How to Refill Print Cartridges

By Chris Moore

Overview

Refilling printer cartridges is a great way to save money if your printing expenses are too high. You can also protect the environment by not throwing away those hard plastic cartridges containing what remains of the toxic ink chemicals. Depending on the brand of cartridge you use, opening the cartridge will vary. Outside of that, refilling one with new ink is pretty much the same. Many stores sell refill kits that should have all the tools you need no matter what cartridge you have.

Step 1

Know what type of ink is in the cartridge you are refilling. This is fairly easy as a color cartridge is usually larger than a black ink cartridge, since it contains three chambers for three ink shades: yellow, cyan and magenta. Some cartridges may contain only one of these three shades. The label should tell you which one.
Step 2

Locate an access filling hole to the chamber. It should be a tiny hole (about 1/8 inch around) located on the top or bottom, sealed with a ball bearing and covered by the label or a small plastic film. Remove the cover and press the ball into the cartridge. If there is no hole, drill one into the top. There will often be small bumps where you should drill.

Step 3

Place the replacement ink into a container that you can empty into the cartridge through the hole. This is usually a plastic syringe bottle. Make sure the syringe is clean and draw the ink into it from the ink bottle.
Step 4

Inject the ink into the cartridge with the needle inserted all the way inside. If you're refilling a color cartridge with multiple chambers, make sure you know what shade of ink goes into which chamber. Place a pin or toothpick into each hole to draw a small bit of ink and find out before refilling.
Step 5

Wash and rinse the syringe bottle immediately after refilling a chamber, especially if you plan to switch to a different color (otherwise, the colors will mix and ruin the printing). Dry the syringe completely as well, as any retained water will dilute the ink. Clean it again after all refilling is done so it can be reused in the future.
Step 6

Plug up the filler hole if it is at the bottom. This is usually on a black ink cartridge, so there should only be one hole to seal. A small, plastic plug will work, and taping over it with electrical tape works even better.

Skill: Moderately Easy
Ingredients:
Printer ink
Syringe bottle
Sharp knife
Small plastic plugs
Tape
Tip: Resealing filler holes on the top depends on the type of cartridge. It is necessary for Canon printer cartridges. However, on some Hewlett Packard cartridges, it may affect the print output by making the chamber too airtight.
Warning:
Some cartridges contain a Mylar bag that holds the ink. In these cases, the syringe needle goes in through the ink dispersal hole. The bag is delicate, so insert the needle with care not more than 3/4 of the way in so as not to tear it.

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