What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J4535DW Use?
Last Updated:Shopping for this printer? See all Brother LC406 Ink Cartridges – LC406 & LC406XL → Ships same day by 4 PM ET, 1-year guarantee.
Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J4535DW uses Brother LC406 or LC406XL ink cartridges in black, cyan, magenta and yellow — four individual cartridges. The XL versions roughly double the black and more than triple each color, so they are much cheaper per page. There is no LC406XXL, whatever some listings suggest.
CastleScore · October 2026
87/100 — Highly Recommended
Brother MFC-J4535DW
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 78 | 4.00★ average across 1,320 ratings at Amazon (4.0) |
| Expert reviews (18%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (24%) | 97 | About 0.8¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC406XL (6,000 black / 5,000 color pages). |
| Reliability (13%) | 80 | Most-reported problems: paper feed problems: slipping, multi-sheet pickup, 'No Paper Fed' and recurring jams; 'Cannot Detect' cartridge errors; printer going offline, scanning failures and lost mobile printing |
| Features (12%) | 92 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, touchscreen, fast (20+ ppm). |
| Value (5%) | 88 | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough published expert scores for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
Discontinued. Brother USA marks the MFC-J4535DW discontinued and names no successor. The closest current model, the MFC-J4555DW, takes LC506 cartridges, not LC406.
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 8, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
LC406XL 4-packBlack + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
LC406XL BlackLC406XLBKS · ~6,000 pages
LC406XL CyanLC406XLCS · ~5,000 pages
LC406XL MagentaLC406XLMS · ~5,000 pages
LC406XL 4-pack
LC406XL Black
LC406XL Cyan
LC406XL MagentaOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
Brother MFC-J4535DW Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Cartridge | Color | Approx. Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Brother LC406BKS | Black | ~3,000 pages |
| Brother LC406CS / MS / YS | Cyan / Magenta / Yellow | ~1,500 pages each |
| Brother LC406XLBKS | Black (high-yield) | ~6,000 pages |
| Brother LC406XLCS / XLMS / XLYS | Cyan / Magenta / Yellow (high-yield) | ~5,000 pages each |
The MFC-J4535DW adds a larger touchscreen and higher paper capacity to the J4335DW, but the consumables are identical — the same four LC406 cartridges.
Standard vs. XL: Which Should You Buy?
The XL, for almost anyone. Black rises from roughly 3,000 pages to 6,000, and each color from about 1,500 to 5,000 — more than triple — for a price increase nowhere near that. On a printer built around low running costs, buying standard cartridges undoes much of the point.
These are already generous yields by inkjet standards. A 6,000-page black cartridge is in laser territory, which is exactly what Brother's INKvestment Tank design is aiming at. Run the numbers for your own volume with our Printer Ink Cost Calculator.
There Is No LC406XXL — Don't Let a Listing Fool You
You will see LC406XXL cartridges advertised. Brother does not make one. The US lineup for this printer family is LC406 and LC406XL only, and Brother's own cartridge pages confirm 6,000 pages as the top black tier.
The confusion comes from the newer LC506 family, which does include an XXL and fits different machines such as the MFC-J4355DW and MFC-J4555DW. An LC506 cartridge will not work in your printer. Check the number on the cartridge you are removing before you order.
What Actually Ships in the Box
This is where Brother's INKvestment Tank models genuinely differ from most inkjets. Rather than reduced-capacity setup cartridges, the Brother MFC-J4535DW ships with around a year of ink at Brother's assumed usage of about 150 pages a month (60% black, 40% color). It is a real cost advantage and worth factoring in when comparing purchase prices against an HP or Canon that includes a starter set good for a couple of hundred pages.
How to Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J4535DW
- Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the printer.
- Press the lock release lever for the color you are replacing and pull the cartridge straight out.
- Unwrap the new cartridge and remove the orange protective packing. Do not touch the contacts.
- Slide the cartridge into the matching color slot in the direction of the arrow on the label, and push until it locks.
- Close the cover. The printer will prepare the ink system briefly.
- Print a test page. If quality looks off, run Print Head Cleaning from the Ink or Maintenance menu.
Replace one cartridge at a time so you do not lose track of which slot is which — the colors are labelled but the cartridges look similar.
Troubleshooting Tips
Printer will not recognize a cartridge: Remove it and reseat it firmly — these cartridges need a definite click. If it still fails, wipe the contacts with a dry cloth.
"Cannot Detect" after fitting compatibles: Power the printer fully off, leave it a minute, then power on with the cartridges installed. This clears many detection faults. If it doesn't, take the cartridge out and check that all the orange packing is gone.
Colors missing or streaky: Run Print Head Cleaning, up to three cycles. The printhead is part of the printer rather than the cartridge here, so a genuine clog is fixable — do not simply replace cartridges.
Ink counter seems wrong after a refill or reset: Brother tracks usage on the chip. A compatible cartridge reports its own level, so the estimate may jump. Judge by output.
Printer says a cartridge is low almost immediately: Check you did not fit a standard LC406 where you meant to fit an LC406XL — they look near-identical in the slot.
Which Other Printers Use the Same Ink?
Brother lists these printers for LC406 and LC406XL. If you run more than one of them, a single cartridge type covers them all:
- Brother MFC-J4335DW
- Brother MFC-J4345DW XL
- Brother MFC-J4535DW
- Brother MFC-J5855DW
- Brother MFC-J5955DW
- Brother MFC-J6555DW
- Brother MFC-J6955DW
Always check the number printed on the cartridge you are replacing before ordering — manufacturers reuse similar-looking numbers across families. You can also look your machine up in our Find Ink by Printer directory.
What MFC-J4535DW owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, Brother's support pages and owner reviews, answered in our words.
What is the closest current replacement, and will my LC406 cartridges fit it?
Brother names no official successor, but the MFC-J4555DW has the same 2.7-inch touchscreen, 400-sheet two-tray setup and 20 / 19 ppm rating. It takes LC506 cartridges, so LC406 won't fit, and it ships with starter cartridges (about 1,800 black and 750 color pages) rather than a year's supply.
Can it copy or fax both sides of a page automatically?
No. Brother lists automatic two-sided printing, up to letter size, but not two-sided copying or faxing.
What happens if I cancel Brother's Refresh ink subscription?
Brother says subscription cartridges are deactivated when you cancel, and you have to replace them with purchased cartridges to keep printing.
Is it big enough for a small office?
Brother recommends 200 to 2,000 pages a month. It holds 400 sheets across two trays, prints 20 pages per minute in black and 19 in color (ISO), and has a fax with 180 pages of memory.
MFC-J4535DW quirks worth knowing
- Two paper trays totalling 400 sheets is unusual on a home inkjet.
- It supports NFC tap-to-print and Alexa voice ordering of ink.
- The XL cartridges don't scale evenly: XL black doubles the standard yield (3,000 to 6,000 pages), while each XL color more than triples it (1,500 to 5,000).
Frequently Asked Questions
What ink does the Brother MFC-J4535DW use? Brother LC406 or LC406XL cartridges in black, cyan, magenta and yellow — four individual cartridges.
Is there an LC406XXL? No. Brother's top tier for this family is LC406XL at roughly 6,000 black pages. An XXL exists only in the newer LC506 family, which fits different printers — do not buy it for this machine.
Is the XL worth it? Yes. The XL doubles black from about 3,000 to 6,000 pages and more than triples each color from about 1,500 to 5,000, at nowhere near the equivalent price increase.
Why did this printer come with so much ink? Brother ships these INKvestment Tank models with roughly a year's supply in the box at typical usage. It is a real advantage over most inkjets, which include reduced setup cartridges.
Do the colors drain even when I print black text? Some, yes. The printer uses small amounts of color for maintenance cycles, and many documents contain color you have not noticed. Greyscale as a driver default helps.
Does compatible ink void the Brother MFC-J4535DW warranty? No. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in the US, using a third-party cartridge does not by itself void a printer warranty.
Can I mix standard and XL cartridges? Yes. The printer does not care whether the four cartridges are the same capacity.
Other printers that use LC406
Brother MFC-J4335DW · Brother MFC-J5855DW · Brother MFC-J6555DW · Brother MFC-J4345DW · Brother MFC-J6955DW
More Brother ink guides: Brother MFC-J1360DW · Brother MFC-J4355DW · Brother MFC-J1170DW · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Brother MFC-T780DW — CastleScore 90
- Epson EcoTank ET-2980 (cheapest to run) — CastleScore 90
- Brother MFC-J4335DW — CastleScore 89
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 8, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother LC406 Ink Cartridges – LC406 & LC406XL? Shop Brother LC406 Ink Cartridges – LC406 & LC406XL at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.