The photocopier that’s always jamming is the bane of the modern-day office. So, we’ve compiled some quick tips to help you un-jam – and hopefully preventing it happening again too.
- Take a look at the screen on your copier – this should show you where the jam is and where you’ll need to open it to access the jam.
- Turn your copier off before attempting to remove the paper and carefully pull the paper in the opposite direction it has been fed into the copier. Take it easy at this stage – you don’t want to tear the paper.
- Check round for paper fragments, and if you can’t remove them with ease, try using a pair of tweezers.
- Double check to see if there’s anything that could snag the paper on the roller, then close up the machine and turn it back on.
Prevention is better than cure, so make sure you always follow these useful tips:
- Give your paper a little TLC. Always ensure it’s clean, warm and dry. Moisture is your photocopiers worst enemy and often the main cause of photocopier and laser printer problems.
- Use the right paper – check with your printer documents or ‘Google it’ to check that you’re using the right grammage. If the paper is too light, it can be prone to jams. If the paper is poor quality, it can leave an excessive paper dust build up inside your machine which can cause jams and image quality problems.
- Clean the rollers on the copier. They are exposed, and so attract dust, dirt and light. About once a month or so, wipe off each roller with slightly soapy water to ensure the rollers are always kept in pristine condition.
- To help extend the life of your equipment, use a power conditioner or at least a surge protector. This will keep the photocopier from “frying” its wiring by grounding a power spike or surge.