Xerox WorkCentre 5222 — Review: Features, Specs, Performance & Business Use

The Xerox WorkCentre 5222 is an A3-capable, black-and-white multifunction designed for small-to-midsize workgroups, branch offices and centralized reception desks that need dependable mono output, solid scanning and basic finishing without the footprint or cost of a large production device. Launched as part of Xerox’s WorkCentre family, the 5222 lives in the sweet spot between simple desktop lasers and full-blown departmental systems: compact enough for an office, but rugged and feature-rich enough to be the team’s primary copier/printer/scanner. This review examines the hardware and software, real-world performance, total cost considerations and the business use cases where the 5222 is (and isn’t) a good match.

Quick facts you should know up front

The WorkCentre 5222 is a black-and-white (mono) A3 multifunction with a rated throughput of up to 22 pages per minute.
It supports tabloid/A3 paper, making it useful for spreadsheets, CAD prints and wide-format office deliverables.
Recommended monthly volume is in the low-to-mid thousands (Xerox lists a practical ceiling around ~12,000 pages/month for typical office duty).
Print resolution and image quality are strong for office black-and-white jobs (up to 1200 × 1200 dpi in some modes).
The scanning subsystem is capable and fast for business capture workflows — duplex ADF scanning with real-world throughput that can reach dozens of images per minute (advertised scan speeds and ADF performance show high dual-side rates).

These headline items set expectations: the 5222 is a dependable mono workgroup MFP valued for print reliability, scanning flexibility and straightforward integration into small office networks.

We recommend:Xerox VersaLink C9000DT A3 Colour Laser Printer

Hardware, build and ergonomics

Physically the 5222 is built like a workhorse: a solid, practical chassis with front-facing trays, accessible consumable bays and a modest footprint for a tabloid-capable device. The control panel is user-friendly — a color touchscreen on many SKUs — exposing common workflows (copy, scan to email/folder, secure print release) as one-touch job presets. Paper handling is flexible: standard front-loading cassettes plus a multipurpose tray that handles specialty media, envelopes and longer sheets up to tabloid/A3, which is useful when you occasionally need wide-format output.

The device was engineered to be serviceable: toner and drum access, routine maintenance items and jam clearing are all front-accessible, which helps reduce on-site technician time and keeps front-desk staff more independent.

Printing engine & output quality

At its core the 5222 uses a robust monochrome laser engine tuned for consistent text and halftone reproduction. Native resolution is sufficient for crisp body copy, contracts, legal documents and technical drawings. In standard office workflows you’ll find the text clean and dense and greyscales suitably smooth for charts and diagrams.

Speed is honest rather than headline-chasing: 22 ppm may not look dramatic next to high-end production devices, but it’s well-matched to the typical workgroups that buy these units — small offices, branch admin teams and reception areas where the mix is short jobs, multiple users and moderate monthly volume. Because it’s optimized for business documents rather than heavy color graphics, the 5222 balances image fidelity with the reliability small IT teams require.

Scanning, capture & workflows

Where the 5222 shines beyond printing is capture. It offers a duplex Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) and a flexible scan path that supports scan-to-email, scan-to-folder (SMB/FTP), scan-to-USB and scan-to-mailbox workflows. Advertised ADF scanning throughput and real-world testing show it can handle dozens of pages per minute in duplex modes, making it practical for batch invoice capture, contract digitization and front-desk intake. The device also supports OCR to searchable PDF — a key feature for records management and legal/finance indexing.

For teams moving from paper-first to hybrid workflows, the 5222’s scanning features simplify capture without adding a separate sheet-fed scanner to the desk.

Connectivity, drivers & management

The WorkCentre 5222 connects to networks via Gigabit Ethernet and supports common print languages and drivers for Windows, macOS and Linux environments. Administrators can integrate the device into directory services for user authentication and quota/accounting, enabling control over who prints what and when. Basic fleet management via Xerox CentreWare or other MPS tools lets IT collect meters, push driver updates and monitor consumable levels remotely.

Security features include user authentication, secure print release, and optional hard-drive security (where fitted) — important for teams that handle confidential information and need to limit walk-up access to released documents. File system overwrite and encryption options are often available depending on the configuration and local compliance requirements.

Performance in day-to-day use

Short jobs & responsiveness

The 5222 is quick to the first page and behaves responsively for single-shot tasks — great for receptionists or managers who need a fast copy or a last-minute contract print. Its warm start behaviour is optimized for frequent, short jobs rather than long continuous runs.

Sustained throughput

If your department produces regular batches of multi-page documents, the 5222 keeps moving when correctly configured with adequate paper cassettes and an efficient finishing module (if you choose one). However, it is not a production press — for extremely high continuous monthly volumes you’ll be better served by larger mono production platforms. The device is happiest in environments where daily peaks are moderate and predictable.

Reliability

Xerox built this series with field serviceability in mind. For moderate monthly volumes within Xerox’s recommended ranges and with routine preventive maintenance, the 5222 yields good uptime. As with any laser MFP, planned replacements (drum, maintenance kits) should be budgeted as volumes grow.

Consumables & cost of ownership

Running costs for a monochrome A3 device are dominated by toner yield, drum life and periodic maintenance kits. The 5222 uses high-yield toner cartridges and standard maintenance items — when modeled for small-to-medium monthly pages, per-page black costs are competitive with other departmental mono devices. Two points matter most for predictable TCO:

Supply management: standardizing cartridge SKUs and stocking a spare toner/drum reduces downtime at critical reception desks.
Service plan: for mission-critical departments, a service contract that includes wear parts and a fast response SLA is usually cost-effective.

Because the 5222 consolidates multiple desktop printers into one central unit, many organizations see lower total consumable expenditure and simplified support logistics over time.

Finishing & optional features

Depending on configuration, the 5222 supports optional finishers: stapling, offset stacking and hole punching are common add-ons that let teams produce client-ready packets and simple manuals in-house. These finishers increase the unit’s value proposition for small marketing teams and administrative departments that produce bound proposals and multi-part reports.

Best business use cases

Where the 5222 is a great fit

Branch offices & satellite locations: Centralize printing and scanning and eliminate the need to manage multiple desktop printers.
Legal & finance teams: Fast mono printing and searchable scanning for contracts, invoices and compliance records.
Reception and service counters: Compact A3 capability plus walk-up scanning for client intake, ID capture and ad-hoc wide-format printing.
Small print hubs: Produce short-run manuals, multi-page proposals and internal reports without outsourcing.

When to look elsewhere

Heavy production environments: If your monthly pages are consistently in the high tens or hundreds of thousands, a production mono press with heavier duty ratings will be more economical.
Color-heavy workflows: This is a mono device — if color output is frequent and critical, you’ll need a color MFP or a separate color printer.

Deployment tips & practical advice

Right-size trays at purchase: Add extra paper cassettes if you run mixed media frequently — this reduces user intervention.
Plan maintenance windows: schedule routine maintenance (cleaning kits, rollers) during known quiet periods to avoid surprise downtime.
Enable secure print: for desks handling sensitive data, require authentication to release jobs.
Standardize drivers: push company-wide driver profiles that set duplex and draft defaults to reduce consumable spend.
Keep spares: a spare toner and basic maintenance kit at each site reduces service calls and keeps reception areas operational.

Pros & cons — quick summary

Pros

Reliable mono A3 capability in a compact, serviceable package.
Strong scanning and capture features with duplex ADF and searchable PDF workflows.
Good fit for branch offices, legal/finance teams and reception counters.
Manageable TCO for moderate monthly volumes; consolidates multiple desktop printers.

Cons

22 ppm is modest compared to high-end departmental or production devices.
Not suitable for color workflows — separate color devices required.
For extremely high monthly volumes, a production-class mono press may be more cost-effective.

Final verdict

The Xerox WorkCentre 5222 is a pragmatic, well-engineered monochrome A3 multifunction that serves the steady needs of small-to-medium workgroups and branch offices very well. It’s not trying to compete with high-speed production presses or color-centric MFPs; instead it focuses on dependable mono output, efficient duplex scanning and sensible finishing options that let teams centralize workflows and simplify support. If your organization needs a robust, serviceable tabloid-capable MFP for contracts, spreadsheets, archival scanning and occasional short-run finishing, the 5222 remains a solid, sensible choice — particularly where simplicity, uptime and predictable operating costs matter.

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