What Toner Does the HP LaserJet 1200 Use?

by William Elward Last Updated: October 25, 2026

Quick answer: The HP LaserJet 1200 (1200, 1200n and 1200se) uses the HP 15A (C7115A) or high-yield HP 15X (C7115X) black toner cartridge. The drum is built in. Castle Ink stocks compatible HP 15X and HP 15A.

HP 15 is not HP 13A, which fits the LaserJet 1300.

CastleScore · October 2026

78/100 — Recommended

HP LaserJet 1200

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	84	4.3★ average across 45 ratings on eBay's product page for the LaserJet 1200
Expert reviews (20%)	—	No published numeric expert score we could verify.
Cost per page (18%)	95	About 1.3¢ per page with our compatible HP 15X toner (3,500 pages).
Reliability (18%)	78	Most-reported problems: no current HP driver for Windows 10/11 or macOS; paper jams and double feeds; not picking up paper or envelopes; worn gears on very old units
Features (11%)	28	Print only, 15 ppm, PCL and PostScript emulation, USB and parallel, 260-sheet input. No network (except the 1200n), no Wi-Fi, no auto two-sided printing.
Value (5%)	90	Running cost and owner satisfaction

Limited data: We could not find a published numeric expert score for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.

Discontinued. HP retired the LaserJet 1200 long ago, and CDW lists the original HP 15A as discontinued. Compatible 15A and 15X toner is still sold.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 25, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The toner, pictured

Our own compatible toner, photographed in-house.

What Toner Cartridges Does the HP LaserJet 1200 Take?

Cartridge	HP part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
HP 15A	C7115A	~2,500 pages	Compatible HP 15A
HP 15X (high yield)	C7115X	~3,500 pages	Compatible HP 15X

Yields are HP's ratings at about 5% coverage. Our 15X costs $5 more than the 15A and prints about 1,000 more pages.

Can You Still Buy Original HP 15A?

Barely. CDW lists the original HP 15A as discontinued since September 2023, and we couldn't find a current U.S. price for it. On October 25, 2026, InkTechnologies listed the original 15X at $105.95. Our compatible HP 15X is $44.95 (about 1.3¢ a page), and our 15A is $39.95.

Toner cartridges at Castle Ink are newly manufactured compatibles. See compatible vs. remanufactured vs. OEM for what that means. Orders placed by 4 PM ET ship the same day, and U.S. orders over $50 ship free.

Using compatible toner: The LaserJet 1200 predates HP's cartridge chips, so nothing blocks third-party toner.

How Do I Replace the Toner in the LaserJet 1200?

Open the print cartridge door.
Pull the old cartridge out by its handle.
Rock the new cartridge side to side to spread the toner.
Pull the sealing-tape tab all the way out.
Slide the cartridge in until it seats and close the door. Keep the drum out of bright light while it's out of the printer.

Which Other Printers Use HP 15A / 15X?

HP 15A and 15X also fit the LaserJet 1000, 1005, 1220, 3300, 3310, 3320, 3330 and 3380.

What LaserJet 1200 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, support forums and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Windows 10 shows the 1200 as a generic USB Device.

A fix that works for many owners: install HP's USB DOT4 communication driver first, then HP's Universal Print Driver (PostScript, or PCL 6 if output is garbled), and choose the USB HP dot4 port.

Is there an HP driver for Windows 10 or 11?

HP's moderators recommend adding the printer with Windows' built-in driver. The HP Smart app doesn't support this model.

Is there a Mac driver?

HP says no driver is available for current macOS. Some owners use the open-source Gutenprint drivers, which HP and Apple don't support.

Can it be networked?

Only the 1200n has built-in networking. The others need an external HP Jetdirect print server.

How long do these printers last?

A long time. One Computerworld writer logged nearly 48,000 pages over about ten years before the gears wore out.

LaserJet 1200 quirks worth knowing

It supports both PCL and PostScript Level 2 emulation, which helps with HP's universal drivers on modern PCs.
HP's instant-on fuser puts out the first page in under 10 seconds; rated speed is 15 pages a minute.
Paper capacity is a 250-sheet tray plus a 10-sheet priority feed.
It connects by USB and parallel. An optional copy/scan module turned it into the 1220.

Frequently Asked Questions