Brother Printer Printing Slowly? Find the Cause

If your Brother printer printing slowly is becoming a regular problem, the cause may be a print-quality setting, a large or complicated document, a connection issue, or the printer itself taking longer to process the job.

Before changing drivers or reinstalling the printer, check whether the slowdown happens with every print job or only certain documents. That distinction can quickly narrow down where the problem is.

Quick Diagnosis: Start Here

What you’re seeing	Start here
Everything prints more slowly than usual	Go to Fix 1
Only photos or graphics print slowly	Go to Fix 2
A large PDF takes a long time to start	Go to Fix 3
Printer is slow over Wi-Fi	Go to Fix 4
USB printing has suddenly become slow	Go to Fix 5
Printer is slow after changing print settings	Go to Fix 6
Print jobs take a long time to start	Go to Fix 7
Printer remains slow after these checks	Go to Fix 8

Why This Happens

A Brother printer can slow down for several reasons:

• High-quality or photo printing settings are being used.
• The document contains large images or complex graphics.
• A large PDF is taking longer for the computer or printer to process.
• The printer is connected over a weak or unstable network.
• A USB connection is not communicating properly.
• The printer is performing maintenance or processing a demanding print job.
• A print setting is designed to prioritise quality over speed.
• The computer or printer software is taking longer to process the job.

The right fix depends on where the delay occurs — while the computer prepares the job, while the printer receives it, or while the printer physically produces the pages.

Fix 1: Check the Print Quality Setting

One of the simplest reasons for slower printing is a higher print-quality setting.

Open the print settings for your Brother printer and check the selected quality or resolution.

If you’re printing an ordinary document, try a standard or normal quality setting instead of a higher-quality mode.

Higher-quality settings can require more processing and may increase the time needed to produce a page.

For everyday documents such as:

• Text
• Bills
• Forms
• School or office documents
• Simple spreadsheets

you generally don’t need the highest available quality.

Print another page and compare the speed.

Fix 2: Check Whether Photos or Graphics Are Causing the Delay

If ordinary text prints quickly but documents containing photos or large graphics take much longer, the amount of data being processed may be the reason.

Try printing a simple one-page text document.

If that prints at a normal speed, the printer itself may not be slow. The problem may be the complexity of the original file.

Large images, detailed graphics and high-resolution PDFs can take longer to process than ordinary text.

Where possible, reduce the image resolution or simplify the document before printing.

Fix 3: Test a Large PDF Against a Simple Document

PDF files can vary considerably in complexity.

A PDF containing scanned pages, high-resolution images, transparency effects or other graphics may take much longer to process than a basic text document.

Try this comparison:

1. Print a simple text document.
2. Print the problem PDF.
3. Compare how long each takes to start and finish.

If only the PDF is slow, try creating a simpler version of the document or printing from another PDF application.

If every document is slow, continue with the connection and printer settings below.

Fix 4: Check the Wi-Fi Connection

If your Brother printer is connected wirelessly, a network problem can affect how quickly the print job reaches the printer.

Check whether:

• The printer is still connected to your Wi-Fi network.
• The computer is connected to the same network.
• Other devices are experiencing network problems.
• The printer is far from the router.
• The Wi-Fi connection recently changed.

If possible, temporarily move the printer closer to the router and test the same document again.

If printing becomes noticeably faster, the wireless connection may be contributing to the delay.

A network printer can also take longer to start a job if communication between the computer and printer is unstable.

Fix 5: Check the USB Connection

For a USB-connected Brother printer, check the cable and connection.

Disconnect and reconnect the USB cable firmly at both ends.

Then:

1. Connect the printer directly to the computer.
2. Avoid a USB hub while troubleshooting.
3. Try another USB port.
4. Test the same document again.

If printing becomes faster after changing the connection, the original USB connection may have been contributing to the problem.

If the printer is slow even when printing a simple document through a direct USB connection, look at the printer settings and software next.

Fix 6: Check for Settings That Prioritise Quality

Some printer settings can deliberately trade speed for print quality.

Check the printer’s preferences for options related to:

• Print quality
• Resolution
• Media or paper type
• Photo printing
• Colour printing
• Special print modes

If you’re printing on ordinary plain paper, make sure the selected media type actually matches the paper you’re using.

Also check whether a special quality or print mode has been enabled unnecessarily.

After changing the setting, print the same document again. This makes it easier to see whether the setting was responsible for the slowdown.

Fix 7: Check Whether the Delay Happens Before Printing Starts

Pay attention to when the printer becomes slow.

If you click Print and the printer takes a long time before making any sound or producing the first page, the delay may be related to:

• Document processing
• The print queue
• Network communication
• Printer software
• The selected printer or driver

If the printer starts almost immediately but takes a long time to produce each page, the issue is more likely related to the print mode, document type or printer’s own processing speed.

This simple distinction can help you avoid changing settings that are unrelated to the actual problem.

Fix 8: Restart the Printer and Computer

If the printer has suddenly become slow across different documents, restart both devices.

1. Save your work and close the application.
2. Cancel any unnecessary pending print jobs.
3. Turn off the Brother printer.
4. Restart the computer.
5. Turn the printer back on.
6. Wait until it is ready.
7. Print a simple one-page document.

If the printer returns to normal speed, the problem may have been temporary.

If it remains slow across multiple documents and connection types, check whether the issue is specific to your Brother model or whether the printer requires further service or maintenance.

How to Prevent Brother Printer Slow Printing

A few simple checks can help keep everyday printing reasonably fast:

• Use normal print quality for routine documents.
• Avoid unnecessarily high-resolution images.
• Keep large files simple when possible.
• Use a stable Wi-Fi connection for wireless printing.
• Connect USB printers directly when troubleshooting performance.
• Match the selected paper type to the paper you’re actually using.
• Clear old or stuck print jobs from the queue.
• Keep the Brother printer software appropriate for your model and operating system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Brother printer suddenly printing slowly?

A sudden slowdown can be caused by a changed print-quality setting, a complicated document, network problems, a stuck print queue or a temporary communication issue. Compare a simple text document with the document that is printing slowly.

Why does my Brother printer print text quickly but photos slowly?

Photos and graphics contain much more data than ordinary text and can require more processing. Higher-quality photo settings can also increase the time required to print.

Why does my Brother printer take a long time to start printing?

If there is a long delay before the first page starts, check the print queue, printer connection, document complexity and printer software. A network printer can also take longer if communication with the computer is slow.

Does Wi-Fi make a Brother printer slower?

A weak or unstable Wi-Fi connection can delay the transfer of a print job to the printer. Test the same document after improving the printer’s connection to the router.

Can print quality make a Brother printer slower?

Yes. Higher-quality or higher-resolution settings can require additional processing and may reduce printing speed, particularly for graphics and images.

Why is my Brother printer slow with PDFs?

Some PDFs contain large images, scanned pages or complex graphics that take longer to process. If simple documents print normally, the PDF itself may be responsible for the delay.

Should I reinstall my Brother printer if it is printing slowly?

Not immediately. First check print quality, document complexity and the USB or Wi-Fi connection. If the printer remains slow across different documents after these checks, then the printer software or driver can be investigated.