The Lexmark 2500: What's In The Box

Lexmark’s 2500 Series all-in-one printer ships with everything shown here. Notably missing are a USB cable (for connecting the printer to a PC) and a black ink cartridge, both of which must be purchased separately.

Installing Lexmark Software

The Lexmark CD that ships with the 2500 series all-in-one printer includes print drivers and Lexmark print utilities, as well as a user’s guide.

System Security

The Lexmark installer warns users that the setup program will make adjustments to Windows Firewall settings and install other software to enable users to maximize the Lexmark printers’ capabilities.

Connecting the Printer

The next step of the Lexmark 2500 Series install involves physically connecting the printer. The 2500 Series can either be connected with a USB cable or shared via another workstation.

Printer Installation

In addition to installing print drivers and Lexmark utilities, the setup program installs fax software.

Alignment Page

As with many printers, the Lexmark insists on printing an alignment page as part of the setup routine.

Scanning The Alignment Page

Once the alignment page is printed, the user must place it face down on the Lexmark 2500 Series’ flat-bed scanner and push the scan button.

Alignment Success

When the alignment page is scanned and the Lexmark printer completes aligning the print cartridge, this confirmation menu is displayed.

Additional Software Setup

Once the print drivers are installed, the setup program proceeds to install Lexmark print utilities.

Printer Sharing

To share the 2500 Series all-in-one with other users, you must specify a share name during Setup.

Setup Completion

Next, users can opt to print a test page.

Setup Complete

When the setup program completes, users see this menu.

Leaving the two checkboxes selected, by the way, results in aa Lexmark Imaging Studio icon being created on the desktop (and the Lexmark Imaging Studio opening).

Lexmark Imaging Studio

The Lexmark Imaging Studio, which is included with the Series 2500 printer, provides a simple interface for performing basic actions. In addition to enabling red-eye reduction, tweaking brightness settings and rotating photos, usres can use the software to crop images. All told, the software makes printing scanned images (and creating simple greeting cards and photos) easy.

Scanning Images

Clicking the Scan button opens this menu, which enables users to specify whether they are scanning a photo, multiple photographs or a document.

Quick Fixes

Among the options on the Quick Fix menu are brightness tweaks, red-eye reduction and photo cropping.

Saving Photos

The Lexmark software makes saving photos easy. Clicking the Save icon opens this page, in which a default filename and file type have already been specified by the software.

Copy Settings

When opting to Copy an image or document, users are again greeted with the Scan menu. Numerous different Copy Settings, shown here, become available when performing a Copy action, however, using the Lexmark 2500.

In addition to configuring output quality, users can specify the number of prints, as well as the paper size and type.

Print Status

Whenever a print job is sent to the Lexmark 2500 all-in-one, this Printing Status window appears in the bottom right corner of Windows.

Printing at up to 22 pages per minute (black only), or 16 pages per minute (color), the 2500 Series will work well in many small businesses where print loads don’t exceed a few hundred pages per month. While the 2500 supports 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution and includes optical character recognition software for converting text documents into soft copy, printers capable of supporting heavier workloads would be recommended in environments possessing greater monthly duty cycles or requiring the ability to produce photos larger than 5x7s.

PC Modem Required For Faxing

To send faxes using the Lexmark 2500, the PC must possess an onboard (or external) modem. Without a PC-supplied modem, the Lexmark 2500 cannot send/receive faxes.

Typically many, many PCs in the past shipped with integrated modems, but with the popularity of broadband Internet connections, many PCs now ship without a modem. As a result, many small businesses may find the 2500 Series problematic when faxing services are required.

E-mailing Options

The Lexmark Imaging Studio software aims to make it simple for users to e-mail scanned images and documents.

Accessed from the Welcome Screen, the E-mail icon opens the window shown here. In addition to enabling changing the image’s size, the software estimates how long it will take to send corresponding attachments.

Creating The E-mail

Clicking the green Create E-mail button from the E-mail window prompts the Lexmark Imaging Studio to open the default e-mail application and attach the image as a file.

Transfering Photos

Photos can also be transfered directly from flash media or cameras. If a memory card or camera is disconnected, this menu appears (offering users the opportunity to select a different flash drive).

Greeting Cards

More a consumer feature than a small business option, the ability to create simple greeting cards will prove attractive to some buyers. A wizard is provided to walk interested users through the process.

Slideshow Creator

The Lexmark Imaging Studio also includes the ability to create simple slide shows. Users select the images they wish to include in the slideshow and specify simple settings using the provided wizard.

Slideshow Settings

Slideshow configuration options are fairly limited using Lexmark Imaging Studio’s software. However, simple presentations can be customized using the provided display and loop options.

Slideshow Creator

Users can choose to view the slideshow onscreen, save the presentation or print the slideshow.

Poster Creation

The Lexmark Imaging Studio’s poster creator makes it easy for users to create posters from images they supply or scan using the Lexmark 2500.

While dithering, color matching and other features associated with such advanced applications as Photoshop CS2 won’t be found within the Lexmark Imaging Studio, the software provides small businesses with the opportunity to build simple display materials at low cost.

Poster Settings

Among the settings that can be configured when creating posters are print quality, paper size and type and the actual poster size.

It’s the ease of use of these Imaging Studio and copy, scanning, faxing and e-mail features that make the 2500 Series a good match for small businesses seeking a simple multifunction device that simplifes these common office tasks. While other printers boast additional scanning and printing features (including Ethernet and wireless-network support), built-in modems and more sophisticated software, the print quality and 2500-provided features will prove adequate for many small businesses.

Lexmark Solution Center

Lexmark print utilities, such as tools for troubleshooting printing issues and checking ink levels, are found within the Lexmark Solution Center. The Center, accessed from the Start | All Programs menu within Windows, also can be used to order replacement inkjet cartridges directly from Lexmark.

Lexmark Solution Center

The Solution Center’s How To menus assist users in learning to operate the printer’s features, perform print, scan, copy and fax operations and complete projects.

Troubleshooting The 2500

The Lexmark Solution Center’s Troubleshooting menu helps walk users through fixing slow performance, paper jams, poor print quality and other common issues and errors.

Maintaining The Lexmark 2500

The Lexmark’s Solution Center’s Maintenance menu is used to configure new print cartridges, print test pages, order new inkjet cartridges, clean print heads, align the print cartridge and more.

Lexmark Contact Information

Lexmark includes contact information within its Solution Center software. Users can register their printer using the Contact menu, as well as update their printer software, order ink and contact technical support.

Lexmark Solution Center Advanced Options

Among the advanced options that can be configured within the Lexmark Solution Center are networking settings. In addition, users can opt to suspend participation in the Lexmark Connect quality improvement program.

Printing Status Advanced Options

Clicking the Printing Status button from the Advanced Options menu opens this dialog box, from which several settings are configured. Here users can specify that the color cartridge be used for all black printing, that the black cartridge be used for printing black and white, and that the Printing Status window appears in the screen’s bottom corner, among other options.

Lexmark Networking Options

From the Networking Options menu users can specify workgroup support and whether the Lexmark software should display error messages when network-based print jobs fail.

Lexmark Connect Program

Users can suspend their participation in the Lexmark Connect Program by clicking the Lexmark Connect button from the Advanced menu. When they do, users will see this confirmation menu. To re-enable participation in the program, users need only click the Lexmark Connect button again from the Advanced menu.

Whether the Lexmark 2500 Series is the Right Tool For The Job depends upon a businesses’ needs. If all that’s required is a simple inkjet printer that’s compatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000/NT/98 systems, the 2500 is more than adequate. It is the right tool for simple printing and copying and can even handle printing envelopes, creating small photos, and producing the most basic of marketing materials.

Offices printing more than a few hundred pages a month will want to move up the multifunction chain, possibly all the way to a color laserjet. In addition, many small businesses will wish to offload fax responsibilities from their PC to a dedicated fax modem that’s part of the printer itself, thereby ruling out deploying the 2500. That said, as an all-in-one inkjet priced below $60, the 2500 Series will prove adequate as a desktop printer for many staff members.

Read a summary of the Lexmark 2500 All-In-One’s strengths and weaknesses in this blog post.