Trays, Paper Weights and the Jams You Can Design Out
Last updated: September 2026
Paper handling covers how much paper the device holds, how many sizes it can keep loaded at once, and what weights of stock it takes.
It decides how often somebody has to stop and reload.
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Quick formCapacity, and refill frequency
Total input capacity is the number that decides how often a person walks to the machine with a ream.
A device with a single small tray in a busy office becomes a daily interruption regardless of how fast it prints.
Add capacity where the volume is genuinely high, rather than adding speed, if reloading is the actual complaint.
More than one tray matters
Separate trays let the office keep A4 and A3 loaded at the same time, so nobody swaps paper to print a plan.
They also allow letterhead to stay loaded permanently in its own tray, which removes a common source of wasted stock.
A bypass tray handles the occasional envelope, label or heavier card without disturbing the main trays.
Two trays is the practical minimum for most offices. Three or more suits anywhere producing a mix of document types.
Paper weight, and where it bites
Paper weight is measured in grams per square metre, written gsm. Standard office paper is commonly around 80 gsm.
Presentation covers, certificates and card sit well above that, and not every device or tray takes them.
Where heavier stock is printed regularly, check which tray supports it. Often only the bypass does.
Running stock heavier than the tray supports causes jams, and that is a specification problem rather than a fault.
Jams you can design out
- Wrong weight in the wrong tray, which is fixed at specification rather than by a service visit.
- Overfilled trays, which is fixed by capacity that matches the volume.
- Damp or curled stock, which is a storage problem rather than a device one.
- On a bundled agreement, service labour and call outs are inside the monthly fee, so a device specified correctly costs the supplier less as well as interrupting you less.
Common questions
How many paper trays does an office printer need?
Two is the practical minimum for most offices, so A4 and a second size or letterhead can stay loaded at once.
Three or more suits anywhere producing a regular mix of document types.
What does gsm mean on paper?
It stands for grams per square metre and describes the weight of the stock.
Standard office paper is commonly around 80 gsm, while covers and card sit well above that and are not supported by every tray.
Why does my printer keep jamming?
Frequent causes are stock heavier than the tray supports, overfilled trays, and paper that has absorbed moisture.
The first two are specification choices rather than faults, and can be designed out.
Can I print envelopes and card on an office multifunction?
Usually through the bypass tray rather than the main trays, and within a stated weight range.
Where this is a regular requirement rather than an occasional one, it belongs in the specification.
Related reading
Once you know roughly what the office prints each month, the next step is to get a printer lease quote sized to that volume.