Color LaserJet 3550
The HP Color LaserJet 3550 refined the 3500 formula with a bit more performance for growing offices — color proposals, newsletters and presentations came off it crisp and professional. Under the cover it kept the family toner set: black Q2670A, cyan Q2671A, yellow Q2672A and magenta Q2673A. The black travels under HP's 308A label and the colors under 309A; the cyan slot is covered by two listings here — the one just named, packaged under the 3550's own name, and the family single in the table below.
A growing office asks more of color than a settled one does. The 3550's natural habitat is client-facing output — the proposal that has to look sharp, the newsletter that carries the company's face — where color quality is part of the message. That kind of work drains the three color cartridges unevenly and punishes faded output more than it punishes a slightly older machine, which is why this printer rewards owners who watch the individual color levels instead of treating toner as a single lump.
Toner Cartridges for Color LaserJet 3550
| Cartridge | Color | Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Q2671A | Cyan | See product page |
| Q2671A (3550 listing) | Cyan | See product page |
| Q2672A | Yellow | See product page |
| Q2673A | Magenta | See product page |
| Q2670A | Black | See product page |
| HP 308A/309A 4 Color Set (Q2670A, Q2671A, Q2672A, Q2673A) | Black, cyan, yellow, magenta | See product page |
| HP 3550 4 Color Set | Black, cyan, yellow, magenta | See product page |
Which cartridge should you buy?
Replace by color, not by calendar. The 3550's work empties its cartridges at different rates — a month of blue-heavy proposals can take cyan down while magenta sits nearly full — and every color is stocked as a single, so the right purchase is almost always the one cartridge the printer names. Cyan offers a small choice: the family single and the 3550-packaged listing are the same Q2671A cartridge in two packagings, and either serves the slot. Sets step in for a full refresh — before a big client push, or when three colors are low together — and both the family 308A/309A set and the 3550-named set carry the identical four codes. For yield comparisons, check the figure on each product page; that is where the current numbers live.
Chip, toner and everyday use
When one color starts printing washed out, suspect that color's cartridge before anything else. Take it out and rock it gently end to end a few times — toner that has settled toward one end of the cartridge prints unevenly, and redistributing it often buys back clean output for a while. Keep cartridges out of bright light while they wait, and store spares sealed in a drawer rather than on top of the printer where warmth rises. Remember that presentation pages are thirsty pages: dense color coverage can use several times the toner of a text page, so a cartridge's rated yield, figured at light coverage, will always flatter a deck-heavy month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there two cyan cartridges listed for the 3550?
Both are the same cartridge — Q2671A — offered as the family single and as a listing packaged under the 3550's name. Either one fits the cyan slot; the difference is the listing, not the contents.
Does the 3550 take the same toner as the 3500?
Yes. The two models share the full family set: Q2670A black and Q2671A, Q2672A, Q2673A for cyan, yellow and magenta. Cartridges and sets bought for one model serve the other.
How can I stretch a set in the 3550?
Print internal drafts in grayscale so the color cartridges sit out the throwaway work, use toner-save settings for pages nobody outside the office will see, and keep the full-color output for the documents that carry your name. The black cartridge absorbs the everyday load far more cheaply.
My colors look uneven — which cartridge do I check?
The one whose color is fading. Each slot is independent, so a weak cyan points at the cyan cartridge alone: rock it gently to redistribute the toner, and if the unevenness stays, replace that single color and leave the rest in place.
More printers that use the same cartridges
The 3550 shares its bay with the wider family: Color 3500, Color 3500dn, Color 3500dtn, Color 3500N, Color 3550, Color 3550N, Color 3700, Color 3700DN, Color 3700DTN, Color 3700N, Color 3750, Color 3750DN, Color 3750DTN, Color 3750N, Color LaserJet 3500, Color LaserJet 3500dn, Color LaserJet 3500dtn, Color LaserJet 3500N, Color LaserJet 3550N, Color LaserJet 3700, COLOR LASERJET 3700DN, COLOR LASERJET 3700DTN, COLOR LASERJET 3700N, Color LaserJet 3750, Color LaserJet 3750DN, Color LaserJet 3750DTN, Color LaserJet 3750N, HP 308A-309A, HP 308A-311A.