Brother-TN221-TN225

This color family pairs two ranges in one fit: black is the TN221BK (TN-221BK), sold as a single and in a TN221 three-black pack, while the three colors are the high-yield TN225 range — TN225C cyan, TN225M magenta and TN225Y yellow, each stocked as its own single. Everything also comes together in four-color sets. If your printer's cartridge door lists both ranges, this page is where they live.

The split personality is deliberate on Brother's part. Black does the bulk of the printing in most homes and offices, so its cartridge is the standard-fill workhorse; the colors, used in bursts, are the high-yield versions that sit ready without aging out between color jobs. The printers below are the compact color LED machines this arrangement was designed for — everyday color for small teams, with a black supply chain priced for text.

Toner Cartridges for TN221-TN225

Cartridge	Color	Page Yield
TN221BK	Black	See product page
TN221 — 3 Black (TN-221BK)	Black	See product page
TN225C High Yield	Cyan	See product page
TN225M High Yield	Magenta	See product page
TN225Y High Yield	Yellow	See product page
TN221-TN225 High Yield 4 Color Set (TN221BK / TN225C / TN225M / TN225Y)	Set of 4	See product page
TN221-TN225 Premium Quality High Yield 4 Color Set (TN221BK / TN225C / TN225M / TN225Y)	Set of 4	See product page

Which cartridge should you buy?

Replace the slot that is empty — every cartridge in this family is sold singly except that black also comes in a three-pack for owners who burn through text printing. A single color warning means a single TN225C, TN225M or TN225Y; a black warning means a TN221BK, or the three-black pack if it is the second warning this quarter. When several slots run low together, the four-color set resets the whole row in one order and usually beats three separate singles on price per cartridge. There is no wrong choice here — only the size of the box.

Chip, toner and everyday use

Four chips, four separate level reports: the printer tells you which color is low, and because the colors are high-yield, a "low" warning can still have real printing left in it — ratings are set at five percent coverage, and a color that only appears in logos and charts spends itself slowly. Keep the set's spare cartridges sealed until their slot calls for them; an opened color cartridge ages whether it prints or not. Black spares need no such patience — the three-black pack exists precisely because that slot empties first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is black a TN221 code but the colors are TN225 codes?

That is how Brother ranged this family: the black cartridge is the TN221BK, and the high-yield colors carry the TN225 numbering. The codes are not interchangeable — order the code that matches the slot.

Do the high-yield colors fit printers that shipped with standard colors?

The colors stocked here are the high-yield TN225C, TN225M and TN225Y, and they are the color cartridges for every model listed below. Check your model against that list if you are unsure which family your machine belongs to.

Is the three-black pack three different cartridges?

No — it is three of the same TN221BK black cartridge in one box, for owners whose printing is mostly text. The printer takes them one at a time, exactly like the single.