Cleaning the print head and/or adjusting the vertical alignment may improve the print quality. To determine if the alignment needs to be set and to check if the print head needs to be cleaned, print the Print Quality Check sheet and the Alignment Check sheet.

Below are instructions for improving the following:

• Horizontal lines in text or graphics
   
• Blank text
   
• Blurred or faded text and images

Please follow the instructions that apply to your issue.
 

• If your printed pages have a horizontal line in the text or graphics (as shown in the illustration below) or blank text, some of the nozzles may be clogged and need to be cleaned. Go to Section 1 for instructions on how to print the Print Quality Check sheet and clean the clogged print head.
  
  

   

   

• If your printed pages have text that become blurred or images that become faded (as shown in the illustration below), you may need to adjust the print alignment. Go to Section 2 for instructions on how to print the Alignment Check sheet and adjust the print alignment.
  
  

Section 1: Checking the print quality and cleaning the print head

1. Print a Print Quality Check sheet

    

   1. Press the Ink or Ink Management button.
   2. Press the UP OR DOWN ARROW key to choose Test Print. Press OK.
   3. Press the UP OR DOWN ARROW key to choose Print Quality. Press OK.
   4. Press Start.
       
2. Closely examine the Print Quality Check sheet. It is represented by a slanted square pattern.
3. Compare the print quality of the Check sheet you just printed with the three examples listed below:
   

    

   (A)Complete block is missing:	(B) Most of the short diagonal lines are missing:	(C) Some parts of the short diagonal lines are missing:

    

4. The LCD asks you if the print quality is OK. Press 2 to choose No for black with the problem.
5. The LCD asks you if you want to start cleaning. Example: Start Cleaning?
   Press 1 to choose Yes. The machine starts cleaning the print head.
6. When the machine completes cleaning the print head, press Start. Another Print Quality Check sheet will print.
    
7. Repeat the cleaning and the quality check process following STEP 4-6.
    
8. Compare the second or third Print Quality Check sheet with the first one you printed in STEP 1.

    

   • If the print quality on the first Check sheet matched Example (A) or (B) and you do not see any improvement on the second or third Check sheet, please contact Brother Customer Service from "Contact Us."
      
   • If the print quality on the first Check sheet matched Example (A) or (B) and you see some improvement but it's not perfect on the second or third Check sheet, repeat the cleaning and the quality check process three more times (totally five times). If you do not see any further improvement after that, please contact Brother Customer Service from "Contact Us."
      
   • If the print quality on the first Check sheet matched Example (C) and you do not see any improvement on the second or third Check sheet, repeat the cleaning and the quality check process three more times (totally five times). If you still do not see any improvement, please contact Brother Customer Service from "Contact Us."

9. Press Stop/Exit.

Section 2: Checking the Print Alignment

1. Press the Ink or Ink Management key on the control panel.
2. Press the UP OR DOWN ARROW key to choose Test Print and press OK.
3. Press the UP OR DOWN ARROW key to choose Alignment and press OK.
4. Press Start. The machine begins printing the Alignment Check sheet.
5. Check the 600dpi test print to see if number 5 most closely matches number 0. The LCD asks you if you need to adjust the print alignment.
   Example: Is Alignment OK?

    

   • If the number 5 sample of the 600dpi is the best match, press 1 to finish Alignment Check, and go to STEP 7.
   • If another test print number is a better match for 600dpi, press 2 to choose NO and go to STEP 6.

    

6. Press the number of the test print that most closely matches the number 0 sample.
7. Press Stop/Exit.

If the print quality continues to be poor, go to Section 1 to clean the print head.