Xerox Anti-Paper Jam Hints

We are talking Paper Jams. One of our goals is that you rarely, if ever, see a paper jam but they do happen. You know the feeling, you’re in the middle of a large job and a hush falls over the area around the printer. As you approach the machine there is a blinking light, or a message and you know somewhere, somehow a piece of paper has stopped moving through the paper path and brought the machine to a halt. Don’t panic!!

We have the solution and we have some suggestions on how to avoid a jam in the first place.

The solution is to locate the offending piece of paper and carefully remove it from the machine. Most of our machines will tell you on the user interface where the jam has occurred. If you are not sure how to clear the jam, just head on over to Online Support and search on “jam” you will find cases and solutions that will guide you through the steps to clear the jam. Some models’ support pages even include a video to show you how to remove the jam.

Now let’s talk about how to avoid a jam. Did you know that paper has a top and a bottom side? Who knew!?! Well paper does have a top and bottom. If you look at the unopened ream of paper you will see an arrow or some other indication of which side is the up or top side of the paper.

The paper should be loaded in the paper trays as required for your printer, in most cases that will be with the up or top side facing up. So if you are continuing to have jams try fanning and flipping your paper in the paper tray.

Another thing that might cause a jam is moist paper. Make sure you store your paper in a cool, dry place to avoid humidity or moisture from affecting your paper supply. Paper also needs to be within the specifications for the machine. Paper specifications can be found in the online support for your machine.

Some other suggestions, in no particular order, include:

• Make sure the adjustable paper width guides are positioned correctly around the media. Incorrect positioning of the guides can result in frequent paper jams or skewed prints.

• Do not overload the Paper Tray.

• Do not remove paper from the Paper Tray or Manual Feed Tray during printing.

• Flex, fan, and straighten paper before loading. Make sure the paper is neatly stacked and properly aligned in the Paper Tray.

• Do not use creased, damp, or curled paper.

• Do not mix paper or specialty media types in the paper trays.

Paper and paper specifications are important to your printer. Xerox has an agreement with Domtar. Domtar markets and distributes Xerox-branded paper and print media. Please take a look at the Domtar site to find out all you need to know about paper and other media recommended for use in your machine.

If you have other suggestions of ways to avoid jams share them with us in the comment section below. Let us know what has worked for you and any lessons learned. We look forward to hearing from you.