What Ink Does the HP DeskJet 1255 Use?

Quick answer: The HP DeskJet 1255 uses HP 67 cartridges — a 67 black (3YM56AN) and a 67 tri-color (3YM55AN) — or the high-yield HP 67XL black (3YM57AN) and tri-color (3YM58AN). Two cartridges, same slots, and the XL versions are the only ones that make financial sense.

The DeskJet 1255 rarely appears in HP's own compatibility lists, so it does not always show up in the usual ink finders. If you have been searching and coming up empty: it is HP 67.

The cartridges, pictured

• HP 67XL 2-packBlack 3YM57AN + Tri-color 3YM58AN
• HP 67XL Black3YM57AN · ~240 pages
• HP 67XL Tri-color3YM58AN · ~200 pages

Our own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.

HP DeskJet 1255 ink at a glance

Those standard-yield numbers are not typos. A 120-page HP 67 black is one of the smallest cartridges HP sells, which is exactly why the printer is so inexpensive up front.

HP 67 vs 67XL

Both sizes use the same cartridge shell with different amounts of ink inside, and both drop into the same carriage. HP rates the 67XL at about 240 pages black and 200 pages tri-color, against 120 and 100 for the standard cartridges.

For a DeskJet 1255, the practical answer is simple: buy 67XL, in a two-pack if you can, and do not bother with standards.

How to replace the cartridges in a DeskJet 1255

1. Turn the printer on and load a few sheets of plain paper before you start — the printer will want to print an alignment page afterward.
2. Open the cartridge access door and wait for the carriage to stop moving.
3. Press down on the old cartridge to release it, then pull it toward you and out. Black sits on the right, tri-color on the left.
4. Take the new cartridge out of the wrapper and pull the plastic tape off the copper contacts. Do not touch the contacts or the nozzles.
5. Slide the cartridge into its slot at a slight upward angle, then push forward until it snaps into place.
6. Close the door. Print the alignment page when prompted — skipping it is the most common cause of "the new cartridge prints badly" complaints.

Troubleshooting HP 67 ink problems

• "Cartridge problem" or "Incompatible cartridge." Remove the cartridge, wipe the copper contacts with a dry lint-free cloth, and reseat it until it clicks. Then power the printer fully off, wait ten seconds, and power it back on. If the cartridge has a non-HP chip, HP dynamic security can reject it no matter what you do; cartridges that keep the original HP chip avoid that.
• Missing colors or banding. The print head is built into the HP 67 cartridge, so nozzle clogs travel with the cartridge. Run the printer's clean-cartridge routine once or twice; if the gaps stay, the cartridge is done, not the printer.
• New cartridge reads as empty. Ink level estimates on this family are notoriously conservative. If it prints, keep printing.
• Ink runs out much faster than expected. Check what you are printing. Anything with a colored background, a photo, or a full-bleed image consumes many times the ink of plain text. The 67 family's small tanks make this very visible.
• Dried-out tri-color after a long gap. Print a color test page every couple of weeks. It is cheaper than the cleaning cycles required to recover a badly dried head.

Which printers use HP 67 ink?

HP 67 and 67XL cover a wide slice of HP's budget lineup, so a spare set is rarely wasted:

• DeskJet 1255
• DeskJet 2700, 2700e, 2732, 2734e, 2742e, 2752e, 2755e
• DeskJet 2800e, 2827e, 2852e, 2855e
• DeskJet 4100, 4100e, 4152e, 4155e, 4255e
• DeskJet Plus 4140
• ENVY 6000, 6055e, 6065e, 6400e, 6455e, 6555e

For a much deeper look at this cartridge family, see our guide to what ink the HP DeskJet 2700 uses.

What DeskJet 1255 owners ask

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

Can the DeskJet 1255 print over Wi-Fi or scan documents?

No. It is a print-only machine that connects by USB, with no scanner and no wireless, so you can't print to it from a phone.

Can I use remanufactured HP 67 cartridges in it?

Yes, if they keep the original HP chip, as ours do. HP says its HP 67 printers block cartridges with non-HP chips, so avoid clones with third-party chips.

How much paper fits in the tray?

Up to 60 sheets of plain paper in, and 25 sheets in the output tray.

Can it print on both sides of the page?

Only manually. The printer prints one side, then you flip the stack and feed it back in.

Does it work with current Windows and Mac computers?

Driver listings show support from Windows 7 through Windows 11 and from macOS 10.9 through macOS 13 Ventura.

DeskJet 1255 quirks worth knowing

• The 1255 rarely appears in HP's own compatibility tables. HP's HP 67 black listing names it only in the product description, which is why ink finders often miss it.
• Because it is USB-only, it can't be enrolled in HP+ or Instant Ink, so there is no HP+ lock to Original HP ink. HP dynamic security still applies to the cartridge chips.
• A standard HP 67 black holds only 2 ml of ink, which is why HP rates it for about 120 pages.
• Being USB-only also means it gets firmware only when someone installs an update from a computer.

FAQ

What ink does the HP DeskJet 1255 use?

HP 67 black (3YM56AN) and HP 67 tri-color (3YM55AN), or the high-yield HP 67XL black (3YM57AN) and tri-color (3YM58AN).

Is HP 67XL worth it over HP 67?

Yes. The XL roughly doubles the page yield for well under double the price, and the standard 67 black only manages about 120 pages.

Can I use HP 65 or HP 63 cartridges instead?

No. HP 63, 65 and 67 look similar but are not interchangeable. That includes the combined HP 63/65 cartridges HP introduced in 2026: they replace HP 63 and HP 65 in the printers that took those, not HP 67.

Does the DeskJet 1255 work with HP Instant Ink?

No — Instant Ink requires a connected printer that can report usage to HP. A USB-only DeskJet 1255 has no way to do that, which also means it is not subject to Instant Ink cartridge lockouts.

Can I print with only the black cartridge installed?

HP's two-cartridge DeskJets generally support single-cartridge mode. Expect reduced quality and grayscale-only output while you are in it.

Why won't my DeskJet 1255 recognize a new cartridge?

Nearly always the protective tape, dirty contacts, or a cartridge that is not fully clicked in. Clean the copper contacts, reseat, and power-cycle.

Other printers that use HP 67

HP Deskjet 2700 · HP Deskjet 2852e · HP Envy 6000 · HP DeskJet 4155e · HP DeskJet 4255e · HP Envy 6400e · HP Envy 6455e · HP DeskJet 2734e

More HP ink guides: HP OfficeJet 3830 · HP Envy 5000 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8610 · find any printer

Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives

• Epson EcoTank ET-2980 (cheapest to run) — CastleScore 90
• HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw (laser) — CastleScore 82
• HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e — CastleScore 79

Sources

Ratings and prices were checked on October 10, 2026 and will change over time.

• SHI: HP 67 black cartridge listing (names the DeskJet 1255)
• HP DeskJet 4255e product page (HP 67 yields, dynamic security)
• eBay catalog: HP DeskJet 1255 specifications
• DeskJet 1255 drivers and specs (printerdrivers.com)
• 4inkjets: HP DeskJet 1255 cartridges and prices