What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J4345DW Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: the Brother MFC-J4345DW uses LC406 ink — four individual cartridges — with LC406XL as the high-yield version. There is no LC406XXL, whatever a listing tells you.
Two things to get right before you order. First, the US retail model is sold as the MFC-J4345DW XL, a club-channel SKU, even though the printer reports itself as MFC-J4345DW — both names mean the same machine. Second, and this is the expensive one: the MFC-J4355DW takes LC506, not LC406. One digit apart, different family. Check the last two digits of your model number before you buy anything.
Brother MFC-J4345DW ink at a glance
| Cartridge | Family | Part Number | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black (standard) | LC406 | LC406BK | ~3,000 pages |
| Cyan (standard) | LC406 | LC406C | ~1,500 pages |
| Magenta (standard) | LC406 | LC406M | ~1,500 pages |
| Yellow (standard) | LC406 | LC406Y | ~1,500 pages |
| Black (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLBK | ~6,000 pages |
| Cyan (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLC | ~5,000 pages |
| Magenta (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLM | ~5,000 pages |
| Yellow (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLY | ~5,000 pages |
Those are Brother's ISO/IEC 24711 figures. Note how large they are for an inkjet — a 6,000-page black is laser territory, and it is the whole point of the INKvestment Tank design: high-capacity cartridges feeding an internal reservoir.
You will see these part numbers written with an S on the end, such as LC406XLCS. That is a retail packaging variant of the identical cartridge. Both spellings are genuine.
One quirk worth knowing: Brother's own shop site calls LC406 "Standard-Yield" while its support site calls the same 3,000-page cartridge "High Yield". Ignore the adjectives and buy by page count.
Castle Ink recommendation
Castle Ink stocks compatible LC406XL in cyan, magenta and yellow at $21.99 each, guaranteed for a year:
- LC406XL Cyan — ~5,000 pages
- LC406XL Magenta — ~5,000 pages
- LC406XL Yellow — ~5,000 pages
Straight about what we do not have: we do not stock an LC406XL black yet. If black is what ran out, you will need to source that one elsewhere for now — we would rather say so than sell you the wrong family.
About the Brother MFC-J4345DW XL
A compact INKvestment Tank all-in-one: print, scan, copy and fax at about 20 ppm black and 19 ppm color, with automatic duplex printing and automatic two-sided copying, a 20-sheet ADF and a 150-sheet tray. The display is a 1.8-inch color LCD, not a touchscreen, and connectivity is Wi-Fi and USB with no Ethernet.
Two limits worth knowing before you rely on it: the ADF scans one side only, so there is no duplex scanning, and the paper tray does not expand — 150 sheets is the ceiling. Brother rates it for 250 to 2,000 pages a month.
The in-box cartridges are quoted at up to two years of typical home use, which is unusual and genuinely true at low volumes.
Common problems on this model
"Cannot Detect" or "Wrong Ink Cartridge"
Reseat firmly until the cartridge locks. If it still will not read, check the part number against LC406 — this message is where an accidentally bought LC506 or LC3033 shows up. Those two are the most common mis-buys because LC3033 is also INKvestment branded with almost identical yields.
"Ink Absorber Full" or "InkBox Full"
Worth understanding before it happens. The absorber collects waste ink from head cleaning; Brother states it is not user-serviceable and not covered by warranty, so it means a service visit. On a machine in this price bracket that can approach the cost of replacement, which is a strong argument for not running cleaning cycles you do not need.
White lines, banding or missing colors
Run the Print Quality Check sheet, then Clean Print Head — up to three cycles, then Brother's special cleaning. Confirm the Media Type setting matches the paper actually loaded, and keep the printer between about 68 and 91 degrees; Brother lists ambient temperature as a genuine cause. See faded or streaky prints.
Slow printing
Turn off Color Enhancement, borderless printing and Quiet Mode, and match the Media Type to the paper. Those four settings account for most complaints about speed on this series.
Paper jams and misfeeds
Seat the tray until it locks, close the jam clear cover, fan the stack, straighten curled sheets and do not overfill. If it persists, clean the pick-up rollers and base pad. See our paper jam guide.
FAQ
What ink does the Brother MFC-J4345DW use?
LC406 or LC406XL in black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Four individual cartridges.
Is there an LC406XXL?
No. The family stops at LC406XL. The XXL tier people are thinking of belongs to LC506, a different family for different printers.
Does the MFC-J4345DW use LC506?
No, and this is the single most costly mistake on this printer. LC506 fits the MFC-J4355DW, J4555DW, J5010DW, J5110DW, J5115DW, J6560DW, J6960DW and J6975DW.
Does it use LC3033 or LC3035?
No. Those fit the MFC-J995DW, J805DW and J815DW XL. They are also INKvestment cartridges with similar yields, which is exactly why they get confused — but they are physically different.
What is the difference between MFC-J4345DW and MFC-J4345DW XL?
Nothing that affects ink. XL is how the club-channel SKU is labelled; the machine and the cartridges are the same.
Which other printers use LC406?
The MFC-J4335DW, J4345DW XL, J4535DW, J5855DW, J5955DW, J6555DW and J6955DW.
Shop LC406XL now
Restock cyan, magenta and yellow at $21.99 each. Different printer? Find yours on our Find Ink by Printer page, or compare running costs with the ink cost calculator.
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