Paper Jams

What causes paper jams? We’re glad you asked!

1. Worn Feed Rollers
When feed rollers wear out, they become slick. Slick feed rollers make it difficult for the printer to pick up paper from the paper tray, which causes a paper jam. Try cleaning the feed rollers with rubber rejuvenator and a clean cloth (if you don’t have rubber rejuvenator, you can try rubbing alcohol).

2. Fuser Assembly
If the pressure roller in the fuser assembly has started to wear out, the result will be a fuser assembly that won’t turn. If the fuser assembly no longer turns, you will get a paper jam error. For lower cost, HP LaserJet printers replacing the fuser may exceed the value of the printer. We recommend replacing the printer if you have determined that the fuser assembly is causing the paper jam (this applies to HP LaserJet printers that cost less than $200).

3. Paper Sensors
There are paper sensors throughout your HP LaserJet printer. If the paper does not pass through a paper sensor at the expected time, you will get a paper jam error. Issues with paper sensors can require in-depth disassembly of your printer. For this reason, we recommend replacing lower cost HP LaserJet printers with paper jams that are caused by paper sensors (this applies to HP LaserJet printers that cost less than $200).

4. Paper and Paper Trays.

1. A paper tray is loaded incorrectly.

Remove any excess paper from the tray. Make sure that the stack is below the maximum stack height mark in the tray.

2. The paper is skewed.

The paper tray guides are not adjusted correctly. Adjust them so they hold the stack firmly in place without bending it.

3. The paper is binding or sticking together.

Remove the paper, flex it, rotate it 180°, or flip it over. Reload the paper into the tray.

NOTE: Do not fan paper. Fanning can create static electricity, which can cause the paper to stick together.

4. The paper was removed before it settled into the output bin.

Reset the product. Wait until the page completely settles in the output bin before removing it.

5. During two-sided printing, you removed the paper before the second side of the document was printed.

Reset the product and print the document again. Wait until the page completely settles in the output bin before removing it.

6. The paper is in poor condition.

Replace the paper.

7. The internal rollers from the tray are not picking up the paper.

Remove the top sheet of paper. If the paper is too heavy, it might not be picked from the tray.

8. The paper has rough or jagged edges.

Replace the paper.

9. The paper is perforated or embossed.

Perforated or embossed paper does not separate easily. Feed single sheets from Tray 1.

10. Product supply items have reached the end of their useful life.

Check the product control panel for messages prompting you to replace supplies, or print a supplies status page to verify the remaining life of the supplies.

11. Paper was not stored correctly.

Replace the paper in the trays. Paper should be stored in the original packaging in a controlled environment.