How To Clear a Paper Jam

Preventing paper jams

Paper jams are inevitable. However, if you encounter frequent paper jams, the following steps may help prevent them.

  1. Avoid overfilling the paper in the paper tray. Overfilling is a frequent cause of paper jams.
  2. Ensure you have the paper slide adjuster in the correct position. Most printers have a tray adjuster located in the bottom of the paper tray. Make sure this is seated snugly against the paper. If the slider is not set correctly to the proper paper size, it can cause a paper jam.
  3. Make sure you are using a standard office paper that has not been stored for a prolonged period of time. Ideally, you don’t want to store paper for more than six months. If you live in a climate with high humidity, the paper can absorb that and create issues. You also want to make sure the weight of the media you are using is compatible with your printer. You can locate that information by consulting your User’s manual or by finding your printer’s specifications online. 
  4. If you are printing a multiple page document, do not mix the paper sizes.
  5. Examine the printer for any debris before printing. Foreign objects in the printer’s paper path can cause reoccurring jams.

 

Clearing a Paper Jam in your Inkjet Printer

The following instructions will walk you through how to clear a paper jam from your inkjet printer. Most printers are similar in design; however, you may have to make a few adjustments depending on your printer’s make and model. 

First, you want to remove any loose paper located in the paper tray. When clearing a paper jam, it is important to follow the printer’s natural paper path. You never want to pull the paper backward. This can result in damage to your printer’s pick-up assembly, paper sensors, or the print head. 

Once you have completed this step, press the OK or resume button on your printer. If the paper jam error does not clear, the next step is to ensure that your printer carriage moves freely. To do this, you want to unplug the power cord from the outlet. You want to make sure that the carriage moves freely to the right side of the printer and returns to the service station. Don’t force the carriage if it is stuck. This may cause further damage to your printer. Once the carriage has returned to the right side of the printer, carefully remove the ink cartridges. 

Next, we want to remove the duplexer or rear access cover. The duplexer is the two-sided printing module located on the back of the machine. You will usually find a button on both sides of this accessory to remove it. Once the duplexer and back cover has been removed, you should have clear visibility through to the front of the machine. Clear away any torn bits of paper. With your fingers, you will want to rotate the rollers toward the top or back of the printer for three full rotations.

Once you have cleared the jam from your printer, removed any loose bits of paper, and made sure that your print carriage can move freely, it is time to test your printer.

Replace the back cover or duplexer and reinstall your ink cartridges. Then, plug in and turn on your printer. Reload your paper into the input tray and try printing a test page. Most printers will allow you to print a self-test page by holding down the OK or resume button and till the printer begins to print. If this doesn’t work, try printing a document from your computer.

If you still receive a paper jam error after completing these steps, you may have a hardware problem. Sometimes a broken paper feed mechanism can trigger a false paper jam error. If this is the case, please give Onyx Imaging a call so we can schedule a service for you. 

 

Clearing a Paper Jam in your Laser Printer

You want to begin this process by turning off your printer and letting it cool down for at least ten minutes before clearing a paper jam from the back of your machine. One of the differences between a laser printer and an inkjet printer is laser printers have a fuser. The fuser is essentially the heating element of the machine – this bonds the toner to the paper by heating it to a high temperature. 

The first place we want to check for a paper jam is in the paper drawer. The main paper tray is the most common area for paper jams. Pull the paper drawer out and remove any loose paper. If you don’t find any loose paper, go ahead and remove your copy paper and check to make sure the paper guides are adjusted, fitting snugly against the paper. 

The next place we want to check is below the cartridge(s). Remove the toner from inside the printer and set it to the side on a clean flat surface. Be careful not to damage the exposed drum or imaging unit. If you see paper stuck in this area, carefully remove it. As I mentioned previously, it is essential to follow the printer’s natural paper path. You never want to pull the paper backward. This can result in damage to your printer’s pick-up assembly, paper sensor, or other printing mechanisms. 

Next, we are going to check the back of the machine where the fuser is located. The rear access door is a common place for paper jams, especially if your printer’s maintenance kit is toward the end of its life cycle. When you turn the printer around, you will see a rear cover. Open the rear cover to access the printer’s fuser and carefully remove any paper you see lodged in this area. Take extra caution not to tear the paper while attempting to remove the jam.

Once you have removed any visible obstructions, power your printer back on. Wait for the printer to complete its initializing or calibration process. If you are still receiving a paper jam error, give Onyx Imaging a call so we can schedule a service call for you.