HP 56 & HP 57 Ink Cartridges: Australian Guide 🖨️

The HP DeskJet 5550 and PSC 2110 were household names in Australian printing during the early 2000s — widely sold at Big W, Harvey Norman, and Dick Smith Electronics. Robust, capable of decent photo output for their era, and genuinely long-lived. Many are still functioning.

If yours is still printing, HP 56 (black) and HP 57 (tri-colour) are what you need. Ollie has deep respect for printers this resilient (🐾 — though Noodle quietly notes that a modern wireless printer costs less than a year of premium genuine ink used to).

Which Printers Use HP 56 and HP 57?

HP 56/57 covers a classic early-2000s HP lineup:

HP DeskJet:

• DeskJet 450, 450cbi, 450wbt (portable)
• DeskJet 5150, 5151, 5160
• DeskJet 5550, 5552
• DeskJet 5650, 5652
• DeskJet 9650, 9670, 9680

HP PSC (Print/Scan/Copy):

• PSC 1210, 1213, 1215
• PSC 1311, 1315, 1317
• PSC 2110, 2170, 2175

HP OfficeJet:

• OfficeJet 4110, 4215, 5510, 5610
• OfficeJet K60, K60xi, K80

HP 56 vs HP 57: The Pair

| Cartridge | Colour | Type | Yield | |-----------|--------|------|-------| | HP 56 | Black | Dye-based | ~520 pages | | HP 57 | Tri-colour | Dye-based (C/M/Y) | ~500 pages |

Both use dye-based ink. HP 56 is black only; HP 57 combines cyan, magenta, and yellow in a single tri-colour cartridge. When one colour runs low, the entire HP 57 must be replaced.

The page yields (~500–520 pages) are actually reasonable for the era and cartridge size.

HP 56 vs HP 15/78: The Confusion

HP produced several similar-looking black cartridge families around the same period:

| | HP 56 / HP 57 | HP 15 / HP 78 | |--|--------------|--------------| | Black | HP 56 | HP 15 | | Colour | HP 57 (tri) | HP 78 (tri) | | Fits | DeskJet 5x50, PSC 1/2xx | DeskJet 3x20, 3x50, 9xx | | Interchangeable? | ❌ No | ❌ No |

Check your printer's cartridge bay before ordering. The cartridge door will show which number your printer requires.

Genuine vs Compatible: The Reality

Genuine HP 56 and HP 57 cartridges are discontinued. HP has not manufactured or distributed them in Australia for many years. Major retailers no longer stock them. Compatible cartridges from third-party suppliers are the only ongoing practical option.

Compatible HP 56/57 pricing:

• HP 56 compatible black: ~$8–$12
• HP 57 compatible colour: ~$10–$15

At ~50–80 pages/month: ~$25–$40/year in ink.

Is It Worth Keeping Running?

Worth keeping if:

• Clean output, no printhead issues
• You only need basic document/photo printing
• No need for wireless or duplex

Consider replacing if:

• Printhead cleaning doesn't fix output quality
• You need wireless, duplex, or mobile printing
• Compatible ink is getting harder to source

Modern HP DeskJet inkjets start at $60–$80 at Officeworks — often with wireless and better print quality than these 20-year-old models.

Australian Consumer Law

HP Australia cannot void your statutory warranty because you used compatible ink. For printers well outside their standard warranty period, ACL statutory consumer guarantees still provide reasonable lifespan protection.

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Summary

• ✅ HP 56 (black, ~520 pages) + HP 57 (tri-colour, ~500 pages) — 2-cartridge system
• ✅ Compatible is the only practical option — genuine HP 56/57 are discontinued in AU
• ✅ Very low running cost (~$25–$40/year at light use)
• ✅ Not interchangeable with HP 15/78 — check your printer's cartridge door
• ✅ Fits: DeskJet 5150–9680, PSC 1210–2175, OfficeJet 4110–K80
• ✅ No warranty risk under Australian Consumer Law