Frequently Asked Questions

My black is half full but the colors are low — is a color-only set the right buy?

Yes, that is exactly what this set is for. It contains one cyan, one magenta, and one yellow cartridge, so you refresh all three colors without paying for a black you do not need yet.

Which printers does this three-color set fit?

The set is built for DCP-9050CDN, DCP-9055CDN, DCP-9270CDN, HL-4140CN, HL-4150CDN, HL-4570CDW, HL-4570CDWT, HL-4750CDW, HL-4750CDWT, MFC-9460CDN, MFC-9465CDN, MFC-9560CDW and MFC-9970, the Brother printers in the TN310 family. All three cartridges share those same models, so one list covers the whole box.

How much does the set save against buying the colors separately?

The three color singles total $104.82. This set is $67.84, so you save $36.98 — close to getting one of the three cartridges free compared with separate purchases. For the full shelf, see our Best Brother TN310 Toner Cartridges guide: TN310 and TN315 singles, sets and packs are compared side by side on one price list, with the DR310CL drum covered as well — including how the per-page figures settle the choice between the two tiers.

Should I install all three at once, or one at a time?

Install them as each color runs out; there is no benefit to swapping a cartridge that still prints well. Many people install the most urgent color immediately and keep the other two sealed as spares, since the box price is already locked in.

What if one cartridge in the set arrives faulty?

Each cartridge is covered individually by the one-year warranty and one-year free returns. A single bad cartridge gets replaced or refunded on its own — you do not have to send the whole set back. The fine print is on the shipping and returns page.

Where is the black cartridge for this family?

The TN310BK black is sold separately, in singles and multi-packs, and it lasts longer per cartridge at 2,500 pages. That difference in appetite is exactly why the colors have their own set.

How many color pages does this set actually put in the printer?

Each of the three cartridges — TN310C, TN310M, and TN310Y — is rated at 1,500 pages, so across a full cycle the set delivers about 4,500 color pages before all three have been replaced again. In practice the colors do not empty together: cyan usually leads because blues, greens, and photos draw on it hardest, so expect to reach for a single cyan before the magenta and yellow from this box are done.

When the set arrives, how do I confirm I received the right three cartridges?

Check the last letter of the code on each box before you open anything. You should have one TN310C, one TN310M, and one TN310Y — the final letter is the color marker, and it is the detail most easily mixed up in a warehouse. Confirming three codes at the door takes seconds and means any picking mistake is caught while the boxes are still sealed and simple to sort out.

How should the two colors I am not installing yet be kept?

Sealed, flat, and in their boxes, in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Toner does not dry out, so the magenta and yellow you shelve today will print exactly the same when their turn comes months from now. Keeping them in the set's outer box together also keeps the three codes visible, so the right cartridge is easy to find when a color warning appears.

Why do the colors run down at different speeds in the same printer?

Because documents are not color-balanced. A page of charts leans on cyan, a page of logos and headings leans on magenta, and photos draw heavily on yellow for greens and skin tones. Your mix decides which of the TN310C, TN310M, or TN310Y empties first, which is precisely why this set exists: all three are refreshed on your shelf, ready for whichever appetite your printing feeds most.

About This TN310 Three-Color Set

This is a three-pack of compatible Brother TN310 color cartridges — cyan, magenta, and yellow, 1,500 pages each — for printers whose black is fine but whose colors are fading. It ships from warehouses in IL, PA, GA, and CA.