How to Refill a Color Ink Cartridge

Step 1

Purchase a color ink-jet refill kit online or from an office supply store.

Step 2

Spread out some absorbent paper towels on a level surface to absorb any spilled ink. You may want to use plastic gloves to protect your hands.

Step 3

Identify the three different compartments in the color cartridge to determine which color goes into which hole in the cartridge. Place the empty cartridge on top of the paper towels.

Step 4

Fill your syringe with 5 ml of the ink in the color that needs refilling. Insert the syringe needle into the fill hole of the appropriate compartment and slowly inject the ink into it. Take care not to overfill the compartment, which will cause ink to seep out of the holes.

Step 5

Place one of the seal dots from the re-fill kit on top of the fill hole to cover and seal it.

Step 6

Repeat the steps for each of the ink colors that need to be refilled. Once you complete the refill, dab the print head of the color cartridge with a paper towel until it is no longer seeping any ink.

Step 7

Replace the cartridge in the printer. Print a test page of a picture that has a number of different colors.

Troubleshoot Your Refilled Cartridge

• Step 1

  Check for any leakage once you have refilled the cartridge. Leakages may be caused by overfilling, injecting the ink too fast or not inserting the syringe deep enough. To remedy this, simply allow the excess ink to flow out onto an absorbent paper towel.

• Step 2

  Note whether the ink continues to flow from the nozzle. If it does, this may be a signal that the rubber stopper is improperly placed, so double-check it. If the rubber stopper is not the problem, it is likely that the bag inside the cartridge is damaged. In this case, purchasing a new cartridge is the only remedy.

• Step 3

  Replace or reposition the seal dot that you placed over its fill hole if one the colors is not printing properly. This helps ease any suction that may be hampering the flow of ink.

• Skill: Moderately Easy
• Ingredients:
• Ink-jet cartridge refill kit
• Paper towels
• Latex gloves (optional)
• Tip: Depending on the usage of the cartridge and other factors such as the quality of paper used, a cartridge can be refilled between four and eight times.
• Tip: Refilling a cartridge before the ink completely runs out can increase its life.
• Tip: Use the best quality paper you can afford because low-quality paper damages the electrical contacts, thus shortening the life of a cartridge.