Authorized
How to compare office copier quotes in the UAE
Two copier quotes rarely compare like with like. Speed class, A3 speed, cost per page, what the service contract covers and the machine's configuration: what to line up before you choose.
Every toner cartridge comes with a page figure: 16,000 pages, 31,000 prints, 10,000 pages per colour. Those numbers drive the running cost of a copier more than almost anything else on a quote, yet they are often compared without anyone checking what they mean. This guide explains where yield figures come from, why two figures for similar cartridges may not be comparable, and how to work out a realistic cost per page.
The short version: a yield is a laboratory result under fixed conditions, not a promise for your office. Compare cartridges only when their yields are measured on the same basis, and adjust for how much ink-heavy printing you actually do.
Two ways yields are stated
1. ISO/IEC 19752 and ISO/IEC 19798
These are the international standards for measuring toner cartridge yield. ISO/IEC 19752 covers monochrome (black-only) laser printers and MFPs; ISO/IEC 19798 covers colour. Both define a standard set of test pages, the test conditions and when a cartridge counts as empty, so that results from different manufacturers are measured the same way. Current editions of both were published in 2025.
ISO's own summary of ISO/IEC 19752 is clear about the limits: the method is for measuring cartridge yield only, and no other claims, such as quality or reliability, may be made from the test.
2. "Based on 5% coverage"
The older and still common way is to state how many pages a cartridge prints when each page has 5% of its area covered with toner, roughly a short typed letter. The figure may also state how many pages were printed per job, because job length affects the result.
Ricoh's own spec sheets show both
Ricoh's current spec sheets are a good example of why you need to read the small print:
| Model | Black / each colour | Basis stated by Ricoh |
|---|---|---|
| IM C320F (A4) | 16,000 / 10,000 pages | Declared yield in accordance with ISO/IEC 19798 |
| IM C3010 and IM C3510 (A3) | 31,000 / 19,000 prints | 3 pages per job and 5% coverage on A4 |
| IM C4510, IM C6010, IM C7010 (A3) | 42,000 / 28,000 prints | 5% coverage on A4 |
None of these is wrong, but they are not measured the same way, so dividing one by another does not tell you which machine is cheaper to run. When two quotes give yields on different bases, ask the supplier for figures on the same basis, or compare actual cost from a trial period.
Why your office will not get the rated yield exactly
- Coverage. A page of text may be around 5%. A slide with a coloured background, a photo or a logo-heavy letterhead can be several times that. Toner use rises roughly in line with coverage.
- Job length. Yields are tested with a fixed number of pages per job. If your office prints mostly single pages, expect results to differ from the test.
- Colour on mostly black pages. A colour logo on every page draws from all three colour cartridges.
- Settings. Toner-save or draft modes reduce use; photo and high-quality modes increase it.
- Conditions. Standard tests run in a controlled environment. A machine in a hot or humid room may not match them; the operating conditions are in each machine's manual.
Working out cost per page
The basic sum is simple:
Toner cost per page = cartridge price ÷ rated yield × (your average coverage ÷ the coverage the yield assumes)
An illustrative example with round numbers (not a price quote): a black cartridge costing 400 with a rated yield of 20,000 pages at 5% coverage works out at 0.02 per page. If your pages average 7.5% coverage, multiply by 1.5: 0.03 per page. The same arithmetic applies to each colour cartridge, but only for pages that use colour.
Toner is not the only running cost. Drums, developer, fuser units and waste toner bottles are also consumables, and some are replaced by your service provider under a service contract. When you compare quotes, ask what the cost per page includes. Our guide on comparing copier quotes lists the questions to ask.
How to measure your own coverage
- Use the meter. Note the machine's page counter when you fit a new cartridge and again when it runs out. Pages printed ÷ rated yield tells you how your use compares with the test.
- Check a typical month. If the machine is on a service contract, ask your provider for the meter readings and toner deliveries for the last few months.
- Look at what you print. If most output is text documents, the rated yield is a fair guide. If it is presentations and marketing material, plan for fewer pages per cartridge.
Genuine toner from Gtech
Gtech is an authorized Ricoh distributor in the UAE, and we stock genuine Ricoh toner and consumables in Jebel Ali Free Zone. Ricoh's spec sheets recommend genuine Ricoh parts and supplies for maximum performance and yield. See our Ricoh toner page, or send us your model and monthly page count and we will price your consumables.
Sources
- ISO, ISO/IEC 19752:2025, toner cartridge yield for monochromatic printers and multi-function devices
- ISO, ISO/IEC 19798, toner cartridge yield for colour printers and multi-function devices
- Ricoh Canada, RICOH IM C320F specifications (ISO/IEC 19798 declared yield)
- Ricoh Canada, RICOH IM C3010 / IM C3510 specifications
- Ricoh Canada, RICOH IM C4510 / IM C6010 / IM C7010 specifications
Yield figures are as published by Ricoh on the spec sheets above, checked on 27 October 2026; Ricoh may change them without notice, and figures for machines supplied to the Middle East can differ. The cost example uses made-up round numbers to show the method and is not a Gtech price. Actual yield depends on coverage, job length, settings and conditions, and no figure here is a guarantee of the pages you will get.
