Frequently Asked Questions

How do I confirm this is the cartridge my printer takes?

Pull the old black cartridge out and read its label: it should say TK552K. That is the code on this cartridge too. The model it serves is printed on the same label, so a ten-second check against the old unit settles it before you open the packaging.

Is this a full cartridge or a small starter unit?

Full. This TK552K is rated at 7,000 pages at standard coverage — the standard replacement fill, not the reduced-capacity starter cartridge that ships inside a new printer. You are buying the complete rated life.

My text has started printing gray instead of black. Is toner the likely cause?

Very often, yes. Print the printer's status or test page: if it is pale in the same way as your documents, the black cartridge is at the end of its life. If the test page is dark and only documents are gray, look at your print settings instead.

How long does the change take?

A couple of minutes, with no tools and no technician. Open the printer, lift the old TK552K out, remove the seal from the new one, slide it in until it seats, and close up. The machine is ready as soon as it finishes its short warm-up.

The new cartridge is in but prints are still light. What now?

Remove it, rock it gently from side to side so the toner levels out, and refit it firmly. Confirm the seal strip pulled fully clear. If pages are still light after a short run of prints, contact us — that is what the cover in the next answer is for.

What cover does this single cartridge carry?

A 1-year warranty with 1-year free returns, under the terms in our shipping & returns policy. If the cartridge lets you down inside that year, the return and the remedy are on us.

What does this cartridge cost per page?

The TK552K is $45.25 and rated at 7,000 pages, which works out at roughly 0.65 cents per page at standard coverage. Ordinary letters, invoices and reports sit at or below that standard, so day-to-day text printing generally costs no more than the headline number. The figure is a useful yardstick when comparing the machine's running costs across a quarter — just remember it is coverage, not the cartridge, that moves it.

Why might a cartridge finish before its 7,000-page rating?

Because the rating is measured at standard coverage, and real documents vary. Pages carrying dense text blocks, shaded form boxes, logos on every sheet or printed graphics lay down more toner than the standard assumes, so the cartridge empties sooner. Light correspondence does the opposite and can stretch a TK552K past its rating. Finishing early on heavy work is arithmetic, not a defect — the counter and the rating are describing different page mixes.

How can I measure the yield I actually get?

Note two things when the cartridge goes in: the date, and the page counter reading from the printer's status page. When the TK552K finally runs out, read the counter again — the difference is the true yield in your office, on your documents. Most owners find that one honest measurement ends all guessing about reorder timing, because the next order can be placed by counter reading rather than by waiting for output to fade.

What should I do with the old cartridge once the new one is proven?

Keep the empty for a short while first — a few days of clean printing confirms the new cartridge is healthy — then seal the spent TK552K into the new one's packaging and send it through a toner recycling or collection route rather than general trash. Keeping it briefly is not clutter; if anything about the changeover is questioned inside that first year of cover, having the old unit on hand settles it immediately.

About This TK552K Black Cartridge

The standard black replacement for the Kyocera FS-C5200: a single TK552K rated at 7,000 pages, priced at $45.25. Written for the moment the test page comes out gray — order it, swap it in minutes, and get back to printing. It sits in our compatible Kyocera-Mita range, ships from IL, PA, GA or CA depending on stock, and support is available Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM CST if you want the code double-checked first.