Lexmark printers use a numbering system to point at the part of the machine that's having trouble, and once you know the pattern, the display stops feeling like a wall of noise. Codes in the low 30s and 200s usually mean paper: the wrong size, a jam, or a misfeed. Codes in the 900s point to firmware or a communication breakdown between the printer and your network. Codes in the 1200s are almost always about the print cartridge or printhead. And a number followed by two decimal digits, like 920.06, is Lexmark's way of telling you exactly which sensor or component inside that system tripped the alert.
Error Code Library
Paper Jam Errors: Error 200 and 200.xx
A "200" or "200.xx" code means the printer has registered a sheet of paper as jammed, typically under or near the toner cartridge. The number after the decimal narrows down where: a 200.03, for example, means the page never reached the input sensor after being pulled from the tray.
- Open the front cover and pull out the toner cartridge.
- Check along the paper path, under the cartridge, and around the rollers for any sheet, torn corner, or debris.
- Reseat the cartridge and close the cover firmly; the printer won't clear the code until it senses the door latched shut.
- Reprint a test page.
If the 200 error reappears immediately with no paper actually stuck anywhere, the input sensor itself is likely misreading, and that's a hardware fault a technician needs to test and replace.
Fuser and Heating Errors: Error 920 (920.06, 920.12, 920.40)
A "920" type error, including the common 920.06 variant, means the fuser (the roller assembly that melts toner onto the page) isn't reaching its operating temperature. It's not always the same root cause: 920.06 typically points to the heat lamp warming too slowly, while 920.12 and 920.40 flag related temperature-sensing faults.
- Power the printer off for a full 10 seconds, then back on.
- Confirm it's plugged straight into a wall outlet, not a power strip, surge protector, or an outlet on a shared circuit.
- Make sure the room is above roughly 60°F; a cold fuser can trip this same code.
If the error returns after a clean restart and a direct outlet, the fuser unit itself has likely reached end of life. This is a part-replacement job, not a settings fix, so it's worth having a technician confirm before you order a new fuser.
Firmware and Communication Errors: 900 Firmware Error and "Document Failed to Print"
A "900" error (you'll also see 900.00 or 900.43) means the printer's firmware hit a fault, usually while trying to talk to your network or computer. "Document Failed to Print" is the softer version of the same problem: the print job left your computer but the printer never picked it up.
- Confirm the printer and the sending device are on the same network; a printer that quietly dropped onto guest Wi-Fi will fail every job silently.
- Power the printer fully off, unplug it for a minute, and restart it, clearing the queue on your computer before resending.
- Check the Lexmark support site for a firmware update matched to your exact model number and install it.
If the 900 error only shows up when the printer is receiving data from a specific device or app, the fault is on the software side of that connection, and it's worth ruling out the driver before touching the printer itself.
Cartridge Errors: Error 1203
Error 1203 signals a communication breakdown between the printhead or cartridge and the printer, often caused by a short or dirty contact rather than an actual empty cartridge.
- With the printer still on, open the cover and remove the flagged cartridge.
- Wipe the gold or copper contacts on the cartridge with a dry, lint-free cloth; don't use water or alcohol.
- Reinstall it firmly until it clicks, then power the printer off and back on.
- If the code clears, run a test page; if it returns, try the cartridge in a different slot to isolate whether the cartridge or the carrier is at fault.
A 1203 that survives a clean cartridge swap usually means the printhead or logic board has a wiring fault, which is a repair job rather than a user fix.
Paper Size Errors: Error 34 (Improper Media)
Error 34 means the printer's paper-length sensors don't agree with what the paper-size guides in the tray are set to, or with what your print job requested. It's a mismatch error, not a hardware failure.
- Open the tray and confirm the sliding size guides sit snugly against the actual paper, not just close to it.
- In your print driver, check that the selected paper size matches what's physically loaded.
- If you're feeding letterhead, envelopes, or anything trimmed slightly off-standard, switch the tray to a custom size instead of the nearest preset.
Toner and Waste Container Errors
On models with a separate waste toner container, a code in the low 80s (often shown as 82.xx) or a "waste toner box full" message means the container that catches excess toner during printing needs to be emptied or swapped. This is routine maintenance, not a malfunction.
- Power off and open the front access panel to locate the waste toner container.
- Remove it carefully over a trash bag; a small amount of loose toner is normal.
- Install a new or emptied container until it clicks into place, matched to your exact printer model.
Tray and Feeder Messages: "Load MP Feeder"
"Load MP Feeder" means the printer wants paper in its front multipurpose tray, either because a job is actually routed there or because the printer defaulted to it.
- Load the correct paper size and type into the MP feeder if that's genuinely where you want the job to print from.
- If the tray already has paper and the message won't clear, check the small plastic sensor flag inside the feeder; it should rest down on top of the paper stack, and a bent or missing flag will falsely report "empty."
- In your driver settings, confirm the default paper source isn't set to the MP feeder if you normally print from Tray 1 or 2.
Reset It Yourself, or Call a Technician?
Most codes above clear with a power cycle, a reseated cartridge, or a cleared paper path, and it's worth trying those first since they cost nothing but a few minutes. Two signals mean it's time to stop troubleshooting and book a technician instead: the same code returns immediately after a clean restart with no visible cause, or the fix would mean opening the printer past the cartridge and paper trays, since that's where a wrong move turns a $40 part into a $400 one.
