Make sure you purchase the right ink cartridges for your specific printer and printer region (or have your old ones refilled). Cartridges are not compatible between different brands, and often not within the same brand. HP often designs its inkjet hardware to use country-specific consumables. When you unbox a new HP inkjet printer and set it up, you install a set of ink tanks that ship with the printer. As you turn on the device and get ready to use it, an initialization sequence localizes it to the country associated with the ink cartridges you installed.
HP recommends that you use original HP ink cartridges. XL (Extra Large) cartridges cost more but do provide better value in the long run. They will be able to print 3 times the pages of a regular cartridge. Our advice is that if you print often, go with XL. However, ink can dry up. So if you are not a frequent printer, go with the regular cartridges.
You can check the estimated ink levels from the printer software or from the printer control panel.
To check the estimated ink levels from the printer control panel:
– From the printer control panel, touch or swipe down the tab at the top of the screen to open the Dashboard.
– Touch the Ink Icon (see below) to check the estimated ink levels.
To check the estimated ink levels from the HP printer software (Windows)
– Open the HP printer software. For more information, see Open the HP printer software.
– In the printer software, from the main menu on the top, click Estimated Cartridge Levels.
Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When you receive a low-ink warning message, consider having a replacement cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not have to replace the cartridges until the print quality is unacceptable.
Printing when one of the ink cartridges is empty
For regular usage, the HP OfficeJet 250 is not designed to print using only one cartridge. However, when one cartridge runs out of ink, you can remove it and use the other cartridge to continue printing. The printer supports this capability only if the cartridge has sufficient ink. Printing with one cartridge might slow the printer and affect the quality of printouts. Therefore, you should replace the empty cartridge as soon as possible.
Which ink cartridges do I need for my HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile All-in-One Printer?
For your US, European and UK HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile you need HP 62 Black AND HP 62 Tri-Color cartridges OR HP 62XL Black AND HP 62XL Tri-Color cartridges. There are also Combo Packs (2 cartridges in one pack) available, like the HP 62XL/62 High Yield Black and Standard Tricolor Ink Cartridges Combo Pack. Check the price of HP 62 cartridges at Amazon.com .
Try Amazon's ink selector tool to find compatible ink cartridges for your printer.
Replace the ink cartridges
1. Turn the printer on by pressing the On/Off button (power button), if it is not already turned on. It may take a few seconds for the printer to turn on after pressing the Power button. Wait until the product is idle and silent before continuing.
2. Load Letter, A4, or Legal unused plain white paper into the paper tray.
Remove the empty cartridge
3. Open the ink cartridge access door. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
4. To release the ink cartridge, lift the ink cartridge latch. Gentely pull the cartridge toward you out of its slot, and se the tri-color cartridge. Remove the cartridge from the slot on the right to replace the black cartridge.
Insert the new cartridge
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its package. Be careful to touch only the black plastic on the ink cartridge.
6. Remove the protective tape from the ink cartridge.
Do NOT:
– Remove the copper electrical strip.
– Touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles.
– Replace the protective tape on the contacts.
7. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, then insert the ink cartridge into its correct slot. Insert the new ink cartridge into its slot, and then press the ink cartridge forward until it latches into place. Close the latch as illustrated below. Insert the tri-color ink cartridge into the left slot. Insert the black ink cartridge into the right slot.
8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for the other cartridge if needed.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door. Wait for the carriage to complete the cartridge initialization routine before using the printer. Do not open the cartridge access door until the cartridge initialization is complete. The printer automatically aligns any newly installed ink cartridges.
Align the cartridges
If the printer did not automatically align the ink cartridges, align the ink cartridges through the printer control panel:
– From the home screen on the printer control panel, swipe down to open the Dashboard, and then touch the Setup icon.
– Swipe up on the display, touch Printer Maintenance, touch Align Printer, and then touch Continue. An alignment page prints.
– Follow the instructions on the printer screen to align. Example of an alignment page:
