A carriage jam means the moving printhead assembly cannot travel across the printer. It is usually caused by paper scraps, shipping material, a loose cartridge, a dirty encoder strip, or an object blocking the rail.
Does this affect you?
Use this for inkjet printers from HP, Epson, Canon, and similar brands that show Carriage Jam, Carriage Error, grinding, clicking, or a printhead that cannot move. Laser printers do not use this same moving carriage system.
Safety first
You may need to look inside the printer. Keep fingers, hair, and jewelry away from moving parts. Do not force the carriage; if it resists, stop and find what is catching it.
Clear the obstruction
Most carriage jams are physical blockages.
- Open the top or front access cover.
- Look along the full rail path for torn paper, labels, packing tape, foam, paper clips, staples, or small objects.
- Remove anything found, pulling paper in the natural feed direction when possible.
- Gently slide the carriage by hand across the rail to feel for catching or resistance.
- Close the cover, power the printer off, wait 60 seconds, and power it on for a self-test.
Still jammed after the path is clear
Use this when nothing obvious is blocking the rail.
- Turn the printer off, unplug it, and leave it unplugged for two minutes.
- Check that every ink cartridge is fully seated and clicked into place.
- Inspect the thin encoder strip behind the carriage rail if visible. If dusty or ink-smudged, wipe gently with a dry lint-free cloth.
- Plug the printer back in and watch the carriage self-test.
- If it stalls at the same place with no obstruction, suspect a drive belt or carriage motor problem.
More control
Look again after a paper jam
A carriage error right after a paper jam usually means a small torn scrap is still hiding near the rail.
Power down before moving the printer
Bumping or relocating an active printer can strain the carriage and knock it out of position.
New printers may still have packing material
Orange tape, foam, and small tabs around the carriage are easy to miss during setup.
Sources
- HP Support – Carriage Stall or Carriage Jam Error Messages (2025)
- Epson Support – Paper Jam or Carriage Error Troubleshooting (2025)
- Canon Support – Cleaning the Inside of the Printer (2025)