What Toner Does the HP LaserJet 1020 Use?

Quick answer: The HP LaserJet 1020 uses the HP 12A (Q2612A) black toner cartridge, rated at roughly 2,000 pages. HP never made a genuine high-yield version for this printer, so the 12A (Q2612A) is the only cartridge it takes. The imaging drum is built into the cartridge — there is no separate drum to buy.

HP LaserJet 1020 Toner Cartridges at a Glance

The LaserJet 1020 is one of the longest-lived printers HP ever built. It is USB-only and has no network port, but it is famously reliable, and the HP 12A cartridge it uses remains one of the cheapest and most widely stocked toners on the market.

Is There a High-Yield Version?

No — and this is worth being clear about, because you will see listings that suggest otherwise. HP produced only one cartridge for the HP LaserJet 1020: the 12A (Q2612A), at around 2,000 pages. You will see cartridges advertised as "12X" or "Q2612X". HP never made one — those are aftermarket overfills of the standard cartridge.

If you find a cartridge advertised as a high-yield version for this printer, it is an aftermarket product that has been overfilled rather than an HP part. Some work perfectly well; others overfill the chamber and cause leakage or poor print quality. If you want to try one, buy from a seller with a real replacement guarantee.

To compare running costs against a newer printer, our Printer Ink Cost Calculator will show you the cost per page at any cartridge price.

Good News: There's No Separate Drum to Buy

Unlike most Brother mono lasers, the HP LaserJet 1020 uses an all-in-one cartridge. The imaging drum is built into the HP 12A (Q2612A) itself, so every time you replace the toner you are also fitting a brand-new drum. There is no second consumable to track, no drum-life counter to watch, and no separate part to order.

This matters when you compare running costs across brands. A Brother machine may show a lower price per toner cartridge, but a drum unit comes due every few cartridges on top of that. With the HP LaserJet 1020, the cartridge price is the whole story — which also means print quality resets completely with every replacement.

It is also why you should be sceptical of any listing offering a "drum unit" for this printer. If you see one, it is either for a different model or it is a refill kit, and neither is what you want.

What Actually Ships in the Box

New 1020 units shipped with a reduced-capacity introductory cartridge rather than a full 12A. Given the age of these printers, almost every one in service today is running a replacement.

Chips and Compatibility

The 12A is a chipless cartridge — there is no electronic communication between the cartridge and the printer at all. The 1020 has no toner gauge as a result, and it will simply keep printing until output fades. That also means there is nothing that can lock out a compatible cartridge: any correctly built 12A will work.

How to Replace the Toner in the HP LaserJet 1020

1. Open the front cartridge door. On most models this is the panel just above the paper tray.
2. Grip the handle on the used cartridge and pull it straight out toward you.
3. Take the new HP 12A (Q2612A) out of its packaging and rock it gently back and forth several times to loosen the toner inside.
4. Pull the orange tab to remove the full length of the sealing tape from the cartridge, then remove the orange protective shield from the drum if one is fitted. Do not touch the green or grey drum surface with your fingers.
5. Line the cartridge up with the rails inside the printer and slide it in until it seats firmly.
6. Close the door and wait for the printer to finish its calibration cycle.
7. Print a configuration or test page to confirm the printer recognises the new cartridge and the supply level has reset.

Keep the packaging for a few days. If the cartridge turns out to be faulty, most sellers — Castle Ink included — will want it returned in its original box.

Troubleshooting Tips

Print gradually fades with no warning: Expected behaviour — the 1020 has no toner sensor. Rock the cartridge end to end to redistribute what is left, and keep a spare on hand.

Repeating marks or grey background: The drum is inside the 12A cartridge, so a replacement cartridge resolves it.

Printer not recognised on Windows 11: The 1020 needs the legacy HP driver rather than a generic one. HP's support site still hosts a compatible package, and many users have success with the built-in "HP LaserJet 1015" driver.

Paper jams or multiple sheets pulled: The separation pad and pickup roller harden with age. Both are inexpensive and simple to replace.

Prints only blank pages: Check that the sealing tape was fully removed from the new cartridge — the strip runs the full length of the cartridge.

Which Other Printers Use the Same Cartridge?

The HP 12A (Q2612A) cartridge is used across a wide range of machines, which is good news for buyers — high production volume keeps compatible cartridge prices low and availability high. If you run more than one of these printers, a single cartridge type covers all of them:

• HP LaserJet 1010 / 1012 / 1015 / 1018 / 1020 / 1022
• HP LaserJet 3015 / 3020 / 3030
• HP LaserJet 3050 / 3052 / 3055
• HP LaserJet M1005 MFP
• HP LaserJet M1319f MFP

Always confirm the cartridge number printed on the supply you are replacing before ordering, since manufacturers occasionally use similar-looking numbers across families. You can also look your machine up on our Find Ink by Printer directory, which lists the correct cartridge for several hundred printers.

Compatible vs. OEM: What You're Actually Buying

The single biggest cost decision for a HP LaserJet 1020 owner is whether to buy HP-branded cartridges or compatible ones. It is worth understanding what the difference actually is, because the marketing on both sides tends to obscure it.

An OEM cartridge is made by HP and sold under its brand. A compatible cartridge is newly manufactured by a third party to the same physical and electrical specification. A remanufactured cartridge is an original shell that has been collected, stripped, cleaned, fitted with new wear parts and refilled. All three will print on a HP LaserJet 1020; what varies is price, consistency and who stands behind it.

The honest summary is that quality in the compatible market is uneven, and that is exactly why the seller matters more than the label. A cheap cartridge from a marketplace listing with no return path is a gamble. Castle Ink tests HP 12A (Q2612A) cartridges individually before they ship and backs every one with a replacement-or-refund guarantee, which is what turns a 50–70% saving from a risk into a straightforward decision.

One myth worth putting to rest: using a compatible cartridge does not void your printer warranty. In the United States, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents a manufacturer from conditioning warranty coverage on the use of its own consumables. A manufacturer would have to demonstrate that the third-party cartridge itself caused the specific failure being claimed.

How to Make a Cartridge Last Longer on the HP LaserJet 1020

Toner yields are quoted at 5% page coverage, which is a fairly sparse business letter. Real documents are often denser than that, which is why so many people feel their cartridges run out early. A few settings changes genuinely stretch a cartridge:

• Use draft or toner-save mode for internal documents. It reduces toner density and can extend a cartridge noticeably. Reserve full-quality output for anything leaving the office.
• Print duplex. It does not save toner, but it halves paper use, and on most machines it is a one-time driver setting.
• Rock the cartridge when the low warning first appears. Removing the cartridge and tilting it gently end to end redistributes the remaining powder and commonly yields another hundred pages or more.
• Do not print a test page after every job. Configuration and status pages are full-coverage prints and add up faster than people expect.
• Choose a smaller, lighter font for drafts. Moving from a 12pt heavy serif to an 11pt lighter face measurably reduces coverage across a long document.

Ignore advice to store cartridges in a freezer or to drill and refill them yourself. Neither helps, and both are good ways to ruin a cartridge and make a mess.

Official HP LaserJet 1020 Resources

• HP LaserJet 1020 support page
• HP driver and software downloads
• How to stop HP firmware updates from blocking your ink
• How to recycle used cartridges

Bottom Line

The LaserJet 1020 is a printer people keep for decades, and the reason is simple: it works, and the HP 12A cartridge is cheap. There is no drum to buy, no chip to defeat, and no firmware that can lock you out of compatible toner. The only real modern hurdle is driver support on current versions of Windows, and that is usually solvable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What toner does the HP LaserJet 1020 use? The HP 12A (Q2612A) black toner cartridge, rated at roughly 2,000 pages. The imaging drum is built in.

Is there a high-yield 12A? Not from HP. Any "12X" or "Q2612X" cartridge is an aftermarket overfill rather than a genuine HP part.

Why does my 1020 have no toner level indicator? The 12A has no chip, so the printer cannot measure toner. It prints until output fades.

Does the LaserJet 1020 need a separate drum? No. The drum is integrated into the 12A cartridge.

Will compatible 12A toner work properly? Yes. With no chip involved there is nothing to reject a third-party cartridge, which makes this one of the safest printers to run on compatible toner.

Can I still use a LaserJet 1020 on Windows 11? Usually yes, using the legacy HP driver or the HP LaserJet 1015 driver. It is USB-only, so it will not appear as a network printer.

What other printers use the HP 12A? The 12A also fits the LaserJet 1010, 1012, 1015, 1018, 1022, 3015, 3020, 3030, 3050, 3052, 3055 and M1005 MFP.

Written and reviewed by William Elward — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer and ink industry. Last updated August 2026.

Shop Compatible Toner at Castle Ink

Save 50–70% on replacement toner for the HP LaserJet 1020. Every cartridge is individually tested before it ships and backed by Castle Ink's compatibility guarantee — if it does not work in your printer, we replace it or refund you.

• HP 12A (Q2612A) black toner (compatible)
• Shop all HP toner at Castle Ink

Buy the HP LaserJet 1020 on Amazon: HP LaserJet 1020 on Amazon

See also: Find Ink by Printer | Printer Ink Cost Calculator | Best Printers Buying Guide