Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can USB print Legal documents from the included 250-sheet drawer and occasional envelopes?
Yes with compatible local printer software. The Legal ordinary-paper stack is 250 sheets, while suitable envelopes use the separate one-sided manual slot.
Explore this need in the finder →Can the standard configuration meet a 350-sheet input requirement?
No. The exact US specification lists 250 sheets as both standard and maximum input. A manual slot or another model’s optional drawer does not establish 350 included sheets.
Explore this need in the finder →Does its two-sided software option turn Letter paper automatically?
No. The documented routine prints the first pass and requires manual reloading. It does not establish an automatic-duplex mechanism.
Explore this need in the finder →A local printer with a clear capacity limit
The Lexmark E238 is a monochrome laser printer for a computer desk that produces ordinary one-sided paperwork. US part 28S0100 includes USB Type-B, parallel connectivity and a 250-sheet drawer. Its simple light panel and local printing arrangement fit a straightforward routine when color output and document capture are not required.
The capacity limit deserves attention. The exact US specification lists 250 sheets as both standard and maximum input. Do not plan around another E-series printer's 550-sheet expansion or 800-sheet headline. Automatic duplex is also absent; the documented two-sided procedure requires the user to reload paper between passes.
Load the ordinary drawer for the actual document
Letter, Legal and A4 each fit the 250-sheet ordinary-paper stack at the maker's 20-pound or 75-gsm basis. Use that drawer for normal runs, keeping the stack within its fill limit and adjusting the guides to the load. Match the computer's selected paper size and type rather than assuming a saved queue has the correct defaults.
Legal or Folio paper requires extending the drawer at the rear. Release the latch, lock the extension into place and use the dust cover as instructed. Provide space behind the printer; the closed-body measurement is not the complete operating depth for long paper or rear-output access.
The front manual slot is for one item at a time, such as a different sheet or suitable envelope. Select the manual source and media settings, send the job, then feed the item at the prompt. Let the mechanism engage without forcing it. Envelopes follow a separate one-sided routine using appropriate laser-compatible stock. The rear exit offers a straighter path for certain specialty media.
Two-sided output still requires manual work
The E238 guide's manual-duplex procedure prints alternate pages first and then asks the user to reload the output. Page orientation and binding direction matter: a wrong turn can leave the back upside down or disrupt the page order. Test a short representative file before handling a longer bundle.
The guide states that its manual-duplex routine is unavailable on Macintosh. A current driver should not be assumed to reproduce the historical Windows behavior without checking. If two-sided output must finish unattended, choose a model with an actual automatic-duplex mechanism rather than relying on a two-sided label in software.
Lexmark declares up to 25 one-sided Letter pages per minute and separately 24 on A4. These are engine-mode declarations, not a measured promise about a complete file or manually handled duplex bundle. The maximum monthly volume is 10,000 pages, but no separate recommended monthly range is established in the reviewed exact material.
Keep the local software and light reference available
The included interfaces are local USB and parallel. External network or wireless print servers are optional equipment, so a network or mobile arrangement should not be assumed in the supplied configuration. The E238 is also print-only: its drawer is not an original feeder, and it provides no glass, scanning, standalone copying or fax.
Five lights and two buttons communicate status. The original guide explains primary and secondary signals, while compatible computer software and the Local Printer Settings Utility control relevant settings. Keep those instructions accessible and verify the actual operating system and important application files. AirPrint, Mopria and confidential-job PIN release are not established here.
Use the E238's own supply declarations
The exact US starter declares 1,500 pages. The specified 23800SW Return Program and 23820SW regular replacements declare 2,000 pages under ISO/IEC 19752. Those are different from the 2,500-page toner choices associated with several neighboring E-series printers. Match the exact supply and Return Program conditions.
The separate 12A8302 photoconductor carries a 30,000-page declaration at approximately 5% coverage. Inspect both toner and photoconductor condition. One practical detail is that the normal Toner Low light sequence does not appear with the 1,500-page starter cartridge, so output and the installed cartridge need direct attention.
Lexmark marks this 22-pound model discontinued. Check the electrical label, appropriate cord, software availability and physical condition. A documented network or automatic-duplex printer is the sensible comparison when either capability would remove substantial extra equipment or manual handling from the workday.
Key details at a glance
| Color printing | No |
|---|---|
| Scanner | No |
| Copying | No |
| Fax | No |
| Flatbed scanner | No |
| Automatic document feeder | No |
| Automatic two-sided printing | No |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Maximum monthly duty | 10000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 250 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 25 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 15.6 in |
| Unit-body depth | 13.9 in |
| Unit-body height | 9.8 in |
| Unit weight | 22 lb |
| Imaging engine | laser |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Paper, software and setup details
Print-rate conditions
Maker maximum 25 one-sided Letter pages/minute versus 24 A4. Two-sided output uses manual reloading in compatible Windows software; automatic duplex and a duplex throughput declaration are not supplied.
Paper handling
Exact US standard and maximum input are both 250 ordinary sheets at 20 lb/75 gsm. Letter, Legal and A4 each fit that drawer stack. A separate manual slot feeds one item at a time, including suitable one-sided envelopes. Do not assume another E-series model’s 550-sheet expansion.
Scanning arrangement
Print-only monochrome laser hardware: no scanner glass, document feeder, copying or fax. The media drawer is not a document-capture feeder.
Computer and mobile connections
Included USB Type-B and parallel local interfaces. External Ethernet, gigabit and wireless print servers are optional equipment. Compatible local computer software is required; no supplied network or mobile arrangement is established.
Supplies and declared yields
US supplied toner declares 1,500 pages. Exact 23800SW Return Program and 23820SW regular replacements declare 2,000 pages under ISO/IEC 19752. Separate 12A8302 photoconductor declares 30,000 at about 5% coverage. Starter toner does not trigger the normal Toner Low light sequence.
Software and support
Five lights and two buttons communicate status; compatible computer drivers and a Local Printer Settings Utility control settings. Manual duplex is a Windows reload routine, unavailable on Macintosh in the guide. Current OS/mobile/PIN-release compatibility remains unestablished.
Electrical edition and setup
Check actual electrical label, proper cord and offered condition; nominal mains input is unestablished. Leave space for the extended Legal tray, rear output and servicing. The 10,000-page maximum is not a recommended monthly workload.
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