What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J475DW Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 21, 2026

Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J475DW uses four separate cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Each comes as a standard LC101 (about 300 pages) or a high-yield LC103 (about 600 pages), and you can mix the two. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured LC103 Black, LC103 Cyan, LC103 Magenta, LC103 Yellow and an LC103 4-pack, plus LC101 singles and an LC101 4-pack.

It shares these cartridges with the MFC-J470DW, MFC-J870DW, MFC-J450DW, MFC-J285DW and DCP-J152W. The super high-yield LC105 and LC107 cartridges look similar but Brother doesn't list them for this printer, so stick to LC101 and LC103.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Brother MFC-J475DW

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%)	91	About 2.7¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC103 high-yield cartridges (about 600 pages each) at $7.99 each.
Reliability (13%)	80	Most-reported problem we could verify: 'Ink Absorber Full' stopping the printer, which Brother says needs a service replacement that isn't covered by warranty
Features (12%)	74	Print, copy, scan, fax, 20-page document feeder, auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi, 1.8-inch color LCD. Brother's page lists no Ethernet and 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 USA lists the MFC-J475DW as discontinued, and we couldn't confirm its launch date or price. LC101 and LC103 cartridges are still sold: in October 2026, 4inkjets had Brother's LC101 and LC103 in stock, though Brother's own store showed the LC103 black out of stock.

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 21, 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-J475DW Take?

Cartridge	Brother part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
LC101 Black	LC101BK	~300 pages	Remanufactured LC101 Black
LC103 Black (high yield)	LC103BK	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Black
LC101 Cyan	LC101C	~300 pages	Remanufactured LC101 Cyan
LC103 Cyan (high yield)	LC103C	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Cyan
LC101 Magenta	LC101M	~300 pages	Remanufactured LC101 Magenta
LC103 Magenta (high yield)	LC103M	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Magenta
LC101 Yellow	LC101Y	~300 pages	Remanufactured LC101 Yellow
LC103 Yellow (high yield)	LC103Y	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC103 Yellow
LC101 4-pack	—	~300 pages each	Remanufactured LC101 4-pack
LC103 4-pack	—	~600 pages each	Remanufactured LC103 4-pack

Yields are Brother's ISO/IEC 24711 figures. The LC101 and LC103 are the same size and fit the same slots, so you can replace one color at a time with either. The cartridges that came in the box were starter cartridges, which Brother rates at about 80% of an LC101.

Are LC103 Cartridges Worth It?

Yes. They print about twice as many pages as the LC101. On October 21, 2026, Brother's own store listed the LC103 black at $26.49 (about 4.4¢ a page), out of stock, and the LC103 magenta at $16.79 (about 2.8¢ a page). 4inkjets listed Brother's LC103 black at $26.74 (about 4.5¢ a page) and LC103 colors at $17.99 each (3¢), against $17.99 for the smaller LC101 black (6¢) and $12.99 for LC101 colors (about 4.3¢). Our remanufactured LC103 singles are $7.99 each, about 1.3¢ a page, or $30.99 for the 4-pack. Our LC101 singles are $10.99, so the LC103 is the better buy from us too.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J475DW?

Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the machine.
Press the lock-release lever for the color shown on the display and take that cartridge out.
Unpack the new cartridge. Turn the green lever on the orange protective cap until it clicks to release the seal, then pull the cap off. Don't touch the area under the cap.
Slide the cartridge in the direction of the arrow on its label, then push gently on the back, marked PUSH, until it locks.
Close the cover. The machine resets the ink level for that color on its own.

Which Other Printers Use LC101 and LC103?

Brother lists both sizes for the DCP-J152W and the MFC-J245, J285DW, J450DW, J470DW, J650DW, J870DW and J875DW. The LC103 also fits the MFC-J4310DW, J4410DW, J4510DW, J4610DW, J4710DW, J6520DW, J6720DW and J6920DW, which can't take the smaller LC101.

What MFC-J475DW owners ask

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

Should I buy LC101 or LC103?

LC103. It holds about 600 pages against about 300 for the LC101, and it fits the same slot. You only need LC101 if that's what you can find locally.

Will LC105 or LC107 super high-yield cartridges fit?

No. Brother lists those for the MFC-J4000 and J6000 models only. The MFC-J475DW takes LC101 and LC103.

The screen says Ink Absorber Full. Can I fix it?

That message means the pads that catch ink from cleaning cycles are full. Brother says the box has to be replaced through its customer service and that this isn't covered by warranty. Fewer cleaning cycles slow how fast it fills.

Does it have a document feeder and two-sided printing?

Yes. It has a 20-page document feeder for copying, scanning and faxing, and it prints on both sides automatically. It also connects over Wi-Fi.

MFC-J475DW quirks worth knowing

Brother rates it at 12 pages a minute in black and 10 in color by the ISO standard. Its faster 33 and 27 page figures aren't ISO speeds.
It has a 1.8-inch color LCD rather than a touchscreen.
The fax side includes caller ID, call waiting and distinctive ring, and it works with an external answering machine.
Each color is a separate cartridge, so you only replace the one that runs out.

Frequently Asked Questions