| When most of us think of refilling our own ink | | | | the printer from printing a refilled cartridge. To get |
| cartridges, we think of the mess involved—ink | | | | around this, some kits come with a chip resetter. |
| spilling, staining our rugs, and getting all over our | | | | Why You Should Refill Your Cartridges |
| hands. And we think of the risks involved to our | | | | The biggest benefit is the savings. You’ll |
| printers, as well—clogged print heads, damaged | | | | definitely save more than you would when buying |
| printers, and voided warranties. So with the risks | | | | new manufacturer’s cartridges. A refill kit |
| associated, should you try refilling your own | | | | may also cost you less than buying discount |
| cartridges? | | | | remanufactured or third party cartridges as well. |
| Believe it or not, ink refilling may be worth a | | | | Another benefit is environmental. By refilling your |
| second look. You could stand to save a significant | | | | cartridges, you are keeping them—and the |
| amount by refilling your own cartridges—even | | | | toxic chemicals in the ink and the cartridges |
| more than buying remanufactured or | | | | themselves—out of the landfill. Approximately |
| OEM-compatible cartridges, in some cases, | | | | 65 million ink cartridges are used in the U.K. every |
| especially if you buy your ink in bulk. And if you | | | | year, and about 85% are sent to landfills. |
| buy from a good company, you may not have | | | | When ink cartridges are dumped in landfills, the ink |
| any trouble with the ink. Here’s a little more | | | | left over in the cartridge will leak out into the |
| information to help you decide. | | | | surrounding soil. Most printer ink contains volatile |
| What’s In the Kit? | | | | organic chemicals (VOC’s), which can cause |
| Most ink refill kits come with either several bottles | | | | cancer and birth defects. The plastics used in |
| of black ink or one bottle each of the three | | | | cartridges are engineering-grade polymers; they |
| major colors: cyan, yellow, and magenta. Combo | | | | take approximately 1,000 years to decompose, |
| refill kits come with both black and color ink. They | | | | according to some estimates. |
| also come with needles and possibly a cartridge | | | | The Drawbacks of Refilling Your Ink Cartridges |
| holder. Some kits may come with different or | | | | There is some mess associated with the process; |
| additional tools, as every brand’s cartridges | | | | you’ll need rubber gloves and a hand towel to |
| are different. | | | | contain spills. The ink will stain, so you’ll need |
| The Refill Process | | | | to be careful not to get it on your clothes. |
| When you refill your cartridge, you should always | | | | In the past, ink refill kits were messier than they |
| read the directions that come with the kit. Every | | | | are now. That’s because older refill kits were |
| ink cartridge is different, and yours may require | | | | universal, made to work with any cartridge. |
| different steps to refill. Here is a general guideline. | | | | Because different cartridge brands have different |
| Your first task will usually be to inject ink into the | | | | volumes and a different makeup, this meant that |
| cartridge using your syringe. You must do this | | | | the refill kit didn’t always work well with the |
| slowly to avoid forcing the ink into other | | | | cartridge at hand. This led to a higher risk of |
| compartments in the cartridge where it | | | | overflows and spills. Today’s refill kits are |
| doesn’t belong. Depending on your cartridge, | | | | usually designed for one specific brand. |
| you can either remove the top or inject the ink | | | | Another drawback can be the quality of ink. |
| through a hole in the cartridge. With some | | | | Some refill ink is almost as good as the original. |
| cartridges, you’ll also have to remove excess | | | | With others, it can be significantly lower in |
| air from the ink compartment. | | | | quality—and it could damage your printer. Some |
| Once you’ve done this, you may need to | | | | manufacturers won’t honor the warranty on |
| clean the print heads on the cartridge. This can be | | | | printers damaged by third-party ink. |
| done by blotting with a cloth soaked in isopropyl | | | | Refilling your own cartridges can definitely be |
| alcohol. Once you’ve made sure the print | | | | worth it, but you’ll have to choose a |
| heads are clean, replace the top of the cartridge | | | | company carefully. Ask around for |
| and install it in the printer. You may need to run | | | | recommendations. Talk to a few companies and |
| your printer’s cleaning program to get rid of | | | | ask what guarantees they have on their refill kits. |
| excess ink before you print. | | | | A good company should offer a money-back |
| Printer manufacturers are trying to make it more | | | | guarantee if you’re not satisfied. Take some |
| difficult for consumers to replace the ink in | | | | time in choosing a refill company, and you may be |
| cartridges, and some have started installing | | | | able to save a significant amount on your printing |
| computer chips in their cartridges that will prevent | | | | costs this way. |