Removing A Paper Jam From Your Printer

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It happens. There is absolutely no such thing as a ‘jam-less’ printer, whether you’re talking inkjet printer, laser printer, or impact printer. Sooner or later, you’re going to run into a paper jam with your printer, and how you handle it can easily determine whether you’ll be out searching the next day for a printer repair company like A-Plus Printer Services to service the unit, or if you’ll be happily humming along after a quick and painless removal of the paper debris.

Unfortunately, paper jams seems to happen at the most inopportune times, like right before you’re on your way out the door to an important meeting and just need to print off one last report. Often, this adds to the frustration of the user, which usually results in the yanking, pulling, and cranking we often see as a result of incorrectly removing a paper jam. As in most emergency situations, the main thing to keep in mind is that you’ve got to remain calm and figure things out…

Some printers and copiers have a handy little diagram in the inside covers that will tell you how to remove a paper jam. For those that don’t, take your time figuring out where the jammed paper is located and how bad the actual jam is. Once you’ve established that, gently tug on the leading edge and see if the paper feeds through the rollers. Paper is made to feed through most printers in a one-directional path… advancing. If you pull the paper backwards through the rollers, you risk causing permanent damage to your printer. If you cannot get the paper jam to advance, it is best to call a professional and have them remove the paper jam.

Another important thing to remember when removing paper jams is that at NO time should you be inserting foreign objects into the printer to help you remove a paper jam. We think we’ve probably heard just about everything, from forks to screwdrivers being used as tools to remove stubborn bits of paper. Using any metal object inside of printer can easily damage internal parts, which may lead to a much more expensive problem… like replacement of the unit. Additionally, with laser printers, you can actually end up with an electrical shock if you use a metal object and end up hitting the wrong part of the printer.

Paper jams are frustrating. The important thing to remember is to take your time and realize that, most likely, it isn’t the end of the world. If you are cautious and figure out the problem, you’re far less likely to be replacing the unit due to damaged parts or gears. And remember, if you can’t remove a paper jam or the printer continues to say you’ve got one even though you pulled out the paper debris you could see, call a professional. There is no shame in admitting defeat when it comes to stubborn or ‘ghost’ paper jams, and a professional printer repair Technician will probably be able to get you up and running without the need to replace parts.

Tip For Moving Laser And Inkjet Printers

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In your copious amounts of free time, and because We know dusting is high on everyone’s priority list, if you ever feel the need to move your printer around, here are a little tips that may save you costly repairs!

For some reason, printer manufacturers tend to hide the power switch on their units, especially laser printers. However, you can damage your unit if you simply ‘pull the plug’ out to power it down. Search around and if the power switch for your printer isn’t on the front cover, chances are it is either on the back near the plugin or on the site.

Check the back of your printer after shutting it down and remove all the cables attached to it. We can not tell you how many times a printer is brought to A-Plus Printer Services. where the customer forgot or didn’t think to remove the Ethernet cable and then tripped over it, ripped the cable from the connection, and then couldn’t get it to work later. Even if you think you won’t trip over a loose cable, it just isn’t worth the risk… and if you’re really unlucky, tripping over the cable may pull your entire printer off your desk and completely destroy it!

If you’re taking a printer out of service for some time, it is a good idea to remove the cartridges, especially when you’re dealing with inkjet cartridges, which can dry with non-use and then clog. Toner cartridges should be kept out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry place. If dust is going to be a problem you may want to place it into a plastic bag… any garbage-type should do. If you’re storing inkjet cartridges for an extended amount of time, clean the contacts with a light alcohol / water mix so there are no ‘globs’ of ink on them. Then carefully place it in a plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and try to store it upright (the way it sits in the printer).

Never turn any printer on its side or upside down. With inkjet printers, the carriage bar may become loose, causing damage to the printer. With laser printers, it is just not a good idea. Printers are made to sit upright and never to be turned on end.

If you did pull out the plug instead of using the power switch to power the unit down, make sure it is turned off (complete circle) before plugging the unit back in. Plugging in the unit when it is switched on may result in a power surge that could permanently damage your printer.

We hope these little tips help you when you decide it is time to see what is hiding underneath your printer!

10 Common Problems with your HP LaserJet Printers

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Having problems with your Laser Printers? Look at these simple
solutions to some very common problems you may be experiencing:

Solving Common Problems with your HP LaserJet Printers

1. Toner does not stick to the page or smears

What to do to correct:

a. The fuser assembly may be defective or it is at the end of life. The solution is to replace the fuser . The fuser is considered a consumable and can be replaced, or
b. You may have a defective toner cartridge. Simply replace the cartridge and see if this fixes the problem, or
c. Toner may have spilled into the printer. Clean out the printer.
d. If the problem persists, call A-Plus Printer Services at (510) 481-9965.

2. Paper Jams (This is among the most common problem with laser printers.)

Here are the most common causes:

a. Dust, grime, or just plain dirt has made its way into the printer
b. Worn rollers
c. The wrong paper type is being used.

What to do to lessen the chance of paper jams :

a. Periodically clean the printer yourself or schedule a semi-annual or annual PM check-up with A-Plus Printer Services.
b. Call A-Plus Printer Services periodically to replace the rollers with the installation of a new Preventative Maintenance Kit.
c. Check your user manual to make sure that the paper that you are using falls within the specifications outlined for this printer. Paper that is too light or too heavy will cause jams.

3. Printer is displaying a 50.4 error message

This indicates a problem with the power supply.

What to do to correct this problem:

a. If the printer is plugged into a UPS, or a power strip, unplug it and plug the printer directly into the wall.
b. A laser printer should never be plugged into a UPS because of the power surges required by the printer. These surges are required by the printer to keep the fuser assembly warm.
c. If the above does not work, call A-Plus Printer Services for service at (510) 481-9965.

4. Trouble printing envelopes

Envelopes can cause problems for laser printers. Choose envelopes that are close to 20lb. paper in weight and thickness. Also, make sure that the adhesive on the envelope is capable of withstanding the heat that the fuser puts out to keep the printing on the page. If you don’t, the envelopes will come out of the printer already sealed. If envelopes are coming out of the printer wrinkled, they may be too stiff for the paper path. Open the rear of the printer and let them exit at that location.

5. Part of or all of the printed page is faded

There are usually three conditions that cause this:

a. The printer is low on toner, or
b. The print density is set too low, or
c. The printer may have the Economode turned on.

What to try to correct faded printing:

a. Remove the toner cartridge, and shake. This will redistribute the toner and often will temporarily solve the problem. However, this usually indicates it is time to install a new cartridge.
b. Turn Economode off.
c. Run a self-test and look at the settings for print density. You may want to increase the setting.
d. If after you have tried the above corrections and you are still having a problem, call our company at (510) 481-9965 to schedule a service call.

6. Printer is displaying a 79 error

A 79 error can be the result of a problem with the network print server that
services the printer. When troubleshooting a 79 error, first open the Printer folder from the Start menu on the Print Server to make sure there are no jobs pending. A 79 error can also indicate a failure of a printer add-on component, such as an MIO card or a RAM module. All add-ons should be removed and then added back to the printer one by one to determine which module may be at fault.

7. Can’t find a driver for a particular operating system

As new operating systems are released, new drivers need to be loaded for your exiting printers. It is best to consult the printer manual and find out what printers the drivers will emulate. While not all of the functionality of the printer will be available under the emulation, at least basic printing will work. Most HP printers will print with the HP LaserJet II driver installed, although specific options, such as duplexing, will not work.

8. Printer is not printing from the expected tray

Look in two places to correct this particular error:

a. First, look on the printing PC. If the application is set to print to the wrong paper tray, correct it with the application by clicking on Printer Properties and find the Tray selection source.
b. Second, check the printer. Make sure that the paper size on the control panel matches what is actually in the paper tray.

9. Ghosting (This is an issue when an image prints correctly, but a much lighter copy also prints elsewhere)

Possible causes are:

a. Bad power outlet.
b. The drum or the imaging kit is near the end of life.

What to do to correct:

Plug in another printer to the same outlet to see if the same thing happens on this new printer. If so, have an electrician check the voltage in the outlet and correct the problem.

10. Printer picks up all the paper from the manual feed tray rather than one sheet

The pad that is responsible for separating the paper has likely worn out and needs to be replaced. It is also possible that the paper is wet due to humidity. Make sure the paper is properly stored and that it is “fanned” before putting it into the printer.

7 Ways to Protect Your Printers

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1. Unplug
If you want to avoid network printer problems, don’t network your printer. Connecting directly from a PC via USB keeps your printer and your print jobs private.

2. Password
Most networked printers can be accessed remotely with a password. Change the default password! This is perhaps the most important step of all for a networked printer.

3. Firmware
When security issues are discovered, printer makers release updates to its firmware. Keep your printer firmware updated. By keeping your printer secure with a strong password, and closing any known security holes with up-to-date firmware, you’ll avoid most basic network printer issues.

4. Secure Your Infrastructure
Whether you have two printers or 200, they need to be managed. Keeping passwords updated, installing the latest firmware, and securing access are just a few of the steps you can handle through remote-management software. HP’s Web JetAdmin is one example, allowing you to keep tabs on all your HP printers from one workstation. You should also use firewalls to protect against outside attacks and probing, and be sure that Wi-Fi networks are secured.

5. Secure Your Data
When you send a print job, be sure that it’s on a secured network. Use encryption so a print job can’t be intercepted along its path. Print jobs can even be sent to an encrypted print server, and then securely “pulled” from the server when ready.

6. Secure Your Printers
Beyond changing the default password, implementing access control can protect the printer from being accessed remotely or on-site. Printers with hard drives for spooling should be encrypted. Once a job is printed, traces of it should be erased from the hard drive and from memory.

7. Secure Your Printouts
If you generate secure documents with special paper, secure trays are available to protect the media. Avoid leaving documents sitting in a printer tray. Use private printing to send your jobs to the printer, or at least send them as “manual feed”. This will assure that a user must be at the printer to release the job, reducing the chance of a printout being forgotten and falling into the wrong hands.