Lexmark MC3326adwe: compact color work with a single-sided feeder review

Where the compact package makes sense

The Lexmark MC3326adwe suits a small office that needs color documents, a shared printer and a feeder for ordinary single-sided paperwork. Its useful combination is built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet, automatic two-sided printing and scanning, copying and analog fax in one body. The deciding limitation is the scanner: the 50-sheet automatic document feeder scans one side of an original. A duplex print setting will not turn that feeder into an automatic two-sided scanner.

Lexmark identifies US part 40N9060 as discontinued. This assessment is therefore most useful when maintaining an existing machine or checking a specific earlier-model offer. It does not establish current stock. Check the exact regional unit, compatible software, consumables and seller terms before treating an old listing as a complete working package.

Printing and scanning are separate routines

The maker declares up to 26 one-sided Letter pages per minute in either black or color. The separate automatic-duplex figure is 13 Letter sides per minute. Neither is a speed measured for this article. For a report with color charts, select the intended paper size and two-sided printing in a compatible driver; allow for document complexity and the time needed to prepare a job.

The feeder is useful for a stack of invoices or signed forms. It accepts Letter, A4 and Legal originals, while the glass supports Letter and A4 rather than a full Legal page. Use the glass for an individual item that should not pass through the feeder. A two-sided original needs manual intervention; if regularly capturing both sides unattended is the core task, choose a model with an explicitly documented duplex scanner. Single-pass scanning is a further requirement beyond ordinary automatic duplex scanning.

Choose a connection around the whole job

The included computer connections are USB Type-B, gigabit Ethernet and infrastructure Wi-Fi. The front USB Type-A port serves a different walk-up media role. A USB cable connection can support computer printing and scanning with suitable software, but it does not itself provide the network on which AirPrint and Mopria depend. Those mobile protocols belong to the shared-network arrangement.

For a shared scan routine, Lexmark's guide describes installing ScanBack Utility, adding the printer's IP address and running a scan profile with the computer and printer on the same network. Its current product page describes Apple support through AirPrint and AirScan. Verify the actual software path on your operating system before purchase. The brochure's historical Cloud Connector discussion is insufficient to promise continuing access to a particular cloud service. Analog fax also requires its own appropriate telephone connection and setup.

Paper capacity is modest and fixed

The exact model specification lists a 250-sheet tray and a single-sheet manual feeder. Lexmark combines these as 250+1; that extra slot is not another stack-loading tray. Its own maximum is also 250+1, so optional trays shown elsewhere in the shared family guide should not be counted as part of this model. The tray and automatic duplex path support Letter, Legal and A4 ordinary pages. Feed envelopes as instructed in simplex, with the correct media setting.

Use Lexmark's 600–2,500-page recommended monthly range when sizing the routine. The 50,000-page maximum duty cycle describes a different ceiling; it is not a recommendation to print 50,000 pages each month. Similarly, a 250-sheet tray will require attention long before a large monthly total is reached. Capacity and monthly guidance answer different practical questions.

Supplies, placement and the alternative

The declared supplied toner yields are 750 black pages and 500 pages for each color, under ISO/IEC 19798. High-yield replacement cartridges are a separate purchase category: C331HK0 is rated for 3,000 black pages, while C331HC0, C331HM0 and C331HY0 are rated for 2,500 color pages. These declarations do not establish your cost per page. Match the geographic cartridge region and read the conditions attached to Return Program supplies.

The body measures 16.2 inches wide, 15.5 deep and 13.6 high and weighs 42.7 pounds. Allow additional room to load paper, open the scanner and service the printer. The family guide lists regional power versions and explicitly warns that they are not dual-voltage, so confirm the unit's label. If your office rarely scans, compare a print-only color unit; if you process double-sided originals every day, prioritize a documented duplex feeder over this model's compact multifunction convenience.