Brother VERSION 0 MFC-290C User manual

USER’S GUIDE
MFC-250C
MFC-290C
Version 0
ARL/ASA/NZ

If you need to call Customer Service
Please complete the following information for future
reference:
Model Number: MFC-250C and MFC-290C
(Circle your model number)
Serial Number: 1
Date of Purchase:
Place of Purchase:
1The serial number is on the back of the unit. Retain
this User's Guide with your sales receipt as a
permanent record of your purchase, in the event of
theft, fire or warranty service.
Register your product on-line at
http://www.brother.com/registration/
By registering your product with Brother, you will be recorded as the
original owner of the product. Your registration with Brother:
may serve as confirmation of the purchase date of your product
should you lose your receipt; and
may support an insurance claim by you in the event of product loss
covered by insurance.
© 2008 Brother Industries, Ltd.

i
Approval Information and Compilation and
Publication Notice
THIS EQUIPMENT IS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH A TWO WIRE ANALOGUE PSTN LINE
FITTED WITH THE APPROPRIATE CONNECTOR.
APPROVAL INFORMATION
Brother advises that this product may not function correctly in a country other than where it was
originally purchased, and does not offer any warranty in the event that this product is used on
public telecommunication lines in another country.
Compilation and Publication Notice
Under the supervision of Brother Industries Ltd., this manual has been compiled and published,
covering the latest product descriptions and specifications.
The contents of this manual and the specifications of this product are subject to change without
notice.
Brother reserves the right to make changes without notice in the specifications and materials
contained herein and shall not be responsible for any damages (including consequential) caused
by reliance on the materials presented, including but not limited to typographical and other errors
relating to the publication.

ii
Table of Contents
Section I General
1 General Information 2
Using the documentation .......................................................................................2
Symbols and conventions used in the documentation ....................................2
Accessing the Software User’s Guide ...................................................................3
Viewing Documentation...................................................................................3
Accessing Brother Support (For Windows®) .........................................................5
MFC-290C Control panel overview........................................................................6
2 Loading paper and documents 8
Loading paper and other print media.....................................................................8
Loading envelopes and post cards................................................................10
Removing small printouts from the machine .................................................11
Printable area ................................................................................................12
Acceptable paper and other print media..............................................................13
Recommended print media ...........................................................................13
Handling and using print media .....................................................................14
Choosing the right print media.......................................................................15
Loading documents .............................................................................................17
Using the ADF (MFC-290C only)...................................................................17
Using the scanner glass ................................................................................17
Scannable area .............................................................................................18
3 General setup 19
Mode Timer..........................................................................................................19
Paper settings......................................................................................................19
Paper Type ....................................................................................................19
Paper Size .....................................................................................................19
Volume Settings...................................................................................................20
Ring Volume ..................................................................................................20
Beeper Volume..............................................................................................20
Speaker Volume ............................................................................................20
Setting Daylight Savings Time.............................................................................21
LCD screen..........................................................................................................21
LCD Contrast.................................................................................................21
Sleep Mode..........................................................................................................21
4 Security features 22
TX Lock................................................................................................................22
Setting and changing the TX Lock password ................................................22
Turning TX Lock on/off ..................................................................................23

iii
Section II Fax
5 Sending a Fax 26
Entering Fax mode ..............................................................................................26
Faxing from the ADF (MFC-290C only) ........................................................26
Faxing from the scanner glass ......................................................................26
Faxing Letter size documents from the scanner glass ..................................27
Colour fax transmission .................................................................................27
Cancelling a fax in progress ..........................................................................27
Broadcasting (Monochrome only)........................................................................27
Cancelling a Broadcast in progress...............................................................28
Additional sending operations..............................................................................28
Sending faxes using multiple settings ...........................................................28
Contrast .........................................................................................................29
Changing fax resolution.................................................................................29
Dual access (Monochrome only) ...................................................................30
Real time transmission ..................................................................................30
Overseas Mode .............................................................................................31
Checking and cancelling waiting jobs............................................................31
Sending a fax manually .................................................................................31
Out of Memory message ...............................................................................31
6 Receiving a Fax 32
Receive modes....................................................................................................32
Choosing the Receive Mode .........................................................................32
Using receive modes ...........................................................................................33
Fax only .........................................................................................................33
Fax/Tel...........................................................................................................33
Manual...........................................................................................................33
External TAD .................................................................................................33
Receive mode settings ........................................................................................34
Ring Delay .....................................................................................................34
F/T Ring Time (Fax/Tel mode only)...............................................................34
Fax Detect .....................................................................................................35
Additional receiving operations............................................................................35
Printing a reduced incoming fax ....................................................................35
Out of Paper Reception.................................................................................35

iv
7 Telephone and External devices 36
Voice Operations .................................................................................................36
Tone or pulse (Not Available for New Zealand).............................................36
Fax/Tel mode ................................................................................................36
Telephone Service for Australia...........................................................................36
Telstra®FaxStream®Duet®(Distinctive Ring)..............................................36
Caller ID.........................................................................................................38
How Does the Caller ID Work?......................................................................39
The Caller ID is Stored in Your Machine Memory .........................................39
Viewing Caller ID List ....................................................................................39
Telephone Service for New Zealand ...................................................................40
FaxAbility .......................................................................................................40
Caller ID.........................................................................................................41
How Does the Caller ID Work?......................................................................41
Viewing Caller ID List ....................................................................................41
Telephone Service for Some Countries...............................................................42
Distinctive Ring (For Singapore and Hong Kong)..........................................42
Caller ID (For Singapore and Hong Kong) ....................................................43
Viewing Caller ID List ....................................................................................44
Connecting an external TAD (telephone answering device)................................44
Connections...................................................................................................45
Recording an outgoing message (OGM) on an external TAD.......................45
Multi-line connections (PABX) .......................................................................45
External and extension telephones......................................................................46
Connecting an external or extension telephone ............................................46
Operation from extension telephones............................................................46
Using a cordless external telephone .............................................................46
Using remote codes.......................................................................................46
8 Dialling and storing numbers 48
How to Dial ..........................................................................................................48
Manual dialling...............................................................................................48
Speed Dialling ...............................................................................................48
Search ...........................................................................................................48
Fax Redial .....................................................................................................48
Storing numbers ..................................................................................................49
Storing a pause .............................................................................................49
Storing Speed Dial numbers..........................................................................49
Changing Speed Dial numbers......................................................................49
Setting up groups for broadcasting................................................................50
Combining Quick Dial numbers .....................................................................50
9PrintingReports 51
Fax reports...........................................................................................................51
Transmission Verification Report...................................................................51
Fax Journal (activity report) ...........................................................................51
Reports ................................................................................................................52
How to print a report ......................................................................................52

v
Section III Copy
10 Making copies 54
How to copy.........................................................................................................54
Entering Copy mode......................................................................................54
Making a single copy.....................................................................................54
Making multiple copies ..................................................................................54
Stop copying..................................................................................................54
Copy options........................................................................................................55
Changing copy speed and quality .................................................................56
Enlarging or reducing the image copied ........................................................56
Making N in 1 copies or a poster (Page Layout) ...........................................57
Sorting copies using the ADF (Monochrome only) (MFC-290C only) ...........59
Adjusting Brightness and Contrast ................................................................59
Paper options ................................................................................................60
Section IV Direct Photo Printing
11 Printing photos from a memory card or
USB Flash memory drive 62
PhotoCapture Center™ Operations.....................................................................62
Printing from a memory card or USB Flash memory drive without a PC.......62
Scanning to a memory card or USB Flash memory drive without a PC ........62
Using PhotoCapture Center™ from your computer.......................................62
Using a memory card or USB Flash memory drive .......................................62
Memory cards (MFC-290C only) or a USB Flash memory
drive folder structure..................................................................................63
Getting started .....................................................................................................64
How to print from a memory card or USB Flash memory drive ...........................65
Print Index (Thumbnails) ...............................................................................65
Printing Photos ..............................................................................................66
DPOF printing................................................................................................67
PhotoCapture Center™ print settings..................................................................68
Print speed and quality..................................................................................68
Paper Options................................................................................................68
Adjusting Brightness and Contrast ................................................................68
Cropping........................................................................................................69
Borderless printing.........................................................................................69
Date Print.......................................................................................................69
Scan to a memory card or USB Flash memory drive ..........................................70
Changing the image quality...........................................................................70
Changing the monochrome file format ..........................................................71
Changing the colour file format......................................................................71
Understanding the Error Messages.....................................................................71

vi
12 Printing photos from a camera 72
Printing photos directly from a PictBridge camera...............................................72
PictBridge requirements ................................................................................72
Setting your digital camera ............................................................................72
Printing Images..............................................................................................73
DPOF printing................................................................................................73
Printing photos directly from a digital camera (without PictBridge)......................74
Printing Images..............................................................................................74
Understanding the Error Messages .....................................................................75
Section V Software
13 Software features 78
Section VI Appendixes
A Safety and Legal 80
Choosing a location .............................................................................................80
To use the machine safely...................................................................................81
IMPORTANT-For Your Safety .......................................................................85
Important Information for Australia ......................................................................86
Important safety instructions..........................................................................86
Important Information for New Zealand ...............................................................87
Important Safety Instructions.........................................................................87
Important Information for Some Countries...........................................................90
Important Safety Instructions.........................................................................90
Radio interference .........................................................................................92
International ENERGY STAR®Compliance Statement.................................92
Legal limitations for copying ................................................................................93
Trademarks..........................................................................................................94

vii
B Troubleshooting and Routine Maintenance 95
Troubleshooting...................................................................................................95
If you are having difficulty with your machine................................................ 95
Dial Tone detection......................................................................................100
Telephone line interference.........................................................................100
Error and maintenance messages.....................................................................101
Transferring your faxes or Fax Journal report .............................................105
Document jam (MFC-290C only).................................................................105
Printer jam or paper jam ..............................................................................106
Routine maintenance.........................................................................................109
Replacing the ink cartridges ........................................................................109
Cleaning the outside of the machine ...........................................................112
Cleaning the scanner glass .........................................................................113
Cleaning the machine printer platen............................................................113
Cleaning the paper pick-up roller.................................................................114
Cleaning the print head ...............................................................................114
Checking the print quality ............................................................................115
Checking the print alignment .......................................................................116
Checking the ink volume .............................................................................116
Machine Information .......................................................................................... 116
Checking the serial number.........................................................................116
Packing and shipping the machine....................................................................117
C Menu and Features 119
On-screen programming....................................................................................119
Menu table...................................................................................................119
Memory storage...........................................................................................119
Menu keys .........................................................................................................119
Menu Table........................................................................................................121
Entering Text .....................................................................................................127
D Specifications 128
General..............................................................................................................128
Print media.........................................................................................................130
Fax.....................................................................................................................131
Copy ..................................................................................................................133
PhotoCapture Center™ .....................................................................................134
PictBridge ..........................................................................................................135
Scanner .............................................................................................................136
Printer ................................................................................................................137
Interfaces...........................................................................................................138
Computer requirements.....................................................................................139
Consumable items.............................................................................................140
E Glossary 141
FIndex 145

viii

Section I
General I
General Information 2
Loading paper and documents 8
General setup 19
Security features 22

2
1
Using the
documentation 1
Thank you for buying a Brother machine!
Reading the documentation will help you
make the most of your machine.
Symbols and conventions
used in the documentation 1
The following symbols and conventions are
used throughout the documentation.
General Information 1
Bold Bold typeface identifies specific
buttons on the machine’s
control panel or on the
computer screen.
Italics Italicized typeface emphasizes
an important point or refers you
to a related topic.
Courier
New
Text in Courier New font
identifies messages on the LCD
of the machine.
Warnings tell you what to do to
prevent possible personal injury.
Cautions specify procedures you
must follow or avoid to prevent
possible minor or severe injuries.
Electrical Hazard icons alert you to
possible electrical shock.
Notes tell you how you should
respond to a situation that may arise
or give tips about how the operation
works with other features.
Improper Setup icons alert you to
devices and operations that are not
compatible with the machine.

General Information
3
1
Accessing the
Software User’s Guide 1
This User’s Guide does not contain all the
information about the machine such as how
to use Printer, Scanner and PC Fax. When
you are ready to learn detailed information
about these operations, read the Software
User’s Guide that is on the CD-ROM.
Viewing Documentation 1
Viewing Documentation
(For Windows®)1
To view the documentation, from the Start
menu, point to Brother, MFC-XXXX (where
XXXX is your model name) from the
programs group, and then choose
User’s Guides in HTML format.
If you have not installed the software, you can
find the documentation by following the
instructions below:
aTurn on your PC. Insert the Brother
CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
bIf the model name screen appears, click
your model name.
cIf the language screen appears, click
your language. The CD-ROM Main
Menu will appear.
Note
If this window does not appear, use
Windows®Explorer to run the start.exe
program from the root directory of the
Brother CD-ROM.
dClick Documentation.
eClick the documentation you want to
read.
HTML documents: Software
User’s Guide in HTML format.
This format is recommended for
viewing on your computer.
PDF documents: User’s Guide for
stand-alone operations and
Software User’s Guide in PDF
format.
This format is recommended for
printing the manuals. Click to go to
the Brother Solution Center, where
you can view or download the PDF
documents. (Internet access and
PDF Reader software are required.)

Chapter 1
4
How to find Scanning instructions 1
There are several ways you can scan
documents. You can find the instructions as
follows:
Software User’s Guide
Scanning
(For Windows®2000 Professional/
Windows®XP and Windows Vista®)
ControlCenter3
(For Windows®2000 Professional/
Windows®XP and Windows Vista®)
ScanSoft™ PaperPort™ 11SE with OCR
How-to-Guides
The complete ScanSoft™ PaperPort™
11SE with OCR How-to-Guides can be
viewed from the Help selection in the
ScanSoft™ PaperPort™ 11SE
application.
Presto! PageManager User’s Guide
(Hong Kong users only)
Instructions for scanning directly from
Presto! PageManager. The complete
Presto! PageManager User’s Guide can
be viewed from the Help selection in the
Presto! PageManager application.
Viewing Documentation
(For Macintosh®)1
aTurn on your Macintosh®. Insert the
Brother CD-ROM into your CD-ROM
drive. The following window will appear.
bDouble-click the Documentation icon.
cDouble-click your language folder.
dDouble-click top.html to view the
Software User’s Guide in HTML
format.
eClick the documentation you want to
read.
Software User’s Guide

General Information
5
1
How to find Scanning instructions 1
There are several ways you can scan
documents. You can find the instructions as
follows:
Software User’s Guide
Scanning
(For Mac OS®X 10.2.4 or greater)
ControlCenter2
(For Mac OS®X 10.2.4 or greater)
Presto! PageManager User’s Guide
Instructions for scanning directly from
Presto! PageManager. The complete
Presto! PageManager User’s Guide can
be viewed from the Help selection in the
Presto! PageManager application.
Accessing Brother
Support
(For Windows®)1
You can find all the contacts you will need,
such as Web support (Brother Solutions
Center).
Click Brother Support on the main menu.
The following screen will appear:
To access our web site
(http://www.brother.com), click Brother
Home Page.
For the latest news and product support
information (http://solutions.brother.com),
click Brother Solutions Center.
To visit our web site for original Brother
supplies
(http://www.brother.com/original/), click
Supplies Information.
To access the Brother CreativeCenter
(http://www.brother.com/creativecenter/)
for FREE photo projects and printable
downloads, click Brother
CreativeCenter.
To return to the main page, click Back or
if you have finished, click Exit.

Chapter 1
6
MFC-290C Control panel overview 1
The MFC-250C and MFC-290C have the same control panel keys.
Note
Most of the illustrations in this User’s Guide show the MFC-290C.
1 Fax and telephone keys:
Redial/Pause
Redials one of the last number called. It
also inserts a pause when programming
quick dial numbers.
Hook
Press before dialing if you want to make
sure a fax machine will answer, and then
press Mono Start or Colour Start.
Also, press this key after picking up the
handset of an external telephone during the
F/T pseudo/double-ring.
2DialPad
Use these keys to dial telephone and fax
numbers and as a keyboard for entering
information into the machine.
The # key lets you temporarily switch the
dialing mode during a telephone call from
Pulse to Tone. (Not Available in New Zealand)
3 Mode keys:
Fax
Lets you access Fax mode.
Scan
Lets you access Scan mode.
Copy
Lets you access Copy mode.
Photo Capture
Lets you access PhotoCapture Center™
mode.
4 Menu keys:
Menu
Lets you access the main menu to program
the machine.
Speed Dial key
Lets you store, look up, and dial numbers in
the memory.
12/10 11:53 Fax12/10 11:53 Fax
231
9810

General Information
7
1
Volume keys
dc
When the machine is idle, you can press
these keys to adjust the ring volume.
d
Press to scroll backward to a menu
selection.
aor b
Press to scroll through the menus and
options.
Clear/Back
Press to delete characters or to go back to
the previous menu level.
OK
Lets you choose a setting.
5 Start keys:
Colour Start
Lets you start sending faxes or making
copies in full colour. Also lets you start a
scanning operation (in colour or mono,
depending on the scanning setting in the
ControlCenter software).
Mono Start
Lets you start sending faxes or making
copies in monochrome. Also lets you start a
scanning operation (in colour or mono,
depending on the scanning setting in the
ControlCenter software).
6Stop/Exit
Stops an operation or exits from a menu.
7 Copy Options
Lets you temporarily change the copy settings
when in copy mode.
8 LCD (liquid crystal display)
Displays messages on the screen to help you
set up and use your machine.
9On/Off
You can turn the machine on and off.
If you turn the machine off, it will still
periodically clean the print head to maintain
print quality. To maintain print quality, prolong
print head life, and provide the best ink
cartridge economy, you should keep your
machine connected to the power at all times.
10 Fax Resolution
Lets you temporarily change the resolution
when sending a fax.
12/10 11:53 Fax12/10 11:53 Fax
345
876

8
2
Loading paper and
other print media 2
aIf the paper support flap is open, close it,
and then close the paper support. Pull
the paper tray completely out of the
machine.
bLift the paper tray cover (1).
c With both hands, gently press and slide
the paper side guides (1) and then the
paper length guide (2) to fit the paper size.
Make sure that the triangular marks (3)
on the paper side guides (1) and paper
length guide (2) line up with the mark for
the paper size you are using.
Note
When you use Legal size paper, press
and hold the universal guide release
button
(1) as you slide out the front of the
paper tray.
Loading paper and documents 2
1
3
1
3
2
1

Loading paper and documents
9
2
dFan the stack of paper well to avoid
paper jams and misfeeds.
Note
Always make sure the paper is not curled.
eGently put the paper into the paper tray
print side down and top edge in first.
Check that the paper is flat in the tray.
fGently adjust the paper side guides (1)
to the paper with both hands.
Make sure the paper side guides touch
the sides of the paper.
Note
Be careful that you do not push the paper
in too far; it may lift at the back of the tray
and cause feed problems.
gClose the paper tray cover.
hSlowly push the paper tray completely
into the machine.
1

Chapter 2
10
iWhile holding the paper tray in place,
pull out the paper support (1) until it
clicks and then unfold the paper support
flap (2).
Note
Do not use the paper support flap for
Legal paper.
Loading envelopes and post
cards 2
About envelopes 2
Use envelopes that weigh between 75 to
95 gsm.
Some envelopes need margin settings to
be set in the application. Make sure you
do a test print first before printing many
envelopes.
CAUTION
DO NOT use any of the following types of
envelopes, as they will cause paper feed
problems:
• That are of a baggy construction.
• That are embossed (have raised writing
on them).
• That have clasps or staples.
• That are pre-printed on the inside.
Occasionally you may experience paper
feed problems caused by the thickness,
size and flap shape of the envelopes you
are using.
How to load envelopes and postcards 2
aBefore loading, press the corners and
sides of envelopes or post cards to
make them as flat as possible.
Note
If envelopes or post cards are
‘double-feeding’, put one envelope or post
card in the paper tray at a time.
1
2
Glue 2Double flap 2