What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J5910DW Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 16, 2026

Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J5910DW uses four separate cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow, in either high-yield LC75 or super high-yield LC79. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured LC75 Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a 4-pack, plus LC79 Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a 4-pack.

LC75 also fits home models like the MFC-J825DW, MFC-J430W and MFC-J435W. Those printers also take standard LC71, but Brother's MFC-J5910DW spec sheet lists only LC75 and LC79, so we don't recommend LC71 here. UK and European versions of this printer take different, region-coded cartridges, so buy by the U.S. LC75 and LC79 numbers.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Brother MFC-J5910DW

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	Reviewed by Expert Reviews and Trusted Reviews, without numeric scores we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	93	About 1.9¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC75 high-yield cartridges (about 600 pages each).
Reliability (13%)	75	Most-reported problems: 'Paper Jam' errors with no paper inside; 'Cannot Detect' ink cartridge errors; a flimsy, awkward 11 x 17 paper tray and misfeeds
Features (12%)	90	Print, copy, scan, fax, 35-sheet document feeder, auto two-sided printing up to 11 x 17 inches, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 1.9-inch color touchscreen, memory card slots. Scanning and copying top out at legal size.
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-J5910DW in 2011. Brother USA and Brother Canada now list it as discontinued, with no named replacement. Brother USA shows its own LC79 black as discontinued, though Staples still sells LC75 and LC79 cartridges.

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-J5910DW Take?

Cartridge	Brother part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
LC75 Black (high yield)	LC75BK	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Black
LC75 Cyan / Magenta / Yellow	LC75C / LC75M / LC75Y	~600 pages each	Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
LC79 Black (super high yield)	LC79BK	~2,400 pages	Remanufactured LC79 Black
LC79 Cyan / Magenta / Yellow	LC79C / LC79M / LC79Y	~1,200 pages each	Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
LC75 4-pack (black + 3 colors)	—	As above	Remanufactured LC75 4-pack
LC79 4-pack (black + 3 colors)	—	As above	Remanufactured LC79 4-pack

Yields are Brother's ISO figures. Retail boxes add an S to the part number, such as LC75BKS. You can mix LC75 and LC79 cartridges, since each color is replaced on its own. Our LC75 10-pack has four blacks and two of each color.

Is LC79 Worth It?

Yes, if you print a lot. The LC79 black holds four times the pages of the LC75 black, and each LC79 color holds twice as much. On October 16, 2026, Staples listed Brother's LC75 black at $30.99 (about 5.2¢ a page) and the LC79 black at $51.99 (about 2.2¢ a page). Staples had the LC75 cyan at $18.99 and the LC79 yellow at $27.49, both out of stock. Our remanufactured LC75 black is $6.95 (about 1.2¢ a page) and the LC79 black is $7.95 (about 0.3¢ a page). LC75 colors are $6.99 and LC79 colors are $7.95. The LC75 4-pack is $26.99 and the LC79 4-pack is $28.99.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J5910DW?

With the machine on, open the ink cartridge cover on the front.
Press the lock-release lever for the color shown on the touchscreen and pull the cartridge out.
Unpack the new LC75 or LC79 cartridge and remove its protective cap.
Insert the cartridge in the direction of the arrow on the label until it clicks.
Close the cover. If the screen asks whether you changed that color, answer Yes so the ink counter resets.

Which Other Printers Use LC75 and LC79?

Brother's LC79BK page lists both LC75 and LC79 for the MFC-J6510DW, MFC-J6710DW and MFC-J6910DW. Seller listings show LC75 alone for the MFC-J280W, MFC-J425W, MFC-J430W, MFC-J435W, MFC-J625DW, MFC-J825DW and MFC-J835DW. LC79 doesn't fit those home models.

What MFC-J5910DW owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer in repair forums like CopyTechNet and Brother support pages, answered in our words.

It says 'Paper Jam' but there's no paper inside.

One owner on CopyTechNet fixed a phantom jam with a firmware update over USB. If that doesn't clear it, a technician should check the rear paper sensor and the carriage edge sensor.

It says 'Cannot Detect' for an ink cartridge.

Reseat the cartridge until it clicks and confirm it's an LC75 or LC79. If the error won't clear, a technician says the cartridge sensors at the top and rear are usually at fault and need replacing.

Can it scan or copy 11 x 17?

No. It prints up to 11 x 17, including two-sided, but the glass and the document feeder handle only letter and legal.

Does LC71 fit?

Brother's spec sheet lists only LC75 and LC79 for the MFC-J5910DW. Stick with those.

MFC-J5910DW quirks worth knowing

Brother rates it at 12 ISO pages a minute in black and 10 in color.
It prints two-sided automatically up to 11 x 17 inches, which is rare for a desktop all-in-one. The 35-sheet document feeder is single-sided.
Expert Reviews and Trusted Reviews both called the large paper tray flimsy or awkward to load. Seat it fully and set the guides snugly.
It connects over Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB, with a 1.9-inch color touchscreen and memory card slots. The USB and Ethernet ports sit under the scanner bed.

Frequently Asked Questions