How to Refill Epson Stylus Cx5200 Ink Cartridges

By Nathaniel Miller

Overview

Ink cartridges are an expensive necessity for businesses and individuals who do any kind of printing. High volume print businesses normally opt to recycle their ink cartridges and buy new. However, it could also behoove the individual with the Epson Stylus CX5200 to refill his ink cartridges instead of buying new. A refill kit for the Epson Stylus CX5200 can refill a typical cartridge up to five times, at about the price of two new ink cartridges.

A variety of ink cartridges prepared for refilling.

Step 1

Remove the cartridge from the printer by lifting the access door at the back of the printer. The printer will move the cartridge cradle to the center of the access hole. Lift the cartridge cover and press down the cartridge. Lift straight up to pull the cartridge free from the printer.
Step 2

Fill the ink syringe supplied in the refill kit with the appropriate level of ink. As the kit you purchased can most likely service a variety of Epson ink cartridges, use the chart enclosed in the refill kit to determine the correct level for the Epson Stylus CX5200.

Step 3

Use the small drill bit and hand-held drill to make a hole in the top of the ink cartridge near the sticker. This is your refill hole and, like the breather holes, does not need to be plugged after use. Insert the needle of the syringe into the hole and make sure it goes in the full length of the ink cartridge. Slowly push the ink from the syringe into the cartridge reservoir.
Step 4

Pull the needle out of the cartridge once the ink cartridge is full. Replace the rest of the ink into the bottle, and wash the syringe out with water.
Step 5

Use the Epson wand, also known as the Epson chip resetter or simply SK168, available from Epson or a variety of other companies online, to reset the small green chip on the side of the cartridge so that the printer recognizes this as a full cartridge. Slide the cartridge in the device for a period of a few seconds and the chip is reset. You can also download free software that will reset Epson chips from the website listed below.
Step 6

Allow the cartridge to sit overnight before reinstalling in the printer. Run the "Print cleaner" under Print Properties 2 to 3 times prior to printing anything.

Skill: Easy
Ingredients:
Color Epson cartridge T042220 / T042320 / T042420 refill kit, available in 60 or 120 ml
Black Epson cartridge T0321 refill kit, available in 60 or 120 ml
Tip: Refill ink cartridges before they are all the way empty and dried out to avoid clogged ink jets.
Warning:
Do not force too much ink into the resevoir too fast as this could cause the ink to froth and introduce air into the ink chamber. Air creates unpredictable and bad quality printing.

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