What Ink Does the Epson XP-15000 Use?

by William Elward Last Updated: October 14, 2026

Quick answer: The Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 uses six Claria Photo HD cartridges: Epson 312 or 312XL in black, cyan, magenta and yellow, plus Epson 314XL in red and gray. Castle Ink stocks all six as remanufactured XL cartridges: 312XL Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, 314XL Red and 314XL Gray.

A common mistake: the XP-15000 does not use 312XL light cyan or light magenta. Those two are for the XP-8500, XP-8600 and XP-8700. The XP-15000 swaps them for red and gray.

CastleScore · October 2026

76/100 — Recommended

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	82	4.18★ average across 835 ratings at Best Buy (4.4) and Adorama (4.0)
Expert reviews (18%)	—	Reviewed favorably by Digital Camera World and Expert Reviews, but without a single overall numeric score we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	70	About 8¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured 312XL and 314XL, using commonly listed yields (500 black / 830 per color). Six cartridges add up for a photo printer.
Reliability (13%)	76	Most-reported problems: rear-feed jams with thick or specialty paper; cartridge-recognition errors; streaks or lines that need cleaning cycles
Features (12%)	72	Print only: 13x19 borderless, CD/DVD printing, auto two-sided, Wi-Fi, Ethernet. No scanner, no document feeder, no fax.
Value (5%)	78	Photo quality and owner satisfaction against a street price of about $300

Limited data: No review site has published a single overall numeric score for the XP-15000 that we could verify, so the expert weight is spread across the other five pillars.

Still sold new at about $300 on Epson.com, with Certified ReNew refurbished units also available.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 14, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The cartridges, pictured

Our own remanufactured cartridges. Epson keeps its ISO yields on a separate chart; the page counts above are the figures ink retailers commonly list.

What Ink Cartridges Does the Epson XP-15000 Take?

Cartridge	Epson part no. (standard / XL)	Epson price (XL)	Castle Ink option
312 Black	T312120-S / T312XL120-S	$21.99	Remanufactured 312XL Black
312 Cyan	T312220-S / T312XL220-S	$25.29	Remanufactured 312XL Cyan
312 Magenta	T312320-S / T312XL320-S	$25.29	Remanufactured 312XL Magenta
312 Yellow	T312420-S / T312XL420-S	$25.29	Remanufactured 312XL Yellow
314XL Red	T314XL820-S (XL only)	$25.29	Remanufactured 314XL Red
314XL Gray	T314XL720-S (XL only)	$25.29	Remanufactured 314XL Gray

Epson.com prices were checked on October 14, 2026; the standard 312 cartridges were $13.19 each, and a full XL set comes to about $148. There is no standard-size 314 in the U.S. Epson keeps its ISO yields behind a separate chart; ink retailers commonly list the 312XL black at about 500 pages and the XL colors and 314XL at about 830 pages, so treat those as estimates.

Is 312XL Worth It?

For a photo printer, yes. Standard 312 colors are listed at roughly 360 pages against about 830 for XL, for less than double the price. Our remanufactured 312XL and 314XL cartridges are $19.95 each, so a full six-cartridge set is about $120 against about $148 from Epson. Running cost is still the XP-15000's weak spot: Digital Camera World estimated about 30¢ of ink per 4x6 print and about $3 per 13x19 print with Epson ink.

Third-party ink. Epson says the printer is designed for Epson cartridges only. In practice it reads each cartridge's chip, so chipped remanufactured cartridges are recognized, while chipless refill systems need modified firmware. Avoid installing Epson firmware updates if you rely on remanufactured ink.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Epson XP-15000?

Turn the printer on and select Maintenance > Ink Cartridge Replacement on the control panel.
Open the printer cover and wait for the cartridge holder to move to the replacement position.
Press the tab on the empty cartridge and lift it out.
Unpack the new cartridge and remove its cap without touching the green chip.
Press it straight down into its slot until it clicks, close the cover, and leave the printer on while it charges the ink.

Which Other Printers Use Epson 312?

The 312 and 312XL black, cyan, magenta and yellow also fit the Epson Expression Photo XP-8500, XP-8600 and XP-8700, which add 312XL light cyan and light magenta. Epson lists the 314XL red and gray for the XP-15000 only. Looking for a 13x19 printer that's cheaper to feed? The EcoTank Photo ET-8550 uses refillable bottles.

What XP-15000 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, Epson's support pages and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Will it print if one cartridge is empty?

Not if the black is empty or any cartridge is missing. Epson says it may print briefly in black when a color runs out, but plan on replacing the empty one.

Does it scan or copy?

No. The XP-15000 is a print-only photo printer, with no scanner and no memory card slot.

Can it print 13x19 borderless?

Yes. Epson lists borderless printing on 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, letter, 11x14, 11x17 and 13x19 paper.

Thick paper jams or won't feed from the rear. What helps?

Load fine-art and heavy media one sheet at a time in the rear feeder, flatten curled sheets, and pick the matching paper type in the driver so the printer uses the right path and platen gap.

Is there a maintenance box I can replace?

Yes. The XP-15000 uses a user-replaceable maintenance box, Epson T366100, which collects waste ink from cleaning cycles.

XP-15000 quirks worth knowing

It takes paper up to 13 x 19 in., with a 200-sheet front tray and a rear feeder for 50 plain or 20 photo sheets.
It prints on CDs and DVDs and prints two-sided automatically on plain paper.
It connects by Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet or USB.
Epson rates it at about 9 pages a minute, and a draft 4x6 photo in about 27 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions