InkJetables Home

Fix Epson Paper Jam Problems

An inkjet printer jam in any brand of printer is highly annoying, can waste a significant amount of paper and can occasionally damage the inner workings of the printer. With any type of printer, the way you go about clearing the paper jam is important because it could mean the difference between successfully removing the paper or damaging the printer. Damage to the printer could mean an expensive repair and loss of money from downtime if you're a business that needs to print files.

In this article you will find some specific advice on how to fix paper jams in any type of Epson printer. But the crucial thing to remember when removing any paper jam in any printer is to remove the entire obstruction. To do this you should remove the paper jam as a single piece. This reduces the chance of the paper tearing and leaving small pieces inside the printer. Even if you think you have all the pieces, the chances of you accidentally leaving slivers behind are high. And slivers can do significant damage to the mechanics of the printer over time.

Maximize Your Chances of Getting the Whole Piece

It's important to know your Epson printer to increase your chances of moving the entire obstruction at one time. Familiarize yourself with the way the paper flows through your Epson so you can get a better idea of where jams might possibly occur. If you're not sure, this information is easy to find in the printer documentation or Epson's tech support or website may be able to provide this information as well.

Prevent Jams

You should try to prevent jams in the first place. Fan the sheets of pages before loading them. This reduces the chance of multiple pages feed. Select the correct media type for every type of paper you choose to print with. Epson photo paper is a different media type than standard printing paper and most Epson printers will have a setting for this. Regardless of the type of paper you choose, make sure it's not too thin, creased, curled. Smooth, high quality paper is the best. Don't print paper punched with holes for binder use.

One of the biggest reasons for paper jams is loading more than the manufacturer's recommended number of sheets. If printing both sides, try loading fewer sheets. Below is a chart from the manufacturer providing the amount of different types of paper you can load in most Epson printers.

Steps for Removing a Paper Jam

Turn off your printer and remove all paper from all the paper trays. Open the cover to the unit and remove any crumbled or torn paper you see. Close the cover. Turn the printer on again and load about 10 sheets of paper into the feed tray. The manufacturer stresses that you should make sure the paper is flush with the far right edge of the paper tray. Be sure to move the left edge paper guide over so it's very close to the left side of the paper. It should be almost touching, but don't place it so close that it causes the paper to buckle slightly. This will cause more jams in almost every case.

If you suspect there are pieces of paper you can't get to somewhere underneath the printer head, do not try to remove it by hand. You could damage the cables or the head which can be expensive to fix.