Brother 'Unable to Print 30': print head carriage jam fix

What causes it

• A sheet of paper or a photo trapped under the print head
• A small object such as a paperclip or a coin dropped into the machine
• Dried ink on the rail or on the maintenance station holding the head
• Orange protective packing left in place on a newly unboxed machine
• A worn or slipping carriage belt on a heavily used machine

How to fix it, in order

Work down the list and stop when the printer recovers. The steps are ordered from most likely and least invasive to last resort.

1. Power the machine down properly

   Hold the power button until the display goes dark, then unplug the power cord from the wall. With power removed the carriage is released, which is essential because forcing a powered carriage can strip the belt. Give it a few seconds before you open the machine.

2. Open the scanner cover and look at the carriage

   Lift the scanner cover until it locks in the open position. The print head sits on a rail behind the ink cartridge cover. Shine a torch across the whole travel and look specifically for paper corners under the head, since a sheet that jammed at the print stage sits exactly where you cannot see it from the front.

3. Slide the carriage by hand and clear what you find

   Push the carriage gently to the far end of the rail so you can see the area underneath it, then remove any paper in the direction it was travelling. If the head will not move at all, do not force it; check first for a hard object, then for dried ink around the parking position on the right.

4. Check for orange packing parts

   New Brother inkjets ship with an orange protective part in the ink cartridge area and sometimes orange tape on the carriage. If this is the first setup, remove every orange piece you find, including the one clipped over the print head area, and keep it in case the machine ever needs to be transported again.

5. Check the ink cartridges are fully clicked in

   Open the ink cartridge cover on the front right, press the release lever for each cartridge and lift it out, then push each one back in until it clicks and the lever snaps shut. A cartridge that is not fully home catches as the carriage moves and reproduces this error even after you have cleared the paper.

6. Check the paper jam clear cover at the rear

   Turn the machine round and open the jam clear cover at the back, which unclips at both sides on most models. Remove any paper inside and check for torn strips. Close it firmly until both sides latch, because a partly open jam cover leaves the paper path open.

7. Reconnect power and let the machine initialise

   Plug the machine back in and switch it on. It will run a short carriage sweep and a purge. Let that finish without opening anything. If the code clears, print the machine's own test page from Menu, then Ink or Maintenance, then Test Print, then Print Quality Check.

8. If the error returns immediately, look again with more light

   A repeat error almost always means a fragment is still inside. Take the ink cartridges out for a clearer view, use a bright torch from both the front and the rear opening, and check the narrow gap between the platen and the paper guide where thin strips of paper hide.

Frequently asked questions