The humble ink cartridge can end up being one of the most expensive consumables in your IT arsenal. When you use your printer every day, the ink or toner can run low very quickly, leading to a pain in the wallet. Ultimately, all it is is a container filled with paint or powder, and it begs the question of whether you can simply refill the cartridge?
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The answer is a guarded “yes.” Do it right, and you can save yourself plenty of money. However, you can also do that by simply shopping around and finding a reputable online source. These HP 364 ink cartridges, for example, are remanufactured and cost a fraction of what you would pay on the high street for OEM cartridges. If you are still determined to try refilling yourself, however, or if your printer uses a special kind of ink, such as sublimation ink for a full colour printer, read on.
Inkjet cartridge refill
To refill your cartridge, you must cautiously remove it from the printer. Open the cover and gently pull the cartridge by pressing the button-latch or pulling the plastic tip. Find the label on top that covers the special opening for refuelling and carefully remove it. Put the label somewhere safe as you will need to stick it back on when you’ve finished.
Before filling the cartridge, take a syringe and draw 2-3 ml of ink into it, and then insert the needle about 2-3 cm inside the cartridge. Then, you can refill it by slowly injecting the contents of the syringe. Make sure you don’t apply too much pressure to the syringe as when filling the cartridge with a strong jet, there is a risk of air bubbling from the container itself. Ink droplets on the bottom of the cartridge indicate overfilling. If this happens, take some ink out of the container with the help of the same syringe and blot the nozzles with a tissue. Finally, don’t forget to return the sticker to its original place to make sure the holes are securely closed. Then you just need to reinstall the refilled ink cartridge back in the printer and run a test print.
Toner refill
If refilling a printer cartridge sounds like potentially messy work, a toner is enough to frighten even the most determined DIY-er. Manufacturers do not typically recommend you do so, but you asked, so duly caveated, this is what is involved. Before you do anything else, disassemble carefully inspect the cartridge for damage. If there are any problems, admit defeat and buy a replacement.
Refilling the cartridge is not actually a complicated task, but there are several steps involved. If you give it a try, the important thing is to work methodically, take your time and watch what you’re doing. If in doubt, remember that the manufacturers recommend simply replacing for a reason. However, if you have several printers on the go, there is no denying that you can save yourself some serious money if you take the time to learn how to do your own refills.
