Paper jams are a common problem.
No matter what type of printer you own, eventually you will experience a paper jam. While most of the time recovering from a paper jam is easy and straightforward, you might need to take additional steps to clear a paper jam message and prevent further problems. If your Dell printer reports a paper jam, follow the proper procedures to eliminate the jam and get the printer back up and running.
Instructions
1. Turn the printer off by pressing the "Power" button on the front of the unit. Remove the power cord from the back as well.
2. Open the top and sides of the printer and remove all jammed paper. There may be paper in several different spots along the paper path, so check thoroughly. Begin by pulling the paper out of the tray and looking for any paper that is stuck at the entrance to the paper path. Continue by checking the top of the printer, as well as the sides. Open any side drawers on the printer and look for any jammed paper. Be careful not to tear the paper when pulling it out . Leaving jammed paper in the printer will trigger additional error messages when the printer is powered on. Check one last time for jammed paper in the printer. It is helpful to shine a flashlight into the printer and look for any additional jammed paper that way as well.
3. Remove the paper tray and fan the paper with your fingers. Watch for any torn pieces of paper, or for pages that are sticking together. Paper tends to accumulate moisture, and this moisture can cause the pages to stick together. Fanning the paper and removing any stuck pages will help ensure that the paper feeds into the printer straight and does not skew.
4. Replace the power cord and turn the printer back on. Send a test page to the printer to ensure there are no more jams. To print a test page, hold the power button in for 5 to 10 seconds until the page begins to print. You can also send a test page from your computer by clicking on the "Start" button, choosing "Printers and Faxes" from the menu, right-clicking on the printer, choosing "Properties" and clicking the "Print Test Page" button.
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