HP Color LaserJet 3800 Toner Cartridges

Color LaserJet 3800

The HP Color LaserJet 3800 was the step up from the 3600 class: a sturdier engine with a higher duty cycle for workgroups that print color all day. It keeps the Q6470A black cartridge — HP's 501A — and pairs it with the 503A color series: Q7581A cyan, Q7582A yellow and Q7583A magenta. Black also comes in an extended-yield build, the Q6470X (501X), while the colors are standard builds. Compatible and genuine HP cartridges for the 3800 are stocked below.

Where the 3600 served a desk or a small team, the 3800 was specified for the department: more pages per month, shared by more people, with color treated as everyday output rather than an event. That duty shows in how its owners run it — cartridges planned like paper, and a machine that is expected to be available every working hour.

Toner Cartridges for Color LaserJet 3800

Cartridge	Color	Page Yield
501X / Q6470X	Black	See product page
3800 4 Color Set	4 Color Set	See product page
501A / 503A / Q6470A / Q7581A / Q7582A / Q7583A set	4 Color Set	See product page
501A / Q6470A set	Black	See product page
501A / Q6470A	Black	See product page
Q7581A / 503A	Cyan	See product page
Q7582A / 503A	Yellow	See product page
Q7583A / 503A	Magenta	See product page
Q7581A	Cyan	See product page
Q7582A	Yellow	See product page
503A / Q7581A	Cyan	See product page
503A / Q7582A	Yellow	See product page

Listings labeled for the sister models that share these cartridges are also stocked on this page:

Which cartridge should you buy?

Duty cycle is the argument for the extended-yield black: the Q6470X puts more toner in the slot a workgroup empties fastest, and on a busy 3800 it pays for itself in fewer interruptions. Colors stay standard, so order them singly as each one fades — a department's color use is rarely even across the three. Take a four-color set when a refresh is due across the board, or when the machine feeds a print-heavy project. Every compatible cartridge sold here carries a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns, which keeps the department's arithmetic simple.

Chip, toner and everyday use

Seat each cartridge until it clicks and let the machine read its chip on its own — no reset procedure belongs to this generation. Remove the sealing tape completely at fitting; a torn strip left behind will repeat a mark down every page until it is found. Quoted yields assume around 5% coverage, and department color runs richer than that, so treat ratings as best-case. Keep cartridges bagged until fitting day, and rock a fading one gently side to side to redistribute toner for the last stretch of its life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What toner cartridges does the Color LaserJet 3800 use?

Q6470A black (the 501A), with Q7581A cyan, Q7582A yellow and Q7583A magenta from the 503A series. The black slot also accepts the extended-yield Q6470X. Match codes when ordering; no other HP family cartridges seat in this machine.

Does the 3800 share cartridges with the 3600?

The black, yes — the Q6470A serves both machines. The colors, no: the 3800's 503A color cartridges (Q7581A, Q7582A, Q7583A) are its own, and the 3600's 502A colors will not fit here. Offices running both models can share black stock but must keep colors separate.

Is the extended-yield black worth it on a 3800?

On a department machine, generally yes: the Q6470X holds more toner than the standard Q6470A, so the busiest slot is disturbed least often. On a lightly used 3800 the standard cartridge is the more proportionate buy.

One color has faded but the rest are fine. Replace all four?

No. The cartridges are independent — change the faded color only. Full sets are for planned refreshes or for the rare week when several cartridges reach empty together.