Color LaserJet 2550
The Color LaserJet 2550 picked up where the 2500 line left off: a mid-2000s departmental color printer for offices that print steadily rather than spectacularly. It feeds on HP's 122A cartridge family — black Q3960A, cyan Q3961A, yellow Q3962A and magenta Q3963A — and on this page the family is stocked as singles in yellow and as complete four-color sets, in compatible and genuine OEM.
Departmental printers collect users the way the 2550 has: a floor or a department shares it, nobody owns it, and its cartridges are replaced by whoever notices first. That pattern is why this page leans on sets — when a shared machine's colors are all the same unknown age, one complete set is a cleaner fix than detective work. The 2550 rewards that approach with years of uncomplaining service.
Toner Cartridges for Color LaserJet 2550
| Cartridge | Color / Type | Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Q3962A | Yellow toner, single | See product page |
| Q3960A, Q3961A, Q3962A, Q3963A | 4-color set | See product page |
| 122A premium 4-color set | 4-color set, premium | See product page |
| 2550 4-color set | 4-color set | See product page |
Which cartridge should you buy?
This shelf is set-oriented, and for a shared 2550 that is usually right: the 122A 4-color set replaces black and all three colors in one order, and the premium 122A set is the same idea in the premium line. The one single stocked here is the cartridge that most often runs out alone in color work — the Q3962A yellow — so a lone yellow fade does not force a full set. If your 2550 prints mostly documents, expect black to lead the wear even though it arrives as part of a set.
Chip, toner and everyday use
Shared printers suffer most from anonymous swaps: a cartridge changed without the seal fully removed, or an empty left in the cabinet and refitted later by mistake. Pull the seal in one motion, seat the cartridge until it clicks, and mark fitted cartridges with the date. If a color prints light, rock that cartridge gently side to side to move toner back over the roller before condemning it — on a departmental machine, half of "empty" cartridges are just settled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cartridges does the Color LaserJet 2550 take?
The HP 122A family: Q3960A black, Q3961A cyan, Q3962A yellow and Q3963A magenta. Check the code on the cartridge you remove if you are unsure — the family name 122A appears on every box.
Is Q3962A yellow or magenta?
Yellow — the Q3962A is the yellow cartridge, and Q3963A is magenta. Some older text lists the pair in the wrong order; the code and the color label on the cartridge itself are the reliable guide.
Can I buy the black cartridge on its own for the 2550?
On this page the black is stocked as part of the 122A 4-color set and the 2550 4-color set rather than as a separate single — for a shared departmental machine, a full set is normally the practical restock anyway.
More printers that use the same cartridges
The same 122A family powers these HP models: COLOR LASERJET 2550L, COLOR LASERJET 2550N, COLOR LASERJET 2820, COLOR LASERJET 2830, Color LaserJet 2550LN, Color LaserJet 2800, Color LaserJet 2840, HP 122A.