HP 962 black · standard

The HP 962 black is the standard size black for five printers in our database: the OfficeJet Pro 9015, 9015e, 9018e, 9025 and 9025e. All five take the same number, and the e models take it as well, which the listings are not always clear about.

At 1,000 pages for $43.99 it prints a black page for 4.40c. The high yield 962XL black is rated at 2,000 pages for $63.99, or 3.20c, so the XL is about 27 percent cheaper per page and you buy half as often. The colours behave the same way on this family, which makes a full XL restock the straightforward choice rather than a mixed one.

For scale, this is among the cheapest black pages in our catalog. The 65XL black on the cheap DeskJets costs 12.33 cents a page by comparison. The 9015 class is a more expensive printer that is much less expensive to feed, which is the whole argument for buying a business machine for home use.

Firmware is the thing to read before you buy a compatible. All five printers are on our lockout list under HP Dynamic Security. The three e models are a harder case than the others, because a printer enrolled in HP+ during setup is committed to Original HP cartridges permanently and the choice cannot be undone afterwards. On a 9015 or 9025 that was never enrolled, third-party cartridges can work, but an update can still change what the printer accepts.

If a genuine cartridge is refused, work through the contacts first. Take it out, check the protective tape is fully off, wipe the copper contacts with a dry lint-free cloth and reseat until it clicks, then leave the printer unplugged for a minute. Black that prints faint or streaky while the colours are fine is a head problem instead. The head is part of the printer on this family, so swapping the cartridge will not fix it and a cleaning cycle usually will.