- Before Using Your Machine
- Control Panel Overview
- LCD Overview
- Touchscreen LCD Overview
- Settings Screen Overview
- Navigate the Touchscreen
- Access Brother Utilities (Windows)
- Load Paper
- Load Documents
- Print from Your Computer (Windows)
- Print a Photo (Windows)
- Print a Document (Windows)
- Cancel a Print Job (Windows)
- Print More Than One Page on a Single Sheet of Paper (N in 1) (Windows)
- Print as a Poster (Windows)
- Print on Both Sides of the Paper Automatically (Automatic 2-sided Printing) (Windows)
- Print as a Booklet Automatically (Windows)
- Print a Color Document in Grayscale (Windows)
- Prevent Smudged Printouts and Paper Jams (Windows)
- Use a Preset Print Profile (Windows)
- Change the Default Print Settings (Windows)
- Print Settings (Windows)
- Print from Your Computer (Mac)
- Scan Using the Scan Button on Your Brother Machine
- Scan Photos and Graphics
- Save Scanned Data to a Folder as a PDF File
- Save Scanned Data to a Memory Card or USB Flash Drive
- Scan Multiple Business Cards and Photos (Auto Crop)
- Scan to an Editable Text File Using OCR
- Scan to Email Attachment
- Web Services for Scanning on Your Network (Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10)
- Change Scan Button Settings from ControlCenter4 (Windows)
- Change Scan Button Settings from Brother iPrint&Scan (Mac)
- Scan from Your Computer (Windows)
- Scan Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Scan Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Select Document Type Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Change Scan Size Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Crop a Scanned Image Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Print Scanned Data Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Open with an Application Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Save Scanned Data to a Folder as a PDF File Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Scan Settings for ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Scan Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Scan Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan Photos and Graphics Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Save Scanned Data to a Folder as a PDF File Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan Both Sides of an ID Card Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan to Email Attachment Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan to an Editable Text File (OCR) Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan to an Office File Using ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan Settings for ControlCenter4 Advanced Mode (Windows)
- Scan Using Nuance™ PaperPort™ 14SE or Other Windows Applications
- Scan Using Windows Fax and Scan
- Install BookScan Enhancer and Whiteboard Enhancer (Windows)
- Scan Using ControlCenter4 Home Mode (Windows)
- Scan from Your Computer (Mac)
- Copy a Document
- Enlarge or Reduce Copied Images
- Sort Copies
- Make Page Layout Copies ( N in 1 or Poster)
- Copy on Both Sides of the Paper (2-sided Copy)
- Copy an ID Card
- Copy in Ink Save Mode
- Copy Options
- Send a Fax
- Send a Fax from Your Brother Machine
- Send a Fax Manually
- Send a Fax at the End of a Conversation
- Send the Same Fax to More than One Recipient (Broadcasting)
- Send a Fax in Real Time
- Send a Fax at a Specified Time (Delayed Fax)
- Change the Fax Auto Redial Setting
- Cancel a Fax in Progress
- Check and Cancel a Pending Fax
- Fax Options
- Receive a Fax
- Voice Operations and Fax Numbers
- Telephone Services and External Devices
- Fax Reports
- PC-FAX
- PC-FAX for Windows
- PC-FAX Overview (Windows)
- Configure PC-FAX (Windows)
- Configure your PC-Fax Address Book (Windows)
- Add a Member to your PC-FAX Address Book (Windows)
- Create a Group in your PC-FAX Address Book (Windows)
- Edit Member or Group Information in your PC-FAX Address Book (Windows)
- Delete a Member or Group in your PC-FAX Address Book (Windows)
- Export your PC-FAX Address Book (Windows)
- Import Information to your PC-FAX Address Book (Windows)
- Send a Fax Using PC-FAX (Windows)
- Receive Faxes on Your Computer (Windows)
- PC-FAX Overview (Windows)
- PC-FAX for Mac
- PC-FAX for Windows
- Print Photos Directly from Media
- Copy Photos from Media to a Computer
- Print Photos from ControlCenter4 (Windows)
- Supported Basic Network Features
- Network Management Software and Utilities
- Additional Methods of Configuring Your Brother Machine for a Wireless Network
- Before Configuring Your Brother Machine for a Wireless Network
- Configure Your Machine for a Wireless Network Using the One Push Method of Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS)
- Configure Your Machine for a Wireless Network Using the PIN Method of Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS)
- Configure Your Machine for a Wireless Network When the SSID is Not Broadcast
- Use Wi-Fi Direct®
- Print or Scan from Your Mobile Device Using Wi-Fi Direct
- Configure Your Wi-Fi Direct Network
- Wi-Fi Direct Network Configuration Overview
- Configure Your Wi-Fi Direct Network Using the One-Push Method
- Configure Your Wi-Fi Direct Network Using the One-Push Method of Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS)
- Configure Your Wi-Fi Direct Network Using the PIN Method
- Configure Your Wi-Fi Direct Network Using the PIN Method of Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS)
- Configure Your Wi-Fi Direct Network Manually
- Advanced Network Features
- Technical Information for Advanced Users
- Brother Web Connect
- Brother Web Connect Overview
- Online Services Used with Brother Web Connect
- Conditions for Using Brother Web Connect
- Set Up Brother Web Connect
- Scan and Upload Documents Using Brother Web Connect
- Upload a Document from an External Memory Device Using Brother Web Connect
- Download and Print Documents Using Brother Web Connect
- Download and Save a Document to an External Memory Device Using Brother Web Connect
- FaxForward to Cloud or E-mail
- Google Cloud Print
- AirPrint
- Mobile Printing for Windows
- Mopria® Print Service
- Brother iPrint&Scan for mobile
- Near-Field Communication (NFC)
- Error and Maintenance Messages
- Document Jams
- Printer Jam or Paper Jam
- If You Are Having Difficulty with Your Machine
- Paper Handling and Printing Problems
- Telephone and Fax Problems
- Other Problems
- Network Problems
- Google Cloud Print Problems
- AirPrint Problems
- Check the Machine Information
- Reset Your Brother Machine
- Replace the Ink Cartridges
- Clean Your Brother Machine
- Clean the Scanner
- Clean the Print Head from Your Brother Machine
- Clean the Print Head from Your Computer (Windows)
- Clean the Print Head from Your Computer (Mac)
- Clean the Machine's LCD
- Clean the Outside of the Machine
- Clean the Machine's Printer Platen
- Clean the Paper Feed Rollers
- Clean the Base Pad
- Clean the Paper Pick-up Rollers
- Check Your Brother Machine
- Correct the Paper Feed to Clear Vertical Lines
- Change the Print Setting Options When Having Printing Problems
- Pack and Ship Your Brother Machine
- Change Machine Settings from the Control Panel
- In the Event of Power Failure (Memory Storage)
- General Settings
- Adjust the Machine Volume
- Change for Daylight Saving Time Automatically
- Set Sleep Mode Countdown
- Set the Machine to Power Off Automatically
- Set the Date and Time
- Adjust the LCD Backlight Brightness
- Change How Long the LCD Backlight Stays On
- Set Your Station ID
- Set Tone or Pulse Dialing Mode
- Reduce Printing Noise
- Change the Language Displayed on the LCD
- Change the Keyboard Setting
- Save Your Favorite Settings as a Shortcut
- Print Reports
- Settings and Features Tables
- Change Machine Settings from Your Computer
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Home > Routine Maintenance > Clean Your Brother Machine > Clean the Print Head from Your Brother Machine
Clean the Print Head from Your Brother Machine
To maintain good print quality, the machine automatically cleans the print head when needed. If there is a print quality problem, start the cleaning process manually.
- Clean the print head if there is a horizontal line or a blank space in the text or graphics on printed pages. Depending on the problem color, select to clean Black only, three colors at a time (Yellow/Cyan/Magenta), or all four colors at once.
- Cleaning the print head consumes ink.
- Cleaning too often uses ink unnecessarily.
- IMPORTANT
- DO NOT touch the print head. Touching the print head may cause permanent damage and may void the print head's warranty.
MFC-J491DW/MFC-J497DW
- Press Settings.
- Press
or 
to select the following: - Select [General Setup]. Press OK.
- Select [Maintenance]. Press OK.
- Select [Print Head Cleaning]. Press OK.
- Select [Black only], [Color only], or [All]. Press OK.
- Select [Normal], [Strong], or [Strongest]. Press OK.
- Press
. The machine cleans the print head.
- If you clean the print head and the print has not improved, try installing a new Genuine Brother Brand replacement ink cartridge for each problem color. Try cleaning the print head again. If the print has not improved, contact Brother Customer Service.
- You can also clean the print head from your computer.
MFC-J690DW/MFC-J895DW
- Press
[Settings]>[Maintenance]>[Print Head Cleaning]. - Press [Black only], [Color only], or [All].
- Press [Normal], [Strong], or [Strongest].
- Press [Start].The machine cleans the print head.
- If you clean the print head and the print has not improved, try installing a new Genuine Brother Brand replacement ink cartridge for each problem color. Try cleaning the print head again. If the print has not improved, contact Brother Customer Service.
- You can also clean the print head from your computer.
- Related Information
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