HP printer paper jam is a common error that occurs when a piece of paper is stuck in the printer or paper tray. There can be several reasons for printer paper jams, like using incompatible paper or overloading the tray. It is not necessary that your HP printer will send a paper jam error only when some paper gets stuck. The paper jam error message may also come up due to dust, paper fiber, and other material on the paper feed rollers.
It’s easy to fix the paper jam error by following the steps mentioned in this blog post. But, before moving on to fixes, let’s understand the causes of the error in detail:
Causes of HP Printer Paper Jam Issues
Overloading:
Every printer has a paper-loading capacity. You can check the limit for every paper type and printer from the HP support website or instruction manual. Filling the paper tray over the limit can result in an HP printer paper jam error.
Misalignment:
It’s important to place the paper in alignment with the inner edge of the paper tray. Placing paper without smoothing out the edge may later cause paper jams.
Incorrect paper use:
Using paper of different thicknesses can leave the paper stuck in the roller. The quality of the paper also impacts the printing, so always check the compatibility of the paper with your HP printer.
False paper jam:
If you don’t clean your machine, it may report a paper jam issue even when there is none. Dust can prevent the printer from operating properly and cause the paper jam error to appear even though there is no paper trapped. Thus, cleaning and maintenance checkups are necessary to avoid such errors.
How to fix paper jam in HP printer?
1. Steps to fix HP printer paper jam error from outside
Follow the steps below to clear out the paper jam externally:
- First, power off the printer.
- Check the paper input and output trays of the printer for jammed paper.
- If you find any paper stuck in them, then gently pull out the paper.
- Then, pull out the paper tray and replace the paper by smoothing its edges and aligning it perfectly with the paper tray’s inner edge.
- Reset the paper tray and power on the printer.
- Connect it with the computer and test print something to ensure that the error is fixed.
Note:
1. If your printer has an ADF (automatic document feeder), then pull the ADF cover and remove the stuck paper from there.
2. Sometimes, the paper gets stuck in the input tray and can’t get out easily, requiring taking out the input tray.
2. Steps to fix HP printer paper jam error from inside
Follow the steps below to clear out the paper jam internally:
- First, switch off the printer and remove the power cord and other connected cables.
- Now, open the access panel of the printer to check inside the printer.
- Start by moving the carriage (if necessary) and pulling out the stuck paper. You might need to take out the toner cartridge or image drum to remove the stuck paper in a laser printer.
- Some HP printers have paper path covers placed next to the carriage. In such cases, you should first remove the cover and then take out the jammed paper.
- If your machine has a bottom cleanup door, then gently lift it to examine underneath and take any stuck paper out of the bottom cleanout.
- Similarly, you can clean up the paper residue if your printer has a rear access door.
- After checking and removing the stuck paper, reset the parts that were removed.
- Now, power on the printer and connect it to the PC.
- Print a few pages to ensure that the printer is working properly.
Final Words
Using the above-mentioned steps, you can easily resolve the HP printer paper jam issue. These fixes can work for almost every HP printer, but if you want solutions specially targeted to your printer model, then visit the HP support website.