How to fix HP Printer Paper Jam

Look, we’ve all been there at least once.

You have been working on a big project and you are finally done. All there is left to do is print, but then, the light at the end of the tunnel starts to dim as you get a “HP printer paper jam” message from your printer. There is nothing more annoying than to get a paper jam error when you are certain there is no paper jam.

Don’t worry, we can help. To find out more about why you keep getting paper jam messages, keep on reading.

1.    Make Sure to Check Every Single Side of the Printer

Chances are, most people will only check one side of their printer but a paper jam can occur in multiple areas of the printer. In fact, if you were printing a large document, chances are more than one sheet of paper got stuck.

Here are some common areas to check:

• Input Tray
• Output Tray
• Ink Cartridge Access Area
• Underneath the Printer

2.    Try Cleaning the Paper Feed Rollers

No matter how clean of a person you might be, dust is inevitable especially on machines. Whether you use your printer often or not, dust and other debris can accumulate on your paper feed rollers causing paper jams. Give your paper feed rollers a good, clean wipe and that could solve your problem.

3.    Change the Paper

Sometimes a HP printer paper jam has nothing to do with your HP printer, but instead the paper you are feeding it. Make sure that you are using the right paper, one that is able to move freely throughout the machine. A jam can occur if the paper you are using is too thick and heavy.

If you are using heavier paper such as labels or card paper, try replacing it with regular print paper and see if the jam still occurs.

4.    Don’t Forget the Ink Carriage

Sometimes there is a paper jam because the carriage is “stuck” and cannot move freely across the width of the paper.  Your HP printer could confuse this with a regular paper jam.

5.    Restart Your Printer

Lastly, the good old reliable “turn it off and turn it on again” method. There is a reason why any good IT will ask you if you have tried restarting your printer yet. Printers have known to report false paper jams, and the best way to get rid of that alert is to reset the printer.

Luckily for us, the majority of paper jams can be fixed just by unplugging and replugging the outlet.

Yes, this is the oldest trick in the book but it is there for a reason.

6.    Unplug Your Printer

This is similar to the previous point, except instead of simply turning off your printer, you unplug it. Wait for at least 15 seconds before plugging it in again, and restarting it. Sometimes a simple restart is all it will take to jump start your printer, but other times, it will take unplugging the entire system.

7.    Allow Your Printer to Rest

If you are printing hundreds of pages at a time, chances are your HP printer could be dealing with an overheating problem. When this happens, the entire printer is very hot and in turn, the paper could be sticking to one another, causing a jam.

If you find that there is more than one sheet of paper stuck together, then you could be dealing with an overheating issue.

To avoid this in the future, if you touch your printer and find it to be warm, you should let it rest for a few minutes before continuing.

If you are printing out hundreds of pages at a time, try doing this: split them up into smaller sections to not overwhelm your printer.

What Else To Consider : Is it really a paper jam?

If the HP printer says there is a paper jam and it is not printing out your work, then it must be a paper jam right? Well, not always. If you have tried those options above numerous times and have had no luck, then you might be dealing with a mechanical problem.

To see if your HP printer paper jam error is a mechanical issue, check out this blog post.

If you have done your best to try to fix this error and have no prevail, then consider calling an IT or that friend who seems to know how to fix everything.

Best of luck!