Lexmark CS431dw: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Lexmark CS431dw right for you?

The CS431dw is the wireless colour printer in Lexmark's small-office range and supports a much larger cartridge set than the C3326, including a 6,000-page black. It is built on a sturdier chassis and accepts an optional 650-sheet tray. Watch the imaging kits: the black and colour kits are separate items with different lives, and a faded single colour after a kit warning is the kit, not the cartridge.

Best for: Small offices needing wireless colour with low-cost black printing

Setting up the Lexmark CS431dw

Join Wi-Fi via the panel wizard or WPS, then set a reservation on the router. The Lexmark Universal Print Driver exposes colour-saver and duplex defaults on Windows; macOS uses AirPrint. Colour Adjust and print quality pages are run from the Settings > Quality menu after swapping cartridges.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the toner cartridge and drum unit, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Lexmark's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Lexmark CS431dw uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• 20N10K0 black toner (1,500 pages)
• 20N10C0 / 20N10M0 / 20N10Y0 color toner (1,500 pages each)
• 20N1HK0 high-yield black toner (4,500 pages)
• 20N1XK0 extra high-yield black toner (6,000 pages)
• Black and color imaging kits

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications