Brother Printer Error 68 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Brother error 68 indicates a problem with the print job data being sent to the printer. The printer received a document it cannot process, or the print data was corrupted during transmission. This is not a hardware fault — deleting the print job and reprinting usually resolves it.

Affected Models

Brother HL-L2350DW
Brother HL-L2370DW
Brother MFC-L2710DW
Brother DCP-L2550DW
Most Brother laser printer models

Common Causes

The print job data was corrupted during transmission from the computer to the printer
The document being printed contains elements the printer's language interpreter cannot process
A stuck or corrupted job is blocking the print queue
The printer driver on the computer is outdated or mismatched with the printer model
The printer's memory is full and cannot buffer the incoming print data

How to Fix It

Cancel all print jobs. On your Windows PC, go to Start > Printers (or Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners), select your Brother printer, and open the print queue. Delete all jobs in the queue.

A stuck corrupted job blocks all subsequent print jobs. Clearing the queue is always the first step.
Restart the printer. Turn it off with the power button, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Let it complete its startup cycle.

A printer restart clears the internal memory buffer and any temporary processing errors.
Restart the print spooler on your PC. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Find 'Print Spooler' in the list, right-click it, and select Restart.

The print spooler manages all print jobs on your PC. Restarting it clears any stuck jobs that were not visible in the print queue.
Try printing a different document (such as a simple text file or test page). If it prints correctly, the original document has a compatibility issue with the printer.

PDF files with complex graphics, embedded fonts, or certain color profiles can cause data errors on some Brother models.
Update the printer driver. Go to Brother's support website, find your model, and download the latest full driver package for your Windows version. Uninstall the old driver first, then install the new one.

An outdated driver can cause data handling errors that result in Error 68. Brother releases driver updates that fix these compatibility issues.

When to Call a Professional

Error 68 is a print job or software issue — not a hardware fault. You can resolve it without a technician. If error 68 appears repeatedly on all documents, update or reinstall the printer driver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Error 68 only happens when printing PDFs. Is that normal?

Yes, this is a known issue. PDF files with complex fonts, transparency, or color spaces can cause data processing errors on some Brother models. To fix it, try printing from a different PDF application (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader rather than a browser). Alternatively, convert the PDF to a Word document or image first, then print.

Can a bad USB cable cause error 68?

Yes, on USB-connected printers. A faulty or low-quality USB cable can corrupt print data in transit. Try replacing the USB cable with a new one rated for USB 2.0. If you are using Wi-Fi, a network transmission error can similarly corrupt print data.

How do I print a test page on a Brother printer?

Press and hold the Go button for about 4 seconds (for most models) until the printer starts printing. The test page shows basic printer status, toner level, and confirms the printer hardware is working. If the test page prints correctly but documents do not, the issue is with the print data or driver, not the hardware.