3 Ways To Avoid A Paper Jam

Printers make it easy to reproduce and distribute written information. Unfortunately, these valuable tools can become a real source of stress when they malfunction.

Commercial printers can be prone to paper jams. If you don't address the root cause of these paper jams, they could eventually lead to serious damage within the printer itself.

Here are three ways that you can avoid a paper jam and preserve the life of your commercial printer over time.

1. Store Your Paper Properly

The way that you store your printer paper can have an impact on the performance of the printer itself.

All paper products tend to absorb moisture from the air that surrounds them. The weight, thickness, and rigidity of your paper can all be affected by the humidity levels within your commercial space.

It's important that you store your printer paper in a climate-controlled environment to prevent the pages from curling, warping, and sticking together.

Feeding moisture-affected paper through your printer will not only lead to an increase in the number of paper jams you deal with, but the excess moisture could cause the internal components within your printer to corrode.

2. Load the Paper Tray Properly

Human error can be a major cause of paper jams when it comes to commercial printers. It's important to ensure that all of the employees who have access to your printer are able to load the paper tray properly.

Avoid overloading the tray or using sheets of paper with differing thicknesses. Fan the pages before loading the tray to prevent the paper from being stuck together.

You will experience fewer paper jams and avoid the need to repair a damaged tray when the paper is loaded into your commercial printer the right way.

3. Replace the Rollers

Commercial printers rely on a system of rollers to move sheets of paper throughout the machine. These rollers are not designed to last forever, and improper maintenance can shorten their lifespan significantly.

Worn or damaged rollers aren't able to keep paper moving through your printer, which can lead to a paper jam. Work with your printer technician to establish a maintenance schedule that addresses the rollers.

Invest in the immediate replacement of any worn or damaged rollers, and you will be able to keep your commercial printer running smoothly.

Taking the steps necessary to avoid paper jams will help you prevent major malfunctions within your commercial printer. Contact a commercial printer repair service to learn more.