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Ink cartridge refill guide, How to



Printer ink is one of the most expensive things that you’ll run into when you set up your home office. You start out taking dozens of pictures with your new digital camera, download them onto your computer, print a few and then suddenly: the print cartridge runs out of ink.



If you follow this how-to guide and refill your print cartridge instead of buying a new one, you can save literally hundreds of dollars in printer ink.

How to refill your own ink cartridges



Ideally, refilling an ink cartridge should be done before it’s empty to prevent the core from drying out and clogging. Start by finding a refill kit that’s compatible with your current black or color inkjet cartridge. Be sure to double check the compatible cartridges listed on the refill kit. Once you’ve found the right kit, it’s simple to start refilling your cartridges.



1. Make sure your kit includes these essential items: ink bottles, syringes and instructions. You may want to use newspapers or old towels to cover your work area and wear gloves to protect your hands from spills.

2. Power off your inkjet printer and remove your cartridge.

3. Remove the cap from each ink bottle (for color cartridges) and insert one syringe per bottle.

4. Fill each syringe with the proper amount of ink (found in the refill kit’s instructions).

5. Replace caps on ink bottles for proper storage.

6. Follow the refill kit’s guide to find out where the filled syringe should puncture the inkjet cartridge.

7. Begin slowly filling the inkjet cartridge with one syringe at a time (for color ink cartridges). Since it’s hard to determine how much ink was in the cartridge before you began, it’s best to avoid using the full amount in the syringe. Stop a couple of milliliters short of total capacity to help avoid an overflow.

8. Remove the syringe from the cartridge, then thoroughly rinse the syringe with water.

9. Place the filled inkjet cartridge back into your printer.

10. Run your printer’s cartridge cleaning program and print a few test pages to ensure quality printouts.