Which Printers Use the HP 12A Toner Cartridge: Compatibility Guide

The HP 12A (Q2612A) black toner fits select legacy HP LaserJet models — mainly the 1010/1012/1015/1018/1020/1022 and 3015/3020/3030/3050/3052/3055 lines, plus the M1005 and M1319 multifunction units.

Buying a cartridge for a retired LaserJet usually goes fine — until it doesn’t, because a suffix like “nw” or “All-in-One” can flip compatibility on a printer that looks identical to the one on the compatible list. HP 12A carries part number Q2612A and covers a specific slice of HP’s older monochrome fleet, not the whole 1000 or 3000 series. Match your exact model label against the list below before you order anything.

Which HP Printers Use The HP 12A Cartridge?

HP 12A is a black original LaserJet toner cartridge, and HP’s own product page lists its compatibility by exact model name and SKU. The reliable single-model printers include the LaserJet 1010, 1012, 1015, 1018, 1020, 1022, 1022nw, 3015, 3020, and 3030. HP also lists the 3050, 3052, and 3055 All-in-One machines and the M1319f Multifunction Printer.

That split matters. The 1022nw adds wireless networking to the base 1022, and the 3050/3052/3055 are all-in-one units with scanning and copying built in — different product lines that happen to share the same toner engine. HP’s product page confirms specific SKUs such as the 1022nw, the 3050 All-in-One, the 3052 All-in-One, the 3055 All-in-One, and the M1319f Multifunction Printer, while the LaserJet 1020 and 3055 All-in-One appear among HP’s own compatibility examples. Broad retailer listings commonly round this out with the 1010, 1012, 1015, 1018, 1020, 1022, 3015, 3020, 3030, 3050, 3052, 3055, M1005 MFP, and M1319f MFP.

Full HP 12A Compatibility List

Compatibility is model-specific even inside one series. A LaserJet 1020 and a 1020 Plus may share a chassis, but if the “Plus” suffix never appears on HP’s page, treat the match as unconfirmed. The same caution applies to suffixes like “s,” “z,” “n,” and “w” — the base model number does not guarantee the variant uses the same cartridge.

The cartridge itself is an original black LaserJet toner, sold under HP’s original-supplies line rather than a remanufactured or third-party label. Retailer listings sometimes add 1020 Plus, 1022n, 1010w, 1018s, or M1319 variants to their compatible lists, but not all of those extra models show up on HP’s own product page. Verify against the printer label or manual before buying if your exact SKU falls into that gray area.

Does HP Still Make Printers That Use 12A Toner?

No — HP states plainly that none of its current models use the HP 12A toner, and all current models take newer toner formulations. This is the single most common mix-up: an older LaserJet 1020 and a brand-new LaserJet with a similar number in its name may look related on a shelf, but they don’t share cartridges. If your printer is a current-generation model, HP 12A is the wrong cartridge.

What you can still do is buy the cartridge itself — HP 12A is sold new, and third-party remanufactured or compatible versions are widely available. Those third-party options are not official HP supplies and vary by seller, so quality and page yield can differ from the original. If you’re comparing cartridges, our tested 12A cartridge toner picks cover which options hold up. HP’s own product page and the CDW listing are the two pages worth opening before you order, and both state the same basic compatibility picture.

To check a printer safely before you buy toner: read the exact model name and suffix from the printer’s own label or front bezel, then match that full string — not just the number — against this list. HP’s official HP 12A product page confirms the compatibility set for the US storefront.