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Printing Problems

Printing Problems

Problem Solution

The LED indicator is not lit.

  • Is the adapter cord connected correctly?

    Check the cord is connected correctly.

  • If the LED indicator still does not light up, contact Brother customer service.
The printer does not print, or a printing error is received.
  • Is the cable loose?

    Make sure the cable is connected securely.

  • Is the roll installed correctly?

    If not, remove the roll and reinstall it.

  • Has the roll run out?

    Install a new roll.

  • Is the Roll Compartment Cover open?

    Make sure the Roll Compartment Cover is closed.

  • Has a print error or transmission error occurred?

    Turn the printer off, and then turn it on again. If there is still a problem, contact Brother customer service.

  • If the printer is connected via a USB hub, try connecting it directly to the computer. If not, try connecting it to another USB port.
A data transmission error appears on the computer.
  • Is the correct port selected?

    Make sure the correct port is selected.

  • Is the printer in cooling mode?

    If the Power LED lights in green and the Status LED is flashing in orange, wait until the Status LED stops flashing, and then try printing again.

  • Are there any unfinished print jobs?

    If you try to print while other users are printing large amounts of data, the printer is unable to accept your print job until the current print jobs are completed. If this occurs, send the print job again after the other jobs are completed.

I want to cancel the current printing job. Press image while printing is paused.
The print quality is poor. Is there dust or dirt on the print head or roller preventing it from rotating freely?

Clean the print head or roller. For more information, see Related Information.

The printer does not feed paper.
  • Is there dirt or lint on the roller preventing it from rotating freely?

    Clean the roller. For more information, see Related Information.

  • Make sure the ejection path of the paper is not blocked.
  • Remove the roll and install it again. For more information, see Related Information.
  • Make sure the Roll Compartment Cover is closed completely.
The printer feeds paper continuously.
  • Open the Roll Compartment Cover.
  • Press any button to stop feeding.

    Press image while printing is paused to cancel the print job.

    Press any button except for image while printing is paused to resume printing.

The printer does not pause between labels.
  • Make sure you entered the media information correctly. You can set the media information using Paper Size Setup in the Printer Setting Tool.
  • If the sensor is dirty, wipe it with a dry cotton swab.
  • Make sure there are no items blocking the sensor.
An error occurs when the roll cannot be fed to the beginning of the printing.

If a feed error occurs, use the Paper Size Setup of the Printer Setting Tool to assign the correct paper settings to the printer.

Printer is in cooling mode. The thermal head is too hot.

The printer stops and resumes printing only after the thermal head has cooled down. The thermal head may become too hot if you are printing a large number of labels.

When the thermal head becomes too hot, it may produce imaging outside the print area. To avoid or delay overheating, make sure the printer has adequate ventilation and is not located in an enclosed space.

If the printer must cool down because it overheated due to the type of roll you are using or the contents of the label, printing may take longer than usual.

NOTE
This condition may occur more often when the printer is used at high altitude (more than 3,048 m) due to a lower air density available to cool the printer.
I want to reset the printer/delete the data transferred from the computer. See Related Information.
Print head cannot be attached. The print head cannot be attached if the print head spring is sticking out. Place the print head spring correctly and try again.
image
The media is not ejected correctly when using the optional label peeler. Has the sensor of the label peeler been exposed to direct sunlight?

If the sensor of the label peeler has been exposed to direct sunlight, loaded media may not be detected correctly. Use the printer in a location not exposed to direct sunlight.

When printing via the USB cable, the printer repeatedly pauses, and then continues printing.
  • Is the printer set for sequential printing? If so, set print mode to buffered printing.
    • Windows 10/Windows Server 2016:

      Click Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Click the printer you want to set up, and then click Open queue. Click Printer > Printing Preferences.

      Click the Other tab and select the After one page of data is received option.

    • Windows 8/Windows 8.1/Windows Server 2012/Windows Server 2012 R2:

      Click Orientation in the Apps screen. Click Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers. Right-click the printer you want to set up, and then click the Printing preferences menu.

      Click the Other tab and select the After one page of data is received option.

    • Windows 7/Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2008 R2:

      Click Start > Devices and Printers. Right-click the printer you want to set up, and then click the Printing preferences menu.

      Click the Other tab and select the After one page of data is received option.

  • (TD-4420DN/TD-4520DN) An alternative solution is to disconnect the LAN cable until USB printing is completed.

For Windows

For Windows
Barcodes printed using applications other than P-touch Editor cannot be read.

If the barcode data was created using a landscape orientation, change the Orientation setting in the Basic tab of the printer driver to Landscape and try again.

image

Printed Image Problems

Problem Solution
Printed paper contains streaks or poor quality characters, or paper is not fed correctly. Is the print head or roller dirty?

Although the print head generally remains clean under normal use, lint or dirt from the roller may become stuck on the printer head. If this occurs, clean the roller. For more information, see Related Information.

Printed barcodes cannot be read.
  • Print labels so that barcodes are aligned with the print head as shown below:

    image
    1. Print head
    2. Barcodes
    3. Printing orientation
  • Barcodes may not be read if they are reduced or enlarged.

Network Problems (TD-4420DN/TD-4520DN)

Problem Solution
You are using security software.
  • Confirm your settings in the installation dialog box.
  • Allow access when the security software alert message appears during the printer installation.
You are using MAC Address filtering.

You can confirm the MAC address by printing the Printer Settings Report. For more information, see Related Information.

Your printer is not connected correctly to the network.
  • Make sure the printer is in the mode you want to connect to.
  • If the printer is still not connected, do the following:
    • For Wired LAN

      Make sure the LAN cable is connected correctly.

Your printer is not assigned with an available IP address.
  • Confirm the IP address and the Subnet Mask. Verify both the IP addresses and Subnet Masks of your computer and your printer are correct and located on the same network.

    For more information on how to verify the IP address and the Subnet Mask, contact your network administrator.

  • Confirm your IP address, Subnet Mask and other network settings using the Printer Setting Tool. For more information, see Related Information.
Your previous printing job was unsuccessful.
  • If an unfinished print job is still in your computer's print queue, delete it.

    For example, when using Windows 10:

    Click Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Click the printer you want to set up, and then click Open queue. Click Printer > Cancel All Documents.

I have checked and tried all of the above, but my printer does not print.

Uninstall the printer driver and the software, and then reinstall them.

You did not select to allow access when the security alert dialog box appeared during the standard installation, BRAdmin Light installation, or when printing.

If you did not select to allow access when the security alert dialog box appeared, the firewall function of your security software may be blocking access. Some security software may block access without displaying a security alert dialog box. To allow access, see your security software instructions or contact the manufacturer.

Incorrect port numbers are being used for the Brother network features.

The following port numbers are used for Brother network features:

  • BRAdmin Light: Port number 161 / Protocol UDP

    For more information on how to open the port, see your security software instructions or contact the manufacturer.

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