What Not to Do When Fixing a Printer Paper Jam

Last Updated on January 2, 2018 by Christian Ralph

If your printer has a paper jam, it can be an extremely agitating situation, especially if your office is a fast-paced, busy environment, as this will certainly cause delays in productivity.

Thankfully, a Lexmark paper jam, or one involving a printer from another reputable manufacturer is not usually a long-term problem, and can normally be quickly fixed, meaning you can be up and running again in no time.

However, if the problem is approached incorrectly, or you panic and rush the job, this can have long term effects on your printer’s health or even cause lasting damage to your machine, creating bigger problems in your office.

Therefore, to help you stay calm and get your device back on track safely, and as quickly as possible, we have put together a comprehensive list of what not to do if you find yourself with a paper jam:

Make sure you have the right diagnosis

The first thing to do if your machine begins to act up, is diagnose the problem.

Do not just assume the issue you’re facing is that the paper is jammed, as dismantling and meddling inside the printer unnecessarily could cause further damage that could be lengthy, and costly, to fix. Alongside this, any technical repairs should be carried out by a qualified engineer, to ensure your printer warranty remains valid.

Before trying to fix the issue, you should make sure that there is definitely a paper jam before attempting to remedy it. To help, genuine printers, including those manufactured by Lexmark, will send a warning message to your PC if a jam is detected.

Don’t attempt repairs while the device is on

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With a Samsung printer, or any other large manufactured brand, be sure to turn off and unplug the printer, and give it plenty of time to shut down completely. This will ensure that there are no parts in motion, or jobs still trying to be completed, which will reduce the risk of further damage or confusion in the system.

As well as this, wait for the device to completely cool. Do not touch the machinery when it is hot as this can damage the printer, or even cause you an injury.

Don’t pull paper the wrong way

It may seem quick and easy to pull the paper through the opposite way to the printing direction, but this should never be done.

Pulling your printer paper the opposite way can greatly damage your machine, as they are only designed to print paper in one direction. Therefore, even if it seems like it would take longer to feed the paper through its natural route, this is the safer option.

Do not panic and rush the job

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When you have located the jam in your device, your first instinct may just be to pull all the stuck paper sheets as quickly as possible. However, a Samsung laser printer, or similar devices contain complex machinery which will require more care than this.

Therefore, it is recommended that you pull out the trapped sheets one by one, extremely slowly and gently, as this will avoid tearing the paper or breaking any parts, which will avoid causing any further issues.

Avoid future jams

Paper jams are commonly caused by using the wrong amount, or type, of paper.

Therefore, to avoid a future jam, it is a good idea to check your printer manual or do some research for information about the recommended paper types and the capacity of your machine. This will save you valuable time and energy in the future.

As you can see, there are a few common mistakes that you can make when faced with a dreaded printer jam, but following these guidelines should help you to keep your printer in tip-top condition.

If you are still struggling or need more help, try contacting your manufacturer for advice, for example, HP printer support. The best way to protect your printer in any malfunction, is to refer to the user manual, and ensure that you follow any instructions given on your printer’s screen.

Featured Image Credit: iStockPhoto.com / wakila (Via Custard Online Marketing)