ISO/IEC 19752

ISO/IEC 19752 Information technology — Method for the determination of toner cartridge yield for monochromatic electrophotographic printers and multi-function devices that contain printer components is an ISO standard method for the determination of toner cartridge yield for monochrome laser printers, introduced in June 2004.

Traditionally, printer manufacturers did not employ a standard, well-defined methodology for measuring toner cartridge yield. The most widely used description of cartridge capacity was "number of printed pages at 5% coverage", with final results depending on a number of factors.

In contrast, ISO/IEC 19752 strives for a comprehensive and rigorous definition of the measurement process with the purpose of creating clear and objective criteria for comparison of cartridge yields. In particular, the standard provides a detailed definition and description of:

• Test preparations and environmental conditions
• Sample size (at least 3 printers with 3 cartridges each)
• Paper type
• Print mode
• Test document (provided in PDF format)
• Cartridge and printer source (not supplied by manufacturer; purchased on the open market from at least three different sources)
• Error and process handling
• End-of-life criteria (for example, how many times the cartridges should be shaken)