Brother MFC-J480DW: print temporarily when a color is empty
B&W Print Only is a limited mode for plain-paper jobs, with the color cartridges still installed.
1 min readThis procedure applies when the MFC-J480DW itself displays B&W Print Only Replace Ink. A “Cannot Detect” error or empty black cartridge cannot be bypassed this way.
Print a black-only document
- Keep all color cartridges installed. Do not unplug the printer or remove an empty color; either can end this temporary mode.
- Cancel any failed color job and press Stop/Exit.
- In the Brother printer driver, select Plain Paper, turn Slow Drying Paper off, choose Grayscale/Greyscale, and print single-sided.
- Send the job again. Replace the empty color promptly and restore the color settings afterwards.