Troubleshooting and Routine
B
Maintenance
Troubleshooting
If you are having difficulty with your machine
Printing
Difficulty
No printout
Poor print quality
White horizontal lines appear in text
or graphics.
The machine prints blank pages.
Characters and lines are stacked.
Printed text or images are skewed.
Smudged stain at the top center of
the printed page.
Printing appears dirty or ink seems
to run.
Stains appear on the reverse side
or at the bottom of the page.
Suggestions
Check the interface cable connection on both the machine and your computer.
One or more ink cartridges are empty. (See Replacing the ink cartridges on page
32.)
Check to see if the LCD is showing an error message. (See Error messages on
page 28.)
Check that the correct printer driver has been installed and chosen.
Make sure the machine is online. Click Start and then Printers and Faxes. Right-
click and choose Brother DCP-XXXX (where XXXX is your model name), and
make sure that 'Use Printer Offline' is unchecked.
Check the print quality. (See Checking the print quality on page 34.)
Make sure that the Printer Driver or Paper Type setting in the menu matches the
type of paper you are using. (See Printing for Windows
Guide on the CD-ROM.)
Make sure that your ink cartridges are fresh. The following may cause ink to clog:
The expiration date written on the cartridge package has passed. (Cartridges
stay usable for up to two years if kept in their original packaging.)
The ink cartridge was in your machine over six months.
The ink cartridge may not have been stored properly before use.
Try using the recommended types of paper.
The recommended environment for your machine is between 20° C to 33° C
(68° F to 91° F).
Clean the print head. (See Cleaning the print head on page 33.)
Try using the recommended types of paper.
Clean the print head. (See Cleaning the print head on page 33.)
Check the printing alignment. (See Checking the printing alignment on page 35.)
Make sure the paper is loaded properly in the paper tray and the paper side guide
is adjusted correctly. (See Loading paper and other media on page 6.)
Make sure the Jam Clear cover is set properly.
Make sure the paper is not too thick or curled.
Make sure you are using the recommended types of paper. Don't handle the paper
until the ink is dry.
Make sure the printer platen is not dirty with ink.
Make sure you are using the paper support flap. (See Loading paper and other
media on page 6.)
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