What Ink Does the HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 15, 2026

Quick answer: The HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 (A909 series) uses four separate HP 940 ink cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow. The high-yield HP 940XL versions fit too. It also has two replaceable HP 940 printheads, sold separately from the ink. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured 940XL Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a 940XL 4-pack.

Don't confuse the 8500 with the later OfficeJet Pro 8500A (A910). They're different printers, but both take HP 940 ink and printheads, as does the OfficeJet Pro 8000. European HP 940 cartridges end in 'AE' and are region-coded, so buy the 'AN' versions for a U.S. printer.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

HP OfficeJet Pro 8500

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	Reviewed by TechRadar and Expert Reviews (which gave it a Business Buy award), without a numeric score we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	98	About 0.7¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured 940XL (2,200 black / 1,400 color pages).
Reliability (13%)	74	Most-reported problems: 'Printhead problem' and 'Replace printheads' errors; streaks or missing colors from a worn printhead; blank pages from clogged printheads
Features (12%)	86	Print, copy, scan, fax, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, Ethernet. Wi-Fi and a touchscreen on the Wireless and Premier models.
Value (5%)	82	Running cost and owner satisfaction

Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings or published expert scores for this printer, so those weights are spread across the other pillars. With neither owner ratings nor a published expert score, we cap this printer at 69 (Situational) until better data is available.

Discontinued. HP announced the OfficeJet Pro 8500 (A909) in March 2009 at $299 to $499 depending on the model. The OfficeJet Pro 8500A (A910) followed it. HP 940 cartridges are still sold, though some sellers show HP's originals backordered.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 15, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The cartridges, pictured

Our own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.

What Ink Cartridges Does the HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Take?

Cartridge	HP part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
HP 940 Black	C4902AN	~1,000 pages	—
HP 940 Cyan	C4903AN	~900 pages	—
HP 940XL Black	C4906AN	~2,200 pages	Remanufactured 940XL Black
HP 940XL Cyan	C4907AN	~1,400 pages	Remanufactured 940XL Cyan
HP 940XL Magenta	C4908AN	~1,400 pages	Remanufactured 940XL Magenta
HP 940XL Yellow	C4909AN	~1,400 pages	Remanufactured 940XL Yellow
HP 940 Printhead, Black/Yellow	C4900A	Replaceable part	—
HP 940 Printhead, Magenta/Cyan	C4901A	Replaceable part	—

Yields come from seller listings. We found the 940XL cyan rated at about 1,400 pages; magenta and yellow are generally listed the same, but we couldn't confirm them separately. The two printheads aren't part of a normal ink change. Replace one only when the printer asks for it or streaks won't clear.

Is HP 940XL Worth It?

Yes. On October 15, 2026, LD Products listed HP's 940XL black at $56.99 (about 2.6¢ a page) and 4inkjets listed the 940XL cyan at $39.79 (about 2.8¢ a page), both backordered. Our remanufactured 940XL black is $11.99 (about 0.5¢ a page), each 940XL color is $10.99, and the 4-pack is $41.99.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the HP OfficeJet Pro 8500?

With the printer on, open the ink cartridge door on the front. The ink tanks sit there, not on the moving carriage.
Press the front of the empty cartridge to release it, then pull it straight out.
Unwrap the new HP 940 or 940XL cartridge.
Slide it into the slot of the same color until it clicks into place.
Close the cartridge door and wait for the printer to finish starting up.

Which Other Printers Use HP 940?

The OfficeJet Pro 8000, 8000 Wireless and 8000 Enterprise; the 8500 Wireless and 8500 Premier; and the 8500A, 8500A Plus and 8500A Premium.

What OfficeJet Pro 8500 owners ask

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

Do I need a new printhead every time I replace ink?

No. The ink cartridges and the two printheads (C4900A Black/Yellow and C4901A Magenta/Cyan) are separate. Replace a printhead only when the printer reports a printhead error or streaks stay after cleaning.

What does 'Printhead problem' or 'Replace printheads' mean?

The printer can't use one of its two printheads. Clean the electrical contacts on the named printhead and in the carriage, then reseat it. If the message stays, replace that printhead. Don't leave a printhead out of the printer for more than 30 minutes.

Which printhead do I replace?

HP says streaks in black, red or green point to the Black/Yellow printhead, and streaks in cyan or magenta point to the Magenta/Cyan printhead. Run a printhead cleaning first.

Will 8500A cartridges fit my 8500?

Yes. The 8500 (A909) and 8500A (A910) both take HP 940 and 940XL.

OfficeJet Pro 8500 quirks worth knowing

HP rates it at up to 15 ISO pages a minute in black and 11 in color.
It has a 50-sheet document feeder and prints two-sided automatically. The Wireless model adds Wi-Fi and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen.
The tray holds 250 sheets, and an optional second 250-sheet tray (CB802A) brings it to 500.
Reviewers liked the text but called photo quality average, so it's best for office work.

Frequently Asked Questions