It can be frustrating to encounter a situation where your Brother printer prints blank pages, especially when you are performing an important task. The problem can be caused by various factors, ranging from simple document errors to more complex hardware failures. In this blog, we will explore the Brother printer printing blank pages. Here, we cover several common causes and provide solutions to keep your printing running smoothly.
Quick View
When a Brother printer prints blank pages, the issue might be with the document itself, the toner or ink cartridges, the printer driver, or the printer connection. The first step in diagnosing the problem is to print a test page. If the test page prints correctly, there is no problem with your printer, but the document printed out has blank pages. However, if the test page does not print, there is a problem with the printer. Check the printer cartridge for exhaustion, poor connection, or clogs, and also inspect the printer connection and driver.
Why Is My Brother Printer Printing Blank Pages?
Here are a few common factors that may cause your Brother printer to produce blank pages.
Blank Document Pages: Sometimes, the problem isn’t with the Brother printer but with the document itself. If there are blank pages in the document, your printer will reproduce them.
Low or Empty Toner/Ink: When the printer’s toner or ink cartridge is low or almost empty, your printer might print blank pages.
Clogged Ink Cartridges: In inkjet printers, especially those that have not been used for a long time, the printer ink can dry up and clog the print head. Eventually, the dry ink prevents the ink from reaching the paper, resulting in a blank page.
Faulty Print Driver: If your printer driver is corrupted or incorrectly configured, it can cause communication errors between the computer and printer, leading to blank prints.
Print Connection Problems: A poor connection between your computer and your Brother printer can interrupt the printing process, causing blank pages.
My Brother Printer Is Printing Blank Pages: How to Fix It?
When your Brother printer starts printing blank pages, it is crucial to check for each cause systematically.
Check the Printed Document
The first thing you should do is to verify if the Brother printer blank pages are caused by the document itself. Print a test page or any other document to see if the printer works properly. If the test page prints correctly, the Brother printer is functioning properly, and the problem is probably with your document.
Print Preview: Before printing, use the “Print Preview” feature to check for any blank pages in your document. Once you find blank pages, you can delete them or skip them with the “Skip Blank Page” setting when printing.
Reprint the Document: Sometimes, simply reprinting the document can solve the problem. Print a few more copies to see if the problem persists.
If the document is not the issue, move on to the next step.
Reinstall Your Cartridges
First, remove the toner cartridge and drum assembly from your Brother printer. Then, press the tab to release the toner cartridge from the drum assembly. Gently shake the cartridge horizontally to redistribute the toner inside. Finally, press the tab to combine the cartridge and drum assembly and put it back into your printer. Try to print again to see if this solves your Brother’s blank page issue.
For Brother inkjet printers, remove the ink cartridges from the printer one by one, put them back into the printer, and close the cover. Then, print the document again to see if your printer can print normally.
This procedure may help if your printer has a temporary problem, the cartridges are installed incorrectly, or the toner or ink is deposited unevenly.
Check Toner or Ink Levels
When your toner or ink cartridge is almost used up, your Brother printer is likely to turn from normal page output to blank pages gradually. Therefore, it is necessary to check your toner or ink level.
For Windows: Settings icon > Devices > Printers & scanners > click the printer > Manage > Printing Preferences > Maintenance.
For Mac: Apple icon > System Preferences > Printers & Scanners > click the printer > Options & Supplies > Supply Levels.
For Brother Printer with a Touch Screen: Take Brother MFC-J1010DW, Brother MFC-L5710DW, and Brother MFC-L2820DW as examples. These touchscreen printers have an ink icon in the lower right corner; click it to see the available ink level or toner life.
For Brother Laser Printer with a Screen and Buttons: Take Brother HL-L2350DW as an example. Use the control panel and buttons to find the following path: Machine Info. > Parts Life > Toner Life.
For Brother Inkjet Printer with a Screen and Buttons: Take Brother MFC-J491DW as an example. Use the screen and buttons to find the following path: Settings > General Setup > Maintenance > Ink Volume.
If the toner or ink level is low, replace it with a new printer cartridge. After replacing the toner or ink cartridge, try printing again to see if the Brother printer blank page problem is resolved.
Clean the Inkjet Printer Printhead
Have you not used your Brother inkjet printer for a long time? Half a year or even a few years? Long periods of non-use can cause the ink in the cartridges to dry out and clog the print head. The clogged print head can then prevent ink from being deposited on the paper, resulting in Brother printer blank pages.
Cleaning the printhead several times may resolve the problem. Please note that this uses a lot of ink. A faster way is to replace the cartridge.
Print Quality Check:
When you perform a print quality check, your Brother printer will guide you through cleaning the print head.
For printers with a screen and buttons (such as the Brother DCP-J132W printer), follow this path:
- Press the “Menu” button, then “OK” to go to the “Ink” page. Press the “OK” button to select “Test Print.” Then, press “OK” to select “Print Quality.” Next, press the colour “Start” button to get a Print Quality Check page.
- Your Brother printer will ask, “Is Quality OK?” Select Yes or No, depending on how each color performs. Press the Down Arrow button to select “No.”
- A message “Black OK?” pops up; press the Up or Down Arrow button to respond. Next, a message “Colour OK?” pops up, press that as well. After that, the printer will display “Start Cleaning?”, press the Up Arrow. The cleaning process will take 1-2 minutes.
For a touch screen printer like Brother MFC-J6530DW, do the following:
- Home button > Setting icon > Maintenance > Improve Print Quality > Check Print Quality > Start
- Observe the Print Quality Check page and select “Yes” to proceed to the next step. According to the color performance on the page, select the closest pattern in turn. Finally, press “Start” to start cleaning, and the whole process takes 2-5 minutes.
Clean the Printhead Manually
If automatic cleaning does not work, you may need to clean the print head manually. The video below uses the Brother MFC-J5720DW printer as an example to show tips on solving the Brother blank pages problem when the ink dries up.
If the above cleaning does not work, consider replacing the ink cartridge. After cleaning the print head or replacing the ink cartridge, try printing again.
Cleaning the Toner Cartridge Contacts
One potential cause of your Brother laser printer printing blank pages could be dirty contacts on the toner cartridge. These contacts are located on the cartridge chip, usually on the left or right side of the cartridge. Sometimes, these electrical contacts in printer toner cartridges become stained, causing poor contact and failure to receive the charge needed to release the toner for printing.
You can remove the toner cartridge and wipe the electrical contacts with a dry, lint-free cloth. Then, put the toner cartridge back into the drum assembly and reinstall it in the printer. Finally, print the document again to see if there is any improvement.
This step can effectively solve the problem of Brother MFC printing blank pages.
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Restart the Printer
If the blank pages are caused by your Brother printer temporarily freezing, a simple restart may resolve the issue.
First, turn off the printer and unplug it, wait 3-5 minutes for the printer to reset its internal systems, then plug the printer back in and turn it on. After restarting, try printing again to see if the issue has been resolved.
Check the Printer Connection
A faulty connection between your computer and printer can also cause blank pages.
Delete the Brother printer from your computer’s list of devices and reconnect it. Make sure the connection is secure, whether it’s USB, Ethernet, or wireless. If you’re using a wired connection, check the cable for any damage or loose connections. After reconnecting, print your document again.
If the connection is stable but the Brother printer still prints blank pages, proceed to the next step.
Reinstall the Printer Driver
The printer driver is the software that allows your computer to communicate with the printer. If this driver is corrupted or outdated, it may not be able to issue the correct feedback and commands to your Brother printer.
Go to your computer’s control panel, find the printer driver, and uninstall it. Next, search “your printer model + driver” in the browser to download and install the latest driver. Then, restart the computer and the Brother printer. After reinstalling, try to print again to see if the Brother printer keeps printing blank pages issue has been resolved.
Seek Professional Help
If none of the above methods work, it's best to seek professional advice. You can contact Brother customer support for further assistance, and they can provide advanced troubleshooting steps or recommend service options. Besides, if your printer is still under warranty, you can take it to an authorized service center for repair.
My Brother Printer Has Ink but Prints Blank Pages: What Should I Do?
This problem could be caused by a clogged print head, a printer driver malfunction, or blank documents.
Clogged Print Head: As mentioned earlier, a clogged print head can prevent ink from reaching the paper. If you use a Brother inkjet printer, try cleaning the print head or replacing the ink cartridges with new ones.
Printer Driver Failure: A driver malfunction can also cause your Brother printer not to print properly. You can reinstall the driver for the printer to see if that solves the problem.
Blank Spaces in the Document: Use Print Preview to check if your printed document contains unintended blank pages. Additionally, checking the “Skip Blank Page” option can also solve this problem.
By addressing these potential causes, you should be able to resolve the issue and get your printer working again.
Wrap It Up
Dealing with a Brother printer printing blank pages can be frustrating, but the problem can usually be resolved with the right troubleshooting solutions.
