Why Does Printer Keeps Jamming Every Time You Print? (Cause & Solution)

When you need to print something and you just started printing a few minutes later your printer started to jam.

It can be more irritating if this happens every time when you print. There must be something wrong and you are unable to figure it out.

In this article, we will give you a clear cause as to why your printer keeps jamming every time you print. 

And also we will provide a step by step solution that you should follow if you want to avoid printer jamming in future.

What Is Printer Jamming?

Printer jamming is common and one of the most frustrating things you will ever face with a printer. 

Paper is pretty expensive, and during printer jamming, it can waste a handful of paper sheets. 

The paper sheets become unusable while the printer jams. Most of the printers are prone to jamming, which happens from time to time. 

But if you face printer jamming regularly with your printer, you may need to be serious about it, as it can damage your printer and hardware in multiple ways.

What Are The Causes Of Printer Paper Jam?

When it comes to the issue, then the printer jamming can occur because of the paper. 

If the paper sheets are not straight to the sources, then the issue can land. 

You have to make sure that you load the printer correctly. If you incorrectly load the paper sheets into the printer. 

Then paper sheets can stick together, or it may even fold the creases while loading it.

If you are loading a low-quality paper or the paper sheet has a different size, a printer jam can occur. 

Since paper sheets are available in different sizes and qualities, they may not be compatible with your printer. 

Moreover, the quality depends upon the weight of the paper. If the paper is of low quality, it may cause printer jamming.

Furthermore, paper jamming can happen due to a broken piece of hardware. 

Additionally, if the printer roller or opening doors are damaged, this can also cause printer jamming. 

One of the most common reasons for printer jamming is the misalignment of the paper. 

If the paper is not aligned in the right position with the printer, it can cause printer jamming.

Other reasons for printer jamming can be debris inside your printer and paper fibre.

What To Do When Printer Paper Jam Occurs?

Paper jam is a common issue even in modern printers. This can happen because of various reasons, and fixing this is pretty straightforward. 

If the printer jamming is happening for some common reason, you can fix it yourself sitting at home. 

However, if there is hardware damage or other internal damage in the printer, you should call a professional to fix the paper jam.

There are various ways to fix printer jamming. First, let us look at some of the most common reasons for printer jamming and its solutions, and then we will move to hardware fixing and more.

If your printer is facing the jamming issue, they may not be aware of the issue causing this problem. 

So, you have to find out the problem yourself. Here is how you can find out the causes of printer jamming.

False paper loading: In most cases, printer jams due to false paper loading. You have to make sure that you are loading the paper sheet in the input tray correctly.

If you load paper in the wrong way, paper sheets can stick together and cause paper jam. Similarly, if the paper is folded inside the input tray, then paper jams can happen. 

So before giving a print command to the printer, double-check that the paper sheets are not frayed or folded inside the tray. 

Paper Overloading: Paper loading is another common reason behind printer jamming. 

We became lazy again and again loading paper sheets in the printer, so we started overloading the tray with paper, which led to a paper jam. 

Roller Damage: Rollers pull the sheets out from the input tray. If the rollers are damaged, which is common and happens over time, it can be a paper jam. 

Rollers are specially designed for extended use. However, sometimes they don’t last long because of excessive use. 

Using low-quality paper: It may lead to paper jamming if you are using low-quality paper instead of the standard paper sheet. 

The printer doesn’t recognize the weight of the paper sheet and grabs multiple papers at once, and a paper jam occurs. 

Additionally, low-grade paper sheets can leave dust after printing, which can cause hardware damage to the printer.

Open Doors: When we don’t use our printer regularly and leave it idle sitting in a dusty environment. 

The dust can enter inside the printer from the open doors, leading to hardware damage that will indirectly take part in paper jamming. 

What To Do When The Printer Says Paper Jam, But There Is No Paper?

Sometimes, when you want an urgent printout, the printer stops feeding paper sheets, and an error display on the screen states: “Paper Jam”. 

Clear jam and try again” or “Clear paper jam and press OK.” Additionally, the printer may start blinking lights on the control panel, which indicates a paper jam has occurred. 

This paper jam can be real or false, and you have to check for it manually. If the paper sheets are stuck in the input tray, it will be a real printer jam. 

However, if there is no paper sheet stuck inside the printer, then it may be a false claim by your printer. 

The different brands suggest different solutions for the problem, but there are some easy fixes that you can try to solve the uncommon issue. 

First of all, find out if the printer is really jam or it is a false claim. In case of a false claim, you can restart or reset the printer.

How To Reset A Printer?

If you are still facing the same issue, then you can try resetting the printer in such a case. 

1. To reset the printer, turn it off.
2. Disconnect from the power source for 30 seconds and reconnect it after that.
3. Now press the power button for 10-20 seconds which will turn a yellow triangle light on.
4. Now release the resume button, and a green light will blink, which will reset the printer.

These steps can be used for HP and other brand printers. However, the reset procedure may differ depending upon the printer you have. 

So it is always good to check for the user guide. Some printers can be reset from the PC as well. 

Here are the steps to reset the printer with the help of software:

1. Press the Windows button and look for the Control Panel.
2. Find out the View device and printer in the control panel.
3. On this page, all the printers can be seen.
4. From here, you can remove, reset, and change the printer configuration.
5. First of all, try removing and reading the device.
6. If that doesn’t work, then reset the printer.

If these points don’t make your printer usable, it is highly likely to be a hardware fault.

Also Read: How To Uninstall And Reinstall Printer Drivers In Windows 10?

Tips To Avoid Printer Paper Jam In The Future?

Here are some tips which you can follow to avoid printer jamming in the future:

1. Keep the printer clean.
2. Keep the software up-to-date.
3. Load the printer correctly.
4. Remove any dust sitting inside the printer.
5. Use original paper sheets.
6. Place the paper sheet right side up.
7. Align the paper sheet properly.
8. Use a good-quality paper sheet if possible.
9. Follow the guidelines given in the user manual of the printer.
10. Don’t overfill the paper tray. 
11. Store your printer in case of infrequent use.
12. Download the correct printer driver from the official website.

So, these are the reasons for printer paper jamming but you don’t need to worry if you follow the solution tips that we have provided.

But overall you should keep in mind that these are electronic machines and they will create unknown problems from time to time.