The Brother MFC-J995DW is a good all-in-one printer that’s also affordable, thanks to a feature called the INKvestment Tank, which the company claims will give you high yields at a lower cost. However, as with any printer, it can also come with ink problems that drive you crazy. If you are experiencing Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues in your printer but are not all that familiar with troubleshooting, then our following post can help you a lot. Take a read below and let Computer Cliff and Ink Esell share with you some tips when diagnosing and general troubleshooting office printing errors, malfunctions, and mishaps from “Cannot detect Ink Volume ” error messages to faded printing or a blocked printhead.
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Common Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues
The most common ink issues with the Brother MFC-J995DW are error messages appearing on the printer, poor print quality on paper, or the printer not printing at all. Here are the most common user woes:
- Cannot Detect Ink Volume Message: The printer gives an error that it cannot read the volume of the ink. This is an indication that the cartridges are not original or have a compatible chip.
- Faded Prints: Those that have light, weak, incomplete, or smudged Print results. Prints that appear faded or with smudges with text, or that have missing colors.
- Printhead Clog: Ink does not flow, producing blank pages and missing colors, especially black.
- Printer Not Printing Even Though It Has Ink: You are trying to print something out, but your printer does not seem to be functioning properly.
- Problems with color cartridges related to b/w printing: When even one of the color cartridges is empty, it prints no more pages, even if you only want to print in black.
These Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues can be due to hardware failure, driver errors, or ink cartridge compatibility issues. Let’s dive into the solutions.
Troubleshooting Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues
1. Verify Ink Cartridge Installed Correctly
The “Cannot Detect Ink Volume” warning is one of the most typical Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues, which occurs when using non-genuine or refilled cartridges. Though third-party or refilled toner cartridges may be less than the price of a new Brother toner cartridge and initially seem like you’re saving money, official Brother supplies are designed to work with Brother printers for the best results and can help prevent toner detection issues caused by printer firmware.
Solution:
- Verify Cartridge Type: This is a genuine Brother LC3033 or LC3035 cartridge that works with the MFC-J995DW. Compatible cartridges not made by OEM brands, such as INKFARM, are not accepted.
- Reinstall Cartridges: Remove all of the ink cartridges and reinstall, making sure they are firmly seated. Ensure they click into place. Wipe cartridge chip contacts with a lint-free cloth slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol to remove dirt or residue.
- Check Ink Levels: Stand the cartridge on end the way you would put it into the printer, and you should see through the Ink Sensor Window. If the black sensor is showing in the black cartridge, it has reached the end of its service life and must be replaced.
2. Run Cleaning Cycles for Print Head Obstructions
Blocked printheads are often responsible for faded prints or missing colours, especially if you do not use the printer often. During periodic cleaning cycles, the MFC-J995DW disperses ink from all its cartridges, which can then cause the ink to dry up and the nozzles to become clogged if the printer remains twiddling its metaphorical thumbs.
Solution:
- Run a Cleaning Cycle: From the printer’s control panel, press the wrench icon to open the printer maintenance screen, or ink-related options, choose “Cleaning.” Run 2-3 cleaning cycles on the black or color printhead. Print a nozzle check pattern after flushing to confirm improvement.
- Do a Power Purge: If standard cleaning doesn’t do the trick, force it into service mode for a power purge. Check your manual for model-specific instructions, as it’s typically a series of button presses. Be careful, though, it will eat ink if you clean the printhead too much.
- Manual Clean: If the cleaning cycles do not do the trick, you can manually clean the print head located behind the black cartridge with some isopropyl alcohol and a Q-Tip or a print head cleaning kit. Flush cleaning fluid through the ink intake nozzle using a syringe.
3. Address Faded or Smudgy Prints
Why are my prints faded or smudgy even though I have replaced my cartridges? The problem might be due to poor quality settings and printheads, sublimation printing, or the quality of the ink cartridge.
Solution:
- Check Your Printer Settings: Make sure the Printer is not in the Grayscale or Draft mode, as this may result in the prints appearing faded. Change settings in the Brother printer driver on your computer to “High Quality” or “Best.”
- Check Cartridge Installation: Ensure your cartridges are authentic and correctly installed. There may be an inconsistent set of non-genuine ink cartridges that can damage or even damage the printhead flow.
- Run Multiple Cleanings: Run 2–3 cleaning cycles and a nozzle check. If this is still not resolved, clean the printhead manually as above.
- Print Regularly: You want to print a regular color page each week to keep the ink moving and avoid plugged-up print heads. When the printer is in sleep mode, it will continue to run its automatic maintenance cycles.
4. Fix B&W Printing Limits on Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues
The MFC-J995DW might stop printing black-and-white documents if one of your color cartridges is empty, because all cartridges need to have at least a little ink available for cleaning cycles that help protect the print head.
Solution:
- Enable B&W Print Only Mode: If a color cartridge runs out, see “B&W Print Only” or “B&W 1-sided Print” on the LCD. Just follow the onscreen instructions to activate this mode and print for up to four weeks. Replace empty color cartridges immediately to prevent printhead damage.
- Replace Empty Cartridges: If all the printing is stopped because the machine has run out of ink, you need to replace the empty color cartridges with new ones.
- Modify Settings: You can reduce the usage of color inks by changing the printer settings to greyscale in the printer driver, although this option may still consume small amounts of ink from all cartridges to avoid possible air bubbles.
5. Update Firmware and Drivers
Firmware updates may block use of non-genuine cartridges (they are scum if they do this) or break functionality, and old drivers can trigger printing issues.
Solution:
- Check Firmware Version (For macOS): Please visit the Brother website (support.brother.com) and download the most current firmware for the MFC-J995DW. As always, when updating, be warned! – Newer firmwares may have stronger cartridge detection!
- Update Printer Drivers: You may download and install the most recent drivers for your model from Brother’s official website. Uninstall old drivers first if you are prompted to do so.
- Don’t Downgrade Firmware: Don’t risk a bricked printer by using old firmware to circumvent DRM. Do so at your own risk, and only if you have experience.
6. Get in Touch with Brother Support or a Technician
If the above solutions cannot fix your Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Problems, you will need help from a professional.
Solution:
- Contact Brother Support: Visit the Brother website www.brother-usa.com. Contact Brother’s customer service, providing your printer model and error information. Place the printer within each when you perform the troubleshooting steps.
- Seek Technician Help: If you have tried all the methods mentioned, and nothing has worked, then you will probably have to seek professional help to replace the printhead or ink absorber pad for the hardware issues.
- Check Warranty: You may want to consider insurance. Brother might fix or replace defective parts on your printers if they are under warranty.
How To Prevent Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues
To avoid Brother MFC-J995DW Ink Issues in the future, try to follow some of these best practices:
- Use Original Cartridges: Always choose Brother Innobella cartridges to ensure compatibility and prevent printing issues.
- Print Regularly: Print at least one page a week to keep the ink from drying up in the printhead.
- Keep Printer On: Keep in sleep mode so that it can perform automatic cleaning cycles, but power off if it is unused for extended periods to eliminate cleaning.
- Keep Cartridges Stored: Store any off-brand cartridges in a cool, dark, and dry place to prevent the ink from drying out.
Conclusion
If you are struggling to solve any of the Brother MFC-J995DW ink issues, it may annoy the person so much that/they may express their feelings. You can return proper performance to your device by following these steps, such as checking whether or not a cartridge is compatible, running cleaning cycles, tweaking some settings for improvement, and maintaining your printer regularly. If there continue to be problems, please contact Brother Customer Service or a Qualified Technician. Genuine cartridges and regular maintenance will help keep your MFC-J995DW printing nicely. For more help, visit support. Brother. Com or consult user forums for community suggestions.
