Cleaning the four colour print heads (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) or adjusting the vertical alignment may improve the print quality.
 

• If your printed pages have a horizontal or vertical 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.
  
   
   

  Changing the print quality setting in the printer driver to "Fine" may also improve the print quality.

• If your printed pages have text that appears blurred or images that appear 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.
  
  
• If other print quality issues occur, go to Section 1 for instructions on how to print the Print Quality Check sheet and clean the clogged print head.

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

You can see the steps with video clips.   The clip is being streamed from YouTube. (Opens in a new window.) Your machine may differ to the one displayed in the video.

1. Press (Ink).

   You can also press (Settings) and Ink.

2. Press Test Print.
3. Press Print Quality.
4. Press OK. The machine begins printing the Print Quality Check Sheet.
5. Check the quality of the four colour blocks on the sheet.
6. The machine's screen (LCD) asks you if the print quality is OK.
   
   Do one of the following:

    

   • If all lines are clear and visible, press Yes to finish the Print Quality check and go to STEP 12.
   • If you can see missing short lines as shown below, press No.
   
7. The LCD asks you if the print quality is OK for black and then the three colours. Press Yes or No.
8. The LCD asks you if you want to start cleaning. Press OK. The machine starts cleaning the print head.
9. After the cleaning procedure has finished, press OK. The machine prints the Print Quality Check Sheet again.
10. When the Print Quality Check Sheet has been printed out, check the quality of the four colour blocks on the sheet.
11. The LCD will ask you if the print quality is OK.
    Do one of the following based on the print quality of the check sheet:
    • If all lines are clear and visible, press Yes to finish the Print Quality check and go to STEP 12.
    • If the print quality continues to be poor and you have tried to clean the print head less than five times, press No and return to STEP 5 to repeat the print head cleaning. You should complete the Print Quality Check sheet and print head cleaning process up to five times.
    • If the print quality continues to be poor and you have tried cleaning the print head five times, press (Home). Contact Brother Customer Service from the "Contact Us".

    Cleaning the print head consumes ink. Cleaning the print head more than 5 times uses ink unnecessarily. If the print quality continues to be poor, contact Brother Customer Service from the "Contact Us".

12. Press (Home).

Section 2: Checking the Print Alignment

1. Press (Ink).

   You can also press (Settings) and Ink.

2. Press Test Print.
3. Press Alignment.
4. Press OK.
   
   The machine starts printing the Alignment Check Sheet.
   
   
5. For the "A" pattern, press the Up or Down arrow to display the number of the test print that has the fewest visible vertical stripes (1-9), and then press it. Press OK. Repeat this step for the B, C, and D patterns.
6. Press (Home).

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