Can you keep using it?
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.
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.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after the printer fails one of its normal startup, supply, or paper-path checks and cannot return to ready state cleanly.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
An ink cartridge was installed in the wrong color position.
Several cartridges were changed at once and one color ended up in the wrong slot.
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.
Avoid wrong turns
Common misreads of this message
- -Treating the message like a confirmed failed part instead of a support clue about which system has stopped the printer.
- -Assuming any supply-related wording means the next step is automatically to buy a cartridge, toner, drum, or printhead.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Brother printer families
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Helpful guides for this problem
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When a printer says paper jam but there isn't one
What a false paper-jam warning usually points to, from hidden scraps and tray issues to faults that are no longer simple jams.
Guide
Common Brother printer messages that usually mean stop and check support
The Brother messages that usually mean it is time to stop retrying and treat the fault more seriously.
Guide
How to tell if a printer fault is a cartridge issue or a service issue
How to separate ordinary cartridge or toner trouble from the kind of printer fault that usually points to real service.
Boundary
When to stop troubleshooting and move to support
Use the message once to classify the problem, then move to support if the printer still cannot return to ready after the first safe checks.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
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