Hopefully, your printer will last you for a long time, with minimal problems along the way. However, as with any piece of equipment that’s used regularly, there is always the risk that something could go wrong. Printer jams are a common problem with printers and can happen at any time. You might begin to get into a routine when you print something, just to have it jam halfway through or even worse finish printing only for it to jam again and send your document whizzing back through the rollers. There are many reasons why this might happen and knowing what they are can help you resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. In this blog post, we will look at some of the most common reasons why your printer keeps jamming and some easy ways to fix it.
Why Does My Printer Keep Jamming?
Your Printer Is Out Of Ink
If the heads are the part of the printer that comes into contact with the paper as it passes through, then the ink cartridges are the device where the ink is stored. A printer will keep printing until it runs out of ink and if you have just refilled your printer with a new cartridge, it is possible that it is still empty and needs time to build up a full tank of ink. If you have just changed your printer cartridge and are still getting paper jams, it is worth looking at the other causes described in this article to see if any of them are the more likely culprits. If you have recently changed the cartridge, it’s possible it doesn’t have enough ink in it yet to protect the rollers properly. This can cause the paper to get caught in the rollers and create a paper jam. Give the printer some time to build up a full tank of ink and you should see the problem disappear.
Paper Is Defective Or Improperly Cut
The paper you use for printing is an essential part of the printing process and you should always use the correct type for your printer. If you put the wrong type of paper through your printer, it may not only jam, but it could also cause damage to the rollers and other components of your printer, which could mean you have to replace these parts. If you are using paper that isn’t the right type for your printer, the paper may be too thick or too thin for your specific device. There are guidelines for the thickness of the paper you can use with different printers and this information is usually available online. Using the correct weight of paper is important to ensure that it is fed through the machine properly and doesn’t cause jams. If your paper has been cut improperly, it can cause jams in your printer. Make sure that the paper you are using is the correct length, otherwise, it may be too long to fit through the machine properly. If your paper has been cut too short, it may not fit in your printer at all and cause a jam.
The Rollers Are Dirty Or Have Excess Build-Up
The rollers are the parts of the printer that are in direct contact with the paper when it is being printed. As the paper is a very porous material, it can easily absorb liquids and dust particles, which can build up on the rollers and cause a jam. When the rollers become clogged with paper fibers, dust, and other debris, they can’t move the paper through the printer properly, causing it to come to a halt. If the rollers are extremely dirty, the paper can get caught in the rollers, get ripped, and break, which will cause a jam. To help avoid your printer rollers getting clogged and dirty, keep the printer area clean and regularly clean the rollers with a tiny amount of water or alcohol.
The Print Heads Are Dried Up Or Blocked
The print heads are the devices that spray the ink onto the paper. If there is no ink coming out of the print heads, or if the heads are somehow blocked, your printer will not be able to print anything. This is a common reason why printers stop working altogether, but could also cause paper jams if there is too much paper build-up in the printer heads. Blocked print heads can cause paper jams, as the paper won’t be able to move through the printer. If the print heads are completely dried up, there will be no ink coming out at all, so you won’t be able to print anything. If your printer heads are just a bit clogged, you will still be able to print, but your printed documents will be very faint.
How To Avoid Printer Paper Jams In The Future
- If you are having problems with your printer, or it isn’t printing properly, there are a few things you can do to avoid more jams from happening in the future. First of all, it is important to make sure that your printer is not overloaded with paper. If there is too much paper in the tray and the printer has trouble feeding it through, this can cause a jam. If you have a lot of paper that needs to be printed out at once, try to print it out in several sessions. Also, make sure that your paper is not wrinkled or folded when you are putting it into the printer tray.
- When loading the tray of your printer, make sure that it is not too full so that there is room for airflow around all sides of the paper. If your papers have been cut incorrectly or unevenly, they may feed through unevenly and cause a jam. To avoid this problem altogether, always cut your papers evenly with a guillotine-style paper cutter before putting them into your printer’s tray. Make sure that no foreign objects have fallen into your printer while you were using it – if something like a piece of dirt gets inside the machine during use and then gets printed on every page you print out afterward, even if only faintly, this could cause problems for you down the road as well.
- If there are any stubborn jams in your machine that won’t come out easily, you can try to shake the paper around inside the printer to dislodge it. If that doesn’t work, you can also try taking a piece of bread and putting it into the machine, then shaking it around to dislodge any jammed paper. This will not only get the paper loose from where it is stuck but will help to clean out any other dirt or debris in the printer as well.
- If your printer has jammed several times over a short period of time, or if you have been having trouble with your printer for a long period of time and nothing seems to be working, you may just need to replace your machine entirely. Even if replacing your printer is not an option right now due to money constraints or other reasons, there are a few things you can do to help extend its life span until you can purchase a new one. Make sure that you are using good quality paper and inks when printing – cheap supplies will leave residue on the rollers inside of your machine and cause problems with printing later on down the road. Also, make sure that you keep up with regular maintenance on your machine – this includes removing dust from inside all parts of the printer, cleaning off excess ink from print heads every once in a while, and making sure that no pieces are broken before using anything that is important for printing correctly (for example: checking for broken print heads before putting them into use).
- If you are having trouble with your printer, you can call the manufacturer or look online for instructions on how to fix it yourself. If there is something wrong with your printer beyond repair, however, make sure that you get in touch with the manufacturer as soon as possible so they can help you get a new one and transfer all of your data over.
Conclusion
When your printer keeps jamming, it can be extremely frustrating, especially when you don’t know why it is happening. However, once you know some of the common reasons why it may keep happening, you will be better equipped to deal with the problem. When your printer keeps jamming, it is worth checking to see if any of the above causes are the issue. Once you have identified the issue, you can take the appropriate steps to fix it.
Faqs:
Q1. Is it necessary to buy an expensive printer?
Ans. Not at all. In fact, you can find a good quality printer in the market for just $100-$200. The only difference between a cheap and an expensive printer is the cost of purchase and servicing. If you are buying a printer for home use, then go for the cheaper one that will do your need. If you are buying one for office use, then you should go for the more expensive one as it will be used by many people and needs to be durable and efficient in performance.
Q2. What is the difference between laser printers and inkjet printers?
Ans. They are used to print text documents or images on paper respectively; both operate on different technologies to print but inkjet printers have higher speed than laser printers as they have multiple nozzles that allow printing faster as compared to laser printers which have only a few nozzles used for printing inks on paper sheets; both these printers are available in latest models with capability of printing more than thousand pages per month; other than this, there is nothing much difference between both these printers except the technology they work upon which makes them different from each other in terms of speed of printing documents or images on paper sheets; inkjet cartridges also last longer than laser cartridges as they contain more number of nozzles inside them which help them to print faster at a lower cost per page as compared to laser cartridges which contain a fewer number of nozzles to print text documents or images on paper sheets.
Q3. What is the difference between inkjet and laser printers?
Ans. The main difference between inkjet and laser printers is that the former uses an ink-based technology while the latter uses laser-based technology to create images or text on paper sheets; laser printers are considered better than inkjet printers as they have higher resolution, faster printing speed, and a higher number of pages per minute; however, due to high cost of toner cartridges, laser printers are more expensive than inkjet printers; nowadays, few companies have developed low-cost models of both these types of printers with latest features which allow printing at a lower cost per page as compared to both these types of printers available in the market with same features but at higher price tags.
