1. What Exactly Is A Paper Jam?
When a piece of paper becomes stuck or ‘jammed’ in a printer or photocopier, this is referred to as a paper jam. Before the print job can continue, the user must usually manually remove the piece of paper from the machine.
2. Digital Paper Jam Display How Does A Paper Jam Happen?
There are numerous causes of paper jams, but the paper is the most common. This can occur if it is slightly curled, stored in a slightly damp environment, is not the weight specified at print, or is not loaded straight into the tray.
3. What steps can you take to avoid future paper jams?
- Only use one type of paper in the tray at a time.
- Consult the documentation that came with your printer (or conduct a quick Google search) to determine the maximum and minimum paperweights that your machine can support. Never use heavy paper because it will get stuck.
- Before beginning the print job, double-check that you have selected the correct paper thickness/quality in the print controls on your PC.
- Keep your paper in a cool, dry place at all times. If moisture gets into the paper, it will likely stick together, causing multiple sheets of paper to accidentally feed through the machine, resulting in jams.
- When loading paper into your machine, make sure it is not curled, wrinkled, or creased and that it is all aligned using the moveable guides in the paper tray.
- Avoid overfilling the paper trays. Within the tray, there are usually guides with a ‘fill to’ line for guidance.
- Never open the paper tray while printing is in progress; doing so will disrupt the print job and may result in misfeeds and paper jams.
