I’ll admit it, one of the most irritating things that people associate with copying machines is paper jams. Of course, Murphy’s Law states that your machine will jam when you need it most.

At Dean Office Solutions we offer machines that have been built to alleviate paper jams in a few specific ways. One of the ways machines are now built to reduce paper jams is by having a very short paper path.

Paper ultimately spends less time in a machine with a shorter paper path, reducing the chance of it getting jammed.

Another way machines are built to make paper jams less of a headache is by making the paper very accessible as it moves through the machine. That means you can easily get to the page and clear a jam if needed.

Main Causes of Paper Jams

There’s only so much a machine can do to eliminate paper jams — some responsibility also falls on you. By that I mean there are are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of paper jams.

Do you know what causes a paper jam? Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t just happen at random. By knowing what causes paper jams you can take the necessary steps to prevent them.

One of the main causes of paper getting jammed is that it has been improperly stored. It has either been stored in an area with too much humidity, or it has been stored in a way that has allowed it to get bent or crinkled.

Safely store your paper in a cool, dry place. If you find your office is getting a little warmer than usual, move the paper somewhere with less humidity. You wouldn’t normally associate humidity with paper jams but there is definitely a connection.

Another typical cause of paper jams is if the drawers haven’t been adjusted properly. If the paper isn’t sitting inside the drawers, then you will get paper jam every time.

Paper drawers are the first place we always check when we run into a paper jam. When people call us, the first place we ask them to check is their paper drawers and in most cases that’s the problem.

Another thing that can cause a paper jam is if the drawer is set for wrong paper size. If you’re trying to print a legal size document and its set to letter size, or vice versa, then you will get a jam. Your paper drawers have to be adjusted according to the size of paper that’s in them.

Finally, take out your staples. This is a small thing but you wouldn’t believe how often it can lead to a paper jam. If you forget to take out staples and you try running the document through an author feeder it will definitely get jammed.

In Summary

Paper jams don’t have to be a big headache as long as you take the necessary steps to prevent them. As you can see, it’s only small things that lead to paper getting jammed, and these can easily be fixed.