You don’t need to buy them every time you run out? Refilling ink cartridges is what you will have to learn how to do, which is what this article is all about. Actually by learning how to refill ink cartridges rather than throwing them away, you will save yourself hundreds of dollars and so it really is well worth investing the time to learn how to do it.

Before you get started to learn how to refill ink cartridges you will need to make sure that you have everything that you will need and so here is the list.

You will need an empty refillable ink cartridge, ink refill kit, paper towels, scotch tape, gloves, rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

Refilling ink cartridges is not hard and an ink refill kit can easily be purchased from an office supply store or even online on the web. They should cost you about 50 per cent of what you would ordinarily pay for inkjet ink cartridges.

Look for a flat working surface and make sure that you have protected it from any spillages that may occur while you are refilling ink cartridges. Also make sure that you wear the plastic gloves to protect yourself from the messy ink. Get your kit, roll of paper towels, and scotch tape. Now remove the used up refillable ink cartridge from your printer and place it on the paper towel already folded twice.

Examine your ink cartridge carefully looking for the tiny fill holes on top. You will be able to feel them by rubbing your finger across the label. Be careful here because some types of cartridges tend to have many holes. Holes that lead to where the ink is stored will usually have sponges on them. Once you are sure that you have the correct hole, use a sharp pencil to pierce it open. Alternatively you can take off the top label with a sharp object like a knife or screwdriver.

Next take a small toothpick and push them into the holes to identify which colors are required. Apart from black the other colors are magenta, cyan and yellow. Do not rely on markings on the cartridge because sometimes they are put there to mislead you into putting the wrong colors into the wrong ink chambers. Naturally manufacturers don’t really like you knowing how to refill ink cartridges because it means lost business to them.

Once you are sure of which color goes into which chamber, insert the long needle deeply into the hole of the cartridge breaking through the foam and inject the ink carefully. Be careful not to inject air pockets because this will cause the cartridge not to print as the air will block the ink from reaching the print head of your printer. Also be careful not to overfill and so you should stop as soon as you see ink starting to ooze out of the hole.

Now daub the cartridge contacts on your paper towel slowly to clean it. You should be able to see a little ink remain on the paper towel. This confirms that you have refilled correctly.  Next cover the hole you used to refill the cartridge with clear scotch tape.

After you have refilled all the three holes with the different colors carefully blot the cartridge print head on your paper towel several times until it stops “bleeding” ink. Make sure that your cartridge is not leaking. Repeat the same process with the black ink cartridge.

Install the ink cartridges in the printer and print out something to test and confirm that the cartridges are working fine. It is important to remember that after refilling ink cartridges about six times the print head will eventually wear out and you will then need purchase a new print cartridge. Also be careful not to overfill a cartridge because this will cause it to wear out much faster.

To keep your refillable ink cartridge in good condition and make it last longer, try your best to avoid letting your cartridge run completely dry. Check it frequently and try not to leave your printer unused for too long. You should print something at least once a week.

That is how to refill ink cartridges and save yourself a lot of money by avoiding to buy a new one every time you run out.

The thermal drum can sometimes overheat if there is not enough toner left in the cartridge, this can be dangerous and it is not unusual for paper to get singed while going through the copier. Typically the machine will advise when the toner is getting low and it is always best to replace it as soon as possible.

How Do Toner Ink Cartridges Work?

The thermal drum on the printer or the copier heats up after it receives a message from the computer or control panel, it heats up quickly and is too hot to touch.  The drum heats up and in turn heats up the ink. The ink is then forced through a series of ports where it is directed to the paper.  There is of course other parts of the process that relies on signals and such from the control panel or computer.

Refilling Toner Ink Cartridges

Like refillable inkjet cartridges toner ink cartridges are refillable. Typically the toner will come in a bottle or a plastic rectangular container that is dumped into the toner housing area.  In some models refilling is not possible and the entire cartridge has to be replaced.  This can get expensive over time.

Finding Toner Ink Cartridges Replacements

Finding replacement toner ink cartridges is relatively simple as they are widely available.  Most manufacturers will recommend that toner replacement is done with manufacturer parts only, this of course only benefit’s the manufacturer and is the most expensive option.  There are usually very good alternative vendors separate from the manufacturer that offers excellent replacement options.

A good resource for remanufactured ink cartridges is the internet. There are many vendors that specialize in toner ink cartridges and saving money this way may be a real option.  Comparative shopping is easier online and finding hard to find toner ink cartridges is easier if you have the option of searching many different online vendors.

Cost Of Toner Ink Cartridges

The cost will vary from vendor to vendor but will not differ too much. The savings may be realized in shipping costs or in other “deals” that are offered. Usually purchasing toner ink cartridges in bulk will also save some money.

Before purchasing toner ink cartridges you need to make sure that the product you are purchasing will match perfectly the printer or the copier. Unlike inkjet ink cartridges toner replacement usually is sold in weight of the toner, when the whole cartridge has to be replaced than it is sold by cartridge size.

Printing is not possible without toner in a laser jet printer or a copier.  Toner ink cartridges are an integral part of any copier or laser jet printer.

Before manufacturers started making refillable inkjet cartridges there were kits that you could buy that would force a disposable cartridge to accept new ink.  This can get messy and not all cartridges no matter what type of kit was used were able to be refilled.

With the new refillable inkjet cartridges refilling them is a breeze and does not require much effort at all.

Ink cartridges are the expendable part of printers, they are more times than not disposable and get thrown out when they are empty.  This of course raises a few concerns. The money that is spent just to be thrown out and of course environmental impact is always a concern.

Controversies Surrounding Refillable Inkjet Cartridges

There has been a great deal of controversy over printer manufacturers and remanufactured ink cartridges.  The printer manufacturer will sell a printer at just about cost not realizing much of a profit but that more than makes up for the lost profit on the printer with the ink cartridges.

The inkjet ink cartridges can cost up to one half the cost of the printer.  So with three replacement cartridges the printer manufacturer has more than realized the profit on the printer over two years time the printer manufacturer has more than tripled the cost of the printer with the replacement ink cartridges.

Printer manufacturers have ignored complaints of consumers regarding this practice and have largely ignored the cries of foul from environmental groups.  As a matter of fact they have taken steps to make it even harder to replace inkjet cartridges with anything other than manufacturer replacement parts by including smart chips in the cartridges.   Some manufacturers have responded and have started including refillable inkjet cartridges with their printers.  Toner ink cartridges are refillable also.

Benefits Of Refillable Inkjet Cartridges

The obvious benefit is the money that is saved by refilling an inkjet cartridge, but it goes beyond the cash savings. Keeping these cartridges out of the landfill goes beyond reducing bulk in the landfill.  Inkjet cartridges are not completely empty when they need to be replaced there usually is still some ink left in the cartridge that can potentially leak over time and  cause major problems with the ground water.

Drawbacks Of Refillable Inkjet Cartridges

There are a couple of drawbacks to refillable inkjet cartridges. Printers that are manufactured to use refillable inkjet cartridges are more expensive than conventional printers, of course the additional cost is recouped overtime in the savings of being able to refill the inkjet cartridges as opposed to disposing of them and buying new ones. Typically purchasing the initial refillable inkjet cartridges is also higher in cost, and if the refillable inkjet cartridges become defective over time it is more expensive to replace the refillable inkjet cartridges.

Spending the additional money initially is well worth the cost and will result in a much larger overall savings using refillable inkjet cartridges.

Usually a printer can be bought for under one hundred dollars, which seems like such a good deal, but when it comes time to replace the inkjet cartridges the consumer is shocked to find out that the inkjet cartridges can easily cost up to half the original price of the printer.  Over time this gets to be very expensive.  Cheap inkjet cartridges are typically up to thirty three percent or a full one third the cost of a manufacturer replacement inkjet cartridge or laser printer toner ink cartridges.  This can be a huge savings over time.

Almost all of the printer manufacturers will void the warranty on the printer if use of a non original manufacturer replacement cartridge has been used. This is one way the manufacturer insures that they will see a profit on the printer that they sold to the consumer.  Sometimes it is well worth the risk, because a new printer can be replaced for the cost of two replacement cartridges.

Some manufacturers offer cheap inkjet cartridges as part of a deal that they are running.  If a manufacturer is offering cheap inkjet cartridges it is a good idea to buy a few to have them on hand, because it is that unusual to find that type of deal.

Where to Find Replacement Cheap Inkjet Cartridges?

The internet is a great place to search for cheap inkjet cartridges, there are tons of websites that are dedicated to selling cheap inkjet cartridges.  The only information that they require is the make model and series of the printer.  Typically there will be several choices for each printer.

Some office supply stores will also carry generic refillable inkjet cartridges which are usually cheap inkjet cartridges.  There are also cheap inkjet cartridges available at some discount stores.

The most important thing to remember is that not all cheap inkjet cartridges are created equally.  A good way to determine quality and performance is to read customer reviews and product performance ratings.  This will give a good idea of how a specific generic brand performs. Unsolicited customer reviews are usually very frank and will indicate overall satisfaction with a product.

Some Considerations When Purchasing Cheap Inkjet Cartridges

Some cheap inkjet cartridges are just cheap and do not perform the way they are supposed to.  Some remanufactured ink cartridges are sold with little ink in them so they have to be replaced more often, this of course defeats the purpose, because replacing cheap inkjet cartridges more often will not save any money.  Checking on customer reviews is an important part in the purchasing process and can help to avoid disappointment.

Most of the time cheap inkjet cartridges will perform exactly as planned and there will be not any indication at all in performance that it is not a manufacturer replacement part.

Cheap inkjet cartridges are a great way to save money!

How Do Inkjet Ink Cartridges Work?

Unlike toner ink cartridges for laser printers most inkjet ink cartridges work using thermal properties, that is that there is some type of heating element in between the layers of powdered ink.  The ink inside the cartridge is usually a fine powdery substance.  A message sent to the printer from the computer causes the heating element to heat up which in turn heats up the powdered ink.  When the powder is heated up it forms a little bubble that is forced through the nozzle of the cartridge and winds up on the paper, of course the technology surrounding how the printer forms the characters is complex.

The ink also acts as a cooling agent for the printer cartridge.  If the ink is allowed to run too low there is potential for damaging the nozzle or ink head which can result in permanently damaging the printer.

There are usually two inkjet  ink cartridges used in a printer one filled with black ink and one filled with colored ink (containing three primary colors). Depending on the information received from the computer which has been input from the user determines which cartridge is engaged for use.

There are a few options for replacing inkjet ink cartridges:

• Replacement with an identical inkjet ink cartridges from the manufacturer of the inkjet printer
• Replacement with an alternate vendor model.
• Using refillable inkjet cartridges.

The most expensive type of inkjet ink cartridge will come from the original manufacturer.  Inkjet ink cartridges that come from the manufacturer are typically very expensive and can be a large fraction of the original cost of the inkjet printer.  Many manufacturers will only warranty the ink jet printer if OEM parts are used.  Original Equipment Manufactured parts are produced by the manufacturer of the inkjet printer and are made specifically to fit the ink jet printer.

Replacement with an alternate vendor model can save literally hundreds of dollars over the life of the inkjet printer.  Typically this is an option a lot of consumers opt for, but if the printer malfunctions and there is evidence that the “wrong” inkjet ink cartridges were used the manufacturer can void the warranty.

Refilling the inkjet ink cartridges is another option.  This can be done through the use remanufactured ink cartridges or it can be sent to a vendor that does it for you.  This is the least expensive option. This option will also void the manufacturers warranty as well.

Some manufacturers have moved toward refillable inkjet ink cartridges as a way to reduce the environmental impact.