How to Load Stencil Paper (and Stop Jams)

Stencil paper is thinner than office paper, so it's less forgiving in the feed path. A few habits fix almost every feed problem.

Bottom (cassette) feed is best. If your printer has a front or bottom paper cassette, use it. Cassettes grip thin paper more evenly and jam far less than rear feeds. This is one of the main reasons we recommend the ET-M1170.

Loading the cassette

1. Load a small stack, not a full ream. 
2. Push the paper gently to the back.
3. Slide the edge guides snug against the paper, not tight enough to bow it.

Rear (top) feed printers like the ET-2800

Rear feeds work, but need more help:

• Feed one sheet at a time. Don't stack sheets in the rear slot.
• Support the sheet. Thin paper can flop backward and feed at an angle. Rest a flat, stiff object behind the sheet (a record album sleeve works well) to keep it upright as it feeds.
• Square it to the guide. Set the edge guide snug so the sheet can't twist.
• Add a lead-in strip. Place a solid black or hatched bar across the top 15 to 20% of your print file, above the design. The printer will slow down printing that strip, which gives the rollers time to grab the sheet and pull it straight before your stencil starts printing. Trim it off afterward.
  

Storing paper. Keep it flat, in its packaging, somewhere dry. Humid or curled paper feeds worse on any printer.  

After printing. Handle carefully as the ink will be wet.   Let the stencil sit a minute so the ink doesn't smudge.