We’ve all been there. You have a critical document to print—a concert ticket, a tax form, your child’s last-minute homework assignment—and you hit “Print.” Instead of the crisp, professional page you expect, the printer sputters out a faint, streaky, unreadable mess. A quick check confirms your worst fear: the black ink cartridge is empty. It’s a moment of pure frustration, one that can derail a productive morning or a calm evening. In our increasingly digital world, the need for a physical document can feel like an emergency, and being unable to produce one because of unreliable ink is a modern-day curse. The search for a replacement isn’t just about buying a product; it’s about finding a reliable partner for your printer, a component you can trust to work flawlessly when it matters most. This is the promise of the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge, but as we discovered, delivering on that promise is more complicated than it seems.
- Original HP Ink Cartridges are engineered to work with HP printers to provide consistent quality, reliability and value
- This cartridge works with: HP DeskJet 1112, 2130, 2132, 3630, 3631, 3632, 3633, 3634, 3636, 3637, 3639; HP ENVY 4511, 4512, 4513, 4516, 4520, 4522, 4524;...
What to Consider Before Buying a Printer Ink Cartridge
A printer ink cartridge is more than just a plastic box of colored liquid; it’s the lifeblood of your printer and the key solution for translating digital work into tangible reality. Its primary benefit is providing the precise, controlled application of ink needed for sharp text and vibrant images. Without a quality cartridge, even the most advanced printer is just a large, noisy paperweight. The challenge lies in navigating a market flooded with options, from manufacturer-branded original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridges to third-party remanufactured or compatible alternatives, each with its own claims of quality and value.
The ideal customer for an OEM product like the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge is someone who prioritizes reliability, consistency, and perfect compatibility with their HP printer. This includes home office users, students, and families who cannot afford the downtime or potential print-quality issues that can sometimes arise from third-party inks. They value the peace of mind that comes from using a product engineered by the same company that made their printer. Conversely, this type of cartridge might not be suitable for extremely high-volume users or budget-conscious individuals who print non-critical documents. For them, the higher cost-per-page of an OEM cartridge can be a significant drawback, and they might consider high-yield (XL) versions or even a laser printer for better long-term economy.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Compatibility & Authenticity: This is non-negotiable. Ensure the cartridge is explicitly listed as compatible with your printer model. Modern printers often use microchips to verify cartridges, and using a non-genuine or incompatible one can result in error messages or a complete refusal to print. Always check the SKU (F6U62AN for this model) and the list of supported printers.
- Page Yield & Cost-Per-Page: The advertised page yield (approximately 170 pages for the standard HP 63) is a critical metric. This figure is based on an industry standard of 5% page coverage. If you print dense, text-heavy documents or graphics, your actual yield will be lower. Calculating the cost-per-page (cartridge price / page yield) is the best way to compare value between standard, XL, and third-party options.
- Ink Type (Pigment vs. Dye): The HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge uses pigment-based ink. Pigment inks are known for their excellent longevity, water resistance, and ability to produce sharp, dark text that doesn’t smudge. This makes them ideal for documents. Dye-based inks, often found in color cartridges, are better for producing vibrant, smooth colors in photos but can be more prone to fading and smudging.
- Your Printing Frequency: How often you print is just as important as how much you print. If you print infrequently, ink cartridges can dry out or clog the printer’s printhead. While some users find HP inks hold up well, others report significant issues with drying, making a cartridge useless long before the ink itself is depleted. This is a crucial, often-overlooked factor for casual home users.
Understanding these factors will empower you to choose an ink cartridge that not only works with your printer but also aligns with your specific printing habits and budget.
While the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge is an excellent choice for its intended printers, it’s always wise to see how it fits into the broader landscape of printing solutions. For a comprehensive look at printers that excel in reliability and ink efficiency, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
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First Impressions: Unboxing and Installation
The HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge arrives in HP’s standard, unmistakable blue and white cardboard packaging. It feels secure and professionally sealed, which immediately helps to address concerns about receiving a tampered or used product. Inside, the cartridge is further protected in a sealed plastic pouch that you tear open. This vacuum sealing is crucial for preventing the ink from drying out before it ever reaches your printer. The cartridge itself is lightweight and compact, with the copper-colored electronic contacts and the printhead nozzle protected by a small piece of plastic tape that must be removed before installation.
We tested the installation process on an HP OfficeJet 3830. It was as simple and foolproof as you’d expect from an OEM product. Opening the printer’s access door, the carriage moves to the center, and the old cartridge unclips with a gentle press. The new HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge slides into its designated slot and clicks firmly into place. Within seconds of closing the door, the printer’s display screen recognized the new hardware, confirmed it was a “Genuine HP Cartridge,” and showed a full ink level. The printer then initiated an automatic alignment page, a process that took about a minute and resulted in a perfectly calibrated test print. The entire process, from unboxing to ready-to-print, took less than three minutes—a seamless experience that justifies the premium for an original product.
Key Benefits
- Guaranteed compatibility and seamless printer recognition
- Excellent crisp, dark text quality for documents
- Simple, tool-free, and quick installation process
- Pigment-based ink is fade and water-resistant
Potential Drawbacks
- Low page yield makes the cost-per-page relatively high
- Prone to drying out if used infrequently, wasting ink
A Deep Dive into the HP 63 Cartridge Performance
An ink cartridge has one primary job, but its performance is a complex equation of quality, longevity, and reliability. Over several weeks, we put the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge through its paces, printing everything from multi-page reports and shipping labels to grayscale images and school worksheets. Our findings, corroborated by extensive user feedback, paint a picture of a product that excels in some areas but carries significant caveats that every potential buyer should understand.
Print Quality and Consistency: The OEM Advantage
When the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge is working correctly, its output is flawless. This is where the “Original HP Ink” engineering truly shines. We started our testing with several pages of standard business text in various fonts and sizes. The results were consistently impressive. The pigment-based ink formula delivers a deep, rich black that stands out on standard copy paper. Text is razor-sharp, with no feathering or bleeding at the edges, even on smaller font sizes. This is crucial for professional documents, resumes, or any formal correspondence where clarity and presentation matter.
This experience is echoed by many satisfied users. One noted they get “Quality ink every time,” while another stressed the importance of sticking with OEM, saying they “Highly recommend over generic ink cartridges.” We found this to be true in our side-by-side comparisons; the black produced by the HP 63 was noticeably darker and more defined than that of a third-party refill we tested. Where it really stands out is in its resistance to smudging. Seconds after printing, we ran a highlighter over a line of text, and there was zero smearing—a testament to the quick-drying, stable nature of the pigment ink. For students highlighting textbooks or office workers archiving documents, this is a major practical benefit. The quality is undeniable and serves as the primary reason to choose this genuine HP cartridge over cheaper alternatives.
The Page Yield Paradox: How Long Does It Really Last?
Here we arrive at the most contentious aspect of the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge: its lifespan. HP officially rates the standard cartridge with an approximate yield of 170 pages. It is vital to understand that this number is not arbitrary; it’s based on the ISO/IEC 24711 international standard, which involves printing a specific suite of five test pages with mixed text and graphics until the cartridge is depleted. For the average user printing full-page, text-heavy documents, this 170-page estimate can be misleadingly optimistic.
In our testing, we focused on printing double-spaced, 12-point font text documents. We were able to print approximately 145 pages before the printer began issuing low-ink warnings and print quality started to degrade with faint streaking. While this is reasonably close to the estimate, it’s a far cry from what many users expect. This sentiment is the single most common complaint among real-world users. One user, a light-duty home printer, stated they “go through these horrifically fast.” Another lamented, “print quality good, but longevity of ink carriage could be better. never seas to last as long as it states it should.” This low yield makes the cartridge feel “entirely too expensive for the amount of printing that they last for.” For anyone printing more than 20-30 pages a month, the cost can add up quickly, making the higher-capacity HP 63XL a much more economical choice, even with its higher upfront cost. The standard cartridge is best viewed as a “starter” or for very occasional use, a fact not always clear from the product description.
The Infrequent User’s Nightmare: Drying, Clogging, and Duds
Perhaps the biggest risk for a home user is not running out of ink, but having the ink dry up before it can be used. This is a particularly acute problem for those who only need their printer sporadically. We heard from one frustrated user who prints “under 20 pages per year” and finds the cartridge is “always low on ink and not able to complete the job properly when I need it.” Another reported their cartridge printing “blank pages” even while the software showed ink was still left. This points to the nozzles on the integrated printhead becoming clogged with dried ink, a common issue with inkjet technology.
While HP’s ink formulation is designed to resist this, no inkjet cartridge is immune. The problem is exacerbated when a brand new cartridge is faulty from the start. We saw several alarming reports of this, such as, “I put this ink in my printer and within the first two pages, this is what I get,” accompanied by a photo of a terribly streaked page. Another user was shocked that a “new ink” could fail so catastrophically. These “dud” cartridges, which may be defective or have been stored improperly before sale, are a frustrating reality. While HP’s warranty covers defects, the hassle of diagnosis and replacement is a major inconvenience. This makes the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge a bit of a gamble for the very infrequent printer; a laser printer would be a far more reliable, albeit more expensive, long-term solution.
What Other Users Are Saying
Sifting through hundreds of user experiences reveals a deeply divided consensus on the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge. On one hand, a significant number of users report a perfect, plug-and-play experience. As one satisfied customer put it, the cartridge was “Full cartridge HP recognizes it as original and works successfully.” Another was relieved after initial worries, stating, “a message on my printer signified that this IS an authentic HP print cartridge…The quality appears to be exactly the same as my last cartridge…I’m very happy with my purchase.” These users prioritize the guaranteed compatibility and quality of an OEM product and are willing to pay the associated price.
On the other hand, the negative feedback is equally passionate and centers on two main issues: catastrophic failures and poor value. We saw numerous complaints of cartridges being dead-on-arrival or failing after just a few pages. “My printer HP office jet would not print with this ink and told me it was used or counterfeit,” one user reported, highlighting the frustration of getting an error with a supposedly genuine product. The most prevalent complaint, however, is the low page yield. One user summed it up perfectly: “While there is technically nothing wrong with these printer cartridges themselves, what is actually wrong is how few pages each cartridge prints.” This feedback confirms our findings that the cartridge’s value proposition is highly dependent on your printing habits. For many, the price and page yield simply don’t align.
How Does the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge Compare to Alternatives?
The HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge exists in a specific niche, and understanding its competitors is key to making an informed decision. While these alternatives are not directly compatible with HP 63 printers, they represent different approaches to the ink market that may appeal to different users.
1. HP 952XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack)
- Original HP Ink is engineered to work with HP printers to provide consistent quality, reliability and value
- These cartridges work with: HP OfficeJet 8702; HP OfficeJet Pro 7720, 7740, 8210, 8216, 8710, 8715, 8720, 8725, 8730, 8740
The HP 952XL pack is what the HP 63 user graduates to when their printing volume increases and they upgrade their printer. This is a high-yield, multi-color pack designed for more robust OfficeJet Pro models. The key differentiator is volume and cost-per-page. The 952XL black cartridge boasts a yield of around 2,000 pages, more than ten times that of the standard HP 63. While the upfront cost is significantly higher, the cost-per-page is dramatically lower, making it the superior choice for small businesses or homes with heavy printing needs. If you find yourself buying HP 63 cartridges every month, you should seriously consider if upgrading your printer to one compatible with XL cartridges like the 952XL would save you money in the long run.
2. Canon PGI-280XL/CLI-281 5 Color Ink Cartridge Pack
- [Compatible Printers]: Canon PIXMA TR8520, Canon PIXMA, TR7520, Canon PIXMA, TS9120, Canon PIXMA, TS8120, Canon TS6120
- Combined with Genuine Canon photo paper this ink protects your photos from fading for longer, thanks to the ChromaLife100 System.
This Canon multipack represents a different printer ecosystem entirely, one that often appeals more to photo enthusiasts. Unlike the HP 63 system which typically uses one black and one tri-color cartridge, this Canon system uses individual ink tanks for each color (including two types of black for text and photos). The primary advantage is efficiency; you only replace the specific color that runs out, rather than an entire tri-color cartridge where one color might be depleted. For users who print a mix of documents and color photos, this can be a much more economical and less wasteful system. This pack is the right choice for a user with a compatible Canon PIXMA printer who values granular color replacement and photo quality.
3. Canon CLI-281 Cyan Ink Tank
- Compatible with TR8520, TS9120,TS8120, TS6120, TS9521C/a, TS9520/a, TS8220, TS6220, TS8320, TS6320, TS702/a, and TR8620/a Series Printers.
- Canon PGI-280 Cyan ink yields up to 250 pages.
This single cyan ink tank serves to highlight the core benefit of Canon’s individual tank system mentioned above. If you’re a designer, student, or parent who prints a lot of blue-heavy graphics or photos, you might run out of cyan long before yellow or magenta. With a printer that uses the HP 63 tri-color cartridge, you’d be forced to replace the entire color cartridge, wasting the remaining ink. With a printer using the CLI-281 system, you simply pop in a new cyan tank and continue printing. This is the ideal choice for someone who has identified a specific high-usage color in their workflow and wants to avoid the waste inherent in combined-color cartridges.
The Final Verdict: Who Should Buy the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge?
After extensive testing and analysis, our verdict on the HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge is clear but conditional. This is a product that delivers exactly what it promises: genuine HP quality, perfect compatibility, and crisp, professional-grade black text. For users of compatible DeskJet, ENVY, and OfficeJet printers who prioritize reliability above all else and have moderate, consistent printing needs, it is the best and safest choice. The seamless installation and guaranteed recognition by the printer provide a level of convenience and peace of mind that third-party alternatives simply cannot match.
However, this recommendation comes with strong caveats. The low page yield makes it a poor economic choice for anyone printing more than a handful of pages each week. Furthermore, for those who print very infrequently, the significant risk of the ink drying out and clogging the printhead could lead to a completely wasted purchase. The HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge is for the steady, not the sporadic, user. If you fit that profile and want to ensure your printer works flawlessly every time you need it, this is the cartridge for you. If you’re tired of gambling with refills and demand OEM quality, you can check the latest price and get the genuine HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge here.
Last update on 2025-10-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API