This video shows you what to do if your HP printer does not pick up or feed paper from
the input tray when you do have paper loaded, and an Out of Paper error message
displays on the printer's control panel or on your computer.
First turn the printer off and on again. This will sometimes fix the issue.
Press the Power button to turn the printer off.
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.
Align a stack of plain white paper by tapping it on a flat surface.
Lift the output tray.
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.
Lower the output tray.
Try printing a page directly from the printer's control panel to see if the issue is resolved.
On the printer's control panel, touch the Right Arrow button.
Touch the Setup button. The Setup Menu displays.
Touch the Down Arrow and then touch Reports.
Touch Printer Status Report.
If the page prints successfully, the issue is resolved. You can resume printing as normal.
If the page does not print, go on to the next step.
Often the condition of the paper you're using can cause paper not to feed correctly.
Lift the output tray.
Remove the paper from the input tray.
Remove any damaged paper you find.
Make sure that there are at least 10 sheets of plain white paper, but no more than 25
sheets, in the paper stack.
The printer can hold more sheets of paper, but this number is best for testing.
Make sure all the paper is the same size and type, and then tap it on a flat surface to
align the edges perfectly.
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.
Lower the output tray.
Try printing a page directly from the printer's control panel to see if the issue is resolved.
On the printer's control panel, touch the Right Arrow button.
Touch the Setup button. The Setup Menu displays.
Touch the Down Arrow and then touch Reports.
Touch Printer Status Report.
If the page prints successfully, the issue is resolved. You can resume printing as normal.
If the page does not print, go on to the next step.
Printer rollers get dirty from dust, paper fiber, and other debris. In this step, we'll
clean the rollers.
Before you begin, gather the following cleaning materials:
Clean, lint-free cloth
Clean cotton swabs
Clean water
Distilled or bottled water is preferable but not required. Do not use alcohol or other
chemical cleaners.
Lift the output tray.
Remove the paper from the input tray.
Lower the output tray.
Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
Turn to the back of the printer.
Disconnect the power cord.
Remove the duplexer. To do this, push in the tabs on both sides of the duplexer and then
pull it straight out from the printer.
Clean the rollers visible in the printer with a clean, lint-free cloth lightly moistened
with water. The cloth should be damp but not soaking wet. Wipe each roller
starting on the right side of the roller and wiping to the left. Use your finger
to turn the roller up as you finish cleaning a section of the roller. Make sure that you
remove any buildup or debris from the entire surface of the rollers.
Look for the paper pick rollers farther inside the rear of the printer. You might need to
use a flashlight to illuminate the pick rollers.
Blot the swab on the cotton cloth to remove excess water. The swab should be damp but
not soaking wet.
Clean the rollers with a moistened cotton swab, removing any buildup or debris. These
rollers are difficult to reach, but they are the most important to clean.
If these rollers inside the printer are not cleaned, this problem will continue
because these are the rollers that feed the paper into the printer.
Now clean the rollers on the duplexer the same way you cleaned the rollers inside the
printer. Check the rollers to make sure they are clean, free of debris, and rotate
freely.
Access the paper feed rollers by pressing the two tabs on top of the duplexer to open
it.
Clean the paper feed rollers in the duplexer the same way you cleaned the rollers inside
the printer. Check the rollers to make sure they are clean, free of debris,
and rotate freely.
Close the duplexer until the tabs on both sides of the duplexer snap into place.
Reattach the duplexer. To do this, gently push the duplexer into the back of the printer
until it snaps into place.
Reconnect the power cord.
Return to the front of the printer.
Press the Power button to turn the printer on.
Align a stack of plain white paper by tapping it on a flat surface.
Lift the output tray.
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.
Lower the output tray.
Try printing a page directly from the printer's control panel to see if the issue is resolved.
On the printer's control panel, touch the Right Arrow button.
Touch the Setup button. The Setup Menu displays.
Touch the Down Arrow and then touch Reports.
Touch Printer Status Report.
If the page prints successfully, the issue is resolved. You can resume printing as normal.
If the page does not print, try printing it again. Listen for the paper-pick rollers.
You should be able to hear them rotating. Then, try slowly pushing the paper
farther in until the rollers engage to pick up the paper. Be careful to only
push one sheet of paper, and not to push it in too far, as this can cause paper jams.
If the page does not print when slowly pushing the paper farther in, repeat the previous
step to clean the paper-pick rollers again. If the issue continues after repeated
cleaning, skip the next step. Your printer might need to be serviced.
If the page prints when slowly pushing the paper farther in, try printing your original
document again. The paper might not have been loaded far enough into the printer.
If the issue is resolved, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
If the paper only feeds through the printer when you slowly push it farther in, repeat
the previous step to clean the paper-pick rollers again. If the issue continues
after repeated cleaning, skip the next step. Your printer might need to be
serviced.
Sometimes, the problem can be fixed by doing a printer reset.
First, make sure the printer is turned on. If it is off, press the Power button.
Next, turn to the back of the printer.
Without turning the printer off, remove the power cord from the printer.
Then, disconnect the other end of the power cord from its power source.
Wait 15 seconds. It is important to wait the full 15 seconds for this type of reset.
Reconnect the power cord to its power source.
Then, reconnect the other end of the power cord into the printer.
Return to the front of the printer.
If the printer does not turn on automatically, press the Power button to turn it on.
Align a stack of plain white paper by tapping it on a flat surface.
Then, lift the output tray.
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.
Lower the output tray.
Try printing a page directly from the printer's control panel to see if the issue is resolved.
On the printer's control panel, touch the Right Arrow button.
Touch the Setup button. The Setup Menu displays.
Touch the Down Arrow and then touch Reports.
Touch Printer Status Report.
If the page prints successfully, the issue is resolved. You can resume printing as normal.
If the page does not print, go on to the next step.
Next, we'll make sure the paper settings in the printer driver match the settings for
the paper you are trying to use.
On your computer, return to the document in the program from which you were trying to
print when the issue occurred.
On your keyboard, press CTRL and P together to open the Printing Properties window.
Click Properties.
When the Properties box opens,
Click the Paper/Quality tab.
Select the Paper Size drop-down menu and choose the appropriate paper size.
Select the Media drop-down menu and choose the appropriate paper type.
Click OK, and then click OK again to print the document.
If the document prints successfully, the issue is resolved. If the document 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.