What Ink Does the Epson WorkForce 30 Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 24, 2026

Quick answer: The Epson WorkForce 30 uses five Epson 69 cartridges: two black, plus cyan, magenta and yellow. The high-capacity Epson 68 fits too. Castle Ink stocks a remanufactured high-capacity Epson 68 Black, Epson 69 Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, and a 5-pack with two blacks that fills the printer in one go.

Epson 69 also fits the Stylus NX300, the Stylus NX110, the WorkForce 610 and many other Epson models from 2008 to 2011. Epson 88 isn't listed for the WorkForce 30, and the extra-high-capacity Epson 97 black was made for the WorkForce 40 and 600, not this model.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Epson WorkForce 30

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	No published numeric expert score we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	87	About 3.7¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured Epson 68 high-capacity black (about 380 pages) and Epson 69 colors (320 pages).
Reliability (13%)	72	Most-reported problems: ink light staying on after a cartridge change; printing stops when any cartridge, including either black, is empty; clogged nozzles and streaks after the printer sits idle; all lights on when the ink pads are full
Features (12%)	30	Print only, over USB. No scanner, no display, no memory card slots, no Wi-Fi, no Ethernet, no document feeder, no auto two-sided printing, no fax.
Value (5%)	—	Running cost and owner satisfaction

Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings or published expert scores for this printer, so those weights are spread across the other pillars. With neither owner ratings nor a published expert score, we cap this printer at 69 (Situational) until better data is available.

Discontinued. Epson announced the WorkForce 30 in August 2008 at about $69.99 and now lists it as discontinued, with no named replacement. Epson 69 cartridges are still sold; Epson has discontinued Epson 68.

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 24, 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 WorkForce 30 Take?

Cartridge	Epson part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
Epson 69 Black (two needed)	T069120-S	~245 pages	Remanufactured 69 Black
Epson 69 Cyan	T069220-S	~320 pages	Remanufactured 69 Cyan
Epson 69 Magenta	T069320-S	~320 pages	Remanufactured 69 Magenta
Epson 69 Yellow	T069420-S	~320 pages	Remanufactured 69 Yellow
Epson 68 Black (high capacity)	T068120-S	~380 pages	Remanufactured 68 Black
Epson 68 Cyan / Magenta / Yellow (high capacity)	T068220 / T068320 / T068420	Not published	—

Yields come from 4inkjets listings; we didn't find Epson's own figures. Epson's Epson 68 page lists the WorkForce 30 for all four colors, but Epson has discontinued every Epson 68 cartridge.

Is High-Capacity Ink Worth It?

For black, yes, and our 68 black costs the same as a 69. On October 24, 2026, Staples listed Epson's 69 black at $21.39, about 8.7¢ a page, and 4inkjets had Epson's 69 yellow at $21.99. Epson's own 68 black was backordered at 4inkjets at $58.40. Our remanufactured Epson 68 Black and 69 cartridges are $7.95 each, about 2.1¢ a page for 68 black. The 5-pack is $34.95 and the 8-pack $59.95.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Epson WorkForce 30?

With the printer on, open the printer cover.
Press the ink button. The print head moves to the low or empty cartridge; press it again to move to the next one.
Open the cartridge cover, squeeze the tab and lift the old cartridge straight out.
Shake the new package four or five times, unpack it, remove only the yellow tape without touching the green chip, and press it in until it clicks.
Close the cartridge and printer covers and press the ink button. Ink charging takes about a minute and a half; wait until the power light stops flashing.

Which Other Printers Use Epson 69?

The Stylus NX300, NX110, N11, NX100, NX105, NX115, NX200, NX215, NX305, NX400, NX415, NX510 and NX515, the Stylus C120, CX5000, CX6000, CX7000F, CX7400, CX7450, CX8400, CX9400Fax and CX9475Fax, and the WorkForce 40, 310, 315, 500, 600, 610, 615 and 1100.

What WorkForce 30 owners ask

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

Why does it take two black cartridges?

It uses a dual-black system for longer black printing, so it holds five cartridges: two black plus cyan, magenta and yellow. Our 5-pack has two blacks for that reason.

Can I use Epson 68 high-capacity cartridges?

Yes. Epson lists the WorkForce 30 for 68 in all four colors. Epson has discontinued them, so what's left is old stock or remanufactured 68 black like ours.

The ink light is still on after I replaced a cartridge.

Open the cover, press the ink button to move the head to the replacement position, press each cartridge down until it clicks and check that no yellow tape is left on.

All the lights are on at once. What does that mean?

On Epson printers of this era it usually means the waste ink pads are at the end of their life. Epson offers pad service, but on a printer this old a replacement is often cheaper.

WorkForce 30 quirks worth knowing

It's print-only: no scanner, copier or fax.
It's fast for its class. Epson rates it at 16 ISO pages a minute in black and 5.5 in color.
It connects over USB 2.0 only. Wi-Fi came with the WorkForce 40. There's no screen or memory card slot.
Printing stops when any cartridge is empty, including either of the two blacks.

Frequently Asked Questions