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Brother Printer Ink Cartridges: Brother Ink User Guide
Brother printer ink cartridges produce premium prints and, alas, are expensive. But users and businesses are looking for alternative compatible options finding the costs of replacing OEMs far too straining on the budget.
Ink Cartridge for Brother Printers
Source: Brother
Brother printer ink cartridges make it to our top list of premium must-haves for businesses and users in terms of quality. Brother tested these cartridges to ensure high-quality, vivid, true-to-color prints that spell professionalism. But the expense of buying these ink cartridges is high, and some benefits outweigh the costs. But, compatible Brother ink cartridges also provide the same quality as the genuine ones at a fraction of the price.
This guide lists the items you need to know about brother printer ink cartridges. Read on to get useful tips when using the product, including options in getting affordable alternatives.
What are Printer Ink Cartridges?
Ink cartridges, generally, prints using inkjet printers. Ink cartridges use liquid ink, while toner cartridges use powder ink, which is incompatible with inkjet printers. Ink cartridges contain different colors: black, cyan (blue), magenta (reddish hue), and yellow as the most common ones. Cartridges contain these colors, and the printer mixes them to produce a variety of other colors.
Brother printer ink cartridges print through tri-color or multi-color inks to produce clear photographs and images. The cartridge contains a sponge soaked in ink and nozzles that sprays ink into the media during printing.
The chip in the cartridge allows the printer to communicate with the computer and programs the inks necessary for printing and the location in the media where the inks are applied, producing the desired image. The chip also communicates ink levels and cartridge compatibility with the printer to the computer and warns users if cartridges need a replacement for low ink levels and compatibility issues.
Alternate cartridges, such as Brother printer cartridges from Yo-yo Ink, also use chips that allow Brother printers to recognize and print without compatibility issues, as would genuine Brother ink cartridges.
What are Brother Printer Compatible Ink Products
Brother printer ink cartridges are high in quality but also high in cost. Issues such as replace-ink warnings despite low page yields also become bothersome when purchasing expensive genuine ones.
We have listed the most popularly-used off-brand Brother-compatible ink cartridges that perfectly match genuine ones in terms of quality and high page yields but at a lesser cost.
Source: YoYoink
At a fraction of the price of the genuine Brother printer ink cartridges, you can get high-quality and long-lasting printouts using the Compatible Brother LC203 XL Ink Cartridge. This product comes with a smart chip compatible with the Brother MFC Series Printers.
The Brother LC203 Ink Cartridge comes in 2 Black, 1 Cyan, 1 Magenta, and 1 Yellow and prints up to 550 pages in black and color. The product is also guaranteed to meet or exceed OEM specifications.
YoYoink actively participates in the Go Green campaign and uses recycled ink cartridges to lessen landfill wastes.
Source: YoYoink
Another affordable replacement, these Brother printer ink cartridges are compatible with the Brother MFC series and come in 6 colors with two cyan (LC203 XL), two magenta (LC203M XL), and two yellow (LC203Y XL) in a pack.
This ink cartridge produces the same quality as the OEM at a significantly lesser price. Each cartridge prints up to 550 pages of colorful and vivid images.
YoYoink actively participates in the Go Green campaign and uses recycled ink cartridges to lessen landfill wastes.
Source: YoYoink
Brother cartridges at a value lower than the genuine ones, the Compatible Brother LC203 XL 10 PACK includes 4 Black, 2 Cyan, 2 Magenta, and 2 Yellow cartridges. Each color yields around 550 pages.
This product prints vivid images resistant to fading, smudging, and bleeding and is perfect for printing photographs and multi-color images.
How to Check Brother Printer Ink Levels: Step-by-Step Guide
We recommend all users regularly check the ink levels of your Brother printer ink cartridges to secure replacements ahead of time before the computer warns of low ink levels. Most Brother users also attest that cartridges usually run out of ink before reaching the indicated page yields.
The Status Monitor, installed through the printer software, and the Control Panel report ink status. To check the Brother printer ink levels, follow these very easy steps.
Using the Control Panel
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- Option 1. Click the Ink Icon and then Ink Volume.
- Option 2. Click Setting. Go to Maintenance. Go to Ink Volume. Press Home.
Using the Control Center (Windows)
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- Click Start.
- Click All Programs or All apps.
- Click Brother.
- Click Brother Utilities.
- Select Scan
- Click Control Center.
- View the Ink Level
Using the Control Center (MAC OS X)
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- Click Go.
- Click Applications
- Click Brother
- Double Click Control Center
- Click Device Settings
- Click the Ink Level Button
How to Install a Brother Ink Cartridge: step-by-step guide
Source: YoYoink
Before printing, we recommend properly placing the Brother ink cartridges into the printer. To know how to install a Brother ink cartridge, read the step-by-step guide below.
1. Turn on your printer. The computer should display “No Ink Cartridge” or “Install Starter Ink”.
2. Open the cartridge cover.
3. Remove the orange protection and store it for future use.
4. Unpack the cartridge.
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- Release the vacuum seal by turning the green lever on the orange packaging counterclockwise.
- Remove the orange protection.
Tips:
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- Be careful when removing the orange packaging. Take care not to shake the cartridge to prevent ink leakages. If ink comes in contact with your clothing or skin, immediately wash the stain off with soap or detergent.
- As much as possible, touch only the plastic covering of the cartridge and do not touch the chip, nozzle and other parts.
5. Place the ink cartridge into the slot in the printer appropriate for its color.
6. Gently push the cartridge into the slot until you hear a “click,” which indicates proper placement.
7. Do the same Steps 4 to 6 for other cartridges that need replacement.
8. Once the cartridges are in place, close the ink cartridge cover.
9. Please wait for the printer to set up the ink into its system for about five minutes.
10. Once the printer has completed the setup, the printer will direct you to print a test page through a Print Quality Check Sheet (PQCS). Follow the steps directed into your display.
Tips:
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- Take out the Brother printer ink cartridges only during replacement. Doing this may cause wrong readings in ink levels.
- Constantly moving the ink cartridges can cause the ink to leak.
- In case of misplacement of ink cartridges and mixing of colors, correct the placement and clean the print head several times until achieving the clean, ideal printout.
- Genuine Brother printer ink cartridges usually have an expiration period. You can return problematic cartridges within this period. We recommend you use these cartridges within six months of installation. Unlike OEM ink cartridges, YoYoink offers a 2-year warranty with every purchase of alternative compatible ink cartridges from its shop.
- Do not tamper or take apart the ink cartridge to avoid any ink spillage.
The Best way to Store Brother Printer Ink
Source: Pexels
Properly storing your ink cartridges is very important to avoid spills and messes and, at the same time, to prevent any damage to the chip. Here are tips demonstrating the best way to store Brother printer ink cartridges.
(a) Unopened Ink Cartridges
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- Store in a dark, dry place.
- Do not shake or move the cartridges.
- Check the expiration date in each package and use it before this date.
(b) Opened Ink Cartridges
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- Place and store the cartridge in an airtight plastic container or tub with the nozzle up. Do not use plastic bags.
- With the cartridge, place a damp paper or cloth in the container.
(c) Installed Ink Cartridges
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- After every use, turn the Power button of the printer Off. Doing this will place the cartridges into a capped position. Once the power light is out, pull the plug from the power source.
How to Refill Brother Printer Ink
If the ink cartridges are low in ink, the printer will display Cannot Print or B&W Print Only. To refill the Brother printer ink cartridges, follow the steps listed below.
- Open the ink tank cover.
- Remove the cap of the ink tank that needs refilling.
- Remove the cap from the ink refill bottle.
- Remove the film cover from the ink refill bottle.
- Tightly replace the cap.
- Remove the tip of the cap and insert the bottle nozzle into the tank’s opening. Pour the refill ink into the ink tank by gently squeezing the bottle and making sure you are refilling the correct color.
- Refill ink until it reaches the indicator line of the tank.
- With the bottle’s nozzle pointed up, carefully remove the ink bottle from the ink tank and recap. Store ink bottle with excess ink in a cool, dark place.
- Repeat steps 2 to 8 for each tank that needs replacing.
- Replace the cap into the ink tank.
- Close the ink tank cover.
- Check the ink levels to ensure that the ink tanks were properly loaded.
Low Price Ink Cartridge Options
The value of original ink cartridges for Brother inkjet printers is in their high quality. But these products are also high cost and high maintenance. Other off-brands, such as the Brother compatible ink cartridges from YoYoink, provide more affordable options at the lesser price of OEMs. Take a look at the collection of premium ink cartridges from the shop.