Cross-reference: Ricoh 407539, the SP C250A black print cartridge — Ricoh rates this replacement cartridge at 2,300 pages. It fits the Ricoh SP C250DN and SP C250SF.

Frequently Asked Questions

My printer is warning about low toner, but the pages still look fine — do I need to swap the cartridge now?

Not necessarily. The low-toner warning on these compact Ricoh models appears while there is still usable toner left, so most owners keep printing until output actually starts to fade and order a replacement when the warning shows up. Just do not wait too long — at roughly 2,300 rated pages, this cartridge is small, and the distance between "warning" and "empty" is shorter than on a large workgroup machine.

Does the 2,300-page rating count a double-sided sheet as one page or two?

Two. Page yield is counted per printed side, not per sheet of paper, and the rating itself follows the standard 5% coverage test page. A double-sided document with dense text on both sides can use up the rating noticeably faster than a stack of short single-sided memos.

Which printers take this black cartridge?

This cartridge is made for Ricoh SP C250DN and SP C252DN — the compact color laser platform built around Ricoh's 407539 black cartridge. This particular listing is titled for the SP C250DN, but the cartridge is the shared black for the whole family, so it installs and runs the same way in the sibling model as well. If your machine takes a different cartridge number, this one will not seat correctly, so a quick check of the number on your current cartridge settles it.

If one of my color cartridges runs empty, can I still print in black?

In most cases, yes — these models let you continue printing in black-only mode when a color cartridge is depleted, though color jobs will stop until that cartridge is replaced. The black cartridge does the everyday document work on this platform, which is why it is the one most owners replace most often. Settings vary slightly by model, so if the machine refuses to print, the empty color cartridge is the first thing to check.

What happens if the cartridge shows up damaged or starts leaking in my printer?

Contact us rather than fighting with it — a leaking or physically damaged cartridge is a defect, not something you should have to work around. Every cartridge we sell carries a one-year warranty, and returns are free for a full year; the details are on our shipping and returns page. Depending on what went wrong, we will send a replacement or refund the purchase.

Can I buy a spare now and leave it on the shelf for months?

Yes — an unopened cartridge stores well in a cool, dry spot away from direct sunlight, and keeping one spare on hand is a sensible habit with a small-cartridge printer like this. Leave it sealed in its bag until install day; opening it early gains nothing and only exposes the cartridge to dust and light. Rotate your stock so the oldest spare goes into the machine first.

About This Ricoh 407539 Black Toner Cartridge

Sold here as a separate listing for the same cartridge, this compatible 407539 black toner is the standard black for Ricoh's compact SP C250DN / SP C252DN color laser family (see our full Ricoh range). It is rated at up to 2,300 pages and priced at $64.78, which works out to about 2.82 cents per page — not the cheapest black printing you can buy, and we say so plainly; that figure is simply what small cartridges in a small machine cost to run. For a desk-side printer doing everyday documents, what matters more is that the cartridge is backed by a one-year warranty, ships free-return eligible for a year, and leaves from whichever of our Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia, or California warehouses reaches you fastest. Questions before or after you order: our support team is available Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Central.