What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J450DW Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 15, 2026

Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J450DW uses four separate cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow, in either standard-yield LC101 or high-yield LC103. Brother lists both for this printer, and each color is replaced on its own. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured LC103 Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.

The MFC-J450DW takes the same ink as the MFC-J470DW, MFC-J870DW and DCP-J152W. The high-yield LC103 also fits the bigger MFC-J4000 and J6000 models, which don't take LC101. LC101 and LC103 are North American numbers. Brother Canada sells the same cartridges, but versions of this printer sold outside the Americas use different ones.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Brother MFC-J450DW

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	No published numeric expert score we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	92	About 2.4¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC103 high-yield cartridges (about 600 pages each).
Reliability (13%)	82	Most-reported problems: Brother's iPrint&Scan app not finding the printer; scanning works from the glass but not the document feeder; printing and scanning stop after a Windows 11 update; printer showing Offline or Paused
Features (12%)	78	Print, copy, scan, fax, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi, 1.8-inch color screen. No Ethernet, no touchscreen.
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 Canada lists the MFC-J450DW as discontinued, and we found no named replacement. LC101 and LC103 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 15, 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-J450DW Take?

Cartridge	Brother part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
LC101 Black	LC101BK	~300 pages	—
LC101 Cyan / Magenta / Yellow	LC101C / LC101M / LC101Y	Standard	—
LC103 Black	LC103BK	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Black
LC103 Cyan	LC103C	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Cyan
LC103 Magenta	LC103M	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Magenta
LC103 Yellow	LC103Y	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Yellow

Black yields are Brother's ISO figures. The LC103 color yields come from Staples listings. Retail boxes add an S to the part number, such as LC103BKS.

Is LC103 Worth It?

Yes. LC103 black holds twice the ink of LC101 black. On October 15, 2026, Brother's own store listed the LC103 black at $26.49 (about 4.4¢ a page), though it was out of stock. Staples had the LC103 cyan at $16.99, the magenta at $24.49 and a color three-pack at $45.99. Our remanufactured LC103 black is $9.95 (about 1.7¢ a page) and each color $8.95.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J450DW?

Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the machine.
Push the lock-release lever for the empty color and take that cartridge out.
Unpack the new cartridge of the same color and remove its protective cap.
Insert it in the direction of the arrow on the label and push until it clicks.
Close the cover. The machine resets its ink counter for that color automatically.

Which Other Printers Use LC101 and LC103?

Both fit the DCP-J152W, MFC-J245, MFC-J285DW, MFC-J470DW, MFC-J475DW, MFC-J650DW, MFC-J870DW and MFC-J875DW. LC103 alone also fits the MFC-J4310DW, MFC-J4410DW, MFC-J4510DW, MFC-J4610DW, MFC-J4710DW, MFC-J6520DW, MFC-J6720DW and MFC-J6920DW.

What MFC-J450DW owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer in Brother support forums and owner reviews, answered in our words.

My phone says 'No Supported Devices Found' in iPrint&Scan.

That's Brother's most-viewed FAQ for this printer. Make sure the phone and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network, update the app, and re-run the printer's wireless setup if needed.

It scans from the glass but not from the document feeder.

This is usually a software setting. Pick the document feeder (ADF) as the source in your scan app, or reinstall Brother's full driver package.

It stopped printing and scanning after a Windows 11 update.

Windows Update can replace or break the Brother driver. Download the Full Driver & Software Package from Brother support and reinstall it.

My computer shows the printer as Offline or Paused.

Resume the print queue, turn off 'Use Printer Offline', and check the printer is still on your network. Removing and re-adding the printer often clears it.

MFC-J450DW quirks worth knowing

Brother rates it at 12 ISO pages a minute in black and 10 in color.
It prints, copies, scans and faxes, has a document feeder and prints two-sided pages automatically. Brother doesn't list two-sided scanning.
It connects over Wi-Fi or USB only. There's no Ethernet port.
It has a 1.8-inch color screen, not a touchscreen, and a 100-sheet paper tray.

Frequently Asked Questions