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

NOTE: Illustrations shown below are from a representative product and may differ from your Brother machine.

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 about the print quality.
   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 lines are missing as shown below, press Yes.
   
5. The Touchscreen asks you to check the print quality of each color. Following the instructions on the Touchscreen and press 1, 2, 3 or 4 that most closely matches the printing result.
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 again.
10. The Touchscreen will asks about the print quality.
    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, press (Home) and contact Brother Customer Service from the "Contact Us".

    Cleaning the print head consumes ink. 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, and then press Start.
   The machine starts printing the Alignment Check Sheet.
   
   

    

3. For the (A) pattern, press Up or Down to display the number of the test print with the fewest visible vertical stripes (1-9), and then press it (in the example above, row number 6 is the best choice). Press OK.
4. Repeat the previous step for the rest of the patterns.

   When the print alignment is not adjusted correctly, text looks blurry or crooked, as shown in the illustration below.
   
   
   
   After the print alignment is adjusted correctly, text looks as shown in the illustration below.
   
   

5. Press (Home).

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