Aficio SP C231N

Ricoh's newer compact color generation opens with the Aficio SP C231N, a networked color printer built to be shared by a whole workgroup rather than parked on one desk. It runs a high-yield four-cartridge family: black 406475 at roughly 6,500 pages, plus cyan 406476, magenta 406477 and yellow 406478 at roughly 6,000 pages each. Those are serious page counts for a compact machine, and they are what make shared color printing practical here.

A printer that several people rely on cannot afford to stop often, and it cannot belong to one person's supply drawer either. The SP C231N fits the shared corner of a small office: everyday reports and letters in black, color pages when a document needs them, and toner that lasts long enough between swaps that restocking becomes a monthly routine instead of a weekly interruption.

Toner Cartridges for Aficio SP C231N

Which cartridge should you buy?

On a shared printer, black disappears first, so most SP C231N owners stock black in the 2, 3 or 5 packs of 406475 and keep colors as singles. A single color should only be replaced when it runs out — the four cartridges age independently, and changing a set early throws away toner you have already paid for. When several colors are genuinely near empty at the same time, the color sets earn their keep: the 3 and 6 color sets cover cyan, magenta and yellow only, while the 4, 5 and 8 color sets add black for a complete refresh. Every option uses the same rated yields, so the math is purely about how much your workgroup prints between orders. All cartridges here are compatible replacements with a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns.

Chip, toner and everyday use

The chip on each cartridge counts pages and reports the remaining toner level, which is how the SP C231N can warn the whole workgroup before a cartridge gives out mid-run. Fitting a replacement takes a minute: open the cover, lift the spent cartridge out, strip the new one of its packaging and seal, and push it into its color slot until it clicks. If a nearly finished cartridge starts printing pale, rocking it gently end to end can level the remaining toner and carry you to the end of the job. Remember that the quoted yields rest on 5% page coverage; a month of full-color brochures will use the color cartridges noticeably faster than the ratings suggest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which toner cartridges does the Aficio SP C231N use?

Four: black 406475 (about 6,500 pages), cyan 406476, magenta 406477 and yellow 406478 (about 6,000 pages each). The same family feeds every printer listed at the foot of this page.

Is there a high-yield version of these cartridges?

This family is the high-yield line for the printer — 6,500 pages in black and 6,000 per color is the full rating, and there is no smaller standard-yield sibling to confuse it with on this page.

What happens when only one color runs out?

Replace that color on its own. The cartridges are independent, so an empty yellow never obliges you to touch the black, cyan or magenta.

Are these original Ricoh cartridges?

No, they are compatible replacements engineered to match the originals in fit and page yield, and each one is covered by a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns.

More printers that use the same cartridges

The same four cartridges also run in these Ricoh color printers: Aficio SP C231SF, Aficio SP C232DN, Aficio SP C232SF, Aficio SP C242DN, Aficio SP C242SF, Aficio SP C310, Aficio SP C310A, Aficio SP C311N, Aficio SP C312DN, Aficio SP C320DN.