Lexmark Error 35 — What It Means & How to Fix It
By Ryan Green · Updated August 2026 · Independent guide · PrinterCare USA LLC (not affiliated with any printer manufacturer)
Lexmark Error 35 is one of the most common memory-related errors you will encounter, and it typically appears when your printer cannot allocate enough RAM to handle a particular print job or when the printer's memory buffer is completely full. This error can be incredibly frustrating because it prevents you from printing until the memory issue is resolved, but the good news is that there are several proven troubleshooting steps you can take before considering a hardware upgrade.
The error usually occurs because either too many jobs are queued up on your computer, the printer's internal memory is fragmented from processing complex documents, or your printer simply does not have enough RAM to handle modern high-resolution or color printing tasks. In most cases, a simple restart and queue clearing will resolve the issue, but if you print frequently or work with large files, a memory upgrade might be necessary.
How to fix it — step by step
- Clear the Print Queue on Windows 11. Open Settings and navigate to Devices, then Printers and Scanners. Find your Lexmark printer in the list, click on it, and select Open Queue. Right-click on any pending jobs and select Cancel. If the queue appears frozen, open Command Prompt as Administrator, type "net stop spooler" and press Enter, wait ten seconds, then type "net start spooler" to restart the print spooler service completely.
- Clear the Print Queue on macOS. Go to System Settings, navigate to Printers and Scanners, select your Lexmark printer, and click Options and Supplies. Choose the Jobs tab and delete any pending or stalled jobs. Alternatively, open Terminal and type "lpstat -o" to view the queue, then use "cancel -a" to clear all jobs for the selected printer.
- Power Cycle Your Lexmark Printer Completely. Turn off the printer using the power button, then unplug the power cable from the wall outlet. Wait for a full two minutes to allow the printer's capacitors to discharge and its internal memory to reset completely. Plug the power cable back in and turn the printer on again, allowing it to complete its full startup sequence before attempting to print.
- Test with a Simple Document. Try printing a plain text document or a simple one-page file with minimal formatting and no images. If this succeeds, your issue may be related to complex file formatting or high-resolution graphics. If even simple documents fail, the problem is likely a memory capacity issue rather than a queue problem.
- Check Your Printer's Control Panel for Memory Information. Navigate to your Lexmark printer's main menu using the control panel buttons. Look for a Settings, Information, or System menu option. Select an option like Device Information or Memory Status to view how much RAM is currently available and how much is being used. If available memory is critically low even when nothing is printing, your printer's memory may be failing.
- Remove and Reinstall Your Printer Driver. On Windows, go to Settings, Devices, Printers and Scanners, right-click your Lexmark printer, and select Remove Device. On macOS, go to System Settings, Printers and Scanners, select your printer, and click the minus button. Download the latest driver from Lexmark's official support website, install it fresh, and restart your computer before attempting to print again.
- Reduce Print Quality or Resolution Settings. Open your document in your application, go to Print or Print Settings, and look for Quality or Resolution options. Lower the DPI setting from the default (usually 600 DPI) to 300 DPI, or change the print mode from Best or Color to Normal or Draft. These settings directly reduce the amount of memory required to process and store your print job.
- Install Additional Memory Module. If error 35 persists after all troubleshooting steps, your printer likely needs a memory upgrade, which typically costs between forty-nine and ninety-nine dollars depending on your specific Lexmark model. Consult your printer's manual or the Lexmark support website to identify the correct memory type and installation procedure, or contact a local repair technician for professional installation.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my Lexmark printer show Error 35 only when printing color documents?
Color printing requires significantly more memory than black and white printing because the printer must store separate color information for each pixel on the page. If your printer has barely enough memory for black and white documents, complex color images or graphics-heavy pages will exceed the available memory. Reducing color quality settings or printing in grayscale can resolve this issue without requiring a memory upgrade.
I cleared the print queue and power cycled, but Error 35 keeps appearing. What now?
If basic troubleshooting does not resolve the error, your printer likely does not have sufficient memory for your typical print jobs. Contact Lexmark support with your exact printer model number to determine if a memory upgrade is compatible and available. In the meantime, try splitting large documents into smaller sections and printing them separately, or reduce the resolution and quality settings to lower the memory requirement.
Is Error 35 a sign that my Lexmark printer is dying and needs replacement?
Not necessarily. Error 35 is almost always a memory management issue rather than a hardware failure, and it can typically be resolved through driver updates, queue clearing, or a relatively inexpensive memory upgrade. Only if you have exhausted all troubleshooting options and a memory upgrade is not available or does not solve the problem should you consider replacing the printer.
How much does it cost to upgrade memory on a Lexmark printer?
Memory upgrades for Lexmark printers typically range from forty-nine dollars to ninety-nine dollars, depending on your specific model and the amount of RAM being added. Most standard office Lexmark printers can be upgraded to between four and eight megabytes of additional memory, which is usually sufficient to handle complex documents and color printing without errors.