OfficeJet 8740 duplex problem - on second side paper pulls & prints crooked, rips paper edges

[Nellivs]

My OfficeJet 8740 has started to have problems with duplex printing.  The first side prints fine, but  the second side prints crooked, and the edges are ripped. I'm wasting a lot of time, paper and ink!

Can someone suggest some solutions?

[Flower_Bud · Accepted solution]

@Nellivs

Welcome to HP Forums,

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips,

Thank you for posting your query, I'll be more than glad to help you out 🙂

As I understand, your printer is having an issue printing on the second side of the paper while duplexing, 

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help 🙂 however, to provide an accurate resolution, I need a few more details:

Were there any hardware/software changes made?

When was the last time it worked fine?

How is the photocopy quality?

Let's try these steps to resolve the issue: 

Reset the printer :

• Turn the printer on, if it is not already on.

• Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you continue.

• With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

• Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.

• Wait at least 60 seconds.

• Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet. NOTE: HP recommends connecting the printer power cord directly to the wall outlet.

• Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.

• Turn on the printer, if it does not automatically turn on.

• Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you proceed.

Clean the paper feed rollers:

Clean the rollers inside the ink cartridge access area.

1. Turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cord and any other cables. WARNING: You must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the printer to avoid risk of injuries or electric shock.

2. Lift up and push back the cartridge access door.

   

3. Lightly dampen the swab with the water, and then squeeze any excess liquid from the swab.

4. Press the swab against the rollers inside the printer, and then rotate the rollers upwards with your fingers. Apply a moderate amount of pressure to remove any dust or dirt buildup.

   

5. Allow the rollers to dry completely (approximately 10 minutes).

6. Close the ink cartridge access door.

   

7. Reconnect the power cord and any other cables to the rear of the printer, and then turn on the printer.

Try to print. If the error persists, clean the rollers in another area of the printer.

Clean the rollers inside the rear of the printer.

1. Turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cord and any other cables.

2. Turn the printer so that the rear access door faces you.

3. Press the two tabs inward to open the rear access door, and then remove any jammed paper.

   

4. Press the two buttons on the paper path cover, and then pull the cover out of the printer.

   

5. Lightly dampen a clean, lint-free cloth with bottled or distilled water, and then squeeze any excess liquid from the cloth.

6. Press the cloth against the rollers, and then rotate them upward with your fingers. Apply a moderate amount of pressure to remove any dust or dirt buildup.

   

7. Repeat the cleaning steps on the paper path cover rollers.

   

8. Allow the rollers to dry completely (approximately 10 minutes).

9. Insert the paper path cover back into the printer.

10. Close the rear access door.

11. Reconnect the power cord and any other cables to the rear of the printer, and then turn on the printer.

Adjust the print settings appropriately: https://hp.care/2BDe9LJ.

Then try printing and keep me posted,

For I shall follow-up on this case to ensure the concern has been addressed,

And your device is up and running again,

Have a great day 🙂

Cheers 🙂

[Nellivs]

Thank you for this answer. I did the first step, the unplugging and plugging of the printer and so far that has worked. I'll continue with the other steps if the trouble begins again.

[Flower_Bud]

@Nellivs

Thank you for the update,

I appreciate your time and efforts,

I'm glad you found the solution for this concern.

You've been great to work with and it has been a genuine pleasure interacting with you.

I hope both you and your product works great and remain healthy for a long time 😉

Take care now and do have a fabulous week ahead. 🙂

[RJR4]

I have the same problem as described above.  I cleaned the rollers as described above.  No improvement.  Papers hang uo in the back; if they get through, they are skewed,

[Betty0610]

@RJR4

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Are the copies working fine. Did you try the reset?

Follow the remaining steps from here: https://support.hp.com/in-en/product/hp-officejet-pro-8740-all-in-one-printer-series/7902055/documen...

Let me know if this helps.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Thanks!

Have a great day!

[RJR4]

I have done the reset.  I believe the problem to be mechanical, in the duplexer,  rather than electronic.  I have also cleaned the rollers. 

The problem does not occur if using single-sided printing, nor does it occur if I put legal size paper in tray 1 and letter in tray 2.  Phrased otherwise, problem only occurs when doing double-sided copying on letter-size paper in tray 1.  The damage occurs when the sheet, after being printed on both sides, is ejected into the output bin; no damage is visible on earlier passes.  The printing is also skewed on one side of the paper, which indicates to me that the paper is shifting as it goes to heads for the printing of its final side.

The link you provided relates to picking paper from the tray.  That is not a problem.

[Betty0610]

I recommend you to contact the HP Support Team regarding this as this could be a hardware issue.

Link: www.hp.com/contacthp/

Note:  Select the country accordingly to get the contact details for support.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Thanks!

Have a great day!

[RJR4]

Unfortunately, the only way to contact the HP Support Team once warranty has expired is to pay.   HP is the only company with which we deal that requires payment for advising what parts need replacing.  If the Support Team is the same India group with whom one speaks when seeking warranty service, we could expect to spend hours on the phone. 

[asmita6658]

@RJR4

I have brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP. They will likely request information from you in order to look up your case details or product serial number. Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact. Additionally, keep in mind not to publicly post personal information (serial numbers and case details).

Thank you for visiting the HP Support Community.