Brother Printer Ink Not Detected Fix Save Money Hack

Here's a little trick I like to use when I change my ink cartridges in my Brother MFC-J470DW printer. Printer does not recognize ink. Click 'SHOW MORE' below
Hope it helps you save a few dollars when replacing ink. I've only tried this with the Brother Printer but do think it could work for other models, feel free to comment and let me know if you tried it and it works. Thank you for watching.
Subscribe here / @shann_free_spirit
BROTHER PRINTER J470DW
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There is also the same All in ONE printer available for less with the Amazon Dash Replenishment Program
Dash Program Brother Printer
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Ink used
Color pack LC- 103
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Black ink LC-101
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Filmed & Edited by me.
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[@katrinalagos1269]

This worked!! So simple, so smart, and no risk! I got this printer back in 2016 and hadn't used it for the last couple of years. When looking at the cartridges there was clearly ink. I thought that I had tried everything but thought that my printer was done for. This is a great hack. So glad I found this video. Thank you!

[@katleiz]

Almost screamed and woke up my family from happiness oh gosh. It works thank you so much! I have an old Brother DCP- J100 and this hack worked like a charm. We're still in community quarantine and the local ink refilling shop is closed down. I'm starting online classes this week and there's already so much stuff to print out. This is a literal lifesaver.

[@shann_free_spirit]

lei ls Wonderful!! I am SO HAPPY you found it helpful and it worked. Thank you for commenting. Best luck with your classes.

[@veryangrystorks]

Hello! A note to all Brother J875DW printer users: I have a Brother MFC-J875DW printer. I tried your black Sharpie trick and it didn't work, no matter how thoroughly or how many times I tried to give it a once-over with the Sharpie. I Sharpied the bejeezus out of that thing. However, I took a small slip of printer/copier paper -- about 1 cm. wide? -- and "wrapped" it around the window (the window you Sharpied) and that worked perfectly for me. I also shook the cartridge first, but I don't know if that'd make a huge difference. Thanks for the Sharpie idea, though. Very creative!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Nice! Glad you could hack yours. Have you tried black electrical tape? Was the piece of paper colored or blacked out? Thanks for commenting 😊

[@ileanarias]

What I did with the same model is tape only one side, the second side when you insert the cartridge in the printer (I don't know well how to explain it). It didn't work when I tried both sides or the other.

[@sabrosaintelegente8222]

In Order For This Trick To Work. I had to remove the cartridge; unplugged the printer FOR 1 MINUTE; face the front of the printer to the ceiling; i plugged printer back up; I tapped the back of the ink cartridge a few times to get all the ink in the white nozzle; I put the ink cartridge back in; I hit #1 to confimed I changed the cartridge & IT FINALLY WORK!!!! I CAN FINALLY PRINT AGAIN!!!!

[@norman8182]

Oh gosh!! I have a J715W and using genuine Brother ink. Then spent an hour pushing ink cartridge in and out, closing cover etc and still got the annoying msg "cannot detect ink" "cannot print" .. so I sticked a masking tape (not even black) under that "bridge" and over the window slightly... and it worked!!! Thanks so much for posting this amazing yet simple hack. Saved my day/night as I have to print an important document ;D. HUGS!!!!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Mere wonderful!!! I am so happy it worked for you. You’re very welcome and thank you for commenting. XoxoX

[@lesliemorantine3375]

That is a lot simpler than trying to thread a piece of black electrical tape..lol. I just got new cartiridges (OEM) in mail from Ebay and on replacing yellow ink cartridge with a new one, got the message that it did not detect a cartridge. I taped the window and it's working now. Also, I took all cartridges out and put them back in one at at time and now they are all showing full (My black was getting low). I am so glad I found this trick! Thanks!~ Sharpies Rock!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Leslie Morantine thanks for the comment. I’m so glad you found a solution!

[@singtweetypie]

While the sharpie ink wasn't adhering to the plastic on my Brother LC103M cartridges, black electrical tape, cut to fit, worked perfectly. I never print in colour - and these stupid machines will not print if the colour cartridges are low. Now I don't have to keep buying coloured ink that I don't need and just worry about my black cartridge. You have saved me so much money with your hack. Thank you so much.

[@shann_free_spirit]

singtweetypie you’re very welcome! Thanks for the comment and I’m so glad it worked for you.

[@drewsuschrist]

how are your colour ink cartridges low if you never print in colour?! ;)

[@singtweetypie]

@@drewsuschrist That's an excellent question - and would love if I knew the answer to it. I set up my printing for black and white only - and maybe 4 or 5 times when printing a movie ticket off the web have mistakenly printed in colour - but that's about it. I have had this same issue with both an HP printer in the past and a Brother printer now - and pay to keep replacing colour cartridges that say they are low - and yet are never used. Of course I can't print in B&W if the colour is low - which is why this fix is excellent

[@drewsuschrist]

@@singtweetypie I was being a cheeky bastard asking that question, but the reality is that your printer will use these colours even when printing a plain black and white text document. They will apply some of all three colours before black text for no reason other than to waste ink. Also, yellow is used to output "invisible" elements in your printed documents so that authoritative organizations are able to trace printed documents back to their point of origin. That is, if you were to print a threatening letter to someone, your printer would leave a "fingerprint" on the printed page such that the authorities would be able to trace it back to you.

[@singtweetypie]

@@drewsuschrist Ah...I am betting you are either Irish or English. Love that expression - you 'cheeky bastard' :) I did know that they use a touch of the colour inks with black and white - but not to the degree I keep going through them. But hey - thanks for that very interesting information on the yellow ink. I did not know that and just read this article from 2017 that outlines how they tracked someone down using that information. It does say that you can work around it by using "a black and white printer, a black and white scanner, or convert the scanned images into black and white - not greyscale - using an image editing software" Thanks very much! gadgets.ndtv.com/laptops/features/nsa-leaker-reality-winner-microdots-printer-spying-metadata-1714577

[@daleannpearlman2042]

Oh thank you so much for your video!!! I have a Brother MFC-J485DW and like you and all others who replied, had the same problem of the printer not printing when the cartridges were half full. I took a black marker (my Sharpie was too light). After replacing all cartridges I had to re-coat the magenta. After replacing it the machine went through a cleaning then showed all cartridges were filled. I printed your instructions and attached them to the Brother manual. I also am good at fixing "unfixable" things. I learned how to syphon water out of my headlamp on my 2007 Subaru Forester using a gravy baster and flexible black tubing which I attached to the end of the gravy baster. I then used electrical tape to seal the lamp. Water still gets in somehow but not nearly as much. I saved myself $400! :) Thank you again for posting your video!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Dale Ann Pearlman You are so welcome! Thank you very much for your comment. I appreciate the craft of fixing “unfixable” things!! It’s extremely rewarding to do it yourself and thank goodness we now have KZbin, seems we can mostly do anything ourselves. Best to you!!

[@daleannpearlman2042]

Best to you too, ShannJ. Hope you and all who commented stay well and safe.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Dale Ann Pearlman Thank you! Wishing the same for you!

[@Ryan-ob2dr]

THANK YOU!!!!! Sharpy didnt really work on mine, but I used a thin layer of black paint and this worked for my Brother MFC-J985DW XL. This printer is literally used for printing shipping labels and NOTHING else. That is its ONLY job. I've never printed a color label in it's entire life and should have completely full color ink. This morning it told me that ALL 3 colors are empty. I took them out and sure enough, they are legitimately empty. These printers MUST spit out color mixed into the black JUST to use up the ink. It's a total scam!! But thanks to this trick, I do not need to buy new color ink and my black prints perfectly!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AWESOME TRICK!!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Ryan Moretti You’re so welcome! Thank you for the comment. I completely agree with you! Mine is used the exact same way and yup sure enough my color runs out too! Ugh it’s frustrating. I’m not sure if newer models have the same error but I have a feeling they do. So glad it worked for you.

[@SkySweetie]

Thank you! Using a MFC-J470DW, and it didn't work, so I've tried over 50 times popping it in and out. The sharpie didn't work, but a yellow post-it note worked over one. The yellow is giving me issues. I unplugged and then the cyan worked... still working on the yellow. Edit: Got the yellow to work by re-doing the paper and I waited a bit while the door was open to do this, maybe it senses the wait time to "open a new package" Iunno. Thanks for confirming this works and being detailed! Also, I'm glad it's out there for the company to see it's not right too...

[@shann_free_spirit]

Layith thank you so much for your comment and follow up!! So strange how these things work and yes I agree I’m glad the company can see this info as well hopefully they’ll change things down the line. Your tips will I’m sure help someone out. Thanks again!

[@val2146]

Thank you!! I was testing a printer for work and didnt want to waste a new cartridge, it worked so well!!!

[@RN3798]

OMG! This was amazing ( I don’t use the term lightly) !! It totally worked. Thank you for getting to the point right away and showing your viewers how to get around this problem. 👍🏻

[@TonyaRocks]

I just wanted you to know I love you, I had a big box of aftermarket ink going on 2 years and was on the last set of colors and only yellow would read. I couldn't find a black sharpie so I used a black acrylic marker

[@shann_free_spirit]

Awww Wonderful. This makes me so happy to hear. Xoxo

[@pbaker0514]

Wow! I can't believe I researched for an hour before finding this hack... it worked!!

[@tessadecker8800]

I used electrical tape on only 1 side (so i can easily check the actual fill amount) in my j480dw and it worked! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[@72hourbob61]

I tried the sharpie with no luck but used black Elec. tape and it worked like a charm. Just set your printing to grayscale. I never print anything in color. Thanks and take care.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Perfect so glad the tape worked for you. Great thanks for the Grayscale tip! Appreciate your comment. Take care. 😊

[@capper6100]

The printer will still use some color even when printing full black because it’s a scam

[@muhaiminmarhaini242]

Thank you.. it's work. My printer MFC J200 ink cannot detect too. I've coloured with black marker, all window for M, C, and Y and it's going well. After cleaning processes, it start printing

[@shann_free_spirit]

Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that and thank you for taking the time to comment.

[@dmalf3]

I did the marker, on the cyan and magenta. The Cyan worked, the magenta didn't. Put a new magenta in and the cyan had no ink problems. Will try the black tape. This is why I will NEVER buy another Brother Printer. I have had more problems with my MFC-J485DW than any printer I have ever had in the last 40 years. They make you buy more ink than needed. Too expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@biscuitbisque4664]

I was loosing my mind with the error messages! Thank you so much! I used a black dry erase and it worked for me!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Kittenlasagna that’s wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear it worked for you. Thank you for your comment.

[@franksarmiento9799]

just ran across your video and thank you it really helped. I was venting to my gf on my phone about how the printer had ink, but it kept giving me "low ink cartridge". But thanks again for the life saver!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Frank Sarmiento you’re so welcome! Glad it worked for you and thank you for commenting!!

[@antoinetteiacobucci]

Very useful tip. I was so frustrated by this problem and changed the half-full cartridges to try to resolve the matter but it didn't help. Thank you. My only suggestion is that you make sure what you are showing can actually be seen on the screen. Sometimes you were off camera.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Antoinette Iacobucci Thank you for the suggestion and comment.

[@OlinaFan15]

Omg, this video helps a lot, the market didn't work for me so I go grab some black tape it works immediately, I hope I know this earlier so I won't waste so much ink in the past.

[@shann_free_spirit]

shiilan16 wonderful! I’m so glad you found something that worked. Thanks for commenting. Take care.

[@howardhuang1379]

Using tape work well. Thanks for hack. It is good for emergency printing when you can't get ink replacements.

[@drc536]

Thanks for the tip! I didn't have electrical tape and was a bit hesitant to use sharpie, so I blackened painter's tape with a sharpie and covered the window. Waalaa!!! Printer printed like normal. Wish I had this trick ten carts ago....

[@shann_free_spirit]

Hey drc536, Thanks for sharing! You're most welcome, I am so GLAD you were able to find a way to make it work for you. Appreciate your comment. Happy Future Savings😀

[@pashaboss6]

Same problem here i got another brother printer and it doesn't let me print unless i have all colors filled

[@jwrobin21]

Tilt the printer back by propping up the front by about 5 cm (a few books does the trick but fill your bottom tray with paper first). This forces the ink to run back to the rear outlet nozzle and gets you that final bit of value out of your cartridge. The Yellow Cartridge will probably need the hack displayed here as the Laser detector is able to shine through the fading yellow levels and thus reading empty when it is not.

[@shann_free_spirit]

jwrobin21 thank you. That’s a great tip. I’ll definitely try it out. Thanks for commenting.

[@mechellemitchell8478]

Thank you so much!!!! I have not been able to print anything because of this situation. I am so happy right now!!!!

[@Valkyria2569]

Thank You So Much For Showing This Method!!! 😍🤩😍🤩😍 Although, my printer is absolutely horrible because not only does it waste brand new color ink, black electrical tape or a Sharpie didn't fool the sensor, but luckily I was able to improvise with black acrylic paint, and it worked (I usually just need to print black/white documents anyway). 💗💗💗💗💗💗 Now, I don't have to destroy my printer (yet).

[@hajahbubbleable]

omg. this is the best trick ever, its work and would do it to all my cartridges that i kept . so glad that i found this hack.

[@LadybugLaneSoaps]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I was trying to print a label for a sugar scrub and soap order. The printer said that I was out of Yellow ink. I wasn't as it was half-full. I did what you suggested with the black marker. It worked! The Brother online help was useless.

[@shann_free_spirit]

I’m so GLAD. You’re welcome. Thank you for commenting.

[@northcanuck4631]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I just got my new printer and was going nuts with this "cannot detect" message. For me the Sharpie wasn't working but I managed to use black electric tape that I cut with an "exacto" knife and now it works great! Thanks again.

[@shann_free_spirit]

North Canuck Thank you for the comment. I am so glad you found a solution and you are most welcome! I’m so happy it worked for you.

[@SalimSalim-df7qu]

Giiiirl your genius 'after two days of so many tries this worked like magic

[@suhendriwijaya7523]

thank you so much for this idea.. i had 4 days frustated with cannot detect ink problem on my MFC J 200.. and so luck i found this video.. BOOM.. Problem Solved quickly...

[@shann_free_spirit]

Suhendri Wijaya You are very welcome! I’m so glad you came across it and solved that frustrating problem. Thank you so much for your comment!! It is greatly appreciated.

[@marylouoliver6488]

used black nail polish. sharpie did not cover good enough. just let nail polish dry completely. worked like a charm.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Thank you so much for your comment! That's a wonderful idea... ill be trying this for sure!!

[@palmygurl]

@@shann_free_spirit Covering it over in white paper does it lol

[@nicholasg2166]

Many many thanks. Could not emergency print just black as Cyan was empty. Followed your solution, completely blacking out little window, and printing returned!!!!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Nicholas G that’s wonderful I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for the comment. 😁

[@Fridelain]

Just getting this info out there, since I had to figure it out on my own: IF THE PRINTER SAYS A (COMPATIBLE CARTRIDGE) IS EMPTY BUT YOU JUST REFILLED IT: TAKE OUT THE SMALL CIRCUIT BOARD. YOU MAY NEED TO LEVER A PLASTIC HOOK AWAY WHILE YOU PRY IT OUT, OR CUT FLUSH SOME PLASTIC RIVET, EITHER WILL HOLD IT IN PLACE. THERE IS A SMALL BUTTON CELL BATTERY ON THE OTHER SIDE, INSIDE A METAL HOLDER. SOME OF THE METAL WILL BE BENT TO HOLD THE BATTERY IN. FOLD IT BACK. PUSH THE BATTERY OUT FROM THE OTHER SIDE WITH A PIECE OF WIRE OR TOOTHPICK. KEEP IT OUT A FEW SECONDS. PUT IT BACK IN. MAKE SURE THE NEGATIVE SIDE WITH THE CIRCLE POINTS TOWARDS THE CIRCUIT BOARD, AND THE POSITIVE SIDE, THAT EXTENDS TO THE SIDE WALL OF THE BATTERY, THE ONE WITH THE TEXT MARKINGS, TOUCHES THE METAL CAGE. THIS WILL RESET THE CHIP. THEN PUT THE CIRCUIT BOARD BACK ONTO THE CARTRIDGE. IT SHOULD WORK NOW.

[@josephantony2834]

Thank you so much for the tip...you won't believe how many cartridges I threw out and bought new ones,, although it had so much ink and it just wouldn't print.

[@shann_free_spirit]

You’re so welcome. Yes I did the same for quite sometime it was always shocking how much ink was wasted.

[@josephantony2834]

@@shann_free_spirit but brother should do something to rectify this problem. They should adjust the sensors or do something.But thanks once again.❤️

[@pabloernesto8044]

ShannJreviews Thank you..... It really works!!!......I used white (printer) paper. Usually I don't comment online. But I made this exception for your video. Stay unselfish, it pays, specially during this dark period of human history.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Pablo Ernesto Thank you so very much for taking the time to comment! I appreciate it and glad it worked for you. Thank you for the kind words as well. 😊

[@paulstrevens4676]

Hack worked for me on a yellow cartridge for a Brother MFC-J870DW.......Sharpies Rule!! Thanks Ma'am!! :)

[@shann_free_spirit]

Paul Strevens wonderful!! So glad to hear that. You’re welcome and thanks for commenting.

[@HispanicNach0s]

I'm kicking myself for all the ink I KNOW I wasted before finding this video. Complete game changer thank you so much!

[@shann_free_spirit]

You’re so welcome! I felt the same way. Thanks for commenting. Remember you can do this for all colors!

[@andreacatinaccio1912]

Thank you Shann, this is a magic working solution !!!

[@themochamochachannel7887]

I've done this before "successfully" but wonder if you can address this related question: What happens when the printer (mine is J497DW) cannot detect that the cartridge is actually empty - and keeps sucking air into the print mechanism - which I understand can or will damage the print head(s)? I destroyed a really excellent (2 paper trays - much faster throughput - better photos, etc.) Epson WF-3640 a few years ago by tricking the printer into believing there was still ink in the cartridges. It's hard for us to detect when a cartridge truly is empty - basically we have to shake it and listen for liquid (ink) sloshing inside the cartridge - and oh oh when there is just silence! Your comments re potential effect on a Brother multi-function would be appreciated. Thanks

[@jazzyjolt]

Did not work for me unfortunately but I also heard about using black electrical tape and tried that. After trying various configurations the one that worked was cutting the tape into a small square that just covered the little clear window part. Don't cover the opening in front of the window.

[@shann_free_spirit]

jazzyjolt thanks for The comment and tip! Much appreciated

[@CB-xh1rw]

For anyone who tried this trick and it didn't work: try the black tape trick. I tried the marker trick first, it didn't work (and in fact my printer went from saying only yellow was out to all 3 colors were out), and then I tried the tape trick. Tape worked. But I also had an issue with "cartridge not detected" - you have to put them in slowly. Also, make sure the tape is sitting completely flat against the clear window, and not covering that sliver of space in front of the window. The last one I did, the tape wasn't completely flush and was skewed a little so that sliver of space was obscured, and it prevented the printer from recognizing the whole cartridge. I took some tweezers and reset it, then it was fine.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Clarence Bear Thank you for sharing the helpful tips!

[@dustincady2811]

I also had this same issue. If it wasn't for your helpful tip, my printer may have ended up thrown out the window by now. Brand new ink out of the package was giving me this issue.

[@RustyR3volva]

After colouring the seethrough ink level thingy, I had to insert/remove a few times in the printer. Now it's 'full' of black ink. So thank you :).

[@shann_free_spirit]

Rusty R3volva you’re so welcome!! Thanks for the comment! Glad it worked for you.

[@jhb8215]

Thank you so much. Video was very clear and helpfully. saved me from throwing the printer away from frustration. Cheers.

[@shann_free_spirit]

JHB you’re so welcome! Oh I’m so glad!! Thanks for the comment. Xox

[@wemowmrtporp8166]

A KZbin video finally that isn’t click bait it really works

[@shann_free_spirit]

WeMoWM RtPoRP Thank you for your comment! I’m so glad it worked for you.

[@sineresinere8276]

Thank you! I was looking for a solution to a similar problem until I found this video. Now my Brother DCP-J4110DW prints even when only the black cartridge is full!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Sinere Suva I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for commenting.

[@drewsuschrist]

I had legit new ink and when I replaced my yellow it started thinking the M and C were now missing/wouldn't detect them. The marker was not sufficient for me, but electrical tape did the trick! Thank you kindly, Shann.

[@shann_free_spirit]

drewsus you’re so welcome. Thanks for the comment. I’m very glad you found a solution!

[@mariazane5957]

Really appreciate, with all the homeschooling stuff I just had to get my printer working but didnt really want to order new ink cartridges. Also had the same problem with cyan on my DCP-J4120DW.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Thank you for commenting. Best luck! This happens frequently for me with Cyan

[@billreal8692]

This actually worked with my MFCJ450DW. Thanks!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Bill Real yaaaa! I’m so glad. Thanks for commenting

[@skysora1888]

Hi thanks for this hack! Electrical Tape did the thing! Were so frustrated, but it is okay now.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Hana To Yume Letters Good, I’m so glad!!! Thanks for commenting

[@shoedil812]

Wooow ... Just WOOOOW.... Brother... HP.... You had it coming! Bunch of crooks.

[@shann_free_spirit]

🤣🤣🤣

[@shoedil812]

@@shann_free_spirit My don t take tha hack sadly.... i have lc3217c. Tried masking all parts... still no ink.

[@shoedil812]

Update.... I waw fed up blacking everything out. So I opened it up with... some force lol....just to see everything. To my surprise ... it was actually empty. Lmfao. Fml.

[@Serdar.Koçoğlu]

Thank you, I solved a problem thanks to you.

[@tubassumsoofi]

Wao great .. i used my liner instead of marker and its working .. stay blessed thanks for sharing with us

[@shann_free_spirit]

Wonderful! I’m so glad it worked for you. Thank you for commenting. Take care!

[@mattstovall4431]

Correct. My bad. Not opaque. But solid.

[@davidsimpson8522]

I had the same problem with a Brother printer because I used 3rd-party inks. The printer wouldn't recognize 2 ink cartridges even though they had ink in them. Now I need to buy a new printer. I won't use 3rd-party inks any more.

[@6345789picket]

Thanks! Gurl it worked for me, I have used a less expensive, cartridge before not my first time using this cartridge but for some reason it wasn't registering it, did what you did and it accepted

[@HelloHello-hk4sx]

Thanx, hopefully this'll save me $30 a cartridge so I can buy other gifts for my dad on father's day instead. Every year he has me buy those. 🙄 I really don't look forward to buying those for christmas, birthday & father's day. Every year he asks for ink & I'm like "I know, I know...the expensive ink. 😒 That'll replace 1 of your gifts, you know. So you'll get the ink instead of that fancy wine you like."

[@PolefitnessvejleDk]

Thanks. I put an all new one in, but it wouldnt recotnixe it. It worked 😊 But what happens when it gets empty?

[@shijingluo3511]

Is the ink volume detected by optical method? It looks pretty dark inside the cartridge chamber and I could not see any camera, or does it have infrared ray after close the ink cover?

[@mean2servejoseph864]

This actually worked, thank you!!!

[@starrdevito2927]

That's what makes me crazy and I just learned. I did not have the money to re buy colored ink just the black. And it did not let me print. I was so annoyed. Lol thanks for this hope it works for me too!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Starr DeVito thanks for the comment. I hope it does for you too, let me know. It can be really frustrating, I’ve been there plenty of times!

[@johnpaulzosa3642]

geez gurl you're a life saver hahaha I really need to print an important document and this Brother printer all of a sudden gives me an error that im running low good thing I came across with your youtube. Thank you so much *heart heart*

[@shann_free_spirit]

John Paul Zosa yaaay!! I’m so glad it helped you out. You’re most welcome and thank you for the comment! XO

[@johnpaulzosa3642]

@@shann_free_spiritShannJreviews thanks to you. By the way, I'm using Brother DCP-J100. So for guys out there who uses the same printer that I have this hack works!

[@shann_free_spirit]

John Paul Zosa Thank you for sharing the model number. I hope it’ll help others too!! XO

[@OreaTivona]

Thank you! I needed to print a black and white page but was out of magenta. The stupid printer wouldn't let me print till I had a new cartridge but a piece of tape over the magenta cartridge and my page is printing.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Sarah H wonderful!! I’m so happy it worked for you and thank you for the comment. Xo

[@mattthomas9196]

Wow lol this really worked. The new carts aren’t made the same

[@shann_free_spirit]

Matthew Thomas So glad it worked for you. Thanks for commenting.

[@monovahomes2676]

Worked perfectly with electrical tape! Thank you so much for the hack!

[@shann_free_spirit]

MONOVA HOMES That’s great! So glad to hear that and thank you for commenting!

[@ehsanelahi8524]

Does this trick works with brother DCP J152w?

[@chriscolumbia9579]

I bought a new black ink cartridge from Staples for my Brother mfcj480dw printer. When I attempted to install it, I received a "not detected" response. So, I took all the cartridges out and re-installed them one by one. Sure enough, the black cartridge was now accepted. BUT, the magenta cartridge was now saying "not detected," even though there was plenty of ink in it. I tried the Sharpie, but it did not work. I happened to have a piece of blue paper (don't ask) lying around. I cut out a small strip, wrapped it around the area where I had sharpied (you can actually cut it to size and glue it onto the window) and viola, it worked! The ink level on the half filled magenta is now showing full! The printer will print! I am going to use this same paper trick on all the other colored cartridges, as well as the new black cartridge to extract the most ink out of it as possible. There is also a trick for people who re-fill their cartridges as well as one who buy non-genuine cartridges to save money. This involves removing the chip on the top, but that's another topic! Thanks Shan!!!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Chris, Thank you so much for your very informative comment! I truly appreciate it as I'm always trying to find ways to save on printer ink, and I'm sure others can benefit from the information you provided. I will most definitely be trying this paper trick out! Yes I was going to try the removing chip as well, now that may be another video. Thanks again Chris. All the best!!

[@katerinejovan3190]

It also worked for me after how many months trying. Legit guys. Thank you so much you save me and my money

[@shann_free_spirit]

Wonderful! I’m so glad.

[@Gabriel-zy7it]

If sharpie isn't working try this. Remove the cartridge and cover it with some tissue while you shake it. Inserting/removing the cartridge will also help getting the color running. Take a small brush and paint the telltale window using the same color from the cartridge. Worked for me on a Brothers LC3217. If you are out of pens, this is an option.

[@shann_free_spirit]

Mr Skipper Thank you.. that’s a great tip. I will have to try that.

[@BornAgainCynic0086]

A word or warning, don't run the cartridges bone dry. The ink is a coolant for the printhead and if it's totally dry the head could overheat and burn out.

[@Denise23451]

I used the tape, will be trying this, thank you!!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Momma Jim wonderful. You’re welcome. Thanks for commenting.

[@scotthall6518]

Black marker & tape didn't work for me. I used a little black spray paint on both sides of the ink window & that worked perfectly.

[@SkySweetie]

Also, you're so nice, very helpful and caring. I hear a true mom tone, which you still then the anger twinge came out, totally fine, just was funny. "in order for the printer to function properly". I have the feels too, no worries!

[@mariogarza7796]

I’ve tried marker and electrical tape and got no results on mf497 any more tricks

[@karlkrump6634]

I have noticed on the brother printer MFC-J497DW the YELLOW ink cartridge will go out fast. I just tried the tape, and now I tried the sharpie trick. Nothing works, probably because it is yellow. I am not really sure what else to do, because I am fed up with Brother. The irony is I jumped to these printers because they had a good rep (you could switch between colors, and it wouldn't block you from scanning when you don't have ink). The Canon and HPs in the last few years would do that, and it was such a pill. I am getting fed the hell up with ink printers that it is almost unreal.

[@The4Remaining]

I have a Brother MFC-J4335DW that says the magenta is not working. I've tried near everything! Please help!

[@rosspetersen4434]

I have a brother MFC-J480DW with LC201 Y,C,M, and B ink cartridges and I had the same issues; obviously -why else would I be here? I followed your advice almost to the T. I used a black sharpie first, but the maker was kind of dry, so it didn't work. I used a purple-ish fine point metallic marker that was still...wet(?) ...moist(?) instead, and after the printer cleaned itself it printed! I even printed a color page utilizing all colors as a test. 2019/09/24

[@shann_free_spirit]

Ross Petersen that’s wonderful I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your thorough comment, it is very much appreciated.

[@adriana21854100]

HI I JUST STARTED THE SAME PROBLEM BUT I FIGURE MY SELF THAT IF U PAY ATTENTION SOME OF THE MARKET INKS ON THE CHIP READER OF THE CARTRIDGE HAS BATTERIE REPLACE IT .. I HAD EXTRA MORE CATRIDGES OF THE SAME BRAND AND I ONLY REMOVE THE BATTERIE AND NOW WORKS..GOOD LUCK AND THANKS FOR THE IDEA OF THIS VIDEO ALSO WORKS..

[@Ruru-nc7uw]

Sadly I have tried this hack, but it did not work. Is there any other way to clear the error? I have also changed my printer properties to black and white only printing.

[@philipbarrowarchangelrapha9105]

simple method but why does it say ink needs replacement when it does not - because its a software problem - they have made the program do this and many have complaint - up date the latest firmware from brother - took me a day to work this out

[@ArturekLBK]

Works on the Brother DCP-J105 printer. I used a black tape. Thank you ;)

[@shann_free_spirit]

ArturekLBK Wonderful! Glad to hear the tape worked and thanks for commenting!!

[@imbored07]

This is my first Brother printer and I am so frustrated. I bought the super high yield cartridge and the results are the same. I can see a lot of ink still inside but I will try this hack. Maybe it will keep me from throwing the printer down a flight of steps.

[@shann_free_spirit]

I understand and where my frustration began seeing all that wasted ink! Hmm...Im going to see if I notice a difference w the high yield...I do this for all cartridges now yes they last longer but seems we need a more permanent solution to this wasteful problem. Thanks for commenting. Let me know if you think it helps....hope it does!

[@Inessan78]

thanks, it worked on the yellow half full cartridge, thanks a lot

[@shann_free_spirit]

Victor Canada You’re very welcome! Glad it worked and thank you for your comment.

[@bcraycroft]

I used to use this hack, but it seems like Brother got wise to this and has a little float. Anyone know a work around for this?

[@EadieCD]

Tried it today and cannot get it to work. Looking into trying to download older drivers as a workaround.

[@BornAgainCynic0086]

well, when it says it's empty, the chip is set to zero, so you have to do this before the printer thinks it's empty.

[@leilasaniatan6436]

Is that applicable for yellow ink??

[@shann_free_spirit]

I do this on all my ink cartridges even yellow, blue, red..they all still work. Best luck

[@orlandoesguerra2617]

My yellow cartridge doesn't work how can I hack this ? Can i use black sharpie or I need to use Yellow sharpie color?

[@shann_free_spirit]

Orlando Esguerra Hi you can use a black sharpie with the yellow. I do this with all my colored ink. It should work... best luck! Let me know if it works for you.

[@GuvanchGasanovich]

You are a Master!!! Worked from first trial! God Bless You!!!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Guvanch Muzapberov wonderful! I’m so glad. Thanks for the comment.

[@jerryhollifield3188]

Will this work on MFC-L3770CDW?

[@shann_free_spirit]

I would give it a try. I don’t think it will hurt in any way. A lot of comments here have had success with other models.

[@gphushwl]

Cool I have the exact same problem with the Exact same printer !

[@ispajic3]

omg, I can't believe this worked. thank you!

[@shann_free_spirit]

Wonderful. I’m so glad. Thank you for commenting.

[@jamescoleman4747]

Why would anyone dislike this presentation unless they were printer company reps (rattle snakes sans rattle )

[@shann_free_spirit]

james coleman ahah thank you!!

[@smpark9593]

OMG TYSM. Can't believe this worked.....

[@shann_free_spirit]

SMP MSB Wonderful!! So glad it worked for you and thanks for your comment. 😊

[@mikemiketheoc918]

Hey Shann, yo trick worked wonders on my printer. Thanks a lot

[@shann_free_spirit]

MikeMike Theoc wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that. You’re welcome and thanks for commenting.

[@PBhawaiiTLR200]

Other printers do the same. And look for vids on how to modify the chip if the Sharpie blackout doesn't work. The people who try different things usually find a fix. And sharing benefits all. Why throw away good ink? (Thx Shann)

[@shann_free_spirit]

Thanks for your comment Peter, I completely agree with you. If we keep trying hopefully we can find fixes for all these printer problems. Take care.

[@janithasendanayaka5882]

brother mfc-3360c ink jat fax printer shows message showing empty display what should we do

[@shann_free_spirit]

Have you tried a head cleaning? Sometimes the ink heads can get clogged. There will be a feature on the printer display or go into your desktop printer settings.

[@runneryg]

its not detecting my black ink no matter how many times i put it in slow still the some tells me to insert it slow all the time. i think they may be some ink on the carriage chip bored in side the printer which it needs to be clean.

[@glowglow5394]

In all colors?

[@Peterzemlany]

Thank you for that info! will try that next time

[@shann_free_spirit]

Peter zemlany sure thing! 😉