Chris AllenFrom increasingly digital legal services to online agenda-making software, the world seems to be digital at every turn. However, there’s still a place for printers and the different types of paper they use to present crisp, clean, and attractive printouts.
You may not think much about protecting your printer stock. Most paper storage involves setting it on a shelf or in a storage space and forgetting about it. But you want to present a professional and organized look in everything you do, including the documents you share and send out. Read on to discover four ways to protect your printer paper stock.
Keep It Dry
This advice might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often water and other liquids can damage and otherwise interfere with paper quality. First, check the humidity in your storage area. You’ll want to keep humidity levels low in the closet, cabinet, or other space where
you keep your paper. There are several ways to keep paper dry, even in humid climates. Avoiding moisture damage does more than keep papers looking presentable—it also saves you money by making your stock last.
Lay It Flat
This suggestion might seem as plain as the paper you’re trying to protect, but it makes a significant difference. Don’t set reams or rolls of paper on the edges of ends. Poor positioning can make the paper bow, curl, and fold. It also leaves the paper open to damage from passing feet, carts, and the like. A falling ream can crinkle and even tear the paper, rendering it useless. A flat ream or roll has more of a fighting chance.
Keep It Under Wraps
Don’t open a package or roll of paper until you need to do so. Immediately insert it into the printer and run your printouts. Exposure can cause the paper to roll, wrinkle, or expand just enough so that the next time you use it, it’ll have changed shape enough to cause a jam. Toner also tends to have trouble finding purchase on exposed paper.
Check the Specs
Not all papers are the same, clearly. That’s why it’s important to use not just the right paper for the job but for the printer as well. Some printers don’t play well with certain kinds of paper, and they’ll let you know it through jams, wrinkled and torn printouts, faded and smeared prints, and more. Save money on paper and printer repairs by checking the specs in the manual to ensure you’re using the right stock.
Those are just four ways to protect your printer paper stock. All these methods are good Habits to get into. Protecting your paper doesn’t just keep it nice and neat—it helps fight waste and protects the environment. A single sheet of paper requires an amazing amount of natural resources to make. Even as you go paperless, you can work to preserve the paper you have
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