Cannot Use Single Sheet Tray

[JPB4154]

I cannot use the Single Sheet Tray on my ColorLaserJet 3301.

It's very unobtrusive on this printer.  It's just a little slot above the main paper tray, which is Tray 2.

I've owned the printer for several months before even noticing that it's there.  Still, it would be useful if it worked.  Printing envelopes and single checks are the two most obvious uses.

According to the manual the way it's supposed to work is that I slide a piece of paper (e.g., a check or an envelope) into the slot after adjusting the side-guides.  The printer is supposed to grab it and pull it part way into the machine.  Then, you turn to your computer and send the print job to the printer, being careful to specify the right size (i.e., the size you slid into the slot) and the source, which is Tray 1.

When I try to use it what happens is different than  what the manual describes.  When I put a piece of paper in the slot, it isn't pulled part-way into the machine, it disappears into  the printer.  Then, when I send the print job to the printer, it is printed on the paper in the main paper tray (#2).  The sheet of paper sitting in Tray #1 is ignored.  Sometimes it is eventually disgorged when the printer is printing an unrelated job.  The mini screen on the printer will flash the message "Cleaning" and the piece of paper that was inserted into the slot and not printed upon will come out. 

That doesn't always happen, though.  I put one check into that slot and not only was it not printed upon, it disappeared.  It's not in the tray anymore.  It's not causing a paper jam when jobs  using the standard tray are printing, and I cannot find it in any of the places to which I have access when clearing a paper jam.  It's just disappeared.

The upshot of all this is that I cannot use the single sheet tray, and I would like to be able to do so.

What am I doing wrong?  The process described in the manual for using it seemed simple and straight-forward, but it doesn't work for me.  Am I failing to request the print jobs properly?

As an alternative, I wonder if I am using the wrong printer driver.  I suspect that as a possibility, because the driver is identified as something called the "Microsoft IPP Class Driver," which sounds generic, and I 'm accustomed to printer drivers made by the manufacturer specifically for each model.

I would certainly be grateful for any help that members of this group would be willing to provide.  As I mentioned the printer is an HP ColorLaserJet 3301sdw.  My computer is running Windows 11.

With Thanks

JPB4154

[Deep_World]

Hi  @JPB4154 
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thank you for reaching out and for providing such a detailed description of the behaviour you're seeing with your HP Color LaserJet printer. I can understand how important it is to have the single-sheet feeder working correctly for items such as checks and envelopes, and I'll be glad to help you look into this further.

To better assist you, could you kindly confirm the following:

1. Are you printing from a Windows 11 application such as Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, or another program?
2. When sending the print job, do you explicitly select Tray 1 (Manual Feed) as the paper source in the print settings?
3. Does the issue occur with both envelopes and standard sheets of paper?
4. Have you noticed any messages on the printer display when the sheet is drawn completely into Tray 1?
5. Did this behaviour occur from the first time you used the single-sheet feeder, or did it start recently?
   
   For more detailed information you can also refer to the user guide - click here  (Page number 10 Chapter 3  Load media )

Based on your description, Kindly try the below checks and confirm :  

 1: Verify the Installed Printer Driver

The Microsoft IPP Class Driver is a generic Windows driver and may not expose all printer-specific paper handling features.

Kindly check which driver is currently installed:

1. Open Control Panel -Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the printer and select Printer Properties.
3. Open the Advanced tab.
4. Check the driver name listed there.

If it shows Microsoft IPP Class Driver, kindly install the full HP software and driver package for your printer from HP Support https://support.hp.com/  and test again.

 2: Check Paper Source Settings

When printing from an application:

1. Open the print dialog.
2. Select Printer Properties or Preferences.
3. Locate Paper Source or Tray Selection.
4. Select Tray 1 or Manual Feed (if available).
5. Ensure the paper size matches the media inserted into the single-sheet feeder.

 3: Test from the Printer's Embedded Web Server (EWS)

Kindly access the printer's EWS page by entering the printer's IP address into a web browser and review:

• Paper Tray Configuration
• Tray 1 Settings
• Paper Source Settings

This can help verify whether Tray 1 is being detected correctly.

 4:  Inspect the Single-Sheet Feeder Path

Since one check appears to have been fed into the printer and not returned, kindly inspect:

• The front access area
• Rear access door
• Toner access area
• Output path

for any media that may be lodged internally but not generating a paper jam message.

For additional help on the kindly refer to the video link for Load paper into tray 1   - click here .

I hope this helps.