The HP® 63 cartridge series is popular in many homes across the country. It’s compatible with a wide variety of newer model DeskJet®, OfficeJet® and Envy® printers and a reliable choice for both text and photo printing. In this quick guide, we will review the basic specs of the cartridge and breakdown common troubleshooting tips too, so you can get the most from your prints. Let’s get started!
Technical Specs of the HP 63 Ink Cartridge
HP sells a black and tri-color version of the 63 series. Both cartridges must be installed in order to operate your machine and they are offered in two different sizes: standard and high –yield. Paying a little bit more for the high yield cartridge is a better deal in the long run if you print weekly. If you only print a couple of times a month, a standard cartridge will probably be fine. Combo packs are a good way to keep your supply cabinet stocked and buying in bulk can save you a couple of bucks too.
| Cartridge Series | Page Yield | Ink Type |
|---|---|---|
| HP 63 Black | 190 | Pigment |
| HP 63 Tri-Color | 165 | Dye |
| HP 63XL High Yield Black | 480 | Pigment |
| HP 63XL High Yield Tri-Color | 330 | Dye |
How to Get More Ink:
No matter what size cartridge you choose, pay attention to the price tag: compatible brand cartridges can cut down costs considerably without compromising print performance. The LD® brand high yield compatible HP 63 version offers the same page yield as the original HP and sells for $20.99, or almost half the price. The savings are similar with the tri-color cartridge. The LD brand high yield color HP 63 version offers the same prints (330 pages) for just $21.99!
HP 63 Compatible Printers
The HP 63 cartridge series works with the HP ENVY, OfficeJet and DeskJet printers. Some popular printers that use the HP 63 are:
- DeskJet 1110, DeskJet 1112, DeskJet 2130, DeskJet 3630, DeskJet 3636
- ENVY 4520
- OfficeJet 3830, OfficeJet 4650
Here’s a complete list of HP 63 compatible printers:
How to Check the Ink Levels of your HP 63 Ink Cartridges
If you’re seeing poor print results, check your ink levels by pressing on the ink droplet icon on your printer display. It will show you this screen with the current levels of your cartridges:
A screen like this means you have to replace your HP 63 black cartridge.
How to Install or Replace HP 63 Ink Cartridges
Installing the HP 63 is a similar process as installing the HP 61 and HP 62, but to be sure, it’s best to consult your printer’s manual.
- Make sure your printer is powered on. Lift the scanner unit, wait for the cartridge carrier to center.
- If you are replacing an old cartridge, remove the old cartridge by pressing down gently to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out of its slot. Set old cartridge aside for recycling.
- Unwrap the packaging on the new ink cartridge and remove the plastic tape. (Note: Once you remove the plastic tape, you cannot put it back on.)
- Make sure you don’t touch the gold contacts or the nozzles. Touching them can result in ink failure or an error message on your printer.
- Slide new cartridge at a slightly upward angle into the empty slot, push until you hear a click.
- Close the scanner lid.
You can also view the installation steps by watching this video:
The installation steps of an HP 63 cartridge is very similar if not identical to installation an HP 64 cartridge so you can follow the same steps:
Troubleshooting Common HP 63 Issues
A cartridge error message in the middle of a print job can be incredibly frustrating. Luckily, a couple of easy troubleshooting steps will get around most of these messages. We’ll review a few of the common concerns here so you can move past them quickly and meet your deadline.
Compatibility Error Messages
If you recently installed a new cartridge and your printer’s display reads “Compatibility Error” or “Ink Cartridge Error,” inspect the contact points on the cartridge. Occasionally dried ink, fingerprint oil or tape residue can end up on the gold and copper contacts of the cartridge during the manufacturing process, preventing it from being read properly in the machine. To remove the residue, use a lint free cloth or coffee filter and gently wipe down the contact points.
Then, pop the cartridge back in the printer, reset the machine and try printing again.
If you attempt to print and still get an error message, it may be a faulty cartridge. Faulty cartridges are a rare occurrence, but always a possibility. Test a second cartridge and see if you get the same result. If the second cartridge works, then your first cartridge was probably defective. To avoid further frustration with a faulty cartridge, be sure to buy cartridges with a generous guarantee. LD brand cartridges are backed by a lifetime guarantee and original HP cartridges are good until the “warranty ends date” on the side of the cartridge.
Missing Cartridge Message
The irksome “Missing Cartridge” usually pops up because a cartridge is not installed properly. To get around this, you will first want to confirm that you have the correct cartridges installed. There a lot of HP cartridges that look identical to the HP 63 (like the HP 61, 62, 64, 65 67). Your machine will not work if you try to install these other cartridges because each series is outfitted with a unique chip that can only be read by a predetermined list of compatible printers. Consult your printer’s user manual to make sure you are buying the correct cartridges for your machine. While you are double-checking the cartridges in the machine, you will also want to make sure that you have the correct cartridges installed in the appropriate color slot. The black cartridge will not work in the tri-color slot, and vice versa. When you install a cartridge, it should click smoothly into place. If the cartridge is jammed into the machine or tweaked a bit, the chip on the cartridge will not register properly, causing an error. If you are still having trouble, take the cartridge out and try cleaning the gold contacts on the end of the unit with a coffee filter or a lint-free cloth. Sometimes a simple cleaning is all that is needed.
Empty Cartridge Message
Customers using a remanufactured HP cartridge will probably come across an “empty” or “previously used” message on their printer’s display when they first install a new cartridge. Remanufacturing companies cannot reset the gold contact chip on the cartridge when it goes through the refurbishing process, so an “empty” message is expected. Regardless of the message, your cartridge should still print the expected page yield and last just as long as the genuine brand. To get around the message, clean the gold contacts on the cartridge with a lint-free cloth, reset the printer and press “OK” on your display when the empty cartridge message comes up again. These steps should allow your printer to use the cartridge like normal. Keep in mind, your printer will not be able to track of the page count since the chip cannot be reset, so it will be up to you to monitor the page yield. Our LD brand cartridges offer a comparable page yield to the original brand, and all are backed by a lifetime guarantee.
Streaky Prints
Troubleshooting streaky prints are a quick and satisfying fix. Many times a simple printhead cleaning will get your cartridge working as good as new, saving you some cash in the process and a trip to the office supply store. There are two easy ways to troubleshoot: The first technique involves manually cleaning the printhead. The printhead on an HP 63 is the copper color strip on the end of the cartridge where the ink comes out.
- Grab a warm, damp paper towel and a dry paper towel
- Take the cartridge with the printhead facing down and dab it a few times against the damp paper towel. You should see ink appear on the paper towel when you do this.
- After dabbing a few times, hold the printhead against the dry paper towel for about a minute. This will wick any excess ink onto the paper towel
- Pop the cartridge back in the printer and attempt to print. If printing does not improve, move onto our second solution!
The second solution involves running the printhead cleaning function that is built into your printer, which is used to prime your ink cartridges. You can find this option under the “Tools” menu of most HP printers but we suggest consulting your printer’s manual for specific instructions. After running a cleaning your printer will prompt you to print a diagnostic page. A diagnostic, or test page is a good way gauge whether your print quality has improved. If the results of your test page still are not up to par, try running a second cleaning and let your printer sit for a couple of minutes before trying to print again. We do not suggest running multiple cleanings in row because they can deplete your cartridge fairly quickly. If you run a couple of cleanings and still do not see improvement, it might be time to get a new cartridge.
Solving cartridge troubles on your own can be inherently satisfying. Now that you’ve gotten to know your HP 63 cartridges, troubleshooting those concerns should be easy. We hope this guide was informative…if you have any questions or suggestions on what we might have missed, leave us a comment. Happy printing!
*Savings based on price comparison between remanufactured/compatible cartridge prices and printer brand (OEM) cartridge prices effective as of July 14, 2023 on www.LDProducts.com. OEM names are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with, and do not endorse LD Products.
