How to Scan on a Lexmark Printer, Set Up the Right Way

Step 1: Find your printer's IP address

On the printer's own home screen or control panel, the IP address is displayed as four sets of numbers separated by periods (like 192.168.1.42). Write this down — you'll need it in the next step.

Step 2: Download and run the ScanBack Utility

Get it from Lexmark's official downloads page (lexmark.com/downloads) — this is a genuinely separate Windows application from your regular printer driver, not something bundled automatically. Run it, click Setup, and enter the printer's IP address from Step 1. Click Close, then Next.

Step 3: Create a scan profile

The utility walks you through selecting your document size, file format, and scan resolution, then asks you to name the profile — give it something you'll recognize later, since you may end up with more than one profile for different regular scan jobs. Once named, click Finish; you can also select "Create Shortcut" to add this profile to your desktop for faster access.

Step 4: Scan using the profile from the printer itself

This is the part that's different from other brands: you don't start the scan from your computer. Load your document into the ADF or on the glass, then from the printer's own control panel, navigate to Held Jobs > Profiles and Apps, and select the scan profile you just created. The finished file lands in whichever folder or app you specified during setup.

Alternative: Windows Fax and Scan

If you'd rather not install the ScanBack Utility, Windows' own built-in Fax and Scan app (native to Windows 10 and 11) can also communicate with a network-connected Lexmark printer once it's been added under Printers & Scanners — a reasonable fallback if you only need to scan occasionally and don't want extra software.

First-time setup: the Lexmark Mobile Assistant

If your printer isn't on Wi-Fi yet at all, the easiest route is the WPS Push Button method (Settings > Network/Ports > Wireless > Wi-Fi Protected Setup > Start Push Button Method on the printer, then pressing the WPS button on your router within two minutes). If that doesn't work for your setup, the Lexmark Mobile Assistant app can walk you through Wi-Fi configuration instead — but note this app is specifically for initial connection setup, not day-to-day scanning.