The Best Printer Ink for Your HP

A grade-A ink cartridge is the epitome of professionalism; it allows you to print out school and business work with the sleekest appearances consistently over time. There are plenty of worthwhile options you can seek out, whether they be immediately recognizable ink packs or smaller brand names that invite you to branch out a bit. If you are in need of the best that the printer ink market has to offer or are looking for an alternative, here are some we recommend for your HP printers.

Buying Guide for HP Printer Ink

Why buy printer ink for your HP printer?

If you have an HP printer, it’s incredibly important to only use ink cartridges that are compatible with your specific printer model. Other ink cartridges may damage or even destroy your printer, so taking the time to choose a suitable product to use with your printer is a no-brainer. Selecting the right ink will also ensure that your printed documents and photos come out with beautiful quality.

What should you look for in printer ink for your HP?

• Model Number: First and foremost, you need to make sure that the ink you purchase is compatible with your specific HP printer model. Before you even add a cartridge to your cart, remember to keep in mind your printer’s make or model number, which is located on the underside or behind the printer. Knowing this will help you determine which ink cartridges are appropriate for your device.
• Color: Color printing has always come down to four standard colors of ink: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. It’s important to keep in mind that a black ink cartridge is the most basic color of the four and usually the most affordable. If you intend to buy the additional colors, you will have to choose between a tri-color cartridge and individually based color packs.
• Page yield: While an ink cartridge’s price is important, its page yield will really determine what kind of bang you get for your buck. Products with affordable price tags and higher page yields offer the best value for your printer. However, if you’re looking at a budget-priced ink cartridge, be sure to check some user reviews to see how others have fared with their ink purchase.

Are third-party HP ink cartridges worth considering?

Buying third-party ink is an attractive option for many people due to the inexpensive price tags. While quality assurance might be an issue with some of these products, they are generally a safe option for people who wish to get the most ink at the lowest price. Read user reviews and ensure compatibility if you are considering a third-party ink cartridge or refillable ink. While many third-party products won’t give you the immaculate results of genuine HP ink, they are still great for printing basic documents like recipes, essays, and letters.

Our Picks for the Best Printer Ink for Your HP

Pros: Compatible with a wide variety of older printers in the popular HP Officejet and HP Photosmart lines, these ink cartridges stand out for their fade-resistant ink and crisp print quality that stands up to the test of time. While this is not the most budget-friendly option out there, its high user ratings outperform just about any third-party ink cartridge you can throw at it. Factor in this product’s vivid color prints, and you can see why it’s still a popular option for those who use HP printers.

Cons: This cartridge set is good for approximately 200 black and white prints and slightly fewer color prints, so it’s safe to say that it doesn’t excel in terms of page yield. As such, while few can fault this product in terms of print quality, some will find its price a little high.

Bottom Line: Finding high-quality ink cartridges for older printer models can be difficult, but this set from HP is a great option that will keep you from having to upgrade your old Photosmart printer. Although this product is on the pricey side, it’ll provide prints that are vivid enough to frame, making it a great option for those who put a premium on print quality.

 

Pros: For students and professionals who print a lot of documents with black ink, the HP 67XL Black High-yield Ink Cartridge has you covered. This genuine HP ink cartridge is compatible with a ton of HP Deskjet and ENVY printers and impresses in terms of its affordable price, especially when compared to other genuine HP ink offerings. Thankfully, this leak-free ink is adept at precisely reproducing your favorite fonts, so print quality probably won’t be an option if you opt for this product.

Cons: While this black ink is a great option for those who occasionally use their printer, people who frequently print documents with lots of pages are bound to run out of ink fairly quickly. As such, if you’re currently working on your new novel and use your printer for proofreading, you might not be satisfied with this product’s lasting power.

Bottom Line: If you’re an HP all-in-one printer owner who prints off a recipe or document every so often, then this high-quality black ink gives you a fair bang for your buck. However, despite the XL moniker, this ink isn’t exactly tailor-made for heavy-duty print jobs.

 

Pros: With an approximate page yield of 2,300 (black ink) and 1,500 (colored ink), these ink cartridges from ColorKing provide an amazing bang for your buck, as well as very good print quality that stands up well to genuine HP ink cartridges. Also, unlike many third-party ink cartridges, very few user reviews mention their printer rejecting the cartridge or enforcing extra steps to get them to work. As such, if you’re in the market for a highly rated third-party HP ink cartridge that will last a long time, then look no further.

Cons: Some users have reported issues with certain color cartridges producing stripy prints, although these reports are few and far between considering this product’s high user ratings. That being said, third-party ink offerings like this tend to have slightly more occurrences of QA issues than name-brand ink.

Bottom Line: This offering from ColorKing just might be the king of third-party HP ink thanks to its high yield volume and high print quality. If you’re looking for an unbeatable deal that works with select OfficeJet Pro printers, then this product is well worth considering.

 

Pros: Ink refill kits can be a huge (if somewhat risky) cost-saver, and the Aomya Ink Refill Kit scores top marks among its peers in terms of color quality and cost-effectiveness. This set comes with four syringes to minimize the mess you create while refilling your existing ink cartridge and excels when you print text documents as opposed to detailed photos. If you’re seeking an ink solution that you can use over and over again for a fraction of the cost of a new ink cartridge, then this refill kit has your name written all over it.

Cons: While this ink refill kit is able to be used on a wide variety of HP ink cartridges, some printers and cartridges will not let you refill their ink using this method. As such, be sure to read user reviews and check online to see whether your printer’s cartridges are compatible with ink refills kits.

Bottom Line: If you purchase this kit, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Will the quality be as good as if you were using a genuine HP ink cartridge with fresh ink? Unfortunately, no. However, for a fraction of the price, you get passable printing jobs that are ideal for printing work documents, essays, and more.

 

Pros: This two-pack of remanufactured ink cartridges from Valuetoner is another easily accessible alternative for your HP printer. Compatible with a variety of Deskjet, Envy, and AMP series printers, this dual ink pack can produce a respectable amount of prints compared to similarly-priced offerings. Compared to HP’s official 65XL ink, you can save a good deal of money without sacrificing much quality by opting for this product. In fact, some reviews note that the colors are even more vivid than HP’s genuine ink.

Cons: While this ink impresses in terms of color richness and contrast, the print quality is better suited for office documents than printing family photographs. As such, if you primarily print photos with your printer, you may be better off purchasing genuine HP ink.

Bottom Line: Although this might not be the best third-party HP ink on the market, its high page yield and consistent quality make it well worth picking up for many. Although this is not the best product for printing detailed, colorful images with the best quality imaginable, it won’t falter when taking on routine printing jobs for home or the office.

Final Thoughts

Buying ink cartridges for your printer can feel like a rip-off if you end up with subpar print jobs while paying a premium. For this reason, it’s important to do your research in order to find the best (and most cost-effective) printer ink solution for your HP printer.