HP 312A & 312X

The Color LaserJet Pro MFP M476 is the machine this family was built around, and its cartridges split into two black options over a shared color set. The color channels are CF381A cyan (312A), CF382A yellow and CF383A magenta. For black you choose between the standard CF380A and the high-yield CF380X (312X) — same printer, same fit, different amount of toner inside. Every cartridge in the family is stocked here as a Clever Supplies compatible, singly and in sets.

An M476 typically anchors a small workgroup: it prints, scans, copies and faxes from one footprint, and the people around it notice toner only when a job stops. That is the practical case for the high-yield black — document traffic drains the black channel long before the colors move, so the bigger black cartridge stretches the interval between orders without touching anything else in the machine.

Toner Cartridges for HP 312A & 312X

CF381A — Cyan — cyan cartridge, See product page
CF382A — Yellow — yellow cartridge, See product page
CF383A — Magenta — magenta cartridge, See product page
CF380A — Black (312A shelf listing) — standard black cartridge, See product page
CF380X — Black, High Yield — high-yield black cartridge, See product page

Complete sets on this shelf: the 312A & 312X 4 Color Set (with the CF380X high-yield black) for a full refresh, the 312A 3 Color Set — listed with CF380A/ CF381A/ CF382A/ CF383A as a further bundle option, and the same family listed under the printer's own name as the MFP M476 4 Color Set.

Which cartridge should you buy?

The black decision comes first, because it is the only real fork in this family. Light, occasional printing is served perfectly well by the standard CF380A — you pay less today and the cartridge will still last a small office a long while. If the M476 is a shared workgroup machine, or if someone in the office reorders toner often enough to have an opinion about it, the CF380X pays for itself in fewer swaps and fewer emergency orders; cost per page drops with the bigger cartridge. The colors have no such fork — CF381A, CF382A and CF383A each come in one size, replaced one at a time as they empty.

Chip, toner and everyday use

Each cartridge carries a chip the M476 reads for its level, so the supply status you see on the printer's screen is the cartridge's own report, not an estimate from page counts. Install a replacement with the machine on, seat it fully, and let the printer finish its calibration cycle before printing a long run. Keep unopened spares in a cool, dry drawer inside their bags; toner that has sat for months wants a gentle end-to-end shake before it goes in. Because the black and its high-yield sibling share the same slot, switching tiers never involves anything more than ordering the other cartridge next time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the two black cartridges?

Capacity, nothing else. The CF380A is the standard black; the CF380X is the high-yield black carrying the 312X name. Both fit the same slot in the M476, and you can move between them freely from one order to the next.

Do the color cartridges come in a high-yield version too?

No. In this family only the black has two tiers. CF381A, CF382A and CF383A are each made in a single size, so a faded color is simply replaced with the same cartridge again.

Can I install the high-yield black in a printer that has always used the standard one?

Yes — the M476 accepts either black without any setting change. The printer reads the chip in whichever cartridge is installed and reports its level accordingly.