What Ink Does the HP DeskJet 2742e Use?
Last Updated:The HP DeskJet 2742e takes HP 67 and HP 67XL ink cartridges. It belongs to the DeskJet 2700e family, so it uses the same black and tri-color pair as the 2734e, 2752 and 2755e — there is no cartridge unique to the 2742e.
HP DeskJet 2742e Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Cartridge | Color | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|
| HP 67 | Black | ~120 pages |
| HP 67 | Tri-Color | ~100 pages |
| HP 67XL | Black | ~240 pages |
| HP 67XL | Tri-Color | ~200 pages |
Yields are the manufacturer's published estimates at roughly 5% page coverage — a normal text page. Photos, graphics and heavy colour fills will use considerably more than that, so treat these as a planning number rather than a promise.
About the HP DeskJet 2742e
- Wireless all-in-one: print, scan and copy
- Flatbed scanner, no automatic document feeder
- Manual duplex printing
- 60-sheet input tray, 25-sheet output
- Sold as an HP+ printer, which affects which ink you can use (see below)
The 2742e is the model most often sold in multi-packs and back-to-school bundles, which means a lot of owners inherit one with a nearly-empty setup cartridge already installed. Those setup cartridges are standard-yield at best, so plan on a replacement early. Going straight to a 67XL pair at the first low-ink warning is the cheapest way to own this printer.
HP+ and the HP DeskJet 2742e
The HP DeskJet 2742e is sold as an HP+ printer. If you accepted HP+ during setup, the printer is locked to Original HP cartridges for its lifetime and will reject compatible ink outright. HP gives you a seven-day window after activation to opt out; after that the decision is permanent.
If you are not sure which state your printer is in, open the HP Smart app and look at the printer's details — an HP+ printer is labelled as such. Printers that never had HP+ enabled, or that were opted out in time, run compatible cartridges normally.
Standard or XL — Which HP 67 Cartridge Should You Buy?
| Cartridge | Approx. Yield | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| HP 67 (standard) | ~120 black / ~100 color | Light users — a few pages a week |
| HP 67XL (high yield) | ~240 black / ~200 color | Households, students, anyone printing weekly |
| HP 67XXL (black only) | ~400 black | Heavy black-and-white printing |
The high-yield cartridge is almost always the cheaper way to print, because you are paying once for the shell, the chip and the shipping regardless of how much ink is inside it. If you want to see the difference for your own volume, run the numbers through our Printer Ink Cost Calculator.
Save on HP 67 / 67XL for the HP DeskJet 2742e
Castle Ink's compatible cartridges for the HP DeskJet 2742e are built to the same page yields as the originals and are covered by a one-year guarantee. If a cartridge does not work in your printer, we replace it or refund it — no argument.
U.S. orders over $50 ship free, and orders placed by 4 PM ET Monday through Friday go out the same day.
How to Replace the Ink in the HP DeskJet 2742e
- Turn the printer on — the carriage will not move to the access position if it is powered off.
- Open the cartridge access door and wait for the carriage to slide to the centre and stop.
- Press down on the old cartridge to release it, then pull it toward you and out.
- Unwrap the new cartridge and peel off the protective tape. Do not touch the copper contacts or the nozzle plate.
- Slide the new cartridge into its slot at a slight upward angle and press until it clicks firmly into place.
- Close the door and let the printer run its alignment page. Skipping alignment is the most common cause of banding people blame on the cartridge.
Troubleshooting the HP DeskJet 2742e
The printer prints, then stops mid-job. The 2742e has a small output tray and will pause if the extension arm is folded in. Pull the output extender out fully before a long job.
Print quality drops off after the printer sits unused. Print one colour page every couple of weeks. It costs almost nothing and it keeps the nozzles from drying, which is far cheaper than the deep cleaning cycles required to recover them.
The ink gauge reads low on a brand-new cartridge. Ink level reporting is an estimate, and on compatible cartridges it can read low, unknown, or not at all. Judge by print quality, not by the gauge.
Cartridges That Do Not Fit the HP DeskJet 2742e
These come up constantly in mistaken orders. None of them will work in an HP DeskJet 2742e:
- HP 65 / 65XL — looks similar, different chip and shape
- HP 63 / 63XL — older DeskJet and Envy models
- HP 62 / 62XL — Envy 5540 / OfficeJet 200 series
- HP 664 / 662 — international models sold outside the U.S.
Official HP Resources
Bottom Line
The HP DeskJet 2742e uses HP 67 / 67XL. For anything more than occasional printing, buy the high-yield version — the cost per page is meaningfully lower and you change cartridges less often. Castle Ink stocks compatible ink for this printer with free U.S. shipping over $50 and a one-year guarantee, and you can find guides for every other model we cover on our Find Ink by Printer page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the DeskJet 2742e use HP 65 or HP 67?
HP 67. The HP 65 belongs to the older DeskJet 3700 and Envy 5000 generation.
Will an HP 67XL fit if my printer shipped with a standard 67?
Yes — same family, same carriage, more ink.
How many pages does the HP 67XL black cartridge print?
Approximately 240 pages at 5% coverage.
Can I use compatible ink with HP+ enabled?
No. HP+ printers require Original HP cartridges. Opting out of HP+ at setup, or within seven days, leaves you free to use compatibles.
Is the 2742e the same printer as the 2755e?
They are the same DeskJet 2700e platform under different retail SKUs, and they share ink.
Why is my colour printing in the wrong shade?
Usually one of the three colour chambers in the tri-color cartridge has run dry. Replace the whole tri-color cartridge — the colours cannot be topped up individually.
Is shipping free?
Yes — free U.S. shipping on orders over $50, with a 1-year guarantee on every cartridge.
Shop Compatible Ink at Castle Ink
Save 50–70% on replacement cartridges for the HP DeskJet 2742e. Guaranteed to work, backed by Castle Ink's compatibility guarantee.
Prefer to buy elsewhere? Compare HP DeskJet 2742e ink on Amazon.
Not sure which printer you have? Start at our Find Ink by Printer guide.
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