Direct answer
For the Brother MFC-J5855DW, resolution/quality mode, duplex, document complexity, connection and spool/driver should be timed separately. First, time an internal text page and a simple computer text page.
What this covers
- Brother MFC-J5855DW (MFC-J5855DW)
- Brother printer; inkjet, INKvestment, monochrome/color laser and label systems use different supplies and codes.
- The specific fault this record addresses: prints very slowly
What it does not cover
- ×The same symptom on a different Brother product line, which has its own record and its own cited source
- ×An on-screen error code whose meaning has not been checked against this exact model's manual
- ×Live electrical, gas, sealed-system, internal battery-cell or structural repair — a technician boundary, not a self-service step
Differential
What actually causes this, and how to tell them apart
These are ordered by how often each one is the answer, not by how easy it is to try. The point of the middle column is that two causes producing the same headline symptom rarely produce the same detail — that detail is what tells you which one you have before you change anything.
- 1
A high-quality or photo setting is selected
What separates it Slow output at best or photo quality, normal speed at draft or normal.
How to confirm Quality settings can multiply printing time several times over. This is the intended trade-off rather than a fault.
- 2
The job is being rendered on the computer
What separates it A long delay before the printer starts, then normal-speed printing.
How to confirm A delay before anything happens is the computer processing the job, not the printer. Complex documents, large images and transparency effects are slow to render.
- 3
The paper type setting is not plain paper
What separates it Slow output on ordinary paper, with a photo or heavy media type selected.
How to confirm Photo and heavy settings deliberately slow the printer for ink drying and fusing.
- 4
The connection is slow or marginal
What separates it Slow over Wi-Fi and fast over USB or Ethernet.
How to confirm Large jobs over a weak wireless connection take a long time to transfer before printing starts.
- 5
Duplex printing is roughly halving throughput
What separates it Slower output with two-sided printing enabled.
How to confirm Each sheet passes through twice with a pause between, so this is expected rather than a fault.
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
Every item below stops existing the moment a reset, re-pair or settings change is made. Written down first, they are what separates the causes above; recovered afterwards, they are guesswork.
- Whether the delay is before printing starts, which points at the computer or the connection, or between pages, which points at the printer.
- The quality and paper-type settings selected.
- Whether the first page is slow and later pages are fast.
- Whether it is faster over USB or Ethernet than over Wi-Fi.
Note whether the delay is before the first page or between pages
ReversibleBefore means the computer or the connection; between means the printer itself.
Set quality to normal or draft and paper type to plain
ReversibleBoth deliberately slow the printer, and photo settings can multiply printing time several times over.
Compare over USB or Ethernet
ReversibleA large job over marginal Wi-Fi spends most of its time transferring rather than printing.
Simplify complex documents or print them as images
ReversibleTransparency effects and large embedded graphics are slow to render, which is a computer-side delay.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
Generic advice for the product line fails here. Each item below is a property of this specific model family that changes which of the steps above apply to you.
- Model scope
- MFC-J5855DW. Brother printer; inkjet, INKvestment, monochrome/color laser and label systems use different supplies and codes.
- Type — business INKJET all-in-one (up to 11x17)
- A business INKJET AIO that prints up to 11x17 (ledger/A3). Being inkjet, the printhead can CLOG if unused — faded/streaked output is usually a clog; run the printer's print-head cleaning. It uses Brother ink cartridges (INKvestment/high-yield on many J-series for lower cost).
- Cartridges & clogs
- A missing colour is a clog or an empty/unseated cartridge; run a print-quality check and cleaning. Don't leave it idle for long periods.
- Connectivity
- Wi-Fi/Ethernet/USB; 'offline' is usually a Wi-Fi drop or wrong queue.
- Symptom boundary
- This record covers Brother MFC-J5855DW when it prints very slowly. A different symptom on the same hardware, or this symptom on a different Brother product line, has its own record with its own causes and its own cited source.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Visible sources support the visible claims. Home Product Support records the publisher, the fact used and the review date; community reports can suggest an issue but do not become a published fact on their own.
Where the manufacturer's article stops. Brother Support publishes this as "MFC-J5855DW support". Official Brother FAQ list for the MFC-J5855DW. What that article does not carry is the model boundary — it is written for a product line, and MFC-J5855DW is the scope applied here. Where a control label, terminal, indicator pattern or reset sequence differs on your unit, the manual for that exact model is the authority, not this page and not the article.
Exact questions
Common follow-ups
My Brother MFC-J5855DW is missing a colour or printing streaky.+
That is an inkjet printhead clog — unlike Brother's lasers, the J-series is inkjet, so it clogs if idle. From the printer menu run the Print Quality Check and then Print Head Cleaning (repeat if needed), printing a check pattern to see improvement. Confirm the cartridge for the missing colour has ink, is genuine/seated, and had its tape removed if new. Print regularly to prevent clogs. Stubborn clogs may need several cleans or a deeper clean cycle.
It takes ages before anything comes out, then prints normally.+
That delay is the computer rendering the job rather than the printer being slow — a printer that then prints at normal speed is working fine. Complex documents, large embedded images and transparency effects are all slow to process. Printing a simpler version, or flattening the document, confirms it.
Does this answer apply to every Brother model?+
No. It is scoped to MFC-J5855DW. Brother printer; inkjet, INKvestment, monochrome/color laser and label systems use different supplies and codes.
What should I record before troubleshooting slow printing or takes long?+
Record the complete model identifier, exact message or indicator, software/firmware where visible, the operating stage and what still works.
Why is a factory reset not the first step?+
A reset can erase accounts, networks, maps, schedules or preferences without distinguishing slow printing, takes long. The ordered checks preserve that evidence.
When should I stop and use qualified service?+
Do not sacrifice required security or document quality without approval.
Answer for the exact device and software version shown above.