What Toner Does the HP LaserJet 1300 Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: The HP LaserJet 1300 uses HP 13A (Q2613A) standard-yield black toner or HP 13X (Q2613X) high-yield black toner. Both fit every 1300 variant, and the imaging drum is built into the cartridge, so there is no separate drum unit.
One correction worth making up front, because it causes a lot of wrong orders: the LaserJet 1300 does not use the HP 12A (Q2612A). The 12A is for the 1010/1020/1022 and 3015–3055 families. The two cartridges are physically and electrically different.
HP 13A vs 13X at a glance
| Cartridge | Part Number | Page Yield | Drum | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP 13A | Q2613A | 2,500 pages | Integrated | LaserJet 1300 series |
| HP 13X | Q2613X | 4,000 pages | Integrated | LaserJet 1300 series |
HP's own 1150/1300 user guide describes the 1300 as taking "a 4000- or 2500-page print cartridge," so both are officially supported. Yields assume print density 3, EconoMode off and 5% coverage.
Should you buy 13A or 13X?
The 13X holds 60% more toner for well under 60% more money, so cost per page favors it. On a printer this old it also means fewer occasions where you discover the cartridge is empty mid-job.
The 13A is the sensible choice if the machine only sees occasional use, or if you are not sure how much life it has left and would rather not put a large cartridge into it.
Castle Ink recommendation
Browse the full HP compatible toner range for other LaserJet models.
Watch out: 13A vs 12A vs 24A
Three similar-looking HP cartridges from the same era get confused constantly, and HP's own documentation covers two of them in a single manual, which does not help:
| Cartridge | Part Number | Yield | Printer family |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP 12A | Q2612A | 2,000 pages | LaserJet 1010, 1020, 1022, 3015–3055 |
| HP 13A | Q2613A | 2,500 pages | LaserJet 1300 series |
| HP 24A | Q2624A | 2,500 pages | LaserJet 1150 |
None of these are interchangeable. Order by the part number on your old cartridge, not by which one looks familiar.
How to replace the toner
- Open the print-cartridge door on the front of the printer.
- Lift the used cartridge out by its handle, keeping it level.
- Unpack the new Q2613A or Q2613X and rock it gently side to side five or six times to distribute the toner.
- Bend the tab on the end of the cartridge until it snaps free, then pull the sealing tape completely out.
- Slide the cartridge into the printer along the guides until it seats.
- Close the door and print a test page.
Troubleshooting a LaserJet 1300
- Jams and multi-feeds. Pickup roller and separation pad wear is the near-universal fault on printers of this age. Both are cheap and easy to replace, and doing them together is the usual fix.
- Faded print. Rock the cartridge to redistribute toner and confirm EconoMode is off. On a machine this old, also consider fuser wear if faintness persists across new cartridges.
- Repeating marks down the page. The drum is inside the cartridge; a new cartridge resolves them.
- Driver trouble on a modern computer. There is no current HP driver for the 1300, but it speaks PCL 5e, so the built-in PCL class driver in Windows generally works — a real advantage over host-based printers of the same era such as the 1022.
- Networking accessories. The 1300's LIO slot accessories, including the wireless option, are long obsolete. The 1300n's built-in JetDirect card is the practical way to network one.
- Cartridge not recognized. There is no cartridge-blocking firmware on this printer. Clean the contacts and reseat.
Which printers use HP 13A and 13X toner?
- LaserJet 1300
- LaserJet 1300n
- LaserJet 1300t and 1300xi
If you also run a 1010/1020/1022-class machine, see our guide to what toner the HP LaserJet 1022 uses — that family takes the 12A instead.
Genuine HP 13X vs compatible toner
The LaserJet 1300 dates from around 2003, long before HP introduced firmware that rejects cartridges with non-HP chips. There is no dynamic security on this platform and no prospect of an update adding it, so compatible and remanufactured Q2613A and Q2613X cartridges install and print normally. Using third-party supplies does not void a printer warranty in the US.
On a cartridge this widely produced, build quality is what separates suppliers: consistent fill and a properly seated drum matter more than the headline price, and show up as clean output over the full 4,000 pages rather than haze after five hundred.
About the HP LaserJet 1300 itself
The 1300 is a compact monochrome laser printer — print only, no scanner or copier. It prints 20 pages per minute on letter, carries 16 MB of RAM expandable to 80 MB, and offers manual duplex only.
Connectivity is USB, with parallel available through the LIO slot; the 1300n adds an HP Jetdirect print server card. It is long discontinued, but because it speaks a standard printer language rather than depending on a proprietary host-based driver, it tends to survive operating-system changes better than its contemporaries.
FAQ
What toner does the HP LaserJet 1300 use?
HP 13A (Q2613A, 2,500 pages) or HP 13X (Q2613X, 4,000 pages) black toner.
Can I use HP 12A in a LaserJet 1300?
No. The 12A is for the 1010/1020/1022 and 3015–3055 families and is not compatible.
Does the LaserJet 1300 need a separate drum?
No. The drum is part of the cartridge.
Is HP 13A the same as HP 24A?
No. The 24A (Q2624A) is the LaserJet 1150 cartridge. Both are rated 2,500 pages, which is exactly why they get confused.
Does the 1300 print double-sided automatically?
No. Manual duplex only.
Will compatible toner cause a firmware block?
No. This printer predates cartridge-blocking firmware entirely.
Shop HP 13X toner now
Order the HP 13X (Q2613X) high-yield compatible toner cartridge, or find your model on our Find Ink by Printer page.
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