If you have ever sent a document to your Brother printer only to hear absolutely nothing happen, there is a good chance the printer is in sleep mode. This can be frustrating, especially when you are in a rush or printing something important. Before jumping into fixes, it helps to understand what sleep mode actually is and why Brother printers use it in the first place.
Sleep mode is a built in power saving feature. When the printer has not received any print jobs for a certain amount of time, it automatically reduces power consumption. The display may go dark, internal components stop moving, and network activity slows down. This is normal behavior and not a malfunction.
Brother designs sleep mode to extend the life of the printer and reduce electricity usage. Over time, leaving a printer fully powered all day can generate heat and unnecessary wear. Sleep mode prevents that, especially in office environments where printers sit idle for long periods.
However, problems arise when the printer does not wake up properly. This can happen due to settings, outdated drivers, network issues, or even the way the printer is connected to your computer or WiFi.
Here are common signs your Brother printer is stuck in sleep mode:
- The printer display is blank or dim and does not respond
- Print jobs stay in the queue but do not print
- The printer shows as offline on your computer
- The printer does not respond to the power button
- The printer does not wake when sending a print job
Understanding these symptoms helps you choose the right fix instead of guessing.
Brother printers typically enter sleep mode after a set period, often between 5 and 30 minutes. The exact time depends on the model and factory settings. Some users change this setting without realizing it, which can make the printer seem unresponsive more often.
There are also different low power states:
- Sleep mode, where the printer should wake quickly
- Deep sleep mode, where wake up can take longer
- Power off mode, where the printer must be turned on manually
If your printer feels completely dead, it may be in deep sleep or power off mode rather than standard sleep mode.
Another important factor is how your printer is connected. USB connected printers often wake up more reliably than wireless ones. WiFi printers rely on network communication to receive wake signals, and if the network drops or changes, the printer may not wake at all.
Knowing this background sets the stage for practical fixes. The good news is that most sleep mode issues can be resolved in minutes without technical expertise.
Quick Ways to Wake a Brother Printer From Sleep Mode
Before changing settings or troubleshooting deeper issues, try simple wake up methods. Many times, the printer is not truly stuck. It just needs a nudge.
Start with the most basic steps.
Press the power button once. Do not hold it down immediately. Some Brother printers take a few seconds to wake the screen and internal systems. Wait at least 10 seconds before assuming nothing is happening.
If the screen lights up, the printer is waking normally.
If nothing happens, try these quick actions:
- Open and close the printer cover
- Remove and reinsert the paper tray
- Press any button on the control panel
- Send a test print from your computer
These actions trigger sensors inside the printer and often force it to wake.
If your printer has a touchscreen, tap the screen lightly. Some models dim the display completely during sleep, making it look off when it is not.
For wireless printers, try turning WiFi off and back on from the printer menu. This forces the printer to reconnect to the network, which can wake it.
If you are printing from a computer, cancel the print job and resend it. Sometimes the job is stuck in the queue and does not trigger a wake command.
You can also try restarting the printer properly:
- Press and hold the power button until the printer shuts down
- Unplug the power cord from the wall
- Wait 30 seconds
- Plug it back in
- Turn the printer on
This clears temporary glitches and resets the printer’s sleep state.
If your printer wakes up after restarting but goes back to sleep too aggressively, that is a sign the sleep settings need adjustment. That will be covered in the next section.
Adjusting Sleep Mode Settings on Brother Printers
If your Brother printer keeps going to sleep too quickly or fails to wake reliably, adjusting the sleep settings is often the best long term solution.
Most Brother printers allow you to change how long they wait before entering sleep mode. Some also allow you to disable deep sleep entirely.
The steps vary slightly by model, but the general process is similar.
Using the printer control panel:
- Press the Menu button
- Navigate to General Setup
- Select Sleep Time or Sleep Mode
- Choose a longer time or set it to Off if available
- Confirm your selection
On touchscreen models, you may see options like Power Save, Sleep, or Auto Power Off.
If you want the printer to stay ready during work hours, setting sleep time to 30 minutes or more often works well. Disabling sleep completely is possible on some models but not recommended for long term use.
Some Brother printers also have a Deep Sleep setting. This mode reduces power usage even further but can cause wake up issues, especially on wireless networks.
If available, turn off Deep Sleep:
- Go to Network settings
- Select Wired or Wireless
- Look for Deep Sleep
- Set it to Off
Another important setting is Auto Power Off. This shuts down the printer entirely after a period of inactivity. If enabled, the printer will not wake from print jobs.
If your printer keeps turning completely off, disable Auto Power Off:
- Menu
- Power Management
- Auto Power Off
- Set to Off or a longer time
You can also adjust sleep settings from your computer.
On Windows:
- Open Control Panel
- Go to Devices and Printers
- Right click your Brother printer
- Select Printing Preferences
- Look for Power Save or Sleep settings
On Mac:
- Open System Settings
- Go to Printers and Scanners
- Select your Brother printer
- Open Options or Utility
- Adjust sleep or power settings if available
Not all models expose these options on the computer, so the printer menu is usually the most reliable place.
Fixing Driver, Network, and Software Issues That Prevent Wake Up
If your Brother printer settings are correct but it still refuses to wake from sleep, the problem is often outside the printer itself. Drivers, network configuration, and operating system behavior all play a role.
Start with the printer driver.
Outdated or corrupted drivers can prevent your computer from sending proper wake signals. This is especially common after operating system updates.
Steps to fix driver issues:
- Remove the printer from your computer
- Restart your computer
- Reinstall the printer using the latest available driver
- Set the printer as default
Avoid generic drivers whenever possible. Brother specific drivers handle power states better.
Next, check your printer status on your computer. If it shows Offline even when powered on, it will not receive print jobs correctly.
On Windows:
- Open Devices and Printers
- Right click your Brother printer
- Make sure Use Printer Offline is unchecked
On Mac:
- Open Printers and Scanners
- Select your printer
- Remove and re add it if it shows idle but does not print
For wireless printers, network issues are a major cause of sleep mode problems.
Common network related causes include:
- Router changes or updates
- IP address conflicts
- Weak WiFi signal
- Power saving features on the router
To improve reliability:
- Place the printer closer to the router
- Assign a static IP address to the printer
- Avoid guest networks
- Restart the router periodically
If your printer loses connection while asleep, it may not wake properly when a print job is sent.
Another often overlooked issue is firewall or security software. Some security programs block printer communication when the device is idle.
Try temporarily disabling firewall software to see if the printer wakes correctly. If it does, add an exception for the printer.
USB connected printers can also experience sleep issues, especially on laptops.
Check your computer power settings:
- Disable USB power saving
- Prevent the computer from sleeping USB ports
- Keep the computer awake when printing
On Windows, this setting is under Device Manager, USB Root Hub properties.
On Mac, check Energy Saver settings and disable options that put peripherals to sleep.
To factory reset:
- Menu
- Initial Setup
- Reset
- Factory Reset
- Confirm
After resetting, reconnect the printer and adjust sleep settings again.
In most cases, this resolves stubborn sleep mode issues.
Brother printers are generally reliable, but sleep mode problems can make them feel unusable. By understanding how sleep mode works, using quick wake methods, adjusting settings, and addressing driver or network issues, you can keep your printer responsive without sacrificing energy efficiency.
Once properly configured, your Brother printer should wake smoothly every time you need it, without manual intervention or frustration.