Brother MFC-J4335DW Drivers, Alignment Issues, Uneven Lines & Persistent Print Issues
Brother MFC-J4335DW Drivers, Alignment Issues, Uneven Lines & Persistent Print Issues
People usually end up here because the print looks “driver-wrong”: wavy lines, stair-stepping, faded text, or alignment that collapses again a day later. In the cases below, reinstalling software didn’t explain the pattern. What’s documented here is what actually changed the output (sometimes briefly), what didn’t stick, and where the problem often stayed unresolved or turned into a recurring maintenance loop.
Problem: Alignment Issues
What users observed: Straight lines and text would start printing wavy or stepped, even though the printer sat on a stable surface and hadn’t been moved. After running alignment and cleaning routines, output could look normal again — but only for a short window (sometimes one job, sometimes a couple days) before the same distortion returned.
What was tried: Printhead cleaning and alignment routines were repeated many times. Some users also tried different print modes and settings, but the “good” state didn’t last.
Where this sometimes ended: The printer issue became something that required maintenance every time it was used, or owners gave up on the model because the problem kept coming back.
Problem: Poor Print Quality
What users observed: In normal modes, output showed banding, uneven lines, or wavy text. Switching to the highest quality setting reduced or removed the distortion for some people, even when alignment tools were failing to produce stable results.
What was tried: Print mode was changed to the highest quality option as a workaround after repeated alignment attempts didn’t hold.
Where this sometimes ended: It was treated as a stopgap rather than a fix, because printing became extremely slow and the underlying behavior still seemed present in the model.
Problem: Auto-alignment fails with “auto adjustment unsuccessful”
What users observed: The printer refused to complete automatic alignment and returned an “unsuccessful” message. Manual alignment was attempted, but users reported that the expected “clean” reference patterns never appeared, making the manual choice feel like guessing.
What was tried: Auto alignment, then manual alignment. Repeating the cycle did not reliably produce a stable baseline.
Where this sometimes ended: Output could sometimes be temporarily improved through other maintenance functions, but alignment itself remained unresolved or inconsistent.
Problem: Printer prints out faded colors after not being used for a long time
What users observed: The printer was used only a few times per month. Each time it sat unused, the next print would come out faded, smeared, or uneven until cleaning routines were run. The cycle repeated consistently.
What was tried: Nozzle/printhead cleaning and alignment were done repeatedly. Some users changed habits and started printing on a schedule (multiple times per week) to keep output stable.
Where this sometimes ended: For some, frequent printing reduced how often the issue showed up.
Problem: Manual duplex scanning isn’t supported through the ADF
What users observed: Buyers expected to scan one side through the ADF, flip the stack, scan the other side, and have a workable duplex output. Instead, documentation and behavior pointed toward using the flatbed for double-sided scanning/copying, even when users tried to force a manual ADF workflow.
What was tried: Attempts to do “manual duplex” via the ADF, then falling back to alternate software or the flatbed.
What this turned out to be: A limitation of the ADF workflow — feeding one side first results in page ordering issues once the stack is flipped.
Where this sometimes ended: Duplex scans were done on the flatbed, or users accepted out-of-order results unless they used external tools to reorder pages.
Problem: Second-hand printer prints poorly
What users observed: After a successful setup and firmware update, print output was visibly poor and looked like a bad unit.
What was tried: Multiple passes of the built-in printhead cleaning function were run.
Where this sometimes ended: After several cleaning cycles, output returned to normal, suggesting the initial bad prints were tied to ink delivery/flow state rather than drivers.
Other devices showing similar behavior:
- Scans your system for missing or outdated drivers
- Downloads and installs the correct versions
- Creates a restore point before making changes