Preventative measures can keep your paper sheets flowing smoothly through your printer one at a time. Avoiding the frustration of sticky paper problems is well worth your attention to some uncomplicated practices regarding paper quality, storage and loading. In addition, proper printer maintenance will help you avoid printer jams and delays in productivity. It is much better to form good habits with your paper and printer than to try to solve a sticking problem, especially during an eleventh-hour printing crisis.

Things You Will Need

  • Printer

  • Paper

  • Printer user manual

Store the paper flat in a dry place. Do not remove the packaging from the paper until you are ready to print on it. This keeps humidity from being absorbed into the paper.

Use only high-quality sheets of paper that are not crimped or wrinkled. Paper that is not completely flat may not feed individually through a printer.

Fan the paper before inserting it into the printer if you do not normally fan it. If you normally fan it and are experiencing problems, try not fanning it. Fanning in especially dry environments can build up static electricity in the paper.

Load only as many sheets of paper as the printer feed tray can hold. There is usually a mark on the paper feed area indicating the maximum fill line. Consult the printer manual for the recommended number of sheets for your printer if you do not see a mark.

Clean the rubber printer uptake rollers in the printer periodically. The rollers can pick up paper dust or residue and fail to separate the sheets of paper adequately. If necessary, replace worn rollers. Also check the printer for dust, paper fragments or other debris in the paper path on a regular basis.

Use the shortest and flattest printing path through the printer. There is usually a diagram in the printer’s manual or on the printer manufacturer’s website demonstrating the printing paths through your printer. Use the path least likely to bend the paper.

Insert the paper into your printer with the printable side toward the print head. The printable side of the paper is usually indicated by an arrow on the packaging.

Tip

These steps can also be used to keep label stock from sticking together in a printer.

The same points also apply to keeping paper from sticking together in a copier.