Few things are more infuriating than when a printer keeps jamming. You’re finally ready to print out work for a big project or important document, only for some pesky paper to get stuck somewhere deep within the machine. As frustrating as it is, most paper jams can be fixed rather quickly.
Why Does My Printer Keep Jamming?
It’s frustrating when paper jams every time you send a print job. Often, all it takes to discover why your printer keeps jamming is locating the main screen on the printer itself.
Checking the printer’s screen for notifications is always the first recommended step for troubleshooting paper stuck in printers. Once an issue is detected, many printers will provide clear, on-screen instructions prompting users on how to clear the jammed paper. A graphic or text will show where the jammed paper is stuck and guide you in safe removal.
However, if you’ve checked the screen to no avail, don’t panic. Take a deep breath and try our easy troubleshooting tips on fixing a paper jam in a printer.
Four Common Causes of Printer Jam Problems
As MPS professionals, we know that printer jams are not only frustrating, they also slow down IT productivity. Here are five common causes of printer jams so you can figure out why your printers keep jamming and what to do about it.
- Old or Warped Paper
- Bad or Improper Quality Paper
- Incorrect Paper Size
- Dirty, Old, or Broken Printer Parts
1. Old or Warped Paper
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations required employees to work from home for long periods. Upon their return to the office, some paper may have been sitting in printer trays for quite some time. Old or damaged paper can easily cause a printer jam.
Warped paper is often due to the varying levels of humidity to which the paper sheets have been exposed while collecting dust in the office. Over time, paper absorbs and loses moisture, which causes it to warp or not lie perfectly flat. This warping can create print quality issues–like jamming–and is something to consider when using a printer that hasn’t been used for a while.
How to Fix this Printer Jam
This one is easy. Replace the old paper with a fresh stack of brand-new paper. If this doesn’t fix the jammed printer problem, something else is likely the culprit.
2. Bad or Improper Quality Paper
Stocking the office with the right type of paper is a key step in print management. Many printers will specify the type of paper they take or the recommended paper weight for the most optimal printer functioning. While buying low-quality paper may save you money in the short-term, it can negatively impact productivity and printing costs in the long run due to more frequent printer jamming. Low-quality paper is often thinner, making it more likely to curl or get stuck in the printer.
How to Fix this Printer Jam
Look in your printer’s User Guide to find out what type of paper is recommended for your specific model. If it doesn’t have a specific paper weight recommendation, try a thick, high-quality paper to reduce jamming.
3. Incorrect Paper Size
Incorrect paper size can quickly cause a printer to jam up. Printers are extremely picky about size. A print job may stop even if a page is less than a millimeter off from what the device expects. Usually, an on-screen message will pop up when this occurs, alerting you of the problem and how to clear it. After you clear a paper size-related jam, figure out exactly why the discrepancy occurred so you can remedy the issue and print your page.
How to Fix this Printer Jam
First, find out what paper size the printer is attempting to print. If you notice that you didn’t insert the correct paper, simply insert the proper size and print again. If the incorrectly loaded paper size was the issue, the print job should proceed without issue.
You could also review the printer Job Log. (Note: This isn’t an option for every printer or office, so don’t panic if it’s unavailable. We have other solutions.) Find your job in the log and review the paper size; then, compare that to the designated paper tray. Are they the same? If so, tap the confirmation button on the screen when it’s loaded and ready to go. Ideally, your job will be properly sent. If not, cancel and resend.
One more solution is to cancel the intended print job. Then, go into the application from which the print job was sent and find the menu item usually called the Page Setup, Printer Properties, or Document Setup section—though the exact name may vary. This is where you can adjust the document or print job to print within specific parameters.
Occasionally, whether through intention or accident, paper size or tray settings can get modified. Review the Page Setup section and make sure everything is accurate and matches your intention. Once accuracy has been verified, try to reprint the document.
4. Dirty, Old, or Broken Printer Parts
After trying and troubleshooting everything above without success, it might be time to call in printer experts like your IT department or a managed print partner like imageOne. Throughout the lifetime of any printer or copier, parts can get dirty or malfunction and sometimes need to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced. Repeated paper jams can indicate that it’s time for such maintenance. Printer maintenance may include cleaning dust out of the machine or replacing certain parts.
How to Fix this Printer Jam
Do you think broken or dirty parts might be the case, but are hesitant to call backup? The best solution would be to consult the printer’s User Manual, specifically the Customer Self-Repair section. Some parts, like the fuser or the paper tray rollers, are designed to be relatively easy to clean or switch out as needed.
If you’re handy enough, you could clean or replace these parts. Since paper tray rollers are the parts that most commonly cause print and paper jams, getting comfortable with how to clean and replace them can be helpful. You can clean the rollers with a damp cloth, but be careful not to get water on any electrical parts of the printer. Ensure it is fully dry before printing again. Doing this once a month can help prevent future jams.
However, if you don’t have time to get your hands dirty or have tried with no success, we highly recommend calling an expert. Whether it’s an IT team member with printer experience or a print management technician, they’ll know exactly how to tackle the issue without potentially causing an even bigger one. Your options for fixing old or broken parts depend on whether you buy or lease your printer.
How To Unjam a Printer
For various reasons, perfectly good sheets of paper occasionally get stuck somewhere within the printer. Getting paper out might sound like a challenge requiring a call to the IT department, but it’s usually a quick fix that even less tech-savvy people can handle.
How to Fix a Paper Jam in a Printer
Sometimes, pages get stuck on the path through the machine because they don’t quite line up with the various mechanisms. It’s an annoying but (unfortunately) inevitable part of printer operations. Follow these simple steps to diagnose and fix your printer’s paper jam.
- Reference the on-screen instructions.
- Cancel the print job.
- Carefully remove any paper stuck in the printer.
- Check the freshness of your paper.
- Check the quality of your paper.
- Check the paper size and tray settings.
- Check your printer’s User Guide for maintenance issues.
- Resolve any problems, and then try printing again.
- Still stuck? Reach out to your friendly MPS partner for support.
How To Remove Jammed Paper From a Printer Safely
Safely getting paper out of a jammed printer starts with turning off the printer. Open the toner and access doors carefully. You don’t need to remove any parts—take a quick peek inside to find where the paper is stuck. Once opened, you can view different areas where the lodged paper might be hiding inside the printer.
Always follow the guidelines in your printer’s user guide. The instructions in this guide will likely ask that you gently pull out any visible paper, making sure not to tear it. Pages often get misaligned during printing, which causes jams; but with care, you can remove the jam without damaging your printer.
Why is My Printer Not Pulling the Paper Through?
Sometimes, the issue is that the paper will not enter the printer from the paper tray, or the printer will start pulling the paper through, only to jam in the printer feed. You can often fix this issue using the same strategies outlined above. Check the quality of the paper, and ensure the tray and paper feed are clean. Jammed paper in a printer tray means you should look for debris, dust, or other issues blocking the paper. Even the smallest torn piece of paper can prevent the printer from pulling a new piece of paper through.
Managed Print Services Can Solve Paper Jam Problems
Knowing how to fix a jammed printer is valuable, but when your printers just keep jamming, sometimes outside help is needed. imageOne is a trusted managed print services (MPS) partner that can integrate seamlessly with your IT department.
We can help you build custom print strategies to optimize production and efficiency.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to printing, and you should only pay for what you really need. Schedule a discovery call today to learn what value imageOne can bring to your business.
Still trying to figure out if an MPS is right for your business? Explore the benefits of an MPS.
