{"id":3665,"date":"2017-09-13T00:06:43","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T00:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/?p=3665"},"modified":"2026-06-10T00:32:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T00:32:04","slug":"what-is-page-yield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/what-is-page-yield\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Page Yield and Why It Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Quick Answer<\/strong>: Page yield is the number of pages a printer cartridge can print before it runs out of ink or toner. It is measured under the ISO\/IEC<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iso.org\/standard\/77902.html\">24711<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0standard for inkjet or ISO\/IEC<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iso.org\/standard\/88924.html\"> 19752<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iso.org\/standard\/88925.html\">19798<\/a><\/strong> for toner \u2014 printing test pages at 5% coverage until the cartridge is empty. Your actual page count will vary based on what you print, but ISO yield is a consistent, manufacturer-to-manufacturer benchmark.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Page yield is the approximate number of pages you can print with one cartridge.<\/strong> The number is measured under the ISO\/IEC<strong> 24711<\/strong> standard (inkjet) or ISO\/IEC<strong> 19752\/19798 <\/strong>(toner) \u2014 printing pages at 5% coverage until the cartridge runs empty. How many pages you <em>actually<\/em> get depends on what you print; heavy photos and graphics deplete ink faster, while light text documents stretch a cartridge further.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Page coverage<\/strong> is the percentage of a printed page covered by ink or toner. The ISO test uses <strong>5% coverage<\/strong> \u2014 equivalent to a typical text document with average word count. Photos and full-color graphics regularly hit 30-100% coverage, depleting cartridges much faster than the rated yield.<\/p>\n<p>This is what a page with 5% page coverage would look like:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3666 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/5percentpagecoverage.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a page printed at 5% page coverage per ISO\/IEC standard\" width=\"563\" height=\"724\" \/><br \/>\n<strong>Page yield is a benchmark, not a guarantee.<\/strong> Your actual print count varies based on three main factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Content type<\/strong> \u2014 black text uses less ink than full-color photos. Heavy graphics deplete cartridges fastest.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Page density<\/strong> \u2014 long documents and large images consume more ink per page.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Print quality setting<\/strong> \u2014 high-quality mode uses 30-50% more ink than draft mode.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Different Cartridge Page Yields<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Cartridge yield options vary by product line.<\/strong> Most families offer 2-3 tiers \u2014 standard, high-yield (XL), and sometimes extra-high-yield (XXL). Some cartridges come in a single size only, while others offer four or more variants. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/ink-and-toner\/hp\/hp-officejet-pro\/8020\">HP OfficeJet Pro 8020<\/a> family illustrates a 3-tier example:<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"7\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Cartridge<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Yield Type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Page Yield<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/oem-hp-3yl61an-black-ink-cartridge\">HP 910 Black (3YL61AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Standard<\/td>\n<td>250 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/oem-hp-3yl58an-cyan-ink-cartridge\">HP 910 Cyan (3YL58AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Standard<\/td>\n<td>315 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/oem-hp-3yl59an-magenta-ink-cartridge\">HP 910 Magenta (3YL59AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Standard<\/td>\n<td>315 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/oem-hp-3yl60an-yellow-ink-cartridge\">HP 910 Yellow (3YL60AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Standard<\/td>\n<td>315 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/remanufactured-hp-3yl65an-black-ink-cartridge\">HP 910XL Black (3YL65AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>High-Yield<\/td>\n<td>720 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/remanufactured-hp-3yl62an-cyan-ink-cartridge\">HP 910XL Cyan (3YL62AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>High-Yield<\/td>\n<td>700 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/remanufactured-hp-3yl63an-magenta-ink-cartridge\">HP 910XL Magenta (3YL63AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>High-Yield<\/td>\n<td>700 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/remanufactured-hp-3yl64an-yellow-ink-cartridge\">HP 910XL Yellow (3YL64AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>High-Yield<\/td>\n<td>700 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/remanufactured-hp-3yl66an-black-ink-cartridge\">HP 916XL Black (3YL66AN)<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Extra-High-Yield<\/td>\n<td>1,500 pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Installation is identical across yield tiers. A high-yield HP 910XL installs in the same slot as a standard HP 910 \u2014 same shape, same fit, more ink. The same applies to the extra-high-yield HP 916XL.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/?xid=tmd:blog:&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=3665:lowprices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9287 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ld_banr_txt_customers_2020_728x90-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>When to use a Standard and a High Yield (or High Capacity) Cartridge<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Inkjet cartridge recommendation by usage: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Light use (under 10 pages\/week):<\/strong> Standard-yield cartridges. Higher-capacity cartridges aren&#8217;t worth the extra cost when ink can dry out before depletion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regular usage (10-50 pages\/week):<\/strong> High-yield (XL) cartridges. Better cost-per-page, fewer replacements, and ink is consumed before drying becomes a concern.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Heavy use (50+ pages\/week):<\/strong> XL or XXL multipacks. Lowest cost-per-page, longest replacement intervals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want to keep more money in your wallet, our remanufactured &amp; compatible printer cartridges deliver the same print quality for substantially less \u2014 save up to 65% vs brand-name (OEM) cartridges.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Laser printer cartridge recommendation by setting:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Home use:<\/strong> Standard-yield toner is typically sufficient for moderate document printing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Small office:<\/strong> High-yield (XL) toner reduces replacement frequency at lower cost-per-page.<\/li>\n<li><strong>High-volume office<\/strong>: Extra-high-yield (XXL) toner cartridges or multipacks deliver the lowest cost-per-page for heavy users.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Shopping for a Printer Based on Page Yields<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The cheapest printer often has the most expensive ink. When comparing printers, evaluate three numbers: upfront printer cost, cartridge price, and cartridge yield. The true cost of owning a printer is the upfront price plus 3 years of cartridge replacements.<\/p>\n<p>The page yield of the cartridge will determine how often you&#8217;ll need to replace cartridges and how many replacements you may end up buying to keep your printer running. Higher page yields mean less frequent replacements and more cost savings.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor to consider when shopping for a printer, a color printer in particular, is: Does cyan, magenta, and yellow come in one cartridge? Or does each color come in a separate cartridge? If you print a good volume of colored documents, we recommend getting a printer with individual color cartridges (one for cyan, one for yellow, one for magenta). Not only do they come with more ink; but you will also be able to use the printer even if one of the color cartridges is running empty.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Calculating Cost Per Page (CPP)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/how-to-calculate-cost-per-page\/\">Cost-per-page<\/a> (CPP) is the most important printer-cost metric. It converts page yield into dollars-per-page \u2014 the actual cost of running the printer. Calculating the cost per page is fairly straightforward, just divide the cost of the printer cartridge by its page yield.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Example: HP 910XL Black Ink (~720 pages)<\/strong><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"7\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Cartridge Option<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Price<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Page Yield<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Cost Per Page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Genuine HP 910XL Black (OEM)<\/td>\n<td>$28.67<\/td>\n<td>720 pages<\/td>\n<td>4.0 cents per page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>LD&#8217;s Remanufactured HP 910XL Black<\/td>\n<td>$16.99<\/td>\n<td>720 pages<\/td>\n<td>2.4 cents per page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\"><strong>Savings with LD&#8217;s remanufactured<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>40% less per page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>A quality remanufactured cartridge prints the same number of pages at substantially less cost. The math works the same way for the standard HP 910 and extra-high-yield HP 916XL \u2014 and across most cartridge families.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Example: HP 910XL Color Cartridges (each ~700 pages)<\/strong><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"7\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Cartridge Option<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Price (each)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Page Yield<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Cost Per Page (each)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Genuine HP 910XL Color (OEM)<\/td>\n<td>$37.77<\/td>\n<td>700 pages<\/td>\n<td>5.4 cents per page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>LD&#8217;s Remanufactured HP 910XL Color<\/td>\n<td>$12.99<\/td>\n<td>700 pages<\/td>\n<td>1.9 cents per page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\"><strong>Savings with LD&#8217;s remanufactured<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>65% less per page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Total color CPP<\/strong> (one black + three color cartridges per printed page):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>OEM total color CPP:<\/strong> Black CPP + (Color CPP \u00d7 3) = 4.0 + (5.4 \u00d7 3) = <strong>20.2 cents per color page<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>LD&#8217;s remanufactured total color CPP:<\/strong> Black CPP + (Color CPP \u00d7 3) = 2.4 + (1.9 \u00d7 3) = <strong>8.1 cents per color page<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>You save approximately 60%<\/strong> on every color page you print with LD&#8217;s remanufactured HP 910XL cartridges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions About Page Yield<\/h2>\n<h3>What is page yield?<\/h3>\n<p>Page yield is the number of pages a cartridge can print before it runs out. Manufacturers measure it under the ISO\/IEC 24711 standard (inkjet) or 19752\/19798 (toner) \u2014 printing test pages at 5% coverage until empty.<\/p>\n<h3>What does 5% page coverage mean?<\/h3>\n<p>It means 5% of the printable area is covered with ink or toner \u2014 roughly what a typical text document looks like. Photos or heavy-graphics pages run much higher coverage, so your real-world yield drops accordingly.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Why is my actual page yield lower than what&#8217;s advertised?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Real-world page coverage usually exceeds 5%. If you print images, graphics, dense text, or in high-quality mode, your cartridge depletes faster. The ISO\/IEC number is a benchmark for comparison \u2014 not a personal guarantee.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Do high-yield (XL) cartridges save money?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Usually yes, if you print regularly. An XL cartridge typically holds 2\u20133x the ink for less than 2x the cost \u2014 a better cost-per-page. If you print rarely, a standard cartridge is the safer call since ink doesn&#8217;t last forever.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Do multipacks or sets add their page yields together?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>No. Cartridges in a set deplete in parallel during real-world printing, not in sequence. A 2-pack with a 400-page black and a 400-page color cartridge prints about 400 mixed-content pages \u2014 not 800. Always read yield per cartridge.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Do remanufactured cartridges have the same page yield as OEM?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. A quality remanufactured cartridge prints the same number of pages as the OEM equivalent. Both LD Products&#8217; remanufactured and compatible cartridges are tested for performance, quality, and page yield, and backed by our 100% Satisfaction \/ Lifetime Guarantee. It&#8217;s a lot like generic medicine at the drugstore \u2014 same active ingredient, same result, dramatically less expensive.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How do I calculate cost-per-page (CPP)?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Divide the cartridge price by its page yield. Example: a $30 cartridge with a 400-page yield = $0.075 per page (7.5 cents).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What&#8217;s the difference between remanufactured and compatible cartridges?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A remanufactured cartridge is an OEM cartridge shell that&#8217;s been professionally cleaned, refilled with ink or toner, and tested. A compatible cartridge is a brand-new cartridge built by a third party (not the printer manufacturer) to fit the same printer. Both are aftermarket alternatives to OEM, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/\">LD Products<\/a> carries both \u2014 backed by our 100% Satisfaction \/ Lifetime Guarantee.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>This article was written by the team at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/\">LD Products<\/a>, which has been in the <strong>remanufactured &amp; compatible<\/strong> ink and toner cartridges business <strong>since 1999 \u2014 25+ years<\/strong> of helping consumers cut printing costs without sacrificing quality. <strong>8M+ customers served.<\/strong> <strong>100% Satisfaction \/ Lifetime Guarantee<\/strong> on every remanufactured &amp; compatible cartridge. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bizratesurveys.com\/reviews\/ldproducts-reviews\">Bizrate Circle of Excellence winner<\/a> 15+ years running.<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com?xid=tmd:blog:banner&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=bannerv2\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6458 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ld_banr_txt_customers_2020_728x90-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick Answer: Page yield is the number of pages a printer cartridge can print before it runs out of ink or toner. It is measured under the ISO\/IEC 24711\u00a0standard for&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,28],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3665"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3665"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14555,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3665\/revisions\/14555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}