How to Clear a Paper Jam on a Lexmark Printer

A paper jam almost never means your Lexmark printer is broken. Nine times out of ten it's a worn roller, a paper mismatch, or a stack that wasn't loaded quite right. Here's how to find the jam, clear it safely, and stop it from coming back.

What's Actually Causing the Jam

Before you open a single door, it's worth knowing what usually causes this. Most Lexmark jams trace back to one of these:

• Worn or dirty pick tires. These are the small rubber rollers that grab each sheet and feed it into the printer. Dust and ink residue build up on them over time, so they lose grip and either miss a page or pull two at once.
• A paper setting that doesn't match what's loaded. If the tray is set for Letter and you've loaded Legal, or the type is set to Plain when you've loaded something heavier, the printer will misjudge the feed.
• Paper that's curled, creased, or humid. Anything less than a flat, square stack is more likely to catch on the rollers.
• An overloaded tray. Paper stacked above the fill line puts extra drag on the feed mechanism.
• Paper caught in an add-on unit. On printers with a mailbox, output expander, or finisher attached, the jam isn't always in the main tray at all.

Knowing which of these fits your situation will save you from opening doors that don't need opening.

Step 1: Open Door A First

Door A is the main front or side access panel on most Lexmark laser printers, and it's where the majority of jams show up.

1. Power off the printer before you reach inside.
2. Open Door A using its release latch.
3. Hold the jammed sheet with both hands and pull it in the direction the paper was already traveling. Pulling sideways or at an angle is what tears sheets and leaves scraps behind.
4. Run your hand along the path to check for any torn corners before closing the door.
5. Close Door A until it clicks shut, then power the printer back on.

If the jam message clears, print a test page. If it's still showing, move to Step 2.

Step 2: Check Trays, Mailboxes, and Finishers

A jam message that won't clear after Door A almost always means the paper is stuck somewhere further down the path:

• Paper trays – pull each tray out fully, including any optional trays below the standard one, and check underneath the stack, not just on top.
• Mailbox bins – if your model has a multi-bin mailbox attached, check every bin individually.
• Output expander – open its panel and look along the exit path.
• Staple or hole-punch finisher – these attach their own small access doors. Open them and clear any paper, and pick out loose staples while you're in there.

Work through these one at a time and recheck the display after each one, since some printers won't tell you which specific unit is holding the jam.

Step 3: Reload the Tray Properly

Don't just drop the same stack back in. Take thirty seconds to reset it:

1. Remove the tray fully and fan the edges of the stack so sheets aren't sticking together.
2. Square the paper against the tray's side and back guides so it sits flat.
3. Confirm the stack sits below the max-fill line, not level with it.
4. Slide the tray back in until it locks into place.

A stack that isn't square is one of the fastest ways to trigger a repeat jam within the next few pages.

Step 4: Match the Tray Settings to the Paper

This is the step people skip, and it's often the actual root cause. If the tray's configured size or type doesn't match what's physically loaded, the printer will keep misfeeding no matter how well the paper is stacked.

1. On the control panel, open Settings.
2. Go to Paper (some models label this Tray Configuration).
3. Select the tray in question and set both the paper size and paper type to match exactly what you loaded.
4. Save, then send a one-page test print.

Menu names shift slightly between Lexmark models and firmware versions, so if yours doesn't match exactly, look for the paper or tray icon rather than these exact words.

Step 5: Rule Out the Paper Itself

If jams keep happening even with the settings correct and the stack loaded right, the ream itself may be the problem. Static cling, a bit of ambient humidity, or slightly bent edges from a half-used pack are enough to cause repeat misfeeds. Open a fresh ream, load a small stack, and run a test print. If that solves it, the printer is fine and it was the paper all along.

Understanding a 200, 201, or 202 Type Jam Error

Lexmark groups most jam messages into the 200, 201, and 202 range, and each points to a different stretch of the paper path rather than a different problem to fix:

• A 200-type message generally means a sheet jammed near the toner cartridge or in the middle of the printer.
• A 201-type message points to paper caught between the input and output sensors.
• A 202-type message means the jam registered toward the back of the machine.

The clearing process is the same regardless of which number shows up: follow Steps 1 and 2 above to physically locate and remove the sheet, then power-cycle the printer. If the exact same code returns right after a clean removal with no visible paper left behind, that's usually a worn roller or a faulty sensor rather than anything you loaded wrong, and it's worth having a technician take a look.

Keeping It From Happening Again

A few minutes of upkeep goes a lot further than repeated troubleshooting:

• Wipe down the pick tires every few weeks with a dry, lint-free cloth to keep their grip from dulling with dust.
• Replace rollers once they look visibly worn rather than waiting for jams to become frequent.
• Store paper flat, in its wrapper, away from humidity so sheets don't pick up curl before they're even loaded.
• Keep one paper type and size per tray. Mixing weights or sizes in the same tray is a reliable way to trigger a misfeed.