subject: Why and How to Refill Ink Cartridges [print this page] I used to refill my cartridges in some of my earlier inkjet printers without problems. I seem to remember it was usually a little messy though. Some of my customers swear by doing their own refills while the others prefer prefilled cartridges. If they work for you go for it. Refilling ink is an individual thing and you need to decide if it's for you. If you print a lot be sure to try refills because you?ll save a huge amount of money! Refilling is the process of injecting ink from large bottles into your existing cartridge using a syringe. A refill kit usually consists of ink bottles, syringes and can include air balance clips, tape and caps. First of all, a cartridge refill is only as good as the ink that goes into it. And since you're already saving so much on the ink price by buying it in bulk, shop around for the best quality. To insure the quality of your refills look only for inks that are specifically formulated for your model. By using these types of inks you should not see a difference in the quality of your prints. Most cartridges are capable of being refilled, but must be refilled before it's completely dry or burned out. Usually if a printer cartridge is left without ink for a couple of weeks or more then the print head is probably clogged. And will make it much more difficult to get good quality results. That's why it's so important to never let your cartridge become completely empty since this will decrease the number of times it can be refilled. So if you plan to refill, be sure to do it when you start noticing signs of low ink (ie. broken text, loss of print quality, or fading colors). Never keep printing with an empty cartridge. Many print heads contain resistors that get very hot, and require ink to keep them cool. Printing with an empty cartridge can cause these resistors to burn out, rendering the cartridge useless upon refilling. You can refill until a cartridge wears out or becomes clogged, so it really depends on the cartridge condition. A good average though is around 10 times. You can expect to get the same or more pages from your refills than from an OEM cartridge. Refilling can be messy, and I recommend the first few times you refill your cartridge you do it over a sink or paper towel, and be sure to use gloves. NOTE: A refilling machine is available for those of you who want to fill more than a few cartridges. You can also go to your local mall and look for a "Do-it-yourself" ink kiosk. Want to learn more ways to save on ink and paper? Go to http://www.freephotopaper.com/ink-guide-offer.htm
