What Ink Does the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 Use?
Last Updated:Shopping for this printer? See all HP 952 Ink Cartridges – 952 & 952XL → Ships same day by 4 PM ET, 1-year guarantee.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 uses HP 952 and HP 952XL ink cartridges — four individual tanks in black, cyan, magenta and yellow. It shares its ink with the 8710, 8715, 8725, 8730 and 8740, so the cartridge market for it is unusually deep.
CastleScore · October 2026
84/100 — Highly Recommended
HP OfficeJet Pro 8720
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 82 | 4.22★ average across 5,353 ratings at Best Buy (4.6), Amazon (3.8), Best Buy (4.6), Amazon (4.0), Adorama (3.5) |
| Expert reviews (18%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (24%) | 81 | About 3.1¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured 952XL (2,000 / 1,600 pages). Docked because the printer can reject cartridges without the maker's chip. |
| Reliability (13%) | 83 | Most-reported problems: wireless connection drops / needs re-login via app; paper jams, especially with photo paper and cardstock; units failing within months of purchase |
| Features (12%) | 97 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, touchscreen, fast (20+ ppm). |
| Value (5%) | 82 | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough published expert scores for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
Discontinued. HP no longer sells the 8720 new and points buyers to the OfficeJet Pro 9015e. This score rates it for people who already own one.
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 7, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
HP 952XL 4-packBlack + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
HP 952XL BlackF6U19AN · ~2,000 pages
HP 952XL CyanL0S61AN · ~1,600 pages
HP 952XL MagentaL0S64AN · ~1,600 pages
HP 952XL YellowL0S67AN · ~1,600 pages
HP 952XL 4-pack
HP 952XL Black
HP 952XL Cyan
HP 952XL Magenta
HP 952XL YellowOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Cartridge | Color | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|
| HP 952 | Black | ~1,000 pages |
| HP 952 | Cyan / Magenta / Yellow | ~700 pages each |
| HP 952XL | Black | ~2,000 pages |
| HP 952XL | Cyan / Magenta / Yellow | ~1,600 pages each |
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.
Comparing third-party options? Our best compatible HP 952 ink guide sets genuine HP against the main compatible and remanufactured choices.
About the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720
- Wireless all-in-one: print, scan, copy and fax
- 50-page automatic document feeder with two-sided scanning
- Automatic two-sided printing
- 250-sheet input tray, expandable to 500 sheets with an optional second tray
- 4.3-inch colour touchscreen
HP rates it at up to 24 pages a minute in black and 20 in color (ISO). For anyone printing a few hundred pages a month, the 952XL, at roughly 2,000 black pages, costs noticeably less per page than the standard 952.
Firmware and Non-HP Chip Warnings
HP ships firmware on this generation that can reject cartridges whose chip it does not recognise — a policy HP calls dynamic security. A cartridge that worked last month can start throwing a "Non-HP chip detected" or "Supply Problem" message after an automatic update, with no other change.
The fix is to get ahead of it: open the printer's embedded web server, turn automatic firmware updates off, and leave them off. Our guide on how to stop HP firmware updates from blocking your ink walks through it screen by screen. Do this before you install a compatible cartridge, not after. Cartridges that keep the original HP chip, like our remanufactured 952XL, are the safer choice on this printer.
Standard or XL — Which HP 952 Cartridge Should You Buy?
| Cartridge | Approx. Yield | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| HP 952 (standard) | ~1,000 black / ~700 per color | Low-volume offices |
| HP 952XL (high yield) | ~2,000 black / ~1,600 per color | Double the pages — by far the lower cost per page |
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.
How to Replace the Ink in the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720
- 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 OfficeJet Pro 8720
"Used or counterfeit cartridge" messages. This generation is heavily affected by HP dynamic security. Disable automatic firmware updates from the printer's embedded web server before installing compatible ink.
Slow first page after idle. The 8720 parks and caps the printhead aggressively. That is normal behaviour, not a fault, and it is what keeps the nozzles clear between jobs.
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 OfficeJet Pro 8720
These come up constantly in mistaken orders. None of them will work in an HP OfficeJet Pro 8720:
- HP 902 / 902XL — OfficeJet 6950 / 6970 / 6978 series
- HP 910 / 910XL — OfficeJet 8010 / 8020 series
- HP 962 / 962XL — OfficeJet Pro 9010 / 9020 series
- HP 950 / 951 — the older OfficeJet Pro 8600 generation
What OfficeJet Pro 8720 owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, HP's support forum and owner reviews, answered in our words.
Can I add more paper capacity?
Yes. The main tray holds 250 sheets, and HP sells an optional second tray that brings the total to 500.
Will it keep printing black when a color cartridge runs out?
Owners report that it won't. Plan on keeping a spare color cartridge on hand if you mostly print text.
Can I print a PDF straight from a USB stick?
Reviewers found the front USB port prints photos but not PDFs, and TechGearLab found the port unreliable. Print PDFs from a computer or phone instead.
Is there a manual feed slot for cardstock or envelopes?
No. ITPro noted there is no bypass slot, and owners report jams with photo paper and cardstock, so feed heavy media from the main tray a few sheets at a time.
What should I buy now that the 8720 is discontinued?
HP's product page points to the OfficeJet Pro 9015e as the newer model. If your 8720 still works, HP 952 and 952XL cartridges remain easy to find.
OfficeJet Pro 8720 quirks worth knowing
- The 8700 series was named in HP's settlement with Euroconsumers over dynamic security (covering Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal, at €20–50 per printer), which confirms the September 2016 firmware hit this exact generation. In Europe the printer takes HP 953, the equivalent of HP 952.
- It has NFC tap-to-print, a front host USB port, two RJ-11 phone ports and a 150-sheet output tray, plus a duty cycle of up to 30,000 pages a month.
- TechGearLab measured very low running costs (about 7¢ a color page and 3¢ a mono page) but scored its text quality only 3 out of 10.
- There is no secure (PIN) print option, which matters if the printer is shared in an office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the OfficeJet Pro 8720 use HP 952 or HP 962?
HP 952. The 962 belongs to the OfficeJet Pro 9010 / 9020 series.
How many pages does an HP 952XL black print?
About 2,000 pages at 5% coverage, versus roughly 1,000 for the standard 952.
Is the 8720 ink the same as the 8710?
Yes — the entire OfficeJet Pro 8700 range takes HP 952 / 952XL.
Can I use standard 952 colours with a 952XL black?
Yes, mixing yields across colours is fine.
Why did a working compatible cartridge start failing?
Almost always a firmware update. See our guide on stopping HP firmware updates from blocking your ink.
Does the 8720 scan both sides of a page automatically?
Yes — it has a duplexing 50-page ADF.
Is shipping free?
On U.S. orders over $50, yes. Orders placed by 4 PM ET ship the same day.
Other printers that use HP 952
HP OfficeJet Pro 8710 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8715 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8740 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8210
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 7, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement HP 952 Ink Cartridges – 952 & 952XL? Shop HP 952 Ink Cartridges – 952 & 952XL at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.