What Does the Letter After HP Cartridge Numbers Mean?
This question is a bit of a throwback, but one that is still relevant today. One of the most common questions we have been asked over the years is what is the deal with the ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘G’ etc. that are after HP cartridge numbers? For instance, people wonder if there is a difference between the HP 6578D and the HP 6578A. By now, a lot of people know that it refers to the ink level in those cartridges. Here is what all those letters mean:
- An ink cartridge with an ‘A’ after it is filled to capacity.
- An ink cartridge with a ‘D’ after it is filled to 50% capacity.
- An ink cartridge with a ‘G’ after is probably about 25-30% full.
- An ink cartridge with an ‘N’ after it just means it is for sale in North America.
‘A’ and ‘D’ are the two important ones, since ‘N’ isn’t really important and ‘G’ really only applies to the starter cartridges that come with your printer (they run out so fast because they have very little ink in them). These days, HP has stopped making new cartridges with different levels of ink in them, so all their cartridges are ‘A’s. That sounds good, but really you are just getting the same amount of ink you used to get in their cartridges that were only half full. The old common HP cartridges like the HP 45, HP 15 and the HP 78 have about twice as much ink in them as HP’s current models.
So if you still run an HP that uses cartridges like the ones listed above (or others like the C6614, C1823), then hopefully this will help you realize what you are actually purchasing.
 |
--- Top Selling Printers ---
May 24th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
Finally!!! I’ve been trying forever to figure out what the D means on my HP C6578 cartridge. Major bummer that is it only 50% full. Where to I find the A cartridge? Does more ink mean that it is going to cost me more too? I’ve actually never seen a C6578A cartridge. Do they even exist, or is it just a mythical cartridge? So many questions!!!!!
May 30th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
HeatFan
A 6578 cartridge filled to the A level may be hard to find in the stores, but it is still a common cartridge. You can find it here:
http://www.pacificink.com/Cartridge.php?Desc=c6578a
If you buy an HP brand 6578A cartridge, then yes, it will cost you more money than a 6578D. With a remanufactured cartridge like ours, that doesn’t matter since the 6578A costs less than a new 6578D. So you get twice the ink for less money.
Karl – PacificInk.com
July 24th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Can I substitute an HP 78 for an HP 1823?
July 24th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Kathy
Unfortunately you cannot substitute the C1823 for the 78. Physically they are the same cartridge, but they are wired differently, so they will not be recognized if you try to use one for the other.
Karl – PacificInk.com
September 4th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
I really cant understand why this is the case with HP cartridges. Why am I supposed to get a partially filled cartridge when I have paid the entire amount? Can anybody tell me why?
September 9th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
My original black cartridge for my HP Photosmart 2620xi has the number C8767W. What does the “W” stand for?
David –
The ‘W’ stands for Western Hemisphere. HP now adds a code for hemisphere and for region, so cartridges that end in WN are cartridges they sold in North America in the Western Hemisphere. Ink and toner they sell in Mexico ends in WL and in England it ends in EE. Before, they just used to add N for North America, but apparently that wasn’t confusing enough.
September 19th, 2006 at 7:58 am
Can I substitute an HP57 type cartridge into the HP22 type cartridge slot in an HP all-in-one like the 5610. The HP56 black goes into the smaller capacity black cartridge slot where the original small capacity one goes, so I wonder about the color too. Seems like 5ml of ink v. 17ml is a big difference that could be worked around if the HP57, which has identical specs to the HP22 but with less ink, works and fits in the HP22 slot. Anyone know? Thanks!!!
Randy –
Unfortunately at this time you cannot substitute the HP 57 for the 22. The Officejet 5610 and 5610xi are unique because they mix together old cartridges (56, 58) with a new one (22), but for some reason ($$) they leave the 57 out of the equation. As you said, these cartridges are basically the same size so physically a 57 would probably fit, but unless HP is keeping a secret, it will not be recognized by your machine.
It’s frustrating that HP is decreasing the level of ink in their cartridges with every new model. The HP 22 is the worst example because it’s currently their smallest cartridge, but it is the way they operate these days. There was a time when their C6578D cartridge seemed like a ripoff because it was $35 – but that $35 got you 19ml of ink. That works out to be about $1.85 per milliliter, versus a whopping $3.60 per milliliter for the HP 22 ink.
December 10th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
I want to confirm that the HP 57 Tri-Color cartridge does _not_ work in the OfficeJet 5610xi All-In-One, It fits fine in the printer but when ink door closed the printer reports/scrolls: “CARTRIDGE ERROR:Cartridge on Left is not intended for this printer.”
Here is the (lame) reply I got from the boyz & girlz @ HP intergalactic support. With all the other choices out there, this is the LAST HP product I will buy. Please consider joining my effort!
HP support replied:
Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.
I understand from your e-mail that you would like to obtain the firmware
update so that your HP Officejet 5610xi supports HP cartridge 57 also.
I would also like to inform you that your HP Officejet 5610xi
supports the following cartridges only.
Black – HP 56; HP 27
Color – HP 22
Photo – HP 58
I would also like to inform you that there is no firmware update available for your HP Officejet 5610xi so that it will support HP 57 cartridge.
The information I have provided should answer your question.
http://www.hp.com/go/totalcare
Sincerely,
Sandy
HP Total Care
Web site at http://www.hp.com/support.
Original Message Follows:
————————-
hp e-mail support
webform_submit_time : Sun Dec 10 14:06:32 EST 2006
language : United States – English [en]
product_name : HP OJ 5610xi
problem_area : printing
operating_system : Microsoft Windows XP
model_number : OfficeJet 5610xi
connection : usb cable
error_message : Cartridge Error
problem_description : The problem is that you have not posted a firmware
upgrade to support HP Ink Cartridge 57 – Tri-Color. It is unaceptable
that you only choose to allow tri-color #22 and not the higher ink capacity #57.
January 23rd, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Are HP cartriges with a W after them also full cartridges?
January 24th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I would just like to let everyone know that I jsut tried putting a 57 catridge in an officejet 5610 and it DOES NOT WORK! My cartridge supplier told me to unplug the machine to see if it would then recognize the 57 cartridge, and that does not work either. Stupid HP, and I was just begining to like this machine.
January 24th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Nice Post.
That was well said. Always appreciate your indepth views. Keep up the great work!
John
February 28th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Bummer you’re over there and I’m over here – in Hewlett Packard E-land! Mmm. I haven’t been able to find an A for some time. As an artist, printing full-page, full-colour graphics pretty much every time, how long should I expect an HP 78/HP 6578A to last? I reckon about 150 sheets of A4 but any pointers would be fab as they will help me price up some of the stuff I do.
Cheers
LC
April 1st, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Nice. I absolutely agree with you.
Keep up the nice work. I’ll be back for more!
April 12th, 2007 at 7:15 am
I have deskjet D2360, which came with “single use only” cartridges 21-22, with a minute quantity of ink. Naturally I refilled them with generic ink. In the meantime I inserted cartridges 27-28 from my old refilled stock used on earlier printer. Works perfectly. Now, with a plentifull supply of 21-22 and 27-28 cartridges, you can swap out often and the ink level will always reset to full. You can get “A” quantities of ink in any of these, but you must fill slowly, and NO AIR BUBBLES IN THE SYRINGE.
I have yet to find a substitute for the 58 foto cartridge. I did modify a 22 to make it fit, but no luck. Thanx to all earlier contributors.
April 16th, 2007 at 8:07 am
“With all the other choices out there, this is the LAST HP product I will buy. Please consider joining my effort!”
This is kind of a silly response on your part. It very clearly says, in many locations (on the ouside of the box, where you could see before you bought; on the inside of the ink cartridge door; on a card they provided that fits your wallet; in the manual) that this printer takes 27, 56, 22 and 58 cartridges. Why on earth, therefore, would you react this way to the news that it dies not take a 57, when you were told many times, in many places, their support people being only one of them, that it takes 27, 56, 22 and 58? Did some neuron misfire telling you that 57 is somehow an element of the set {22,27,56,58}?
You would have been able to know this before buying. You would have been able to know this before mounting up the cartridges that came with the printer. You didn’t want to believe what was printed in several places, so you asked directly and got the same answer, and now you are pissed off.
It just doesn’t fly.
April 16th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
well then, can an HP 96 be substituted for an HP 98? does anyone know the HP pinouts for their cartridges? both these fit my 6310 AiO pinouts and traces look the same, so what gives here? can we learn anything from this?
April 21st, 2007 at 10:49 am
What is the difference between HP’s cartridges 27 and 56? They both work in my deskjet 1315, yet the 10ml capacity 27 costs $18, and the 19ml capacity 56 costs $20 – only 2 bucks more for almost twice as much ink? What gives? Is there a difference between the ink quality?
April 27th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Anywhere to find a “substitute” list for HP cartridges? Will one number actually work in place of another????
June 16th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Found this – which answers your question vivek
HP No. 27 Black Inkjet Print Cartridge (10 ml) 220 pages @ 5% coverage
HP No. 56 Black Inkjet Print Cartridge (19 ml) 450 pages @5% coverage
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:33 am
At work we use a printer that has a HP 15 black and a HP 78 colour.
Can we use any other black instead of the HP 15? Like the HP 10 or any others?
July 13th, 2007 at 1:51 am
I am printing some photos on the deskjet 2360. The guy at the store said I need HP 58 for photos. So do I replace the 21 or 22 with the hp 58……or do I need to go buy the 57 to be compatible with the 58….or does it even matter 21,22,57,58??? Is it all marketing??
July 14th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
What is the substitute for hp-23 because it is difficult find in the stores. Can you help please I have hp-psc500 printer,scaner and copier.
thanks
August 31st, 2007 at 8:07 am
My new HP printer Officejet 5600v uses 27 or 56 for black and 22 or 58 for tri-color. Can I use a 57 cartridge for tri-color?
December 14th, 2007 at 8:07 am
This is the first time im tryin to replace the black cartridge in my hp psc 1315 all-in-one. the empty cartridge had 27 (C8727A) written on it. Since it was not available at the store I got the one with 27b (C8727B) on it. And guess what happened? “Print Cartridge Error”. What the heck is the difference btw 27 and 27b? Im really hating this HP thing now. Is there anyway I can make this work? Pls help me, mail me at pvramesh_84@hotmail.com
December 21st, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I am wanting to buy the HP Deskjet F2110 all-in-one printer (it comes with cartridges 21 black and 22 color). But I have already purchased a 23 black and 23 color cartridge for my printer that just died. Will I be able to use the 23s with the F2110?
January 5th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
The HP printers are better than the HP computers, especially the desktop models and the support is frequently substandard in product and technical knowledge.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Hey I just got a new Hp printer because my other one stopped working all of a sudden, but I have HP ink 94 and 97 from my old one and my new one uses 74 black, 75 tri color or 99 photo. Can I use my old inks or should I just sell them to someone else??
Please let me know!!!
February 27th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
can i replace my hp 21 and 22 cartridge with 56 and 58? pls i need your ideas.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I have several new 57 cartridges, but I now have a 5610 that will not take them. Is there any way to use the ink in them to refill a 22 cartridge?
May 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I have a HP Deskjet F335 All in One printer.It takes a 21black and a 22color cartridge. Can I use a 27black and a 28color instead?
May 20th, 2010 at 6:03 am
Question – For a HP F335, do I have this correct: 21=27=56 and 22=28=57 (or is it 58)? Which black and color are the largest capacity that will work & be recognized by the F335?
Thanks so much!
May 20th, 2010 at 6:59 am
You have the HP DeskJet F335 inkjet printer. The cartridges that will provide you the most printed pages are going to be:
HP 21 (C9351AN) Black Ink Cartridge (Yields 190 pages)
HP 22 (C9352AN) Tricolor Ink Cartridge (Yields 165 pages)
Hope this helps!
October 13th, 2010 at 3:22 am
Hi
I wonder as I have two options available for the PSC 1215 which cartridge would yield the most copies, HP27 vs. HP56
and HP28 vs. HP57
Appreciate it a lot
Gai
October 13th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Hey Gai! Great question. Here is what I know.
The HP 56 C6656AN black ink cartridge yields up to 450 pages (price $23.99). The HP 27 C8727AN black ink cartridge yields up to 220 pages (priced at $19.99). For the extra $4 you get an additional 230 pages. Definitely go with the HP 56 cartridge.
Color cartridge provides a similar story. This is purely a case of a high capacity versus a lower capacity cartridge. The HP 57 C6657AN tricolor ink cartridge will yield up to 400 pages for $39.99. The HP 28 C8728AN tricolor ink cartridge will yield up to 190 pages for $29.99. Go with the higher yield cartridge.
December 5th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Hey I see lots of questions on this site but barely any answers? I have an old HP F2110 all-in-one and I just have two empty cartridges, 21 (black) & 22 (color), my mother has a new 27 cartridge, can I use this with my printer?
December 7th, 2010 at 8:15 am
Hey Alanna!
Unfortunately, you cannot use your mother’s HP 27 cartridge in your HP F2110 printer. Although the this cartridge and your empty cartridges look similar, they have different print head’s. Your printer won’t recognize the cartridge.
January 18th, 2011 at 7:45 am
I have an HP 722C. Is there a substitute for cartridge #23? I am having trouble finding them.
January 18th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Anita,
The HP 23 (C1823D) cartridge is the only color cartridge option for your printer. I guess I’ll do a shameless plug here, but we have them in stock and ready to ship. Visit our HP Deskjet 722C printer page to view your options.
The HP 23 is getting to be an old cartridge. In fact, HP has not made a printer that uses this cartridge for quite a few years now. Stores still stock them, but will all the new cartridges models that HP puts out, it is hard for them to justify the shelf space.
November 8th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I have an HP 5510 and an HP 450 that I bought from the US and I plan on studying abroad in Ireland so can I buy the 56/57 cartridges in Ireland and put these in my US HP printers or are 56/57 cartridges region locked or region coded?
November 9th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Louie,
Cartridges are typically region locked, so cartridges bought in the U.S. may not work in a printer purchased in Ireland. The same would be true of a printer bought in the U.S. and cartridges bought in Ireland. I’ve heard of cases where printers did not recognize the region setting. You can also contact HP’s customer support and see if they can provide you with something that will allow you to override the regional settings.
If all that fails, here comes a shameless plug, you can order cartridges from us and we will ship them to you (for free) in Ireland.
Good luck in your studies abroad.
December 12th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Hi,
just for others: my HP Deskjet 3550 just died with cartridges HP 27 (black) & HP 28 (color). I bought a used HP Deskjet 3940, but the cartridges were dead in the printer (HP 21 & HP 22). I was able to put the HP 28 cartridge instead of the HP 22 and the printer works. The only “problem” that it pops up all the time “No black+color cartridges are in the printer” when I start a new print. :) Anyway it is a way to use the printer until my order (HP 21/22) arrives.
kecsap