What Ink Does the HP Envy 5052 Use?

The HP Envy 5052 uses HP 65 and HP 65XL ink cartridges. It is part of HP's Envy 5000 series, which means the same pair fits the 5000, 5010, 5052 and 5055 — useful, because "5052" turns up far less often in cartridge listings than "5055" does.

HP Envy 5052 Ink Cartridges at a Glance

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 Envy 5052

• Wireless all-in-one: print, scan and copy
• Automatic two-sided printing
• Borderless photo printing up to 8.5x11
• 100-sheet input tray — larger than the DeskJet range
• Flatbed scanner, no automatic document feeder

A 100-sheet tray and automatic duplex make the Envy 5052 a genuine light-office machine rather than a photo toy, and its ink usage reflects that: black tends to run out first. If that describes your printing, buy black XL cartridges two at a time and a single tri-color, rather than the balanced pairs most retailers push.

Standard or XL — Which HP 65 Cartridge Should You Buy?

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 65 / 65XL for the HP Envy 5052

Castle Ink's compatible cartridges for the HP Envy 5052 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.

• HP 65XL Black Compatible Ink Cartridge
• HP 65XL Tri-Color Compatible Ink Cartridge
• HP compatible ink at Castle Ink

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 Envy 5052

1. Turn the printer on — the carriage will not move to the access position if it is powered off.
2. Open the cartridge access door and wait for the carriage to slide to the centre and stop.
3. Press down on the old cartridge to release it, then pull it toward you and out.
4. Unwrap the new cartridge and peel off the protective tape. Do not touch the copper contacts or the nozzle plate.
5. Slide the new cartridge into its slot at a slight upward angle and press until it clicks firmly into place.
6. 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 Envy 5052

Paper pulled crooked from a full tray. The 5052's 100-sheet tray tends to skew when it is loaded past the fill line. Keep it to around 80 sheets and square the side guide against the stack.

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 Envy 5052

These come up constantly in mistaken orders. None of them will work in an HP Envy 5052:

• HP 67 / 67XL — newer DeskJet 2700e / 4100e / Envy 6000e models
• HP 63 / 63XL — DeskJet 2130 / Envy 4520 / OfficeJet 3830
• HP 62 / 62XL — Envy 5540 / OfficeJet 200 series
• HP 305 / 304 — European equivalents that will not chip-match a U.S. printer

Official HP Resources

• HP Printer Support
• Replace Ink Cartridges (HP guide)

Bottom Line

The HP Envy 5052 uses HP 65 / 65XL. 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 Envy 5052 use the same ink as the Envy 5055?
Yes. The whole Envy 5000 series takes HP 65 and 65XL.

Is 65XL worth it over standard 65?
Almost always. The XL prints about 300 pages versus 120 for black at a much lower cost per page.

Can I print with only the black cartridge installed?
No. The Envy 5052 expects both cartridges present, even for black-only documents.

Why does the printer keep cleaning itself?
The Envy 5000 series runs an automatic maintenance cycle on wake. Leaving the printer powered on rather than unplugging it between uses actually reduces total ink spent on cleaning.

Does the 5052 support HP Instant Ink?
It is Instant Ink eligible. If you are enrolled, cartridges are supplied by HP and third-party ink will not be recognised until you leave the programme.

Does it print double-sided automatically?
Yes — automatic duplex is standard on the Envy 5000 series.

Is shipping free?
Yes — free U.S. shipping over $50 and a 1-year guarantee on every cartridge.

Shop Compatible Ink at Castle Ink

Save 50–70% on replacement cartridges for the HP Envy 5052. Guaranteed to work, backed by Castle Ink's compatibility guarantee.

• HP 65XL Black Compatible Ink Cartridge
• HP 65XL Tri-Color Compatible Ink Cartridge
• HP compatible ink at Castle Ink

Prefer to buy elsewhere? Compare HP Envy 5052 ink on Amazon.

Not sure which printer you have? Start at our Find Ink by Printer guide.

Related Printer Support Posts:

• What Ink Does the HP Envy 5055 Use?
• What Ink Does the HP Envy 5000 Use?
• What Ink Does the HP DeskJet 3755 Use?
• What Ink Does the HP Envy 6000 Use?