The real Page yield The page yield noted on a toner cartridge package provides an estimated number of pages that the cartridge will print, with “estimate” being the operative word. We’ll look at the variables in a moment.
Page yield is based on 5% coverage. Yes, text and/or images, on average, cover only a miniscule part of the page. Industry research shows 4% to 5% coverage is the average for a black-and-white page.
The IOS/IEC standard noted on a package doesn’t make the page yield any less of an estimate. But it does tell you the toner was tested for page yield in the same manner as all the others that adhere to this standard. This allows you to compare apples to apples.

What Does Make the Difference in Yield?
Many things. Among the leading variables in real-world page yield:
Page coverage: If you have less or more than 5% page coverage, the usage will go down or up accordingly. Color printing means more page coverage due to the chemistry of the toner and printing process. The average coverage for color graphics is 40 to 60%. Letter/A4-size color printers and copiers average around 7 to 15% coverage.

Office Climate: I’m not referring to the smiles or cold shoulders at the water cooler but rather the humidity and temperature. A hot and humid day doesn’t just cause clothes to cling to sticky skin. High temperatures and humidity cause toner particles to clump together, and this lowers performance.

Images: Printed images are composed of tiny dots and patterns of dots, and these require varying levels of toner contrasted to the more consistent levels used in text.

Job Size: Printing multiple pages in one run is more efficient than printing the same number of pages, but with breaks in between. Just by running, the printer consumes some of the toner. Since the printer doesn’t run as long for one 30-page job as for three 10-page jobs, it uses less. Two-Sided Printing: Printing the front and back of pages saves paper but not toner. Unlike ink, toner is not cheaper than paper.

Forgetting to Shake: We all know how easy it is to forget to shake the bottle of juice. Some toner cartridge packages direct the user to shake the cartridge when low toner is indicated by the light or fading print. Follow the copier or printer’s guide, and shake that toner to get more yield.

Standard vs High Yield: Page for page, a high yield toner cartridge costs less to use than a standard. However, shelf life is a factor. The toner’s shelf life is one or to three years, depending on the cartridge and brand. If you don’t use most of it before its expiration is up, then a standard cartridge may be more efficient.

Resolution: Before printing, set the resolution to match the document’s usage. There’s no need to use high resolution (and a higher amount of toner) for low level usage such as a draft or office memo. Save the high resolution for mission critical prints, such as materials for customers and investors.
There’s other things that come into play too, but paying attention to these basics can narrow the gap between estimated and real-world toner page yield.

What is average page yield means?
Page yield is the approximate number of pages that can be printed with a printer cartridge
Printer manufacturers have historically used their own methods for estimating how many pages their printer cartridges would yield. But these different methods made it difficult for customers to compare competing products.
That’s where the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) comes in. In 2004, the ISO began collaborating with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to publish yield standards for monochrome toner (ISO/IEC 19752), color inkjet (ISO/IEC 24711) and color toner cartridges (ISO/IEC 19798). With these new standards, customers now have a more accurate way to compare products from different manufacturers, empowering them to make better-informed decisions.
Note: The page yield tests only work with either A4 or 8.5×11” paper.

How is ISO page yield determined?
ISO page yield is determined by thorough testing, which differs slightly between monochrome and color cartridges.
Monochrome toner cartridge yield test
This test (ISO/IEC 19752) uses a standard test page with about 5 percent coverage. The test page is printed continuously until the cartridge is empty (indicated by an “out of ink” message from the printer or discoloration on the test page).
Color inkjet cartridge yield and color toner cartridge yield tests
These tests (ISO/IEC 24711 and 19798) use a standard set of five test pages — four typical customer pages and one diagnostic page-that are printed continuously until the cartridge is empty. The standard set contains a mixture of images and text in different quantities to achieve an average of 5 percent coverage per color per page (for an aggregate total of approximately 20 percent page coverage). Page yield tests are conducted in a controlled environment with a temperature of 23 ° C +/-2 ° C. Number of cartridges tested
At minimum, three cartridge sets are tested on three different printers. These cartridges have different manufacturing dates and locations.
How does ISO page yield differ from actual page yield?
Because customers are unlikely to replicate the precise conditions of the ISO test’s controlled environment, actual page yields will vary. Factors of actual use (like page coverage, room temperature, and single vs. double-sided printing) cause this variation.
While ISO page yield may not be an accurate predictor of exactly how many pages your cartridge will yield, it’s still a reliable way to compare competing products, since all tests are subjected to the same set of ISO testing standards.

What is the Difference? Standard vs High Yield Toner
Shopping for toner can be confusing, especially if you’re not familiar with the differences of yield amounts. Standard, starter, high yield toner cartridges….What’s it all mean? The differences are good to know because shopping wisely will save you money and help save the planet.
The page yields we’re going to look at are based on industry testing standards of 5% coverage, which equates to an average black and white page. This allows us an equal testing ground, so we’re not comparing apples to oranges.
Starter Cartridge: Have you ever purchased a new laser printer and wondered why the toner ran out sooner than expected? Some printer manufacturers include a starter cartridge so that it’s ready to use. However, this toner cartridge typically will yield less printed pages than a standard cartridge you buy separately. For this reason, it is called a starter reduced print yield cartridge.
For example, a standard toner cartridge might typically print 2,600 pages (with 5% coverage) but the new printer may come with a cartridge that only prints 1,500 pages (with the same coverage). Many consumers do not know this, hence there are lots of questions at printer manufacturer forums asking “Why did my printer run out of toner so quickly?”
Standard Yield Toner Cartridge: This one’s easier because just as the name implies, the yield is a standard amount. As mentioned above, for some cartridges the standard yield could be 2,600 pages with 5% coverage.
High Yield Toner Cartridge: As the name implies, the yield for this type of cartridge is higher than for a standard cartridge.
For example, the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) HP CE505X high yield black toner cartridge from HP for the LaserJet 05X series has a 6,500 page yield. The HP CE505A standard Black Toner Cartridge for the same LaserJet 05X series has a page yield of 2,300.
High yield toner cartridges that produce more pages than standard cartridges produce, not only saves money but is less harmful to the planet.

High Yield Toner Cartridges and the Environment
While somewhat more toner is used with high yield, fewer cartridges are needed because each can print more pages. Returning to our example above, printing with 6,500 yield cartridges compared to 2,300 yield cartridges, not only saves money per page, it uses 2.8 times less cartridges.
Greenhouse gases are emitted during the manufacturing of cartridges. Manufacturing one toner cartridge (the cartridge alone without the toner) emits approximately 4.8kg CO2 into our atmosphere.Using fewer cartridges also means less cartridges are shipped, thus cutting back on fuel emissions. It also means less waste. More than 350 million cartridges are added to landfills on an annual basis. This plastic material doesn’t decompose well. A single cartridge takes up to 450 to 1,000 years to break down.
Whether using starter, standard or high yield toner cartridges, you can also make less of an imprint on the environment by printing memos and such in draft mode, using color only when needed, and recycling your toner cartridges and paper.

Differences between OEM, Remanufactured, Compatible and Refilled Cartridges
Looking at the many cartridges and supplies available for your specific printer, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Besides finding just the right cartridge for your particular printer model, you also have to choose between many different types of cartridges. OEM? Remanufactured? Sometimes it’s hard to know what makes one cartridge different from another. Here is a basic guide to the different types and kinds of printer cartridges, outlining the differences and benefits of OEM, remanufactured, and compatible printer ink and toner cartridges.

OEM Cartridge
You may have heard the term “OEM” used before, but what does OEM mean or stand for? OEM refers to “original equipment manufacturer.” In other words, if Canon made your printer, they’ve also made a cartridge to go with it. No doubt about it, these high quality cartridges were designed for great durability and undeniable precision. Naturally, that translates into good print quality, but all of that comes at a price.
The obvious downside is the cost. It’s common knowledge that brands don’t make their money on their printer sales, but make huge profits on new and overpriced OEM cartridges instead. For that reason alone, the name brand company that made your printer will claim that you may shorten the life of your printer by using generic cartridges. This is simply not true!

Compatible cartridges
Compatible cartridge is like buying a generic car part. A separate company simply creates their own version of the cartridge to work in your printer just like the OEM cartridge. A new compatible printer cartridge is made from all new parts which are closely copied to mimic the original cartridge the compatible is trying to replace. None of the parts are recycled and all plastics, aluminum and other components are brand new.

Remanufactured Cartridges
Remanufactured cartridges started out as new OEM cartridges. Instead of throwing a perfectly usable and durable plastic shell away to sit in a landfill, however, another company refurbished it to be used again. A good remanufacturer will disassemble, clean, and test the cartridge before replacing any worn parts and refilling the toner. As long as the refurbishing process was thorough, these will often yield similar quality to an OEM cartridge. One other advantage of using this option is that it is more environmentally friendly. By definition, this process involves recycling old cartridges rather than adding more waste to the environment.

Refilled Printer Cartridges
As one of the cheapest options, refilled cartridges are simply injected with new toner and resold. If the cartridge doesn’t work at all you should be able to return it, but you may also find that the cartridge stops working before the toner runs out. Once again, the risk may be worth it if the cartridge works well since these are priced far below OEM or remanufactured cartridges. Still, be aware that some refilled cartridges can be temperamental or even quit working altogether.