Did you know refilling ink cartridges can save you money all while being sustainable for our environment? The refilling process can be sweet and simple – provided that you avoid some of the most common mistakes. 

Decided to refill ink cartridges? Good for you. This blog will cover 5 common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid while refilling your ink cartridges.

• Waiting Until the Cartridge Runs Completely Dry

If you wait until cartridges run completely dry, it might actually be impossible (and definitely much harder) to refill. Why? Once a cartridge runs completely dry, so do the inkjet sponges that are crucial to flowing and transporting ink. We recommend refilling your cartridges before they completely run out. To ensure that your cartridges are in the best shape, consider refilling them when there is only a third of the ink left.

• Printing Immediately After Refilling

When refilling ink cartridges, you need to give the cartridge enough time to settle. Otherwise, whatever you print out gets blotchy and uneven since dried ink is notorious for creating an irregular line of color. Luckily, you’ll only need to wait 10 to 15 minutes before you can start printing like normal again.

• Compatibility May Sometimes Be Key

Some ink refill kits are universally compatible with cartridges while others may be manufacturer or model-specific. Make sure to check the model of your specific printer prior to purchasing an ink refill kit and using it.

• Refilling Your Ink Too Fast

As they say, slow and steady wins the race. Even if you are pressed for time, we strongly advise you to take a deep breath and steadily work towards refilling your ink. Rushing the ink refilling process is likely to increase the likelihood of problems like cartridge neck clogging or ink spillage – ultimately making the process take longer.

• Failing to Clean the Ink Syringe

For new ink syringes, you’ll want to rinse them of any debris or build-up from sitting in packaging for who-knows-how-long. This way, these particles don’t end up mixing with the ink and causing a big mess. For ink syringes that have already been used, make sure to clean them as well. This way, you don’t end up accidentally mixing colors which can permanently alter the desired ink.

• Injecting the Ink Incorrectly

The last pitfall that we commonly notice is that people inject all of the ink in one single location. This is bad news because it guarantees the problem of imbalance in ink distribution.  The ink won’t flow through the inkjet’s sponge effectively either. This means you might experience prints where one side is much lighter than the other, or the printer might not be able to print at all. 

The Bottom Line

Refilling ink cartridges can be sweet and simple. The above are just some common mistakes that refillers fall into, and this can make the process inconvenient and messy.

Hopefully, this post will help you in avoiding these mistakes. Like what we have to say? Bookmark Toner Cartridge Depot’s blog so you get notified of our next post whenever it comes out.