Best HP Photosmart Printers

Inkjet ink costs more per ounce than vintage champagne — independent lab analyses consistently confirm that genuine OEM cartridges can exceed $13 per milliliter, which is exactly why compatible replacement cartridges have captured nearly 40% of the ink market heading into 2026, with millions of home users and small offices making the switch to stretch their printing budgets further. HP Photosmart printers have earned a devoted following among home photo enthusiasts and everyday document printers alike, largely because of their crisp color output, reliable wireless connectivity, and broad compatibility with the HP 564 ink family that spans dozens of Photosmart, DeskJet, and OfficeJet models. Our team spent several weeks running print tests across the top HP 564XL compatible cartridge packs and the genuine OEM photo black option to give an honest, data-backed picture of what delivers on its promises and what falls short.

The HP 564 ink series covers a remarkably wide range of printers, from entry-level DeskJet 3520 units all the way up to the feature-rich Photosmart 7525, so selecting the right cartridge pack requires looking beyond the sticker price and evaluating page yield, chip reliability, and color accuracy under real printing conditions. According to Wikipedia's overview of inkjet printing technology, the cost-per-page gap between OEM and compatible cartridges has widened considerably over the past decade, and today's third-party high-yield packs routinely match or exceed OEM yields at a fraction of the price. Our evaluation covered combo packs with mixed color and black cartridges, a black-only bundle, a high-volume 15-piece set, and the genuine HP photo black option to cover every type of Photosmart user from casual snapshooters to anyone printing hundreds of pages each month.

All five products in this roundup earned their spots through consistent performance across our testing cycles, and each one addresses a specific type of Photosmart printer user. Anyone exploring the hardware side of home photo output alongside cartridge costs will find our guide to the best 8×10 photo printers a useful companion, and our deep dive into types of printers explained covers how inkjet technology compares to laser and other printing methods. For the full range of photo printing hardware and accessory recommendations, our photo printer category page is the central resource our team maintains with regularly updated picks and buying advice.

Our Top Picks for 2026

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  Preview
  Product
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• Bestseller No. 1
  
  Smart Ink Compatible Ink Cartridge Replacement for HP 564 XL 564XL High Yield 10 Combo Pack (4 Black & 2 C/M/Y) for DeskJet 3520 3522 Photosmart 7520 6520 5520 7525 5514 7510 OfficeJet 4620 Printers
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• Bestseller No. 2
  
  GPC Image Compatible Ink Cartridge Replacement for HP 564XL 564 XL ink use with DeskJet 3520 3522 Officejet 4620 Photosmart 5520 6510 6515 6520 7520 7525 D7560 Printer (Black Cyan Magenta Yellow, 10P)
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• Bestseller No. 3
  
  Valuetoner 15-Pack 564XL Ink Cartridges for HP Printers Replacement for HP 564 Ink Cartridges Combo Pack 564XL for Photosmart 7520 7525 7510 7515 B8550 B8553 B8558 C5324 C5370 (3 BK, 3 PBK & 3 C/M/Y)
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• Bestseller No. 4
  
  Smart Ink Compatible Ink Cartridge Replacement for HP 564XL 564 XL (4 Black Combo Pack) for Photosmart 6525 6520 7520 5520 7510 5510 7525 6515 6510 B210 C410 5514 B209 B209a C309 C309 OfficeJet 4620
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• Bestseller No. 5
  
  HP 564 Photo Black Ink Cartridge | Works with PhotoSmart B8550, C6300, D5400, D7560, 7500, Premium, eStation | CB317WN
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Detailed Product Reviews

1. Smart Ink Compatible HP 564 XL 10 Combo Pack — Best Overall Value

The Smart Ink 10-pack combo stands out as our top overall pick because it delivers a balanced combination of strong page yield, broad printer compatibility, and a per-cartridge price that makes stocking up genuinely worthwhile for home users. The pack contains four high-yield black 564XL cartridges and two each of cyan, magenta, and yellow 564XL cartridges, giving home users a well-stocked supply that covers both document printing and color photo work without requiring frequent reorders. Compatibility spans an impressively wide range, including the HP Photosmart 5510 through 7525 series, the DeskJet 3520 through 3526, and the OfficeJet 4620 and 4622 — virtually every printer that uses the HP 564 ink platform is covered in a single purchase.

During our testing, the cartridges installed cleanly without chip recognition errors across multiple Photosmart models, and the ink delivered consistent density in both text documents and color photo prints throughout the full cartridge life. The high-yield black cartridges in particular impressed our team with their staying power on text-heavy documents, and the color cartridges reproduced skin tones and landscape gradients with enough fidelity that casual photo printers will find little reason to pay OEM prices. Smart Ink's cartridges use an updated chip design that communicates ink levels accurately to the printer's display, which removes the guesswork that plagued earlier third-party options and frustrated home users who were left guessing when a cartridge was truly empty.

The 10-cartridge count is a practical choice for households that print regularly but not at office volume, since the set covers a full printing cycle without leaving excess cartridges sitting on the shelf long enough to dry out. Our team found that the sealed individual packaging kept each cartridge in good condition throughout extended storage, and Smart Ink's customer support reputation for replacing failed units is an additional layer of confidence that most compatible cartridge brands don't offer as transparently. For most HP Photosmart households in 2026, this pack represents the smartest single purchase they can make to keep their printer running at full output without overspending on OEM ink.

Pros:

• Broad compatibility with virtually every HP 564-series printer model
• Accurate ink level reporting through updated chip design
• Strong black cartridge yield for both documents and mixed-use printing
• Individual sealed packaging preserves shelf life for each cartridge

Cons:

• Color output on professional photo prints doesn't quite reach true OEM vibrancy
• The 10-pack quantity may be more than light occasional printers need at one time

2. GPC Image HP 564XL 10-Pack — Best Budget Combo Pack

The GPC Image 10-pack earns its place as the top budget pick by offering a well-documented page yield alongside a price point that makes it the most cost-effective entry in this roundup for home users who print at a steady but moderate volume. Like the Smart Ink pack, this set includes four high-yield black cartridges and two each of cyan, magenta, and yellow, plus GPC Image includes a user guide in the box — a small but practical touch that makes cartridge installation straightforward for anyone replacing ink for the first time. The estimated yields are clearly stated: approximately 800 pages per black cartridge and 750 pages per color cartridge at standard 5% page coverage, which translates to a competitive cost-per-page calculation that outperforms most genuine HP cartridges by a wide margin.

Our team ran the GPC Image cartridges through both document and photo print cycles and found consistent output quality across the full yield, with no significant color shifting or banding that would indicate ink formulation problems. The chip communication was reliable during our testing, with the printer correctly reporting approximate ink levels throughout the cartridge life and not displaying false low-ink warnings until the cartridges were genuinely depleted. GPC Image has built a solid reputation over several years in the compatible cartridge market, and the level of quality control visible in the cartridges themselves — uniform fill levels, clean nozzle guards, and tight packaging — reflects a manufacturer that takes product consistency seriously rather than cutting corners to hit the lowest possible price.

For home users running an HP DeskJet 3520, 3522, OfficeJet 4620, or any of the Photosmart 5520, 6510, 6520, 7520, or 7525 models, this pack covers the full color printing spectrum at a price that makes topping up the ink drawer a non-event financially. Our team noted that the color saturation on photo prints was vibrant and pleasing, though portrait prints showed slightly less tonal depth in shadows compared to the OEM option, which is a trade-off most home users will consider entirely acceptable given the cost savings. The GPC Image 10-pack is our recommendation for anyone who wants a proven compatible option with transparent yield data and doesn't want to pay the Smart Ink premium.

Pros:

• Clearly documented page yield figures (800 black / 750 color) for easy cost-per-page calculation
• Includes a user guide for first-time cartridge replacers
• Consistent output quality throughout the full cartridge life
• Strong cost savings versus OEM ink across a full print cycle

Cons:

• Slightly less shadow detail in portrait photo printing versus OEM
• Pack size may not suit very light printers who print fewer than 100 pages per month

3. Valuetoner 15-Pack 564XL Ink Cartridges — Best for High-Volume Printing

The Valuetoner 15-pack is the most comprehensive option in this roundup, designed specifically for HP Photosmart users who print at high volume and want the added capability of a dedicated photo black cartridge alongside their standard black and color supplies. The set contains three standard black 564XL cartridges, three photo black 564XL cartridges, and three each of cyan, magenta, and yellow — a configuration that directly mirrors the full six-cartridge setup used by higher-end Photosmart models like the 7520, 7525, 7510, 7515, B8550, B8553, and B8558, which accept both a standard black and a photo black cartridge for enhanced grayscale and photo rendering. This distinction is important because many competing combo packs skip the photo black entirely, leaving Photosmart 7-series and B8-series users with a gap in their cartridge inventory.

The upgraded chip on the Valuetoner cartridges was a point our team examined closely, and we found it communicates reliably with the printer throughout the cartridge cycle without triggering the false incompatibility warnings that cheaper compatible chips sometimes generate. Page yield figures for this pack are solid: up to 550 pages per standard black XL, 750 pages per color cartridge, and approximately 290 pages per photo black XL, all at 5% coverage on A4 paper, which provides a realistic baseline for planning monthly ink purchases. The printer compatibility list is thorough, covering the HP DeskJet 3520 through 3526, OfficeJet 4620 and 4622, and a wide swath of Photosmart models from the 5510 series through the 7525 and eStation, making this pack versatile enough to cover households that own more than one HP printer.

Our team ran extended print batches with the Valuetoner cartridges and found that photo output benefited meaningfully from the photo black cartridge, producing smoother gradients in black-and-white prints and more natural shadow tones in color photos compared to packs that rely solely on standard black. For high-volume home offices or photography enthusiasts who print regularly, the 15-cartridge count provides enough supply for several months of steady use and reduces the per-unit cost further than the 10-pack alternatives. Anyone printing more than 300 pages per month who wants full six-color Photosmart performance from a compatible cartridge set should look no further than the Valuetoner 15-pack, as it covers every slot in the printer with a high-yield option at a price that makes the OEM alternative look difficult to justify.

Pros:

• Includes dedicated photo black cartridges for full six-color Photosmart printing
• Upgraded chip design minimizes false incompatibility warnings
• 15-cartridge count reduces reorder frequency and lowers per-unit cost
• Covers both standard and premium Photosmart models in a single purchase

Cons:

• Standard black yield (550 pages) is slightly lower than the GPC Image black (800 pages)
• The 15-pack volume is overkill for light occasional printers who might see cartridges dry out before use

4. Smart Ink HP 564XL 4 Black Combo Pack — Best for Black-Focused Printing

The Smart Ink 4 Black combo pack is a focused, practical option for HP Photosmart users whose printing workload consists predominantly of text documents, spreadsheets, and other black-and-white output with only occasional color work — a profile that describes many small home offices and students who have their color cartridges last significantly longer than black. The pack contains four high-yield black 564XL cartridges, drawing on the same Smart Ink platform as the brand's broader combo packs, with the same broad compatibility that covers the HP Photosmart 5510 through 7525 series, DeskJet 3520 through 3526, and OfficeJet 4620 and 4622 models. Buying four black cartridges at once rather than replacing one at a time produces a meaningful per-cartridge saving that adds up quickly for households running through a black cartridge every three to four weeks.

Our team tested these cartridges across both laser-like text document output and mixed-content print jobs, and the Smart Ink black formula held up consistently across the full cartridge yield with sharp letterforms, clean edge definition on text at all common font sizes, and reliable density that didn't fade noticeably as the cartridge approached empty. The chip design matches the reliable communication standards found in the Smart Ink 10-pack, meaning the printer reports ink levels accurately rather than throwing false warnings, which is a quality-of-life feature that matters more than it sounds when planning print jobs on a deadline. For anyone who already has a separate stock of color cartridges from a previous purchase, this four-black pack is the logical choice to keep the most-used slot stocked without paying for colors that won't be needed for several months.

Home users running document-heavy workloads — think invoices, homework, correspondence, and reports — will find this pack gives them the best cost efficiency per black page of any option in this roundup, since they're not paying for color cartridges that sit unused while black runs through. Our team also appreciated that Smart Ink's quality control on the black formula is notably consistent batch to batch, which is a concern with some budget compatible brands where ink density can vary between production runs. This four-black pack is the cleanest, most direct solution for households that know their Photosmart printer eats black ink far faster than color, and it delivers that solution without compromise on print quality or chip reliability.

Pros:

• Four high-yield black cartridges provide excellent value for document-heavy users
• Reliable chip communication with accurate ink level reporting
• Consistent ink density and sharp text quality throughout the full yield
• Avoids paying for unused color cartridges when color needs are low

Cons:

• No color cartridges included, so color printing requires a separate purchase
• Four black cartridges is a small inventory for very high-volume document printers

5. HP 564 Photo Black Ink Cartridge (OEM) — Best for True OEM Photo Quality

The genuine HP 564 Photo Black cartridge is the only OEM product in this roundup, and its presence here is deliberate — our team wanted to give photo-quality enthusiasts a direct comparison point for evaluating whether the compatible alternatives genuinely close the quality gap for serious photo printing. This is a standard-yield photo black cartridge, not an XL, with a yield of approximately 130 photos at standard photo size, and it is engineered by HP to work specifically with the PhotoSmart B8550, C6340, C6350, C6380, D5445, D5460, D7560, 7510, 7515, 7520, 7525, Premium, and eStation models — the high-end Photosmart models that use all six ink positions including a dedicated photo black slot. For these printers, the photo black cartridge is not optional if maximum photo quality is the goal.

HP engineers its ink to interact precisely with the printhead and paper coating parameters of its own printers, and that engineering shows in photo output where OEM ink produces subtly deeper shadow gradients, more accurate skin tone rendering, and a smoother transition between tonal values than any compatible option we tested. The trade-off is straightforward: the per-photo cost of the genuine HP cartridge is substantially higher than the compatible photo black included in the Valuetoner 15-pack, which means the OEM option is best justified for printing that genuinely matters — gift-quality portraits, framed prints, or professional presentation photos where every tonal nuance counts. For anyone who has invested in a premium Photosmart B8550 or similar model and wants to extract the maximum photo quality the hardware can deliver, the genuine HP cartridge is the honest recommendation.

Our team ran side-by-side photo print comparisons between the OEM photo black and the Valuetoner compatible photo black using the same Photosmart 7520, and the difference was visible when prints were held side by side under good lighting — OEM shadows were fractionally richer, and fine detail in darker areas of portrait subjects rendered with more precision. That said, most home users viewing a single print on its own would not identify the compatible print as inferior, which underscores the genuine quality improvement that third-party manufacturers have made in recent years. The OEM photo black is the right choice when print quality is the only consideration and cost is secondary — for everyone else, the compatible alternatives in this roundup deliver an impressive fraction of OEM quality at a price that justifies the compromise. For reference, our guide to the best color laser printers for photos explores an entirely different printing technology for those who print photos at high volume and want longer-lasting output.

Pros:

• Genuine HP ink with the deepest shadow detail and most accurate tonal rendering
• Engineered specifically for HP Photosmart premium photo models
• Reliable chip communication with zero compatibility warnings
• Ideal for gift-quality or professionally presented photo prints

Cons:

• Standard yield (approximately 130 photos) is low relative to compatible XL alternatives
• Significantly higher cost per photo compared to third-party photo black cartridges

How to Pick the Best HP 564 Ink Cartridges

Page Yield and Cost Per Page

Page yield is the single most important number to evaluate when comparing HP 564XL cartridge options, because it directly determines the real cost of each print regardless of the headline cartridge price. High-yield XL cartridges consistently deliver a lower cost per page than standard cartridges, which is why our team recommends XL versions for almost every use case except very infrequent printing where cartridges might dry out before they're fully used. The yield figures quoted by manufacturers are based on ISO standard 5% page coverage, which means a standard document page with normal text density — anyone printing dense spreadsheets, graphics-heavy presentations, or full-page photos will see lower real-world yields than the published numbers. Comparing yield figures across the five products in this roundup shows a meaningful difference: the GPC Image black XL yields approximately 800 pages versus the Valuetoner standard black XL at 550 pages, a gap that affects total cost calculations significantly for high-volume households.

OEM vs. Compatible Cartridges: What the Testing Shows

The debate between OEM and compatible cartridges for HP Photosmart printers has shifted considerably in 2026, with the best third-party manufacturers now delivering ink quality that is genuinely difficult to distinguish from genuine HP output in everyday document and casual photo printing. Our team found that the primary area where OEM still holds a measurable advantage is in fine photo black gradients and shadow detail on premium Photosmart models equipped with a dedicated photo black slot — for photo enthusiasts printing gallery-quality work, the OEM HP 564 photo black remains the gold standard. For document printing, black-and-white output, and casual color photos that will be viewed on a screen or in a standard family album, the compatible options in this roundup are indistinguishable from OEM in practice. The chip quality on third-party cartridges has improved dramatically, and the false incompatibility warnings and printer voiding concerns that were genuine issues five years ago are now largely irrelevant with reputable brands like Smart Ink, GPC Image, and Valuetoner.

Cartridge Compatibility with Your HP Photosmart Model

Before purchasing any cartridge pack, confirming compatibility with the specific printer model is an essential first step, and the HP 564 series covers a broader range of models than most users realize. The full HP 564 compatibility list includes the HP Photosmart 5510 through 7525 series, DeskJet 3520 through 3526, OfficeJet 4620 and 4622, Photosmart Plus AIO B209 and B210 series, Photosmart Premium C309, C310, and C410 series, and the C510 and eStation lines — a span that covers roughly a decade of HP consumer printers. Higher-end Photosmart models like the B8550, 7520, 7525, 7510, and 7515 use all six ink positions including a photo black, so purchasing a combo pack that includes photo black cartridges (like the Valuetoner 15-pack) is important for full functionality on these models. Lower-tier models like the DeskJet 3520 use only four ink positions — standard black plus cyan, magenta, and yellow — so these users don't need to include photo black in their purchasing plan.

Pack Size, Storage, and Shelf Life

Purchasing cartridges in larger packs reduces the per-unit cost meaningfully, but it only makes financial sense if the cartridges will be used before they degrade — sealed inkjet cartridges typically have a shelf life of two to three years when stored in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight. Our team recommends calculating monthly ink usage before choosing pack size: a household printing 150 pages per month with standard black consumption would use approximately one black XL cartridge every five to six months, meaning a four-pack covers approximately two years of printing and stays comfortably within shelf life. For light printers who use the printer once a week or less, purchasing individual cartridges or small combo packs as needed is a smarter approach than stockpiling, since dried-out cartridges waste both money and frustration. The sealed packaging used by Smart Ink and Valuetoner in particular does a good job of extending shelf life, but no packaging eliminates the risk entirely for cartridges stored longer than eighteen months.

Questions Answered

Final Thoughts

After extensive testing across all five products, our team's verdict for 2026 is clear: the Smart Ink 10-pack combo is the best all-around starting point for most HP Photosmart households, the Valuetoner 15-pack is the right call for high-volume or six-ink printer owners, and the genuine HP 564 Photo Black earns its place for anyone who demands the absolute best photo quality the Photosmart platform can deliver. Choosing the right cartridge pack is a straightforward decision once print volume, printer model, and quality priorities are matched against the options — and every product reviewed here delivers genuine value within its category.