What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J435W Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 16, 2026

Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J435W uses four separate cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow, in either standard-yield LC71 or high-yield LC75. It does not use LC61, even though some listings say it does. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured LC75 Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a 4-pack.

The MFC-J435W takes the same ink as the MFC-J430W and MFC-J825DW. LC61 fits older models like the MFC-J410W, J415W and J615W, not this one. The J435W is a North American model. Its closest UK sibling takes LC1220/LC1240 cartridges, which won't fit a U.S. printer.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Brother MFC-J435W

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	We found no review of the MFC-J435W itself. Trusted Reviews and Expert Reviews covered the UK MFC-J430W, so we don't use those scores here.
Cost per page (24%)	93	About 2.1¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC75 high-yield cartridges (about 600 pages each).
Reliability (13%)	75	Most-reported problems: a color not printing or 'ink not detected' after a new cartridge; 'Unable to Print 4F' and 'Unable to Print 50' carriage errors; paper jams and false jams; faded prints and white lines
Features (12%)	70	Print, copy, scan, fax, document feeder, Wi-Fi, 1.9-inch color screen. No Ethernet, no auto two-sided printing, no touchscreen, no memory card slots.
Value (5%)	—	Running cost and owner satisfaction

Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings or published expert scores for this printer, so those weights are spread across the other pillars. With neither owner ratings nor a published expert score, we cap this printer at 69 (Situational) until better data is available.

Discontinued. Brother released the MFC-J435W in 2011. Brother Canada now lists it as discontinued, with no named replacement. LC71 and LC75 cartridges are still sold.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 16, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The cartridges, pictured

Our own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.

What Ink Cartridges Does the Brother MFC-J435W Take?

Cartridge	Brother part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
LC71 Black	LC71BK	~300 pages	—
LC71 Cyan / Magenta / Yellow	LC71C / LC71M / LC71Y	~300 pages each	—
LC75 Black	LC75BK	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Black
LC75 Cyan	LC75C	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Cyan
LC75 Magenta	LC75M	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Magenta
LC75 Yellow	LC75Y	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Yellow

Yields are Brother's ISO figures from its 2011 MFC-J435W catalog sheet. Retail boxes add an S to the part number, such as LC75BKS. The starter cartridges that come with the printer hold about 80% of a standard LC71.

Is LC75 Worth It?

Yes. LC75 holds twice the ink of LC71. On October 16, 2026, Staples listed Brother's LC75 black at $30.99 (about 5.2¢ a page) against $18.69 for the standard LC71 black (about 6.2¢ a page). Staples had the LC75 color three-pack at $54.49 and a black two-pack at $55.29. Our remanufactured LC75 black is $6.95 (about 1.2¢ a page), each color is $6.99, and the LC75 4-pack is $26.99.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J435W?

With the machine on, open the ink cartridge cover on the front right.
Press the lock-release lever for the color shown on the screen and take out the empty cartridge.
Unpack the new LC71 or LC75 cartridge and remove the orange protective cap.
Insert it in the direction of the arrow on the label and push gently until it clicks.
Close the cover. The machine resets its ink counter for that color automatically.

Which Other Printers Use LC71 and LC75?

The MFC-J430W and MFC-J825DW take both. Seller listings also show the MFC-J280W, MFC-J425W, MFC-J625DW, MFC-J835DW and MyMio MFC-J825N, plus the MFC-J5910DW, MFC-J6510DW, MFC-J6710DW and MFC-J6910DW for LC75 only. Check your printer's manual before buying for those.

What MFC-J435W owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer in iFixit's owner Q&A and Brother support pages, answered in our words.

Does it take LC61 cartridges?

No. Brother's spec sheet lists LC71 (about 300 pages) and LC75 (about 600 pages). LC61 fits older models like the MFC-J410W, J415W and J615W.

One color stopped printing, or it says the ink isn't detected.

Reseat the cartridge until it clicks and wipe its contacts. Then run a head cleaning and check the alignment. If 'cannot detect' won't clear, the cartridge sensor may be faulty.

It shows 'Unable to Print 4F' or 'Unable to Print 50'.

These are carriage and maintenance-unit errors. Clear any paper scraps from the carriage path, unplug the printer for several minutes and power it back on. Owners rarely fix a repeat error at home, so it usually needs service.

Can I print from my phone or iPad?

Yes, through Brother's iPrint&Scan app over Wi-Fi. Some owners report the iPad losing the printer after it sits idle. Reconnecting the printer to Wi-Fi usually fixes it.

MFC-J435W quirks worth knowing

Brother rates it at 10 ISO pages a minute in black and 8 in color.
It prints, copies, scans and faxes, with a 20-sheet document feeder. There's no automatic two-sided printing.
It connects over Wi-Fi or USB only. There's no Ethernet, and the Google Cloud Print support on the box no longer works because Google shut the service down.
It has a 1.9-inch color screen and a 100-sheet tray, but no photo tray and no memory card slots.

Frequently Asked Questions