We’ve all suffered through the frustration and inconvenience of a paper jam, often happening at the most inopportune time. By carefully selecting your printing materials and loading them properly, you can avoid most paper jams. Improve paper feeding and avoid jams by following these paper management tips:
1. Loosen the ream of paper before loading: Often paper can be stuck together. Before loading the paper in the paper tray, loosen the sheets by flexing, fanning and rolling the sheets to separate them. Fan stacks of labels or transparencies before loading them into trays or a multipurpose feeder. If jams do occur using the multipurpose feeder, try feeding one sheet at a time.
2. Store paper in a cool, dry place: Make sure to store paper away from direct sun, heat and humidity. Never load wrinkled, creased, damp or curled paper into your printer.
3. Don’t overload the paper tray: This is a common reason for frequent paper jams. Make sure the paper is under the paper capacity mark on the inside of the paper tray.
4. Align paper guide in tray: Many printers have sliders that allow different types and sizes of paper to be fed into the printer. If the slider is not properly positioned it can cause paper jams. Ensuring the adjustable guides are positioned correctly will avoid misfeeds.
5. Paper type: Use only paper specified for your type of printer. See your User Manual for detailed information on recommended media. Using folded papers, gum papers, hard bound papers and large size papers can often cause paper jams.
6. Don’t mix-n-match: Using different types and/or sizes of paper in the same tray can cause the paper to misfeed.
7. Don’t interrupt: Never remove paper trays while print jobs are in process.
8. Only fill an empty tray: Do not add paper to existing paper in tray. Allow tray to go empty before adding more paper. If you must add paper, always load from the bottom, putting the new paper under the previously loaded paper. This will avoid old paper lingering in the bottom of the tray where it will degrade and become warped.
9. Keep the printer clean: Paper dust and simple wear may cause moving parts to slip and not feed the paper properly. Call our service department at 760-431-3756 to schedule service for routine cleaning.
10. Keep toner or ink in good condition: Rotate your printer cartridges if your printer is idle for an extended period of time. Cartridges that are not used for months can cause printing problems.
When paper jams do occur, be sure to follow your printer’s instructions or refer to your User Manual to avoid damaging your printer. Still need help? Call our printer service department today to schedule service at 760-431-3756. We are here to help! We are now serving customers in San Marcos and Escondido!