Brother Wrong Ink Color

Can you keep using it?

Contact customer support if any of these apply

!The message remains after the colors are clearly in the right positions.
!A cartridge slot label or latch is damaged or no longer clear.

If the printer still starts normally: This is often recoverable with the basic checks below, as long as the printer returns to ready without a deeper service warning.

What to check first

Step-by-step checks

1
Consumable check
Check which cartridge colors do not match their labeled positions.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
2
Consumable check
Move the mismatched cartridge to the correct slot.
3
Consumable check
Close the cover and let the machine re-check the installed cartridges.

Background

What this message usually means

Brother shows Wrong Ink Color when the MFC-J1010 and J1170 family detects that a cartridge has been placed in the wrong slot. This is a straightforward cartridge-position error and usually clears as soon as the tanks are moved to the proper positions.

Diagnosis

Likely causes

Most common

An ink cartridge was installed in the wrong color position.

Common

Several cartridges were changed at once and one color ended up in the wrong slot.

Possible

The printer completed its cartridge check and found a color mismatch.

Service

When service or replacement is more likely

-This is one of the easier Brother display messages to fix if the cartridge positions are obvious.
-It is a placement mistake, not a signal that the cartridge itself is bad.

Related codes in this family

No Ink Cartridge

An ink cartridge is not installed correctly.

Install Starter Ink

The first cartridges installed are not the starter cartridges that came with the machine.

Source notes

Brother's official Wrong Ink Color article says a cartridge has been installed in the wrong position and instructs users to move it to the proper slot.

Built around official Brother support articles that explicitly include MFC-J1010DW and MFC-J1170DW in the same message families. Exact wording can vary a little by region and sibling model, but the message meaning stays close across this inkjet group.

Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.

Known family variants: MFC-J1010DW, MFC-J1170DW, MFC-J1800DW

Last reviewed: 2026-04-12

Reference: Open reference

Wrong Ink Color - An ink cartridge is installed in the wrong color position.