HP Color LaserJet 3600N Toner Cartridges

COLOR LASERJET 3600N

The HP Color LaserJet 3600N put the compact 3600 on the office network, so several users could share one color printer — an economical route to shared color output. It is powered by the Q6470A black cartridge, the 501A, and the 502A color cartridges Q6471A cyan, Q6472A yellow and Q6473A magenta. Black and magenta additionally come in extended-yield builds, sold as the Q6470X (501X) black and the Q6473X (502X) magenta, for offices that empty the standard cartridges too quickly. We stock compatible and genuine OEM toner for the 3600N.

The N model is the 3600 bought for the room rather than the desk: one machine on the network, within reach of everyone, instead of a printer each. That sharing shapes its working life — color is there when a presentation or a client document needs it, and nobody maintains a private printer for the occasional color page. It asks only that someone owns the toner shelf. Also stocked here is an eight-cartridge set built on the later CE250A codes, meant for the CP3525 and CM3530 generation; it keeps catalog company with the 3600N rather than feeding it.

Toner Cartridges for Color LaserJet 3600N

Cartridge	Color	Page Yield
502X / Q6473X	Magenta	See product page
Q6471A / 502A	Cyan	See product page
Q6472A / 502A	Yellow	See product page
Q6473A / 502A	Magenta	See product page
Q6471A	Cyan	See product page
Q6473A	Magenta	See product page
Q6472A	Yellow	See product page
501A / 502A / Q6470A / Q6471A / Q6472A / Q6473A set	4 Color Set	See product page
3600n 4 Color Set	4 Color Set	See product page
Q6470A / Q7581A / Q7582A / Q7583A set	5 Color Set	See product page
Q6471A / Q6472A / Q6473A set	3 Color Set	See product page
504A / Q6470A / Q7581A / Q7582A / Q7583A set	5 Color Set	See product page
Q6470A / Q7581A / Q7582A / Q7583A set	4 Color Set	See product page
501X / Q6470X	Black	See product page
Q6470A / 501A	Black	See product page
Q6470A	Black	See product page
Q6470A	Black	See product page
Q6470A	Black	See product page
501A / Q6470A set	Black	See product page

More listings from the same families are stocked on this page, among them sets and singles carrying sister-model labels:

Which cartridge should you buy?

Budget is the 3600N's whole argument, and toner is where the budget is won. Compatible cartridges cost less than genuine HP for the same codes, and the extended-yield Q6470X black trims cost per page further on the cartridge a shared machine uses most. Keep one full set in reserve: on a network printer an empty cartridge stops several people, not one, so the cheapest cartridge is the one that is already in the building. Buy colors singly as they run down rather than refreshing the set early, and let the 1-year warranty and 1-year returns on compatibles cover the difference in price.

Chip, toner and everyday use

On a shared printer, low-toner warnings are easy for everyone to ignore, so act on the first one: check which cartridge the panel names, and order its replacement the same day. When the new cartridge goes in, take the sealing tape out in one pull and keep the old cartridge until the first pages print clean. Yields are rated around 5% coverage, and shared machines print a richer mix of pages than that, so treat the rating as a ceiling rather than a promise. A gentle side-to-side rock redistributes toner and can carry a fading cartridge to the end of the week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What toner does the Color LaserJet 3600N take?

Four cartridges: the Q6470A black (501A) and the 502A colors Q6471A cyan, Q6472A yellow and Q6473A magenta. Extended-yield builds of the black and magenta — Q6470X and Q6473X — fit the same slots. Codes from other HP families do not fit this machine.

How can I keep toner costs down on a shared 3600N?

Print everyday drafts in grayscale so the color cartridges are spent only on pages that need color, choose compatible cartridges over genuine HP for the same codes, and step the black up to the extended-yield Q6470X. Between them, those three habits cover most of what a small office can save.

The printer says a color is empty but black still prints. Can we keep using it?

For black-only documents, yes — the cartridges work independently, and monochrome printing does not draw on the color cartridges. Color jobs will come out wrong until the empty color is replaced, so order its single cartridge rather than a full set.

Are extended-yield cartridges worth it for the 3600N?

For the black slot on a shared machine, usually yes: more toner per cartridge means fewer changes and a lower cost per page. The Q6473X magenta pays off the same way only if your shared printing is genuinely color-heavy; otherwise the standard magenta is the thriftier buy.