HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301cdw Toner Guide

They are siblings in the same 3301 line with the same HP 218 toner and 26 ppm speed. The 3301cdw is sold through Costco and described with single-pass two-sided scanning; the 3301fdw is sold by HP and other retailers.

Any seller of HP 218A/218X: HP Store, Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, Quill and others. The cartridges are the same as for the 3301fdw and 3301sdw.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301cdw uses HP 218 toner in four colors: standard-yield HP 218A (W2180A black, W2181A cyan, W2182A yellow, W2183A magenta) or high-yield HP 218X (W2180X, W2181X, W2182X, W2183X). Each color slot takes either capacity, so you can mix A and X.

Yes. The 3301cdw takes high-yield HP 218X as well as HP 218A. HP rates 218X at about 3,200 pages for black and 2,500 per color, against about 1,300 and 1,200 for 218A — same printer, same print quality, more toner per cartridge.

At the lowest checked prices, 218X black works out to about 3.6¢ per page against 6.1¢ for 218A (product price ÷ HP yield, before tax). If you print regularly, 218X is usually cheaper per page and means fewer swaps; if you print rarely, 218A ties up less money. The 218A vs 218X page has a calculator for your own volume.

Open the cartridge access door, pull out the toner drawer by its handle, lift out the empty cartridge and remove all packing material from the new one before placing it in the same color position; then close the drawer and the door. Our HP 218 replacement guide lists HP's steps and the mistakes that cause "not recognized" messages.

Yes — compatible and remanufactured HP 218A/218X cartridges are sold for it, and we compare 30 priced ones with their chip status and seller-stated yields. Only a cartridge whose listing says a chip is included is ready to install, and an HP firmware update can change what the printer accepts.

In the United States: the HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw and the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw, 3301fdw and 3301cdw (the 3301cdw is sold through Costco). HP's U.S. store and support pages list all eight HP 218 cartridges for these models.

Look-alike numbers are not automatic matches: HP's U.S. support page for the 3203dw lists HP 222 cartridges, and the 3204dw and 3304fdw show no U.S. supplies at all. The printer finder explains each case.

An "e" at the end of an HP product code marks an HP+ printer. HP's HP+ FAQ says HP+ requires an HP account, an internet connection and Original HP supplies for the lifetime of the printer, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges are not an option on an activated HP+ printer.

The cartridge numbers themselves are the same HP 218 series. Note that HP Store's "3201dwe" address currently shows a certified refurbished 3201dw, not a new HP+ model.

Do not plan on it. HP regionalizes these cartridges and sells the U.S. 3201/3301 printers with HP 218. The U.S. models also have different model numbers from the European 3202/3302. Buy the 218 series here; we do not recommend importing another region's supplies.