How Refilling Works

Refilling most ink cartridges is quite simple. Most inkjet cartridges and ink tanks have a sponge filled compartment that holds the ink. The ink flows by gravity through the sponge and into the printhead until empty.

Refilling is simply a matter of accessing the ink compartment and then injecting ink back into the sponge until saturated. We open the cartridge to reach the compartment and then inject ink with an injector / syringe and needle.

Another type of cartridge, is the pressurized cartridge. Hewlett Packard (HP) is mostly responsible for making this type of cartridge mainly the black ink cartridges. The HP cartridge has no sponge to absorb the ink, instead there is a bladder which holds the ink. These cartridges are usually accessed and refilled in the same way. The difference is that usually these cartridges require an additional step.

Further information. How printers work.

REFILL TIPS & CARING FOR YOUR CARTRIDGES

Inkjet and bubble jet cartridge refilling is not difficult, however a few precautions need to be taken.

Following are some handy hints, remember these and you will save on your printing costs.

	Never run your cartridge empty. If your printer has an indicator, refill when an "empty" or "near empty" warning is displayed. This is very important with colour printers (when one colour compartment is empty).
	Always remove your cartridge from printer before refilling.
	Refill in the kitchen, preferable on the stainless steel surface next to the sink.
	For best results refill a cartridge before it is empty. You will develop a feel when it is running low. Topping up your cartridge will give the best results and it will last far longer. The chance of dried ink in printing heads or burnt out printing heads will be totally avoided.
	Never over fill a cartridge.
	Do not let a cartridge dry out. If for some reason it has to be taken out of the printer, return it to the printer as soon as possible. For longer periods, store cartridge in a air tight plastic bag.
	Avoid touching any metallic parts such as contacts and print heads.
	Never install a leaking cartridge into printer. Leaks are usually apparent within 5-10 minutes after refilling.
	At all times refill S L O W L Y. That way one has proper control, no mess, avoids the possibility of over filling and possible colour contamination in your colour cartridges.