Canon 055 vs 055H: Which Toner Should You Buy? (Australia 2026)
The Canon 055 and 055H look almost identical in the catalogue. Same printer. Same four colours. So what's different — and which one should you actually buy?
Noodle's on it. 🐾
The Short Answer
| | Canon 055 | Canon 055H | |---|---|---| | Black yield | ~2,300 pages | ~7,600 pages | | Colour yield | ~2,100 pages | ~5,900 pages | | Black RRP (genuine) | ~$89 AUD | ~$139 AUD | | Colour RRP each (genuine) | ~$109 AUD | ~$159 AUD | | Black cost/page (genuine) | ~3.9¢ | ~1.8¢ | | Black cost/page (compatible) | ~1.4¢ | ~0.6¢ | | Best for | Occasional/low-volume | Regular office printing |
The 055H is the high-yield version. For any business doing more than a few hundred pages per month, the 055H is the better buy — lower cost per page, fewer cartridge swaps.
What Printers Use Canon 055 / 055H?
Both cartridges fit the same Canon imageCLASS and i-SENSYS range:
- Canon imageCLASS MF742Cdw
- Canon imageCLASS MF744Cdw
- Canon imageCLASS MF746Cdw
- Canon imageCLASS LBP664Cdw
- Canon imageCLASS LBP662Cdw
- Canon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw (EU equivalent)
Check the label on your printer or print a configuration page to confirm your model. If it's in the list above, you can run 055 or 055H in any combination.
Breaking Down the Difference
Page Yield
Canon's "H" suffix signals high yield — the same physical cartridge with more toner powder inside.
Black cartridges:
- 055 Black: ~2,300 pages
- 055H Black: ~7,600 pages (3.3× more)
Colour cartridges:
- 055 C/M/Y: ~2,100 pages each
- 055H C/M/Y: ~5,900 pages each (2.8× more)
Page yields are measured per ISO/IEC 19798 standards at 5% coverage — real-world yields vary depending on print density.
Cost Per Page
This is the maths that matters, not the sticker price.
Black — genuine cartridges:
- 055 Black: $89 ÷ 2,300 = 3.9¢/page
- 055H Black: $139 ÷ 7,600 = 1.8¢/page
The 055H is 54% cheaper per page — even though it costs $50 more upfront.
Black — compatible cartridges (FetchInk):
- 055 compatible: ~$32 ÷ 2,300 = ~1.4¢/page
- 055H compatible: ~$45 ÷ 7,600 = ~0.6¢/page
Go compatible and you're looking at sub-cent-per-page printing. That's genuinely cheap.
The Colour Cartridge Maths
Colour toner is where the savings really stack. A full set of 055H genuine cartridges (all four colours) retails for around $556 AUD. A full compatible set? Around $160.
For a business printing 500 colour pages per month:
Genuine 055H (full set):
- ~1 complete set per year
- ~$556/year
Compatible 055H (full set):
- ~1 complete set per year
- ~$160/year
Annual saving: ~$396 — for the same print output, same quality.
Is Compatible Canon Toner Safe?
Yes. Canon's "Genuine Cartridge" campaigns are marketing, not technical requirements.
Under Australian Consumer Law, backed by the ACCC, Canon cannot void your printer warranty because you used third-party toner. This protection has existed for years and applies to all major printer brands operating in Australia.
Canon imageCLASS printers may display a warning message when non-OEM cartridges are installed. You can dismiss it and continue printing — it's a notification, not a fault.
At FetchInk, our compatible Canon 055 and 055H cartridges are tested for yield and print quality before listing. We don't carry the bargain-bin tier.
Mixing Standard and High Yield
You can mix 055 and 055H freely across colours. A common smart approach for colour laser printing:
- Black → 055H (you'll burn through black faster on text-heavy documents)
- Cyan/Magenta/Yellow → 055 (colour pages are less frequent, standard yield is fine)
This lets you optimise spend without compromising convenience.
Which Should You Buy?
Buy 055H if:
- You print more than 300 pages per month (any colour)
- You run a business or shared office printer
- You want lower cost per page and fewer swaps
Buy 055 if:
- You print occasionally — a few hundred pages per month or less
- You want the lowest upfront cartridge cost
- You do almost no colour printing
For most Australian small businesses with a Canon imageCLASS colour laser: compatible 055H across the board is the answer.
Where to Buy Compatible Canon 055 / 055H in Australia
FetchInk stocks the full 055 and 055H range in all four colours:
Flat $18 shipping. Free over $200. Same-day dispatch before 2pm Perth time.
Noodle's Verdict 🐾
Same printer, same slot — but the 055H prints 3× as many pages for only $50 more. The cost-per-page maths don't lie.
Buy compatible. Buy high yield. Save the rest for coffee.
Quick summary:
- ✅ 055 = standard yield (2,300 black / 2,100 colour pages)
- ✅ 055H = high yield (7,600 black / 5,900 colour pages) — better value
- ✅ Both fit Canon imageCLASS MF742Cdw, MF744Cdw, MF746Cdw, LBP664Cdw
- ✅ Compatible toner saves 60–70% vs genuine
- ✅ Compatible toner cannot void your warranty (ACCC)
- ✅ You can mix 055 and 055H across colours freely