The Ultimate Guide to HP Ink Cartridges: Everything You Need to Know

Last Updated on 8 months ago by Nicky Johnson

HP ink cartridges – ugh, don’t ya just love changing those suckers out every month or two? Not! Between the crazy prices and running out at the worst time, it’s enough to make you scream. 

Look, we all want our printers to just work without having to think too much about ink and stuff. Am I right? But unless you know a few insider tips, you’ll keep wasting money and getting annoyed by your HP cartridges. You better Stock Up on HP Ink Cartridges at Toner City for Exceptional Results.

Well, friend, you’ve come to the right place. I’m gonna break down everything you need to know about HP ink so you can stop getting tripped up. Arm yourself with the right info and you’ll handle those cartridges like a pro! Let’s get started:

Types of HP cartridges 

First up, the different kinds of HP cartridges. Yeah, there’s more than just black and color. You’ve got your standard cartridges, high yield, XL, and even specialty ones like photo cartridges. Lots of choices, kind of confusing. 

Here’s the quickest way to look at it – if you don’t print a ton of photos, standard or high-yield cartridges have ya covered. How much you print determines if you need high yield vs. standard. For photos, grab the photo ones. Duh, right? 

Now, here’s a sweet insider tip: You can use XL or high-yield cartridges even if your HP printer isn’t officially “compatible”. Shhh…don’t tell HP I spilled the beans on that one!  

Printer model 

Okay, so which HP cartridge do you need for your particular printer model? Just check the manual or HP’s website to match the cartridge numbers like 950XL or something. Pop that number into Google, Amazon, wherever, and boom, you got the right cartridge. Easy peasy to find the one you need with the cartridge number.

Here’s where things get annoying – the price! HP charges an arm and a leg for their brand-name cartridges. I just paid $50 for one color cartridge – freakin’ highway robbery if ya ask me!

Luckily, you’ve got options…compatible and remanufactured ink cartridges save big time versus HP originals. We’re talkin’ like 40-50% less. Sweet savings! Compatibles work great as long as you get them from a good brand. I like InkPal.

Now, the million-dollar question – how long will a cartridge actually last? Printer companies always exaggerate to make ya think cartridges last longer than they do. Annoying!  

Here’s a quick rule of thumb – black cartridges last around 200 pages, and color ones like 150 pages. High yields maybe 400-500 pages. Check your printer’s page counter to know exactly when you’ll need a replacement.

Recap

Make sure you keep unused cartridges sealed in an airtight bag if saving them as spares. And don’t freak out about expiration dates too much – you can still often use cartridges 6+ months expired if needed.

Okay, we’ve covered a lot so far! Let’s recap the ultimate guide to HP cartridges:

• Know which cartridge type you need – standard, XL, high yield, etc.
• Consider cheaper compatible cartridges to save $$.
• Check page counts to know when replacement time is near. 
• Store spare cartridges properly in airtight bags.
• Expiration dates aren’t everything – you can sometimes use expired ones.

Got all that about HP ink cartridges? Sweet! Now you can shop for the right cartridges like a pro, save money with compatibles, and stop running out of ink at the worst possible moments. You got this!