Are you tired of constantly complaining: “My Brother printer won’t scan”? Then carefully read this article as we discuss how to make a Brother printer scan.
Table of Contents
How Do I Get My Brother Printer to Scan [In 8 Easy Steps]
In this section, we will give you 8 easy steps to make a Brother printer scan…
Step 1 – Ensure the Printer is Turned on
Check the LCD of your printer and ensure the printer is turned on. Your printer may be in sleep or deep sleep mode if the LCD is blank.
You will have to remove the printer from this power-saving mode. Read this article to find out how to remove your Brother printer from sleep or deep sleep mode.
Or watch this video that shows you how to remove your Brother printer from deep sleep mode…
Check the printer’s display for any error message. If any error message is displayed, then troubleshoot the problem. This article discusses how to troubleshoot common Brother printer error messages.
Step 2 – Check the Printer’s Connection
Your Brother printer has to be configured in a peer-to-peer network for you to be able to use the network scanning option.
Step 3 – Check your Brother Printer’s Availability to Print
You have to print out your Brother printer’s Print Test Page to check this…
How to Print Brother Printer Print Test Print
Do the following to print a Brother printer’s print test…
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and then choose “Control Panel”.
Step 2: Select “Hardware and Sound” and then select “Devices and Printers”.
Step 3: Right-click the Brother printer’s icon and then click on “Printer Properties”.
Step 4: Click on “Print Test Page”.
Step 4 – Check if the Printer’s Scanner Driver is Installed on your PC
Check your PC and see if the scanner driver is installed on your computer. If it not, then you need to download it.
How to Check if Printer’s Scanner Driver is Installed on your Computer
Check if your printer’s scanner driver is installed on your computer using the following steps:
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and then choose “Control Panel”.
Step 2: Type “Scanner” in the Control Panel’s search box.
Step 3: Click on “View Scanners and Cameras”.
Step 4: If the Brother printer’s scanner icon does not appear then the driver is not installed.
Step 5: To download the scanner, go to Brother’s official website and then open the “Downloads” section.
Step 6: Search and download “Full Driver & Software Package”. Follow the installation instructions after you have downloaded the driver.
Step 5 – Check for your Brother Printer’s IP Address
The next step to solve the: “My Brother printer prints but won’t scan” issue is to get your printer’s IP address. To do this, you need to print out the Network Configuration List.
How to Print Brother Printer Network Configuration List
Print out the Network Configuration List with the following steps…
Step 1: Press “Menu” from your Brother printer’s control panel.
Step 2: Scroll through the options using the “Up” and “Down” buttons. Press “OK” when “Print Reports” is displayed on the printer’s screen.
Step 3: Scroll through the options again using the “Up” and “Down” buttons. Press “OK” when “Network Config” is displayed on the printer’s screen.
Step 4: Select “Start” or “Mono (Black) Start”.
Step 5: Press “Exit”.
The printer will print out the Network Configuration List. Your printer’s IP address will be on the document.
But, if the IP address reads 0.0.0.0, then wait for a minute and then print out another Network Configuration list.
Step 6 – Set Up the Scanner Driver with Your Printer’s IP Address
How to Set Up Brother Printer Scanner Driver with Printer’s IP Address
Follow the steps below to set up your Brother Printer’s scanner driver using the printer’s IP address:
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button, and then choose “Control Panel”.
Step 2: Type “Scanner” in the Control Panel’s search box.
Step 3: Click on “View Scanners and Cameras”.
Step 4: Select your printer’s scanner icon.
Step 5: Click on the “Properties”.
Step 6: The UAC (User Account Control) screen is what will be displayed. To enter the Admin screen, click on “Yes” or “Continue”.
Step 7: Choose the “Specify your machine by address” option under the “Network Setting” tab.
Step 8: Now, type in your printer’s IP address from the Network Configuration List you printed earlier.
Step 9: Finally, click on “OK”.
Step 7 – Check your Firewall Settings
We understand the need to keep your PC protected at all times. But sometimes, your firewall settings might be the answer to the question: “Why won’t my Brother printer scan to my PC”.
This is because; your security software may not allow the connection that your network scanning tool requires to function. So, we recommend that you try disabling your firewall if you can’t get your Brother printer to scan.
Afterward, try to scan a document. If it scans, then you may simply disable the firewall whenever you have a scanning job.
How to Disable Firewall on Windows
Follow the steps below to disable the firewall settings…
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and then select “Control Panel”.
Step 2: Now, click on “System and Security”. And then, select “Windows Firewall”.
Step 3: Click on “Network and Sharing Center”.
Step 4: Check for your network location under the “View your active networks” option.
Step 5: Open “Control Panel” again and select “Windows Firewall”.
Step 6: Now, click on “Turn Windows Firewall on or off”.
Step 7: Select “Turn off Windows Firewall” for the network location which you checked for in step 4.
Step 8: Click on “OK”.
Watch this visual representation of the above steps…
Now, if you do not want to constantly disable your firewall whenever you need to scan, you may choose to adjust its settings.
How to Adjust Firewall Settings on Windows
Do the following to adjust your firewall settings…
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and then select “Control Panel”.
Step 2: Now, click on “System and Security”. And then, select “Windows Firewall”.
Step 3: Click on “Network and Sharing Center”.
Step 4: Search for your network location under the “View your active networks” option.
Step 5: Open “Control Panel” again and select “Windows Firewall”.
Step 6: Select “Advanced Settings” and then choose “Inbound Rules”, then, click on “New Rule…”
Step 7: Click on “Port” and then click on “Next”.
Step 8: Choose “UDP, Special local ports”.
Step 9: Type in “54925” and then click on “Next”.
Step 10: Check your network location’s profile and then, click on “Next”.
Step 11: You will find a “Name Box” on the new screen. Type in any description here and finally, click on “Finish”.
Try scanning a document after doing this to see if the Brother scanning problem has been fixed.
Do the following if it hasn’t and you still have the: “My Brother printer won’t scan to my computer” complaint…
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and then select “Control Panel”.
Step 2: Now, click on “System and Security”. And then, select “Windows Firewall”.
Step 3: Click on “Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall”.
Step 4: Now, click on “Change Settings”. Check your network location on “File and printer sharing” then click on “OK”.
Try to scan again, if the scanning problem persists, then go to the next step.
Step 8 – Make Sure Control Center is Operating
How to Confirm that Brother Control Center is Operating
Do the following to do this…
Step 1: Click on the “Start” button and then choose “All Apps”.
Step 2: Click on “Brother” and then, “Brother Utilities”.
Step 3: Now, choose “Control Center”.
Scan a document again. If you still cannot scan, then try the following…
i. Navigate to “Scanner Properties” following steps 1-4 of “Set Up the Scanner Driver with Your Printer’s IP Address” of this article.
ii. Click on the “Network Setting” tab and then select “Specify your machine by address”.
iii. Now, type in your printer’s IP Address. This was gotten in Step 5: “Check For Your Brother Printer’s IP Address”.
iv. Finally, click on “Apply” and “OK”.
You need to contact Brother Support if the “My Brother printer prints but won’t scan” problem persists at this point.
Note: These steps work for Windows operating system. So, if you can’t scan from Brother printer to Mac, you need to follow the steps in the next section.
To read more awesome articles, click any of the links below…
My Brother Printer is Printing Black Pages [How to Fix]
Brother Printer Only Printing in Black And White [Solved]
Brother Printer Vertical Black Line [Solved]
Brother Printer Doesn’t Print Black [Solution]
Brother Printer Asking to Replace Toner [Solved]
My Brother Printer Won’t Scan to Mac [How to Fix in 5 Steps]
Stop wondering: “How do I get my Brother printer to scan to my Mac” and follow the steps below to fix this problem…
Step 1 – Check Your Network Connection
Your Brother printer may not be available for network printing. To troubleshoot this you need to check and ensure your network connection is secured.
Step 2 – Check and Configure the Scanner Settings
Follow these steps to check and configure the scanner settings…
Step 1: Click on “Go” from your “Finder” bar. Then select “Application” then “Brother” and finally double click on “ControlCenter”.
The scanner driver was not properly installed if there is no ControlCenter software. Therefore, check and follow the steps below on “How to Uninstall and Reinstall Brother Printer Scanner Driver on Mac”.
Step 2: Next, select “Other…” for the Device Selector to appear.
Step 3: If you find your printer here, click on it and then click on “OK”. If you do not, go to the next step to add your printer to the list.
Step 4: Click on the (+) plus sign and a list of available printers will appear. If your printer is connected to your Mac computer via USB then your printer will appear under Kind: USB. Go to step 7.
Step 5: If you are a network user, click on the “Scan key Settings” to check it. You will be asked for a “Display Name”, type in any name you will like to be displayed whenever you scan a document.
Step 6: If you want to add a pin then click on “Enable PIN code protection”. Type in the pin you want. You will be asked for this pin whenever you want to scan a document.
Step 7: Ensure the right scanner is highlighted then click on “Add”.
Step 3 – Check if the Scanning Feature is Working
Do these steps to do this…
Step 1: Click on “Go” from your “Finder” bar. Then select “Application” then “Brother” and finally double click on “ControlCenter”.
Step 2: Click on “OCR” or “Image” or “File”.
If the printer scans, then the: “My Brother printer won’t scan to my Mac” issue has been solved. If it doesn’t, then you need to uninstall and reinstall your scanner driver.
How to Uninstall and Reinstall Brother Printer Scanner Driver on Mac
Do these steps to uninstall and reinstall the Brother printer scanner driver on your Mac computer…
Step 1: Unplug the USB cable connected to the Brother printer and your Mac PC.
Step 2: Log in as “Administrator”.
Step 3: Click on “Go” from your “Finder” bar. Then select “Computer”.
Step 4: Next, choose “Macintosh HD” then “Library”, then “Image Capture” and finally “Twain Data Sources”.
Step 5: Delete “Brother TWAIN.ds” and/or “Brother TWAIN2.ds”. If you do not see either of these, go to the next step.
Step 6: Click on “Go” from your “Finder” bar. Then select “Computer”. Next, choose “Macintosh HD” then “Library”, then “Image Capture” and finally “Devices”.
Step 7: Delete Brother scanner driver from here. If you can’t find the scanner here, go to the next step.
Step 8: Go to your trash bin and empty it. Then reboot your Mac computer.
Step 9: To reinstall the scanner driver, go to the download section of the Brother website. There, search for and download the “Scanner Driver (TWAIN)”
Step 10: Follow the installation steps given on the page you downloaded the driver.
Step 4 – Configure Your Firewall Settings
If you intend to scan with the “Scan” button on your printer, then you have to configure your firewall settings. This is because the firewall software may block the application which your Scan option requires to function.
To solve this, you need to configure your firewall to allow this application: “Macintosh HD/Library/Printers/Utilities/Server/NETserver.app.
Step 5 – Ensure Your Router Permits Communication Via Bonjour
You may have difficulty scanning from your Mac computer if your router doesn’t allow Bonjour communication. Check your router’s setting on your router’s manual and see if it allows Bonjour communication.
If the manual does not state this, then contact your router’s manufacturer to find out. You may also connect to another router and try to scan. If it works then the router is the source of the scanning issue.
Note: All the steps listed above apply to the following issues: my Brother MFC-j470dw won’t scan, my Brother MFC-l2700dw won’t scan, my Brother MFC-7860dw printer won’t scan.
We hope these steps have answered the question: “How do I fix my Brother printer not scanning”. However, if the scanning problem persists, then try scanning from another computer. If you can scan with your Brother printer from another computer then the computer is the problem.
In this case, you may either simply use another computer. Or, contact the computer’s manufacturer for further assistance on how to troubleshoot this problem.
How Do I Get My Brother Printer To Scan To Email [Solved]
There are two ways you can scan a document from your Brother printer to your Email. The two ways are:
1. Using your Brother printer’s scan button
And
2. Using ControlCenter.
1. Using Brother Printer Scan Button
How to Scan Email using Brother Printer Scan Button
Do these steps to use your Brother printer’s scan button to scan directly to your Email from your Brother printer…
Step 1: Load the document to be scanned.
Step 2: Next, press the “Scan” button on the printer’s control panel.
Step 3: Press the Up or Down arrow button to scroll until the printer displays “To Email” or an image of an envelope.
Step 4: Press “OK” to select this. If you are using a network to scan, go to the next step. If you aren’t skip the next step and go to step 6.
Step 5: Scroll using the Up or Down arrow buttons. When the printer displays the computer you want to use to email the document, select it. If your destination computer is not shown then you have to configure the computer settings.
For Windows
Do the following to configure your computer and make it visible when using the scan button…
i: Click on the “Start” button and then select “Control Panel”. Type “Scanner” in the Control Panel’s search box.
ii: Click on “View Scanners and Cameras”. Select your printer’s scanner icon. And then, click on the “Properties” button.
iii: Click on the “Network Setting” tab and then select “Specify your machine by address”.
iv: Now, type in your printer’s IP Address. If you do not know the IP address, print out the Network Configuration List. Do this by following the steps in the “Check for Your Brother Printer’s IP Address” section of this article.
v: Finally, click on “Apply” and “OK”.
For Mac
Follow the steps in the “Check and Configure the Scanner Settings” section of this article.
Step 6: You may decide to use the default settings or you may decide to change the settings. If you choose to use the default settings, move to the last step. If you want to change the settings, go to the next step.
Step 7: Select “Options”. If you want to scan the document’s two sides, select 2-sided Scan then, select 2-sided Scan: Short Edge or 2-sided Scan: Long Edge.
Step 8: Select “Set with Touch Panel” then press “On”.
Step 9: Choose the appropriate settings and then press “OK”.
Step 10: Press the “Start” button. Your Brother printer should start scanning the document now.
2. Using ControlCenter.
How to Scan Email using ControlCenter
Do the following to scan from your Brother printer using ControlCenter…
Windows
Step 1: Load the document to be scanned in the printer.
Step 2: Open the ControlCenter software. Under the “Scan” tab, choose “Document Type” and “Scan Size”.
Step 4: Now, click on “Scan”.
Step 5: The image you intend to scan will be shown on the image viewer. Confirm the image and if you need to, also edit it.
Step 6: Click on “Send E-mail”. When the dialog box appears, set the file setting and then click on “OK”.
Step 7: Your Email application will come up and the scanned image will be attached to a mail.
Mac
Step 1: Load the document to be scanned in the printer.
Step 2: Click on the “Scan” tab.
Step 3: Click on “E-mail”.
Step 4: A dialog box where you can configure the settings will appear. To preview the image, click on the “PreScan” box.
Step 5: Click on “Scan”. Your Email application will come up and the scanned image will be attached to a mail.
If you do all these and a “My Brother printer won’t scan to email” problem occurs then you can contact Brother Customer Service for further assistance.
How Do I Get My Mac to Recognize My Brother Printer [Solved]
Your Brother printer has to be added to your Mac computer for it to be recognized. To do this, follow these steps…
Step 1: Switch off your Brother printer and then unplug it from the power source. Do any of the following depending on how your printer is connected to your PC…
USB Connection
i. Plug the Brother printer back to the power source and then turn it back on.
ii. Connect the USB cable to the Mac computer and the printer.
Wired Connection
i. Connect your network cable to your Brother printer and the computer.
ii. Plug the Brother printer back to the power source and then turn it back on.
Wireless Connection
i. Plug the Brother printer back to the power source and then turn it back on.
ii. Set up your printer to your network. If you do not know how to do this, then read this article.
Step 2: Click on “Apple Menu” and then click on “System Preferences”.
Step 3: Select “Print & Fax” or “Print & Scan”.
Step 4: Click on the (+) plus sign.
Step 5: Make Brother printer your default printer by clicking on the “Default Printer” box.
Step 6: Ensure the same printer is selected in the “Print Using” box as well. And then click on the “Add” button.
Step 7: Quit “System Preferences”.
Your Mac computer should recognize your Brother printer now.
How to Scan to File with Brother Printer
Stop wondering: “Why won’t my Brother printer scan to file” and do the following to scan to file with your Brother printer…
Step 1: Set the Scan to File tool by doing the following…
Windows
i. Click on the “Start” button and then from “All Apps” select “Brother” and then “Brother Utilities”. Then select “Scan” and then “ControlCenter4”.
ii. If your system is not supported for Brother Utilities click on “Start”, “All Programs” then “Brother” then your Brother printer’s name. Finally, open “ControlCenter4”.
iii. If you are using “Home Mode”, click on “Device Settings”. And then Select “Device Scan Settings”.
iv. For “Advanced Mode”, click on “Device Settings”. And then Select “Device Scan Settings”. Then click on “File” and choose “PDF” in the “File Type” box. Configure the setting the way you want it and then click on “OK”.
Mac
i. Open your “Finder” bar and then click on “Go”. And then click “Application”, then “Brother” then double click on “ControlCenter”.
ii. Press and hold “Ctrl” and then select “File”.
iii. Click on the “Device Button”. Then click on “File” and choose “PDF” in the “File Type” box. Configure the setting the way you want it and then click on “OK”.
Step 2: Load the document to be scanned in the printer.
Step 3: Press the “SCAN” button on your Brother printer’s control panel.
Step 4: Scroll using the Up or Down buttons until “Scan to PC” is displayed on the screen. Now, press “OK”.
Step 5: Scroll using the Up or Down buttons until “File” is displayed on the screen. Now, press “OK”.
Step 6: If you are using a wireless connection then choose your destination computer.
Step 7: Press “OK”.
Step 8: You may choose to use the default setting or to change the setting.
To change the setting, press the Down button and select “Yes”. Press “OK”. Then change all the settings you want to change.
To use the default setting, press the Down/Up button and select “No”. Press “OK”.
Step 9: Press the “Start” button. Your Brother printer will now scan your document to file as a PDF.
