ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner is available at Mascom International for KSh 3,000, brand new and sealed. This single universal cartridge is built to replace three HP cartridges: the HP 35A (CB435A), HP 36A (CB436A) and HP 85A (CE285A). It fits the LaserJet P1005 and P1006, the P1505, M1120 and M1522 family, and the P1102, M1132 and M1212 family. For clarity, it is a compatible cartridge made by ColourSoft, not an HP product. Collect the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner at Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD, or order it for pay-on-arrival delivery to your office.
Built for offices that run a mix of older HP LaserJets, the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner suits procurement officers, school administrators, NGO field offices, clinics and county government suppliers across Kenya. The usual headache is stocking three different HP cartridges for three printer models, each costing between KSh 12,500 and KSh 14,000. One universal cartridge solves that. Keep a few ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner units in the store cupboard, and whichever machine runs dry, from the P1102 at reception to the M1132 in accounts, gets the same replacement.
Unlike other electronics retailers in Kenya, Mascom International stocks both the HP 35A, 36A and 85A and two compatible universal options, so you can compare them side by side. The ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner costs KSh 3,000, while the Lightwave 85A universal costs KSh 2,150. At Mascom International, we're seeing more offices in Westlands and Industrial Area move to one universal cartridge to simplify reordering. Visit our Kimathi Street shop, or send your printer models on WhatsApp and we will confirm which ones this cartridge covers before you order.
Common Questions About the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner
How much is the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner in Kenya?
The ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner is KSh 3,000 at Mascom International in Nairobi, brand new and sealed. The price includes one cartridge, a 6-month warranty against manufacturing defects, and pay-on-arrival delivery anywhere in Kenya. Against HP cartridges on our shelf, it is KSh 11,000 below the HP 85A, KSh 10,000 below the HP 35A and KSh 9,500 below the HP 36A. The Lightwave 85A universal costs KSh 2,150, which is KSh 850 less.
What does universal mean on the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner?
Universal means the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner is built to fit printers that normally take three different HP cartridges: the 35A, the 36A and the 85A. HP made these as separate parts for separate printer generations, though their bodies are closely related. A universal cartridge is shaped to seat in all three bays. For an office with a P1005, an M1522 and a P1102, one box type replaces three, which makes stock control simpler.
Which printers take the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner?
The ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner fits three HP LaserJet families. The 35A family covers the P1005 and P1006. The 36A family covers the P1505, P1505n, M1120 MFP and M1522 MFP series. The 85A family covers the P1102 and P1102w, the M1132 MFP and the M1212nf MFP, with related models such as the M1217nfw. Send Mascom International your printer's model label on WhatsApp if your machine is not named here.
How does the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner compare with the Lightwave 85A universal?
Both are universal compatibles that replace the HP 35A, 36A and 85A, and the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner costs KSh 850 more at KSh 3,000. The Lightwave 85A universal sells for KSh 2,150 at Mascom International. Neither is an HP product, and both fit the same three printer families. Pick Lightwave when the lowest price per cartridge is the goal. Pick ColourSoft if you already prefer the brand or want to standardise your office on it.
How many pages does the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner print?
ColourSoft's own page rating is not given here, so use HP's ratings as reference points for the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner. HP rates its 35A at 1,500 pages, its 85A at 1,600 pages and its 36A at 2,000 pages. Your real count depends on page coverage: plain text stretches a cartridge further than logos, photos or scanned documents. Track your first cartridge's output to learn your own office's figure before setting a reorder schedule.
Is the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner good for offices with unstable power and dusty conditions?
The ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner handles normal Kenyan office conditions well when stored and fitted with care. Keep spare cartridges sealed in a closed cupboard, away from windows, because dust and direct heat can affect toner. In Eldoret's cool mornings or Mombasa's humid afternoons, let a cartridge sit at room temperature before fitting. When KPLC power drops mid-print, allow the printer to reboot completely before you open the door or resend the job.
Can I pay for the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner with M-Pesa?
Yes, you can pay for the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner by M-Pesa, by card or in cash at Mascom International. Delivery orders are pay-on-arrival, so you check the sealed pack first and pay the rider afterwards. Offices buying several cartridges for different branches can request a quote on WhatsApp or by email. Keep the M-Pesa confirmation message, because it serves as proof of purchase for any warranty claim.
Who should buy the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner, and who should skip it?
The ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner suits offices, schools and suppliers running two or more of the listed LaserJet models who want one cartridge for all of them. It also suits a single-printer home office that wants lower toner costs. Skip it if a printer lease or audit rule requires HP-branded supplies; the HP 35A, 36A or 85A at Mascom International fits that need. Buyers chasing the lowest price may prefer the Lightwave 85A universal.
Technical Specifications
Core Function
- Black universal laser toner cartridge — prints clear monochrome text, tables and forms on three families of HP LaserJet printers.
- Built to replace the HP 35A (CB435A), HP 36A (CB436A) and HP 85A (CE285A) — one part number on your shelf instead of three.
- Made by ColourSoft, a compatible toner brand — a lower-cost option for printers that would otherwise take HP-branded cartridges.
- Supplies toner for printing, and for copying on the all-in-one models — every black page these machines output draws on it.
- Simplifies office stock — one spare cartridge type serves every listed printer, which cuts the risk of buying the wrong box.
Compatibility
- HP 35A printers: LaserJet P1005 and P1006 — compact single-function printers common on Kenyan office desks.
- HP 36A printers: LaserJet P1505 and P1505n — single-function printers, with the n model adding a network port for shared use.
- HP 36A all-in-ones: LaserJet M1120 MFP and M1522 MFP series — print, copy and scan, with fax on the M1522nf.
- HP 85A printers: LaserJet P1102 and P1102w — compact printers, with the w model adding wireless printing for shared offices.
- HP 85A all-in-ones: LaserJet M1132 MFP, M1212nf MFP and M1217nfw MFP — print, copy and scan units for busy front offices.
Yield and Running Cost
- No ColourSoft page rating is quoted here — use HP's figures as reference: 35A at 1,500, 85A at 1,600 and 36A at 2,000 pages.
- HP 85A works out at about KSh 8.75 per page and HP 35A at about KSh 8.67 per page on HP's ratings at our prices.
- HP 36A works out at about KSh 6.25 per page on its 2,000-page rating — the most economical of the three HP options.
- KSh 3,000 per ColourSoft cartridge — between KSh 9,500 and KSh 11,000 below the three HP cartridges at Mascom International.
- Four ColourSoft cartridges cost KSh 12,000 — less than any one of the HP 35A, 36A or 85A on our shelf.
Build
- Toner and imaging drum in one unit, as on the HP cartridges it replaces — no separate drum to buy or fit.
- Universal body shaped to seat in 35A, 36A and 85A bays — fitted by hand, with no printer adjustment.
- Sealed protective pack — keeps the toner dry and dust-free in storage until the day you install it.
- Quick change — open the cover, swap the cartridge, close it and print a test page to confirm clean output.
- Covered against toner leaks, persistent streaking and refusal when correctly installed — the faults that matter most with toner.
Inclusions
- One ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner cartridge — a full replacement for one printer from any of the three families.
- Sealed pack — confirms the cartridge reaches you unopened, unused and never refilled, ready to fit on arrival.
- No cables, drivers or paper — your printer's existing setup and drivers continue to work.
- 6-month warranty through Mascom International — handled at our Nairobi CBD service desk.
- Seal check before payment — at our counter or at your door on pay-on-arrival delivery.
Package Contents
You receive one ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner cartridge in its sealed pack, and nothing else is included. No discs or cables come with it, because the cartridge works with the printer drivers you already have. Leave the pack unopened until installation so the toner stays dry and free of dust. Check the seal at our Kimathi Street counter or when the rider arrives, and our team will help with fitting questions on WhatsApp.
Warranty
Mascom International backs the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner with a 6-month warranty covering manufacturing defects: toner leaks, persistent streaking, and a cartridge the printer refuses when correctly installed. Claims are handled at our Nairobi CBD service desk at Old Mutual Building, Kimathi Street.
Where to Buy the ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner in Kenya
The ColourSoft 85A Universal Black Toner is stocked at Mascom International, Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD. Our doors are open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Bring an empty cartridge from any of your printers and compare it with the universal unit on our counter before buying. It is supplied in black, the only colour these LaserJet printers use.
For bulk quotes, fit checks or orders, contact us:
- Phone/WhatsApp: +254 708 852 521
- Email: info@mascomintl.com
- Website: www.mascomintl.com
We offer pay-on-arrival delivery to all 47 counties. Customers in Nairobi and its environs receive orders the same day, and offices in Thika, Nakuru, Kisii and Mombasa get theirs the next business day. Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Lamu, Tana River, and Turkana receive delivery within 2-3 business days. Every cartridge carries the 6-month warranty above.
Clear compatibility advice, plain pricing and dependable after-sales support come with every cartridge we sell, so your office can reorder toner without guesswork.
 Mascom International.webp)
 Mascom International.webp)
