The SX engine was introduced in 1987 in HP's LaserJet II, an 8 page per minute (ppm), 300 dpi resolution printer. At just over $2,000, the LJII was the backbone of a rapidly expanding population of general purpose office laser printers. When the LaserJet III printer was introduced with the same SX engine and cartridge as its LJII predecessor, the greater number of printer placements and increased demand for SX cartridges further encouraged the growth of early cartridge remanufacturing operations. SX-based engine printers were probably the most popular and widely-placed desktop printers made.
The SX cartridge played an important role in the aftermarket industry as the first predominantly remanufactured cartridge (although the CX was actually the first cartridge to be remanufactured). The SX cartridge became a staple cartridge for anyone new to the industry because it was relatively easy to remanufacture, most components lasted for several reman cycles and the large SX print engine placement base combined with the relatively high price of a new OEM cartridge provided remanufacturers with the demand for them. s, and even several years after the introduction of the printer, the SX cartridge was still in demand and still remanufactured in large volumes.