James Kara Murat asked:


The “sticker shock” that a consumer can get when buying a new set of inks for a computer printer can easily send them over the edge. With an eye toward economy and ecology consumers are finding that refills may be the way to solve issues they have with ink cartridge pricing and disposability.

Refills

As consumers quietly grumbled about the prices of printer ink other manufacturers, of all kinds, began coming up with ways to refill an ink cartridge. Refill kits have become a hot commodity with a certain “wink, wink” toward the patent lawyers. Individuals have also taken up the cause by performing plastic surgery on ink cartridges resembling Botox injections.

Plenty of newspaper

Whether a consumer is refilling hp ink cartridge or refilling canon ink cartridge the process is, for the most part, the same. Refill kits will get you half way home but you will need to provide quite a bit of newspaper for covering anything you value. You will also need cloths that can be wasted rather then washed.

Help boards are helpful

The difference that may be found when refilling hp ink cartridge and refilling canon ink cartridge is the location of the fill hole. On some canon cartridges the fill hole may be on the side or on the top of the cartridge. From the help boards it appears that either one will work ok. The idea is to refill the reservoir or sponge with just enough ink so that there is no air within the cartridge when the process is completed.

Tape

Obviously, ink cartridge manufacturers are not all that interested in providing ink cartridge refilling instructions so the process is a learn from others sort of thing. One item that pops up in this regard is the use of tape over the fill hole. Have some good quality tape for this aspect of the process. Also, you may need to use a few layers to make the seal. If there is a message, or several messages for that matter, after you have refilled and sealed, saying “can’t find printer” there may be an air hole where the tape is located. This means…start over and tape again.

Happy and sad

While the ink cartridge manufacturers are sad that others are finding ways to refill their cartridges (manufacturers indicate that the nozzles are not engineered for multiple use and Consumer Reports indicates color refill prints are only ok while black is good when refilling) others are warily excited. Research is beginning to show that consumers would pay to have somebody else refill their cartridges if the price were around half the originals cost.

Walgreens has been looking into this process for about 1,500 of its stores. It feels there may have room for refilling hp ink cartridge and refilling canon ink cartridge. The 10-15 minute process is relatively inexpensive and may be a somewhat palatable compromise with original cartridge manufacturers. The manufacturers, however, would need to convince consumers that refilling is only wise for a certain number of refills before they need a completely new cartridge.

Vikram Kumar asked:


Have you heard that in the United States alone, there are about 480 printer cartridges being thrown every minute? This means that every hour, there are about 28,000 cartridges discarded. In order to compare it will other things, it is estimated that the weight of the used ink cartridges used in America alone is the same with the weight of almost 67,600 Ford Explorers or the weight of almost 112,500 Volkswagen beetles. With these huge amounts of printer cartridges used everyday, it is high time that you do something about it. You should try to reuse and recycle in order to help the environment.

The most common users of printer cartridges are the business sector. They are usually the ones who consume a lot of ink since they get to print documents for their offices. Next to them are the households that changes toners at least twice every year, depending on their printing needs. In order to save the environment, there are several ways on how to recycle these used cartridges.

One and most practical way is by reusing your printer cartridges. You can refill this by buying a refill kit. Refill kits can help you save on ink costs. The refill kits come with everything that you need. It contains the ink, whether black or colored, that you will put inside the cartridge. The kit also has a syringe, which you will use to insert the ink. You will need to inject the ink inside of the cartridge. It also has a pair of plastic gloves that you will use to keep your hands from stains. Lastly, it has a manual of instructions on how to properly do the procedure of the refill. The price of the refill kit is usually half the price of the original ink. If properly refilled, the output of the ink is almost the same as the original ink. The cartridges can be refilled up to six times.

Aside from refilling the printer cartridges, you can also recycle the toner printers by sending it back to the company where you bought the cartridges. There are some companies that give special instructions for their clients on how they can recycle their cartridges. You can visit their sites for these instructions. There are also some companies that require their clients to send back to them the used cartridges. The companies shoulder the cost of the shipping.

Another option is to bring these printer cartridges to retailers. This serves as their after sales strategy to their clients. There are even some stores that offer trade-ins. These stores give incentives such as store coupons, free products or discounts on some items that you will purchase from them.

As a summary, you can help save the earth by recycling and reusing your printer cartridges. You can either reuse it by refilling it with new ink or you can also recycle it by sending it back to the ink manufacturers or cartridge retailers. With these steps, you can save money at the same time and you can also save the earth.

Frank Bolsom asked:


When it’s time to replace you printer ink cartridge, buying bulk ink will save you some money. You need to be sure the bulk ink will be suitable for your printer, however. So how do you find the best deals?

The following your alternatives:

Original Manufacturer Cartridges

You can usually buy them for less if you buy them in bulk. If your printer uses both a black cartridges and a color, you likely use more of one than the other. If you’re going to buy them in bulk, just buy the one you use most.

The original manufacturer’s cartridges will usually give you the best quality prints out of any of the alternatives. They are the most expensive, however.

Also, if you buy them in bulk keep in mind that they do dry out. Most ink cartridges have a “best before” date on the box. If they sit too long before you use them, the ink may dry out (which means your bulk purchase savings will disappear out the window).

Remanufactured (Refilled) Cartridges

There are many companies that sell remanufactured cartridges. These are basically refilled OEM cartridges, but without the hassle and mess of doing the refilling yourself.

The companies that refill them also usually do a more thorough job of cleaning and testing them than you can do yourself, so they tend to be more reliable.

These cartridges are much like the original brand of ink – they will dry out if they sit too long. Don’t buy more than you need to last you for a couple of months, otherwise they may not work by the time you use them.

Do-It-Yourself Refill Kits

These kits let you refill your empty cartridges and are the cheapest option of them all. The bottles that hold the ink until you refill the cartridge are also much less prone to drying out, so these kits have a much longer shelf life.

The refilling process can be tricky, however, for some printer models more than others. It can be quite messy if you aren’t careful.

Comparing the Costs

Let’s compare the price of each of the above options:

An original HP ink cartridge for the V40 series printer costs about $30 from most stores (black only).

If you buy this ink in bulk from a wholesaler, it will cost about $100 for 4 cartridges, or $25 per unit.

You can buy remanufactured ink cartridges for the same printer for $21 each, or less if bought in bulk.

Finally, a bottle of black refill ink for that printer will cost you roughly $15, and will refill the ink 4 times. This works out to $3.75 per refill.

Frank Bolsom asked:


Most people who own a computer printer have run into print quality problems at some point or another. One page the printer is doing great, the next page the printing is spotty or blurry.

Most people suspect the printer as soon as these problems crop up, but the fact is it is more often the ink that is at fault. This can be even more true if you use refilled ink cartridges with your printer.

Most modern printers are made to work with specific types of ink, and if you use a slightly different ink in the cartridge it can have a huge effect on the print quality. When you go to refill the ink, it seems simple enough – either black or the 3 colors (blue, red, yellow). There is a vast difference, however, in black from one type of ink to another and even more so with the colors.

When you use the proper ink in your printer, your prints will be sharp and clear, with bright, accurate colors. They will also last for many years without fading or losing their color.

The wrong type of ink will result in blurry, smudged prints with dull colors that may not be accurate to the original picture.

When replacing your ink, whether refilling your empty cartridge or buying a recycled cartridge, you need to be sure that the ink is specifically compatible with your brand and model of printer.

For example, if you have an Epson printer you need to be sure to use an ink that is specified as Epson compatible. If you use an ink that is made for an HP or Canon printer, your print quality will not be what you expect.

If you are refilling your own ink cartridges, be sure that you follow the refill instructions correctly. Today’s printers are pretty high-tech and they are extremely dependent on the quality of ink and the fitness of the cartridge.

Frank Bolsom asked:


There are both pros and cons to using refilled cartridges in your inkjet printer, no matter what brand you own. If you listen to the manufacturers, refilled cartridges can damage your printer and void your warranty.

If you listen to the refill companies, on the other hand, the cartridges will work as well as the originals, at a much lower cost.

The truth is somewhere in the middle – here are some of the pros and cons of refill ink.

Pros

The biggest advantage of refill ink is the lower cost. They cost less than half the price of a new cartridge, and this can really add up over the life of a printer.

And no only do you save money, but you’re also recycling the ink cartridge, which is better for the environment.

Another advantage of refill ink is the availability. If you keep a refill kit on hand, it won’t matter when your cartridge runs out – you can just refill it. This is especially helpful if you run out of ink in the middle of the night or you use a printer like Dell, whose ink is not available anywhere except by ordering from Dell (and waiting for it to be shipped).

Cons

One of the biggest cons of refilled ink cartridges is they can be tricky to refill. The printer manufacturers are making it harder and harder to refill their cartridges, and if you’re not careful you can have problems after filling them.

Air bubbles can form in the ink which can translate to splotchy printing. The refill process can also be messy, with spilled ink being a common problem. Ink stains are next to impossible to remove so you want to be sure you’re not wearing good clothes or working over carpet when refilling your cartridge.

And finally, using refilled ink can void your warranty in some cases. If you have a problem and it’s determined to be caused by the aftermarket ink, your printer warranty won’t apply. You have to weigh the cost of ink versus the cost of replacing your printer and make your own call on this point.