A Brother MFC-J1010DW that prints slowly is a small color inkjet whose speed depends on quality settings, the document and the connection, and what looks like slowness is often the printer working as set. Check the quality in the driver: a High or Photo setting, or Best paper type, slows printing a great deal, and Normal or Fast on plain paper is quicker. Color graphics and photos take longer than text, and a document with large images or many fonts needs more time to be processed. Print a simple text page as a test; if it prints at a normal pace, the problem is the document's complexity.
The checks in more detail
Two-sided printing also slows, since the printer waits for ink to dry before turning the sheet. Check the connection. A printer on a weak Wi-Fi signal takes a long time to receive the job, so you see a long delay before it starts. Print a network report and check the signal; move the printer or the router closer, or connect by USB for a test. Heavy traffic on the network slows the transfer. If the printer pauses mid-page, it may be waiting for data, and a computer under load is the cause. Check the driver and update it from Brother's site, since a generic driver prints slowly. Check the printer's firmware. The printer's own behavior matters too.
After a period of inactivity, the printer may run a cleaning cycle before printing, which takes a minute and is normal. A low ink warning may make it print in a slower mode in some cases. If the pages come out slowly with a long gap, check for a paper jam or a cartridge issue. In the driver, turn off Print Mirror and other options that need processing. Clear the print queue of stuck jobs, which can block new ones. If the printer is slow with simple pages, a USB connection and a current driver, contact Brother with the model number.
The MFC-J1010DW is a compact inkjet, and its speed is modest compared with a larger printer, so first compare your result with the speed in the manual before assuming a fault.
The settings that slow it most are the Best quality or photo paper type, borderless printing and two-sided printing. Choose Normal quality and plain paper for everyday documents. Because it connects over Wi-Fi, check the signal and try the USB cable once to rule out the network. Large PDFs with many images take time to process on the computer before the printer starts, so print a short text document as a comparison. If the machine pauses mid-page, it may be waiting for the print head to cool or for data, which a restart of both the printer and the router usually clears. Update the Brother driver from the support page for the model.
Differential
Likely causes of “Brother MFC-J1010DW is slow when printing”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A high quality or photo setting
What separates it Slow pages
How to confirm Use Normal or Fast on plain paper
- 2
A complex document with large images
What separates it Long processing
How to confirm Print a simple text page to compare
- 3
A weak Wi-Fi signal
What separates it A long delay before printing
How to confirm Improve the signal or use USB
- 4
An old or generic driver
What separates it Slow processing
How to confirm Install Brother's driver
- 5
A queue of stuck jobs
What separates it New jobs wait
How to confirm Clear the print queue
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The exact symptom and when it began
- The ink or toner state
- The paper type used
- The model number
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedPrint a text page
ReversibleTo compare.
Lower the quality setting
ReversibleIn the driver.
Check the network signal
ReversibleOr use USB.
Update the driver
ReversibleAnd firmware.
Clear the print queue
ReversibleOf stuck jobs.
Contact Brother
ReversibleIf simple pages are slow.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Quality
- Higher quality takes longer.
- Connection
- Data transfer can be the delay.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the problem persists after these steps, contact the maker with the model and serial number
- !Do not keep running cleaning cycles
- !Keep the receipt for warranty
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my MFC-J1010DW slow?+
Quality settings or a weak connection.
Does duplex slow it?+
Yes.
Is a cleaning cycle normal?+
After inactivity, yes.
Does the driver matter?+
Yes.