How to Fix Paper Jam on HP Printer

When you encounter a paper jam error on an HP printer, there is nothing to worry about. It is generally a false paper jam, meaning the printers can show the paper jam error without the papers actually jammed in the rollers. However, sometimes you may run into a real paper jam.

When the printers are jammed, they produce a strange noise after sending a print command, and the printing is not completed. There might also be cases when the printer prints the test page but refuses to print other documents.

Luckily, there are a few things you can look into before taking your printer to the service center. We will be discussing them in this article.

How to Fix Paper Jam on HP Printer?

As we already discussed, the paper jam error on HP printers is usually a false paper jam. So, before moving to the fixes section, try power cycling the printer. It often solves the issue without further hassles. Power off the printer and remove the power cable from it. Then turn it on after a few minutes and see if the issue persists.

Check Papers in Paper Tray

You should first check if you have adequate papers inserted in the paper tray. Make sure the number of papers inserted on the tray is within the specified limit. Otherwise, the printer can not intake the papers and throw a paper jam error. You can quickly check the printer’s manual to find its paper capacity.

Likewise, verify that you inserted the paper tray correctly after putting the papers in the tray. Else, the improperly placed tray can also cause issues.

Fix Paper Alignment Issues

Next, you need to align the papers in the tray properly. Position the papers such that it exactly fits the paper tray. You should also use papers of the same thickness and ensure they are moist-free. There should not be any folds or rolls on the paper. Neither the papers should be sticky.

Change Document Size

Another reason for a paper jam error is using different paper size settings than the papers actually inserted in the tray. You can not expect to print an A3-sized document by inserting A4-sized paper in the tray. Therefore, you need to go to your HP printer’s printing preference settings and adjust it accordingly.

The steps to change the document size are pretty similar in all the models of HP printers. Here, we are referencing HP Laserjet Printers for elucidation purposes.

1. Open a document you are trying to print.
2. Press Ctrl + P to enter the Print menu.
3. Click Printer Properties.
4. Alternatively, open Control Panel.
5. Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
6. Right-click the HP printer profile and choose Printer properties.
   
7. Now, on the Printer properties window, jump to Paper/Quality tab.
8. Choose appropriate document size from the Paper size drop-down.
   
9. Choose Custom and specify the document size if you can not see the exact paper size.
10. Click New.
    
11. Give Name to the paper size and assign Height and Width of the paper that is inserted in the tray.
    
12. Click Add > OK to save changes.
13. Now print the document, and you should not face an issue.

Check for Stuck Papers

Now that you have gone through the basic fixes, it’s time to check and remove if there are any papers stuck in the paper path. Also, dust and debris can clog the paper rollers over time. It can prevent the rollers from effectively taking and ejecting papers.

So, you must remove any stuck papers and clear the debris before getting the printer to work back again. Please keep a flashlight and a blower on standby to remove the stuck pieces and dust. You should access and check all the possible areas on a printer where the papers can be stuck.

The steps to access the paper path can be slightly different depending upon the model of printer you are using. Here, we are referencing the LaserJet Pro 400 MFP M425dn printer for demonstration purposes.

Clearing Under Toner Cartridge Cover

You should first check under the toner cartridge if any papers are stuck under it. Likewise, if you have an inkjet printer, you need to access the ink cartridge and check.

1. Turn off the power supply of your printer and remove the cables.
   
2. Let the printer cool down for a few minutes. It is because the fuser inside the printer is heated up, and you can have difficulty working with it.
3. Remove all the papers from the paper tray and pull the tray out of the printer.
   
4. With the help of a flashlight, check if anything is under the paper tray and remove it.
   
5. Then open the front door and uplift the toner cartridge cover of your printer. If you own an inkjet printer, lift the cartridge access door.
6. See if any pieces of paper are stuck inside it with the help of a flashlight. If any, please remove those paper pieces.
   
7. Use a blower to blow out any foreign materials present inside it.
   
8. Close the toner cartridge door.
   
9. Try printing and see if the paper jam error is solved.

Clearing the Paper Path

If cleaning under the toner cartridge still did not sort out your problem, chances are there that the papers are stuck in the paper path. Probably between the roller wheels. The printer has two roller wheels: a pick-up roller and a feed roller.

Pick up roller picks the paper from the paper tray while the feed roller feeds the paper into the machine for printing purposes. You should check both of them and remove any stuck pieces. Also, you need to use a blower to get the dust and debris out of it.

1. Access the paper path cover of the printer and remove it. It is generally on the rear side of the printer.
   
2. Once you see the rubber wheels, check if any paper pieces are stuck. If possible, remove it using your hands. If not, you can use a toothpick to remove it.
   
3. Take the help of a flashlight and inspect further.
4. Next, take a blower and blow the dust out of it.
   
5. Now check the paper output tray and remove any stuck papers.
   

Cleaning the Wheels

After you clear the paper paths, it’s time to clean the roller wheels. The roller wheels are located in the paper path cover and below the paper output tray. Some printers can have roller wheels underneath the printer body. Please check it and act accordingly. 

The wheels must move freely for your printer to work properly. Get a lint-free cloth and distilled water to start the cleaning process.

1. Remove the power cable from your printer.
   
2. Remove the paper trays and paper path cover from your printer.
3. Now take a lint-free cloth and dip it into the distilled water.
   
4. Squeeze the water out of the cloth so it is only damped slightly.
5. Now clean the wheels with the help of that lint-free cloth.
   
6. Rotate wheels and ensure there is no any jam in the wheels.
   
7. Also, inspect if there is any hair jamming the wheels. Remove it using your hands.
8. Clean the inner body of the printer as well. It can help if anything is blocking the optical sensors from detecting the papers.
9. Use the blower in almost all visible parts of the printer path.
   
10. After you finish cleaning, put back the paper trays and paper path cover.
11. Check now if you can print normally.

Reset the Printer

HP printers are equipped with optical sensors which detect papers when they pass through the rollers. Sometimes, these sensors fail to detect the paper, forcing the printer to throw a paper jam error. Resetting printers can be helpful in such cases.

Furthermore, if any misconfigured settings were causing issues, resetting can help. Likewise, many users reported the false paper jam issue was fixed after resetting their printers. So, give it a try.

1. First, find the IP address of your printer. Please consult this article on how to find the printer’s IP address.
2. Then, launch Chrome or any other browser on your PC.
3. Enter the IP address of your printer in the address bar of the browser and hit Enter key.
   
4. Sign in to the printer and choose General > Restore Factory Settings.
5. Click the Reset button.
   

Take Your Printer to the Service Centre

It might be time to service your printer if you cannot fix the paper jam issues yourself. There might be severe cases like a failed optical sensor or worn-out roller wheels that need a replacement. Or, the toner cartridge can sometimes fail too. Please take your printer to the authorized HP repair center and ask them to look into the issue.