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 is a value-channel model that HP files under its DeskJet 1200 series, 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.

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 vs 67XXL

All three are physically the same cartridge shell with different amounts of ink inside, and all three drop into the same carriage. The 67XL roughly doubles the standard yield. The 67XXL goes further again but is largely an Instant Ink channel product, so it is harder to find at retail and is not listed on HP's own DeskJet 1200-series documentation.

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

Castle Ink recommendation

Castle Ink stocks remanufactured HP 67XL cartridges, individually and as a bundle:

• HP 67XL Black & Tri-Color 2-Pack (best value)
• HP 67XL Black High-Yield (3YM57AN)
• HP 67XL Tri-Color High-Yield (3YM58AN)
• HP 67XXL Black Extra High-Yield (3YM59AN)

Browse the full HP compatible ink range for other models in the house.

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.
• 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 and the DeskJet 1200 series
• 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.

Genuine HP 67 vs remanufactured: what actually differs

HP applies dynamic security to its inkjet lines, which means firmware can reject cartridges that use a non-HP chip. Remanufactured cartridges sidestep that by reusing the original HP chip on a refilled shell — which is exactly what Castle Ink's HP 67XL cartridges are. That is the practical difference between a remanufactured cartridge and a cheap clone: one is built on genuine HP hardware, the other is not.

One advantage the DeskJet 1255 has here is that, unlike HP's connected models, it is not an HP+ printer and is not tied to an Instant Ink subscription. There is no enrollment step that permanently locks it to Original HP ink.

About the HP DeskJet 1255 itself

The DeskJet 1255 is a compact, low-cost color inkjet sold largely through warehouse and value channels. Retail listings consistently describe it as a print-only, USB-connected machine with manual two-sided printing and up to 4800 x 1200 dpi output — no scanner, no document feeder, and no wireless. HP's own online specification page for the model is difficult to pin down, so treat the feature list as retail-sourced rather than manufacturer-confirmed, and check the box if a specific feature matters to you.

The one thing that is not in doubt is the ink: HP 67 and 67XL.

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 keyed differently and are not interchangeable.

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.

Shop HP 67XL now

Stock up with the HP 67XL black and tri-color 2-pack, or look your model up on our Find Ink by Printer page.