What Is Page Yield? A Guide to Cartridge Yield
Posted by Greg Nowak on
Page yield is the estimated number of pages a printer cartridge can produce under specified test conditions. It is commonly used to compare ink and toner cartridges, but it should be treated as an estimate rather than a guarantee of the number of pages every user will print.
Why does page yield matter?
Stated page yield can help you compare cartridges of the same type and estimate printing costs. For example, an estimated cartridge cost per page can be calculated by dividing the cartridge price by its stated page yield.
Why can actual yield be different?
Actual yield depends on factors such as page coverage, color use, image density, print quality settings, cleaning cycles, printer condition, environmental conditions, and how often the printer is used. A page with a small amount of text uses much less ink or toner than a page containing large graphics or photographs.
Standard yield and high yield
Some cartridge families are offered in standard-yield and high-yield versions. A high-yield cartridge generally contains more usable ink or toner and has a higher stated page yield, but price, physical size, and printer compatibility should also be checked. Not every printer accepts every yield option in a cartridge family.
How should you compare cartridges?
Use the stated yield together with cartridge price, printer compatibility, pack quantity, and your normal printing pattern. When a product page provides a yield figure, review any test standard or coverage assumptions noted by the manufacturer or seller.