Lexmark CX331adwe: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Lexmark CX331adwe right for you?

The CX331adwe is the dealer-channel colour MFP that shares its engine with the CS331 and CS431 printers, bringing fax, an ADF and a touchscreen to a 26 ppm colour platform with 4,500-page cartridges available in every colour. It is a sensible upgrade from the MC3326 for offices that print more colour. Like its siblings the black and colour imaging kits are separate, and a streak in one colour after a kit warning is the kit, not the toner.

Best for: Small offices wanting a colour MFP with fax and higher-yield cartridges

Setting up the Lexmark CX331adwe

Use the touchscreen wizard for Wi-Fi or connect by Ethernet, then configure fax, SMTP and scan folders from the Embedded Web Server. Windows needs the Lexmark Universal Print Driver plus the scan driver; macOS users scan via Image Capture after AirPrint discovery. The optional 650-sheet tray must be enabled in the driver once fitted.

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 CX331adwe 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)
• 20N1HC0 / 20N1HM0 / 20N1HY0 high-yield color toner (4,500 pages each)
• 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