100% Cotton 
Content Maximum 
Weight- 24 lb Sulfite, wood-free 
or up to 100% 
cotton bonds -75-90 g/m
2
(20-24 lb)
 
						

							40Loading Print Media
Loading Paper
Using the Paper Tray
Load up to 250 sheets of plain paper (75 g/m2, 20 lb) in the paper tray.
 NOTE: Set the paper type and size after loading paper into the paper tray. See Setting the Paper Size and Type on 
page 47 for the paper used in copying and faxing, or Paper Tab on the 
User’s Guide for PC-printing.
To load paper:
1Pull open the paper tray and remove it from the printer.
2If you load paper that is longer than a standard (Letter or A4) size, such as Legal paper, press and 
unlatch the guide lock, and then slide the paper length guide out completely to extend the paper tray 
to its full length.