Anyone who has worked in an office environment knows the frustration that can often come when working with a copy machine. Making copies is a task that is vital to most offices, but discovering a paper jam in your copier could lead to hours of wasted time and patience as you try to remove jammed paper from the machine.

Here are three simple things you can do to help prevent paper jams in your office copy machine in the future.

1. Store your paper in a dry place.

Paying close attention to the environmental conditions of your supply closet could be a simple way to reduce the number of paper jams your office battles each day. Damp paper can easily cause a paper jam because your copier's rollers slip on individual pages because damp paper sticks together and becomes difficult to separate.

Dampness can also cause the edges of your copy paper to curl, making it impossible for individual pages to feed through your copier properly. By investing in a dehumidifier to help keep moisture in your storage room between 15% and 85% humidity, you will be able to extend the life of your copier (and the tolerance levels of office employees).

2. Invest in quality copy paper.

You may be tempted to buy lower quality copy paper to try and reduce overhead spending, but cutting corners when it comes to paper quality could increase your service costs in the long run.

Paying a little more for quality paper means that each sheet will be the exact same size. This helps to prevent issues when feeding paper through your office copier, and can reduce the number of internal paper jams that your machine experiences each day. Quality copy paper is also cleaner that its cheaper counterpart, which helps to reduce the amount of paper dust that can accumulate and clog up your machine.

3. Keep your machine clean.

No matter how high-quality your paper might be, your office copier will eventually begin to accumulate paper dust with regular use. This dust can inhibit the motion of mechanical parts inside your copier, leading to paper jams and other problems.

Calling a service technician to conduct annual cleanings will help you keep your office copier's paper feed path clear of dust and debris. Clean copiers are less likely to jam, so cleanliness should be a priority when it comes to keeping your office copier in working condition.

Prevent paper jams (and the headaches they cause) by storing your copy paper in a dry place, using quality paper in your copier, and having a service technician regularly clean your machine. Contact companies like Peter Paul Office Equipment for more information.