SKU:

CS-EP-552-GY

Condition:

New Compatible

OEM Part #:

T552520-S

Color:

Gray

Ink Type:

Dye

Volume:

70 mL

Page Yield:

Up to 46,600 pages (ISO/IEC 24712, Epson methodology — Epson's official rating; photo yields per ISO/IEC 29103 are significantly lower)

Chip:

None (chipless bottle)

Warranty:

Lifetime Warranty

Returns:

1-Year Free Returns

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a gray ink bottle actually do?

It gives the printer intermediate tones. Black-and-white gradients, neutral mid-tones in color prints, and smooth shadow transitions are built with gray instead of by diluting black — which is why this family's B&W output is its signature.

Is the 46,600-page rating real?

It is Epson's official figure, printed in the current specification sheets for both printers (CPD-59931R5 / CPD-59933R4) and on their product pages. Read it with its context: it's measured on the ISO/IEC 24712 document pattern, where gray usage per page is minimal.

So how many photos will it print?

Far fewer than 46,600 — Epson states photo yields are measured on ISO/IEC 29103 and are significantly lower, without publishing a per-bottle photo figure for gray. In practice, gray consumption tracks your monochrome and shadow-heavy printing; the tank window is the honest gauge.

Some sites rate this bottle at 6,200 pages. Who's right?

Epson's current documents say 46,600; the 6,200 figure groups gray with the CMY colors and appears in reseller listings and some older sheet copies, not in Epson's current spec sheets or product pages. We follow the manufacturer's current documents — and show our reasoning, as above.

Which printers use gray ink?

In this catalog, exactly two: the EcoTank Photo ET-8500 and ET-8550. The six-color system (BK, PB, C, M, Y, GY) is what defines them.

Is gray dye or pigment?

Dye — like photo black and the three process colors in this family. Only the T552020 Black is pigment.

Will my color prints suffer if gray runs out?

Yes, subtly: neutral tones and shadow gradients lose their smoothness and can pick up casts, because the printer composes them partly from gray. B&W prints suffer most visibly — banding in skies and fog is the classic symptom.

Is T552520-S a multi-pack code?

No — here it's this single gray bottle. (Epson's real 552 multi-packs are T552620-S and T552920-S.) The "520" suffix means different things in different families; on 552, it's gray.

Does the bottle have a chip?

None. Keyed nozzle, auto-stop fill — a purely mechanical refill with nothing for the printer to reject.

Can I substitute light black or diluted black ink?

There is no such Epson bottle for these printers, and the gray tank is keyed for this bottle. Refill with the specified gray.

Is this genuine Epson ink?

No — a Clever Supplies compatible bottle built to the T552520-S specification, labeled compatible on the box and this page.

Warranty and returns?

Lifetime warranty — a bottle that fails to perform is replaced — plus free returns within the first year.