Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make sure TK3162 is the code printed on the cartridge I am replacing?

Pull the old unit out and read the label on its top face, or open the supplies screen on the printer itself. If either one shows TK3162, this single black cartridge at $32.98 is the match. The code is the whole decision — you do not need to measure the housing or compare photographs.

What arrives in the box when I order just one?

One individually sealed TK3162 cartridge, packed so the toner stays settled and protected in transit. There are no extra parts to buy and nothing to assemble; the unit goes straight from the box into the printer.

What does the 12,500-page rating mean in a small office?

That figure comes from standard test pages at normal text coverage. A desk printer handling letters, forms and the odd report will usually see months of work from one cartridge; heavy graphics coverage shortens the run. Either way, you are not thinking about toner again next week.

The first prints look pale compared with the old cartridge. Is that normal?

Yes, and it is easy to fix. Toner compacts during shipping, so remove the unit, rock it gently side to side a few times, and print a short run of ordinary pages. Density normally evens out within the first stack.

How fast can a single cartridge reach me?

Orders leave from whichever of our four warehouses — IL, PA, GA or CA — sits closest to you, which keeps transit short. You can read the full delivery and returns details on our shipping and returns page.

What protection comes with this cartridge after I install it?

A 1-year warranty, plus free returns for that entire first year. If the cartridge misbehaves at any point in that window, call us Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM CST, and we will make it right.

What does a printed page cost with the TK3162?

The cartridge is priced at $32.98 and rated at 12,500 pages, which works out to roughly 0.26 cents per page at normal text coverage. Letters, forms and the odd report — the standard diet of an ECOSYS P3045dn — sit close to that figure, while graphics-heavy pages cost a little more toner each. For a small office the useful takeaway is the scale: running costs are measured in fractions of a cent, so the cartridge price is really buying months of not thinking about toner.

Is it worth keeping a sealed spare for a single desk printer?

If the P3045dn carries your daily work, yes. The swap itself takes minutes, but only if the replacement is already in the building — otherwise a cartridge that ran out on a Tuesday morning becomes days of borrowed printing from colleagues. Keep the spare sealed in its bag, flat in a cool, dry drawer away from sunlight; toner stores patiently in those conditions. When the working unit ends, rock the spare gently side to side, fit it, and let that same day be when you order its successor.

When should I place the reorder for the next cartridge?

At the first low-toner warning, while the current cartridge still has useful pages in it. That warning is your buffer: orders leave from whichever of our four warehouses is closest, so the replacement normally lands well before output actually stops. Waiting for blank pages converts a routine purchase into an interruption, usually mid-job. If you keep a spare on hand the pressure disappears entirely — the warning then simply starts the clock on restocking the shelf, with the printer already running on the spare.

What do I do with the empty TK3162?

Place it in the packaging the new cartridge came out of, so the fine toner residue inside stays sealed in, and put it out with your office recycling. Spent cartridges are accepted by most office-supply and electronics recycling streams, so the empty needs neither shelf space nor a place in general waste. It is a thirty-second habit at the moment of the swap, and it keeps the desk area clean — an unboxed empty cartridge sheds dust every time it is moved.

About This Cartridge

This is a single compatible Kyocera-Mita TK3162 black toner cartridge built for the ECOSYS P3045dn. It is the straightforward fix for the moment your printer stops mid-job: one unit, a 12,500-page rating, a $32.98 price, a two-minute hand swap, and a full year of warranty and free-return cover behind it.