Lexmark MC3224i: low-volume color jobs with a one-sided feeder review

Check the complete MC3224 name before choosing

The Lexmark MC3224i is an earlier color multifunction reference for a small office that prints modest volumes, copies individual pages and scans one-sided paperwork. It includes an automatic document feeder, a flatbed, a 2.8-inch touchscreen and Wi-Fi/Fast Ethernet. Its important limits are simplex capture and optional cloud fax. The similar MC3224dwe is flatbed-only, so the model endings should not be treated as cosmetic.

Lexmark marks exact US part 40N9640 discontinued. This article identifies the documented configuration rather than current stock, warranty coverage or an individual machine's condition. Check the actual regional unit, supplied equipment, compatible software and remaining consumables before comparing an older offer.

Ordinary reports and one-sided originals

The exact US specification declares up to 24 one-sided Letter pages per minute in black or color. Automatic print duplex is separately rated at 13 Letter sides per minute. The preserved EMEA brochure's 22-page A4 figure describes a different paper rating and is not substituted for Letter. These are manufacturer specifications, not measurements from testing for this article.

The exact model page and brochure explicitly identify a one-sided feeder. The original scanner-size table supports Letter, Legal and A4 through the feeder, while the glass supports Letter and A4. A general 8.5-by-14-inch scan-area headline should not be assigned to the flatbed. Use the glass for a delicate item or book page and the feeder for a suitable one-sided stack. Automatic two-sided printing does not remove the manual handling needed for two-sided originals.

USB, Fast Ethernet and the shared network

Standard interfaces are USB Type-B, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The exact scan destinations include a USB-connected or network-connected computer. The network port is Fast Ethernet, without borrowing the gigabit interface of MC3326i. A separate Direct USB field does not deny the explicitly listed Type-B computer socket.

AirPrint and Mopria are documented shared-network printing routes. A compatible Print and Hold driver can also submit confidential PIN jobs for touchscreen release under the original guide's procedure. These routines need suitable software and network access; a USB desktop cable does not automatically supply the same mobile route. Current cloud-file or app availability should be checked for the intended devices.

Cloud fax has an account and transport behind it

The US footnote explicitly says analog fax through a telephone line is unsupported. Optional etherFAX is a genuine service possibility, with a subscription and a dated trial limited to three months or 300 pages, whichever comes first. Other fees may apply, and the original brochure notes that a trial can be withdrawn and service availability can vary by location.

The original guide requires updated firmware and portal registration using the printer serial number. Fax over IP needs a license bundle. A fax-server routine sends through an email-capable provider and needs another configured device transport for receiving. Confirm the full intended arrangement and current provider terms. Ordinary computer printing and scanning alone do not establish included fax, and a fax-service subscription is separate from optional printing-supply enrollment.

Paper, supplies and the deciding alternative

Included and maximum input are both 250+1 on the stated 20-pound or 75-gsm basis: a 250-sheet main tray and a one-sheet manual feed. Letter, Legal and A4 support automatic print duplex, while envelopes follow their instructed one-sided routine. Lexmark recommends 250–2,000 printed pages monthly, separately from the 30,000-page maximum duty ceiling. Neither that duty number nor a larger family tray should raise the normal configuration's limits.

Supplied toner is declared at 750 black pages and 500 for each color under ISO/IEC 19798. Exact US C3210K0, C3210C0, C3210M0 and C3210Y0 replacements are each rated at 1,500 pages, with geographic and Return Program conditions. The body is 16.2 inches wide, 15.5 deep and 13.6 high at 42.7 pounds before operating clearance. Verify the actual electrical label and cord. Choose this reference for low-volume color and one-sided capture; compare documented duplex scanning for two-sided stacks or analog-fax hardware for a telephone-line routine.