How to Replace an Empty Ink Cartridge in the HP Officejet Pro 8216 series Printer – an Illustrated Tutorial in 9 Steps

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. The XL version of the cartridge for your HP Officejet Pro 8216 will be able to print at least double 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 Home screen, select Ink Information, and then press OK.
– Select Estimated Levels (selected by default), and then press OK.

To check the estimated ink levels from the HP printer software
– Open the HP printer software.
– In the printer software, from the main menu on the top, click Estimated Cartridge Levels.

Ink level alerts and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When you receive a low-ink alert, consider having a replacement cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not have to replace the cartridges until you are prompted to do so. HP recommends that you replace any missing cartridges as soon as possible to avoid print quality issues and possible extra ink usage or damage to the ink system. Never turn off the printer when ink cartridges are missing.

Which ink cartridges do I need for my HP Officejet Pro 8210 Printer?

For your US HP OfficeJet Pro 8210 Printer you need an HP 952 Black Ink Cartridge OR the XL version: HP 952XL Black High Yield Original Ink Cartridge OR the HP 956XL Black High Yield Original Ink Cartridge AND 3 color cartridges: HP 952 Cyan, HP 952 Magenta and HP 952 Yellow (OR the XL-versions). There are also Combo Packs (4 cartridges in one pack) available, like the HP 952XL Black and 952 Tri-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) Combo Pack. Check the price of HP 952 cartridges at Amazon.com .

For your European or UK HP OfficeJet Pro 8210 Printer you need an HP 953 Black Ink Cartridge OR the XL version: HP 953XL High Yield Black Original Ink Cartridge OR the HP 957XL High Yield Black Original Ink Cartridge AND 3 color cartridges: HP 953 Cyan, HP 953 Magenta and HP 953 Yellow (OR the XL-versions).

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 power button, if it is not already turned on. Wait until the product is idle and silent before continuing.
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2. Load Letter, A4, or Legal unused plain white paper into the paper tray.

Remove the empty cartridge
3. Lift up and push back the ink cartridge access door. Wait until the print carriage stops moving before proceeding.
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4. Find the cartridge you want to replace. Push in on the front of the cartridge to release it, and then pull it toward you to remove it from its slot.
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Detailed image: Removing the empty cartridge from its slot.
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Insert the new cartridge
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging. Be careful to touch only the black plastic on the cartridge. Do NOT touch the electrical contacts and ink port.
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6. Hold the new cartridge so that the cartridge contacts face the printer. Using the color-coded letters for help, slide the ink cartridge into the empty slot until until it clicks into place and it is securely installed in the slot. Make sure that you insert the ink cartridge into the slot that has the same colored letter as the color you are installing.
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Detailed image: Inserting the new cartridge into its slot.
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7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each ink cartridge you are replacing.

8. Close the print-carriage access door and wait until the warm-up sequence finishes and your printer is quiet before you proceed.
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Align the cartridges
Aligning the cartridges or printhead ensures high-quality output. The printer prompts you to align the cartridges or printhead every time you install a new cartridge. If you remove and reinstall the same cartridge, it will not prompt you to align as the printer remembers the alignment values for that cartridge.

9. Follow the instructions on the printer screen to align the cartridges.

The alignment page did not print?
If the alignment page did not print automatically, you can align the cartridges manually from the printer software and from the printer display on the product.

To align the cartridges or printhead from the printer software (Windows):
Open the HP printer software.
– In the printer software, click Print > Maintain Your Printer to access the Printer Toolbox window.
– From the Device Services tab, click the option to align. The printer prints an alignment sheet.
– Now go to step 9.

To align the cartridges or printhead from the printer control panel:
– On the printer control panel, from the Home screen, select Setup, and then press OK.
– Select Tools, and then press OK.
– Select the option to align, press OK.
– Now go to step 9.