This video explains how to fix your printer when you see a carriage jam error message
on your computer or the printer's Check Paper and Check Cartridge lights blink while
the Start Copy Color and Start Copy Black remain lit.
Turn the printer off and then on again. This will sometimes fix the issue.
Press the Power button to turn the printer off. If it does not turn off, you might have
a paper jam. We will address paper jams in this video in a few minutes.
Once the printer is off, wait 60 seconds. It is important to wait the full 60 seconds
to allow the print mechanism to reset. Then, press the Power button to turn the printer
back on. Wait for the printer to turn on and stop making
noise. Load paper into the input tray until it stops.
Slide the paper width guide inward until it stops at the edge of the paper. Do not push
the guide in so tightly that it starts to bend the paper.
Try printing a self test page to see if the issue is resolved.
On the control panel, press and hold the Cancel button and then press the Start Copy Color
button. Release both buttons at the same time.
If the self-test page prints successfully, the issue is resolved. If the self-test page
does not print, go on to the next step. A paper jam might cause your carriage jam.
Do not remove jammed paper at this time, but begin by removing any loose paper from the
input or output tray. Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
If the printer does not turn off, turn to the back of the printer.
Unplug the power cord. Remove the USB cable from the printer.
Remove the rear access door. To do this, we first need to locate the tab to unlock the
rear access door. Push the tab toward the right hand side of the printer and pull out
the rear access door. Check the rear area for jammed paper. If you
see any paper, remove it by pulling evenly with both hands to avoid tearing.
Check the rollers and wheels for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the printer.
Use a flashlight to thoroughly search the rear of the printer to find all small scraps
of paper. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more paper jams are likely
to occur. Reattach the rear access door. Gently push
the tabs on the right side of the rear access door into the appropriate slots on the printer
and push the door forward until it snaps into place.
If you cannot remove the paper jam from the back, we will attempt to remove it from the
front. Turn to the front again.
Open the cartridge access door. Carefully remove any paper you see. Make sure
you get all the small pieces that might tear off. Check the rollers and wheels for any
remaining pieces of paper. You must remove all scraps of paper to prevent future paper
jams. Small pieces of paper can easily stick in
places that are difficult to see. Use a flashlight to thoroughly search left and right inside
the printer. Searching the carriage path with a flashlight is probably the most important
step in preventing future jams. When you’ve removed the paper, close the
cartridge access door. Turn to the back again.
Plug the power cord back in. Turn to the front.
Press the Power button to turn the printer back on.
Next, load paper into the input tray until it stops. Slide the paper width guide inward
until it stops at the edge of the paper. Do not push the guide in so tightly that it starts
to bend the paper. Try printing a self-test page again to see
if the issue is resolved. On the control panel, press and hold the Cancel
button and then press the Start Copy Color button.
Release both buttons at the same time. If the self-test page prints successfully,
the issue is resolved. You can reconnect the USB cable and resume printing as normal. If
the self-test page does not print, go on to the next step.
Use the following steps to make sure the carriage can move freely.
The printer must still be on for these steps to work.
Open the cartridge access door so that you can view the carriage.
The carriage might try to move to the right side of the printer. If so, allow it to move
into that position. Turn to the back.
While the printer is still on, disconnect the power cord.
Turn to the front. Check for obstructions under and around the
carriage that could prevent it from moving. Make sure the carriage can move freely by
gently pushing it to the left and then to the right. If the carriage is stuck on the
right and does not move freely it may have been moved out of position while inserting
the cartridges. Place your hand between the carriage and the side of the printer. Gently
but firmly apply pressure to the carriage pushing it to the left until it clicks. Substantial
force may be required. The carriage should now be able to move from
the left to the right. Moving the carriage the full width of the carriage path will help
find any obstructions that might block the movement of the carriage. If you find any
obstructions while moving the carriage, remove them.
Close the cartridge access door. Turn to the back of the printer.
Reconnect the power cord. Turn to the front of the printer.
If the printer does not automatically turn on, press the Power button on the control
panel to turn on the printer. Try printing a self-test page again to see
if the issue is resolved. On the control panel, press and hold the Cancel
button and then press the Start Copy Color button.
Release both buttons at the same time. If the self-test page prints successfully,
the issue is resolved. You can reconnect the USB cable and resume printing as normal. If
the self-test page does not print, go on to the next step.
Sometimes, improper installation of the ink cartridges can cause a carriage jam. In this
step, we will fix this. The printer must still be on for these steps
to work. Open the cartridge access door.
The carriage might try to move to the right side of the printer. If so, allow it to move
into that position. Wait until the carriage stops moving and then
gently press down on the cartridge to release it. You can then remove the cartridge from
the printer. Repeat this process to remove the second cartridge.
When handling the cartridges be aware of the electrical contacts and ink nozzles.
Be careful not to touch the contacts or nozzles because touching these can cause clogs, ink
failure, and poor electrical connections. Check for obstructions under and around the
carriage that could prevent it from moving. The next step is to re-install the cartridges
back into the printer. Now this part is very important. When inserting
the cartridges, use your left hand on the back of the printer to keep the printer from
moving while you insert the cartridge. As you’re inserting the cartridge, do not use
the top of the printer for leverage. This can cause the carriage to lift out of position
and damage the printer. Let's start with the Black Cartridge. Hold
the cartridge with the paper label on the top, and then insert the cartridge back into
the right carriage slot. Push the cartridge firmly into the slot until it snaps into place.
Next, let's do the same steps for the Tri Color cartridge. Hold the cartridge with the
paper label on the top, and then insert the cartridge back into the left carriage slot.
Push the cartridge firmly into the slot until it snaps into place.
Close the cartridge access door. Try printing a self-test page again to see
if the issue is resolved. On the control panel, press and hold the Cancel
button and then press the Start Copy Color button.
Release both buttons at the same time. If the self-test page prints successfully,
the issue is resolved. You can reconnect the USB cable and resume printing as normal. If
the self-test page does not print, go on to the next step.
If the error message still displays, it might not be the printer. The power supply might
be the issue. Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
Go to the back of the printer. Disconnect the power cord.
Then disconnect the power cord from the power strip or surge protector it's plugged into.
Plug the power cord directly into a wall outlet. And then plug it back into the printer.
Move back to the front. Press the Power button to turn the printer
back on. Try printing a self-test page again to see
if the issue is resolved. On the control panel, press and hold the Cancel
button and then press the Start Copy Color button.
Release both buttons at the same time. If the self-test page prints successfully,
the issue is resolved. You can reconnect the USB cable and resume printing as normal. If
the self-test page does not print, go on to the next step.
Sometimes the issue can be resolved by resetting the printer.
The printer must still be on for these steps to work.
First remove all the paper in the input tray. Turn to the back of the printer.
Without turning the printer off, disconnect the power cord.
Pull the power cord from the wall outlet. Wait 15 seconds. It is important to wait the
full 15 seconds to allow time for all power to drain from the printer.
Reconnect the power cord to the wall outlet. Then plug the power cord back into the printer,
and go back to the front. If the printer does not turn on by itself,
press the Power button to turn it on. Load paper into the input tray until it stops.
Slide the paper width guide inward until it stops at the edge of the paper. Do not push
the guide in so tightly that it starts to bend the paper.
Try printing a self-test page again to see if the issue is resolved.
On the control panel, press and hold the Cancel button and then press the Start Copy Color
button. Release both buttons at the same time.
If the self-test page prints successfully, the issue is resolved. You can reconnect the
USB cable and resume printing as normal. If the self-test page does not print, go on to
the next step. If you've tried everything described in
this video and you still have a problem, your printer likely needs some type of service.
Contact HP to find out what the support options are for your printer. Your options for service
may vary depending on how long you've owned it and what country you live in.