Fixing a Carriage or Paper Jam - HP Photosmart C7280 All-in-One Printer

So, the printer is experiencing a jam. You might see a message on the control panel telling
you the carriage or some paper is jammed in the printer. Let's walk through troubleshooting
this issue together.
First, turn the printer off, and then on again. Press the Power button once to turn it off
and then again to turn the printer on. Sometimes the printer won't turn off, you
may have to disconnect the power cable, reconnect it and then turn the printer back on.
Printers sometime indicate false errors. Power cycling the printer can reset the print mechanism
and clear these up. If the error is resolved, then we do not need to troubleshoot any further.
If the error message displays again, we should check the paper path.
Check the paper path from the back of the printer. Trying to clear jams from the front
trays can cause damage to the printer, so always attack paper jams from the back.
Turn the power off by disconnecting the power cord from the back of the printer while the
printer is powered ON. Remove the rear access door. Locate the tabs
on both sides of the rear door. Press them inward, and then pull the door away from the
printer. If you can see paper jammed in the printer,
gently remove it from the rollers. When possible, grab both edges of the jammed paper and pull
with even pressure to prevent tearing. Make sure you remove all paper from the rollers,
including small scraps, which might cause further jams.
While you have the rear door removed, check the rollers on the door. Check for any missing
rollers. They should roll freely and feel springy. If they are missing, locked up, or
don't roll freely or have some ‘give' when you push on them, they can cause the
paper to jam and the rear door should be replaced. Once all the paper is removed, reinstall the
rear door. Align it with the printer, and then push it forward until it snaps into place.
Reinsert the power cord to the back of the printer.
Turn the printer back on, and then touch OK to resume the current job.
If the error displays again, check the inside of the printer for additional jams. While
we've removed this paper jam, I'd recommend checking the other areas I'll show you in
just a moment to make sure there isn't paper or paper pieces that may cause carriage or
paper jams in the future. To check the rest of the paper path, check for jams through
the cartridge access door. Jammed paper in this area of the printer can cause the carriage
to get stuck on one side or in the middle of the printer. You need to clear any jams
and obstructions in the carriage path, and then reset the printer. Here's how to check
the rest of the paper path. Without turning the printer off, disconnect
the power cord, USB, and Ethernet cables from the back of the printer. We'll reconnect them
later, but set them aside for now. NOTE: It is important that the power is disconnected
in this procedure. We do not want to damage the printer or ourselves with electric shocks!
Open the cartridge access door by lifting the front center of the printer.
Check where the carriage is stuck and look for jammed paper or other obstructions. Paper
might be jammed anywhere along the carriage path, so make sure you check the entire length
of the axis, including the carriage service station…all the way to the right.
These sample pictures show paper stuck in the side of the printer that will cause future
jams or other problems. Use a flashlight to check the areas inside
the printer. Our next step is to try and move the carriage
back and forth. There's one thing you'll want to be careful of as you do this. If the
carriage is properly docked on right side of the printer as shown here. Do not try to
force it to move when it's docked like this or you could break the printer.
If it's not docked, try moving the carriage from one side to the other. If you cannot
move the carriage easily with your hand, check for obstructions or additional paper.
Once you've checked the carriage path and can move the carriage freely back and forth
along the printer, check again for any paper scraps. In particular, look at the service
station on the right hand side of the printer. Remove any paper or scraps you find and then
close the cartridge access door. Reconnect the power and Ethernet or USB cable
to the back of the printer. It should turn on automatically, but if it
doesn't, press the Power button. NOTE: The printer needs to warm-up for up
to two minutes. So, let it complete the warm-up. To test the printer at this stage, if the
Power light is on and steady, print a Self-Test Page.
Press the Setup button on the control panel, use the arrows to select 'Print Report', select
‘Self-Test Report' and then press 'OK'. Wait for the printer to print the Self-Test
page. If the printer prints the Self-Test, you do
not need to continue troubleshooting. Just reconnect the USB cable and make sure you
can print from the computer. If the printer does not print the Self-Test
or the Power light is blinking with the carriage or paper stalled again, continue troubleshooting.
At this point, we need to make sure the printer has enough power to function correctly. To
do this, plug the printer directly into a wall outlet.
Disconnect the printer power cord from any surge suppressors or power strips, and then
plug it directly into a wall outlet. NOTE: Any device between the wall outlet and
the printer can limit the current getting to the printer. Too little electricity arriving
at the printer might prevent the motor from having the power to move the carriage.
Try to print again. If the print job is successful, the issue is resolved.
If the issue is not resolved and the printer is still indicating a jam condition, 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
the printer and what country you live in.