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Sharp makes office MFPs and projectors as part of the Foxconn group (Sharp was bought by Foxconn in 2016). The current MFP lineup is the MX series for established office models and the BP series for newer A4-only desktop units. Sharp competes against Konica Minolta, Ricoh, and Xerox in the mid-volume office space, with a strong reseller channel and decent build quality.
Sharp product lines
MX colour
MX-C303W, MX-C357F desktop colour MFPs at the lower end. MX-3071, MX-4071, MX-6071 mid-volume colour MFPs. MX-7081 and MX-8081 high-volume colour. Touchscreen interface, finishing options on the bigger models.
MX mono
MX-M2630, MX-M3071 mid-volume mono MFPs. Robust and cheap to run per page, common in legal and accounting firms that print lots of single-colour documents.
BP
Newer A4-only desktop range. BP-20C20, BP-20C25, BP-50C26 colour. BP-50M26 mono. Aimed at small offices that do not need A3 capacity. Smaller footprint than MX, similar OSA cloud connectivity.
Pro production
MX-7580N and MX-8090N production presses for in-house print rooms. Not common in regular offices.
Common Sharp printer problems
H5-01 fuser temperature error
Most common Sharp error code. Indicates the fuser temperature went out of normal range during warm-up. Switch off at the front, wait 30 seconds, switch on. If H5-01 persists, the thermistor is stuck (cleanable) or the fuser unit needs replacing. On MX-3071 and similar, the fuser is part of the periodic maintenance kit that a Sharp tech replaces at scheduled intervals.
U5-19 toner cartridge not recognised
The toner chip is not making contact, or the cartridge is third-party with an incompatible chip. Pop the cartridge out, wipe the chip with a dry cloth, reseat firmly. Sharp does not actively block third-party toner, but the chip handshake is strict. Reputable third-party Sharp toner usually works after a second reseat.
Scan to email Office 365 OAuth setup
Sharp MFPs from 2022 onward support Office 365 OAuth in the latest firmware. Update firmware first, then in the embedded web server go to Settings, Network, Email Setup, choose OAuth 2.0, follow the Microsoft authentication flow. On older Sharp models that do not support OAuth, use a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox with an app password and basic auth on port 587 (still supported for shared mailboxes as of 2025).
Sharpdesk Mobile app not finding printer
Sharpdesk Mobile requires the printer to be on the same network subnet as the phone, and Bonjour (mDNS) must be enabled on both the printer and the network. Most office wifi separates guest and corporate, which blocks discovery. Either move the phone to the corporate wifi or use the manual IP entry in the app.
OSA cloud apps disappeared after firmware update
Sharp OSA cloud connector apps (the touchscreen icons for Box, Google Drive, OneDrive) are sometimes removed during firmware updates. Re-add from System Settings, Cloud Connect Settings. The OneDrive connector specifically requires a per-user authentication, so each office user needs to log in once on the panel.
Sharp drivers and downloads
Sharp US business drivers are at business.sharpusa.com/Support/MFP-Downloads. Search by model. The PCL6 driver is the recommended universal install for most MX and BP models. Mac drivers are separate per model. The MX-Series Universal Driver also covers multiple Sharp models with one install for fleet deployments.
What to buy and what to skip
MX-C357F for a small colour office under 5000 pages a month, BP-50C26 for a smaller footprint A4-only setup, MX-3071 or MX-4071 for medium volume. Sharp pricing varies wildly by reseller, get quotes from at least two channels. Service contracts that include toner are usually cheaper per page than buying toner separately if you print over 1500 pages a month.
Sharp printer FAQs
Is Sharp still independently making printers after the Foxconn acquisition?
Yes. Sharp printers and MFPs are developed and manufactured by the Sharp business unit under Foxconn ownership. No major changes to the product line or support since the 2016 acquisition. Drivers, toner, and warranty all unchanged.
Does Sharp support AirPrint?
All MX and BP models from 2018 onward support AirPrint over WiFi. Older MX models can usually enable AirPrint via a firmware update, check the embedded web server under Mobile Printing Settings. Mopria works on Android with the same setup.
How does Sharp toner cost compare to other office MFPs?
Roughly mid-pack. More expensive per page than Kyocera, comparable to Konica Minolta and Ricoh, cheaper than Xerox for colour. Third-party Sharp toner is widely available and reduces cost by 30 to 50 percent for the popular MX models.