A Brother MFC-J5855DW that prints blank pages, or pages with parts missing, has an inkjet problem with ink reaching the paper, and the cause is usually empty or poorly seated cartridges, clogged nozzles or a driver setting. Look at the ink status on the display and in the Brother status monitor. The J5855DW uses high-yield ink cartridges, and an empty or nearly empty cartridge, particularly black, gives a blank page; replace it with the correct Brother cartridge, removing the protective tape or cap. Check that each cartridge is seated until it clicks, since a loose one does not feed. A message that a cartridge is not detected needs a reseat or a new cartridge.
The checks in more detail
Run a print quality check from the machine's menu: it prints a block for each color, and you can then run the head cleaning, from Maintenance, Improve Print Quality, Cleaning, for the colors that show gaps. Brother warns against repeated cleaning, which uses ink, so clean once or twice and wait before another round, since dried ink softens with time. A printer left switched off or unused for weeks dries its nozzles, and regular printing prevents it. If blank pages come only from a particular document or program, check the document and print from another application, since a blank page in the file prints blank. Check the driver settings: that the right printer is selected, that the paper size matches,
that the quality is not set to a mode that skips content and that the color setting suits. Check that the document is not set to print in white. Remove and reinstall the driver if needed. Clean the head if streaks follow. If cleaning does not restore the print after several tries, and the cartridges are good, the print head may have a fault, which Brother's service can assess with the model and serial number. Use Brother cartridges, since poor-quality cartridges can leak or cause blank pages. On the MFC-J5855DW, blank pages come from nozzles that are not firing, from ink cartridges that have run out without a warning, or from a job that sent blank pages.
Print a test page from the machine's menu to see whether the problem is in the printer or the file. The J5855DW is an A3-capable inkjet with four large cartridges, and an unused cartridge can dry at the nozzle; run the cleaning from the Ink menu, starting with the color that is missing, and then print the nozzle check again. If a cartridge is empty, the display usually tells you, but a cartridge that is not fully seated can behave as if it were empty, so remove and refit each one. Check that the paper is loaded with the print side the right way up and that a sticker or protective tape has not been left on a new cartridge.
Differential
Likely causes of “Brother MFC-J5855DW prints blank pages”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An empty or poorly seated cartridge
What separates it A blank page with an ink warning
How to confirm Replace or reseat the cartridge
- 2
Clogged nozzles
What separates it Missing colors or blank areas
How to confirm Run a head cleaning from the menu
- 3
An unused printer
What separates it Dry nozzles
How to confirm Print regularly
- 4
A driver or document problem
What separates it Only one program prints blank
How to confirm Test another program and reinstall the driver
- 5
A cartridge fault
What separates it Blank pages with full cartridges
How to confirm Try a genuine cartridge
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 completedCheck the ink status
ReversibleOn the display.
Reseat or replace cartridges
ReversibleRemove protective tape.
Run a print quality check
ReversibleFrom the menu.
Run a head cleaning
ReversibleOnce or twice.
Test another program
ReversibleAnd the driver.
Contact Brother
ReversibleIf the head seems faulty.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- High-yield ink
- Cartridges last long but can run dry.
- Cleaning
- It uses ink.
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 does my J5855DW print blank?+
An empty cartridge or blocked nozzles.
How often should I clean the head?+
Sparingly.
Can the document be blank?+
A blank file prints blank.
Which cartridges should I use?+
Brother's own.