What 1000-page yield print actually means in the real world

Posted by Adrian Rigby on May 30, 2023

When you replace your printer ink or toner, you may often wonder how long a cartridge lasts or how many pages it prints on before it runs out. This is known as the cartridge yield.

Typically, the higher the cartridge yield, the more pages it will print on and the less often it will need replacing. However, that is not always the case, as it is dependent on many factors.

Often, the manufacturer’s specifications may not match the actual ink or toner yield. Although it may be stated that a cartridge has a 1000-page yield, it is likely to print on significantly fewer pages before it runs out.

This is because the cartridge yield is calculated based on 5% page coverage, which means only 5% of each page is printed on. This may be true if you are only printing pages with not a lot of text on and no images.

So, if a cartridge has a page yield of 1000, then it should print 1000 pages with 5% coverage.

However, if you print a lot of images and text, then the page coverage will be higher and the ink or toner cartridge will run out quicker. Therefore, the actual yield will be lower than stated.

As well as coverage, many other factors can affect the speed at which your cartridge runs out. These include the type of paper used, the type of printer and condition of the printer used, the print mode and driver setting, the software application used, and the frequency of printing.

Conditions such as ambient temperature and humidity can also affect page yield. Maintaining a regulated temperature and humidity and turning off the device when it is not in use can help to make your cartridges last longer.

There are several other ways you can extend the life of your printer cartridges and save money. Use small and fine fonts (not bold) and print in draft mode whenever possible to reduce the amount of ink or toner used.

Using grey text will help to make your black ink or toner last longer. Limit the amount of images you print and only use the colour printing mode when necessary.

It is important to note that toner and ink cartridges have different page yields. A toner cartridge is estimated to have a yield of 2000 to 25,000 pages on average, whereas an ink cartridge is estimated to have an average yield of 200 to 300 pages.

Get in touch with our knowledgeable team at AB Cartridges if you have any queries about page yield, and to discover which ink or toner cartridge type is best for your print requirements.

With over 20 years of industry experience, AB Cartridges will be able to find you the perfect product.

For free, unbiased advice to help you get the best products for your printing needs, call us on 01522 683460 or email us at admin@abcartridges.co.uk.