Cross-reference: Ricoh 406478, the SP C310HA yellow print cartridge (6,000 pages). It fits the Ricoh SP C231N, SP C231SF, SP C232DN, SP C232SF, SP C242DN, SP C242SF, SP C311N, SP C312DN, SP C320DN and SP C342DN.

Frequently Asked Questions

I mostly print text. Do I even need to think about the yellow cartridge?

More than you would expect. Any color page — a chart, a logo, a highlighted heading — pulls yellow for greens, warm tones, and backgrounds, and like most color lasers this platform will pause color jobs when one color is completely empty. Black-only printing generally continues, but a dead yellow cartridge will eventually interrupt the color work.

Why does yellow seem to run out ahead of the other colors?

Everyday color printing is quietly yellow-heavy: paper-white backgrounds with warm tints, skin tones, wood and food imagery, and highlight colors all lean on it. Offices that print lots of full-page color often find yellow is the first slot asking for a refill.

Is this yellow cartridge specific to one model?

It is not. The 406478 yellow cartridge fits the entire Aficio SP C231N, Aficio SP C231SF, Aficio SP C232DN, Aficio SP C232SF, Aficio SP C242SF, Aficio SP C310, Aficio SP C310A, Aficio SP C311N, Aficio SP C312DN and Aficio SP C320DN compact color laser platform, and this listing is simply labeled with one of those model names. Any printer in this family uses the identical yellow cartridge.

What am I really paying per color page here?

Straight answer: $83.73 across roughly 6,000 rated pages puts the yellow contribution near 1.40 cents per page, which is not cheap. You are paying for a cartridge that keeps a compact, older platform in service — for color-heavy volume, the multi-cartridge sets bring that per-cartridge cost down noticeably.

The printer says yellow is empty, but my pages still look fine. Is it really empty?

The on-screen level is an estimate based on page counts and coverage, not a physical measurement, so the warning and the last usable page rarely line up exactly. Rocking the cartridge side to side can coax out a short run of acceptable pages, but treat the warning as your reorder signal rather than a countdown to argue with.

How am I covered if something goes wrong with it?

Should the cartridge fail inside its first year, the warranty covers it, and returns stay free for twelve months from purchase. Support is available Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM CST, with the full terms on our shipping and returns page.

About This Cartridge

This listing is for a single compatible Ricoh 406478 yellow toner cartridge rated around 6,000 pages, built for the Aficio SP C231N/C232DN compact color laser family. We ship from IL, PA, GA, or CA — whichever warehouse is fastest for you — and the full Ricoh range is gathered on our Ricoh toner page.