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Save on ink by choosing the right printer

Consider how often and how much you’ll print colour to choose a printer that will be economical to own as well as purchase.
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HP inkjet printer with colourful output

Introduction

Thinking about your printing habits before you buy a printer can help you make a choice that’s the most economical for your long-term needs. Look at some key considerations for purchasing a printer, and find out ways to save on ink—no matter which printer you choose.

Get the best value for the way you print

HP printer with ink nearby
When choosing a printer, consider whether you plan to be a frequent photo printer or whether your focus is documents with occasional colour printing.
Considering how you plan to print before choosing an HP printer will give you the most value, not only to purchase, but to own as well.
Prioritize
For some people, convenience is the main priority when choosing a printer—the fewer ink cartridges to interact with, the better. For others, cost savings are always the primary concern. For others still, a wide gamut of colors and deep blacks to produce lab-quality photos will top the list. HP offers printers with ink cartridges that accommodate all of these needs—often simultaneously.
Keep reading to learn more about the different ink options and See which printers offer which ink choices.
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Ease and convenience: Tri-color cartridges

HP 60 ink cartridges
The HP 60 Black and HP 60 Tri-color print cartridges are compatible with HP printers such as the HP Photosmart C4700 All-in-One.
HP Officejet H470 series mobile printer
An HP Officejet H470 Series Mobile Printer is compatible with supplies that are as convenient to bring along as the printer itself.
Occasional colour printing
If you’re someone who prints in colour only occasionally but expects vibrant, reliable results when you do, consider an HP printer that uses tri-color ink cartridges for the ultimate in colour convenience.
Several HP Deskjet printers and All-in-Ones and HP Photosmart printers and All-in-Ones accept HP 60 Tri-color cartridges (with the separate HP 60 Black cartridges made up of at least 50% recycled plastic), and are perfect for everyday document printing with splashes of colour and occasional photos.
Balanced colour printing
If, in your experience, you’ve found that you print all colours more or less equally (often running out of colours simultaneously), the convenience of tri-color printing can also be a great value for you.
Take supplies on the go
HP also offers tri-color ink cartridges for printers that are meant to be portable, such as HP Photosmart Compact Photo Printers and HP Officejet H470 Series Mobile Printers. A tri-color cartridge, featuring all the ink you’ll need, is just as convenient to take on the road as these portable printers.
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Frequent colour printers: Individual inks

HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One with ink
The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One uses individual ink cartridges and offers a wealth of features for printing perfect photos the first time.
HP Officejet 6000 Wireless Printer
Most HP Officejet printers, including the HP Officejet 6000 Wireless Printer pictured here, accommodate individual HP 920 Officejet Ink cartridges of pigment- based inks to create water-resistant documents even on plain paper.
Save money; eliminate waste
Tri-colour ink cartridges offer incredible convenience, but for those who print a lot of colour—especially one individual color (think of a logo, letterhead design, or even photos of a daughter partial to pink)—individual colour ink cartridges can save money by letting you replace just the color you need.
Four-colour printing
HP Officejet printers and All-in-Ones, compatible with HP 920 Officejet Ink, and HP Officejet Pro printers and All-in-Ones that accept HP 940 Officejet Ink all offer 4-colour printing (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow).
Five-colour printing
HP Photosmart printers and All-in-Ones, compatible with HP 564 inks, offer 5-colour printing, including Photo Black, to give you deep, glossy blacks in the shadows of your photos.
Eight individual inks
For high-end, professional photography, consider the HP Photosmart Pro B8850, compatible with HP 38 ink cartridges, offering even a wider gamut of 8-individual colors, and able to print borderless on paper up to 13" x 44".
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Replace less often: Look for XL cartridges

Image comparing the number of pages printed with HP ink cartridges
An HP 920XL black ink cartridge yields approximately 1200 pages, compared to a standard cartridge, which yields up to 420 pages.
HP Officejet 6500 All-in-One
The HP Officejet 6500 Wireless All-in-One takes convenient, economical 920XL cartridges.
Save money; add convenience
Many HP printer models offer an additional way to save money on ink—XL, high-capacity ink cartridges.
  • XL cartridges need to be replaced less often for greater convenience
  • XL cartridges offer a lower per-page cost
HP Officejet Pro printers and All-in-Ones are meant to accommodate high volume colour printing and offer up to 50% lower cost per colour page than laser printers when using individual HP 940 XL Officejet Ink cartridges1.
HP Officejet printers and All-in-Ones using individual HP 920 XL Officejet Ink cartridges, deliver a 40% lower cost per page compared with lasers1.
The HP Officejet 6500 Wireless All-in-One ($199.99), for example, takes HP 920 XL Officejet cartridges, and offers colour copying, faxing, printing, and scanning, along with wireless connectivity that makes it easy to share with several computers.
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Save even more: Consider buying multi-packs

HP 60 Combo Value Pack
Purchasing an HP 60 Combo Value Pack offers both savings and convenience.
HP 564 Series Photo Value Pack
The HP 564 Series Photo Value Pack offers ink and paper in conveniently measured proportions.
Once you’ve chosen an HP printer that is right for your printing needs, there are additional opportunities to save money purchasing ink:
Twin packs
Twin packs, such as the HP 95 Tri-color Twin-Pack, compatible with the HP Officejet H470wbt Mobile printer, bundle two packages of the same type of ink and offer a 10% savings over ordering two identical cartridges separately!
Combo packs
Delivering even greater convenience, combo packs bundle all the inks that a single printer needs.
For example, an HP 60 combo pack for the HP Photosmart C4780 All-in-One Printer delivers both the HP 60 Black and HP 60 Tri-colour ink cartridges in a single package, while offering a cost savings over ordering each cartridge separately.
Photo value packs
Photo value packs offer the ultimate in convenience, packaging the right measure of photo paper and photo printing ink in a single package.
The HP 564 Series Photo Value Pack, for example, includes 150 sheets of 4" x 6" Advanced Photo Paper along with the ink to affordably print 150 lab-quality photos at home using the HP Photosmart Plus All-in-One Printer—or any other HP Photosmart printer that accepts HP 564 series ink cartridges.
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Purchase ink with ease

HP ink in both regular and XL sizes
Find ink for your printer at the HP ink and toner site by entering its model number.
By the time you’ve chosen an HP printer and had it long enough to need to replace an Original HP ink cartridge, all these permutations may be forgotten, but there is a simple way to purchase HP ink:
Visit the HP ink and toner site online, locate the Ink and toner finder, and enter either the number of the cartridge you’re replacing or your printer model number. All of your options will be displayed, and all offer free, fast, convenient next-day shipping when you order directly from HP.
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Learn more

  • HP Printer Buying Guides: Learn about more printers offered by HP, including a large number of wireless printers and All-in-Ones.
  • Choose Original HP ink: Get the highest quality colour and true printing value.
  • Printing tips and how-tos: Get ideas to help you manage your paper usage, keep your printer working well, and find more useful printer features and how to use them.