Fix Brother Printer Not Printing Issue

When a Brother printer won't print, the issue could range from a simple connection problem to a driver conflict. This guide covers all major causes and fixes.

Quick Diagnosis

Check these first:

• The printer is powered on (green LED, not blinking red)
• Paper is loaded in the tray
• Toner or ink cartridges are properly installed
• No error message on the display

Fix 1: Cancel All Pending Print Jobs

1. Open Settings > Printers & scanners
2. Click your Brother printer and select Open print queue
3. Press Ctrl+A then Delete to clear all jobs

Fix 2: Set Brother as Default Printer

1. In Printers & scanners, click your Brother printer
2. Click Set as default
3. Try printing again

Fix 3: Restart the Print Spooler

In Command Prompt (Administrator):

net stop spooler
net start spooler

Fix 4: Reinstall Brother Printer Driver

1. Uninstall current Brother drivers from Control Panel > Programs
2. Visit Brother's official support site
3. Enter your model number and download the full driver package
4. Install and restart your computer

Fix 5: Check Network Connection (WiFi Printers)

1. Print a Network Configuration Report from the printer's menu
2. Verify the IP address shown
3. On your PC, go to printer properties and verify the port IP matches

Fix 6: Fix on Mac

Open Terminal and run:

sudo lpadmin -x Brother_[ModelName]

Then re-add the printer from System Settings > Printers & Scanners.