A paper jam is a mechanical stop. The printer will not continue until the sheet — and any torn piece — is out of the path and every door is closed. Restarting Windows does not clear it.
Use this order so you do not leave a scrap that jams the next page.
Clear the jam
- Cancel the job in Windows so the printer does not retry while you have the doors open.
- Turn the printer off. Pulling paper while rollers are trying to move tears the sheet.
- Open the front, the ink or toner door if the jam is there, and the rear or duplex door. Many “mystery” jams sit in the back path.
- Pull the paper in the direction it feeds, slowly, with both hands if the page is wide.
- Look for corners and strips. A piece the size of a stamp is enough to trip the sensor.
- Close every door until it clicks. Power on. Wait until the printer is idle, then print one test page.
If the display still says Jam, you missed a door or a scrap. Repeat the rear path before you reset anything.
Stop the same jam from returning
| Cause | What to change |
|---|---|
| Tray overfilled | Keep paper under the max line |
| Guides too tight | Snug against the stack, not crushing it |
| Guides too loose | Pages enter crooked and catch |
| Curled or damp paper | Use a fresh, dry ream; fan it first |
| Mixed sizes in one tray | One size per tray |
| Labels or envelopes in the main tray | Use the bypass / manual feed the manual specifies |
| Worn pickup rollers | They look shiny or feel glazed; cleaning or replacement is a hardware step |
Fan the stack and reload it. Paper that sat in a humid room sticks together and double-feeds, which the printer reports as a jam.
Duplex and two-sided jobs
Two-sided printing sends the sheet back through a second path. If jams only happen on page 2, open the duplex unit specifically. Do not only check the output tray.
Also match the paper type. Heavy card or photo paper sent as “plain” through the duplex unit jams even when single-sided printing works.
After the paper is out
Print a single Windows test page before you resend a long document. If the test page is clean and the original job jams again, the file may be asking for a size or tray you do not have. Set Letter (or A4) explicitly in the app.
A jam message with no paper anywhere can be a dirty sensor or a door switch. Power-cycle once after a full inspection. If it returns with an empty path, that is a hardware fault, not a software setting.
What not to do
- Do not use scissors inside the printer.
- Do not run a stack of jobs to “push the jam through.”
- Do not factory-reset. It does not remove paper.
If the path is clear and the printer still reports a jam, or Windows immediately reprints into another jam, call +1 888 759 4448. Remote support can stop the retry loop; the sheet itself still has to come out at the printer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clear a paper jam safely?+
Turn the printer off, open every access door including the rear or duplex door, and pull paper out in the direction it normally travels. Remove torn corners. Close each door until it clicks, then power on and print one page.
Why does the jam message stay after I removed the paper?+
A small scrap is usually still over a sensor, or a door is not fully closed. Open the rear path again and check for corners. Then cancel the stuck Windows job so it does not reprint into the same jam.
Why does my printer jam every few pages?+
Repeat jams usually come from overfilled trays, guides set too tight or too loose, curled or damp paper, labels or envelopes in the wrong tray, or worn pickup rollers — not from the driver.
Should I yank the page out if it will not move?+
No. Pulling backward tears the sheet and leaves a strip on the roller. Open the next door in the paper path and pull with the feed direction. If it will not move, power off and check the duplex unit.
Can a jam be fixed remotely?+
Someone at the printer still has to remove the paper. Remote support helps when the jam is clear but Windows keeps resending the job, or when the printer reports a jam with no paper in the path.
