Choosing the right ink is crucial to a good print. Therefore, many printer brands manufacture custom ink that is compatible with their printers. HP printers for instance will work quite well with hp ink cartridges than any other ink.
In some cases, your printer might work with other ink cartridges but you have to change its settings. Furthermore, if your printer malfunctions due to the use of non-genuine ink cartridges, the company is not responsible and the damage is not covered under warranty.
The smooth working of your printer is crucial to your successful business and office work. This efficiency is in turn dependent on the use of the right type of ink.
Hence, we have brought you a guide on choosing the right type of ink cartridge for your HP printer.
How To Find The Perfect HP Cartridge
When you buy an HP printer, it comes with genuine HP ink cartridges. However, once they finish, you will need a refill. To make sure you get the right ink cartridge, you can follow the tips mentioned below.
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Check The Empty Packaging
Do not throw away the empty ink packaging that comes with the printer. It has a serial number that can be used to order the same cartridge again. HP cartridges come with a security label that can be used to verify cartridges’ originality.
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Search With Device
If you put your device’s model and specifications at the HP online store, you can find the ink cartridge compatible with it. You can also use the printer number to locate your device and find its ink.
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User Manual
Just like all electrical appliances, printers also come with a user manual. The compatible ink is mentioned against the printer’s model in the manual. Therefore, this way you can track down the perfect ink for your printer.
How To Know If The Ink Is Not Compatible
If the ink is not compatible with the printer, you will know right away. There are several tell-tale signs of an incompatible printer and ink combination.
For starters, you will not be getting the quality print. There might be splotches or smudged areas present on your printed sheet. In extreme cases, your printer will start malfunctioning and might shut down all over.
How Can You Use Other Cartridges With HP Printer
Having a restrictive cartridge system can be difficult at times. Therefore, HP printers have an option to disable HP cartridge protection. This way, even if you use non HP ink, your printer will still work and not reject the cartridge right away.
You can do this by disabling ink cartridge protection in the settings option. This way, you will be able to use other cartridges, with your HP printer too.
Why Use HP Genuine Ink?
There are several advantages of using the original HP cartridges with your HP printer. These are discussed below.
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High-Quality Prints
The original ink cartridges are designed specifically to work with your HP printer. Therefore, the original ones will deliver a crisp image for both black and colored prints. However, if you use remanufactured cartridges, print quality will be compromised.
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Recyclable
Your HP ink cartridge will come with clear recycling instructions from the manufacturer. Therefore, choosing original HP cartridges is both an economical and eco-friendly choice.
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Reliable
Being compatible with the device, their installation and replacement are easy and hassle-free. Furthermore, these ensure quality and a sharp print.
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Affordable
HP printers used with genuine cartridges deliver a high page yield and use a very less amount of ink. These also come in various sizes and you can get discounts on new cartridges. You can also avail the discount via your HP subscription.
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Secure Design
HP cartridges have tamper-resistant packaging and cartridge chip security to protect against any security threat. Furthermore, you can check the security label to confirm the originality of the product.
Alternatives To HP Ink
HP provides both pigment and dye-based ink. Besides using packaging to differentiate between them, you can check the cartridge color too. The dye-based ink comes in colored cartridges while the pigment ones are in black cartridges.
There are alternatives to HP cartridges which will also give a good print. These are mentioned below.
HP SmartTank Ink Bottles
If you use HP SmartTank, these come with HP ink bottles rather than ink cartridges. Besides being economical, these ink bottles are also easy to replace. Ink cartridges tend to clog after a while, while ink bottles do not.
HP Instant Ink
This is like Dash Replenishment except that it works monthly. You get ink delivered every month considering the maximum number of pages you print. There are different prices and flexible offers for customer satisfaction.
Low-Cost Replacement Ink
There are certainly low-cost cartridges, ink bottles, and toners available. These will not cause compatibility issues. However, the print may not be as good as with the use of an HP genuine cartridge.
Installing An HP Cartridge
The installation of an ink cartridge is not difficult and can be done by oneself. The process varies slightly from printer model to model; however, the general steps are the same.
To install an HP cartridge, you first need to remove the clip attached to the cartridge. It might be missing in some and that cartridge is also perfectly fine.
Secondly, you will have to remove the sealed cover on the cartridge otherwise it will not print. Some cartridges lack this sealed cover, but it does not mean that the cartridge is defective.
After performing the above steps, lift the printer’s cover and place the cartridge in its slot, and press it slightly till you hear a click. This is the sign that your cartridge is installed.
Close the printer head. You can change the instructions if any. Nevertheless, your printer is good to go. Print away anything you want.
Bottom Line
When using an HP printer, make sure you use genuine HP cartridges to get the best result. You can later get your original cartridge by checking the model of the printer.
However, you can also use other cartridges but the printing quality will be compromised and they can be expensive too.
