Cleaning the four color print heads (black, cyan, magenta and yellow) and/or adjusting the vertical alignment may improve the print quality. To determine if the alignment needs to be set and to identify which print heads need 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

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. Press (Ink) > Improve Print Quality > Check Print Quality.
   
   

   You can also press (Settings) > Maintenance > Improve Print Quality > Check Print Quality. 

    
2. Press Start. The machine begins printing the Print Quality Check Sheet.
3. Check the quality of the four color blocks on the sheet.
4. The Touchscreen asks you if the print quality is OK.
   
   Do one of the following:

    

   • If all lines are clear and visible, press No to finish the Print Quality check and go to STEP 11.
   • If you can see missing short lines as shown below, press Yes.

    

   

    

5. The Touchscreen asks you if the print quality is OK for black and then the three colors. Following the instructions on the Touchscreen and press 1, 2, 3 or 4 to select the example most similar to the Print Quality Check Sheet for each color.
6. If you press 2, 3 or 4, the Touchscreen prompts you to start cleaning. Press Start.
7. After the cleaning procedure is finished, a message asking you to check the Print Quality appears. Press Yes.
8. Press Start. The machine starts printing the Print Quality Check sheet again.
9. Once it prints out, check the quality of the four color blocks on the sheet.
10. The Touchscreen 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, choose No to finish the Print Quality check and go to STEP 11.
    • If the print quality continues to be poor and you have tried to clean the print head less than five times, press Yes and return to STEP 3 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 up to five times, press (Home) and 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 you do not see any improvement, contact Brother Customer Service from the "Contact Us".

     
11. Press (Home).
     

Section 2: Checking the Print Alignment

1. Press (Ink) > Improve Print Quality > Alignment.
   

   You can also press (Settings) > Maintenance > Improve Print Quality > Alignment.

    
2. Press Next.
3. Press Up or Down arrow to display the paper size that needs a print alignment adjustment,and then press it.
4. Press Basic alignment or Advanced alignment.
5. Load the chosen paper size in the tray, and then press Start.
   The machine prints the Alignment Check Sheet.
   
     
6. For the “A” pattern, press Up or Down to display the number of the test print with the least visible vertical stripes (1-9), and then press it (in the example, number 6 is the best choice). Press OK.
7. Do one of the following:
   • If you chose Basic alignment, repeat the previous step for patterns B to H.
   • If you chose Advanced alignment, repeat the previous step for patterns B to Z.
8. Press (Home).

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