How to Use Non-HP Ink or Toner in HP+ Printer

Recently, more and more HP+ (HP Plus) printer users have purchased our compatible/remanufactured toner cartridges and then complained that our products cannot be used. Although we have stated in a more conspicuous position on the product page that HP+ printer models with an “e” suffix cannot use Non-HP cartridges, we still cannot prevent HP+ printer users from purchasing and then complaining about our products. We are helpless about this, but we completely understand it. We know that HP+ printer users also want to save printing costs by using non-HP cartridges. And many users don't know the difference between HP+ printers and HP standard printers, so they buy non-HP ink/toner cartridges as usual. Therefore, through this blog, we hope to introduce to HP+ printer users how to use cheap non-HP ink or toner cartridges in HP+ printers.

Table of Contents

• Understand Why Your HP+ Printers Won't Accept Non-HP Ink/Toner Cartridges
• How to Use Non-HP Ink or Toner in HP+ Printer?
• Solution One: Reuse OEM Chips on Non-HP Ink/Toner Cartridges
• HP+ Printers Qualifies for Reused OEM Chip Solution
• How to Reuse OEM Chips on Non-HP Ink/Toner Cartridges
• Solution Two: Use Firmware-Safe Ink Cartridges on HP+ Printers
• HP+ Printers Qualifies for Firmware-Safe Ink Solution
• Not Happy with Your HP+ Printer?
• Recycle Your HP+ Printer for Trade-in or Cash Back
• Purchase a Brother or Canon Printer for a Hassle-Free and Money-Saving Printing Experience
• Conclusion

Understand Why Your HP+ Printers Won’t Accept Non-HP Ink/Toner Cartridges

HP+ printers are designed to work specifically with HP Instant Ink cartridges or with original HP standard cartridges. While they are designed to provide a seamless and optimized printing experience, there can be technical and business reasons why non-HP ink cartridges might not be accepted or recognized by these printers: 

1. Firmware and Software Compatibility: HP+ printers typically have firmware that supports dynamic security and is designed to detect and use genuine HP ink cartridges and maintain the integrity of our printing systems. Non-HP ink and cartridges do not have the OEM chip or coding that the printer expects, leading to error messages or compatibility issues.
2. Business Model and Revenue: HP+ printers are often sold at lower prices with the expectation that customers will sign up for HP Instant Ink subscriptions or purchase original HP cartridges. This business model ties the printer to genuine HP consumables, ensuring ongoing revenue for HP.

However, HP will not tell you the truth, nor will it clearly tell you that HP+ printers cannot use compatible ink cartridges or toner cartridges. Therefore, many customers purchased HP+ printers without knowing that.

How to Use Non-HP Ink or Toner in HP+ Printer?

After a period of research, we finally found two solutions to make HP+ printers accept non-HP cartridges. If the solutions work for your printer model, you are in luck with a cheap alternative in future.

Solution One: Reuse OEM Chips on Non-HP Ink/Toner Cartridges

According to HP's introduction to dynamic security, Dynamic security equipped printers are intended to work only with cartridges that have new or reused HP chips or electronic circuitry. Therefore, we verified the feasibility of using reused HP chips on compatible ink and toner cartridges. Experimental results prove that this method can enable HP+ printers to use compatible toner cartridges. Therefore, we have launched a series of DIY toner cartridges without chips specifically for HP+ printer users. Check the list below to see if your HP+ printer qualifies for this solution. 

HP+ Printers Qualifies for Reused OEM Chip Solution:

How to Reuse OEM Chips on Non-HP Ink/Toner Cartridges?

Reusing OEM chips on non-HP ink or toner cartridges is easy. If you are using a True Image DIY toner cartridge, the package includes easy-to-use toner chip removal tools and clear instructions. So, you can follow the instructions and use tools to transfer the OEM chip from your used HP cartridge to our DIY compatible HP toner cartridge. The whole process only takes a few minutes. Then you can take advantage of huge savings on HP+ printers.

Here are the specific steps and video for reusing OEM chips on our DIY toner cartridges:

1. Remove your used HP cartridge from printer and unpack our DIY cartridge.
2. Reset the toner chip removal tool (chip recycle drill) by unscrewing it’s handle counter clockwise 3-5 times.
3. Install the chip recycle drill on where the OEM toner chip is located. When the drill is installed in place, you will hear a clear snap sound.
4. Screw the drill handle clockwise 6-8 times until the OEM chip is loosened.
5. Remove the OEM chip from your used HP cartridge by hands or tweezers included.
6. Check the status of the OEM chip. If there is residual plastic or glue on the back or around it, use another tool (diagonal cutting pliers) to remove it.
7. Insert the OEM chip into the chip slot on our DIY cartridge. Make sure the chip orientation is correct. If you are not sure, please refer to our instructions or video.
8. Install our DIY cartridge with the reused OEM chipinto your printer and confirm that your printer recognizes it.
9. Reset the chip recycle drill by unscrewing it’s handle counter clockwise 6-8 times. Then remove the drillfrom your used HP cartridge and keep all tools out of the reach of children for future use.

Solution Two: Use Firmware-Safe Ink Cartridges on HP+ Printers

Our factory is always committed and invested in exceeding the original manufacturer's compatibility limitations. After several years of hard work, we’ve finally made a big breakthrough with select HP+ InkJet printers. We have developed technology that allows HP+ InkJet printers to directly identify compatible ink cartridges (without reusing OEM chip process), and this technology prevents our ink cartridges from being locked out by frequent firmware updates. We call this technology Firmware-Safe Technology. Till now, our Firmware-Safe Technology has been applied to our compatible HP 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 902, 910, 952, and 962 ink cartridges. And we will apply this technology to more ink cartridges to benefit more printer users.

HP+ Printers Qualifies for Firmware-Safe Ink Solution:

Not Happy with Your HP+ Printer?

HP+ printers come with added benefits like 3-6 months of free HP Instant Ink, extended printer warranty, advanced features of HP Smart App, sustainability, cloud-based connectivity and security, and more. But is HP+ really worth it? Besides 3-6 months of free cartridges, do other benefits printer users really care about? We believe that most printer users care more about how to reduce printing costs.

HP, as a global enterprise, is fully capable of contributing to reducing printing costs for printer users around the world, and this contribution should never be achieved by restricting users from choosing third-party ink cartridges. Since the development of inkjet/laser printers, printing technology has not changed much, but cumulative sales of printers and printer cartridges have continued to increase. This means that the production costs of printers and printer cartridges are getting lower and lower, which is also consistent with the theory of economies of scale. However, has HP really lowered the prices of printers and printer cartridges because of lower costs? Presumably every user has a clear answer in mind.

The fact is, HP printers and printer cartridges are still as expensive as ever. And HP also hopes to completely bind users through HP+ and HP firmware updates, restrict users from choosing cheap third-party cartridges, and force users to purchase expensive OEM cartridges. However, more and more users are aware of HP's tricks, so HP's anti-consumer strategy is destined to fail. After all, printer users can choose HP standard printers and turn off firmware updates to prevent non-hp cartridges being blocked, or buy Brother and Canon printers which are known for fewer compatibility issues.

Recycle Your HP+ Printer for Trade-in or Cash Back

HP Planet Partner Program allows users to recycle HP devices for trade-in or cash Back. So if you are not happy with your HP+ printer, trading it in an HP standard printer is a good choice. For example, if you own an HP+ printer - HP LaserJet Pro 4001ne, you can return it for trading in an HP standard printer without an “e” suffix - HP LaserJet Pro 4001n. Then you can use non-HP toner cartridges in your printer.
It is important to note that even if you are using an HP standard printer, HP will block third-party ink cartridges through frequent firmware updates. So if you are trading in an HP standard printer, we recommend that you turn off automatic printer firmware updates and turn off HP cartridge protection immediately after receiving the new printer. 

Completely lost confidence in HP? Consider returning your HP+ printer for cash back and purchasing a Brother or Canon printer.

Purchase a Brother or Canon Printer for a Hassle-Free and Money-Saving Printing Experience

Brother and Canon printers are known for having fewer compatibility issues or firmware update issues. And their print quality and performance are completely comparable to HP printers. What's more, you have more options when buying cheap third-party cartridges for Brother and Canon printers. This is because frequent HP printer firmware updates make it increasingly expensive for printer cartridge suppliers to manage inventory. Whenever a printer update occurs, suppliers need to simultaneously upgrade the compatible chips. At the same time, the return rate is also getting higher and higher, because many customers do not understand why the cartridges cannot be used after updating the printer, and blame the supplier for the compatibility issue. This has resulted in many suppliers having to increase prices or even stop supplying third-party HP cartridges. Therefore, for Brother, Canon and HP printers with almost the same performance, you will find that compatible cartridges for Brother and Canon printers are always cheaper than compatible cartridges for HP printers.

Let's compare the Brother MFC-L3770CDW, Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw and HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw printers. They are one of the most popular printers from Brother, Canon and HP respectively, with similar performance, similar toner page yield, and not too different printer release dates. For the Brother MFC-L3770CDW printer, we offer the compatible TN227BK/C/M/Y 4-Pack for $69.95. For the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw printer, we offer the compatible Canon 054H 4-Pack for $89.95. But for the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw, we're offering the compatible HP 206X 4-Pack for $169.95. So, judging from how much you can save from compatible cartridges, Brother and Canon printers are also definitely worth buying over HP printers.

Conclusion

Navigating HP+'s restrictions on non-HP ink or toner cartridges in printers poses challenges, but solutions exist. Our DIY cartridges, utilizing reused OEM chips, offer cost-effective alternatives for specific HP+ models. Firmware-Safe Technology enables select InkJet printers to recognize compatible ink directly. However, HP's business model restricts third-party options, raising concerns about ongoing expenses. Users disillusioned with these limitations might consider HP standard printers, disabling firmware updates, or opting for Brother or Canon printers known for fewer compatibility issues. Choosing printers involves weighing brand loyalty, costs, and cartridge flexibility. As technology evolves, empowering users with diverse choices will shape a more consumer-friendly printing future.