- Printers
- Inkjet printer
replace-ink
Brother Replace Ink on inkjet printer: ink cartridge used up
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
Replace Ink on your Brother inkjet means one or more cartridges have reached the end of their life and the machine stops printing. Check which colour the display names and fit a new cartridge of that colour; scanning keeps working in the meantime.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- If ink gets into your eyes, rinse them with water straight away and see a doctor if any redness or irritation appears, as Brother advises.
- Do not shake or dismantle the cartridges and keep fingers off the insertion slots; wash ink off skin or clothing with soap or detergent at once.
- Brother advises against refilling cartridges with third party ink: it can harm print quality or cause faults its limited warranty does not cover.
Safe checks you can perform
- Read which colour the display asks for
- Change the cartridge the way Brother describes
- Use black-only mode in the meantime
- Check that each colour sits in its own slot
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Contact Brother customer service
- Do not attempt this professional task: Inspection at a Brother authorised service centre
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Contact Brother customer service
What they doIf the ink warning stays with a correctly seated Brother Original cartridge, Brother says to contact its customer service or your local Brother dealer.
They must show youthe exact display message, the cartridges installed and a test page after their check.
In writingthe diagnosis, any part replaced and why, warranty status and the case number.
Inspection at a Brother authorised service centre
What they doIf, besides the warning, the machine repeatedly fails to recognise new cartridges, take the printer to a Brother authorised service centre.
They must show youthe test that confirms the fault, any part removed and a test print when finished.
In writingwhat was replaced and why, whether the warranty covers it and the case number.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Read which colour the display asks for
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- open the ink cartridge cover and read the message: B&W Print Only when colours are out, Replace Ink when the machine will not print; note every colour it lists.
- Result that matters:
- knowing how many cartridges, and which colours, to buy.
- If only colours are out:
- you can keep printing in black while you get them.
- If black is listed too or Replace Ink is shown:
- the cartridge must be changed before printing again.
- Evidence to keep:
- photo of the display showing the colours.
Evidence: Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink · Brother inkjet FAQ - Print using only the black ink cartridge when the Colour cartridges have run out
Change the cartridge the way Brother describes
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- press the lock release lever for the colour shown and remove the cartridge; unpack the new one without touching the marked area, insert it in the direction of the arrow on the label and push PUSH until it locks; close the cover.
- Result that matters:
- the machine resets its ink dot counter and the warning clears.
- If the message disappears:
- print a page to confirm.
- If Cannot Detect or No Ink Cartridge appears:
- reinstall it slowly and firmly until it locks into place.
- Evidence to keep:
- date of the change and cartridge model fitted.
Evidence: Brother DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW Online User's Guide - Error and Maintenance Messages · Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
Use black-only mode in the meantime
- Who:
- you, from the computer.
- How:
- in Printing Preferences, Basic tab, choose Plain Paper as Media Type and select Greyscale; click Apply and OK before sending the job.
- Result that matters:
- printing in black while the warning concerns colour only.
- If it prints in black:
- you have roughly four weeks, depending on your volume.
- If nothing prints:
- make sure you did not unplug the machine or remove a cartridge, as either ends this mode.
- Evidence to keep:
- screenshot of the driver settings used.
Evidence: Brother DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW Online User's Guide - Error and Maintenance Messages · Brother inkjet FAQ - Print using only the black ink cartridge when the Colour cartridges have run out
Check that each colour sits in its own slot
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- if Wrong Ink Colour appears after the change, see which cartridges do not match the colour of their position and move them; every colour has a fixed place.
- Result that matters:
- all cartridges seated in the slot for their colour.
- If the warning clears once they are swapped:
- the order was the issue.
- If the machine still rejects them:
- confirm the cartridge model number suits your printer.
- Evidence to keep:
- photo of the installed row of cartridges.
Evidence: Brother DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW Online User's Guide - Error and Maintenance Messages · Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Printers
- Brand
- Brother
- Product type
- Inkjet printer
Known code variants
- Brother B&W Imprimir sólo
- Brother B&W Print Only Replace ink
- Brother DCP-J1050DW cambiar cartucho
- Brother DCP-J1100DW Replace Ink
- Brother Ink Low
- Brother inkjet ink cartridge empty
- Brother MFC-J1010DW Replace Ink
- Brother MFC-J1010DW Sustituir tinta
- Brother printer stopped printing replace ink
- Brother Replace Ink
- Brother Sólo impresión en B&N
- Brother Sustituir tinta
- impresora Brother tinta agotada no imprime
What it means
These Brother inkjets use an ink dot counter that tracks the level in each of the four cartridges and warns you when one runs out. In the DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW user guide, Replace Ink stops all printing, while B&W Print Only means only colour cartridges are spent and lets you print in black for approximately four weeks, depending on how much you print. Ink Low usually comes first. The warning comes from the machine's count, so it is not proof that the print head or a cartridge is faulty. Other Brother models may behave differently.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Mediumsource verified
If ink gets into your eyes, rinse them with water straight away and see a doctor if any redness or irritation appears, as Brother advises.
Evidence: Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
- Lowsource verified
Do not shake or dismantle the cartridges and keep fingers off the insertion slots; wash ink off skin or clothing with soap or detergent at once.
Evidence: Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
- Lowsource verified
Brother advises against refilling cartridges with third party ink: it can harm print quality or cause faults its limited warranty does not cover.
Evidence: Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Cartridge at the end of its lifeCommon
The ink dot counter detects that one or more cartridges are running out, and Brother stops printing to protect the print head.
Evidence: Brother DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW Online User's Guide - Error and Maintenance Messages · Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink · Brother inkjet FAQ - Print using only the black ink cartridge when the Colour cartridges have run out
- Colour used up even though you print mostly blackPossible
Brother explains that automatic cleaning cycles draw a little ink from every cartridge and the driver defaults to colour, mixing all colours even to produce black.
Evidence: Brother MFC-J1010DW FAQ - Why do the color ink cartridges run out of ink even though I never or rarely print in color?
- Cartridge removed needlessly or non-Brother inkLess common
Taking out a cartridge that does not need replacing makes the machine lose track of the ink left; with non Brother Original ink it may not detect the ink volume.
Evidence: Brother DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW Online User's Guide - Error and Maintenance Messages · Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
Virtual technician
Does replace-ink still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Brother DCP-J1100DW and MFC-J1300DW Online User's Guide - Error and Maintenance Messages
Brother Industries, Ltd. · official_doc
- 2
Brother MFC-J1010DW and DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Replace Ink
Brother Support · 2022 · official_doc
- 3
Brother MFC-J1010DW y DCP-J1050DW FAQ - Sustituir tinta
Brother Support · 2023 · official_doc
- 4
Brother Support · 2025 · official_doc
- 5
Brother Support · 2025 · official_doc
- 6
Brother Support · 2021 · official_doc
Was this entry useful?