What Ink Does the Epson Expression Photo XP-950 Use?

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Quick answer: The Epson Expression Photo XP-950 uses six Epson 277 or high-capacity Epson 277XL cartridges: black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan and light magenta. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured 277XL Black, 277XL Cyan, 277XL Magenta, 277XL Yellow, 277XL Light Cyan, 277XL Light Magenta and a 277XL six-pack.

It shares these cartridges with the Expression Photo XP-970. Epson also lists the Expression Photo XP-850, XP-860 and XP-960 for the same inks. In the UK and Europe, the XP-950 takes Epson 24 and 24XL cartridges instead. We couldn't confirm those work in a U.S. printer, so buy by the U.S. numbers below.

CastleScore · October 2026

80/100 — Highly Recommended

Epson Expression Photo XP-950

Pillar (weight)ScoreWhat it is based on
Owner ratings (28%) 81 4.13★ average across 92 ratings at Epson.com, the maker's own site (4.1)
Expert reviews (18%) 84 Average of two published scores: PhotoReview 8.8/10 (2013) and The Phoblographer 4/5 (2014)
Cost per page (24%) 86 About 4.0¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured 277XL black (500 pages) and the five 277XL colors (740 pages each), counting all five colors in the color cost. Photo printing uses far more ink.
Reliability (13%) 74 Most-reported problems: ink running out fast and costly replacements; units failing early or after the warranty; cartridges not recognized or false low-ink messages; paper jams and awkward 11 x 17 loading
Features (12%) 66 Print, copy, scan, borderless printing up to 11 x 17, auto two-sided printing, CD/DVD printing, 3.5-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, memory card slots, separate photo tray. No document feeder, no fax, and scanning tops out at 8.5 x 11.
Value (5%) 80 Running cost and owner satisfaction

Discontinued. Epson launched the XP-950 in fall 2013, and PhotoReview's November 2013 review gave its U.S. price as $350. Epson now lists it as discontinued and names the Expression Photo XP-980 as its replacement. Epson still sells 277XL cartridges in all six colors.

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 21, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The cartridges, pictured

Our own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.

What Ink Cartridges Does the Epson Expression Photo XP-950 Take?

Cartridge Epson part no. Approx. yield Castle Ink option
Epson 277 Black T277120 ~240 pages —
Epson 277XL Black (high capacity) T277XL120 ~500 pages Remanufactured 277XL Black
Epson 277 Cyan T277220 ~360 pages —
Epson 277XL Cyan (high capacity) T277XL220 ~740 pages Remanufactured 277XL Cyan
Epson 277 Magenta T277320 ~360 pages —
Epson 277XL Magenta (high capacity) T277XL320 ~740 pages Remanufactured 277XL Magenta
Epson 277 Yellow T277420 ~360 pages —
Epson 277XL Yellow (high capacity) T277XL420 ~740 pages Remanufactured 277XL Yellow
Epson 277 Light Cyan T277520 ~360 pages —
Epson 277XL Light Cyan (high capacity) T277XL520 ~740 pages Remanufactured 277XL Light Cyan
Epson 277 Light Magenta T277620 ~360 pages —
Epson 277XL Light Magenta (high capacity) T277XL620 ~740 pages Remanufactured 277XL Light Magenta
Epson 277XL six-pack — ~500 / 740 pages Remanufactured 277XL six-pack

Yields are Epson's ISO figures for letter-size pages. Epson rates the standard colors at about 145 4 x 6 photos and the XL colors at about 300. All six cartridges have to be installed for the printer to work, even for black-only printing. We stock the XL size only.

Are Epson 277XL Cartridges Worth It?

Yes. They print about twice as many pages as the standard 277s. On October 21, 2026, Epson's own store listed the 277XL black at $23.09 (about 4.6¢ a page) and each 277XL color at $19.79 (about 2.7¢ a page). 4inkjets listed the standard 277 black at $31.99 (about 13.3¢ a page), more than Epson charges for the XL. Our remanufactured 277XL black is $9.99, about 2.0¢ a page, and each XL color is $8.99, about 1.2¢ a page. The six-pack is $36.99, against $54.94 for the six singles.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Epson Expression Photo XP-950?

  1. With the printer on, open the ink replacement screen. If the touchscreen says a cartridge is expended, follow its prompt. Otherwise, find Ink Cartridge Replacement under Setup, then Maintenance.
  2. Lift the scanner unit. Don't move the print head by hand or touch the flat white cable inside.
  3. Press the tab on the old cartridge and lift it straight out. Leave it in place until the new one is ready, so the print head doesn't dry out.
  4. Unpack the new cartridge and peel off only the yellow tape. Don't touch the green chip. Push it into its slot until it clicks.
  5. Lower the scanner unit and confirm on the screen. The printer charges the ink for a few minutes, so leave it on until it finishes.

Which Other Printers Use Epson 277 and 277XL?

Epson lists the Expression Photo XP-850, XP-860, XP-950, XP-960 and XP-970. All five take the same six cartridges.

What XP-950 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer in Epson's support community and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Do I need all six cartridges to print in black?

Yes. Epson says all six colors have to be installed for printing, even for black-only jobs. If a color runs out, replace it before you try to print again.

A cartridge isn't recognized after a firmware update.

Epson's support FAQ for the XP-950 says its firmware updates can leave non-Epson cartridges unrecognized, and Epson's fix is to fit genuine cartridges. If you use remanufactured ink, avoid installing printer firmware updates unless you need a specific fix.

Why does the ink run out so fast?

Ink cost is the top complaint in Epson.com reviews. The standard 277 black is rated at about 240 pages and each standard color at about 360, so switching to 277XL (about 500 and 740) roughly doubles the time between changes. Epson also notes yields drop if you print infrequently.

Can it scan or copy at 11 x 17?

No. It prints borderless up to 11 x 17, but Epson lists the scanner's maximum size as 8.5 x 11 inches.

XP-950 quirks worth knowing

  • It prints borderless photos up to 11 x 17 inches and prints directly on inkjet-printable CDs and DVDs.
  • It has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet and USB, plus SD, MS Duo and CF card slots and a PictBridge port.
  • Epson rates it at 9.5 ISO pages a minute in black and 9.0 in color, with automatic two-sided printing.
  • Paper goes in a 100-sheet main tray, a 20-sheet photo tray, or a rear feed for specialty media up to 23 mil thick.
  • Trusted Reviews rated its photos very good but found black text on plain paper slightly fuzzy next to the best Canon and HP models.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ink does the Epson Expression Photo XP-950 use?

Epson 277 or 277XL cartridges in six colors: black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan and light magenta.

Does the XP-950 use the same ink as the XP-970?

Yes. Epson lists 277 and 277XL cartridges for the XP-850, XP-860, XP-950, XP-960 and XP-970.

Will Epson 24XL cartridges fit?

Those are the European numbers for the XP-950. We couldn't confirm they work in a U.S. printer, so buy by the U.S. numbers.

Other printers that use Epson 277 and 277XL

Epson Expression Photo XP-970

More Epson ink guides: Epson Expression Photo XP-830 · Epson XP-15000 · Epson Expression Premium XP-6100 · find any printer

Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives

Sources

Ratings and prices were checked on October 21, 2026 and will change over time.

Need replacement Epson ink cartridges? Shop Epson ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.

Written and reviewed by — Castle Ink CEO since 2005; more than 20 years of experience in the printer supplies and e-commerce industry..

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