Brother Printer Error Code 23 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Brother error 23 is a print overrun error — the printer is receiving data faster than it can process it. The printer's internal memory filled up before the job finished being received. The print job was dropped as a result.

Affected Models

Brother HL-L2350DW
Brother HL-L3270CDW
Brother MFC-L2710DW
Brother MFC-L2750DW
Brother DCP-L2550DW

Common Causes

The document being printed is very large or complex and exceeds the printer's available memory
Multiple large print jobs were sent to the printer at the same time, overloading its buffer
The printer driver is configured to send data faster than the printer can handle
The printer's resolution is set very high, creating a massive data file the printer cannot buffer
The network or USB transfer speed is too fast for the printer's processing rate

How to Fix It

Cancel all queued print jobs and restart the printer.

The overrun error locks the printer until the queue is cleared and the printer is reset.
In your printer driver settings, reduce the print resolution. Change from 1200 DPI to 600 DPI.

Higher resolution creates exponentially larger print data files. Cutting the resolution in half reduces data size by up to 75%.
Enable the 'Page Protection' or 'Print Density' setting in your Brother driver if available.

Page Protection tells the printer to receive the entire page before starting to print, reducing overrun errors.
If printing a large document, split it into smaller sections and print them separately.

Printing 10 pages at a time instead of 100 at once dramatically reduces the memory load.
Update your Brother printer driver from the official Brother website.

Updated drivers often include better memory management and can reduce the frequency of overrun errors.

When to Call a Professional

Error 23 is almost always resolved by adjusting settings rather than repairing hardware. If the error happens with simple, small documents too, the printer's memory module may have a fault. Professional diagnosis for a memory board issue costs $50 to $90.

Frequently Asked Questions

My document is only 5 pages — why would it cause a print overrun?

Page count is not the only factor. A 5-page document with large high-resolution images or complex vector graphics can generate much more print data than a 50-page text document. Try reducing the image quality or DPI in your printer settings.

Does adding more RAM to a Brother printer fix overrun errors?

Some Brother laser printers do support optional RAM expansion. Check your model's specifications — if it supports additional memory, installing a compatible module can significantly reduce or eliminate overrun errors. Not all models support this option.

What is the difference between error 23 (overrun) and error 21 (data error)?

Error 21 means the printer cannot read or understand the data it received. Error 23 means the printer understood the data but received it too fast and ran out of memory to store it. Both result in a failed print job but for different reasons.