How to Clear a Paper Jam on a Dell Printer

A paper jam always seems to happen right when you need a page printed. The good news is that most jams on Dell laser printers take just a few minutes to clear, with no tools. You just need to know where to look and what not to touch.

Dell printers were built on a few different designs, so the doors and levers you'll use depend on your model. This guide covers every spot where paper usually gets stuck: the paper tray, the inside of the printer, the back (fuser) area, the 2-sided (duplex) tray, and the output area. You'll also find what the common jam codes mean, and what to do when the printer still says "paper jam" after the paper is gone.

Before You Reach Inside: Three Quick Rules

Let it cool down. The fuser is the part that bonds toner to the page, and it gets hot enough to burn you. For its E-series printers (E310dw, E514dw, E515dw, E515dn), Dell says to leave the printer on for 10 minutes after a jam so the fan inside can cool it before you open it. Wait longer if you'll be reaching near the fuser at the back.

Pull slowly, with both hands. Hold the sheet by both edges and ease it out in the direction paper normally moves through the printer. If you yank it out fast, the sheet tears into small scraps, and those scraps cause the next jam.

Protect the drum. If you take out the toner and drum (Dell calls it the "imaging unit" on some models), don't touch the shiny drum surface or leave it in bright light. For its B-series printers, Dell says not to leave the imaging unit in light for more than 10 minutes. Set it on a sheet of scrap paper in case loose toner falls out.

Find Out Where the Paper Is Stuck

Your printer's display usually tells you where to look. Find what you see in the table below, then go to the matching fix.

Don't see your model? Look inside your printer's front or back cover. Most Dell laser printers have a jam diagram printed there.

How to Clear a Paper Jam on a Dell Printer

Fix 1: Clear a Jam in the Paper Tray

This is the most common place for a jam, and the easiest to clear.

1. Pull the paper tray all the way out of the printer.
2. Look into the empty slot. If a sheet is hanging down, hold it with both hands and pull it slowly toward you.
3. On B-series models (like the B2360dn or B3460dn), there's a blue lever inside the tray slot. Push it down to release the jam, then pull the paper out.
4. Take out the rest of the paper in the tray. Throw away any sheet that's torn, creased, or has a curled corner.
5. Fan the stack, straighten it on a flat surface, and load it below the fill line. Slide the guides until they just touch the edges of the paper.
6. Push the tray back in firmly until it clicks. On many models you'll need to press OK to clear the message.

Tip: If the jam message came up but nothing was visible in the tray, the front of the page may have already reached the back of the printer. Check the rear door next (Fix 3).

Fix 2: Clear a Jam Inside the Printer

Use this fix when the display says Jam Inside or points to the front door.

1. On an E-series model, leave the printer on for 10 minutes first so the fan can cool the hot parts.
2. Open the front cover. On B-series printers, press the button on the right side of the printer to release it.
3. Lift out the toner cartridge and drum. On some models they come out together, and on others they come out one at a time. Hold them by their handles only.
4. If they don't slide out easily, stop. The paper may be wrapped around a part, and pulling harder can damage the drum.
5. Look inside for the sheet. On B-series models, lift the blue flap at the front of the paper path. Hold the paper on both sides and ease it out.
6. On E-series models, push down the lock lever on the drum and lift the toner out of the drum. Check the drum for small paper scraps and remove any you find.
7. Put the toner back into the drum until it clicks, slide the whole unit back in, and close the front cover.

Fix 3: Clear a Jam at the Back of the Printer (Fuser Area)

Use this fix for Jam Rear, a 077-900 code, or a 050-130 code. Be extra careful here, because this is where the fuser is.

1. Turn the printer off, unplug it, and let it cool.
2. Open the back cover using its handle.
3. If your model has tabs or levers on the left and right, lift them. They loosen the fuser rollers so the paper can slide out. (On the C1760nw and similar color models, these tabs are blue.)
4. Hold the paper by its outer edges and pull it out slowly, keeping it level. For a 077-900 jam, Dell says to pull down and away from the fuser first, then lift the paper out once it's free. For a 077-901 jam, pull it slowly upward.
5. Don't touch the fuser rollers or the transfer belt. On color models, fingerprints on the belt can leave marks on your prints.
6. Put the tabs back where they were, close the back cover, plug the printer in, and turn it on.

Fix 4: Clear a Jam in the 2-Sided (Duplex) Tray

When a printer prints on both sides, it flips the page through a separate path, and paper can get stuck there on its way back through.

1. Leave the printer on for a few minutes to cool (10 minutes on E-series models).
2. Pull the paper tray all the way out of the printer.
3. On E-series models, go around to the back and pull the 2-sided tray all the way out.
4. Pull the stuck sheet out of the printer or out of the 2-sided tray.
5. If you still can't see it, look up into the duplex path from where the tray was. On B-series models, you can also reach 23y.xx jams through the back door.
6. Slide the 2-sided tray back in, put the paper tray back, and close everything.

Fix 5: Clear a Jam in the Output Tray or Multipurpose Feeder

Output tray (20y.xx on B-series): If a sheet is sticking out where finished pages come out, pull it straight out. If it won't move, don't force it. Open the back door and free it from there (see Fix 3).

Multipurpose feeder (250.xx on B-series): Take the paper out of the feeder. Flex the stack back and forth, fan it, and straighten the edges on a flat surface. Put it back, slide the guide until it just touches the paper, and press OK.

Document feeder on top: If the jam is in the scanner's automatic document feeder (005-xxx codes on the S2815dn and similar models), lift the feeder cover and slowly pull the original out. Don't pull it from the side where scanned pages come out, since that can crease or tear it.

Dell Printer Says Paper Jam, but There's No Paper

This one frustrates a lot of people. The printer insists there's a jam, you've opened every door, and there's nothing there. Usually it's one of these:

• A small torn scrap is still inside. A piece the size of a fingernail can block a paper sensor. Use a flashlight to check behind the fuser and inside the duplex path.
• A door isn't fully closed. Open and close each cover firmly. On some models, the jam message only goes away after you open and close the cover again.
• You still need to tell the printer the jam is clear. On B-series models, press OK. On the 1250c, C1660w, C1760nw, and E525w, Dell says to hold the Cancel button for about 5 seconds. The printer then runs a sheet through to clear the paper path. On the 1355cn and C1765 models, hold the AC button instead.
• Dust or toner on a sensor. A dirty sensor can think there's paper when there isn't. Wiping the area gently with a dry, lint-free cloth sometimes fixes it.
• A stuck or broken sensor flag. The flag is the small moving tab that tells a sensor paper is there. If the error comes back right away and there's no paper anywhere, the sensor itself may be damaged. That needs a repair, not a DIY fix.

Once you think the jam is gone, turn the printer off for about a minute, turn it back on, and print one test page before you send a big job.

Why Your Dell Printer Keeps Jamming

One jam can be bad luck. Jams every few days mean something is wrong. These are the most common causes:

• Damp or curled paper. Paper soaks up moisture from the air. Even a slight curl at the edge can catch on a roller or where the paper leaves the fuser.
• Different kinds of paper in one tray. Different sizes, weights, or types in the same stack feed unevenly. Dell's user guides warn against this.
• An overfilled tray. When paper goes past the fill line, the pickup roller grabs more than one sheet at a time.
• Guides set too loose or too tight. Loose guides let the paper go in crooked. Tight guides make it bend.
• Worn or dirty pickup rollers. These rubber rollers get smooth and slick over time. When they can't grip, the paper feeds late or crooked, and the printer reports a jam.
• Scraps left over from an earlier jam. A torn corner stuck inside will keep causing new jams until you find it.
• A drum or toner that isn't fully in place. If it isn't clicked all the way in, it can partly block the paper path.
• Hand-cut, wrinkled, or unsupported paper. Labels, very thick card stock, and paper cut by hand often cause jams.

How to Prevent Dell Printer Paper Jams

• Fan and straighten the stack before you load it. Flex it back and forth, then tap the edges straight on a table.
• Don't add paper to a half-full tray. Take out what's left, add it to the new paper, straighten the whole stack, then load it. Dell recommends this so the printer doesn't pull in several sheets at once.
• Keep paper below the fill line in every tray.
• Keep paper sealed in its wrapper until you need it. Store it flat somewhere dry, not in a damp basement or next to a window.
• Don't reload a tray while the printer is printing. Wait until the job is done.
• Use paper your model supports. Your user guide lists the paper weights and types each tray can handle. Heavy paper and labels usually go in the manual or multipurpose feeder, not the main tray.
• Turn on Jam Recovery if your model has it. On B-series printers, this setting reprints any pages lost in a jam, so you don't have to resend the whole job.

When the Jam Won't Clear

Stop and get help if:

• The paper is wrapped around the fuser roller and won't come loose.
• The drum or toner won't come out unless you force it.
• You see broken plastic, a snapped lever, or paper torn into lots of pieces deep inside.
• The jam code comes back every time, even with fresh paper and nothing inside.

Keep in mind that Dell stopped selling its own printers in 2018, and all of its printer warranties ended in 2021. That means official warranty repair usually isn't an option anymore. Other suppliers still sell parts like rollers and fusers for many models. If your printer needs a new fuser, though, compare the repair cost with the price of a new printer.