Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !The message returns after a full power-off restart.
- !The printer will not complete its normal startup checks.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Safe first step
Power the machine off for a few minutes, then turn it back on once.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Escalate
If the message returns, stop troubleshooting at the user level and move to service support.
- 3
Safe first step
Use the machine only after it completes a clean restart without the error.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother treats Cannot Print ## as a mechanical fault message. The two-character suffix changes with the condition, but the official guidance points to an internal sensor, motor, or board issue rather than a normal consumable warning.
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
A sensor or motor check did not complete normally.
An internal mechanical part is preventing the printer from starting a job.
The machine needs service if a restart does not clear the message.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is a hardware fault class, not a routine consumables prompt.
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.
- -Resetting the printer repeatedly instead of treating the message as a likely stop-and-check-support state.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Brother printer families
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Helpful guides for this problem
Guide
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
If the same message returns immediately after one careful recovery attempt or the printer cannot reach ready state, stop there and use the family-specific support path.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
Source notes
Brother says Cannot Print ## is a mechanical problem and recommends a power-cycle before service if it persists.
Built around Brother's official MFC-L2800DW and HL-L2400DW support pages. Exact wording and menu paths can vary a little by region, but the consumable and jam guidance is shared across the family.
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: HL-L2400DW, MFC-L2800DW
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference