Printer Troubleshooting
This page serves as a helpful resource when troubleshooting on-campus printers, such as in Residence Halls, or other locations that may not be managed by Digital Media Services.
| Refilling Paper Trays | Trays often can only hold 1 ream of paper (500 sheets). Do not overstock paper beyond the clips or arrows as indicated in the tray otherwise the printer will jam. Also make sure when restocking the tray, all sheets are firmly pressed down, preventing any sheets from getting stuck sticking out under the new stack of paper and preventing the printer from recognizing the paper in the tray. |
| Printer Tray Settings | All trays should be set to Size: Any Size, Type: Any Type. If you see a flashing notification to select a type or size, press “OK” to continue printing. |
| Clearing Paper Jams | Paper jams can occur anywhere through the print pathway. In all cases, hold jammed paper firmly and remove it slowly to reduce the possibility of ripping the paper. Work from the bottom paper tray up to the top. Open the each paper tray and pull it out completely to verify no extra sheets are jammed and that the tray is not overfilled. Ensure the paper trays shut securely. Remove the toner cartridge and see if any paper is visible. After you re-install the toner, the printer will automatically check itself and may move any lose paper. Repeat this process to help make the paper more accessible to remove. If the printer is still displaying a jam error after the paper is removed, restart the printer to see if the error persists. |
| Printouts Streaking/Speckled | If the printer appears to have specks of toner or streaks navigate the printer menu and print a cleaning page. You can find the cleaning page option under Device Maintenance > Calibration/Cleaning > Cleaning Page. Note that some newer printers may not have this menu option available. If you are unable to do a calbiration/cleaning sheet, try removing the toner and gently cleaning the toner area in the printer and the toner itself. If issues still persit, contact the ITS Helpdesk to report the issue. |
| Don't Print from a Browser! | Sometimes printing a file within a browser won't work as it's attempting to print the page frame, but not the actual document displayed in the frame. This can cause error messages or cause a job to hang if there is a large amoutn of pages. Always download the file you want to print to the desktop as a PDF and print directly from a desktop application like Adobe Reader, or using the Print icon within the browser window when displaying a PDF (not from the Browser menu bar). |
| File Errors | If the printer has an error that says 49.XX.XX (the other numbers vary), it often is an issue with the file sent, not the printer itself. Convert your file to a PDF and send it again. If a print job does not appear, or it does not print after releasing, try converting your file to a PDF and sending it again. |
| Troubleshooting Print Release Stations | Make sure the network cable is securely plugged in on both ends. Ensure the device is connected by fully unplugging the power and network cables from the printer back, then re-connecting them securely. If issues still persist, locate the ethernet jack and power connection, to unplug and plug back in the power and ethernet cables from the outlets under the desk or at the wall. Be attentive if the printer or release station has a power brick, to also unplug and plug the cables back into the power brick, ensuring a secure connection. |
| Please consider the environment before printing. To learn more about reducing our printing footprint, visit our Sustainability page. |
Last Modified: Tue, January 28, 2025 4:45 PM CST
This page serves as a helpful resource when troubleshooting on-campus printers, such as in Residence Halls, or other locations that may not be managed by Digital Media Services.
| Refilling Paper Trays | Trays often can only hold 1 ream of paper (500 sheets). Do not overstock paper beyond the clips or arrows as indicated in the tray otherwise the printer will jam. Also make sure when restocking the tray, all sheets are firmly pressed down, preventing any sheets from getting stuck sticking out under the new stack of paper and preventing the printer from recognizing the paper in the tray. |
| Printer Tray Settings | All trays should be set to Size: Any Size, Type: Any Type. If you see a flashing notification to select a type or size, press “OK” to continue printing. |
| Clearing Paper Jams | Paper jams can occur anywhere through the print pathway. In all cases, hold jammed paper firmly and remove it slowly to reduce the possibility of ripping the paper. Work from the bottom paper tray up to the top. Open the each paper tray and pull it out completely to verify no extra sheets are jammed and that the tray is not overfilled. Ensure the paper trays shut securely. Remove the toner cartridge and see if any paper is visible. After you re-install the toner, the printer will automatically check itself and may move any lose paper. Repeat this process to help make the paper more accessible to remove. If the printer is still displaying a jam error after the paper is removed, restart the printer to see if the error persists. |
| Printouts Streaking/Speckled | If the printer appears to have specks of toner or streaks navigate the printer menu and print a cleaning page. You can find the cleaning page option under Device Maintenance > Calibration/Cleaning > Cleaning Page. Note that some newer printers may not have this menu option available. If you are unable to do a calbiration/cleaning sheet, try removing the toner and gently cleaning the toner area in the printer and the toner itself. If issues still persit, contact the ITS Helpdesk to report the issue. |
| Don't Print from a Browser! | Sometimes printing a file within a browser won't work as it's attempting to print the page frame, but not the actual document displayed in the frame. This can cause error messages or cause a job to hang if there is a large amoutn of pages. Always download the file you want to print to the desktop as a PDF and print directly from a desktop application like Adobe Reader, or using the Print icon within the browser window when displaying a PDF (not from the Browser menu bar). |
| File Errors | If the printer has an error that says 49.XX.XX (the other numbers vary), it often is an issue with the file sent, not the printer itself. Convert your file to a PDF and send it again. If a print job does not appear, or it does not print after releasing, try converting your file to a PDF and sending it again. |
| Troubleshooting Print Release Stations | Make sure the network cable is securely plugged in on both ends. Ensure the device is connected by fully unplugging the power and network cables from the printer back, then re-connecting them securely. If issues still persist, locate the ethernet jack and power connection, to unplug and plug back in the power and ethernet cables from the outlets under the desk or at the wall. Be attentive if the printer or release station has a power brick, to also unplug and plug the cables back into the power brick, ensuring a secure connection. |
| Please consider the environment before printing. To learn more about reducing our printing footprint, visit our Sustainability page. |