(Windows)

Check that the correct printer driver has been installed and selected.

Check to see if the machine's display is showing an error message.

See Related Information: Error and Maintenance Messages.

Check that the machine is online:

• Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019

  Click  > Windows System > Control Panel. In the Hardware and Sound group, click View devices and printers. Right-click the Brother XXX-XXXX Printer (where XXX-XXXX is the name of your model). Click See what’s printing. If printer driver options appear, select your printer driver. Click Printer in the menu bar and make sure Use Printer Offline is not selected.

• Windows 8.1

  Move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. When the menu bar appears, click Settings > Control Panel. In the Hardware and Sound group, click View devices and printers. Right-click the Brother XXX-XXXX Printer (where XXX-XXXX is the name of your model). Click See what's printing. If printer driver options appear, select your printer driver. Click Printer in the menu bar and make sure Use Printer Offline is not selected.

• Windows Server 2012 R2

  Click Control Panel on the Start screen. In the Hardware group, click View devices and printers. Right-click the Brother XXX-XXXX Printer (where XXX-XXXX is the name of your model). Click See what’s printing. If printer driver options appear, select your printer driver. Click Printer in the menu bar and make sure Use Printer Offline is not selected.

• Windows Server 2012

  Move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. When the menu bar appears, click Settings > Control Panel. In the Hardware group, click View devices and printers. Right-click the Brother XXX-XXXX Printer (where XXX-XXXX is the name of your model). Click See what's printing. If printer driver options appear, select your printer driver. Click Printer in the menu bar and make sure Use Printer Offline is not selected.

• Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

  Click (Start) > Devices and Printers. Right-click Brother XXX-XXXX Printer (where XXX-XXXX is the name of your model) and click See what's printing. If printer driver options appear, select your printer driver. Click Printer in the menu bar. Make sure Use Printer Offline is not selected.

• Windows Server 2008

  Click (Start) > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Printers. Right-click Brother XXX-XXXX Printer (where XXX-XXXX is the name of your model). Make sure Use Printer Online is not listed. If it is listed, click this option to set the driver Online.

Look through the window of the ink tank to confirm the actual amount of remaining ink.

If the remaining ink level is at or below the lower line under the minimum fill mark, refill the ink tank.

A message may appear on the LCD to verify whether the ink tanks were refilled. Select Yes to reset the ink dot counter for the refilled color. Select No for the non-refilled colors.

See Related Information: Refill the Ink Tanks.

If old, unprinted data remains in the printer driver spooler, it will prevent new print jobs from printing. Open the printer icon and delete all data as follows:

• Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019

  Click  > Windows System > Control Panel. In the Hardware and Sound group, click View devices and printers > Printers.

• Windows 8.1

  Move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. When the menu bar appears, click Settings > Control Panel. In the Hardware and Sound group, click View devices and printers > Printers.

• Windows Server 2012 R2

  Click Control Panel on the Start screen. In the Hardware group, click View devices and printers > Printers.

• Windows Server 2012

  Move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. When the menu bar appears, click Settings > Control Panel. In the Hardware group, click View devices and printers > Printers.

• Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

  Click /Start > Devices and Printers > Printers and Faxes.

• Windows Server 2008

  Click (Start) > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Printers.

• Mac

  Click the System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.

There is an unprintable area on the top and bottom of the page. Adjust the top and bottom margins in your document to allow for this.

See Related Information: Unprintable Area.

(Windows )

Check that the paper size setting in the application and in the printer driver are the same.

(Windows)

Try changing the printer driver setting. The highest resolution needs longer data processing, sending, and printing time. Try the other quality settings in the printer driver as follows:

In the printer driver, clear the Color Enhancement (True2Life) checkbox on the Advanced tab.

Turn the Borderless feature off. Borderless printing is slower than normal printing.

See Related Information: Print Settings (Windows).

Turn off the Quiet Mode setting. Print speed is slower in Quiet Mode. See Related Information: Reduce Printing Noise.

Check the print quality.

See Related Information: Check the Print Quality.

Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer drivers, your application, or the Paper Type setting on the machine matches the type of paper you are using.

See Related Information: Change the Paper Size and Paper Type.

See Related Information: Print Settings (Windows).

Make sure the ink is fresh. The following may cause ink to clog:

• The expiration date written on the bottle package has passed.
• The ink bottle may not have been stored correctly before use. Store the ink bottle on a level surface in a cool, dark place.
• The ink bottle cap may not be tightly secured.

Make sure you are using one of the recommended types of paper.

See Related Information: Acceptable Paper and Other Print Media.

The recommended environment for your machine is between 68 °F to 91.4 °F (20°C to 33°C).

Clean the print head.

See Related Information: Clean the Print Head from Your Brother Machine.

See Related Information: Clean the Print Head Using Web Based Management.

See Related Information: Clean the Print Head from Your Computer (Windows).

Check and adjust the paper feed. See Related Information: Correct the Paper Feed to Clear Vertical Lines.

Try using the recommended types of paper.

See Related Information: Acceptable Paper and Other Print Media.

To prolong print head life, provide the best ink economy and maintain print quality, we do not recommend frequently unplugging the machine and/or leaving the machine unplugged for extended periods of time. We recommend using to power down the machine. Using allows minimal power to the machine, resulting in periodic, but less frequent, cleaning of the print head.

Check and adjust the paper feed.

See Related Information: Correct the Paper Feed to Clear Vertical Lines.

Check the print quality.

See Related Information: Check the Print Quality.

To prolong print head life, provide the best ink economy and maintain print quality, we do not recommend frequently unplugging the machine and/or leaving the machine unplugged for extended periods of time. We recommend using to power down the machine. Using allows minimal power to the machine, resulting in periodic, but less frequent, cleaning of the print head.

Check the printing alignment.

See Related Information: Check the Print Alignment from Your Brother Machine.

Change the print options.

See Related Information: Change the Print Options to Improve Your Print Results.

Make sure the paper is loaded correctly in the paper tray and the paper guides are adjusted correctly.

See Related Information: Load Paper.

Make sure the Jam Clear Cover is closed correctly.

Make sure the paper is not too thick or curled.

See Related Information: Acceptable Paper and Other Print Media.

Make sure you are using the recommended types of paper. Do not handle the paper until the ink is dry.

See Related Information: Acceptable Paper and Other Print Media.

Make sure the printing surface is face down in the paper tray.

If you are using photo paper, make sure the glossy side of the photo paper is face down in the tray and you have set the correct paper type. If you are printing a photo from your computer, set the Media Type in the printer driver or in the application you use to print.

Be sure to check the front and back of the paper. Place the glossy surface (printing surface) face down.

See Related Information: Change the Paper Size and Paper Type.

If you use glossy photo paper, make sure the paper type setting is correct.

Make sure the printer platen is not dirty with ink.

See Related Information: Clean the Machine's Printer Platen.

Make sure you are using the paper support flap.

See Related Information: Load Paper.

Make sure the paper feed rollers are not dirty with ink.

See Related Information: Clean the Paper Feed Rollers.

(Windows)

In the printer driver, select the Advanced tab, click Other Print Options, and then click Advanced Color Settings. Clear the Bi-Directional Printing checkbox.

Make sure the paper tray is pushed in all the way until it locks into place.

Make sure the Jam Clear Cover at the back of the machine is closed.

If the machine's LCD displays a Paper Jam message and you still have a problem, see Related Information: Error and Maintenance Messages.

If the paper tray is empty, load a new stack of paper into the paper tray.

If there is paper in the paper tray, make sure it is straight. If the paper is curled, straighten it. Sometimes it is helpful to remove the paper, turn the stack over and put it back in the paper tray.

Reduce the amount of paper in the paper tray, and then try again.

Clean the paper pick-up rollers.

See Related Information: Clean the Paper Pick-up Rollers.

Make sure that the paper is within specifications for the machine.

See Related Information: Paper Weight and Thickness.

When you print on photo paper, load one extra sheet of the same photo paper in the paper tray.

• Make sure the paper is loaded correctly in the paper tray.
• Remove all the paper from the tray and fan the stack of paper well, then put it back in the tray.
• Make sure you do not push the paper in too far.

See Related Information: Load Paper.

Make sure the Jam Clear Cover is closed correctly.

See Related Information: Printer Jam or Paper Jam.

Make sure the Base Pad in the paper tray is not dirty.

See Related Information: Clean the Base Pad.

See Related Information: Printer Jam or Paper Jam.

Make sure the paper guides are set to the correct paper size.

Use the jam prevention settings.

For copying:

See Related Information: Change the Print Options to Improve Your Print Results.

For printing:

See Related Information: Change the Print Options to Improve Your Print Results.

See Related Information: Prevent Smudged Printouts and Paper Jams (Windows).

This is usually caused by a poor telephone connection. Make a copy; if your copy looks good, you probably had a bad connection, with static or interference on the telephone line. Ask the other party to send the fax again.

The sender’s scanner may be dirty. Ask the sender to make a copy to see if the problem is with the sending machine. Try receiving from another fax machine.

If the received faxes are divided and printed on two pages or if you get an extra blank page, your paper size setting may not be correct for the paper you are using.

See Related Information: Change the Paper Size and Paper Type.