It is an annoying but well-known scenario: working with PCs and printers, sooner or later it will happen that the printer does not feed the paper necessary for printing documents. If you have just finished a big job and you just have to print the documents to finally close the day, a situation like this can be particularly unpleasant.
Often the device makes strange noises without starting the printing process, and this is how you recognize the problem: the printer does not feed the paper.
The “Printer is not feeding paper” problem can arise for a variety of reasons. When it happens, keep your nerves steady and start looking for the cause of the problem. Generally, the malfunction can be resolved quickly.
Content
Too much or too little paper
What to do in case of a paper jam?
How to recognize a paper jam?
Solving the paper jam: a simple and effective method
The printer does not feed paper: other solutions
If the printer does not feed the paper, there are several causes: defective paper pick rollers, dirty or damaged printer, or a paper jam. However, not infrequently the solution is much simpler.
First, check if you’ve loaded enough paper. As trivial as it may seem, if there is not enough paper, the printer cannot feed it correctly. It is normal not to be able to keep an eye on the fill level of the paper feed tray. It is therefore recommended to first check the input tray and, if necessary, add some paper.
However, the reverse can also happen: if you have loaded too much paper, the power supply may not work properly. Therefore, when loading paper, always keep an eye on the maximum level marked on the input tray and be careful not to exceed it.
What to do in case of a paper jam?
One of the most frequent causes for which the printer does not feed the paper is the so-called paper jam which, in turn, can have different causes. You can find detailed information on this topic on our web page in the “Solving a paper jam” section. Often the paper has not been inserted correctly from the beginning and this may be the reason why it gets stuck inside the printer preventing the feeding of further sheets.
In order to avoid paper jams, make sure that the individual sheets do not adhere to each other right away. When storing the paper at the wholesaler, the paper may be heavily compressed and therefore the individual sheets adhere to each other. When opening a new ream of paper for the printer, it is always advisable to fan the sheets. In this way, the space between the sheets is filled with air and the cutting edges separate from each other.
Often, paper jams can be avoided by fanning the stack.
When stored for too long or in humid environments, the reams of paper “embark” and the individual sheets stick together. Therefore, make sure that the paper is dry and not corrugated before loading it into the printer.
In addition, it is essential to remember that not all types of printer paper are created equal. To find out which types of paper are compatible with your printer, refer to the operating instructions or the website of the device manufacturer. Always keep this in mind to avoid paper jams.
Related Post- Paper Jams Printer Repair Solution
How to recognize a paper jam?
The most modern devices warn you in case of a paper jam. Other printers, however, report that there is no paper even if the tray is full. Once you’ve made sure you still have enough paper, if the printer continues to report otherwise you are probably dealing with a paper jam.
Solving the paper jam: a simple and effective method
- If you have already started the printing process but the printer is not printing correctly due to a paper jam, first try to open the printer and gently pull the sheet out with your hands. It is extremely important not to tear the sheet, otherwise, it may get stuck in the device. In addition, scraps of paper may get stuck inside the device, making it necessary to clean the printer.
- After removing the jammed paper, restart the printer.
- Make sure you have not loaded paper that is not compatible with the printer.
- Briefly swipe the stack of paper with your fingers and reposition it correctly in the printer. Then restart the print job.
- If all this did not work, turn off the printer and remove the plug from the socket. Open the device cover and remove the ink cartridges or toner.
- Verify that no bits of paper is left in the printer. This could happen especially in laser printers, as the pieces of paper are difficult to remove from the feed rollers. If necessary, use tweezers or similar tools to remove the torn pieces of paper.
- Also, scan the printer rollers carefully. In some cases, the sheets are not fed correctly because the rubber rollers are dirty. Thoroughly clean the rollers with a lint-free cloth. In the event that over time they have become porous, you will need to completely replace the feed rollers. This porosity is often attributable to paper abrasion, particularly if the thick and stiff paper is used.
- The paper sensor may also be dusty. Use a cotton swab or lint-free microfiber cloth to clean the sensor. It is important to be very careful when cleaning and repairing the printer. The interior of the device is extremely sensitive and can be easily damaged.
- If none of these methods have been successful, you can try checking the printer drivers. Sometimes the drivers are out of date and this could lead to the fact that the printer is not feeding paper. Update the drivers and try to print again.
The printer does not feed paper: other solutions
Tip 1:
The idea is to try to avoid the problem from the beginning.
In general, the most important factor is the card itself. When buying, choose a high quality and flawless product. Clearly this means that you will have to spend a little more on the paper, but at least the cellulose fibers will not come off so easily from the surface and cutting edges. Paper dust accumulates in the form of dirt on the rollers and, ultimately, on the entire printer. For this reason, make sure you always buy paper with a sealed surface and precise cutting edges.
Choose a good quality product when buying printer paper
Tip 2:
The printer does not feed the paper: this phenomenon can have other causes besides the paper or the printer itself. Even the external influences may prevent the paper.
For example, the climate inside the room affects the proper functioning of the printer. The environment in which the printer is located should have a constant temperature of about 20 ° C. Relative humidity should be between 50 and 55 percent. If the air is too dry, the paper may become charged with static electricity and therefore not accepted by the sheet feeder.
Excessive humidity increases friction between surfaces. Again, malfunctions may arise.
It is therefore advisable to place the paper a few hours before printing in the special tray so that it can get used to the climate of the room.
Tip 3:
Make sure to check the maximum fill level of the paper tray. Of course, nobody likes to load paper often, but too many sheets can block its feeding. The maximum fill level is marked with a dash that must not be exceeded.
NB: the greater the weight of the paper, the lower the number of sheets to be inserted in the tray. The sheets of photo paper, card stock or tracing paper are particularly heavy and must be inserted individually.
Tip 4:
By applying the correct settings you can avoid paper jams and similar hassles. This is why you should always adapt your printer settings to the paper you are using. The default printer configuration is typically set on standard 80-gram paper. If you use very heavy or thicker than normal paper, make the necessary configurations on the printer.
In general, modern printers can print on paper up to 200 g / m². Some printers are capable of handling even thicker paper types. Just refer to the instructions for use to find the best card to use.
Tip 5:
Sometimes it happens that the printer is unable to feed the paper when making duplex prints on coated paper. This problem often occurs especially with inkjet printers.
The coated paper has a smooth and slippery backside. This is not a problem during normal printing services, but if you use printable photo paper on both sides, the surfaces do not slide well on each other and this can make feeding more difficult.
In this case, it is particularly important to keep the climatic conditions inside the room as indicated above. In fact, the especially wet paper has high friction on the surface, which is why a second sheet is often incorrectly fed.
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