Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Automatically using the Multipurpose Feeder on a Dell B2360DN Printer

Why is this like sacrificing a goat to an angry and judgmental dark lord?  All I wanted to do was be able to print stupid UPS shipping labels without a lot of hassle.  I want the print from the Multipurpose Feeder if there's something in the slot, but from the tray if not.  Automatically.  But, the default setup on my Dell B2360DN printer makes that impossible.  Sure, I could just load up my Tray 1 with all those free, delicious UPS labels, but then I still have to manually tweak something when I send a regular print job.  
RTFM?  Not anymore.  Dell's documentation is shit.  But it can be done! It’s a multi-step process that I’ve pieced together from a few different forums and a bit of dicking around.
After these changes, I can now just send a print job to the printer and unless I shove something into the Multipurpose Feeder (MP Feeder) it’s going to route out of Tray 1.  If I want to print one of my UPS labels, I just stick it in the MP Feeder and the B2360DN will THAT instead of the paper out of Tray 1.  You know, like pretty much every other printer I’ve owned has done out of the box.  But no judgments, Dell.
  1. Front of B2360DN
    Change the default MP Feeder settings in the Diagnostic Menu:
    1. Power off the printer
    2. Hold the OK and left arrow key
    3. Switch the printer on
    4. Release the keys once the amber light comes on
    5. Scroll through the Diagnostic menu using the right arrow.
    6. Select Printer Setup
    7. Select ENGINE 2 (push the right arrow 5 times to reach this option)
    8. Change ENGINE 2 setting to 8* and press OK
    9. Press the return arrow key to return to the Diagnostic Menu
    10. Press the left arrow to select EXIT DIAGNOSTICS
    11. The printer will reboot
  2. Change the Default Source and Paper Type for the Multipurpose Feeder
    1. Press the Wrench key to reach the Admin Menu
    2. Press OK to reach the Paper Menu
    3. Press OK to select Default Source
    4. Press the right arrow to select MP Feeder and press OK
    5. Press the right arrow to reach the Paper Size/Type Menu and press OK
    6. Press the right arrow to select MP Feeder Size and press OK
    7. Select Letter and press OK
    8. Press the right arrow to select MP Feeder Type and press OK
    9. Select Plain Paper and press OK

2 comments:

Jacqi Sack =] said...

I followed your instructions - and everything worked... right up to the point of printing an envelope for a letter I had just printed. The printer prompted me to change the paper size/type to a size 10 envelope, I pressed OK, and the envelope printed. So to do a follow up I tried to print another letter, and have it automatically select the paper I had in the feeder, but it just took it from the paper tray instead, no prompts or anything. I guess printing an envelope wiped it of the previous settings?

Chris Lope said...

Yeah, sounds like it's getting overwritten when you change to the envelope. If you only print envelopes with the MP feeder, it should work if you use "envelope" as the default type in step 2G instead of letter. Maybe, haha.