Paper jams in copiers are a pain and are easily the largest causes of headaches among their users. Nothing’s worse than having to fiddle with a jammed copier when time’s a ticking and you need to get back to work.
While there are many reasons that paper jams occur, there are some precautionary things you can do to avoid them altogether. Here’s what you can do:
Always fan paper before loading – Generally speaking, paper tends to stick together due to moisture depending on where it’s stored. When you open new printer paper or before you go to make copies, simply run your thumb down the side of the paper to let some air in there and loosen up the paper. It’ll help make the feed through the machine much easier.
Load the paper squarely in the drawer – All jams occur largely because of improper feeding. We know this sounds silly, but be sure to have the paper loaded squarely and make sure it’s lined up correctly. Make sure the slider is up against the paper nice and snug as well. This just ensures that the paper will feed properly.
Check the feeding roller quickly before printing/copying – While you SHOULD get a warning if your rollers are off, it’s always a good idea to check anyway. If they get overly sticky, they can cause jams. If they break – well, then it’s time to give us a call. Either way, always check quickly and make sure everything looks good and that there isn’t something already stuck in there.
Keep tabs on your paper settings – We’d love to say otherwise, but you know as well as we do that when people are done copying, they leave their settings up more often than not. When people come by to use it afterwards, they often don’t pay attention to the settings on the screen and well – that usually means instant jam. Especially when you’re talking about card stock thickness and textured paper, be sure you have the proper settings up.
Is your copy lease coming up soon? Are you a little friendlier than you’d like to be with your copy tech because of all the issues you’re having with your machine? Or maybe you just got off the phone with a rep and can upgrade and keep your payments the same. Whatever the reason might be, you’re flirting with the idea of upgrading your copy machine. While that’s certainly a good thing on a variety of levels – mistakes do get made. As such, our topic du jour today talks about some of the most common mistakes business owners make when they’re looking to upgrade their machine.
Each business is different and as such, your printing needs will and always should vary greatly from one industry to the next. That being said, there are some basic things that everyone should consider before making that big copier purchase or signing your name to a lease agreement. Let’s jump right in!