79A Toner for HP LaserJet Pro M12/M26 · CF279A from €9.98

Is your HP LaserJet Pro M12 or M26 asking for toner? The cartridge you need is the HP 79A (reference CF279A). Our ISO 9001-quality compatible toner costs €9.98 incl. VAT and prints 1,000 pages — that works out to under 1 cent per page. Same print quality as the original, but several times cheaper.

Is it compatible with your printer?

The HP 79A / CF279A is the only toner cartridge these LaserJet Pro machines take. If your model is on this list, this toner fits with no adapters or odd workarounds:

• HP LaserJet Pro M12a
• HP LaserJet Pro M12w
• HP LaserJet Pro MFP M26a
• HP LaserJet Pro MFP M26nw

These are black-toner printers and all-in-ones, so there are no colour cartridges to worry about here: one cartridge, the 79A, and you're set. If you're not sure exactly which model you have, take a look at our guide on how to tell which toner your printer needs before you buy.

The toner we sell for the M12/M26

We stock a single cartridge for this family because it's all you need. Here it is:

• Compatible HP CF279A 79A toner · 1,000 pages · ISO 9001 — €9.98 (VAT included), ISO yield of 1,000 pages, in stock.

That yield isn't a made-up number: it's measured to the ISO/IEC 19752 standard at 5% coverage per page — exactly the same benchmark HP uses to state the page count of its standard original cartridge. In other words, we're comparing like with like. Real-world coverage depends on what you print (a text-heavy contract uses more than a page with four lines on it), but for normal home or office use, 1,000 pages is what you'll get.

If you'd like to see the full range, it's in our ISO 9001-quality compatible HP toner collection, and also in compatible LaserJet toner from every brand.

Comparison table: yield and cost per page

Cartridge	Yield (ISO pages)	Price (VAT incl.)	Cost per page	Vs. the original
Compatible HP 79A (CF279A) toner	1,000	€9.98	0.998 cents/page (under 1 cent)	Several times cheaper than the branded original

The maths is simple: €9.98 divided by 1,000 pages comes to 0.998 cents per printed sheet. Printing a thousand pages costs you exactly what our cartridge costs — no surprises.

How do I know it's time to change the toner?

The M12 and M26 warn you before they leave you stranded. The tell-tale signs are easy to spot:

• The panel or HP software shows a low toner level message.
• You start to see light or faded patches, especially down one side of the page.
• Vertical white streaks or lines appear that weren't there before.

An old trick when you first see those light patches: take out the cartridge, gently rock it from side to side to redistribute the remaining toner and pop it back in. That buys you a few more pages, but it's also the sign that it's worth keeping a replacement to hand.

HP Dynamic Security and the chip: the honest truth

Our compatible 79A carries an updated chip, so the printer recognises it and shows the toner level normally, just like a branded one. We're not going to tell you it'll "never cause a problem, full stop", because that would be a lie: from time to time HP releases firmware updates with its Dynamic Security system that can tighten the controls on non-original cartridges.

What do we recommend? If everything's working fine, don't force the printer's automatic firmware updates. It's a two-click change in the settings and it saves you the odd scare. We explain it in detail in HP firmware blocking cartridges: the truth and how to avoid it. And note: using compatible toner is completely legal and doesn't void your device's warranty, as we explain in the legal guarantee for compatible cartridges in Spain.

Installation and what to do if the printer doesn't recognise it

Changing the toner on the M12/M26 takes less than a minute: open the front cover, pull out the old cartridge, remove the seal and protective tab from the new one, slide it in until it stops and close up. The printer usually resets the counter on its own when it detects a different cartridge.

If a "cartridge not recognised" warning pops up when you fit it, it's nearly always fixed by switching the printer off for a couple of minutes and back on again, or by reseating the cartridge properly. You'll find the full step-by-step in my printer won't recognise the compatible toner: what to do.

Original or compatible? Better to see it up close

We get the doubt: "if it's that cheap, will it print just as well?". The short answer is yes, which is why we show it with nothing hidden. In original vs compatible toner: we print them side by side we put the pages next to each other so you can judge for yourself. Our cartridge is manufactured to the ISO 9001 quality standard, with the same stated yield and its own guarantee. The big difference is in your wallet: for the price of one branded original you can pick up several of ours.

Frequently asked questions

Which toner does the HP LaserJet Pro M12/M26 need?

The HP LaserJet Pro M12a, M12w, M26a and M26nw family uses the HP 79A cartridge, reference CF279A. Our ISO 9001-quality compatible toner delivers the same 1,000 pages as the original for €9.98 incl. VAT. It's a black toner cartridge; these models don't print in colour.

How many pages does the compatible 79A toner print?

The compatible HP 79A has an ISO/IEC 19752 yield of 1,000 pages at 5% coverage — exactly the same figure HP states for its standard original cartridge. At €9.98 incl. VAT, that's 0.998 cents per page: under one cent per printed sheet. Real coverage varies depending on how much ink each document carries.

Will compatible toner damage my printer or void the warranty?

No. Using a compatible cartridge is legal and doesn't void your printer's warranty: EU regulations protect you. If a manufacturer refused a repair solely because you used compatible toner, it would have to prove that the cartridge caused the fault. Our cartridges also carry ISO 9001 certification and their own guarantee. We explain it in full in our guide.

Does it work with HP Dynamic Security and the firmware?

Yes. Our compatible 79A includes an updated chip, so the M12 or M26 recognises it and shows the toner level normally. HP Dynamic Security can tighten the controls with new firmware updates, which is why we recommend not forcing automatic updates if everything's working. If one day it doesn't recognise the cartridge, there's an easy fix.

How much do I save versus the original cartridge?

Our compatible 79A toner costs €9.98 incl. VAT and delivers 1,000 pages, so printing works out at under one cent per sheet. Compared with a branded original HP 79A cartridge, you pay only a fraction of the price for the same number of pages. If you print a fair bit, picking up two or three units at once works out even better value.

Ready to stop overpaying? Add your compatible HP 79A CF279A toner for €9.98 to the basket, or browse the full compatible HP toner range. Same quality, ISO 9001 and a guarantee, at under one cent per page.