Sharp BP-50C26: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Sharp BP-50C26 right for you?

The BP-50C26 is the slowest and cheapest machine in Sharp's BP-50C colour family, but it carries the same 10.1-inch tilting touchscreen, single-pass feeder and security stack as its faster siblings. That makes it a sensible choice for an office that wants A3 colour and copier reliability at low monthly volumes. Because the whole BP-50C range shares consumables, mixed fleets can hold one set of spare toners.

Best for: Offices needing A3 colour copying at low to moderate volume

Setting up the Sharp BP-50C26

Assign the IP from the touchscreen under Settings, System Settings, Network, then finish configuration in the machine's web page where SMTP, LDAP and user authentication live. Sharp's PCL6 and PS drivers are separate downloads; install the PS driver if you print from Adobe or CAD applications. Change the default administrator password before the machine goes on a shared network, and enable the machine's own firewall settings to limit management to your admin subnet.

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 Sharp'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 Sharp BP-50C26 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Sharp BP-GT30 series black toner
• BP-GT30 cyan, magenta and yellow toner
• BP-CD10 drum units
• Waste toner container

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