Black ink 63xl only prints 245 pages with drafts

[frank412015]

I use different Operating Systems and on all the Systems and Software the default is to print in draft mode cause as long as it's black and white and readable it's great for me. The last 3 63XL Ink Replacement Cartilages I have only been getting about 225 to 260 pages when I should be getting far more. I'm also the only user and don't have any kids. My G/F hates Office work and refuses to mess with any computer or printer. This really adds up over time and I been feeling like I'm being ripped off. Even if I got 260 pages out of each one that's about 120 pages that I didn't get witch is almost the amount of a small cartilage of about $30. If I only got 225 pages then that will be 225 pages I didn't get to print out of 3 63XL black cartilages. The only way I noticed this is cause I'm the only person that uses the printer and I only have it on draft setting. I only print schematics, instructions, or manuals. Schematics are really small on a single page so I enlarge them to fit on 4 pages. With them being so big then I don't need any high quality prints.

[sabretooth04 · Accepted solution]

Here is a chart to help with Ink Cartridge Page Estimation.  All cartridges are based on a 5% coverage when new.

Note:  A 5% coverage is about 6 single spaced lines of text on a page. No bold, graphics or pictures.  A full color photo would be 100% coverage.

A ‘regular’ page of text would be about 72 lines and give us 30% coverage (more realistic).  Don’t forget the font type and size you use will use more ink too.

Example: 564 Standard Black = 250 pages at 5% coverage.   

Let’s say your average page coverage you estimate is 30%.  So…250/6 = 41.

Therefore the number of pages expected (30% coverage) out of your cartridge would be about 40 pages.

A 564 Standard Color (300 pages) at 100% coverage yields – 300/20 = 15 pages.

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You HP 63XL cartridge is rated for 480 pages, at a 5% coverage.  From you description you are printing at least a 50% ink rate or more.   So here is your math.

480/10 = 48 pages.  If we back this up and you are printing at a 30% ink coverage you math is:

480/6 = 80 pages.

You are getting way more than what is expected.