Every brand uses its own numbering system, but the underlying logic — standard vs. high-yield, plus a separate drum or imaging unit on laser printers — is the same everywhere. Find your brand below, then everything else about buying, replacing, and troubleshooting ink and toner further down the page.
A slow, clear JustFixPrinter video for this page is being prepared. The written guide below is ready now and follows the same step-by-step support style.
Replacing a cartridge, step by step (HP, Canon, Epson) · Replacing Brother toner and the drum unit · "Cartridge Not Recognized" fix · Why "low ink" warnings aren't always urgent · Genuine vs. third-party ink · Storing spares so they last · Recycling old cartridges · Reducing your cost per page · What blinking lights mean · "Ink System Failure" or a fatal error · Epson "Service Required" message · HP Instant Ink and HP+ · Inkjet vs. laser: which to buy
HP identifies cartridges by number (HP 63, HP 67, HP 902, HP 962), not letter — each tied to specific models, so there's no "HP A" series. Standard vs. XL is the exact same cartridge size and install — XL just holds roughly 2–3x more ink for a lower cost per page (HP 63 black prints around 190 pages; HP 63XL prints around 480). Standard costs less upfront and wastes less if ink dries out from infrequent printing; XL is the better value if you print regularly. Some lines go further with an "extra high yield" tier (XXL, or a separate number like 966XL) — check your model's supported list. Some HP printers use one black cartridge plus a combined tricolor cartridge (running out of one color means replacing the whole thing); others use four-plus separate cartridges, one per color.
HP Instant Ink is a monthly subscription, not a cartridge type — see HP Instant Ink and HP+ below for what it locks in. HP SmartTank (and the older Ink Tank line) skip cartridges entirely for refillable bottles — higher upfront printer cost, dramatically lower cost per page, and better resistance to drying out, making it the better call for high-volume printing. The cartridge number is printed directly on the cartridge and in your documentation; if you don't have either, search your printer model on HP's own support site rather than guessing, since numbers are model-specific.[1]
Cartridge triggering a "door open" message? On several HP models, a cartridge that isn't fully seated triggers the "Ink Cartridge Access Door Open" message even when the door itself is closed correctly. Open the door, press down firmly on each cartridge until it clicks, then close the door again with a deliberate push until it seats completely — check for packaging debris blocking the door's travel, and power cycle (unplugged, not just powered off) if it persists. A message that keeps returning with the door and cartridges both confirmed correct points to a failed sensor switch, a hardware issue worth an HP support inquiry. For every other brand's version of this error, see our door/cover open guide.
PG (or PGI) is pigment black ink — it sits on top of the paper rather than soaking in, making it sharper for text and far more water- and fade-resistant. CL (or CLI) is Canon's dye-based "ChromaLife" color ink — more vibrant and true-to-life, better for photos, more prone to smudging. Some higher-volume MAXIFY lines use pigment ink for color too, trading vibrancy for smudge and marker resistance on business documents. Standard, XL, and XXL are the same physical cartridge — just different ink volumes at a lower cost per page for the larger tiers; not every number offers all three, so check your printer's supported list.
Depending on the printer, Canon uses either a single combined tri-color cartridge (labeled CL, like CL-246 — simpler to stock, but you replace the whole thing even if one color ran out) or fully separate cartridges per color (labeled CLI, like CLI-281 — more spares to stock, no wasted ink). Two cartridge slots means you're on the combined system; four or more means separate colors. Cartridge numbers are tied to specific printer generations, not universal — PIXMA MG/MX typically use PG-243/CL-244 or PG-245/CL-246; PIXMA TS/TR typically use PG-275/CL-276 or PG-280/CL-281; PIXMA iP/iX typically use CLI-36 or CLI-251. These are common examples, not a universal list — always confirm against your exact model on Canon's support site or the number printed on your current cartridge.[2]
Canon MegaTank printers (most PIXMA G-series, some MAXIFY GX models) skip cartridges for refillable tanks topped up from bottles with color-matched, uniquely shaped nozzles that prevent filling the wrong color. Tanks hold enough for thousands of pages — meaningfully more than the 150–200-page range typical of cartridges — making MegaTank the better long-term value for high-volume printing, at a higher upfront printer price.
Epson's traditional Expression and WorkForce lines use cartridges identified by a series number (212, 288, 302, 522, and similar) followed by a color-suffix letter: BK, C, M, Y, and sometimes PBK for photo black. The number is what matters for compatibility and is specific to your printer model — a 288 won't fit a printer designed for 212s, even with matching color letters. Most series also offer an XL (and sometimes XXL) version — same shape and color code, roughly two to three times the ink, costing more upfront but less per page.[3]
EcoTank printers use an entirely different system — ink lives in refillable tanks built into the printer, topped up from color-coded bottles (BK, C, M, Y). A full set of bottles typically covers thousands of pages. If your printer has visible ink tanks with a fill port on the front or side, you're on bottles, and standard cartridge-numbered ink won't work with it at all. To find your exact code, open the ink access door and check the label on the installed cartridge or the sticker inside the compartment, or check the Epson Smart Panel app, which shows exact ink levels and codes without opening anything.
Brother toner uses a "TN-" prefix tied to a specific printer series — a TN-660 fits a different set of models than a TN-730, even on similar-looking printers. Find the exact code on your old cartridge, its box, or the printer's supply-status screen — not just the model name. Standard vs. high-yield is the same cartridge family in a different capacity (often an extra letter or number in the code) — both fit the same printer, so choose based on print volume, not compatibility. On color models, black/cyan/magenta/yellow each have their own TN code, so you replace only whichever is low; monochrome models use just the one.
The drum unit is a separate part from the toner, with its own separate lifespan — it typically outlasts several toner cartridges, and Brother printers track this independently with a distinct "Replace Drum" message apart from "Toner Low." If print quality is still declining after a toner swap (streaks, spots, faded patches), the drum — not the toner — is almost always the real answer. See replacing Brother toner and the drum unit below for the full swap process.
Lexmark toner is tied to a specific printer series, not a brand-wide standard — a cartridge for an MS-series printer won't fit an MX or MC device. Check the exact part number on the cartridge box or the printer's supply-status screen, not just the model name. For a given model, Lexmark typically offers the same cartridge in Standard, High Yield (HY), and Extra-High Yield (XHY) — all fit the same printer, with HY roughly double the standard page count and XHY the largest capacity for high-volume printing; the difference is purely toner volume and cost per page.[4]
On color models, black/cyan/magenta/yellow each have their own part number, replaced individually; monochrome models use just one. The imaging unit (sometimes called a photoconductor or drum) is a separate part from the toner cartridge with its own separate lifespan, typically lasting through several toner cartridges — if streaks or spots persist after fresh toner, that's usually the imaging unit's cue to be replaced, not a sign the new toner is faulty.
The general sequence is the same everywhere — open the cartridge access point, release the old cartridge, unbox the new one and remove only the tape marked for removal, insert until it clicks, close the cover — but exactly where the door is and how the carriage moves varies by brand.
Open the ink cartridge access door — on most all-in-ones this is underneath the top scanner lid, above the output tray, and the printer needs to be powered on first for the carriage to slide into view. Press down on the old cartridge until it clicks and releases, then pull it out. Peel the protective tab off the new cartridge completely — leaving even a corner in place blocks ink flow entirely — without touching the copper contacts or nozzle underneath. Insert with the contacts facing into the printer (color usually sits left, black right, but check your model, since some reverse this) and push until it clicks. Close the door until you hear the cartridges shift into printing position, confirming it seated correctly.
On FINE-cartridge models (MX/MG series), lift the center paper output cover; on PIXMA models with several small cartridges, lift the top scanner lid instead and the carriage slides into the middle once the printer is powered on. Pinch the sides of the old cartridge and lift it straight out. Remove the orange protective cap and any tape from the new one without touching the contact strip or nozzles, then press it firmly into its matching color slot until it clicks. Close the cover — the carriage returns home automatically.
Lift the printer's actual front cover, not just the scanner lid — most Epson models keep cartridges behind a separate cover. On models with a dedicated ink button (an ink-drop icon), press it to slide the carriage into position, with a flashing light beside the cartridge that needs replacing; otherwise navigate Setup → Maintenance → cartridge replacement on the display. Pinch and lift the old cartridge straight out. Some Epson cartridges have a piece of tape meant to stay in place over the nozzle — check the cartridge's own instructions before removing anything, and avoid the green contact chip and nozzles. Insert with the tab toward the back and press until it clicks; if your model has the ink button, press it again to let the printer charge the ink system.
Whatever the brand, the two mistakes that cause the most follow-up problems are touching the copper or gold contacts with bare fingers, and shaking a cartridge once it's unpackaged — both risk an air bubble or bad connection that shows up minutes later as a "not recognized" error.
This takes about five minutes with no tools. Turn the printer off and open the front cover to access the drum unit — the large black assembly holding the toner cartridge, which slides straight out once released. Grip it by its handle and set it on a flat, protected surface (a sheet of paper works, since toner residue can stain fabric), avoiding the green or teal drum surface itself, since fingerprints and oils cause permanent streaking. Press the small lock lever or tab on the assembly and lift the toner cartridge out of the drum unit. Rock the new cartridge side to side several times to distribute the toner evenly before removing any protective seal, following the cartridge's own printed instructions, then slide it into the drum unit until it clicks. Reinstall the combined assembly along its guide rails and close the front cover firmly — the printer runs a brief internal check and returns to ready within seconds.
You need a new drum, not just toner, if you're seeing repeating marks or spots at a consistent interval down the page, a "Replace Drum" or "Drum End Soon" message (a separate warning from low-toner), or faded/streaky print that persists even after a brand-new toner cartridge. If genuine Brother toner isn't clearing a "toner low" warning automatically, or you're using a refilled/third-party cartridge, most models let you clear it manually from Settings → General Setup → Replace Toner (wording varies by model).
This shows up even with a brand-new, genuine cartridge more often than you'd expect, and it's almost never actually about the cartridge being wrong. Work through this order: remove and reseat the cartridge firmly until it clicks — the most common cause by far, since even a correctly-installed cartridge can be sitting at a slight angle; wipe the gold or copper contact strip with a dry, lint-free cloth (a coffee filter works well), and do the same for the printer's own contacts with a dry cotton swab, never anything wet or abrasive; double-check for a small strip of protective tape still covering the contacts or ink outlet, separate from the obvious outer packaging; if you're using third-party or refilled ink, consider that some printers are deliberately designed to reject cartridges that don't match the expected chip signature — a genuine replacement resolves this immediately if that's the actual cause; and check for a firmware update, since an update occasionally changes how a printer validates cartridges and can cause it to reject a perfectly valid genuine one. A full power cycle (unplugged a full 60 seconds) clears some lingering error states a cartridge swap alone doesn't reset.
Most printers estimate remaining ink from page counts and usage patterns rather than measuring the actual liquid level, which is why a low-ink warning can appear well before a cartridge is genuinely empty — manufacturers set these conservatively so you're not caught out mid-job. In practice you can usually keep printing for a while after the first warning; it's worth acting on once print quality actually starts visibly fading or streaking, not the moment the warning appears.
This is a genuinely contested topic. Manufacturer-original cartridges are formulated and tested specifically for that print head, generally meaning more predictable results and no risk of a firmware update flagging them as unrecognized. Third-party and refilled cartridges are meaningfully cheaper and produce results most people find acceptable for home and light-office use, but quality varies significantly between brands, and some manufacturers have pushed firmware updates that specifically restrict non-original cartridges — worth knowing before buying in bulk. There's no universally right answer; it depends on how much consistency matters for your use versus how much the cost difference matters.
Ink cartridges perform best used within roughly six months of opening — quality can degrade after that even if technically still sealed. Store spares upright, in original packaging, at normal room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Toner is far more forgiving on both timeline and temperature since it's a dry powder rather than a liquid, but should still avoid direct heat, which can cause it to clump.
Ink and toner cartridges shouldn't go in household trash — both contain genuinely recoverable materials. HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, and Lexmark all run free take-back programs for their own genuine cartridges (search "[manufacturer] cartridge recycling" for current details — usually a prepaid mailer or a collection point). Most major office supply retailers (Staples, Office Depot, and similar) accept empty cartridges regardless of brand at an in-store bin, sometimes with a small store credit as an incentive — the simplest option if you don't want to mail anything. Collected cartridges are typically remanufactured or broken down for raw material recovery. If you use third-party cartridges, check whether that specific brand runs its own program; if not, office supply stores generally accept them anyway. When it's time to retire the printer itself, check the manufacturer's site or your municipality's e-waste guidelines rather than regular trash, since printers contain circuit boards and other components that need separate handling.
A few settings and buying choices make a genuinely large difference. Switch from "Normal" to "Draft" or "Economy" quality for everyday, non-polished printing — emails, drafts, internal notes — which meaningfully cuts ink usage per page. Buy XL or high-yield cartridges instead of standard size; the upfront price is higher but the cost per unit of ink or toner is lower, a purely simple win if you print regularly. If you print heavily, weigh a page-based subscription program (HP Instant Ink and similar) or a tank-based printer (Smart Tank, MegaTank, EcoTank) against your typical monthly volume — both can work out dramatically cheaper over time, though a subscription is a worse deal for very light printing since you pay a baseline regardless. Use print preview before sending a job to catch and remove a trailing blank page or unwanted section, and print in black-and-white when color isn't needed, since color uses meaningfully more ink for the same page. What doesn't help: running a cartridge fully dry rather than replacing it slightly early, which doesn't meaningfully extend its life and can risk print head damage on some models — that "savings" isn't actually one.
On printers without a screen, blinking lights are the only error messages you get, and there's no universal code across brands — a blinking power light might mean "out of paper" on one printer and "cartridge error" on another. Note exactly which light or icon is blinking, whether it's alone or alongside another, and the pattern itself — slow and steady, fast, or a specific counted sequence — since that detail is what actually distinguishes one error from another. Then check your printer's manual or the manufacturer's official light-pattern chart for your exact model, since the pattern only means something in that context; searching "[your model number] light error guide" works better than the brand name alone. As rough categories: a single steady light usually just means ready/idle, not an error; a slow regular blink often means processing, warming up, or waiting on something minor; a fast blink more often signals paper jam, cover open, or cartridge issue; and multiple lights blinking together usually points to a specific fault code your chart will decode precisely. If you can't find your model's chart, manufacturer support staff have the internal fault-code reference and can usually identify a described pattern immediately. A full power cycle (unplugged 60 seconds) is a reasonable general first step regardless of the exact code.
Messages like "Ink System Failure," "Fatal Error," or a numeric code with instructions to power off sound alarming, but a genuine hardware failure is the less common outcome — most clear with a proper, complete power cycle. Turn the printer off with its power button (not a rough unplug while running), then unplug it and leave it unplugged a full 60 seconds before powering back on, which lets internal components fully discharge and clears a stuck state a quick off-and-on often doesn't. Before assuming it's purely internal, check for an obvious physical cause — an unseated cartridge, an uncleared jam, or debris in the carriage path. Note the exact error code if one is shown, since manufacturers publish specific meanings tied to your exact model, and check for a firmware update, since some fatal errors are known bugs a firmware update specifically addresses. A fatal error that clears with a power cycle but returns immediately every time you try to print again, consistently rather than occasionally, does point to an actual hardware issue — worth checking the manufacturer's support page for your exact model and code, or contacting support directly if the printer is under warranty.
This most commonly points to the internal waste-ink-pad counter reaching its programmed limit — porous pads inside every Epson inkjet absorb the small amount of ink purged during head-cleaning cycles and normal operation, and once the counter hits its limit the printer locks itself out as a deliberate safeguard against the pads actually overflowing, not usually a sudden electronic failure. A specific numeric or hex code (like 0x97) alongside the message instead points to a genuine hardware fault — printhead, sensor, or mainboard — a different problem the fixes below won't resolve.[5] For the waste-ink-pad message itself, Epson's official guidance is professional pad replacement, which fully and permanently addresses both the counter and the accumulated ink — the right choice under warranty. Out of warranty, unofficial third-party "adjustment program" counter-reset tools exist that buy further printing without physically replacing the pads, but they don't address the actual ink buildup, carry real risk of internal leakage if the pads are genuinely full, and aren't supported by Epson — treat this as a stopgap on an older printer you're not relying on long-term, not a real fix. On lower-cost consumer Epson printers, professional service can approach or exceed the cost of a new printer, genuinely worth comparing before committing either way.
Instant Ink is a subscription where your printer monitors its own ink levels and HP ships replacement cartridges automatically before you run out, billed by pages printed per month rather than ink volume — a full-page color photo costs the same as one line of black text. The math shifts in your favor around roughly 50 or more color pages a month; for light or occasional printing, buying cartridges outright is usually cheaper. Exceeding your monthly page allotment triggers an overage charge, and Instant Ink cartridges stop working if you cancel the subscription.
HP+ is a separate, opt-in system offered during initial setup on eligible "e"-suffix models. Activating it extends your warranty by an additional year and includes several free months of Instant Ink — genuinely useful on their own. The tradeoff is significant and permanent: once activated, the printer is locked to genuine HP cartridges only, and third-party or refilled cartridges will not work, not now and not later even after canceling Instant Ink — there is currently no way to reverse this. The activation prompt typically appears during setup phrased to emphasize the warranty and free ink without equally emphasizing the permanent restriction, which is exactly why it's worth pausing on rather than accepting quickly to get through setup. If you're confident you'll always buy genuine HP ink, HP+ has a real benefit with no real downside for your situation; if third-party or refilled cartridge flexibility matters to you at any point, skip activating it.
The two technologies are genuinely different, not just a price tier, and the right choice depends on what you actually print. Inkjet sprays liquid ink through microscopic nozzles; laser uses a charged rotating drum and powdered toner fused with heat. Choose inkjet if you print photos or need color-accurate graphics — liquid ink blends more smoothly and produces finer gradients than toner. Choose laser if you print mostly text and print often — crisper text, faster document printing, and no ink-drying-out problem from sitting idle. Toner also typically lasts more pages than ink, so cost per page for laser is usually lower at moderate-to-high volume, even though laser printers and toner cost more upfront; that advantage matters less for light or occasional printing. Modern tank-based inkjets (HP Smart Tank, Canon MegaTank, Epson EcoTank) change the calculation — refillable bottles bring cost per page down to rival or beat laser while keeping inkjet's photo-quality advantage, worth strong consideration if you want both good photos and low running costs. An inkjet left unused for weeks at a time is meaningfully more prone to nozzle clogging than laser is to any equivalent issue — worth factoring in if your printing is occasional.
On any laser printer, if print quality doesn't improve after replacing toner, the drum or imaging unit — not the toner — is almost always the real answer. It's a separate consumable with its own lifespan on every brand that makes this distinction.
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