Pros & Cons
-
- Prints, scans, copies, and faxes
- Compact design
- Excellent print quality
- Wide range of connection options
- 2.8-inch color touch screen
- Easy-to-use control panel and shortcuts system
-
- Relatively modest print speeds
- Somewhat high toner costs for both monochrome and color
- No option for additional paper trays
Xerox C235 Specs
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Color or Monochrome | Color |
| Connection Type | Ethernet |
| Connection Type | USB |
| Connection Type | Wi-Fi |
| Connection Type | Wi-Fi Direct |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 17.5 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 3.5 cents |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Maximum Scan Area | 8.5" x 11.7" |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Letter |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 30,000 pages per month |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 1500 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 250 + 1 |
| Printing Technology | Laser |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 24 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 24 ppm |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | 600 x 600 dpi |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed with ADF |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Copier |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Fax |
| Type | All-in-one |
The Xerox C235 ($579.99) is a small all-in-one (AIO) color laser printer with superb print quality, an easy-to-use control panel, and a flexible shortcuts system for customizing the printer’s tasks. It has a wide range of connection options, including Wi-Fi and a dedicated USB port for walk-up printing via a thumb drive. And it offers a full array of mobile-based features, including compatibility with Xerox’s cloud-based Workflow Central platform. With its modest print speeds and moderate workload ratings, the C235 is best suited for workplaces where top-notch print quality is required, but only at moderately heavy output levels. It's a solid alternative to the Editors' Choice-winning Brother MFC-L3780CDW.
Design: Compact and Capable
At 13.6 by 16.2 by 15.5 inches (HWD), the C235 is unusually compact for an AIO color laser printer. It’s a little bit smaller overall than the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw. That HP model measures 13.4 by 16.5 by 16.5 inches, which is a full inch deeper than the C235. The C235 is also trimmer in all three dimensions than the Brother MFC-L3720CDW, which comes in at 15.8 by 17.5 by 16.1 inches. And it’s significantly smaller than the Ricoh C125 MF. That Ricoh model is almost bulky by comparison, taking up 18.6 by 16.5 by 19.4 inches. If the space in which you’ll install it is tight, especially when considering the depth, the C235 could be the best fit.
As you might expect, the C235’s weight reflects its slim and trim physique. It weighs in at 42.7 pounds, though here the HP 3301fdw has a weight advantage with its even lighter 37.7 pounds. You could make a case that lighter-weight printers may have plastic parts where metal parts might be preferred. If you accept that argument, you may be more comfortable with the low, but not extremely low, weight of the C235. For comparison, the Brother MFC-L3720CDW comes in at 44 pounds, while the Ricoh C125 MF tips the scales at a hefty 66.1 pounds.
(Credit: David English)Given the relatively low retail price for this model, you have to expect some configuration cutbacks when compared with higher-priced models. The paper input capacities are often a key area where you’ll find this kind of price-sensitive feature reduction. The C235 has a standard 250-sheet paper input tray, a single-sheet manual feed slot, a 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF), and no provision for adding an optional tray. That’s the same configuration as the Brother MFC-L3720CDW, the HP 3301fdw, and the Ricoh C125 MF.
As for paper output, the C235 is far from generous. This model’s paper output bin has a modest 100-sheet capacity. That’s the same output capacity as the HP 3301fdw, but it falls short of the 150-sheet capacity of the Brother MFC-L3720CDW and Ricoh C125 MF.
The 1,500-page recommended monthly print volume rating for the C235 suggests it’s best suited for only a moderate-level workload. That’s the same rating as the Ricoh C125 MF. The HP 3301fdw has a more robust 2,500-page monthly print volume rating, while the Brother MFC-L3720CDW is rated for a much heavier 3,000-page monthly print volume.
Similarly, Xerox rates the C235 as having a 30,000-page maximum monthly duty cycle. That’s the same rating as the Ricoh C125 MF. However, both of those models fall short of the 40,000-page monthly duty cycle for the Brother MFC-L3720CDW and HP 3301fdw.
Setup and Software: Some Extra Effort Needed
In testing, I found the setup process to be relatively easy, with only a slight workaround required. The four toner cartridges are preinstalled, though you’ll need to temporarily unload them to remove a large number of plastic restraints. Once the printer is fully unpacked, you can load some paper, plug in the unit, and enter the basic info (such as language, date, and time) into the control panel. If you plan to use the unit wirelessly, you can also have it search for any available Wi-Fi networks. And a handy printed QR code for your Android or iOS mobile device walks you through the process of setting up and configuring your new printer.
(Credit: David English)If you plan to use the C235 with a computer, you can use the supplied CD-ROM disc to install the necessary drivers. The disc’s setup program will download the Xerox Smart Start application (you can also grab it yourself), which will then search for the C235 so you can connect to the printer via USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. If the Smart Start app can’t find the C235, you can input the printer’s IP address, which is prominently displayed on its screen. After you’ve installed the necessary drivers, you’ll have only a Xerox notification app on your desktop. And that’s fine, if you plan to use the printer as is, strictly on its own without any interaction.
(Credit: Xerox)Just be aware that a full software package is available, though it does require some extra steps to track down. To get the full package, you’ll need to select Smart Start’s link for additional software on the Xerox website. You’ll want to choose and download the Xerox Print and Scan Experience app. That app provides for computer-initiated scanning, device configuration, enhanced image and PDF support, and other useful features. It’s the kind of multipurpose app that other AIO printer manufacturers either install automatically or offer optionally from within the setup program. Perhaps Xerox has added these extra steps to appeal to corporations that prefer their employees not to change anything beyond what’s already configured by an administrator. You'll even find a separate version of the Xerox Print and Scan Experience that’s designed just for administrators.
Whatever the reason, it’s well worth the additional effort to install the Xerox Print and Scan Experience app. It’s both well-designed and easy to use. The Scan module lets you change the resolution, size, lightness, and contrast of the scan. You can activate the auto crop, auto rotate, auto straighten, and blank-page removal features. You can also choose between color and grayscale scanning. The Document Toolkit module lets you view, enhance, and distribute your scanned images and PDFs.
(Credit: Xerox)The Workflow Central module integrates with Xerox’s Workflow Central cloud-based platform that can convert your documents to a Microsoft Office format, translate documents into a different language, create audio files for document listening, or transform scanned handwritten notes into a text format. Ten guest trials of the service are included. Otherwise, you’ll need to have a Workflow Central account.
The Device Status module shows the amount of toner that’s available for each of the four cartridges. You can also see the type of paper and number of sheets in the standard tray and manual feed slot. And you can view the unit’s serial number, as well as the number of pages printed with a breakdown of black impressions, color impressions, and total impressions. That’s a lot of detailed information that isn’t usually available on entry-level AIOs.
(Credit: David English)Despite its low price, the C235 does offer a fairly robust range of connectivity options. In addition to the usual USB and Ethernet connectivity, you’ll find dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz), as well as Wi-Fi Direct. This model also has a dedicated USB port for walk-up printing via a thumb drive. However, it doesn’t have an integrated NFC card reader for security-based badge authentication. (If you need an NFC card reader, you might consider opting for the previously mentioned Ricoh model.) For comparison, the Brother, HP, and Ricoh models also support USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct. The HP and Ricoh models include a dedicated USB port for walk-up printing via a thumb drive. The Brother MFC-L3720CDW does not have a dedicated thumb-drive port.
The C235 is compatible with Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print, Mopria Scan, and Chromebook printing. It’s also compatible with Xerox’s Workplace app for Android, iPhone, and iPad devices. Using the Workplace app, you’ll be able to print, scan, and copy from your mobile device. You can open mobile device documents from within the app for easy preview and printing. You can scan documents with the C235 and have them sent wirelessly to your mobile device, or use the camera on your mobile device and print whatever image you capture. And you can print directly from other applications, such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
(Credit: David English)Even though the C235’s 2.8-inch color touch screen is modest in size, it does use the limited space efficiently to convey choices and information with simplicity and clarity. The home screen icons are logically presented, color-coded, and tastefully subdued. Those icons are Copy, Email, Fax, Status/Supplies, Job Queue, Settings, and USB Drive. Oddly, there’s no top-level Scan icon, as is usually seen on similarly equipped AIO color laser printers. If you’re scanning a document to an attached thumb drive, you would choose the USB Drive option. Similarly, if you want to scan to an email address, you would choose the Email option.
Similar Products
Our Current Picks for The Best Laser Printers for 2026
What about scanning to a network folder or FTP server? In the printer’s documentation, Xerox suggests creating a shortcut that will point to a specific destination. To create a shortcut, you open a web browser and type in the printer’s IP address (as viewed on the control panel’s LCD). From there, you’ll see a Shortcuts menu option, which will lead to an extensive array of choices that include color balance settings, pages per side, and adjustable levels of background removal. Shortcut destinations can be copy, email, fax, FTP, or a network folder. Once you’ve created and saved a shortcut, a new top-level Shortcuts icon will appear on the C235’s touch screen. Overall, it’s a relatively simple and flexible system for customizing the printer’s tasks.
You can use that same browser interface to check the status of the C235, including toner capacity levels, current firmware version, and any recent alerts or warnings from the printer. And you can use the browser interface to access model-specific drivers, utilities, and manuals, as well as to scan documents directly to your computer.
Print Speed: A Reasonable 24 Pages per Minute
Xerox rates the C235’s print speed at 24 pages per minute (ppm), which is somewhat modest these days for an entry-level color laser AIO. For comparison, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw and Ricoh C125 MF are rated at a faster 26ppm, while the Brother MFC-L3720CDW is rated at a slower 19ppm. To see if the C235 could live up to its billing, I tested it over an Ethernet connection from our standard Intel Core i5 desktop testbed running Windows 10 Pro.
The C235 comes out of the box configured to print two-sided (duplex) pages. In that scenario, we time and record both a printer's one-sided (simplex) and two-sided performance. When printing our standard 12-page Microsoft Word text document (excluding the first page), I clocked the unit at 13.0ppm in duplex mode and 24.7ppm in simplex mode. That simplex result was 0.7ppm better than its rated speed.
Though it proved to be a bit faster than Xerox’s official rating for this model, it was also 1.4ppm slower than the Ricoh C125 MF and 2.5ppm slower than the HP 3301fdw. On the other hand, it proved to be 3.6ppm faster than the Brother MFC-L3720CDW. Looking more closely at the numbers, the C235 fell behind the HP model on the first page out. And it couldn’t recover as the subsequent pages were being printed.
Next, I timed the C235 as it printed our collection of colorful and complex business documents consisting of Adobe Acrobat PDFs, PowerPoint handouts, and Excel spreadsheets. When I combined those results with the scores from printing the 12-page Word document, I found it took 155 seconds to print the entire suite. That works out to a speed of about 9.7ppm.
While that proved to be a little faster than the lackluster 170-second time from the Ricoh C125 MF and 169-second time from the Brother MFC-L3720CDW, the C235 was easily beaten by the more nimble 96-second result from the HP 3301fdw.
And while no laser-class printer can match a dedicated photo printer for quality prints, I did time PCMag’s two standard 4-by-6-inch test snapshots with the C235 to see how fast it might print photographic materials. It averaged about 19 seconds per image, sluggish for a color laser printer.
The C235 has its strong points, but document print speed isn’t one of them. Compared with models with similar features and prices, it would come out somewhere near the middle in overall performance.
Print Quality: Top-Notch Output
With any laser-class printer, you should be able to produce near-typesetter-quality text that’s suitable for most business text documents. The C235 easily passes the grade for those kinds of documents. I was able to read typical business fonts down to a very small 4-point size.
Everything this model printed looked clean and professional, with no stray dots, unexpected vertical lines, or misplaced patterns. With charts and graphs, the colors were well-defined, with no bleed-in along the edges. Colors were accurate and pleasing across the spectrum. The contrast levels were right where they should be—squarely in the center between too mild and too harsh. And the saturation levels were nicely fine-tuned and set appropriately to match the content.
Printed photos had a similar appearance. The color, contrast, and saturation levels were always spot on. As with any laser-class printer, you won’t be able to print borderless pages as you can with an inkjet printer. However, the C235’s photo print quality is more than adequate for brochures, newsletters, real estate flyers, or similar business documents.
Running Costs: Higher Than Usual for a Color Laser
While the C235 is a relative bargain given its outstanding print quality, it could become less of a bargain over time as you replace the toner cartridges. Those initial savings could begin to shrink (and even disappear) as you print additional pages after the starter set of toner cartridges is depleted. You have to expect that trade-off on the lower-cost models, though in this case, that added cost is more prohibitive than usual.
With the more cost-effective high-yield replacement cartridges, you’ll pay about 3.5 cents to print a monochrome page and about 17.5 cents to print a color page. For comparison, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw would cost you about 3.1 cents for a monochrome page and 17.0 cents for a color page. That would give the HP model a slight edge on both monochrome and color pages. The Brother MFC-L3720CDW would run about 2.5 cents for a monochrome page and 16.4 cents for a color page. That’s a significant difference with monochrome and a smaller difference with color. If you plan to print a large number of monochrome pages over the life of the printer, you might consider that model over the C235.
It's not all bad news for the C235 on the toner front. The C235 does have lower toner costs than the Ricoh C125 MF, on which it would cost you about 3.8 cents for a black-and-white page and 18.2 cents for a color page. Not coincidentally, the C125 MF is the only model in this group that doesn’t offer a high-yield set of toner cartridges. For the Ricoh model, it’s standard yield only.