If you've ever suffered through sore fingers, paper cuts, and the huge amount of time it takes to fold large amounts of paper, you know just how miserable that task can be.
Luckily, there's a simple solution. A paper folder can be a great addition to any home or office space. It'll save you time and stress, and gives your fold jobs a professional, uniform look that's tough to beat.
But paper folders jam on occasion, which can impact your workflow and be a major headache.
To help stop a jam from affecting your work, keep reading to learn 7 easy ways to prevent a jam.
1. Load Your Paper Correctly
Perhaps the most obvious issues that arise with paper folders is a classic paper jam caused by paper that hasn't been loaded properly.
When you first get your new folder, it's important to make sure that you take the time to learn how to load the paper. If you're using your folder in an office setting, make sure that all employees who may use the machine also know how to load it correctly.
Paper folders are very sensitive to stacks that are loaded incorrectly. Even if just a single sheet out of a stack of thousands is loaded incorrectly, it can cause a jam.
While this may not break your machine or require an expensive repair, it will cause a work delay. You'll need to open up your machine, take care of the jam, and then reset the folder to continue working.
2. Inspect Your Paper
Another common issue that causes paper folders to jam is paper that isn't fit for shredding.
This could mean paper that is folded, wrinkled or creased, causing a jam. It could mean paper that is too freshly printed, with wet ink that can rub off on your machine and cause issues.
It could also mean paper that is sticking together, making your machine fold incorrectly or even jam.
Inspecting your paper for defects before you load it into the folder can help prevent jams.
3. Set Up Your Folder Correctly
Each time you start a new folding job, you need to properly set up your folder.
This means setting your paper tray so that is set for the right size paper and load.
Even if too folding jobs look nearly identical, even a tiny difference in size can affect how your machine needs to be set up. Failing to adjust to the change can cause a jam.
4. Check Your Feeder
The feeder of your paper folder is what guides each sheet into the machine in order to be folded.
If your feeder isn't correctly positioned, the paper won't get loaded correctly. The result is usually a jam that occurs right away.
Another problem that a poorly positioned feeder can cause is folds or dents in the paper. Even if this does not cause a jam right away, it could cause other issues.
It can tear bits of paper off of your stack, which can cause a jam. Or it can leave your folding job looking less than professional.
It doesn't matter whether you're a small business trying to establish a reputation for professionalism or a large corporation. Small details like folded or creased paper can have a big impact on client perception.
5. Keep Your Paper Folder Clean
Over time, your paper folder is going to get dirty.
We don't mean that the surface will get dusty or that dirt will accumulate underneath your machine.
While you should clean both of these as well, the dirty that we're talking about occurs inside of your machine.
Ink from wet papers sent through your folder will accumulate on your rollers. Bits of paper and debris will build up inside from torn or shredded paper. Jams that you've cleaned out will leave behind tiny pieces of paper that you accidentally overlooked.
Taking the time to clean out the inside of your machine regularly will help prevent past issues from causing future jams. While it may seem like a pain, a quick cleaning can save you tons of time that you would otherwise spend cleaning up a jam.
6. Maintain Your Folder
Besides just cleaning out the inside of your machine, you'll also need to perform regular maintenance to keep your folder running properly.
Over time, screw and bolts inside your machine may come loose, causing a jam. As your rollers wear out, they won't feed and fold paper as well. This too can cause a jam.
Replacing old, worn-out parts and tightening your machine occasionally will help keep it running properly for much longer.
7. Static
Many of the issues on this list that cause paper jams in a folder are easy to prevent. Unfortunately, static electricity is not.
Static can occur at random, and cause an immediate jam in your folder. This issue is frustrating because it's tough to detect and even tougher to fix.
One way to combat static is to take measures to reduce the conditions that cause static. This includes increasing the humidity in the room where your folder is located and getting rid of paper dust left behind from old folding jobs.
Choosing the Right Paper Folder
Perhaps the most important tip that you can follow to prevent jams and other issues with your paper folder is to start by choosing the right model.
Different paper folders are designed to handle different workflows. If you overuse a model designed for a small amount of work, it will wear out faster than a large model designed for heavy duty folding would.
To prevent problems related to too-heavy of a workflow, you need to pick the right folder right from the start.
If you're shopping for a paper folder for your office, check out our most popular models today!
We offer folder designed for light, medium, or heavy use so that you can customize your choice to fit your workload. We also offer a variety of accessories and supplies that can help you keep your folder operating properly for the life of your machine.