If your Brother printer is ghosting then this article is a must-read. We discuss in detail the reasons for this printer problem and how to solve them. So, at the end of this article, you will have the answer to the big question: “Why is my printer ghosting?”.
Table of Contents
Brother Printer is Ghosting [Common Solutions]
The following are the most common solutions to your Brother printer ghosting…
1. Change the Printer Paper
The first thing to do if your Brother printer ghost images is to check if the paper is the recommended paper for your machine. For example, using inkjet paper for your laser printer may be one reason your Brother laser printer is ghosting.
Therefore, check the paper and if it does not meet your printer’s paper specification, replace it with one that does.
Check out this glossy paper for your Injet Brother printer below:
2. Check the Printer Environment’s Temperature
The temperature of the environment where the printer is kept is another major thing that causes ghosting on printers. The tendency for your Brother printer to ghost is heightened when the printer’s environment temperature is too low. According to Brother, the temperature environment for your printer should be between 50 – 90.5◦F.
Use a room thermometer to check the temperature. If it is below 50◦F, heat the room. And then check if your Brother printer ghosting problem has been fixed.
3. Adjust the Media Type
The media type must always be the same as the paper type you use for your machine. Not using the right media type often results in ghost printing on Brother printers. Adjusting your media type is a sure Brother printer ghosting fix in this case.
To check and adjust the media type for your printer, read the instructions below.
How to Adjust Brother Printer Media Type
Do the following to adjust Brother printer media type…
For Windows
Step 1: Click the start button and then select “Control Panel” then select “Devices and Printer”.
Step 2: Select your Brother printer to bring out the printer’s properties and then select “Printing Preferences”.
Step 3: Click the arrow next to the “Media Type” option to expand it. Check the list for your printer’s paper type and select it.
Step 4: Click on “Apply” and then “OK”. Finally, print any document to see if the problem has been fixed.
For Mac
Step 1: Select “File and Print” from the application.
Step 2: “Printer and Presets” may be the only option to appear. If this is the case, select “Show Details” to get more options.
Step 3: Next, select “Print Settings”. Expand the “Media Type” option by clicking the arrow beside it.
Step 4: Select the paper type which you use for your printer from the list of options.
Step 5: To save your settings, it has to be set as a preset. This can be done in very easy steps.
How to Save a Preset Printer Driver Setting on Mac
To save a present printer driver setting on your Mac computer, do the following…
Step 1: Open a document and open “File and Print”.
Step 2: Click on the preset menu that will come up and then select “Save Current Settings as a Preset…”
Step 3: Put in your desired name for the present and then click “OK”.
This will save your media type adjustment. So test print any document to see if your Brother printer keeps ghost printing.
4. Enable “Reduce Ghosting” Mode
There is a feature meant to “Reduce Ghosting” on your Brother printer. Simply enabling this feature may be all you need for your Brother laser printer ghosting fix.
How to Enable “Reduce Ghosting” Mode for Brother Printers
Follow the steps below to enable the “Reduce Ghosting” mode for Brother printers…
For Windows
Step 1: Follow steps 1 and 2 of the “How to Adjust Brother Printer Media Type (For Windows)” solution of this article. This will allow you to open your printer’s folder.
Step 2: Select your printer’s driver and then choose “Printing Preferences”. Then select “Advanced” at the top of the screen.
Step 3: Select “Other Print Options” and then “Improve Print Output”, and finally, choose “Improve Toner Fixing”.
Step 4: Click on “OK”, “Apply” and then “OK” again to save your settings. Test print any documents to see if the problem has been solved.
For Mac
Step 1: Follow steps 1 and 2 of the “How to Adjust Brother Printer Media Type (For Mac)” solution of this article.
Step 2: Next, select “Print Settings”. Expand the “Advanced” option by clicking the arrow next to it.
Step 3: Choose “Improve Print Output”, and then “Improve Toner Fixing”.
Step 4: Follow the instructions on the “How to Save a Preset Printer Driver Setting on Mac” of this article to save your settings.
Step 5: Print a document and see if your Brother printer ghosting problem is fixed.
5. Clean the Drum Unit
“What causes ghosting on a laser printer?” is a commonly asked question. Well, the drum unit may be the cause of the ghosting problem if it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. So one way to ensure your Brother laser printer ghosting gets fixed is to clean your machine’s drum unit.
How to Clean Brother Printer Drum Unit
Clean your Brother Printer drum unit with the following steps…
Step 1: Open the printer’s front cover then take out the toner and drum assembly. Place the assembly on any disposable cloth or paper to prevent spillage.
Step 2: You will find a green locking lever on your toner and drum unit assembly. Push this lever down and then take out the toner from the assembly.
Step 3: Inspect the drum’s surface, if you find any sort of damage, then stop right here and skip to the next solution. Because a damaged drum should be replaced rather than cleaned to fix the problem. If you do not find any damage, then continue to step 4.
Step 4: With the toner cartridge out, you will find a roller inside the drum unit. Use a clean cloth, or an alcohol swab, or dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol and gently clean the surface of the roller.
Step 5: If alcohol was used, allow the drum unit to get dried before moving on to step 6.
Step 6: Shift the green tab at the surface of the drum unit back and forth severally. This action is to clean the corona wire that is in the drum unit.
Step 7: Put the toner cartridge back in the drum unit, ensure it clicks back in place.
Step 8: Take the toner and drum unit assembly back to the machine and reinstall it. Close the printer’s front cover.
Step 9: Print out about 10 blank pages, this is to ensure that the surface of the drum becomes completely free of all debris.
Step 10: Print any document to see if the problem is fixed. If it is not, then clean the drum unit again. If the problem persists afterward, then the drum unit may be bad and should be replaced.
6. Replace the Drum Unit
You need to replace the drum unit if you found scratches on the surface of your drum unit. Or if cleaning the drum unit did not fix your Brother printer ghosting problem.
How to Replace Brother Printer Drum Unit
To replace your Brother printer drum unit, do the following…
Step 1: Ensure the printer is on and then open its front cover. Next, take the drum unit and toner assembly out of the printer.
Step 2: Remove the toner cartridge out of the assembly by pushing the green lever.
Step 3: Get the new drum and unpack it.
Step 4: Install the toner cartridge into the new drum unit and ensure it clicks in place.
Step 5: Put the toner cartridge and drum unit assembly back into the printer and then close the printer’s front cover.
Step 6: The drum counter has to be reset after the drum unit is replaced, do the following to do this:
i. Keep the printer on.
ii. Press the cancel button.
iii. Press down the Toner button for at least 5 seconds.
iv. Select “Drum” and finally press “Yes”.
The video below is a visual representation of how to replace Brother printer drum unit
To read more awesome articles, click any of the links below…
Brother Printer No Paper Issue [Solved]
Brother Printer Does Not Pickup Paper [Quick Fix]
Brother Printer Printing Grey [Solution]
Brother Printer Won’t Turn On [Quick Fix]
Can’t Turn Off Brother Printer [Solution]
Why is My Brother Printing Blank Pages [Reasons & Solutions]
7. Replace the Toner
Finally, replace the toner if your Brother laser printer is ghosting.
How to Replace Brother Printer Toner
Do the following to replace Brother printer toner…
Step 1: Leave the printer on and then open its front cover.
Step 2: Take the drum unit and toner cartridge assembly out of the machine.
Step 3: Remove the toner cartridge out of the drum unit by pushing the green lever.
Step 4: Get the new toner and unpack it.
Step 5: Put the new toner cartridge back in the drum unit and ensure it clicks in place.
Step 6: Move the green tab back and forth to clean the corona wire inside the unit.
Step 7: Take the assembly back to the printer and properly install it. Finally, return the printer’s front cover to its position.
This Brother Genuine toner cartridge is compatible with the following Brother laser printers: DCP-7060D, DCP-7065DN, HL-2230, HL-2240, HL-2220, HL-2240D, HL-2275DW, HL-2270DW, HL-2280DW, MFC-7240, MFC-7860DW, MFC-7360N, MFC-7460DN, MFC-7365DN
Conclusion
This article gives practical answers to the question: “What causes ghosting on printers?”. However, if your Brother printer continues ghosting after these solutions, then we advise you to contact Brother Customer Service for further assistance.
