Color LaserJet 3500
The HP Color LaserJet 3500 helped bring color laser printing into mainstream offices in the early 2000s — suddenly a business could produce its own color documents at a desk instead of sending them out to a print shop. It prints with four cartridges: black Q2670A, cyan Q2671A, yellow Q2672A and magenta Q2673A. HP shelves the black under its 308A label and the three colors as the 309A line; all four are stocked here as singles, with four-color sets behind them.
Machines like the 3500 earned their longevity quietly. The offices still running one today tend to have modest, steady color needs — invoices with a color logo, the occasional report cover, handouts for a meeting — and a printer that has done that job reliably for years asks only one thing in return: the right four cartridges, replaced as they empty. Nothing about its supplies is unusual or hard to source, which is precisely why keeping a 3500 in service remains a rational choice rather than a nostalgic one.
Toner Cartridges for Color LaserJet 3500
| Cartridge | Color | Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Q2670A | Black | See product page |
| Q2671A | Cyan | See product page |
| Q2672A | Yellow | See product page |
| Q2673A | Magenta | See product page |
| HP 308A/309A 4 Color Set (Q2670A, Q2671A, Q2672A, Q2673A) | Black, cyan, yellow, magenta | See product page |
| HP 3500 4 Color Set | Black, cyan, yellow, magenta | See product page |
Which cartridge should you buy?
Singles are the natural unit for this printer. Each color lives in its own cartridge and reports its own level, so the economical habit is to replace the one that has emptied — usually black first in a document-driven office — and let the others finish their life. The four-color sets have their moment when several cartridges are low together, or when you would rather refresh the whole bay in one visit than make three separate swaps in a month. The two set packagings carry identical codes: the 308A/309A family set and the 3500-named set both contain Q2670A, Q2671A, Q2672A and Q2673A, so the choice between them is labeling, not compatibility. One caution for set buyers: check each product page for the current yield figures before comparing value, since yields are listed per cartridge there.
Chip, toner and everyday use
An older printer deserves a gentle hand at swap time. Lift the spent cartridge straight out, keep the replacement level as you slide it in so toner does not spill, and never force a cartridge that resists — back it out and reseat it squarely instead. The 3500 identifies a fresh cartridge by itself once it is seated; if a supplies message hangs around afterward, reseating the named cartridge normally settles it. Store spares sealed and upright, away from bright light, and bear in mind that the yields quoted for cartridges assume light coverage — a page of full-color charts uses several times the toner of a page of text.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the 308A and 309A cartridges?
They are two halves of one family. The 308A is the black cartridge, code Q2670A; the 309A name covers the three colors — cyan Q2671A, yellow Q2672A and magenta Q2673A. A full refill of the 3500 means one 308A and the 309A colors it needs.
Can I replace only the magenta cartridge?
Yes. Every color is stocked as its own single, and the 3500 tracks each slot separately, so a spent magenta is a one-cartridge job. There is no need to touch cyan, yellow or black while they still have toner.
Will a set packaged for the 3550 fit my 3500?
What decides fit is the codes inside, not the model name on the box. The 3500 and 3550 draw on the same four codes — Q2670A, Q2671A, Q2672A and Q2673A — so any set built from those cartridges serves either machine. Check the code list on the set before ordering.
Does the 3500 need a separate drum unit?
No separate drum appears among the supplies for this model — everything listed for the 3500 is the four toner cartridges themselves. When output fades, the cartridge in that color slot is the part to inspect and, if needed, replace.
More printers that use the same cartridges
The 3500's cartridges are shared across the wider 3500, 3550, 3700 and 3750 families: COLOR LASERJET 3700DN, COLOR LASERJET 3700DTN, COLOR LASERJET 3700N, Color 3500, Color 3500N, Color 3500dn, Color 3500dtn, Color 3550, Color 3550N, Color 3700, Color 3700DN, Color 3700DTN, Color 3700N, Color 3750, Color 3750DN, Color 3750DTN, Color 3750N, Color LaserJet 3500N, Color LaserJet 3500dn, Color LaserJet 3500dtn, Color LaserJet 3550, Color LaserJet 3550N, Color LaserJet 3700, Color LaserJet 3750, Color LaserJet 3750DN, Color LaserJet 3750DTN, Color LaserJet 3750N, HP 308A-309A, HP 308A-311A.