A toner cartridge lasts a set number of pages, not a set time. That number is its page yield, printed on the box and on our product pages: typically 1,000–3,000 pages for a standard cartridge and 3,000–15,000+ for a high-yield one.
How many months is that?
Divide the yield by how much you print. An office printing 500 pages a month gets about 6 months from a 3,000-page cartridge, and about 20 months from a 10,000-page high-yield cartridge.
Why it runs out sooner
Yields are measured at 5% coverage (a typical letter). Pages with images, heavy graphics or bold text use more toner. Color printers use extra toner for calibration.
Toner vs ink: which lasts longer?
Toner. It doesn't dry out, so a laser printer that sits for weeks prints fine, and toner cartridges print far more pages than ink cartridges.
How to make toner last longer
- Buy the high-yield version of your cartridge
- Print drafts in toner-save or draft mode
- Shake the cartridge gently side to side when it first warns "low"; it often prints hundreds more pages
Unopened, toner keeps for years; see does toner expire.
Related guides
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