HP 301 Black: original ink cartridge for older DeskJet, ENVY and OfficeJet models

The HP 301 Black is the standard cartridge for a whole range of older HP inkjet printers, mostly found in homes and students' rooms. It holds 3 ml of pigment ink designed for clearly legible text on plain paper.

HP puts the yield at about 170 pages, measured with the usual standard test page. If you print regularly, it is worth looking at the HP 301XL, which is made for the same printers and holds more ink. For colour prints you also need the HP 301 tri-colour cartridge.

HP lists the DeskJet 2050, 2511, 2512, 2540, 3050 and 3060, the ENVY 4506 and 4509 and the OfficeJet 4634 among compatible models. The list on HP's page is not exhaustive – to be safe, check the cartridge number inside the printer lid or in your printer's manual.

Worth knowing: the HP 301 is not interchangeable with the HP 302, 303 or 305, even though they look similar. The page yield is a standard figure and drops with lots of graphics or bold text. If the printer sits unused for a long time, the ink can dry out – print a page now and then.