HP Envy 6130e Ink Cartridges
Your HP Envy 6130e uses the 68 series ink cartridges, which features a dual-cartridge system consisting of one black and one tri-colour tank. Because this printer is designed for home and student use, the tri-colour cartridge contains cyan, magenta, and yellow ink in a single unit. This means if you print a high volume of a specific colour, such as blue in school assignments, you will need to replace the entire colour unit even if other shades remain. Switching to the 68e high-yield black helps reduce the frequency of maintenance for text-heavy documents.
Selecting the right cartridge setup
Managing your ink for the HP Envy 6130e depends on your monthly printing habits. If your printer sits idle for weeks between university assignments or school projects, the standard HP 68 cartridges are a practical choice to keep initial costs low. However, for households that print regularly, the HP 68e high-yield black cartridge offers double the capacity of the standard version. Since the black ink is typically depleted faster than colour in a home environment, keeping a 68e on hand prevents mid-task interruptions during important document runs.
How long these cartridges last in real use
Page yields for the HP 68 series are determined using the ISO/IEC 24711 standard for inkjet printers, which simulates continuous printing of a five-page suite of documents. In a real home setting, your results will vary based on how often you perform head cleanings and the complexity of your pages.
| Cartridge Number | Type | Colour | Page Yield | Cost Per Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | Standard | Black | 160 | $0.26 |
| 68 | Standard | Colour | 120 | $0.34 |
| 68e | High Yield | Black | 320 | $0.26 |
Cost Per Page = Total Cartridge Price ÷ Page Yield (at 5% coverage). Prices based on Genuine cartridges.
Best way to stock these cartridges
The most effective way to manage replacements for the Envy 6130e is through bundle packs. By purchasing the black and colour cartridges together, you ensure that you have both components of the dual-cartridge system ready when the printer signals a low ink warning. We ship from warehouses in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to ensure your supplies arrive promptly. Free delivery applies on all orders over $99 (conditions apply). For details on our 90-day peace of mind guarantee, please view our Returns policy. You can view the full range of HP ink cartridges on our category page.
Pro Tip
If you primarily print monochrome text but the printer refuses to work because the colour cartridge is empty, the Envy 6130e can often operate in "Single-Cartridge Mode." Removing the empty colour tank and leaving only the black 68e cartridge installed allows you to finish urgent black-and-white documents until a replacement colour unit arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a 68e high-yield black cartridge if my printer came with a standard 68?
Yes, the 68e high-yield cartridge has the exact same external dimensions as the standard 68 cartridge. It contains a larger internal sponge to hold more ink, making it fully compatible with the same slot in your Envy 6130e without requiring any printer modifications.
What happens to the 68 tri-colour cartridge if I only print in blue?
Because the 68 tri-colour cartridge houses cyan, magenta, and yellow in one unit, exhausting the cyan ink will render the entire cartridge unusable for accurate colour reproduction. The printer will prompt for a replacement even if there is magenta or yellow ink remaining in their respective internal chambers.
Does the HP 68 black ink use pigment or dye-based ink?
The HP 68 black cartridge typically uses pigment-based ink, which is designed for crisp, smudge-resistant text on plain paper. The tri-colour cartridge uses dye-based inks to provide more vibrant colour blending, which is better suited for graphics and occasional photo printing on the Envy 6130e.
