Paper Jam!

Paper Jams are an annoyance that have plagued office printers for years, and will most likely continue to do so.  Before you go to the trouble of calling your friendly neighborhood printer repair man, there are a few easy things you can check that may save you time and money.  If you ever feel that you can’t fix your printer on your own, we are happy to help.

HP P3005 Paper Stop

Notice how the arrow lines up with the “LTR” text. This is similar on most paper trays.

The most common cause for 13.1 paper jam errors is worn paper feed rollers. However, many times paper jams or misfeeds are caused by a maladjusted paper tray. The paper length stop is adjustable to accept letter, legal and other paper sizes. If the paper stop is pushed forward it can bind the paper causing the paper to not lift into proper position. If the stop is pushed back too far, it too can cause problems.  The correct positioning for an HP P3005 paper tray is shown to the right.  An example of the incorrect setting is shown below it.

 

HP P3005 Paper Stop Incorrect

Notice how the arrow doesn’t line up with the “LTR” text.

Squeezing the blue tab on the paper stop releases it for adjustment. If you get mad at the printer and slam the tray in (hey, we’ve all done it) it can push the stop toward the rear of the tray. If you see any cracks in the paper stop, it will need to be replaced.