What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J6955DW Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: the Brother MFC-J6955DW uses LC406 ink — four individual cartridges — with LC406XL as the high-yield version. There is no LC406XXL.
The costly mistake on this machine is the model one number up. The MFC-J6960DW takes LC506, not LC406. Same brand, same class of printer, adjacent model number, incompatible cartridges. Check the last two digits on the front of your printer before you order anything.
CastleScore · October 2026
89/100 — Highly Recommended
Brother MFC-J6955DW
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (18%) | 80 | PCMag 4.0/5 |
| 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%) | 84 | Most-reported problems: 'Ink Absorber Pad Full' requires a Brother service visit. The machine runs automatic cleanings after power cycles, cleared jams, 30+ idle days, or 12 replacements of the same color, so the pad fills faster than owners expect; paper jams and 'Repeat Jam' across the two trays, MP tray and rear path. Brother points to mismatched paper guides, paper dust on the pick-up rollers, and debris |
| Features (12%) | 92 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, touchscreen, fast (20+ ppm). |
| Value (5%) | — | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
Discontinued in the U.S. (CDW lists January 2025), though Brother Australia still sells it. LC406 and LC406XL ink remain current.
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 9, 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-J6955DW ink at a glance
| Cartridge | Family | Part Number | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black (standard) | LC406 | LC406BK | ~3,000 pages |
| Cyan (standard) | LC406 | LC406C | ~1,500 pages |
| Magenta (standard) | LC406 | LC406M | ~1,500 pages |
| Yellow (standard) | LC406 | LC406Y | ~1,500 pages |
| Black (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLBK | ~6,000 pages |
| Cyan (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLC | ~5,000 pages |
| Magenta (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLM | ~5,000 pages |
| Yellow (high yield) | LC406XL | LC406XLY | ~5,000 pages |
Brother's own ISO/IEC 24711 figures. On a machine that will happily run several thousand pages a month, the XL tier is not really optional — a 5,000-page color against 1,500 changes how often you are opening the front cover.
The same cartridges appear with an S suffix, such as LC406XLYS. That is a packaging variant of the identical product, not a different cartridge. Brother also labels LC406 as "Standard-Yield" on its shop site and "High Yield" on its support site — ignore the adjective and buy by page count.
About the Brother MFC-J6955DW
This was the top of Brother's LC406 lineup. It has since been discontinued in the U.S. (CDW lists it as discontinued in January 2025), but LC406 ink is still current because other Brother models use it. It prints up to 11 by 17 inches, at 30 ppm in both black and color, with automatic duplex printing all the way up to ledger size.
The scanning side is the standout: a 50-sheet ADF with single-pass two-sided scanning, which halves the time on double-sided originals. Paper capacity is 600 sheets as standard — two 250-sheet trays plus a 100-sheet multipurpose tray — and it handles long paper up to 47 inches. There is a 3.5-inch touchscreen, wired Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi on both 2.4 and 5 GHz, and NFC.
Brother puts the recommended monthly volume at 250 to 3,500 pages. It shares LC406 ink with the MFC-J4335DW, J4345DW XL, J4535DW, J5855DW, J5955DW and J6555DW.
Common problems on this model
"Cannot Detect" or "Wrong Ink Cartridge"
Reseat the cartridge until it locks. If the message stays, read the part number on the cartridge — this is almost always an LC506 or LC3033 bought by mistake rather than a hardware fault.
"Ink Absorber Full" or "InkBox Full"
The absorber collects waste ink from head cleaning. Brother states it is not user-serviceable and not covered by warranty, so it means a service call. Unnecessary cleaning cycles fill it faster, which is a good reason to diagnose print quality properly rather than reflexively cleaning.
White lines or missing colors
Print the Print Quality Check sheet, then run Clean Print Head — up to three cycles before escalating to Brother's special cleaning. Check the Media Type setting matches the loaded paper, and keep the machine between roughly 68 and 91 degrees. See faded or streaky prints.
Jams and misfeeds with mixed paper sizes
On a two-tray machine most jams come from a tray guide set for one size while a different size is loaded. Seat each tray fully, set the guides to the actual paper, fan the stack and close the jam clear cover. Our paper jam guide covers the Brother path.
Smudging on ledger or glossy stock
Clean the platen and feed rollers, use the paper support flap, and confirm you loaded glossy paper the right way up. Larger sheets give ink more time to transfer to rollers, so this shows up more on 11 by 17 than on letter.
What MFC-J6955DW 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.
A color ran out. Can I still print in black?
Yes. Brother's "B&W Print Only" mode lets you print, copy and fax in black for about four weeks, as long as the paper type is set to plain paper. Unplugging the printer or pulling the empty cartridge can end that grace period.
Why does it keep running cleaning cycles on its own?
Brother says it cleans automatically after power cycles, cleared jams, more than 30 days idle, or after the same color has been replaced 12 times. That waste ink goes into the absorber, which needs a service visit when it's full.
Does it work on 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
Yes. Brother lists 802.11a/n on 5 GHz as well as 802.11b/g/n on 2.4 GHz, plus Wi-Fi Direct.
How long does the ink in the box last?
Brother says the in-box cartridges hold about a year of ink at around 300 pages a month.
MFC-J6955DW quirks worth knowing
- It has an NFC card reader for badge sign-in and secure print release, not just tap-to-print from a phone.
- Unlike the cheaper MFC-J6555DW, it has 512 MB of memory and PCL6 / BR-Script3 emulation, so it works with standard office print drivers.
- Brother recommends 250 to 3,500 pages a month with a 40,000-page duty cycle, the highest in its LC406 lineup.
- Brother's spec sheet covers the J6540DW, J6555DW, J6740DW, J6940DW and J6955DW together, but only the J6940DW and J6955DW scan and copy both sides of a page through the feeder.
FAQ
What ink does the Brother MFC-J6955DW use?
LC406 or LC406XL in black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
Is there an LC406XXL?
No. LC406XL is the largest size. The XXL tier belongs to LC506, which fits different printers.
Does the MFC-J6955DW use LC506?
No. LC506 fits the MFC-J6960DW, J6975DW, J4355DW, J4555DW, J5010DW, J5110DW, J5115DW and J6560DW. The J6955DW and J6960DW are the pair people mix up most.
Does it use LC3033 or LC3035?
No. Those fit the MFC-J995DW, J805DW and J815DW XL — also INKvestment, similar yields, different cartridge.
Does the MFC-J6955DW really print 11 by 17?
Yes, and it duplexes at that size too. It also takes long paper up to about 47 inches for banners.
Can I use remanufactured or compatible LC406XL cartridges?
Yes. We found no Brother or owner reports of this printer locking out third-party LC406. Brother will not cover damage it can prove came from third-party supplies, but using them does not void your warranty outright — see the legal answer.
Other printers that use LC406
Brother MFC-J4335DW · Brother MFC-J4535DW · Brother MFC-J5855DW · Brother MFC-J6555DW · Brother MFC-J4345DW
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 9, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother ink cartridges? Shop Brother ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.