How we check

Every claim is dated and sourced. If we cannot verify something, the page says so.

Why this site exists

Printers that worked fine with cheaper cartridges can stop overnight after a silent firmware update. The answer to "will my ink still work?" is scattered across support forums, trade-group press releases and Reddit threads. The frustration is real: one October 2026 post about printer ink subscriptions on X had about 92,000 views (post), and similar questions come up on r/printers every week.

What counts as a source

• Maker pages (HP support, store listings, manuals). Best for what the maker says the printer does.
• Press (Ars Technica, TechSpot, trade press). Good for dates and scope.
• Trade groups and sellers (Int'l ITC, cartridge sellers). Useful but they have a stake, so we label them.
• Owner reports (HP Support Community, Reddit). Real-world evidence, labeled as reports.

How statuses are set

• Works: dated sources show third-party cartridges working on current firmware.
• Blocked after firmware X: a dated source ties a block to a named update.
• Disputed: credible sources disagree.
• Unknown: not enough dated evidence.

Workarounds

We only list workarounds a source describes, and we say who the source is. We do not test firmware downgrades, and we never call one safe.

Dates

Each source shows either its publish date or the date we read it. Each page shows when it was last checked. New printer pages are added most nights.

Who runs it

InkLockout is run by Joshua Hale. It is independent and not affiliated with any printer maker.