HP Laser Printers Problems With Tray 1
HP laserjet printers are some of the most reliable printers churning out printed materials in homes and offices. Although they usually go zipping along without problems, there are times when you will run into problems--probably when you have an important job to print. Often this is due to Tray 1 problems: paper jams, multiple page feeds or bypassing Tray 1 altogether. Most of these problems are due to the separation pad and the rollers that send paper along the paper path, but user error or the paper stock can also be the cause.
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Tray 1
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Tray 1 is the manual feed tray. It can be extended to accommodate legal or ledger size paper or shortened for 8.5-inch by 11-inch letter paper. Tray 1 is most often used when using a paper type that is heavier than 24-pound, is larger or smaller than letter size, or must be sent straight through the printer--cardstock, labels or 11 by 17.
Paper Not Feeding
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If the print job begins and then halts because paper is not feeding from Tray 1, you might not have designated Tray 1 in the application you are printing from. If you check and Tray 1 was selected, check the paper in Tray 1 to make sure it is the correct weight, type and size. If the printer senses that you have put cardstock in Tray 1 when it expected plain paper, it will not feed the paper to protect the internal workings from damage. Check to see that the paper is pushed far enough into Tray 1 so the rollers can grab it and feed it through and that the side guides are firmly pushed up against the paper stack. Make sure paper jams along the paper path are cleared.
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Multiple Pages Feed
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This problem can occur because of a printer problem or a paper problem. Either the mechanism that selects one sheet of paper--the separation pad--is damaged or worn out, or the rollers that move the paper along are in need of replacement. Pulling in too much paper can also occur when the paper either contains too much moisture, due to high humidity, or is sticking together. Store paper properly in a dry cool place, and fan or riffle the paper before placing it in Tray 1.
Wrong Paper Source
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Paper feeding from Tray 1 when another tray is expected probably occurs because of user error. Check the printer properties to see if the manual feed tray has been chosen by mistake. If “Auto” mode is selected in Printer Properties and there is paper in Tray 1, the printer will automatically pull it in. Keep Tray 1 empty unless you want the printer to print on that particular paper stock or change the printer properties to “Manual.”
Unexpected Paper Size
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If the printer detects a different paper size in Tray 1 than what you designated in the application you are printing from, the printer will stop. The simple solution to this is to edit the printer properties within the application--Word, Excel, Photoshop--to reflect the size and weight of the paper. You can also change the printing mode to Tray 1 to something instead of “Auto.” Another solution is to switch from “First” to “Cassette” in the printer’s control panel. See your printer’s manual or visit the HP Support website on instructions of how to accomplish this.
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