What Ink Does the HP ENVY 5542 Use?

Quick answer: The HP ENVY 5542 uses two cartridges: an HP 62 or HP 62XL black and an HP 62 or HP 62XL tri-color. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured HP 62XL Black, HP 62XL Tri-color and a 62XL 2-pack.

The 5542 is part of the ENVY 5540 series. HP's support documents list it with the 5540, 5541, 5543, 5544, 5545, 5546, 5547 and 5548, and it shares HP 62 with the ENVY 5640, ENVY 5660 and OfficeJet 5740. The U.S. 5542 is HP product number K7C86A; the U.S. 5540 is K7C85A. HP also sold an ENVY 5542 in Europe as K7C88A and K7G90A, and those take European HP 62 cartridges ending in AE (for example C2P05AE). HP region-codes its cartridges, so a U.S. printer needs U.S. AN cartridges and a European one needs AE cartridges. Check the label on the back of the printer if you're not sure which you have.

The cartridges, pictured

• HP 62XL BlackC2P05AN · ~600 pages
• HP 62XL Tri-colorC2P07AN · ~415 pages
• HP 62XL 2-packC2P05AN + C2P07AN

Our own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.

What Ink Cartridges Does the HP ENVY 5542 Take?

Tri-color goes on the left, black on the right. Yields are HP's ISO figures. We don't stock the standard 62; the XL fits the same slots. The MICR black is only for printing checks. This is not an HP+ printer. The HP 62 models weren't among the printers named in HP's dynamic security class settlements in Canada and Europe, and we found no HP statement that this series uses dynamic security. Our remanufactured 62XL cartridges keep the original HP chip.

Are HP 62XL Cartridges Worth It?

Yes. The 62XL black prints about 600 pages against 200 for the standard 62, and the 62XL tri-color about 415 pages against 165. On October 21, 2026, Staples listed HP's 62XL black at $62.89 (about 10.5¢ a page) and 62XL tri-color at $64.89 (about 15.6¢ a page). 4inkjets listed HP's standard 62 black at $24.99 (about 12.5¢ a page) and 62 tri-color at $36.99 (about 22.4¢ a page). Our remanufactured 62XL black is $22.99, about 3.8¢ a page, and our 62XL tri-color is $23.99, about 5.8¢ a page. Our 62XL 2-pack is $44.99, so it is now the cheaper way to buy both. The two singles add up to $46.98.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the HP ENVY 5542?

1. Turn the printer on and load plain paper in the main tray.
2. Open the cartridge access door and wait for the carriage to move to the center and stop.
3. Press down on the cartridge you're replacing to release it, then pull it out. Tri-color goes on the left, black on the right.
4. Unpack the new cartridge and pull off the plastic tape by its pink tab, without touching the copper contacts.
5. Slide the cartridge into its slot until it clicks and close the door. HP says to let the printer finish its cartridge alignment before you print.

Which Other Printers Use HP 62 and 62XL?

The ENVY 5540, 5541, 5542, 5543, 5544, 5545, 5546, 5547 and 5548; the ENVY 5640, 5642, 5643, 5644 and 5646; the ENVY 5660, 5661, 5663, 5664 and 5665; the ENVY 7640, 7643, 7644 and 7645; the OfficeJet 5740, 5741, 5742, 5743, 5744, 5745 and 5746; the OfficeJet 8040; and the OfficeJet 200 and 250 mobile printers. The look-alike HP 61 and HP 63 do not fit.

What ENVY 5542 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for the ENVY 5540 series in HP's support community and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Is the 5542 different from the 5540?

For ink, no. HP groups the 5542 with the 5540 in its support documents, and both take HP 62 and 62XL. HP's U.S. store lists the 5542 under its own product number, K7C86A, which usually means a version made for a particular retailer. We couldn't confirm which one.

I bought my 5542 in Europe. Can I use U.S. cartridges?

Probably not without help. HP cartridges are region-coded, and HP's own moderators describe a region reset as best effort that may not work on every printer. Use HP 62 cartridges with the AE suffix in a European 5542.

It says paper jam, but nothing is stuck, and the carriage won't move.

Owners of the 5540 report this in HP's community. HP's steps are to clear any scraps near the carriage and in the paper path. If the carriage still won't center when you open the door, HP says it may be a hardware fault.

There's a torn white ribbon inside the printer.

That ribbon is the flex cable that connects the cartridges to the printer's electronics. A volunteer expert in HP's community said it isn't meant to be replaced by owners, so a torn one usually means the printer needs service or replacing.

ENVY 5542 quirks worth knowing

• Its 2.2-inch touchscreen is monochrome, unlike the color screens on the 5640 and 5660 series. Tom's Guide found it worked well but small.
• HP rates it at up to 12 pages a minute in black and 8 in color (ISO), with automatic two-sided printing.
• A 15-sheet photo tray sits above the 125-sheet main tray. Expert Reviews found the photo tray struggled to feed 10 sheets reliably.
• There's no fax, no document feeder and no Ethernet port. It connects over Wi-Fi or USB.
• It predates HP+, so there's no HP+ original-ink requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other printers that use HP 62XL

HP Envy 5540 · HP Envy 5640 · HP Envy 5660 · HP Envy 7640 · HP OfficeJet 5740

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 21, 2026 and will change over time.

• HP Store: ENVY 5542 (K7C86A), discontinued
• HP Store: ENVY 5540 specifications
• HP Support: replacing cartridges, ENVY 5540 series incl. 5542
• HP France: HP 62XL (C2P05AE) compatible printers incl. ENVY 5542 K7C88A
• HP Community: cartridge region reset
• HP Community: ENVY 5540 false paper jam
• Tom's Guide: HP ENVY 5540 review
• Staples: HP 62XL black C2P05AN price