The black and white printer cartridge HP 301 holds approx. 190 pages, the colour cartridges only 165 pages. The Kyocera TK-5240K toner cartridge holds 4,000 pages.
The problem: printer manufacturers usually calculate with a page coverage of 5%: Here a normal letter is printed in DIN A4 format, where 5% of the page is printed and 95% is not printed. This means that if there are more text/graphics on the page, the page coverage increases. As a result, the ink cartridges and toner are then sufficient for significantly fewer pages.
In addition, many devices consider a printer cartridge to be used up if there is actually still ink left. It is therefore not possible to give a blanket indication of how many pages the printer cartridges hold. However, you can carry out a practical test at home:
Many manufacturers display the number of pages printed in the printer software. Simply note the number when you install a new ink cartridge or toner. Then compare the number when the printer reports that the ink or toner is used up. The difference tells you how many pages you can print in practice.
What do I do if the printer does not recognize the new ink cartridge?
The following are the causes when newly inserted ink & toner is not recognized:
Wrong ink cartridge ordered
With the wide variety of printer models and names, it can happen that you have ordered the wrong cartridge by mistake. You can determine whether this is the case as follows:
- Does the name shown on the printer match the name on the cartridge packaging? Example: Your device says "Canon PIXMA MG2150". If the packaging says "For PIXMA Series MG2150/MG3150", the new cartridge is correct.
- Does the partner number of the old cartridge match the new one? A partner number is a short name for cartridges. The partner number always remains the same, even if a cartridge fits several printer models. Example: On your empty Canon cartridge, on the front side, it says "PG-540XL Black". Is the same name on the new ink cartridge? Then it is correct.
Protective film not completely removed
Many ink cartridges and toners have adhesive tape, protective films and protective caps. This prevents them from being damaged or leaking during transport. Did you remove these protective foils according to the manufacturer's instructions before inserting the new cartridge? Only when the protective foils have been removed can the machine detect the new ink/toner.
Cartridges not inserted correctly
Did you use the colours in the right place? So is the new cyan ink cartridge in the same place as the old one? Or did you accidentally change the position of the colors? Depending on the printer model, there may also be an indicator that the ink cartridge has been inserted correctly. With Canon printers, the ink cartridge must audibly click into place after insertion. The ink tank indicator must also light up.
See our Canon printer cartridge page for complete instructions on how to install Canon ink cartridges correctly. For other manufacturers, please refer to the official printer manual.
Printer does not recognize compatible cartridges
Sometimes your machine does not recognize compatible ink & toner and displays an error message. Background: The printer manufacturers want to urge you to buy the more expensive original products. That's why they often install a "protection". This is to prevent you from using the cheaper but still high-quality alternative cartridges.
Usually it is enough to switch your printer off and on to make the error disappear. If this does not help, you can press the reset button on the device.
Printer is dirty
If there is ink & toner residue, dust, etc. in the machine, this may also explain the error message. In this case, first start the normal cleaning program from the machine's display. If this does not help, you should carefully remove the dirt by hand with a microfiber cloth and cleaning agent.
Outdated printer driver
Are your printer drivers up to date? If not, this may also cause the error message. Update the drivers to the latest version to eliminate the drivers as the cause.
How can I save money on printing?
There are several ways to spend less money:
Buy compatible cartridges
Save directly when buying your printer cartridges while maintaining the same cartridge quality: Compatible ink & toner is up to 44% cheaper than the original. So you'll save a lot of money even before you've printed the first page.
Buy economy packs
You can save even more money by buying economy packs compared to normal printer cartridges. The following packs are available:
- XL and XXL inks: The XL and XXL printer cartridges contain more ink and therefore increase the range: You can print/copy significantly more pages than with normal printer cartridges. This is especially worthwhile when printing very high volumes.
- Multipacks: Multipacks contain cartridges for two or more different colours. If you use all colours equally, you can save money with Multipacks. If, on the other hand, you mainly use the black ink cartridge, Twinpacks for "key/black" are cheaper.
- Twinpacks: Doublepacks (also called twinpacks) contain two times the same cartridge, e.g. two colours or two times black. Twinpacks are worthwhile if you use some colours more often than others. There are also triple packs that contain the same cartridge three times. This allows you to reduce your printing costs even further.
- Photo Value Packs: Contain all colours "Cyan", "Magenta", "Yellow/Yellow" and "Key/Black". In addition, the pack contains paper. So you can purchase the appropriate paper together with the ink.