A high-yield cartridge holds more toner or ink than the standard one for the same printer. Brands mark them differently: HP uses X (26X vs 26A), Canon and Epson use XL, Brother adds letters to the TN number.
What "page yield" means
The page yield is how many pages a cartridge prints under a standard test (ISO/IEC 19752 for mono toner, 19798 for color), at about 5% coverage of the page. Real-world yield depends on what you print: dense documents and photos use more.
Cost per page
Divide the price by the rated yield. A high-yield cartridge almost always costs less per page, and you replace it less often.
Example: a $90 cartridge rated for 3,000 pages costs 3¢ per page. A $160 cartridge rated for 9,000 pages costs under 2¢ per page.
When standard yield makes sense
If you print very little, a standard cartridge may be fine; toner keeps for a long time, but there's no point stocking more than you use.
Buying for several offices, or reselling? Get a volume quote or apply for wholesale pricing →
