What Ink Does the HP Envy 6555e Use?

Quick answer: The HP Envy 6555e uses HP 67 or HP 67XL ink cartridges — one black and one tri-color, two cartridges in total. The XL versions roughly double the yield and are the only sensible choice. Important: this is an HP+ printer, and if HP+ was activated at setup it will only accept Original HP ink — read the next section first.

HP Envy 6555e Ink Cartridges at a Glance

The Envy 6555e is a compact home all-in-one with print, scan and copy, built around the two-cartridge HP 67 system. Everything about its running costs follows from that tri-color design.

Before You Buy: This Is an HP+ Printer

This is the single most important thing to understand about the HP Envy 6555e, and it is not something HP puts in large type. The "e" on the end of the model name means it was sold as an HP+ printer, and HP+ is not just a software feature — it is a commitment.

If you activated HP+ during setup, HP's own terms require "exclusive use of Original HP Ink cartridges for the life of the printer," along with a permanent HP account and an always-on internet connection. In exchange you got extra warranty and some bundled Instant Ink months. HP publishes no way to undo that choice after the fact.

What this means in practice:

• If you enrolled in HP+, third-party cartridges will not work in this printer, and no compatible cartridge from us or anyone else will change that. Buy Original HP.
• If you declined HP+ at setup (you could opt out, and many people did), your printer behaves like a normal printer and compatible cartridges work fine.
• If you are buying this printer secondhand, ask the seller which way it was set up before you stock up on ink.

We would rather tell you this before you order than have a cartridge arrive that your printer refuses. If you are not sure which way your printer was set up, open the HP Smart app or the printer's information page and look for HP+ branding — an HP+ printer will say so.

Separately, and regardless of HP+: HP Instant Ink cartridges stop working the moment you cancel the subscription. HP's own support documentation says to use up the ink before unsubscribing, because the cartridge will not work afterwards. Those cartridges are rented, not bought.

The Tri-Color Problem Nobody Warns You About

The HP Envy 6555e uses a single tri-color cartridge holding cyan, magenta and yellow in one shell. That design keeps the printer cheap, and it is why the ink is expensive to run.

When any one of those three colors is exhausted, the cartridge is finished — even if the other two are half full. Print a lot of photos heavy in one hue and you will throw away usable ink every time. There is no way around it on this hardware; it is the compromise you accepted when you bought a sub-$100 all-in-one.

Two things genuinely help. First, set greyscale as your default in the print driver and switch to color deliberately, so routine documents never touch the color cartridge. Second, buy the XL. At roughly 200 pages against 100, the 67XL halves how often you hit that all-or-nothing moment.

Standard vs. XL: Which Should You Buy?

The XL, essentially always. HP 67 cartridges are rated at about 120 black and 100 color pages — that is a few reams of nothing. The 67XL roughly doubles both for far less than double the price. Unless the printer will sit unused for months, standard 67 cartridges are false economy. Our Printer Ink Cost Calculator will show you the cost per page at whatever prices you are looking at.

Dynamic Security. Like most current HP printers, the HP Envy 6555e ships with firmware that checks cartridge chips, and HP has been explicit that firmware updates "will maintain the effectiveness of these measures and block cartridges that previously worked." If you rely on compatible ink, turn off automatic firmware updates in the printer's embedded web server or HP Smart admin settings. Our guide on how to stop HP firmware updates from blocking your ink walks through it.

What Actually Ships in the Box

New HP Envy 6555e units include setup cartridges rather than full ones. HP does not publish an ISO yield for them; one published review measured roughly 120 black and 75 color pages. Either way, treat the in-box ink as a trial and have replacements ready.

How to Replace the Ink in the HP Envy 6555e

1. Turn the printer on and open the front access door, then lift the interior lid so the carriage moves to the center.
2. Press down on the cartridge you are replacing and pull it toward you to release it.
3. Unwrap the new cartridge and pull the plastic tape off the contacts. Do not touch the copper contacts or the nozzle strip.
4. Slide the cartridge into its slot — black on one side, tri-color on the other — and press until it clicks.
5. Close the interior lid and the access door.
6. Print the alignment page when prompted. On a two-cartridge printer this genuinely matters for color accuracy.

Work over a desk rather than carpet, and if you do get ink on your hands, cold water and soap before it dries.

Troubleshooting Tips

"Cartridge problem" or the printer refuses a new cartridge: Check HP+ enrollment first — on this model that is the usual cause. If it is not HP+, power the printer fully off, reseat the cartridge, and power back on.

One color has run out but the others look fine: That is the tri-color cartridge doing what tri-color cartridges do. There is no way to replace a single color; the whole cartridge is done. Printing in greyscale for text documents is the only real mitigation.

Faded or banded output: Run the printhead cleaning routine from HP Smart. On this series the printhead is built into the cartridge, so a persistent clog means a new cartridge rather than a service call.

Printer will not stay connected to Wi-Fi: The Envy 6000 series is 2.4 GHz only. A combined 2.4/5 GHz SSID is the most common cause of dropouts.

Prints are slow to start after idle: Normal — the printer runs a short maintenance cycle on wake. Leaving it powered rather than unplugging it actually saves ink over time.

Which Other Printers Use the Same Ink?

The HP 67 / 67XL cartridge is used across a range of machines, which keeps compatible prices low and availability high. If you run more than one of these, a single cartridge type covers them all:

• HP Envy 6000 / 6010 / 6020 / 6030 / 6055 / 6055e
• HP Envy 6400 / 6420 / 6430 / 6452 / 6455e
• HP Envy 6500 / 6555e / 6558e
• HP DeskJet 1255 / 2700 / 2720 / 2723 / 2732 / 2734e / 2742e / 2755 / 2755e
• HP DeskJet 4100 / 4133 / 4152e / 4155 / 4155e
• HP DeskJet Plus 4120 / 4122 / 4140 / 4155

Always check the number printed on the cartridge you are replacing before ordering — manufacturers reuse similar-looking numbers across families. You can also look your machine up in our Find Ink by Printer directory.

Compatible vs. OEM: What You're Actually Buying

An OEM cartridge is made by HP. A compatible is newly manufactured by a third party to the same physical and electrical spec. A remanufactured cartridge is an original shell that has been collected, cleaned, fitted with new wear parts and refilled. All three will print in a HP Envy 6555e; what differs is price, consistency, and who stands behind it.

Quality across the compatible market is genuinely uneven, which is why the seller matters more than the label. A no-name cartridge from a marketplace listing with no return path is a gamble. Castle Ink tests HP 67XL cartridges individually before they ship and backs every one with a replacement-or-refund guarantee.

And the warranty myth is just that: in the United States, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents a manufacturer from conditioning warranty coverage on the use of its own consumables. HP would have to show the third-party cartridge caused the specific failure being claimed.

How to Make Ink Last Longer on the HP Envy 6555e

Manufacturer yields are quoted at 5% page coverage — a fairly sparse business letter. Real documents run denser, which is why cartridges so often feel like they run out early. A few habits genuinely stretch them:

• Print in draft/economy mode for anything internal. On a tri-color cartridge this matters double, because a single depleted color retires the whole cartridge.
• Leave the printer plugged in and powered. Inkjets run a small maintenance cycle on wake; unplugging between uses forces a full purge that costs more ink than the cycle it skipped.
• Print something at least every couple of weeks. Idle printheads dry out, and a clogged head burns far more ink in cleaning cycles than routine printing would have used.
• Skip the alignment page unless quality actually looks off. Those are high-coverage prints.
• Use a lighter font for drafts. Dropping from a 12pt heavy serif to an 11pt lighter face measurably cuts coverage over a long document.

Ignore advice about freezing cartridges or refilling them with syringe kits. Neither works reliably, and both are good ways to ruin a printhead.

Official HP Envy 6555e Resources

• HP Envy 6555e support page
• HP driver and software downloads
• HP+ program terms
• how to stop HP firmware updates from blocking your ink
• How to recycle used cartridges

Bottom Line

The HP Envy 6555e is a fine little home all-in-one as long as you go in clear-eyed about two things: HP+ decides whether you can buy third-party ink at all, and the tri-color cartridge means color printing is expensive by design. If your unit is not HP+, a compatible 67XL black and tri-color bundle from Castle Ink is the cheapest way to keep it running — and setting greyscale as your default will stretch it further than any cartridge choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ink does the HP Envy 6555e use? HP 67 or HP 67XL cartridges — one black and one tri-color, two cartridges in total.

Can I use compatible ink in the HP Envy 6555e? Only if HP+ was declined at setup. HP+ printers require Original HP cartridges for the life of the printer.

Is there an HP 67XXL? Genuine 67XXL part numbers exist, but HP does not list them for the Envy 6000/6400/6500 series and availability is mostly remanufactured. We would stick with 67XL for this printer.

Why does a tri-color cartridge feel so wasteful? Because it is: when any one of the three colors runs out, the cartridge is finished even though ink remains in the other two. It is the trade-off for a cheap printer, and it is why cost per page on two-cartridge machines is high.

Should I print in greyscale to save the color cartridge? Yes, for anything that does not need color. Setting greyscale as your driver default is the single biggest saving available on this printer.

Why did the in-box cartridges run out so quickly? They are setup cartridges with less ink than retail ones. One reviewer measured roughly 120 black and 75 color pages, though HP does not publish an official figure.

Does compatible ink void the warranty? No — US warranty law prevents that. HP+ is a separate contractual matter agreed at setup, not a warranty question.

Written and reviewed by William Elward — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer and ink industry. Last updated August 2026.

Shop Compatible Ink at Castle Ink

Save 50–70% on replacement ink for the HP Envy 6555e. Every cartridge is tested before it ships and backed by Castle Ink's compatibility guarantee — if it does not work in your printer, we replace it or refund you.

• HP 67XL compatible black & tri-color bundle
• HP 67XL black
• HP 67XL tri-color
• Shop all HP ink at Castle Ink

Buy the HP Envy 6555e on Amazon: HP Envy 6555e on Amazon

See also: Find Ink by Printer | Printer Ink Cost Calculator | Best Printers Buying Guide