Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this color set not include a black cartridge?

Because on the Dell S3840cdn and S3845cdn the black cartridge lives on its own cycle — it is rated higher (11,000 pages) and empties on a different schedule from the colors. This set renews only the three color slots: the cyan 593-BCBF, the magenta 593-BCBE and the yellow 593-BCBD. If your black is also low, it has to be ordered on its own listing; nothing in this box will fill that slot.

What is the per-cartridge math on this set?

The set is $85.84 for three cartridges, about $28.61 each. The same 593-BCBF, 593-BCBE and 593-BCBD singles cost $40.94 apiece on this site, $122.82 for the round, so the set saves $36.98. Each cartridge is rated at 9,000 pages, which is a long working life for a color position — the saving is real, but so is the commitment: you are buying most of a year of color for a typical workgroup in one order.

Our colors never run out together. Does a set still make sense?

Usually, yes — because nothing forces you to install all three at once. Fit the color the printer flags, shelve the other two sealed, and the set simply becomes your standing stock for the next two color changes. The one case where a single beats the set is a machine that is about to be retired or replaced; there, buying three cartridges for a printer with months to live is money wasted.

What do we do if one cartridge in the set misbehaves?

Swap in the next one if you have it, and contact us about the faulty unit — each cartridge is covered individually by a one-year warranty and one-year free returns, spelled out on our shipping & returns page. A single bad cartridge never voids the other two, and you will not be asked to send the whole set back.

Are these Dell originals?

No. They are compatible cartridges manufactured to the 593-BCBF, 593-BCBE and 593-BCBD specifications and sold under our own brand — that is the whole reason the round costs $85.84 instead of original-equipment money. The trade is the badge on the box, not the ratings: 9,000 pages per color, same as the specification calls for.

How quickly can we get the set, and who helps if we are unsure?

We ship from four warehouses — Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia and California — using whichever is closest to the delivery address. If you want a hand checking levels or picking between this set and singles, our team is available Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Central, and the full Dell lineup sits on the Dell brand page.

Can we tell which color is running low just by looking at a printed page?

Generally, yes. When one color position fades, the pages lose that color's contribution first — prints start to look washed out or oddly tinted in the areas where the missing color should be doing work, while black text stays crisp. Compare a suspect page with one printed a few weeks earlier; the color that has gone pale identifies the slot. Confirm against the printer's supply levels before ordering, and the diagnosis is complete.

Our black cartridge is low as well. Can both be dealt with in one order?

Yes. Black simply lives on its own listing — the 593-BCBC is a separate purchase from this color set, because on the S3840cdn and S3845cdn it runs on its own longer 11,000-page cycle. Adding the black single to the same order means both arrive together and the machine gets a complete refresh in one visit to the printer, instead of a second delivery wait a few weeks later.

How do we learn our own color-change rhythm for next time?

Write the fitting date on each box as a cartridge goes in. It sounds trivial, but three dated boxes at the end of a cycle tell you exactly how long each color lasted in your office — which one turns over fastest, which barely moves — and that record turns the next order, whether it is this set again or a single top-up, into a decision based on your real usage.

How do we stop an empty cartridge being mistaken for a spare?

Keep the two states physically apart. Cartridges still sealed from this set belong together in one spot; the moment a spent 593-BCBF, 593-BCBE or 593-BCBD comes out, it goes somewhere visibly different — its own marked box, away from the shelf stock. In a shared office the person swapping toner at a busy moment should never have to wonder whether the cartridge in their hand is full or finished.

About This S3840 3 Color Set

This set refreshes the color side of a Dell S3840cdn or S3845cdn in one order: the cyan 593-BCBF, magenta 593-BCBE and yellow 593-BCBD, each rated at 9,000 pages, for $85.84 against $122.82 as singles. It fits a workgroup that prints color steadily and prefers its spares already on site. Black is a separate purchase on these machines — plan for it separately, and if only one color slot is empty and the printer's future is uncertain, a single cartridge is the more honest buy.