How To Fix Paper Path Problems

Paper jams are insanely irritating. When you’re printer sends back an error message stating that something has gone awry mid print job and spits back a crumbled mess of a sheet of paper instead of a pristine print out, wanting to throw the printer across the room seems like an apt response. But settle down for a second because there are ways to troubleshoot printer jams and printer path problems. With a little patience you can figure out what’s going on and correct your printer problems without having to be overly tech savvy.

Follow Your Printer’s Advice

Some printers are equipped with diagnostic advice that’ll tell you exactly how to get to and resolve the problem you’re facing. If this info appears, you’re lucky. Use the advice you’re given and you should be ready to print.

Turn off Your Printer & Play Detective

If you don’t have the luxury of having a printer that provides diagnostic advice, then the next step is turning your printer off. This way it can’t do anything funny while you play detective. It’s hard to investigate when you have moving parts and electricity in the way. If the paper jam occurs while using a laser printer, you’ll want to make sure the unit is off so the fuser isn’t generating more heat. If the paper is stuck in or close to the fuser unit, you’ll want to let it cool off before clearing the jam. You’ll feel the heat as you come closer to the fuser.

Open All Doors That You to the Paper Path

To get your detective game on, you’ll need all paths clear. Get to the paper path by opening all the doors necessary. If you don’t know where to start, start by removing or opening the input tray and follow the paper path till you reach the output tray, opening every door or panel along the way. This well help you find where the paper jam is located.

Clear Paper and Paper Scraps

Once you’ve found the source clear out all the paper that you find stuck. Pull paper in the direction that it would go had the printer performed its job properly, this way you’re not straining the printer’s mechanics by pulling it in the opposite direction. Make sure you clear out all paper, including scraps that have been ripped apart in the printer’s innards. Be firm and gentle and if you end up breaking a mechanical piece within the printer, just stop what you’re doing and call for the printer to be serviced immediately. (Back away slowly and don’t make eye contact.)

Close Doors and Turn Your Printer On

Once you’ve cleared out all the jammed paper and closed the paper path doors, turn your printer on. It should reset itself automatically and let you know if there is still a jam. If it reports that there is still something askew inside, repeat the previous steps and look out for scraps. Undetected paper scraps are usually the reason for this. If the printer still fails to work – then it could be a mechanical issue or a deep seated piece of paper that you just can’t find. Call for service.

Preventing Paper Jams

•  Load the input tray with only one type of paper. Using different weights can confuse your printer.
•  Tell your printer what kind of paper you are using. Most printer controls allow you to do this, as they will include a section with a drop-down list that lets you identify what type of paper you are using, the thickness and/or quality.
•  If you don’t know if your printer actually takes a certain kind of paper, refer back to its documentation to ensure that it does. In the same way that you don’t want to feed chocolate to a dog, you don’t want to feed your printer something that makes it sick.