Diagnosis
The appearance of a persistent green or purple tint on your Brother MFC-J4335DW is almost always the result of a "color cast" caused by one or more ink channels failing to fire correctly or an imbalance in the print head alignment. When you see purple, it typically means the yellow ink channel is blocked or depleted, leaving only the magenta and cyan to mix. Conversely, a green tint usually indicates a failure in the magenta channel, allowing cyan and yellow to dominate the output. This phenomenon often occurs after the printer has sat idle for several days, causing microscopic ink coagulation in the nozzles, or immediately following the installation of a new INKvestment cartridge where an air bubble has become trapped in the print head. To confirm this, you must print a "Print Quality Check Sheet" (QC Sheet). If the grid for one specific color (e.g., Magenta) has missing dots or streaks while the others are solid, you have a physical nozzle clog rather than a software calibration error.
How to Fix It
If the QC sheet shows that all colors are firing but the hues are simply "off," you must perform a manual color alignment and calibration. Follow these exact steps:
- Press the Settings (wrench/screwdriver icon) button on the printer's touchscreen.
- Scroll down and select Maintenance.
- Select Adjustment from the menu options.
- Choose Color Calibration. The printer will now print a series of color blocks.
- Place the printed page face-down on the scanner glass, ensuring it is aligned perfectly with the corner guides.
- Press Start to scan the page. The printer will analyze the actual ink output versus the intended digital value and automatically adjust the internal color profiles to neutralize the tint.
- Once the "Calibration Complete" message appears, print a standard color document to verify the fix.
If That Didn't Work
- Perform a Deep Print Head Cleaning: If the QC sheet showed missing dots in one color, the calibration won't work because the ink isn't reaching the paper. Go to Settings > Maintenance > Cleaning. Select All** and choose Strong or Deep. This uses a high-pressure burst of ink to clear stubborn clogs. Repeat this process up to three times, printing a QC sheet between each cycle.
- Check Ink Levels and Venting: Ensure your INKvestment cartridges are seated fully. If a cartridge is slightly tilted, the vacuum seal can fail, causing "starvation" where the head doesn't get enough ink, leading to a color shift. Remove the cartridges and re-seat them until you hear a distinct click.
- Update Firmware: Brother occasionally releases firmware updates that recalibrate the color gamut for specific ink batches. Press Settings > All Settings > Machine Info > Firmware Update to ensure your device is running the latest version.
- Change Paper Settings: If you are using photo paper but the printer is set to "Plain Paper," the ink saturation will be incorrect, often resulting in a purple or blue cast. Go to the Paper Volume settings on the screen and ensure the Media Type matches the actual paper in the tray.
Heads Up
- Avoid Third-Party Inks: The MFC-J4335DW is highly sensitive to the viscosity of non-genuine inks. Third-party cartridges often have different dye concentrations, which can cause permanent color shifting that calibration cannot fix.
- Print Weekly: To prevent the "purple/green tint" caused by dried ink, print at least one full-color page every 7 days. This keeps the ink flowing through the nozzles and prevents air bubbles from forming.
- Avoid "Eco" Mode for Photos: Using the "Draft" or "Eco" setting reduces the amount of ink sprayed, which frequently leads to inaccurate color mixing and a noticeable tint on high-detail images.
- Clean the Encoder Strip: If the tint is accompanied by horizontal banding, gently wipe the clear plastic strip (encoder strip) running across the width of the printer with a lint-free cloth and a drop of distilled water.