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wikiHow to Refill an Inkjet Printer Cartridge

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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.


  1. 1
    Purchase an ink refill kit at an office supply store. Many office supply and discount stores carry this inexpensive kit. (It usually costs about half the price of an average printer cartridge.) You can also find these kits at online retailers.
  2. 2
    Gather your kit, a roll of paper towels, and some clear scotch tape together on a large flat working surface, a table or desk.
  3. 3
    Remove the empty cartridge from your printer. (Remember to close your printer lid or door while you are working.)
  4. 4
    Cover your hands with a pair of disposable plastic gloves while you work with the messy ink.
  5. 5
    Take a paper towel and fold it in half twice. Work over the paper towel to catch any leaking ink.
  6. 6
    Place the empty cartridge on it.
  7. 7
    Read the instruction manual included with the refill kit to learn how to refill your particular type of cartridge. (The following instructions are just a general guide).
  8. 8
    Locate the fill holes on the top of the cartridge. The depressions can be felt by rubbing your finger across the label. Some cartridges have more than one hole, but only one leads to the ink reservoir that you will refill. This hole will have a sponge in it.
  9. 9
    Use a sharp pencil to pierce the refill holes in the top of the ink cartridge Or you can take the top label off with a knife or screwdriver (Correct places can also be found in the kit instructions).
  10. 10
    In addition to black, there are three colors of ink: magenta, cyan, and yellow. Follow the kit instructions on which hole to insert each color OR push a toothpick into the holes to identify the colors as markings on the printer cartridge are sometimes there to fool you into putting the wrong colors into the cartridge ink chambers.
  11. 11
    Insert the long needle of the refill ink bottle deeply into the correct hole penetrating the foam down into the bottom of the cartridge. It is important not to push air into the cartridge foam while refilling. (An air pocket will keep the ink from reaching the print head causing the cartridge not to print.)
  12. 12
    Slowly, add the ink. Carefully watch to be sure that you do not over-fill.
  13. 13
    Stop quickly as soon as you see a bit of ink oozing out of the hole. Without letting go of the bottle, slowly release the air, sucking a little ink back out of the ink cartridge, before you remove the needle completely.
  14. 14
    Carefully daub the cartridge contacts on the paper towel, you should see a splotch of the ink leaking out onto the paper towel.
  15. 15
    Cover the hole with a small piece of clear scotch tape. (This works better than the seal dots included in the kit.) Make sure that no ink is leaking out of the top holes. (That's where the clear tape comes in handy.) Be careful not to cross contaminate the colors.
  16. 16
    Repeat steps 11-15 for each ink color.
  17. 17
    After you have refilled all three colors, carefully blot (don't wipe or rub) the cartridge print head on a folded piece of paper towel. You may need to do this several times. Do this until it stops bleeding and you see an even stripe of three colors showing up on the towel.
  18. 18
    If the blot shows the colors either faded or not at all, blot on wet paper towel and again on dry, to get the ink flowing.
  19. 19
    Replace the ink cartridge into the printer. Never, ever install a leaking print cartridge.
  20. 20
    Immediately print something, anything, just to get the ink flowing. Print several test pages, preferable photos with a lot of different colors.
  21. 21
    Follow the cleaning or priming cycles for your specific printer.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • My printer keeps giving me a loading error when I replace it with refilled ink cartridges. What can I do?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Try cleaning the electrical contacts both on the cartridge and inside the printer with a cotton swab and alcohol. After cleaning, allow the alcohol to dry before inserting the cartridge.
  • Can I refill an ink cartridge in the middle of a printing job?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Yes. If you are running low on ink, you can refill an ink cartridge in the middle of a printing job.
  • Is it possible my inkjet cartridge was messed up before I used it in my printer?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Yes. With any manufactured product, duds sometimes make it through production and end up on store shelves. Someone is bound to buy one every once in a while.
  • Can you refill a cartridge that has been empty for several months?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Maybe. Check to see if the residual ink from months ago has dried. If it has, you might not be able to refill the cartridge.
  • What is the remedy for a cross-contaminated tri-color ink cartridge?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Hold the cartridge over a sink and run water through it until clear. If you do this every time before refilling, you'll get much better print quality, too. You could also use a hair dryer on low to speed the drying.
  • How can I use local printer toner instead of expensive Lexmark printer toner?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Check Amazon or Google for your Lexmark printer toner, and see if there are any alternatives listed that are not so expensive.
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  • As a last resort before buying a new cartridge, take the (clean) syringe, remove the plunger, and insert the syringe deeply into the cartridge. Put your mouth over the now-open top of the syringe and blow reasonably forcefully. This can help force the semi-loosened clogs from the previous step out of the way of the liquid ink. Be careful not to let the ink bubble out of the top of the ink jet cartridge as you blow into the syringe. Then dab the nozzle end of the cartridge on a paper towel. Repeat 3-4 times, if necessary. This method can extend the usability of a refilled cartridge from perhaps 5 or 6 refills to 8 or 10. For the cost of a new cartridge, it's worth the extra effort if you're on a tight budget.
  • If the color still refuses to come out of the cartridge when you print, use the syringe to inject just one or two small drops of (50%Ammonia and 50% distilled water)solution as far down into the cartridge as you can, so it will be near the print head (but not too close, because there's usually a screen above the print head that could be accidentally punctured). This can help dissolve any clots in the almost-microscopic nozzles.
  • If one color is having difficulty printing after you insert the print cartridge, remove from printer and recheck the tape covering the fill holes. Lift it and reposition, letting off any suction that may be preventing it from flowing properly.
  • Don't worry about testing and retesting. It's worth the effort. If you do ruin the cartridge... You can always go buy a new one. You would have had to do that anyway.
  • After you refill an ink cartridge, it should weigh the same as a new cartridges. Overfilling a cartridge will cause the cartridge to prematurely quit on you. Cartridges use a sponge to hold ink, by overfilling you wet the upper portion of the sponge causing the ink to want to flow upwards, away from the print nozzles.
  • Finally, you can use this method if all else fails: Find a printer on sale for less than the cost of a new cartridge. It will include one new cartridge (and sometimes two - black and color), so you now have a new printer with 1 or 2 cartridges for less than the cost of one new cartridge (printer companies sell these printers inexpensively, planning to make their money on future cartridge purchases - unless you know their game). Refill those cartridges until they won't work anymore, and then do it all over again.
  • Donate the used printer to a local charity, church, or school. Just be sure to let them know it needs a new cartridge, so they can decide if they want it.
  • New ink cartridges come with a postage-paid envelope requesting you to send your old ink cartridge in for recycling.
  • Avoid letting your ink cartridge run dry. Check and refill it periodically to keep it maintained. Try not to leave it unused for a long period of time. Try to print something at least once a week. This will help it last longer.
  • After refilling a print cartridge 5 or 6 times, the print head will eventually wear out. It can't last forever. Then you'll just have to buy a new cartridge and replace it.
  • Be sure to inject the ink slowly to avoid any air bubbles that can cause poor printing results.


  • Never add a leaking ink cartridge into your printer.
  • The ink is permanent, in that it can only be removed by the special ink solvent. Be careful not to get it on your clothing. It will leave stains on your hands, too, if you don't wear gloves.
  • You may need to print quite a few test pages to get the ink flowing properly.
  • Be careful not to touch the metal parts (tiny electrical leads and contacts) on the bottom and front edge of the cartridge. Oil from your fingers can disrupt contact with the printer. You can use a cotton swab moistened with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to gently clean these contacts, if necessary

Things You'll Need

  • Empty Print Cartridge
  • Ink Refill Kit
  • Paper Towels
  • Scotch Tape
  • Gloves
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Cotton Swabs

Article Info

Categories: Hardware Maintenance and Repair

In other languages:

Español: rellenar y reusar un cartucho de tinta, Português: Recarregar e Reutilizar um Cartucho de Impressora, Italiano: Riempire e Riutilizzare una Cartuccia per Stampante, Deutsch: Eine Druckerpatrone nachfüllen und wiederverwenden, Русский: заправить картридж принтера, Français: recharger et remettre en route une cartouche d'imprimante, 中文: 补充及重复使用打印机墨盒, Bahasa Indonesia: Mengisi Ulang dan Memakai Kembali Kartrid Printer

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