If you follow the simple how-to guide on how to refill your ink cartridges safely instead of purchasing a new one every time you run out of ink, you can literally save hundreds of dollars on printer ink. If you can read and follow simple instructions, you can do it.
You can purchase an ink refill kit from an office supply store. And many office supply stores and discount stores carry these cost effective kits. They cost about half the price of an average printer cartridge. You can even buy these refill kits online.
You’ll need a roll of paper towel, your ink refill kit, and some clear masking tape on a large flat surface, desk or table.You can find a quick rundown here Open the door or lid to your printer, and remove the empty cartridge from the printer. Always remember to close your printer lid as you are working.
Wear disposable gloves while you work, work over the paper towel in case the ink leaks. So take a paper towel, fold it in half twice and place the empty cartridge on it. Not all cartridges are the same, you will have to read the instructions for your particular type. Then locate the holes on top of the cartridge by simply rubbing your finger across the label. Some cartridges are made with more than one hole. But only one will lead you to the reservoir and it will have a sponge on it.
Use a niddle or sharp object to pierce the refill hole. Make sure you identify the colors, as you do not want to put the wrong colors into the cartridge ink chambers. Insert the long needle of the refill ink bottle, deep into the correct hole, then slowly add the ink. As soon as you see a bit of ink oozing, stop immediately while holding on to the bottle and slowly release the air, that will allow you to suck out the ink back into the ink cartridge.
Cover the hole, make sure there’s no ink leaking out. Repeat the steps for each ink color. When you are done, carefully blot, do not wipe or rub the cartridge printhead. Blot on a wet paper towel to get the ink flowing. Make sure the print cartridge is not leaking, then put the ink cartridge back into the printer. Print a test page immediately just to make sure you did it right and to get the ink flowing. You can sell the old ink cartridges to office supply stores.