A, X and Y: what the letter on your cartridge means
On an HP toner cartridge, the letter after the number is the size. A is standard yield, X is high yield, and Y, where it exists, is extra high yield. The sizes in one family usually fit the same printers. The larger one usually costs more at the checkout and less per page.
That is the short answer. Here is how to find your letter, what the difference looks like in real prices, and when the smaller box is still the better buy.
How to find the letter you use now
The code is printed on the cartridge itself: the HP number, for example 58A, and the part number, CF258A. The part number ends in the same letter.
You can also check without opening the printer. Most HP LaserJets print a Supplies Status Page from the Reports menu on the control panel, and the printer's own web page (type its IP address into a browser) has a Supplies section. Both list the supplies the printer is using now.
If you are reordering from an old invoice, the part number is usually on the line item.
What A, X and Y stand for
| Letter | Size | Example | Rated pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Standard yield | HP 58A (CF258A) | 3,000 |
| X | High yield | HP 58X (CF258X) | 10,000 |
| Y | Extra high yield | HP 37Y (CF237Y) | 41,000 |
The rated pages come from a standard test, ISO/IEC 19752, which prints a test page at about 5% coverage. A page of plain text is close to that. A page with logos, photos or shaded tables uses more toner, so real yields are often lower than the rating. The rating is still the fair way to compare two sizes, because both are tested the same way.
Not every family has all three. Most HP families we carry come in A and X. Y is rarer, and is mostly made for larger office printers.
One family worked through: the HP 58A and 58X
Both are new compatible cartridges on this store, read on 21 October 2026, in Canadian dollars before tax.
| HP 58A (CF258A) | HP 58X (CF258X) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated pages | 3,000 | 10,000 |
| Price | $97.99 | $79.94 |
| Cost per page | 3.3¢ | 0.8¢ |
Cost per page is the price divided by the rated pages.
This pair is unusual. Today the high-yield 58X costs less than the standard 58A, even at the checkout. It is rated for more than three times the pages, and each page costs about a quarter as much. If your printer takes both, the 58X is the better buy on both counts.
A more typical pair is the HP 26A and 26X, also new compatible, on the same day:
| HP 26A (CF226A) | HP 26X (CF226X) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated pages | 3,100 | 9,000 |
| Price | $77.99 | $105.99 |
| Cost per page | 2.5¢ | 1.2¢ |
Here the 26X costs $28 more at the checkout and is rated for almost three times the pages, so each page costs less than half as much. An office printing 500 pages a month changes a 26A about every six months and a 26X about every eighteen.
Prices change. The product pages always show today's price: HP 58A and HP 58X.
Check that your printer takes the larger size
Within a family, the sizes usually fit the same printers. The HP 58A and 58X do: HP lists the same printers for both. Not every family works that way. HP's support pages list the LaserJet Enterprise M607 for the 37A only, while the 37X and 37Y are listed for the M608 and M609. If you run an M607, stay with the 37A.
Before you switch sizes, compare the model name on the front of your printer with the compatible printer list on the product page.
When the standard size is still the right buy
The larger size is not always the smart buy. The standard size makes more sense when:
- The printer is being retired. If it will be replaced in a few months, buy only the pages you will print before then. A half-used high-yield cartridge is no use once the printer is gone.
- The budget for this order is tight. In most families the larger size costs more at the checkout. The standard size keeps the printer running, and you can compare again on the next order.
- The office prints very little. At 50 pages a week, a 26X lasts more than three years. The saving per page is real, but the money sits in the printer for a long time.
- Your printer takes only the standard size. See the section above.
A common worry is that a large cartridge will dry out before it is used up. Toner is a dry powder, so it does not dry out the way ink does. What shortens its life is being unpacked too early: HP says to keep a cartridge in its original box and packaging until you need it, away from light, heat and damp, and Brother warns that a cartridge left unpacked for a long time loses toner life. A spare kept sealed in a cupboard is fine.
Brother: a different number for each size
Brother does not use a letter. Each size has its own model number. For printers such as the HL-L2370DW and the MFC-L2750DW, Brother Canada lists three sizes:
| Brother cartridge | Size | Rated pages | Brother Canada price | Cost per page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN730 | Standard | 1,200 | $71.99 | 6.0¢ |
| TN760 | High yield | 3,000 | $111.99 | 3.7¢ |
| TN770 | Super high yield | 4,500 | $167.99 | 3.7¢ |
Brother's own prices on brother.ca, read on 21 October 2026, before the eco fee and tax.
Two things stand out. The TN730 and TN760 fit the same nine printers on Brother's lists, but Brother lists the TN770 for only two of them, the HL-L2379DW and the MFC-L2759DW. And at Brother's prices, the biggest size costs about the same per page as the high-yield one. Bigger is not automatically cheaper per page, so do the division.
We carry the high-yield TN760 as a compatible cartridge.
Where to see both sizes
Our collections sort every cartridge by size: High yield and Standard yield. Most HP families there come in both, side by side.
If you are still deciding whether compatible toner is right for your office, see Is it OK to use compatible toner? The honest answer.
If your printer shows a message after you install a compatible cartridge of either size, see Why your printer says "non-genuine cartridge".