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Easy · 4 minScanning & copyingBrother

Fix a black line on copies and scans

A vertical line that appears on every scan and copy — but not on prints — means the scanner glass strip is dirty. A 30-second wipe clears it.

01 · Identify — does this match what you see?

  • Same vertical line on every scan and copy
  • Prints are clean, only scans show the line
  • Line appears in the same spot each time

02 · Resolve — follow in order

  1. 1

    Lift the document cover and find the thin glass strip to the left of the main glass (the ADF scan window).

  2. 2

    Dampen a lint-free cloth with water (no alcohol) and wipe the strip left to right several times.

  3. 3

    Check for a speck of toner or ink — even a tiny dot prints as a full-height line.

  4. 4

    Wipe the main glass too, in case the dot is there.

  5. 5

    Run a test scan to confirm the line is gone.

Pro tip

The line position tells you where the dirt is: a line on the left of the scan means dirt on the left of the ADF strip. Match the position to clean the exact spot.

03 · Applies to

MFC-L2710DWMFC-J1010DWDCP-L2540DW

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