Lexmark MB2546adwe: business MFP with Legal glass and Wi-Fi review

A Legal-capable scanner for a business setting

The Lexmark MB2546adwe combines monochrome printing, copying, color scanning and analog fax with a 4.3-inch touchscreen. US part 36SC871 includes Wi-Fi, gigabit Ethernet and USB computer connectivity. Its Legal-capable glass is useful when a full-length original cannot safely pass through a feeder, while the reversing feeder handles suitable two-sided batches.

The environment matters before the feature list. Lexmark explicitly identifies this US product as FCC Class A and says it is not intended for residential or domestic environments. Assess it for an appropriate business installation rather than assuming every compact-looking office MFP belongs in a home workspace.

Legal originals can use either scanning surface

The exact product record gives an 8.5-by-14-inch maximum scan area, and the service manual's separately named MB2546 group confirms Letter, Legal and A4 on both the glass and feeder. That supports full-length Legal glass capture here. Do not transfer the same conclusion to a smaller sibling with an explicitly shorter glass area.

The 50-sheet reversing document feeder captures both faces automatically by turning originals through its scanning process. It is not a single-pass mechanism. Choose the original-side setting, destination and appropriate media before feeding a batch. Books, delicate originals and small items belong on the glass within its documented dimensions.

Declared Letter scan rates reach 45 black or 22 color sides per minute in simplex and 20 black or 10.5 color in duplex. These are different modes, not complete processing times. Color scanning preserves useful markings in a digital file; it does not turn the monochrome print engine into a color printer.

Set up scans, mobile printing and held jobs

Computer scanning is explicitly listed for USB and network connections. The original guide describes ScanBack profiles, Windows Fax and Scan, and Mac Image Capture. Verify current compatible software, account permissions and the destination on the actual computer. Merely installing a print queue does not configure a scan workflow.

For shared networking, included 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi is an alternative to gigabit Ethernet. The guide supplies Mopria and AirPrint routines for suitable mobile devices on the printer's network. A USB desktop connection alone does not provide those mobile protocols. Parallel and serial connections are separately listed options.

Protected output has a documented computer procedure: compatible Windows software uses Print and Hold, while Mac software provides PIN Printing. A four-digit PIN controls local release, and expiration or invalid-attempt settings affect retained jobs. Check the complete routine for the intended software and users.

The exact US record says a hard disk is not available. Advanced PDF features elsewhere in the feature list carry disk, memory or OCR conditions, so do not assume those features are supplied in the base machine. Ordinary supported scanning and PIN release should be evaluated through their own documented routines.

Analog fax needs suitable telephone connectivity and station information. Ethernet or Wi-Fi is not its ordinary analog transport. Confirm any service or adapter arrangement separately. The front and rear USB host ports also have different roles from the Type-B computer connection.

Separate base input from optional expansion

The included drawer holds 250 sheets and the multipurpose feeder 100, totaling 350 at the stated 20-pound or 75-gsm basis. Letter, Legal and A4 fit the ordinary print inputs and automatic print duplex. Load suitable media with matching guides, size and type settings; envelopes use their separate one-sided feeder routine.

The 2,000-sheet maximum needs optional paper hardware. An offered unit therefore needs its installed drawers checked rather than valued as a fully expanded machine by default. Lexmark declares up to 46 one-sided Letter pages per minute and separately 23 Letter sides per minute in print duplex. The recommended monthly range is 2,000–15,000 pages; the 120,000-page maximum duty figure is a different rating.

Supplies and space for an earlier machine

The original US starter toner declares 3,000 pages. Listed replacements are B231000 at 3,000, B241H00 at 6,000 and B251X00 or B250XA0 at 10,000 under ISO/IEC 19752. The separate 60,000-page imaging unit has a different job and coverage basis. Match regional supply and Return Program conditions.

Lexmark marks the model discontinued. Inspect condition, software compatibility and the electrical label. Its 45.5-pound body is 19.3 inches wide before operating clearance. If home placement or faster two-sided batch capture is the priority, compare an appropriately rated environment and a genuine single-pass scanner.