Why Does the Paper Curl in My Printer?
AARRGHHHH!!!!!!!
The paper is curling in my printer AGAIN!! WHY DOES IT DO THAT?????
If you saw yourself in those first sentences, take a deep breath and read on. I can help you. Paper curling is a fairly common problem and can usually be solved with a few simple steps.
There are two main causes of paper curling - excess moisture/humidity and/or heat. If you’re having issues with curling, follow the steps I’ll outline here.
Step 1 -
Move the paper to a dry environment and keep it sealed until you need to use it. Always store your paper in a humidity-controlled environment and don’t unwrap the reams until you’re ready to put the paper in the printer. Paper has a tendency to absorb moisture from its surroundings, so be sure that the paper is not stored close to air conditioning vents. Much of the time, this simple change will resolve the issue.
Step 2 -
If moving the paper doesn’t help and you have a laser printer or laser copier, try changing the fuser mode to lower the fuser temperature. Fuser rollers degrade over time, resulting in the fuser being too hot and the paper curling. Some laser printers, especially HP brand, give the user the ability to adjust this setting. You’ll need to consult the user manual for your machine to see if it offers this option. If it doesn’t, you may need to have the printer professionally serviced and if the rollers have degraded, they may need to be replaced.
Step 3 -
Try printing to a different output bin. The paper path can cause a printer to have more or less curl and changing the path can sometimes cure the problem. Try printing to a side, top or rear bin to minimize the number of times the paper has to go over a roller.
Step 4 -
If you don’t use the printer very often, the paper may have been in the tray too long. Turn over the stack of paper in the paper tray, fan it and rotate it 180 degrees. You should always fan a stack of paper before putting it in the tray. This action helps to separate the sheets and prevent them from sticking together.
Step 5 -
Make sure the weight of the paper agrees with the printer setting. For example, don’t use “thick” setting or “labels” when what’s in the tray is standard 20# multipurpose paper.
Step 6 -
Finally, if none of these tactics work, try changing the paper to a different brand. Paper has a natural moisture content on its own and if you can’t regulate the settings on your printer to work with the paper, a different paper may be needed.
Still have questions? Call your Account Manager or our Customer Service team at 877-795-2600 and we’ll be absolutely delighted to help you!
