PC LOAD LETTER
printer error message
PC LOAD LETTER is a printer error message that has entered popular culture as a technology meme referring to a confusing or inappropriate error message. It is a real message that can be displayed by an HP LaserJet, and indicates the printer does not have the US letter sized paper needed to complete a particular print job. The message was mocked in the 1999 comedy film Office Space.
Message
The message is encountered when printing on older HP LaserJet printers such as the LaserJet II, III, and 4 series. It means that the printer is trying to print a document that needs "Letter size" (8½ × 11 in.) paper when no such paper is available.
"PC" is an abbreviation for "paper cassette", the tray which holds blank paper for the printer to use. These two-character codes are a legacy feature carried over from the first LaserJet printers, which could only use a two-character display for all printer status and error messages. "LOAD" is an instruction to refill the paper tray. "LETTER" is the standard paper size used in the United States, Canada and some other nations. Thus, the message is instructing the user to refill the paper tray with letter-sized paper.
The public source identifies “PC LOAD LETTER” as printer error message. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around LOAD, LETTER and printer.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “PC LOAD LETTER”, the useful work is to connect “printer error message” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7118701. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1999.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “PC LOAD LETTER”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow PC LOAD LETTER primary sources, PC LOAD LETTER archive and LOAD research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “PC LOAD LETTER”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “PC LOAD LETTER” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.