5 Ways to Prevent Paper Jams, and How to Fix Them

If you have ever had to deal with a paper jam, then you understand how frustrating it can be. It’s especially so since they somehow always manage to happen at the most inopportune times, such as when you have a tight deadline and no time to waste on things like messing around with jammed paper.

Most of this frustration likely also comes from the fact that when a paper jam occurs, it feels as if you were doing things exactly the same way as you have previously while printing things without any issues. This makes you question what could have possibly triggered a problem this time.

Indeed, a paper jam could happen for any number of reasons, as there are numerous minute factors that can contribute to this issue. While these contributing factors may not be immediately obvious unless you are specifically looking for them, they can be troublesome nonetheless.

The Most Effective Ways to Prevent Paper Jams

Paper jams are, without a doubt, one of the most annoying issues to encounter when using a printer. Fortunately, there are ways that you can circumvent this irritating problem.

In fact, there are numerous steps to decrease the chances of dealing with a paper jam in your printer. If you follow these steps consistently, you will likely never have to worry about this issue again.

1. Use older paper first

One thing that most people do not realize is that paper tends to absorb moisture from the air. When this absorption happens, it causes the paper to expand, which increases the likelihood of a paper jam occurring.

This moisture absorption mostly starts to happen once a ream of paper has been opened. Thus, it is necessary to always use old paper first, as leaving this paper exposed to the air for too long will increase the chances of it collecting too much moisture.

It is also important to avoid filling the printer/copier’s drawers completely unless you are doing a print run that requires all of that paper and it will get used up in a short amount of time.

Only open a new ream of paper when you are ready to use it. Otherwise, you will expose it to the moisture in the air for no reason, which will not do you any favours when it comes to paper jams.

If you do open up a ream of paper that you do not need to use entirely right away, try to store the remaining paper in a cool, dry place to limit its exposure to moisture.

2. Handle the paper cautiously

Most of the time, people’s biggest priority when replenishing the paper stock in a copier/printer is just getting it done as fast as possible. However, trying to get this done too quickly and damaging the paper in the process will only make things harder to manage in the long run.

It is important to handle the paper with care to avoid creating creases, wrinkles, or tears. Such imperfections could prevent the paper from smoothly passing through your printer/copier. If you notice that the paper is damaged, it is better to avoid using it to prevent a paper jam.

3. Flex, fan, and roll the paper before loading it

It is common for some sheets of paper to be stuck together when you first open a new ream. To prevent a double feed of paper into your printer/copier, which could lead to a jam, it is necessary to ensure that any papers stuck together are separated before being loaded into the machine.

You can carefully loosen the sheets by flexing, fanning, and rolling them before loading them. This will ensure they get some air between them so that they do not stick to one another.

4. Place the paper right side up

It is important to check the outer packaging of each new ream of paper you intend to load before taking it out to place into the copier/printer. The ream may have an arrow on it to indicate the right direction in which to place the paper when loading it. Always load the paper on the right side up to avoid paper jams.

5. Use the right paper

Since paper jams are more common with low-quality paper, always use high-quality paper in your printer/copier to avoid dealing with this issue. It is also necessary to pay attention to the weight of the paper and avoid mixing paper weights in your trays.

Certain machines have particular paper weight limitations that you must adhere to. In some cases, your copier/printer’s settings may have to be adjusted to accommodate a specific paper weight, which you can learn about in the manual.

How to Fix a Paper Jam if It Occurs

Although the above-mentioned precautions will help you significantly reduce the number of paper jams, if you ever encounter this problem, it is important to know what to do. The following steps are necessary to fix a paper jam in your copier/printer:

1. Turn off and unplug the printer immediately.
2. Remove all of the paper from the tray and inspect the printer/copier for jams. Slowly pull out each jammed sheet until the machine is clear.
3. Carefully restack the paper in the tray. Then, open the rear access door and make sure there are not any smaller scraps of paper left behind in the rollers, and that the rollers are clean.
4. Once everything seems good, plug the printer/copier back in, turn it on, and test it to ensure the problem has been resolved.

Why DOS Canada Is a Great Place to Get Your Next Printer

Before you can start applying the helpful advice mentioned above, you need to get your hands on a reliable copier or printer first. Fortunately, DOS Canada can help you with doing so.

Whether you are looking for a new machine or a refurbished printer, we have plenty of different options to choose from. We carry all the latest and greatest models produced by the industry’s top manufacturers.

No matter your printing/copying requirements, we are confident that we have the perfect solutions to meet them. Additionally, someone from our team of experts would be happy to guide you in the right direction to find a device that is perfectly suited for you.

For more information about the refurbished printer options we offer or about the wide variety of printer and copier types we carry, call DOS Canada at 1-647-557-1788 or contact us here.