# Damn Thee HP printer cartridge that is out of ink! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706 "2007-09-27T17:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/1 "2007-09-27T17:56:07Z")
I just printed about 30 pages, 29 of which are illegible. In my office I have SIX other printer cartridges for HP printers which are not the correct one!!! :smack: ::whines:: Why must this be so difficult? ::stomps off:: ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/2 "2007-09-28T02:04:19Z")
[QUOTE=Purplkid\_Caterer] I just printed about 30 pages, 29 of which are illegible. In my office I have SIX other printer cartridges for HP printers which are not the correct one!!! :smack: ::whines:: Why must this be so difficult? ::stomps off:: [/QUOTE] I got a business class color laserprinter for a pretty good price. Figured it’d last me a lifetime. A $1400 printer and new color cartridges cost me about $450. I figured the ‘300 pages remaining’ on the black demo cartridge would last awhile before I needed to change it. At 250 pages, it started _insisting_ I needed to order a new cartridge. (calculated, based on the 11.4% paper coverage from previous print jobs.) I decided it was time to burn some toner, so I made a 9x7 rasterbator image of the planet earth on a starry background. 63 mostly black pages later, it says 'based on the 11.1% coverage from past pages I have 308 pages remaining. At this rate, I’ll be watching a ‘please replace black cartridge’ for the rest of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/3 "2007-09-28T11:44:55Z")
Oh sure, rub it in! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/4 "2007-09-28T12:18:17Z")
I always have two packs of black ink for all our machines stored right by the machine. When anyone installs the first of the pack I order another two pack. I cannot stand running out of printer ink. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/5 "2007-09-28T13:11:57Z")
I have an HP inkjet sitting next to the Color laserjet…it was replaced by the laser printer, but since there was nothing wrong with it, it seemed wasteul to just throw it out. One slow Sunday afternoon, I got out the inkjet refill kit (the one at Costco even includes the special photo cartridge inks) and tried to resurrect the cartridges. Long story short, One of the wells got contaminated (refilling is a _messy_ chore), and I suspect I’d need to buy a new cartridge to fix the problem. But in doing so, I got a diagnostic page that says I’ve only put 430 pages through that printer. $150 of the printer, plus at least 5 cartridges over three years for $430. Not a good value…about $0.70 a page. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/6 "2007-09-28T15:57:57Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] I always have two packs of black ink for all our machines stored right by the machine. When anyone installs the first of the pack I order another two pack. I cannot stand running out of printer ink. [/QUOTE] But… But… I TRIED to keep ink on hand, but, but, aw, it’s such a long story, I could never explain it all again anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/7 "2007-09-30T13:04:00Z")
[QUOTE=Purplkid\_Caterer] I just printed about 30 pages, 29 of which are illegible. In my office I have SIX other printer cartridges for HP printers which are not the correct one!!! :smack: ::whines:: Why must this be so difficult? ::stomps off:: [/QUOTE] Is it a laser printer? If so take out the toner cartridge and shake it for a few seconds. After you put it back in you will be able to print a few more pages. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thee-hp-printer-cartridge-that-is-out-of-ink/420706/8 "2007-09-30T13:39:21Z")
[QUOTE=Imasquare] Is it a laser printer? If so take out the toner cartridge and shake it for a few seconds. After you put it back in you will be able to print a few more pages. [/QUOTE] Nope, but thanks. Already been to Staples and bought another cartridge.