Document feeder jams or pulls in several pages

Open the feeder's top cover, usually a lid or lever on top of the feeder, and pull the stuck sheet out slowly in the direction it was travelling, using both hands so it doesn't tear. On many models you can also lift the feeder's input tray or the scanner lid to reach paper caught underneath. Close every cover until it clicks, because a cover left slightly open triggers its own jam message.

If a page tore, shine a flashlight into the feeder and look for small pieces around the rollers and the exit slot. Remove them with your fingers rather than tweezers or anything sharp, which can scratch the rollers or the narrow strip of glass the feeder scans through.

Remove staples, paper clips and sticky notes, and flatten folded corners and curled edges. Fan the stack to separate the sheets, then tap it on a flat surface so the leading edges line up. Put receipts, photos, cards, very thin or very thick paper, torn pages and anything with tape or glue on the scanner glass instead.

Look for a maximum fill line or small arrows on the feeder guides and keep the stack below it; many home feeders hold somewhere between 20 and 50 sheets of plain paper. Slide the stack in until it stops or the printer detects it, without forcing it. Most feeders take originals face up, but check the small icon on the tray.

Slide the width guides in so they just touch both edges of the stack. Loose guides let pages twist and jam, while guides pressed in too tightly bow the paper and can make two sheets feed together.

Unless your printer's manual says it handles mixed-size originals, split the job by paper size and weight and scan each batch separately. You can combine the files into one document afterwards.

With the printer off and unplugged, open the feeder cover and find the rubber pick-up and feed rollers and the separation pad, a small rubber or cork pad that holds back all but the top sheet. Wipe them with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with water, turning the rollers by hand to reach all sides, and let them dry fully before scanning. Your manual shows where they are on your model.

Rollers that still look shiny, smooth, cracked or flattened after cleaning have lost their grip, which shows up as misfeeds or several pages feeding at once. Many makers sell a feeder roller or separation pad replacement kit, especially for office models; check the maker's official support site or manual for the part and fitting steps.

If the screen still reports a jam with the feeder empty, turn the printer off and on again. Check for a scrap covering the paper sensor near the feeder entrance, and make sure the feeder cover and scanner lid are fully closed.