What Toner Does the HP LaserJet 1320 Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: The HP LaserJet 1320 uses HP 49A (Q5949A) standard-yield black toner or HP 49X (Q5949X) high-yield black toner. Both fit every 1320 variant — 1320, 1320n, 1320tn and 1320nw — and the imaging drum is built into the cartridge, so there is no separate drum to buy.
One important caveat if you also own a LaserJet 1160: that model accepts the 49A only. The 49X is physically longer and is a 1320-series cartridge.
HP 49A vs 49X at a glance
| Cartridge | Part Number | Page Yield (ISO) | Fits LaserJet 1320 | Fits LaserJet 1160 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP 49A | Q5949A | 2,500 pages | Yes | Yes |
| HP 49X | Q5949X | 6,000 pages | Yes | No |
| HP 49X Dual Pack | Q5949XD | 2 x 6,000 pages | Yes | No |
Both are ISO/IEC 19752 figures at 5% coverage. The 1320 ships with a 49A from the factory, which is why many owners never realize the 49X exists.
Should you buy 49A or 49X?
The 49X holds well over twice the toner of the 49A but sells for far less than twice the price, so cost per page favors it strongly. On a printer with a built-in duplexer that is often shared across a small office, fewer cartridge changes is a real benefit too.
Stay with the 49A if the printer is lightly used, if you also keep a LaserJet 1160 and want one cartridge that covers both, or if the machine is close to retirement.
Castle Ink recommendation
- HP 49A Black Toner Cartridge (Q5949A) — Compatible
- HP 49X Black Toner Cartridge (Q5949X) — High-Yield Compatible
The 1320 is one of the longest-serving printers HP ever built, and plenty are still in daily use two decades on. Compatible toner is what keeps them economical. Browse the full HP compatible toner range.
How to replace the toner in a LaserJet 1320
- Open the print-cartridge door at the front of the printer.
- Take hold of the cartridge handle and lift it straight up and out.
- Unpack the new Q5949A or Q5949X and rock it gently from side to side five or six times to distribute the toner.
- Bend the tab on the left end of the cartridge until it breaks free, then pull the sealing tape all the way out.
- Lower the cartridge into the printer, aligning it with the guides, until it seats firmly.
- Close the door and print a configuration page from the control panel to confirm.
Troubleshooting a LaserJet 1320
- Faded print or a light band. Rock the cartridge to redistribute toner and confirm EconoMode is turned off in the driver. On a machine of this age, also check the transfer roller for wear.
- Paper jams and multi-feeds. The pickup roller and separation pad harden with age and are the leading cause of feed problems on the 1160/1320 chassis. Both are inexpensive user-replaceable parts.
- Duplex jams. The 1320's duplexer routes paper back through the rear. Make sure the rear output door is closed for duplexing, and avoid heavy or curled stock.
- Repeating marks down the page. The drum lives in the cartridge, so a repeating defect is a cartridge issue and a replacement resolves it.
- Persistent "toner low" on a nearly full cartridge. Estimation, not measurement. Keep printing until quality drops.
- Cartridge does not seem to be recognized. There is no cartridge-blocking firmware on this printer. Clean the contacts and reseat.
Which printers use HP 49A and 49X toner?
- LaserJet 1320, 1320n, 1320tn, 1320nw — 49A or 49X
- LaserJet 1160 and 1160Le — 49A only
- LaserJet 3390 and 3392 all-in-one — 49A or 49X
Genuine HP 49X vs compatible toner
The LaserJet 1320 launched in 2004, generations before HP introduced firmware that blocks non-HP chips. There is no dynamic security on this platform and there never will be. Compatible and remanufactured Q5949A and Q5949X cartridges install and run with no workarounds and no error messages to dismiss.
What matters when choosing a supplier on a printer this old is consistency: a well-built compatible with a properly seated drum and even toner fill will print as cleanly as the OEM cartridge did. A poorly built one shows up as background haze and streaking within a few hundred pages.
About the HP LaserJet 1320 itself
The 1320 is a monochrome laser printer — print only, no scanning or copying. It prints 22 pages per minute at up to 1200 dpi, with a first page out in under 8.5 seconds, and includes automatic two-sided printing as standard, which was unusual at its price when it launched. Paper handling is a 250-sheet tray plus a 10-sheet priority slot, with an optional second 250-sheet tray on the tn model.
Connectivity depends on the variant: the base 1320 has USB 2.0 and parallel, the 1320n and 1320tn add Ethernet, and the 1320nw adds 802.11b wireless. HP support ended long ago, but the mechanical design has proved exceptionally durable and both parts and toner remain easy to source.
FAQ
What toner does the HP LaserJet 1320 use?
HP 49A (Q5949A, 2,500 pages) or HP 49X (Q5949X, 6,000 pages) black toner.
Can I use a 49X in a LaserJet 1160?
No. The 1160 accepts the 49A only. The 49X is a longer cartridge designed for the 1320 chassis.
Does the LaserJet 1320 need a separate drum?
No. The drum is integrated into the toner cartridge.
Is HP 49A the same as HP 53A?
No. HP 53A (Q7553A) is for the LaserJet P2015 series and is not interchangeable with the 49A.
Will compatible toner cause problems on a 1320?
No. This printer has no cartridge-blocking firmware, and using third-party supplies does not void a printer warranty in the US.
Is the LaserJet 1320 still worth keeping?
For plain monochrome document printing, often yes. It duplexes, it is fast enough for most small offices, and 6,000-page compatible toner keeps the cost per page very low. The limitations are age-related wear parts and no modern mobile printing support.
Shop HP 49A and 49X toner now
Order the HP 49A (Q5949A) or the high-yield HP 49X (Q5949X), or find your model on our Find Ink by Printer page.
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