HP LaserJet 1200
Experienced technical support provide their insights in answering this question :
Seriously, dmzcompute, you are awesome! And this is just what the internet does so well: a specific fix for an esoteric problem, thus keeping a 15 year old machine alive another day. Thank you!
How to Identify and Fix Common Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced technical support :
A piece of paper stuck in the paper tray or inside the printer can create a paper jam. Paper jams can occur for a variety of reasons, such as overloading the paper tray, loading different thicknesses of paper in the tray, or using paper that isn`t appropriate for your particular printer.
Dust, paper fiber, and other debris might accumulate on the paper feed rollers and cause paper jams and paper feed issues. Clean the rollers inside the printer, and then try to print again. Turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cord.
Improperly Loading Paper into the Device
Loading paper that is stuck together, frayed, curled or bent can cause a jam. Overloading the paper tray, loading different thicknesses of paper in the tray or using paper that isn`t appropriate for your particular printer can all result in a jammed printer.
Low-quality paper leaves an accumulation of tiny paper bits often referred to as “paper dust” inside the machine. This “dust” is one of the top causes of paper jams. More dust means more jams. Besides jams, the dust also contributes to poor-quality prints and causes machine parts to wear at a faster rate.
Make sure you don`t overload the tray. A good way to stop the printer becoming jammed, is to fan the paper before you put it in the tray as this will shake out any dust and reduce static, which are two major causes of paper jams. Another way to avoid a printer paper jam is to keep your machine clean.
Common causes of paper jams include: Damaged rollers. Inserting paper that is incompatible with the printer. Loading the paper incorrectly.
Paper Jams
This is a common laser printer problem. Primary causes include grime, dust, worn rollers, or incorrect paper weight. The most basic way to prevent paper jams is simply through regular cleaning of your printer. Also, replace parts as needed.
It`s important to replace the drum promptly when it`s low to avoid any further damage to the printer and to maintain optimal print quality. A bad drum may cause paper jams because it can cause the toner to be unevenly distributed on the paper, leading to jams or misfeeds.
Usually a quick paper setting adjustment will clear up a ghosting issue right away. Run a cleaning – Most printers have a cleaning function built into the machine. Run this a couple of times to attempt to clear up the printing issue. Inspect the drum – Sometimes excess toner powder can stick to the drum.
Failure to feed is common when the shooter does not hold the firearm firmly (known as limp wristing), when the slide is not fully cycled by the preceding round, or due to problems with the magazine. It can also be caused by worn recoil springs, buffer springs, or simply a dirty feed ramp.
The gelling agent in the production of jam is pectin. The mechanism of pectin gel formation is complex and depends on factors such as the type of pectin, the pH and temperature, and the soluble solids (Brix) and calcium content of the recipe.
your pickup roller is dirty and the printer can`t grab a piece of paper. it will say paper jam when it does this. get a drop of dishsoap and clean the pickup roller of your printer with this. scrape at it with your fingernail to get the roller clean and wipe it off with a damp washcloth.
Streaking, smudging, black lines, and double images are all symptoms of a bad fuser. When you notice these printing defects and experience problems, such as paper jams or wrinkles, this is a good sign to replace the fuser kit.
Paper could also be jammed inside the fuser where it would not be visible. Remove the fuser to check for jammed paper inside.
The most obvious is most common on laser color printers and can be detected by a flashing message on the printer display screen. Other signs of a bad printer drum include printing blank pages, printing gray pages and strange sounds coming from the printer as it prints.
There are many factors that determine the actual drum life, such as the temperature, humidity, type of paper, type of toner used and so on. Under ideal conditions, the average drum life is estimated at approximately 15,000 pages.
For cleaning, HP recommends using HP Equipment Cleaning Wipes, but you can use an HP-approved lint-free wipe and deionized or distilled water. Note: If dark spots appear on back side of prints, clean drum screen. Note: If minilab prints more than 2000 prints each day, clean drum screen up to twice daily.
Use isopropyl alcohol or ethanol according to the manufacturer`s safety guidelines, as applicable. Wipe the roller with a lint-free cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol or ethanol. After cleaning the roller, make sure that no lint or other material remains on the roller.
A paint roller should be cleaned at the end of every painting session. Clean-up is much easier and more successful when the paint is wet. Don`t forget to clean the roller frame and paint tray, as well.
Ghost prints happen when the drum or fuser unit within your printer become faulty. Because a fault with this element won`t heat the particles of the toner to a high enough temperature, the marks being made on the paper are much lighter in colour and appear more faded than typical documents.
Temperature can also impact paper quality, especially for large rolls of paper. If paper is stored in a cold area, then opened the roll in a hot room, condensation can appear on the paper similar to what you would see on a glass of water during the hot summer months.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
HP LaserJet 1200 Early Feeding Causes Paper Jam
ANSWER : Seriously, dmzcompute, you are awesome! And this is just what the internet does so well: a specific fix for an esoteric problem, thus keeping a 15 year old machine alive another day. Thank you!
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
My printer feeds through one piece of paper all the way and then a half piece of paper and stops. I pull out the paper to stop the paper jam and then it prints but sounds rough. After printing, it doesn't feed the paper all the way through.
ANSWER : And the first 2 sheets, the full and half sheet that go through first, are blank.
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
hp 8600 pro when power on, paper jam message appear but there is no paper jam in the tray
ANSWER : Hp 8180 Photosmart All In One code keeps says paper jam and carriage jam when neither are jammed. I followed all the recommended things to do. I live in Raleigh NC any place to take this or any suggestion.
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
HP Laserjet 6MP wont feed paper
ANSWER : I had a similar paper pickup problem on laserjet 6mp. The printer would go through start-up sequence fine but when it received a print job you could here the main gears/rollers turning but no clicking from paper pickup solenoid, then eventually error lights would come one . I incorrectly assumed it was an error with the paper pickup mechanism and wasted a whole day taking the printer apart and replacing the paper pick mechanism. Long story short, if I had bothered to figure out the secondary error light codes from the start, I would have realized it was just a bad fuser and would not have wasted so much time.
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
HP 2200 – Won't feed paper and squeals
ANSWER : My suggestion: laser mirror motor has dry bearing (the squeal) and the printer won’t feed paper until it gets up to speed. Someplace on fixyourownprinter is an article explaining how to get to the motor & put a drop of TriFlow Synthetic PTFE oil on it. Worked for me…
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
HP LaserJet 1020 paper jam on output/exit
ANSWER : Good afternoon, I have a Laserjet 1020 with the same problem, when the paper comes out, it remains a last centimeter in the last needle and the orange LED flashes.You can confirm that this is the pressure roller that presses on the fuser? MAYBE IT’S TOO HARD TO TURN?
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless with fake paper jam
ANSWER : HP Officejet is by far one of the frustrating piece of equipment I have ever owned. I bought it as unused in the package, at that point no warranty left. less than 6 months and 500 pages the white cog gear wheel broke. Luckily with instructions in this site I manage to glue it back together. Then I bought new ink – problems started as they were not original HP 30$ per cartridge. Ordered originals (here in China), took over one week to get them. Then found out that printhead needed to be replaced => more than 100$ spent. Still constant problems: If my wife kids print, I need to be stand-by as you never know what happens. Really an Office level equipment. After cleaning one paper jam I broke the encoder tape, took me another 4 hours to get it fixed. Then broke the cog gear again and got it displaced. Another 4 hours. Only reason I am not throwing this s***t out of window is that there are still ink left. Luckily this drinks them like a horse, for sure I will no more buy new ink. I will get a new laser instead, and not from HP. About cog wheel fixing: make sure that the white wheel is positioned correctly so that the small torx in shaft goes into the slit in the white wheel. When fitting the black cover back, make sure that the white washers on both sides fit into to slits of the black cover. Good luck.
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200
Paper Jam error but no paper jam
ANSWER : Obviously you didn’t get all the paper cleared out. There is a small scrap in the paper path causing the jam when the paper hits it. You can try clearing it out by inserting something stiff like a piece of file folder from the back of the printer into the paper path and pushing the offending piece out that way.
Read Full Q/A … :
HP LaserJet 1200